holidays
Holiday Expectations
The other day I was disappointed because tickets to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer were sold out. Tragic, right? Then we didn’t go to the tree lighting ceremony or the Christmas parade because it was pouring down rain. Gasp! And I was thinking, “man, our kids are really missing out on all of the holiday fun this year.” I was on a slippery slope to wondering if my kids were going to need therapy because we weren’t maxed out on holly jolliness this year. Yes, looking back, I can see how that attitude was a bit pathetic. Here’s the kicker. My kids didn’t ask to go to see Rudolph or the parade.…
Santa Belt Nails
Even if you don’t have an Ugly Sweater Party to go to, I’m sure you’ll attend some sort of holiday shin-dig this year. The Christmas bling does not need to be restricted to your gorgeous abode. Oh, no. It’s time to glam up those finger and toenails with a little Santa Belt Bling! And as my Christmas gift to you, I have spared you pictures of my toes. You’re welcome. They are currently sporting the same look as my 7-year-old daughter’s toes though! All you have to do is paint your toe or fingernails red. Let them dry thoroughly. Then you need to use some scotch tape to mark off…
Jazzing Up a Fake Wreath
The house we are renting has a double front door. Cool, right? I have been very proud of myself for resisting the temptation to paint those things. Anyway, I don’t have two wreaths, let alone two matching wreaths, so I was on a mission to somehow dress up those front doors this holiday season. My first inclination was to buy a fresh wreath. Well, they were more than I wanted to spend. Big, surprise. Then I saw a fake wreath at Target and they wanted $25. For a fake wreath! Sheesh. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and their Christmas stuff was 50% off. I found a fake wreath for $5.00, originally…
Using Contact Paper to Make a Deer Silhouette
I’ve fallen for the animal silhouette fad – especially around the holidays. I can’t help it! I have not fallen for the vinyl cutting machines, like the Cricut, which would make creating a silhouette so much easier. I just haven’t been able to stomach the price tag on those puppies. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have one, but then I’d be afraid to waste the vinyl, so then it wouldn’t get used like it should. It’s a vicious cycle, people! It’s often these moments of cheapness frugality that lead me to get a little desperate creative. So, I came home from preschool drop-off last week, did my happy dance…
Holiday Footprint Art
My most treasured piece of holiday decor is not the tree topper or the ornaments from when I was a baby. Nope, not even close. It’s actually this piece of footprint artwork my daughter made when she was 5. Mistletoes? It doesn’t get any cuter than that. And you know I’m a sucker for hand and footprint art. There’s something so compelling to me, as a mother, to have a snapshot in time of their little feet – especially on canvas. If you are looking for a homemade gift idea this year. I thought you might like that one. It’s as simple as letting your child paint the background and…
Santa Belt Magnets
Last year I got on a magnet kick. Don’t ask me why. Sometimes you just get a wild idea and before you know it, your fingers are covered in Mod Podge and you forgot to start dinner. Am I right, or am I right? The result was a whole bunch of these ridiculously cute Santa Belt magnets. Don’t worry. No humans starved during the making of these magnets. We totally had cereal for dinner that night. Problem solved! Here’s what you need to make them: wood discs of some sort, magnets, glue, small paint brush, Mod Podge, tape, craft paint and rhinestones or gems. You may want to sand the wood…
Paper Pumpkins
Hello, hello! Earlier this week I briefly showed you a mini-paper pumpkin I made before I decided that my fingers were too big to make more of those pint-sized spheres of cuteness. I do adore it though! That little craft was based on a pumpkin tutorial I used last year to make a whole patch of paper pumpkins using 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. Seriously, I got addicted and was worried I wouldn’t be able to stop. Can you blame me? The pumpkins mainly survived being packed in a box and trucked clear across the country. They were a little mushed when I unpacked them and some of the tape…
Halloween Countdown Lunchbox Notes – Free Printable
Update: A sweet reader told me there were some font problems with the PDF. I’ve converted the PDF to Jpeg files. This should fix the problem. If not, please let me know! Who loves Halloween? My kids sure do! I love how much fun you can have with this holiday. The anticipation is already building around our house! The costumes have been selected and now it is time to start the countdown! I made some printable lunchbox notes that I can use to start counting down Halloween. It will be a fun switch from our day-of-the-week lunch box notes that we’ve been using. (Those things are still working so…
Let Freedom Ring
4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Our family’s 4th of July tradition involves watching a parade. For my kids, it is all about the candy. And that’s okay. It’s a free country! I love parades too. There is something so unifying about watching a 4th of July parade. For that hour, we aren’t Republicans or Democrats. We aren’t rich or poor. We aren’t old or young. We aren’t straight or gay. We aren’t religious or non-religious. We aren’t educated or uneducated. We are simply Americans. And, isn’t that how it should be? For I am convinced that our similarities far out-weigh our differences. Making this cute little…
