31 December 2010

a year in favorites

ever inspiring elise and her brilliant best-of post today got me thinking about the past year in pictures (she has inspired the format for this wrap-up post). i took a walk down memory lane in iPhoto myself and wow, what a year it has been! i highly recommend doing just that if you haven't already. i found myself thinking: benji has grown so much and wasn't that fun and man, we've put a lot of miles on our car this year and those giant marshmallows were awesome and mostly, i'm so glad we did that. it's nice to have too many favorites to share. here is a look at 2010's highlights.


30 December 2010

what dan lovingly refers to as my lumberjack shirt.


let me introduce you to my plaids.

this urban outfitters flannel shirt is my new favorite favorite.  it's only twenty-nine dollars right now. it is cozy and cute and feels like you're wearing your jammies all day long. it's great with another layer underneath, it's slim enough to go under a hoodie, and is the perfect thing on a snowy almost-january day when you have to hurry and run off to the doctor's office without looking in the mirror. whit first introduced me to it awhile ago, and after hearing how (obsessively) much i wear it, she kindly gifted me a second for christmas. yay.

you really will love it. and your husband will want one too.

p.s. sad news. i am nixing all previous new year's party plans. am pretty bummed about it. my little one has come down with a terrible cough. now i get to call him my bronchiolitisaur and snuggle up with my boys and watch curious georg-e-o and beauty and the beast as a family. not that we don't do that on a regular basis. this time, though, we'll invite the humidifier.

happy ringing in the new year, my friends.

29 December 2010

new year's eve around the globe party



my sister, amy has a cute new year's eve tradition with her kiddos. they celebrate new year's eve around the globe! i think it's the perfect way to enjoy a party with your children, maintain a sane bedtime, and let them bang pots and pans (just a few hours earlier)! she picks a dreamy place to theme her party around; a vacation spot two hours ahead of her locale. (favorites have been washington D.C. and miami.) she whips up a creative meal, treats, games and party favors for the big countdown. at ten o'clock, they holler and hoot and pop streamers for the new year.

i'm excited to host her family for an impromptu party this year! i am thinking of a pizza party in true new york city fashion. there will be a checkers competition, apples to apples (in honor of the big apple), a play-doh sculpting game (in honor of the MOMA) and something sweet ala serendipity. i can hardly wait. any more new yorkian suggestions?

since i've never hosted a new year's bash before i wonder if it's a major faux pas to still have christmas decorations up. thoughts?? i'm definitely keeping mine up for my sister's family. it feels too festive to take down already.

what are your new year's eve traditional favorites?

image found on tumblr. source unknown.

27 December 2010

january dollar downloads debut early.

one of my creative goals is to dream up cute and useful designs to feature as dollar downloads every month throughout the new year. it will be nice for me to put my crafty thinking cap on. hopefully they will be items you'll enjoy too.



writing thank you notes for holiday parties and unexpected gifts is on my to-conquer list this week. i thought a check-the-box format would be more fun than something formal. simply download, print and customize it with your own cursive and thoughtful answers. (a perfect way to use up the rest of your postage stamps!) this download design has four cards per sheet; they will print and cut nicely into an A2 envelope. dolling them up with leftover ribbons is optional.



since i'm offering a january calendar page, i wanted to submit it early so you can get rolling with making january plans. i adore pretty glossy calendars–and this scratchpad version in no way can compete with those–however i prefer having an extra, loose calendar to jot dates and scribble on. i hang them on my bulletin board and save them all in a folder. at the end of the year, after reviewing all twelve pages, i can make a quick re-cap list of what we did that year.

check-the-box thank you notes
scratchpad january calendar
• both january downloads for $2.00

please consider my copyright, remember to use these designs for personal use only. thank you.

25 December 2010

good night christmas.

i hope it was merry. i hope it was magic. i hope it was one for the scrapbooks.

we played all day long. after the gifts were unveiled, we leisurely sat and watched our boy race his cars. i sprayed new perfume and poked sparkly earrings into my ears. in traditional christmas fashion, dan immediately put on the new shirt i got him. which always makes me glad. the sun shone and we went sledding in an empty park with snowy hills until lunchtime. it was pretty perfect. except for the jump that threw me off the sled and onto the ice. moaning and then laughter.

right now, right here, my boys are asleep. the twinkle lights are steadily glowing and everything is quiet. the wrapping is put away and the presents are still out on display; ready to play another day.

i am tucking myself in with a lot on my mind. we read books with cups of wassail and watched a disney, an austen and an alcott tonight. (i secretly wish jo march ended up with laurie. but still, i am charmed with the story as always. and it reminds me how much i want to write something decent.)

i have big plans up my sleeve–as usual–am wondering if they will show themselves this year. i am starting it off with a little re-invent with the blog. (did you see the new header?) baby steps. i hope to figure out how to balance everything i dream to do with everything i must get done. i want to make the most of the moments. i can't stop thinking about the fact that i will turn thirty in 2011. that, in itself, gives me pause. for tonight, i am off to cuddle up and gather up our mugs and leave the dishes in the sink.

merry christmas.

p.s. i seriously love that blogging can be a vehicle for whatever you wish.
thanks for coming along for the ride.

22 December 2010

merry, merry



christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.
i have that song stuck in my head–the muppets version of it–to be exact.

now that christmas is upon us, i am letting the loose ends go and wrapping up what is almost done. i never got around to making this year's merry mix cds or dipping pretzels (among other things i've likely forgotten that i was going to do). however i am not pouting, instead i'm patting myself on the back for what we have done. i went cookie crazy this season and recently tucked my kitchen-aid in for a long winter's nap. (my goal is to not wash another cookie sheet pan for the rest of the year!) we made gingersnaps, sugar cookies and chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies. i guess it's not christmas until i dunk something into melted chocolate.

last weekend we went back home for some christmasing. i love this tradition of heading to our hometown early for the holidays and then returning to idaho in time to celebrate christmas day in our home, as a trio. with a home for the holidays hangover–our car was packed to the gills and we all caught colds–i felt happy to have made merry memories together with family. plus the fact that christmas day is still around the bend. it's the best of both worlds, it really is.

a few things we packed in while we visited: the lights and nativity on temple square, the choo choo at oma's house, peppermint ice cream, cousins, exchanging gifts, games, a christmas tree pinata, traffic jams, christmasy radio, grandma's house, surprise visits around town, a chat with whit and benji learning her name, last minute shopping, scoring a parking spot after circling around twice, a christmas pageant, hymns at church and more.

here on the home front i am gearing up for the next few days. mrs. claus is coming to storytime and we have a surprise christmas eve activity planned for dan. i'm excited. the fridge is stocked. i love splurging on eggnog, root beer, orange juice, new batteries, stew meat, mixed nuts and more in one fell swoop. i think you become a true housewife when a stocked fridge makes your day. i actually despise going to the grocery store, but feeling ready for a week's menu or more is so worth it. (i know i owe you a post about freezer meals, i will divulge what i've learned in a later post!) on the menu for christmas weekend is my mom's crepes (aka thinnies), my dad's famous enthusiastic stew, cups of wassail and a chocolate chip bundt (aka hobbit cake). and candy cane joe joe's. (thank you, shanna!) the celebrating officially begins with tonight's football game; utah vs. boise state. and homemade pizza. i have recently come to know the comforts of home can be brought about with food.

am planning to make my way through the tall stack of christmasy dvds while i stuff stockings and pour our holiday photos and cards into the about-to-burst christmas memory scrapbook. i still have laundry to fold and presents to find (i just remembered something i hid in the bathroom cupboard), so i best sign off for now.

most of all, i wanted to say happy christmas dear blogging darlings. am wishing you a merry and bright holiday. enjoy the glitter and magic and the new and old traditions that make your hearts aglow. (i love the peace, the calm, the joy of the aftermath and the simplicity of cuddling up with a new book on christmas night.) no matter where you are or who you're with, put your arms around them and sink your teeth into the meaning of what's important.

xo.

21 December 2010

cute calendars for the new year



so happy to find out today is the last day of free shipping from kate spade. hurrah. i just ordered my 2011 planner refills. i splurged on the canvas anne pocket organizer years ago and am still so enchanted with it. my deadlines and playdates and must-do's and address list all in one place! i highly recommend gifting yourself something that will make you glad day after day. my mom taught me a valuable lesson; make sure the daily stuff you deal with is cute! it makes the nitty gritty details of life so much more pleasant.

check out their stocking stuffers and the fun things we love page too.

how-to accept any gift


HOW-TO ACCEPT ANY GIFT
by Tori Rosin Szekeres from visforvictory.wordpress.com



Old copies of the National Enquirer. An 8-Track Cassette Tape. Fruitcake.

What do these things have in common? To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, you can’t always get you what you want during the holiday season. Sometimes, you don’t even get what you need.

Getting a bad gift is never easy. That being said, the person who struck out with the gift in question likely wasn’t out to harm, humiliate or hurt you with their choice of present. Don’t trample their feelings! Here are some suggestions to help you accept any kind of gift.

Come Clean: If someone asks you for gift suggestions, provide them. Don’t shrug and say, “I don’t know.” Everyone is busy during the holidays. While we should all be paying attention for gift hints throughout the year, most people aren’t built to do that. (And do I envy those who can pull this off!)

Don’t take gift questions as an annoyance; the giver-to-be wants to do right by you.

But what if they go forth and shop for you without your knowledge? When you get the gift in question, you better not pout. A Yuletide gathering is not the time to whine, shout or show displeasure in any way. If you’re hostile to a gift you receive, what are you teaching the children around you about generosity and gratitude? It’s not positive.

Write a Thank-You Note: It’s easy to blow this off. Don’t do it. “Oh, this is just a pair of slippers from my Grandma! I thanked her in person, even though they were two sizes too small! I don’t need to write a thank-you note!” should not be crossing your mind. If you dislike the gift, a thank-you note is necessary.

If you need further tips on writing great thank-you notes, read “How to Write a Thank You Note” by the late Leslie Harpold. She raises an interesting hypothesis in the article: thank-you notes improve the gifts you recieve. So take pen to paper. Who knows what will happen next year?

Keep This In Mind: In the long run, what you get during the holiday season is just stuff. Holidays are about more than what you can score from Etsy. When you think back on Christmas 2010, my wish for you is not that you get good gifts, but that you remember and experience the true meaning behind the celebration; family, friends and faith.

Stuff can be replaced. Memories can’t.

image source unknown.

this is the last how-to of the year. thank you so much for participating! i feel so happy that my little summer series idea grew into a weekly series, thanks to your awesome response. my goal was to give you an outlet to display your talents and special skills. i appreciate you sharing the stuff you know! i have enjoyed learning from you. please let me know if you'd be interested in seeing it in 2011. xo.


view the entire how-to series archives for tons of tutorials from readers like you. 
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden 

20 December 2010

stocking stuffers for kids & teens

back by popular demand.

i've created two more grocery lists for last-minute stocking stuffers. this year, custom-made for kids and teens. (see my other go-to stocking stuffer lists here.) i love that stockings are a perfect reason to give something silly, something sweet and something special. i always love it when–after all the wrappings have been ripped off–the trinket they are most mesmerized with is from their stocking! sometimes the smallest gifts can be so exciting. i love to keep up with childhood traditions, a pez dispenser, silly putty and a ripe orange are items i always enjoyed. happy stocking stuffing!


18 December 2010

christmasing.






life is good. i have a little elf by my side and his eyes are twinkling at every turn.
whenever we do something fun together, i like to call it christmasing.

01. mailing a letter to santa. instead of a wish list, he sent a coloring page.
02. a christmas cookie party. flour and frosting flying, what could be more festive!?
03. chatting on the calculator. my advice? every toddler should get one in their stocking.

happy weekend!

17 December 2010

how-to host a craft party


HOW-TO HOST A CRAFT PARTY
by jessica of Living the Swell Life

I had such a fine + fabulous experience hosting my first craft party, or more creatively entitled a Christmas Crafternoon, that I'd like to dedicate a post to sharing my thoughts and tips for anyone up to the challenge of hosting her own in the future! Although I could probably talk your ear off on this subject, I will try to simplify the matter into a brief, handy list. Also, if you are interested in examples of some of the crafts we made you can check them out right here!



1. If you build it, they will come. It's true. When I first posted an invitation for this party, I was a nervous wreck, thinking no one would show. But I learned that girls love a chance to get together, and they double love a chance to get creative when everything is spread out in front of them. So many of my friends say they wish they could be more crafty but don't have the time or inspiration. I shared a public invite both on facebook and this blog, hoping to meet some new crafty girls in the area and also share my love of crafting with some of my old in-real-life friends. In the end, I had such an overwhelming response that I had to turn some girls away. Stab me in the heart.

2. Plan, plan, plan. Even before sending out invites, plan what crafts you will to make. Not only will this step provide for a great teaser in the invite ("We'll be making X, Y, and Zs!!"), you'll also have more time to fine tune everything as the party approaches. Take inventory of the supplies you already have and make lists of the supplies you need to gather.

3. Time it. Be realistic about time frame. One project may take the entire duration of the party. Or teach your guests a smattering of techniques with 3-5 simple projects to fill the afternoon. Whatever you do, time yourself as you make each sample in order to guesstimate how long to schedule the party or when to quit coming up with more and more projects. (Ahem, super guilty here.)



4. Details. Don't forget about tools. This was an afterthought for me and I scrambled the day before asking people to bring extra scissors and paper punches. At the last minute, I was buying needles and tape and asking guests to sharpen their own pencils. Tools are just as important as the craft supplies themselves and although we're all grown-ups, let's face it; in this case, the less sharing the better!

Do double duty with party favors and set out bags labeled with each guest's name so there is a space for her to put finished crafts throughout the party and a handy way to tote home her spoils.

5. Don't break the bank. Don't be afraid to ask your guests to bring a small amount of cash to share in the cost of supplies. I've never known a craft party without a supply fee (at least when the hostess is providing supplies). Another reason it's so important to determine the projects before sending out the invite is so that you can set a realistic budget and a realistic amount to pass on to each guest. I'll be completely honest here and say that my party did cost more than $10/person. But my intention was not to break even, it was only to avoid breaking the bank and to bless my friends with a wonderful get-together.


6. Be firm on numbers. I cannot, repeat, cannot stress this enough. Can I be frank with you? I had a lot of unnecessary anxiety over the guest list. Here's why: I specifically asked everyone to RSVP asap, but received a ton of maybes. When planning this sort of party, it's really difficult to work with all of the maybes in the crowd. I 100% understand that life is unpredictable, but I urge you to make it a clear expectation that your guests commit. Tell them you need to have a firm number in order to buy the proper amount of supplies. Next time I am seriously considering collecting everyone's supply fee in advance via Paypal, just so that they are less likely to flake.

Also in this vein,
7. Know your limits. Have a maximum number of guests your home/venue can hold and don't go over it. If the party is too crowded to craft the fun factor will go down. I set my magic number at 20 and had to start a waiting list at this point. After a bunch of last minute cancellations, I believe the final head count was 16. I think that was a perfect number for my house. Why did I invite so many people that I ended up saying no?? Because I didn't want to be exclusive. I wanted to open it up to anyone and everyone who was interested in this sort of thing. The best part about craft parties is that they can be big or small--for a close circle of friends or for everyone in your social network. Know what is manageable for you and your life!

8. Map out your house. This is also key. Each separate craft should have a designated station. What rooms/areas would make good work spaces? Plan which crafts can be done on laps and which crafts require tables and chairs. Keep messy projects near a sink. Put projects that may take the most time in a large room and smaller-scale projects in a smaller area. If there is a two-step project, keep both stations adjacent to one another. This is one huge mistake I made. We made yarn wreaths, decorated with felt flowers. Half of the girls finished the yarn ring all at once and were wanting to learn the felt flowers. I had put the flower project in the smallest room with the least amount of workspace. Somehow I hadn't anticipated that people would spend as much time as they did crafting these to beautifully decorate their wreaths. People were sitting on the floor, tracing on the walls, and bumping into each other left and right. {And what dearies, they weren't even complaining!}


9. Feed them! I know this is basic, but I just want to reiterate simplicity here. One great way to keep party costs down is to ask guests to bring treats to share. I turned my party into half craft making, half Christmas cookie swapping. The spread was amazing--way better than I ever could have done by myself. It was so fun to sample everyone's baking talent. All I had to worry about were drinks! It's also important to consider that you'll be spending tons of time the day before cleaning your house and setting up your crafts; the last thing you need to fret over is food. If you choose to be more hospitable and serve your own treats, do yourself a favor and have things made ahead of time.

10. Enjoy yourself. Face it, you can't be all things to all people. You can't individually teach every guest every project, or hold lengthy personal conversations with everyone. That's why for large-scaled craft parties or for varied skill levels, make certain that you are not the only one who knows what the heck is going on. (i.e. delegate.) I asked a few of my craftiest friends to arrive early so that I give them a brief run-down of all the projects. My sis-in-law kept the coffee brewing and I felt free to mix & mingle. It was wonderful. Like growing extra sets of hands and eyes. I was able to relax and chat a whole lot more because I knew there were plenty of friendly resources bouncing throughout the house. It's also helpful to create multiple samples (if you have time!) of each project to not only present the basic concept but inspire variations on a theme.

*****  
Wow, so much for short. I really hope this is helpful! Feel free to visit my blog, ask questions, or add your two cents. I'd love to hear the skinny on your craft parties--past & future!  

view the entire how-to series archives for tons of tutorials from readers like you. 
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

16 December 2010

how-to make a hot cocoa kit


HOW-TO MAKE A HOT COCOA KIT
by Destri of The Mother Huddle



There just isn't much that a three year old can create that isn't something only a mother would love. I thought and thought about what my little boy could make his friends for Christmas and finally came up with a Hot Cocoa Kit. Over the course of a week we worked on little projects to add to the kit, and I can't tell you how much fun we had with it. He got to mash things, melt things, sprinkle things, dip things, fill things....all sorts of sensory play. He is so proud of himself and can't wait to give them out. Plus I got to take some fun pictures, form some lasting memories, and scratch everyone off his list. Including his teacher, friends and the party favors for our Christmas party. All for less than twenty dollars!

If you find your kids getting restless for the big day to arrive this would be a great project to tackle until it comes.

HOT COCOA KIT
You may choose to only add one or two elements to the kit, but I will give you a list of what we used.

Supplies:
• hot cocoa
• almond bark or chocolate chips
• candy canes and sprinkles
• coffee creamer, cinnamon, nutmeg
• plastic spoons
• marshmallows
• mug
• various containers and baggies to package

    Set The Stage

    I have learned that my son has a max attention span of about fifteen minutes. If I expect him to focus on anything longer than that, it always ends up not as fun for him. So we did these projects on different days, at a time of day that I knew he could focus.

    I would have everything out and ready before I even called him in the room. After showing him what we were doing I tried my hardest to just let him do it his way. I was amazed at how concerned he was with how everything looked!

    Chocolate and Peppermint Spoons



    I found that with most of these projects, sitting on the table was just the easiest. For the spoons I broke up a couple candy canes and put in a plastic bag. Then with his sister there to supervise, he went to town breaking them up. While he did that I melted the chocolate.



    I then told him to just scoop up a little chocolate and then set the spoon on the wax paper. Even my two year old helped with this.



    Then I had them sprinkle on the candy cane.



    All done, and they did an awesome job! Onto the next project.

    Chocolate Dipped Canes With Sprinkles



    I had the chocolate melted and the sprinkles already in a glass for him when we started this. Again sitting on the table, I had him dip the candy canes.



    Then place them on wax paper, and sprinkle on the candies.



    Again, so impressed with how careful he was! And then I took a bajillion pictures of them. There is something about candy canes, they're just photogenic ya' know?

    Nutmeg & Cinnamon Creamer




    For this I just added a little cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to a measuring cup and let him mix it up.



    Then I helped him make a funnel to pour it into the fun little bulbs.



    It was his idea to add the chocolate chips, you can never have too much I suppose.

    Marshmallow Bags



    This project was really easy. Just lined him up with some marshmallows and let him fill up the little bags. He was a little stingy on the marshmallows. He finally told me "mom, we have to save me some!"

    Packaging It All Up



    I picked up these cute little jugs at Hobby Lobby on sale for 75 cents. I had him help me fill them up then I added a the rick rack and label.



    The spoons and candy canes were wrapped in a little bag and tied with ribbon.



    I tied a tag to the bulbs and then using double sided tape added the fun pom poms to the top.



    Then put it all in a box with the mug he insisted on, "cause they're fancy mom", that I bought at Ross for $3.99 for four. All done!

    For his teacher we added a little instant coffee to the mix and a note.

    For the party favors I just added a few packets of hot cocoa instead of the jug, and put it all in a cellophane bag minus the mug.

    There you have it! A fun way to get your littlest ones creating, and keep 'em busy. This really was a fun project for my kids, and I learned that I have underestimated their abilities when it comes to these types of projects. I won't hesitate in the future!

    view the entire how-to series archives for tons of tutorials from readers like you.
    "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

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