scrapbook pages

You have really got to check out this site. She has an amazing site filled with wonderful ideas. Wilna has (generously) posted digital scrapbook pages that you can create your own and print it using shutterfly. It has been so much fun and I have learned a lot!!! You can create a book of memories and traditions for your family. Here is a picture of one of my pages.

homemade marshmellows

for a yummy treat visit martha. I made these homemade marshmallows last year and they were yummy. With just a few ingredients you can make your own. Who knew? I added peppermint to one of my batches and it was yummy in hot cocoa.

our new little elf..

Have you heard about the Elf on the Shelf? We had one come to our house and start a tradition this weekend. He watches the little ones and reports back to Santa. He moves around every night and reappears. He hides every night and in the morning the kids can search the house for him. It comes in a box with a book too. You can find it here.

paper crafts

The other night I wanted to scrapbook and my 7 year old wanted to join. Usually this results in me not getting much done, but worth the memories. I cut her some paper and she used my eyelets, brads, ribbons, stickers and die cuts and created the cutest book. The brads spell out her name and inside she used extra pictures of her favorite things. She also likes to draw and made a self portrait inside her book. She was pretty proud of the results. I am too.

To make a book:

1) 12 x 12 paper in assorted colors and sizes, cut in half and then folded.

2) use a hole punch to create a book and use metal ring clips and tie ribbons around.

3) decorate it with anything you heart desires...

holiday traditions continues....

Matching Christmas pajamas are a must. They also need to be bright and cheerful and cozy warm. We take a picture in front of the tree every year. Sometimes I wait until Christmas Eve, but this year I gave them a couple weeks early. Last Saturday the girls stayed in them all day long and we watched Christmas at Plum Creek (Little House) and Little Women. Oh what a fun day.

Holiday decorating and memory making

Besides the "Christmas tree" there are lots of winter and Christmas decorating I like to do. I love Christmas decorating. It usually involves a cranberry or balsam fir candle burning. I love the chartreuse green color in my new candle and ornaments. I think hanging the ornaments right on the wall looks cute too. I also found a new Nativity set. I hope to add more pieces to it over the years.

For nice easy and less expensive way to decorate, I like to put fresh pine needles in a big bowl of water with cranberries. I sprinkle in some glitter and sometimes add a floating candle. Perfect centerpiece and so easy and cheap. Last weekend we made a popcorn strand to share with our birdies. It works really well with dental floss. The popcorn slides right down. Cranberries look cute on that too. It isn't rain proof though and we had to take our down after a few days. I also cut some boxwood, pine needles (firs and pine) and other greenery from my mom's house and make my own wreaths each year. It only takes 20 minutes to make with some wire, wire wreath and lights.

Christmas involves making memories. Often times it is an album of snapshots in our minds. These snapshots are not just one dimensional. It uses all our senses to create these albums of memories. We need to smell the yummy candle and pine, to hear the bells and music and carols sung, to taste the traditional food we eat this time of year, see the twinkling lights or watching the excitement of a loved one opening a surprise, and to touch and hold the special ones in our lives. How will you decorate and what snapshots are you creating for you family?

teaching about jesus

We have tried to share about the important of Jesus in our families lives to our children. We have shared with them from an early age that Jesus was born on Christmas and that is why we celebrate his life. On Easter we celebrate that he has risen from the dead after dying for us on Good Friday. One year around Thanksgiving time, I think when paige was around 4, I asked her if she knew why we celebrated Thanksgiving? In her sweeest look of confusion she says..."it is Jesus's.......um I don't know mommy." I guess in her mind if you don't know the answer just stay safe with the Jesus answer. Cute.

holiday movies

Grab the fam, snuggle up on the couch, grab a bag of popcorn and candy and watch "Its a Wonderful Life." Now that I am in my 30's I am just beginning to appreciate this all-time great movie holiday classic. My sister in law is so obsessed with with the movie she named her cat ZuZu Petals. Cute name huh? There are lots of other great movies too. What about Little Women? Or Christmas Story? And I love anything Little House on the Prairie and really love the Christmas at Plum Creek episode. The cartoons of Frosty, Rudolph, and do you remember the movie "Twas the Night before Christmas" with the mouse and the clock he had to fix. I love that one! What is your favorite?

(And for my family who never leaves a comment because they can't figure how, all you do is push the comment line. It is as easy as that!)

another fun place to check out....

There is a great place to check out here, that is full of games, songs, a santa tracker, elf house info and much more. It is fun for children and adults alike.

elf family

Just the decker elf family. Make your own video or picture here. It is fun and super easy. You can make the elfs dance too. Yea for Jeff in red and white strips tights.

"if you buy the world a coke"

If you want to remember a Christmas commercial from about 1984, this is the one a classic. I remember all the "If you buy the world a coke" ones, but when 10 years old this was came out and thought it was so cool. Just a blast from the past! Check it out!

This video is all different nations singing If you buy the world a coke Christmas version. Go here

Before that one aired this one was pretty cool too. Go here It is the Christmas tree that was lite up with people singing "If you buy the world a coke".

What commercial now will our kids remember in 20 years?

bird feeder

Putting a bird feeder outside is fun to watch all the different birds that visit us. Jeff put ours this year right outside the window that our cat ribbons sits at all day. Needless to say we have a very exhausted little kitty now. She is on alert most all day watching the birds come and go. We have chipmunks and squirrels too. Sometimes they just torment our cat and actually jump on the screen door (I saw it with my own eyes) as to say "try to catch me". Anyway we might try to make feeders with pine cones and birdseed this winter for our woodland friends. It is a fun craft to do as a family on a cold and winter day and I haven't done it for a couple years now. Tonight might just be the night.

Christmas lights on the Jeep?

Remember my post about us taking a drive and looking at lights from here? Well last night was the night and we had our popcorn and Starbucks. As we were getting ready to go, I had an idea to string colored lights on the inside of car while driving around. My Jeep has a outlet and we had an extra strand of lights. It only took we 2 minutes and then when I started it up the lights turned on and the girls thought it was so cool. We got a lot of smiles driving around town.

check this site out...a must

Oh, I found this cool site you just have to check out. Thanks sis for the info! This site allows you to make a video of Santa and "his list" and you can upload a picture of your own child and their name and it appears in a video. This is the video I have done for paige...here and here is the one for laine. It doesn't take too long to make a video but it is easier if you use a smaller size picture in terms of KB. I think I may show my kids the video on Christmas Eve. Have fun.

Christmas pictures (only had to take 100 pictures to get it)

I hate paying for portrait studio pictures when I like my own pictures and style. But this year I had to bribe with candy and cookies for Laine to cooperate. What ever it takes right?

Well this is how it started.....

but it got better...

and this was my favorite...

and laine showing her new pearl necklace was cute too...

is there anything better than a peppermint mocha?

Is there anything better than a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks? No not really this time of the year. I have gotten a couple this holiday season and it is a little treat right in the middle of my shopping day. Once in a while I have time while Laine is at preschool to stop in and sit and enjoy watching the people come and go. If you haven't tried one yet I highly recommend it.

our little charlie brown tree

We have a regular normal sized tree with all the trimmings, but we love our little charlie brown tree in a red bucket. It is a perfect size to put all the kids decorations and ornaments on. The last couple years I have been buying halmark ornaments and pick a couple out that the girls are into that year. This year I picked some disney ornaments (spring 09 trip to disney planned), hannah montana, and also HSM singing locker. This year we put the little tree up a couple weeks ago to get into the mood.

craft ideas

Have you seen the site http://flipflopsandapplesauce.blogspot.com/? It is filled with fun and easy craft ideas for the family. Lots of time it has recipes or craft ideas with things I already have on hand which is a bonus too. This craft was one we tried last weekend with just glue and q-tips but the girls thought it was so much fun. Check out her site, you'll be glad you did.

christmas lights

We like to pick a cold snowy night and grab popcorn and hot chocolate and pile in the car and drive around town to look at Christmas lights. One year we found a notevenkidding "National Lampoon's Christmas vacation" light display. Clark Griswold must have helped this family. It was on your average house on an average street in an average city. Who would have thought? We listen to Christmas music and sing along and usually the girls have on their footed pajamas. Sometimes we stop for a coffee at Starbucks. Sometimes we make our own warm yummy drink. We have been doing this one for at least 10 years now. Jeff and I started before we even had the girls and they love it now too.

little town

Ok this one isn't my idea you'll have to check out the site http://sarahbowen.typepad.com/sugarplums_and_mistletoe/ She has a cute craft called Little Town of Bethlehem. She has lots of other ideas too. Check it out you'll be glad you did. She has really creative ideas. Isn't this the cutest little village you ever did see?