No, this isn't an anti-Frozen post, but who doesn't love to build a snowman. The challenge here in Chicago is we haven't really had any real snow. So, I decided we could certainly at least celebrate with melted snowmen! I saw this clever idea for a melted snowman ornament on Pinterest and of course had to give it a try first at home and then as a room parent at school. It's quick and easy with very little clean-up! Do you want to build a snowman, a melted snowman that … [Read more...]
So, I come from a very large family, and my very large family likes to do Christmas LARGE. Here's a list of a few of our traditions. feel free to steal or riff on any of them: We make Lefse This one comes from my mother's Norwegian Grama. Lefse, say it with me lef-SUH, is a very thin tortilla like thing made from potatoes, flour, and lard. To eat it, you spread butter and sugar on it, fold it up and gain weight. Making lefse is a process, and a mess, so my mom usually picks a day, and … [Read more...]
It’s that time of year where we wrestle the Christmas tree down, tangle up the lights for next year and pack up the ornaments. The Christmas holidays are officially over. This year, I was pretty timely in my clean up and have only found a few holiday stowaway pine needles throughout the house. I am not sure how they even got into the bathroom!? However, I am left with one gorgeous pile of Christmas cards and as you may know -- I love PHOTOS. So, each year I save the photo cards and create … [Read more...]
Being thankful shouldn't only be for Thanksgiving. I know in today's digital age text messages reign supreme, but I am still a fan of the old-fashioned, snail mail, Thank You Card. If you think about it, who doesn't love mail? and it's even better when it's the double-bonus of a sweet sentiment instead of a bill!? While I know this might seem like an overwhelming task for kids, the importance of understanding why we take the time to show our appreciation far outweighs the fear it may be … [Read more...]
It's that time of year, for holiday parties and potluck responsibilities. For our family gift exchange, I was tasked with bringing a fruit dish for both kids and adults to enjoy. As a mother of three, I cut up more than my share of fruit on a daily basis, so I wanted to bring something more fun than your typical bowl of fresh fruit. I started my Pinterest search and was inspired by fruit kabobs, fruit sculptures and fruit trees. But after careful consideration, I decided to try a fruit tree … [Read more...]
I found these adorable giant wood looking snowflake ornaments on sale a year ago at Michael's and just had to have them! Of course like most crafters I have the addiction of buying all kinds of stuff and really no plan for it. But I certainly couldn't walk past them and not buy them! So after holding onto them for a year I finally figured out what I was going to do with them! My babies are growing up too fast so therefore I decided I needed to forever capture their handprints. I have tons … [Read more...]
Like many people, my son has a December birthday. Don't you hate it?! I feel bad that he gets all his presents for the year all that the same time! So I try to make it extra special in any way I can. This year I enlisted our Elf, Buddy, to help with a special surprise for my son. Since I decided to do this at about 11pm the night before his birthday, I rummaged through the craft supplies I already had at home and the idea of a birthday banner was born. I made two tiny pennant banners on my … [Read more...]
It's 10 -- Day 10 that is. Do you know where your elf is? The creative Elf on the Shelf photos are filling my facebook and instagram feeds and sadly, I feel that I am already running out of steam. So I must confess the other night I took the easy way out and repeated a hiding spot from previous years. Sure enough my shorties found the elf rather quickly but what happened next seems to have re-energized our entire crew, including me! I listened as all three giggled recounting stories of … [Read more...]
As each year passes and my children get older, I am constantly reminded that it goes by FAST. The school years bring less and less artwork and stories to remind me of each child at that age. Schedules are mandates rather than maybes and the days whiz by with screeching tires in different sports’ parking lots with sandwiches and apple slices (or fast food-let’s be honest) are hucked from row to row. I wanted to capture a glimpse of my kids each year for the Christmas tree to remind me of who … [Read more...]