Long Lost Christmas Cheer

This time of year seems to be so stressful on everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. They can't find the perfect gift. They need more money for MORE gifts. They have too many places to go, too many people they have to go see......

For some reason this year, I'm not stressed. This year hasn't been the greatest year of my life. But I made it through. And looking back, I have a lot to be thankful for.

I have two healthy, beautiful children who tell me they love me EVERY night. 
I have friends who have loved me and supported me no matter what.. even if it's been weeks or months since I've seen them.
I have a house to live in.
I have food to eat, clothes to wear.
I still can get up everyday and enjoy freedom.
I could go on and on............

So, shouldn't that be enough? Should the gifts really matter? Should a tree or decorations really matter??

I don't think so.. I think friends and family are enough. Hugs go a long way and in my opinion would be the only Christmas gift I need.

In honor of MY FAVORITE Christmas movie, here is my favorite part. Linus seems to be the only one who has it figured out...

Charlie Brown: I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about.
Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. 
Linus Van Pelt: Lights, please.
Linus Van Pelt: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"
Linus Van Pelt: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

So this weekend, remember what really matters. Enjoy what you have with the people in your life and be thankful for that alone :) No, it may not be everything you want, it may not be perfect. But it's going to be ok.
When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do? Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..... (Yes, I just inserted a Nemo quote. Sorry, I'm a dork :))

I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas! I plan on it....

PS.. I know this is a crafting/cooking blog, but that was on my mind this morning. I promise I have a new project coming soon ;) I'm thinking chalkboard painted wine bottles, picture frames made out of wooden plaques, candles made out of tea cups... so many possibilities!

Until next time.....

12 Days of Christmas!

I can not believe it is almost CHRISTMAS. Where has this year gone? This is such a busy time of year for me and it's so hard trying to find heartfelt gifts for the loved ones (and keep my sanity). And this year we added a new person to our list... Landon's Kindergarden teacher. He adores her so of course she deserves a special gift too. :)

I am a total believer in giving Landon's teacher small gifts. I mean, let's face it.. They work long hours, don't get great pay, and put up with our kids ALL DAY! PLUS they are responsible for teaching them. Seriously? I have so much respect for them. It is such a hard job, and I think they deserve treats that show the parent's appreciation. NO- I'm not trying to suck up or buy grades, just trying to be nice! So I wanted to find a gift for Christmas that would be useful to her as well as fun for me (and Landon!) to make...

Behold the 12 Days of Christmas! I thought this was a great idea. Find twelve different small gifts and give one to the teacher each day during the twelve days before Christmas. How fun! Problem... Landon didn't want to do it this way. He wanted them all in a basket that he could give to her. (Anyone that knows my son knows he does things in his own way).....No big deal. We just made a 12 Days of Christmas basket. And it still turned out cute as can be!

What you will need:
1 Clipboard
2 Red Sharpies
3 Binder Clips
4 Expo Markers
A bag of popcorn
6 packets of hot cocoa
A pack of chewing gum
A package of paper clips
9 candy canes
10 magnets
11 pencils
12 Hersey kisses

Now, these are just the items I used. You can fill your basket with whatever you would like! I thought the school supplies were a good idea because she can use them in the classroom.

I attached a cute little poem with each item, them placed them in a basket with a Christmas card. I printed FREE labels from http://sassysites.blogspot.com/2010/12/free-christmas-printables.html  

Here are the poems :

For the 1^st day Christmas,

something for you to use,

I’m giving you this clipboard,

so your papers you won’t lose!

For the 2^nd day of Christmas,

Your students are busy, little bees…

You can correct their papers

with these 2 red sharpies!

For the 3^rd day of Christmas,

I give 3 binder clips,

I’m sure it could be tempting

to use them on my lips!

For the 4^th day of Christmas

Dry-erase markers come in four…

As my Kindergarden teacher,

You really help me soar!

For the 5^th day of Christmas,

Some popcorn for a snack,

Sorry, that‘s all the food

I could fit in my backpack!

For the 6^th day of Christmas,

cold hands, face, and toes,

Warm up with these 6 packs

of hot cocoa.

For the 7^th day of Christmas,

I’ve brought you chewing gum,

It feels like Christmas break

is never going to come!

For the 8^th day of Christmas,

here are 8 paperclips multiplied by 10, (luckily I found a package of 80 paperclips :))

You can use them in your classroom

again and again!

For the 9^th day of Christmas,

9 canes of red and white…

Guess who my favorite teacher is…

if you guessed YOU, you’re right!

For the 10^th day of Christmas,

10 magnets I bring to you,

You surprise me every day

with all the fun stuff we do!

For the 11^th day of Christmas,

Some pencils I hope you’ll need,

(school name) is so lucky to have you, indeed!

For the 12^th day of Christmas,

12 kisses you’ll find in here,

I wish you a Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year!!

Hey, nothing fancy, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. It's the most wonderful time of the year! :)

Until next time.. happy crafting!

 

Christmas Ornament Wreath

Since I jumped on the crafty bandwagon, I've found a new love for wreaths. So when I came across the idea of a Christmas ornament wreath, I was super excited. This one is easy to make, inexpensive, and looks beautiful when completed!

Here's what you'll need:

Christmas Ornaments
A wire hanger
Bow (optional)

1. Open your hanger and shape it into a circle. This is honestly the hardest part of the entire project.

2. String your ornaments on the hanger. For my wreath I used about 105-120 mini balls. Mine are plastic balls from the Dollar Tree. MUCH cheaper and you don't have to worry with breaking glass!

3. Once you've added all the ornaments, take pliers to twist the opening closed.

4. Almost done! I added a bow to mine just because. I'm not a fantastic bow maker, so I won't give you instructions on that part. I'll save that for another blog once I get more practice :)

There you go! I love this wreath. Good luck with yours! :)

Until next time...........

Super Easy Christmas Tree Shirt!

I always see these adorable Christmas shirts for little girls in shops or on Etsy or Ebay... but they all seem way over priced! Thanks to my newest obsession Pinterest, I came across this idea and ended up with a cheap and super easy Christmas shirt for my daughter.

Supplies:

Ribbons of your choice
Fabric Glue
White (or color of your choice) Tshirt

1. Pick up a tshirt. I got mine from Target only because Walmart was out of white. :)
2. Cut Ribbon in pieces, arranging them in the pattern you prefer and in the shape of a Christmas Tree.
3. Use fabric glue to glue them to the Tshirt. This is the first time I used fabric glue. Not too messy and actually stuck very well. You have to let it sit 7-10 days before you wash. I'll be interested to see how well it holds up...
4. THAT'S IT! :)

Cute huh?!

Until next time.. Happy Friday and Happy crafting! :)

Another day, another new hobby..

Hi! My name is Ashley, and I'm just another young, full time working mommy. Except for the fact that I get bored easily. I have plenty to do (cleaning, laundry, blah blah blah..) but that is never an excuse to not find a something NEW to do. So this is my lastest idea-a blog! Why not? I figure it is a way to release these silly ideas in my head. And if others decide to follow along, that's even better. I have two little ones that keep me busy. But when I have a few minutes to spare, I like to experiment with cooking and crafts and maybe a little fashion. Hope you decide to stick around to see what all I get into...

Until next time! :)

-Ashley