Christmas Cheer

Trying to find Christmas and birthday gifts for Eliza is tough, this child basically owns Toys R Us. I am working VERY hard on not buying her too much, I know what type of child that will create. I feel like I end up over buying due to the fact that her birthday and Christmas are 4 days apart. I am buying for 2 events then when I look at how much I have I am shocked. I also LOVE a sale. When things are on sale, especially clearance, I have to snag them! Again, that adds up quickly!

Here are a few of the bigger items we got her this year:

A leappad1. I wasn't going to get her a system this year, but there was a good sale so I couldn't pass it up. We still need to get some gift cards for the online applications so she can get some more games. They are currently on sale for $15 for a $20 card on Amazon

 

I actually bought this last year about a week or two after Christmas. It was on super sale so I snagged it and have kept it stored until this year. I am SO glad I got it for her. She is in LOVE with trains right now, it is perfect. I think this will be our Christmas Eve project to get it set up.

 

Eliza LOVES to sing into a microphone. We had a little Fisher Price radio she could sing with but it broke. I figured this will last longer and she could put in all of her CD's and sing along with Elmo, Princesses  and more!


What were some of your must have items for the kiddos this year?

23 Months

I can't believe it, one more month and you will be 2. You have been telling everyone you are 2 for the past...9 months but now you really are going to be 2.

We have started to plan your birthday party. Daddy came up with the BEST idea, I can't wait for you to see!

You are still wearing 12-18m clothing, pants need to be 18-24m for the length but the waste falls down.

Still doing great with potty training

You are getting your top molars right now and having a tough time sleeping. I hope they come in all of the way soon!

You are doing a great job with letters, numbers and colors. You like O XYZ and S...9 2 and 6...Blue and Pink

You have started to get upset again at dance class. Yesterday when we were on our way you said "mommy I cry at dance". It broke my heart. But you were right, you sure cried. Ms. Ginny helps distract you and you do better.

You are loving all of your friends. You love to ask where they are. I hope they all can come to your party.


Funny things you say:

Oh that hurt, OK all better

I can do it, I DID IT

I don't know

Wait for me!

Sure

You grab our hand and say Lets go, I'll show you

One day you heard the shower and thought it was Daddy. You said "oh daddy!" and I told you no he was at work, you said "Mommy, Daddy home please". It was so sweet but broke my heart

If you are playing with a toy and I ask you who gave it to you, you will say Mimi, or whomever, and then yell Thank you MIMI!!!! Even if you have had the toy for weeks and the person isn't at our house

You pretend EVERYTHING is a phone. You always grab it and say "Hello, Thomas?" You love Thomas the Train


You are CRACKING us up with a fake sneeze you do, it is great.

We went on our first trip to Huckleberry Railroad last weekend. This will be a new Christmas tradition the weekend after Thanksgiving. You LOVED the train, you thought you were riding Thomas. You got to talk to Santa and he gave you a "candy". You took a picture with a reindeer and rode the fastest carousel I have ever been on.

To say that was a perfect night would never describe it enough. I pray to have many more nights like that with you.

Eliza, you are my best girlfriend, the light of my life, the peanut butter to my jelly. Don't ever change. Your loving heart, your warm smile, no one is better.

On our way to Huckleberry!

Oh how you loved this Polar Bear. You danced with him in the street to the band

Add caption

Enjoying her candy from Santa

The REAL Thanksgiving Trimmings

Well, I have spent all morning slaving over a stove crock pot. I am preparing all of our food for tomorrow. I am going to host my first Thanksgiving for our family. I am also going to try and play super woman and go to the football game while it is cooking!

When I was younger, the women stayed home on Thanksgiving and would cook then go to the movies, the guys would go to the football game. I always begged to go, but never enough tickets. As the years went on, life became busier and it has been a few years since our family has had a traditional Thanksgiving. We usually go to a restaurant that everyone can swing by. Now that I have Eliza, I want a real Thanksgiving again.

Since I am the one that wants it, I am the one who has to host it. I am not giving up my seats though!!

So I went to Pinterest in search of recipes I could make in the crock pot! I figured this way I could have it all prepared and going while I am gone, and ready when we get back.

So everything is set to go. The potatoes are cut, the turkey is gutted(wow) and the bread is cubed for the stuffing. I will be up bright and early tomorrow to put it all on and then head out the door.

The table is set, just waiting for guests to arrive!

Below you can find all of the recipes I am using for our meal. My Aunt and Sister are bringing a few dishes, but you will find the main staples here.

Michigander Turkey

Cooked Carrots

Cornbread Stuffing

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Mini Apple Pies

Side note, I made the Pumpkin Coffee Cake today, and of course I had to test my product, it was TO DIE FOR. Seriously might make it once a month. It took everything in my power not to eat the whole thing!!

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed day with whomever you choose to spend it with.

Happy Thanksgiving


Side note...After I had finished this post, my door bell rang and there stood a lady with flowers. I was surprised, seeing as my birthday isn't until Friday, but I thought maybe they weren't delivering that day due to the holiday. Instead, I read the card and it reminds me of what is really important in this world, and all that I am truly thankful for. The card from my best friend, wishing me an early birthday, she wanted the flowers to arrive in time to display for my first Thanksgiving. There is no one better then her.

Santa Bag Flashback

 Here is a flashback from last Christmas!!


Hi Everyone!

This week I am going to show you how to make a super easy Santa Bag.

No, Santa didn't come early...she got a pillow

I saw a bag like this in Pottery Barn's catalog and thought it was crazy how much they would charge. I would much rather make it myself, with a few imperfections, but have the memory of making it for her year after year. So here we go!

Supplies:

Material for the bag, the size bag you want will determine the amount of material. I bought 2 yards but only used 1yd per bag and it is plenty big.
2 yards of rope, I did use the full 2 yards for one bag
Fabric for lettering, .5 yard
Hot Glue
Heat and Bond
Scissors
Pins
Band aids :)

Let me start off by saying this bag is actually the first thing I have made on my sewing machine since I got it. I haven't sewn since middle school so I was a little rusty and unprepared.

Start off by cutting your fabric into two equal pieces. I just laid mine in half and left the bottom attached...hey first time sewing in a while!

Make sure you lay your two pieces with the two outside pieces facing each other. Pin around the edges to sew, or just hold them together if you don't have pins and it is way too cold to go to the store : )

Sew along your bottom piece first with a 1/4 seam.

Then go up each side, again with a 1/4 seam, but stop 2 inches from the top.

Once the sides and bottom are done, turn right side out. Now flip down your top to make the pocket for the rope to go through. Sew the bottom down, make sure not to sew the edges shut, that is why you stopped 2 inches before the top. You should have an opening on both sides. I like to see the rope on each end.

Take your rope and attach a safety pin to the end and slide it through the pocket...if you can't find a safety pin the end of a screwdriver pushes it through nicely as well...I am crafty and resourceful!

Once the rope is through bring the two edges together. Get your hot glue and glue them together. I made myself a little curl to jazz it up! You should now be able to cinch your drawstring shut smoothly.

Now onto the lettering. Take your heat and bond, or whatever fuseable webbing you would like, and iron it onto the BACK of your fabric.

You can now get fancy with your lettering. If you received smiley faces and check+ in elementary school writing you could probably free hand a really nice letter, well that was NOT me so I rely on my Cricut to do all my letters! I pop that fabric in there and let it cut it out for me.

Once you have your letters cut out, whatever way you did it, lay them out on your bag. Make sure you pay attention to where they will lay when the bag is cinched or filled with goodies, you don't want the name to disappear.

Once you have it all laid out, iron it on and BAM Santa bag!!

Make sure you leave it out for Santa to fill with all the coal toys the kids deserve this year.

Thanks for letting me share my Santa Bag with you. I hope you enjoyed it. If you ever have any questions about my tutorials feel free to email me!

Thanksgiving Trimmings

Well, not the trimmings you are thinking, but the trimmings around the house. I decided to take some photos of our Fall decorations. I went a bit crazy at Hobby Lobby the other day. They discounted all of their Fall items at 80% off, I just couldn't say no!

So here is a look around our house:

Our foyer table, you can see how to make the shadowbox here

I found this on clearance at the local grocery store. $10!!

Not sure what feather trees have to do with Fall, but I LOVE it!

My copper pumpkins are the cutest!

Centerpiece I made

Cornucopia I made from picks at Hobby Lobby

I just love the banner in the back, I made it from this printable

Sorry for the bad phone picture...This frame is in Eliza's room, I got it at Hobby Lobby. I figured each season/holiday I will put in a new printable. It is an off white, not sure why it looks so icky in this photo.

The funniest part of doing anything, is always Eliza. I came home from shopping and asked her to help me put everything up. I gave her this little metal owl and asked her where it should go. She yelled "oh, I know" and went running. I come around the corner of our formal living room and here it is on the floor in the corner. "Right There!!!" she yells, and that is where it has stayed :)

Do you go all out for Thanksgiving/Fall, or does it kind of get looked over between Halloween and Christmas? Mark is home for a long weekend after Thanksgiving, I think we  I will take it all down and start on Christmas!!

I AM BEAUTIFUL

One day on my personal Facebook page I saw a "friend" post about how her daughter said that mommy was pretty. She posted that she told her daughter, No I am not but thank you. I was SHOCKED. I don't think people realize what they say to their children, especially daughters, does to their future self esteem. If my mommy isn't pretty, I must not be either. 

I came across this post thanks to another friend last night and I had to share it. PLEASE remember how much you affect your children with your words!!

http://offbeatmama.com/2012/11/telling-daughters-im-beautiful