December 26, 2012

Christmas Memories


Merry Christmas Everyone! Can you believe it is already over? Bah humbug. Always wish the month would last longer.

We enjoyed time with our kids at home and visiting friends for a Christmas Eve Party and for a Christmas Day lunch. No family unfortunately, but we were able to Skype thankfully and wish everyone a Merry Christmas over the phone. Next year, we must plan a trip home.

Do any of you all have this book? Christmas Memories Book by Lynn Anderson Peterson. You can buy it at this link..  My sister in law Julie gave it to me in 2006. I love it. Every year, I get it back out around this time, and read through all the past Christmases and enter in our new memories. There is a spot for writing about travels and visitors, Christmas Eve, presents, the meals, what you want to remember, what was special, and a place for a photo each year. I can't believe the details I forget and how each year blends into another, so this really helps.

Last year I was 8 months pregnant and living in a hotel for Christmas. This year we were in our huge old German home in Bavaria with a little 10 month old standing up everywhere and chewing on bows and paper. Cooper seemed to really look forward to/enjoy Christmas this year and reminded me daily (as I did with him) that "He knows if you've been bad or good". I really wanted him to understand the true meaning of Christmas (Jesus and giving and love) so we read a lot from his children's Bible and talked a lot about those less fortunate. Next year, we must actually DO something for those less fortunate. Not sure what that will be, but I have a whole year to plan...


December 21, 2012

Photo Book for 2012

Just finished a Photo Book of the family for the year on Shutterfly. Realizing we don't take enough pictures, and I plan to get better and take many more pictures next year. I can't even find any of my parents hardly at all! Not a single one of my dad in fact. However, of the pictures we did take, shows what a big fun year we had. Time, slow down please!


Create your own custom photo books at Shutterfly.com.

December 20, 2012

Let It Snow!

Well, my baking weekend didn't really happen. I couldn't find a candy thermometer for the life of me! My friend Veronica saved me this week and bought me one, so last night, I was able to make Toffee and marshmallows and pumpkin bread. Tonight I'll do the caramels and truffles. So frustrating, and nothing like getting gifts ready so last minute. I'm planning on giving baked goodies to Cooper's teachers, coworkers, and our neighbors. Hope they all turn out! The marshmallows could have turned out better, but they will work. I somehow managed to over mix them, so the consistency was SOOO thick, it did not pour into the pan. It clumped and blobbed into the pan. Learning curve.

However, I also finished up a sign this week, and decided to keep this one. Cooper picked out what to put on it. I was going to do "the weary world rejoices" or "Joy to the World" or a multitude of others. However, let it snow is appropriate right now. We had beautiful white fluffy snow for a week just a week ago. Over a foot in fact. Then, the rain came for a week. Slush mush mess. Yuck. It might snow this weekend again, just in time for Christmas. Hoping so.

Anyhow, I made this sign the same way I did this one. Printed the words, cut them out, glued them on, and painted over. My photo is not great. I took it last night with my iPhone. I love making these. I just need to find some more scrap wood. This was a piece being thrown away during bulk trash day in our neighborhood.  

Only a few more days left and I still have boxes to ship and nothing wrapped!! AHHH!



December 18, 2012

Random Thoughts

1. You must check out this website with the best pictures of the day from 2012. I had seen many of them, but some were new and they are all simply amazing.

2. Just about every other week, Cooper and I go to the library and randomly pick out books to read. Each time, out of 4 books, we always stumble across one that we love. Here are two books you should check out of your library, or try to order them on amazon. Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree is adorable. I can't find a new book on amazon, but will order a used one. I would love to read this every Christmas over and over. How to Babysit a Grandpa is really cute and Cooper loves it.


3. Frank started playing Mumford and Sons at night while we hang out. Why haven't we been listening to them for years! They are amazing if you don't already listen to them, check them out.

4. If you are looking for the perfect toy for your toddler that will keep them occupied for hours, and you don't mind spending $100, go for these magna tiles.

5. My new favorite blogs that I must check daily are:
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/ - She will make you want to adopt. Beautiful posts, beautiful kids, beautiful photography, and simply a happy wonderful life.
http://www.designmom.com/ - always something interesting and new. Huge family living in France. Plain neato.
You must check them out.

6. Aside from watching Elf and Love Actually, I must watch Little Women every Christmas I feel like. Watched it with my sisters and mom a LONG time ago, and have ever since. It never fails to make me cry with Beth dies. The music is so wonderful, and it just reminds me of home and family so so much.

December 14, 2012

Christmas Baking Inspiration

This is the weekend to do any Christmas baking for gifts I realized. Next weekend is the weekend before Christmas and it will be too late to give gifts then! So, I have done some research on recipes to bake over the weekend for gifts. Here are some of the ones I plan on using in addition to my mom's pumpkin bread and toffee. I will post those recipes and pictures after this weekend's bakeathon.

1. Homemade Vanilla Extract




4. Truffles







YUM!

A Christmas Pillow

I've been wanting to make Christmas Pillows all week, but I haven't managed to do anything the last few nights except clean up and get ready for the next day... However, last night, I forced myself to relax and make something. After seeing this deer pillow from In His Grip, who was inspired by Sew Homegrown and her anthropologie inspired blooming deer pillow, I wanted my own! I used an old sweater of mine with stains for the deer, and instead of sewing (I don't have that applique adhesive stuff I needed), I just hot glued the deer onto the pillow. Figure it should last for how short the Christmas season is. I personally love it. So easy! Cooper came in this morning and noticed it right away. At first he never likes anything new/change. He always wants me to put back the old. I then explain why I changed it, and he normally is fine with the change. Hope when I come home he didn't hide it! He has in the past...


I want to make two more small pillows for the couch like these from Restoration Hardware below:


 I think I will freezer paper stencil an ice skater on and paint her, and then add a little dress with material. So cute. While on the Restoration Hardware site, I found 3 more projects I can't wait to try to make. We'll see how that goes. Lately I can only squeeze in an hour at night before I am too exhausted and must get to bed. I think I am coming down with a cold. Cooper has a bad one. Maybe I can fight it off. We'll see.

December 10, 2012

Grandparent Chistmas Gift Tote Bag



Winter temps have been around for the last month, but now we have snow, and lots of it! Today we had a 2 hour delay thankfully. We had 6 inches to shovel off the cars and driveway, and more coming down. It took me an hour to drop the kids off and normally it takes only 30 minutes. So, yesterday, we just played around the house in the snow and inside. Saturday, we went climbing at a gym in Erlangen that is SOOO nice. They have a kids room (with tunnels, nets, swings, and climbing walls) where they have a guy that plays with your kids for you while you climb! Included in the day price! So nice. Cooper loves it there and Lily even too. I feel so much better getting back into climbing, even if it is only once a week.

I also tried to make a chocolate cheesecake cake I found at shugarysweets that looked amazing. And, I did about the stupidest thing EVER!!! So mad at myself. I made the chocolate cake part just fine, and then even made the cheesecake part just fine... until I got to the part about pouring water in the pan. I poured water into my cheesecake pan. It was supposed to go in the roasting pan in the oven UNDER the cheesecake to steam/keep it moist in the oven. ARGH!! I feel like Amelia Bedelia. So, now I have to go back to the store to get more cream cheese and peppermints to crush. Sigh. I better get it right this next time! Anyone else ever make mistakes like this? Please share them and make me feel better.

Anyhow, time to ship a bunch of gifts in the  mail to the states today. They say today is the deadline. Sure hope everything makes it. I'm posting a gift idea you can make easily for the grandparents! Tote bags with the kid's silhouettes. These take no time at all, I promise. Sorry to spoil part of your present mom!

First, take a picture of your kid's profile. It doesn't matter if its fuzzy etc... I used my cell phone.


Then, print it out on normal 8x10 paper. Trace around the profile with a sharpie marker. Place a piece of freezer paper over the picture and trace the profile onto the freezer paper. I had to hold my picture up to a light. Cut out the profile on the freezer paper. Iron the freezer paper onto the tote bag (shiny side down). I ordered my tote bags on Amazon. I ironed both the actual profile on one tote bag, and the empty space profile (the negative) on another tote, so I could make 2 tote bags. Then use acrylic paint and paint the image. Wait to dry then peel off the freezer paper and your are done!  

Here is the tote with the negative ironed on. I put my son on one side and my daughter on the other side. Cooper's chin and lips don't look quite right, but Lily looks pretty darn close to her real profile. He was making a funny face. It is getting harder and harder to get perfect pictures of him when he is aware I am taking pictures!





For the tote with the actual profile ironed on, I painted a square shape around the profile. You could do anything around it though. A heart would have been cute.


Enjoy! Hope you all had a great weekend as well.
Linking up to some great parties:
Spotlight Saturday at Classy Clutter
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Today's Creative Blog
Creating my way to Success
Handy Man Crafty Woman

December 5, 2012

Baby Christmas Onesie Gifts


A few weeks ago when I hosted a Woodland Themed Baby Shower, I had quite a few extra onesies leftover. Apparently the men weren't as keen on painting as I had imagined... However, it works out great for me, because I was able to use them for gifts! I am keeping one for my daughter Lily who is 9 months, and giving two to Missy's twins. I just can't decide on which ones to give who. They all turned out so cute I think!

I used my freezer paper tutorial to make them. I couldn't decide for the longest time what I wanted to put on them. Ho Ho Ho, snowmen, candy canes, gingerbread men etc... Until I stumbled upon these at Martha's website.   I love them! I am going to make the ornaments from the link as well they are all so cute! Anyway, couldn't resist sharing. Can't wait to make one for my son Cooper and my nephew Cole now!






I'm linking up to some parties today:
LilLuna
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Night Owl Crafting
Ginger Snap Crafts
Homework
Gingerly Made
The Thriftiness Miss
One Artsy Mama

December 4, 2012

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Anyone shop at Krogers? If so, have you tried their Lofthouse cookies? They are amazing and addicting and terrible for you, yes I know, but soooo good.  My sugar cookies NEVER would turn out so soft and delicious like those, as much as I tried.  Until, I accidentally mixed my recipes from 2 cookbooks for Roll Cookies and Sugar Cookies this week! These cookies are awesome!  My son Cooper made these with me and loved rolling the dough and cutting the shapes and icing/sprinkling. I used a Cream Cheese frosting because I like it better than normal frosting.


Frank had to test out the cookies right away and I had fun testing out our new Canon Powershot Fish Eye Effect. Pretty fun!


And, at last, here is the recipe. You won't be dissapointed. Try them!


December 3, 2012

Perspective


I've been thinking a lot lately about how fortunate I am to be able to stay at home with my little ones, especially during this busy time of year. But I have to admit at the same time, I sooooo miss research, adult conversation, experiments, analyzing data, and the confidence I gained from my work. When Cole was born, I stayed home 6 months and then went back to research on a very flexible schedule. We then moved from Lexington, KY to Boston MA where I worked at the Joslin Diabetes Center for a 1.5 year post doc and my husband stayed home with Cole. Job opportunities presented themselves, and so we moved back to Lexington, KY. We decided it was time for another baby, and wham, we were blessed with two little ones growing inside me. I continued my post doc in Lexington, Cole started daycare at 2, and Jacob started flying again. I also started teaching at a community college. All was well, but my growing belly demanded I stop working early - November was my last official month of work. So, I've been part of the stay-at-home motherhood world since November of 2011. I must say, I love the time with my children, the ups and the downs. I love being able to do crafts, to keep my house in order (I have a little problem with being too clean and orderly :), and cooking. But I also have to admit, I always thought I would be "super" woman mom always having "perfect" quality time with my children. Boy has this time proved me wrong! I live for nap time, for the allotted tv time, and for bedtime. I also admit the more time I have with my little ones, sometimes, the less quality time I invest. Terrible I know and something to improve. But I have also learned on this new journey, "perfect" just isn't what it's cracked up to be. The twins and Cole are happy, my husband is happy, I am happy. We are healthy and have so much to be thankful for. Now it's just a matter of BEING thankful for the current circumstances, regardless of the mess, the colds, the tantrums, the not so perfect dinner, the crumbs on the floor, the later bedtime, the wake-ups. And then when we ARE thankful, the hugs, the kisses, the wrestling, dancing, dress-up, yummy meals, snuggling in the middle of the night, baby smells, family days, walks, and love are just ever so much more present.