Crazy Holidays

I dont know about around your house, but around here it has been Ca-Ra-ZY!
We have shopped, wrapped, practiced, sang, read the Word of God, organized, laughed, cleaned, unwrapped, cleaned, spent time Worshiping Christ, laughed, and generally had a great time!

I have also been buring up the vinyl with my cricut machine, and having a great time making some gifts for family, friends, and neighbors.  I can't wait to share them all with you.  "Whats the hold up?!?" you ask. Well basically, since I'm pretty sure a couple of the ones who havent recieved their gift yet read my blog, I just can't bare to spoil the surprise for them before they receive their gifts. So it's going to be a few days before one is posted, and then again a little over a week for another one.

I am going to share something I just threw together (out of Necessity).  I have a sweet (but mean when crossed, or feels his toys are being poached by his older sister, and justifiably so) two year old little boy.  Who is a lovable cuddly independent prickly little man.  This little boy received the EXACT same gift as each of his big sisters this year from their grandmother.  A personal dvd player.

In theory, and yes reality, this is a great gift that will end the bickering over which dvd they are going to watch on the long road trips we take to see family and friends back in Texas. BUT, they are IDENTICAL dvd players.  Not good for this very defensive little boy who doesn't yet quite understand that everything he sees, and wants, isn't magically his (he is still very much in that "toddler" mentality and is just now slowly coming out of it).  So to prevent any hair pulling (his sisters), being pinched (his skin, their fingers), or hitting (they all do that) I came up with an ingenious idea for who's is who's.  I pulled out my Cricut that I have been having SO much fun with this year, a fun cartridge, my red vinyl, and got busy.

Now you are probably wondering the same thing my friends and family, that were watching on with great interest and amazement, asked me..."Uhhhhh....you know your putting that on upside down right?!?!?"  To which I replied (rolling my eyes) "Ummmm NO. I'm. Not.  SEE?!?!?!?"

To which, after seeing it with the lid opened, they said "OOOOOhhhhhh, That's cool!!!" 

I am pretty pleased with the result, and so is my Lil' man.  Oh, and the end result was completly achieved: there has been no bickering over the dvd players!  SCORE!!  We wont mention the 3DS's or the trains and all the other new Christmas goodies they now have to bicker over.  Nope, wont mention them AT ALL!

I hope everyone had a VERY merry Christmas, and will have an AWESOME new year!

Have a great Day and God Bless!

Christmas filler for my Apothecary/Hurricane Jars

Just wanted to pass along what I used as Christmas filler for my apothecary jars.  If your curious how I created these beauties (okay the picture really isn't all that great) You can check out the tutorial by clicking here.

Just a little of the Christmas cheer in my house.  I cant wait to show off  some of my other decorations.  Such as my tree and other vignettes.

Hope your holiday is great and God Bless.

Oh Christmas Tree Shirt, Oh Christmas Tree Shirt How Lovely Are Your Branches

Recently my Girls did a really fun craft at school.  It was a Hand Print Christmas Tree Shirt. They turned out so cute and since I was there for most of the creative process I thought I would share their beautiful results and the process so you can make one of your own.

First take a shirt or sweatshirt and insert a piece of cardboard inside of it so that the paint wont bleed through to the other side.

Next paint the children's hands completely green 

(this is Macey's wonderful Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Keeton)

(they LOVE this!!)

Next begin slowly and firmly pressing their hands to the shirt with the fingers pointing to the bottom of the shirt and splayed out wide to give a "branch" effect. Alternate hands for the "branches"  to look good on the sides of the tree.

When they are done with this wash all hands, faces, counters, clothes, and anything else they managed to get paint on, and set the shirts to the side to dry.

After the green paint has completely dried use a sponge you have cut into the shape of a star to place a star at the top of the tree.  Or just use ribbon to make a bow and add it to the top in the next step.  whatever your preference.

After they have completely dried (I would give it overnight at the very least) you will start gluing on your decorations of beads, glitter paint, and ribbon.  One suggestion is to use a really strong fabric glue or high temp hot glue simply because you really want these decorations to last through washings and accidental dryings.  Its really not a good idea to put shirts decorated with jewels in the dryer so I suggest hanging to dry, but I know it happens when you are in a rush.

Here is a picture of Macey's finished Hand Print Christmas Tree Shirt

She loves it an so do I!!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this as much as I loved helping and as much as she loves wearing it.  Let me know what kind of shirts you have made with your family this year.  

Have a great day and God Bless!

Christmas of Giving Challenge: Dayssssss.....

I am a horrible blogger, just awful!!!  Consider me completely human, and know that I have been completely terrible at keeping my challenge to blog what we have been reading nightly about the Birth of Christ.  I do want to let you know that we have been enjoying our family Bible time so very much!  the kids are anxious to read every night, and I am really loving how nightly prayer has turned into nightly snuggle and read the Word of God time + Prayer Time. So while I haven't been blogging about it, we have been doing the challenge (no not exactly every night since some we were late getting in and one or more were conked out or they didn't come home with me at all instead chose to go to a spoiling family members home... yah they are rotten!).  But I think the "doing" is more important than the "reporting" ....right?!?  I sure hope you agree.  I don't even need to mention all the crafts and projects I have been itching to share, but back to that whole "We have been SOOOOoooooo busy" thing.  So please forgive my horrible blogging self, and I promise I will share everything, like, pronto.

Have a great day and God Bless!

Christmas of Giving Challenge: Day 3

Last night our Scripture reading came from Luke 2:8-11.  We discussed what it must have been like to be a shepherd sleepy after a long day of shepherding sitting around a warm fire, dozing slightly, only to be suddenly startled out of your musings by a bright light from the sky with a human form* floating in the midst of it.  Today we are used to seeing all kinds of things in the sky from airplanes, banners pulled by planes, blimps, jets, helicopters, and all sorts of things, but I have to say if I were sitting around a campfire in my backyard and saw a human form* hovering in the sky surrounded by a bright light I do believe I would be scared speechless (and that's saying something for me!)!!  So I can only imagine how afraid the simple men who watched sheep graze all day while protecting them from vicious animals must have thought to see such a sight!  My girls and I acted out how they must have reacted and we all dissolved into fits of giggles!

Then we discussed how my children had given of themselves through the day yesterday.  Macey gave the same answer she gave the day before "I didn't give nuthin" (I roll my eyes at her 5 year old-ness).  Madeline did give of herself for her teacher I think.  To be honest I didn't really understand what she was talking about, but she seemed proud of it and I was proud of her for being aware and trying.  My sweet hubby definitely gave yesterday.  He gave of himself for me!  I was sick in the bed for most of the day, and finally got out of bed to cook an easy dinner and to get my girls (who had been at my  mom's all day after school so I could rest) ready for bed.  He was so considerate to help me out with the dishes of the day and to be as quiet as possible so I could rest.  He was a gem of a hubby (he is often, but since he's human he does have his not so gem like moments for sure!) and i was extremely greatful!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas holiday season so far.

I hope you have a great day and God Bless!!

Disclaimer**  I am only supposing that the angels were in a human like form I can begin to tell you how an angel looks because they exists on a plane that we cant usually see, but the episodes I have seen recorded Biblically and in recent times of encounters with angelic beings have always been i the form of human therefore my assumption.