Valentines Day

What types of things do you do for your kids on Valentines Day?
What are you doing for your Hubby?

Wednesday Weekly

What has been the most enjoyable/festive thing your family has done so far this Christmas season?

Hubby's stocking

Do you stuff your husband's stocking? I am looking for some fun ideas for stuffing my husband's stocking. This is kind of the first time I am doing it because in years past we have always been with family and every adult there has put something in everyone's stocking. Anyway, if you have some fun ideas, please share! Kid ideas would be fun to share, too!

Mother's Day gift from ward

So it totally doesn't matter, but I think it's fun to hear what wards give to the women on Mother's Day. My ward gave out a handful of Lindt truffles and Ghirardelli chocolates wrapped in cellophane with a quote from President Monson. Definitely had a woman's touch, though I could be wrong about that. Maybe it was all created by the brethren?

What did your ward give out?

Nursery Mother's Day craft

Does anyone have a good idea for a Mother's Day craft to do in Nursery this Sunday? Our leader to child ratio is 1:5.

Valentine Ideas!

Since my little girl doesn't go to preschool yet, I have Valentine envy! I so want to make up cute little valentines for her to take and share! 

I love this idea!

And this one!

And you can download these for free! 

And I just heard about these from a girlfriend!

Last night, at a girl's craft night, I made two of these! I'll have to upload a picture because I think mine is so much cuter, if I do say so myself! :)

And of the girls there had the great idea of making cut outs of your child's handprint, folding down the two middle fingers to make the sign for "I love you" and tucking a heart underneath the folded down fingers.  so cute!!

Someday I'll get to make my own for more than my three Valentines! And I might make one of these!!

Easy Valentine Gifts

I got this in an e-newsletter from Real Simple. 

"Make Valentines from Household Supplies
Paint samples, playing cards, sponges, sugar packets, matches...
Original Purpose: Taking up space in your kitchen and desk drawers.
Aha! Use: It's all there, and now you know why you've never gotten around to throwing it out: a private, inexhaustible stock of Valentine-card-making props. Dead AAA batteries ("I get a charge out of you"), old lollipops ("I'm a sucker for you"), stray keys ("the key to my heart"). Sit yourself down and grab a pile of craft supplies — construction paper, scissors, markers, tape, X-Acto blade, large-eyed needle and strong thread (or dental floss!), doilies, ribbon saved from the last party. Don't worry about getting the edges straight. It's the message that counts.
Reward: Recycling with heart."

kind of a fun idea!

Gifts for your kids

Last year I got some really great ideas from this blog for gifts for my toddler. One of my favorites was a wallet that I filled with gift cards (with no money on them) and pictures. I think that was Steph's idea, thanks! I actually used several ideas from others last year. I wondered if anyone has any creative ideas they are utilizing for their kids this year. One thing that I'm a bit excited about is a 4x6 photo album for my two year old filled with photos of all the people she loves. I think it will be a nice thing for her to look at in the car or at church. Happy gift giving!

Halloween!!

I just finished pulling together our costumes last night, and I'm anxious to hear what everyone else is being! And of course, I'd love to see pictures if you have them. I don't have pictures of ours, but as we are going to Disneyland next week for Mickey's Trick or Treat party, we went with a Disney theme.

Cecelia is being Nemo. I got a Nemo costume at the Disney Store after Halloween last year for just under $4! Paired with a cute orange and black Halloween outfit from Target and she's a pretty cute little fishy.

I'm being Tinkerbell. I went to Goodwill and bought a white tube top and white skirt. {I also bought a tan/skin coloured shirt so I will have the appearance of a strapless outfit} I found some $5 canvas ballet flats at Ross. I dyed the top, skirt and shoes green, cut the edge of the skirt so its jagged and attached big white pompoms to the shoes. Add wings and you've got Tink.

Scott is being Indiana Jones. His dad owns an Indy hat from Disneyland, so we went to Goodwill and got dark brown slacks and a tan shirt. Add a brown suede jacket Scott already owns and a pair of brown work shoes and he's a very convincing Indiana.


What about you girls? What fun costumes are you and/or your families wearing this year?

Wednesday Weekly

How do you like to celebrate the 4th of July?

New Years Resolutions

The new year is almost here! I love, love, love setting New Years resolutions, and I'm happy to say that I actually keep about 50% of them!! (I usually set a lot!!) I love that we are able to spend our lives bettering ourselves. What are some of the resolutions you girls are setting for 2008?

MY 12 Books of Christmas

THE 12 BOOKS OF CHRISTMAS

Biscuit's Christmas Eve
The Night Before Christmas
The Last Straw
The Legend of the Poinsettia
The Polar Express
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Christmas in the Manger
The Christmas Witch
Toot & Puddle I'll Be Home for Christmas
Snowmen at Night
Jolly Christmas Postman
The Snowman

Tomorrow is our first night! We're not really going in any special order except that two of these I don't have-I'm using my Mom's! And I have a small one to open on the plane next week! :) My list is all linked so you can see what they are but I didn't have the energy to do it twice so please feel free to visit my blog if you'd like the links to these books. I'll report after Christmas on any treasures or duds! :)

Those small gifts add up!

How do you handle the friend/ward/neighbor gifts? In my experience, those are the ones that I forget to budget for and the ones that add up so quickly! I want to give to everyone but can't and so I usually make a short list of the work/church/neighborhood/VT friends that I want to remember. I have found the dollar spot at Target to be very helpful but I don't always find what I'm looking for. I'm not a candy maker so I am not able to whip up some fudge or anything fancy like that either! Have any of you found creative, thrifty ways to remember your friends at the holidays without feeling like you've short-changed them?

24 Days of Christmas Books

I LOVE this idea from Tales! We don't have many Christmas books at our house. I know we discussed some ideas for books earlier in November here on S&S. There are tons on here and the previous post. I ordered some from the library and I'm going to see if I can't at least do a 12 days of Christmas (and hope my Mom has enough in Little Rock for those last days when we'll be there!) Enjoy!

Making it "the most wonderful time of the year..."

What attempts are you making to reduce added stress this Christmas season?

What strategies do you use to save money at Christmastime?

Christmas Books

I just thought I'd let you all know that I was at Target this morning and they had a HUGE selection of Christmas books in the dollar section at the front of the store. There were several lift-the-flap books and books that made noise, so I picked up a few for my daughter. I haven't had a chance to look through them yet so I don't know how good they are, but they sure kept her quiet while I was shopping - not an easy thing to do!

Sweet Potato Crunch

3 c. sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked and sliced/chunked/mashed
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. plus 3 Tbs. butter, melted and divided
2 eggs, beaten
1 T. vanilla extract
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, 1/2 butter, eggs, vanilla and milk; mix well. Turn into a greased baking dish. Combine remaining butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, flour and pecans together. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

It's a fun new twist on the old standby!

Black Friday

Is that what it's called? I'm thinking of the day after Thanksgiving: the busiest shopping day of the year. Just curious, how many of you go shopping on this day? How many of you go at the break of dawn? I don't know if I have ever gone shopping on that day but I'm thinking about it!

8 Days to go!

Until we all stuff ourselves!! What are your plans for Thanksgiving? What are your family traditions?

When I was little my grandma told us the "Tale of Candy Corn" every year. We all got three candy corn and those represented the food that the pilgrims had the first year...or something like that (can you tell how well I paid attention?)

My Dad likes us all to say something we're thankful for and gives a nice testimony before dinner.

I set the tables. It's my job to make them pretty with all the best china and silver and crystal and beautiful centerpieces.

My parents always have families from the ward over. Usually the families that can't go anywhere but don't have family nearby. For years, we also had the missionaries in our ward (up to eight of them!)

When we lived in Utah, we'd put up a quilt to tie after dinner with my grandma and aunts.

Now, I always go a day early. My other job is pies. Mom makes the crusts and I make all the insides. Except for the chocolate cream pie. That one's too complicated! :)

My family is so deeply steeped in food tradition that the year my Mom changed the sweet potatoes there was mutiny...until we tasted the new recipe! Yum!!! We HAVE to have potato rolls, pomegranate salad, ribbon jello as well as the regulars: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes. We could care less about green beans! :)

That's what makes my Thanksgiving. What makes yours??

Belated Halloween

Here are our little cheerleaders (and me) at our ward Halloween party, and Haley in her second clown costume that she loved dressing up in at home, but never wore out! Sorry I'm so slow with the picture download! :)