Our Advent Calendar

Before I get into the calendar, I need to announce the winner of the Hand Vibes giveaway… (It’s still Friday ;))

The winner is Briana!  Congratulations!  I hope you enjoy them.  (P.S.  I always got Lipsmackers in my stocking, too!)

And now on to the calendar.

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This year, we are trying to focus more on the Christ aspect of Christmas.  Don’t get me wrong, we are huge fans of Santa Claus around here.  I believe Santa is a very Christ-like ‘being’ and we try to focus on those aspects.  We just wanted to integrate more of Christ himself into our holiday this year. 

That’s why we decided to study the Names of Christ for the days leading up to Christmas.  To be honest, I had no idea that Christ actually has so many names.  I found the idea on a blog that I absolutely love.  Here is the link.  She’s got TONS of other great ideas, too.  Just look around, you’re bound to find something you love there!     

I was able to find some free printable Christmas tags here that I copied and pasted onto Word, printed it out (duh!), then I wrote all the names on each of the 25 tags before cutting them out.  On the back, I wrote all the dates.  So far (last night and tonight), the girls have really enjoyed it.  We’ve learned that Christ, Messiah, and Anointed One all mean the same thing.  They just originate from different languages.

 

As much as I would have loved to have them at a height accessible for all the kids to reach and actually participate in the flipping of each days’ name, I have two little monkeys (C and B) that would have the whole calendar torn apart quicker than I could say… anything, really.  **Sigh** Someday we’ll have nice things.  Maybe. 

But until then, we must keep advent calendars up high. 

You really should go check it out.

**P.S.  Please forgive me for not posting as often lately.  It’s been a crazy few weeks for us and our insane December has just begun but I plan to post every day for the month of December.  Stay tuned, I’ve got lots of recipes, gift ideas, and real life stories to share.** 

Halloween Bouquet & Booing Your Neighbors

This is risky!  I’m taking a huge risk by posting this on my blog.  If only I had a little more sense…  It’s one of those lines I should have stood in while in Heaven but apparently I didn’t. 

You see, I Boo’d my friend/neighbor the other day with this fun Halloween Bouquet.

 

Do you love it?  It’s not quite as beautiful or perfect as the ones that my Mom makes for my kids but it’ll have to do.  She started making these a handful of years ago for my kidlets every October.  My kids look forward to it every year.  Of course they do… it’s chuck full of sugar!

But see, I should have Boo’d someone that I was absolutely positive does NOT read my blog.  That way, I could share this with you and not run the risk of them seeing it on my blog and knowing who Boo’d them.  Ugh!  Silly me.  Well, too late for that.  I have to share and just cross my fingers that she (my friend) doesn’t read my blog.  If so, ummm HI!  It was us.  Sorry I ruined it!  I was smart enough not to choose the people that I know to read my blog.  Do I get any points for that?

Anyway, you know what ‘Booing your neighbor’ means don’t you?  If not, allow me to explain. 

You take a treat to a neighbor (or two) along with a printed ghost (to display in the window to represent the fact that they’ve been Boo’d) and a poem that gives instructions for them to follow (Boo two other neighbors that don’t have Boo signs in the window, along with copies of the poem and ghost).  But you don’t just hand it to them.  You set it on the doorstep, ring the doorbell and RUN!  The kids think it’s great fun.  Good thing too because I know for sure I’d get caught.  I’d either not be fast enough or I’d trip as I ran across the lawn.  I just know it. 

Well, when I went to find the poem online that you are supposed to use, I couldn’t find one that I liked.  I thought they were a little vague in their directions so I made up my own.  You can use it if you’d like to.  Nothing fancy.  Just something I whipped up last minute.

 

You’ve Been Boo’d!!

We like you well enough and all,

But now the season has turned to fall.

 

 Which means that ghosts and goblins are about,

They seem to have found you, there’s no doubt!

 

 Halloween will soon be here,

The ghosts like to spread some neighborhood cheer.

 

 Make two copies of the poem and ghost,

Within two days, or you’ll be toast!

 

 Display the ghost in your window and then,

No one will be able to ‘Boo’ you again.

 

Take two more treats to some ‘Boo’less friends,

Soon the neighborhood will be Boo’d from end to end.

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

I found a printable ghost here for the window.  I just wrote “We’ve Been Boo’d” on it and outlined the ghost in black marker to make it bolder.

I attached it to the bouquet and we did our thing… (you know, the knock and run thing.)  I, personally, did the wait and drive thing around the corner.  Go me! 

So, are you ready to make your own Halloween Bouquet?  It’s great for decoration {it wouldn’t last 5 minutes in my house} or for Booing or whatever you want to use it for. 

Here’s what you’ll need:  Desert Foam (is that a brand or is that really what it’s called?), candy, trinkets, wooden dowels, tape, garland, plastic pumpkin (or other container)



{I forgot to put the garland in the picture.  $3 Halloween garland from Target.}

Tape your candies and trinkets to the dowels.  You could hot glue them if you want to but tape is easier and won’t melt your plastic wrappers or your chocolate.  And you could even paint your dowels if you want.  I didn’t, but you could…



Cut the foam just enough so that it will fit in the bottom of your container.  Then use the excess to fill the front and back.  This will keep it from sliding around in the container as it gets heavy from all the candy and trinket filled dowels.  I had to use about 1 and 1/4 of the foam blocks.

 

Starting with the larger items first, start sticking your dowels into the foam.  Gradually work down to the smaller items.  Push them in as far as you would like.  Have fun with it!

 

The last step is to take your garland and just start weaving it in and out of the dowels to hide the bottom of the pail (no one wants to see the foam and a bunch of sticks…). 



So easy and what a great conversation piece too!  Great table centerpiece if you can keep your kids from trashing it. 

Mr. Pumpkin and I had a fun photo shoot before I sent him away to a new owner.

 

If you were the recipient of Mr. Pumpkin and you are reading this, I am so sorry!  And to all of my neighbors that read my blog, SSSHHHHHH!!!  Don’t tell!!  Maybe they won’t find out ;)

Happy Booing!! 

 

 

 

 

YoYo Headbands {Tutorial}

Look what I did!  I can’t tell you how proud of myself I am.  I know it’s super silly but these kinds of things are the things I usually see and tell myself it’s too complicated.  I’ll never be able to figure it out.  All talk, no walk. 

HA!  Look at me now!  Totally walkin’!

I’ve seen these yoyo headbands floating around the blogosphere recently and I decided it was high time I give it a go.  It was much easier than I had anticipated and only took me about an hour to make. 

I had initially planned on adding a lot of yoyo’s to the headband but I ended up having a few ‘helpers’ in the yoyo making process which slowed things down a bit and I was in a bit of a hurry.  So, while my headband only has three yoyo’s, if you decide to make one, feel free to add as many as you’d like. 

Are you ready to make one?  Oooh!  I’m so excited to show you how I did it…

Keep in mind, I am not saying this is the ‘right’ way or that there is no other way to do it.  This is just my version of the yoyo headband. 

Ok, so first of all you’ll need supplies.  In addition to a needle, thread, scissors, and a hot glue gun, you’ll also need:

{fabric in a variety of coordinating patterns, buttons (or other embellishments), headbands, felt}

Trace circles onto the back of your fabric with a pen.  I used a variety of cups and jars for different sizes of circles.  I even tried a bowl but found that it made WAY too big of a yoyo.

 

Now cut your circles out.  Are ya with me so far?  Easy, right?

One circle at a time, take a threaded needle (color of thread doesn’t matter because it won’t be seen… knot the end of the thread) and sew in loose stiches close to the edge.  (I found that the larger the stitching, the more closed the hole will be at the end.  Smaller stitches make for a more open hole in the center.)

Once you’ve gone around the whole circle, hold the thread right next to the fabric with your left hand… {please ignore the fact that I have islands of nail polish that desperately needs to be removed.  I have no nail polish remover and it’s just no one of those things I think about when I’m at the store, okay?}

Now pull with the needle end of your thread with your right hand.  It will start to curl in on itself.  You want it to curl so the right side of the fabric is on the outside.

 

Pull until it closes.  Now stitch the opening closed and knot it so it won’t come undone.

 

Hot glue your embellishments on top. 

Cut a piece of felt slightly larger than you might need for your ‘layout’ of yoyos.

 

Hot glue the yoyo’s to your felt.

 

Trim excess felt with your scissors.

 

Hot glue the headband to the back of the felt.

Add one more strip of felt to glue to the headband.  This will keep your hair from getting caught in the tacky hot glue residue.  It also helps hold it all together.

TADA!!!!  We did it!! 

And here I am, modeling my new creation.

 

But despite how ravishing I looked in said creation, K was positive it would look even better on her.

 

Ok, so she wins… ;)

Now I’ve gotta make two more for my other two girly whirlies! 

Let me know what you think.

***Also, if you haven’t entered to win the Math Blaster Giveaway, click here to enter!***

 

 

The Art of Taking Awesomely Funny Pictures!

So, I may not be a photographer (although I still say that if I had a fancy shmancy camera I’d be a heck of a lot better…) but I know a good picture when I see one.  I also know a funny picture when I see one.  And what you’re about to see are some FUNNY pictures, yo!  (I don’t really talk like that.  I just wanted to try ‘yo’ on for size… I don’t think it fits.)

I believe it was my cousin that taught me this handy dandy trick.  So handy, in fact, that I may have made everone  I encountered give me their best slurber for a whole month after learning it.  All in the name of taking a hilariously embarrassing picture.  (Maybe I’ll post some after I get their permission…)  But I must warn you, before getting into this here ‘tutorial’, sometimes it takes many many many tries to get the best picture. 

Oh, and the subject has to know how to slurber just right.  You may have to demonstrate.  People just don’t know how to slurber these days… **sigh**

What’s a slurber, you ask?  Oh you know that sound you make when you’re playing with a baby or young child.  The one where you are trying to get them to blow bubbles in the water or the sound that a horsey makes… THAT sound.  With your mouth.  Ya got me?  Good!

Ok, so you can’t just do any ol’ slurber.  It’s got to be an exaggerated slurber.  Lots of air, lots of lip flapping.  Loosen those lips!  THOSE make for the best pictures!  And you can’t laugh.  Those ones do not turn out.  This is a serious matter, people… ;)

The other day while having our nature study, we got our slurbers on and took some pics.  I’m pretty sure I won… What do you think?  

I’ve gotta teach these youngens of mine a proper, picture worthy slurber technique.

  

 

Easy Felt Hair Bows

This is a bow that my daughter learned how to make at an Achievement Days activity for our church.  Since then, she’s been making them for birthday presents for her friends.  They are so easy and fun!

Here’s what you’ll need:  a piece of felt, beads and/or jewels, marker, cup, glue gun, scissors and hair clip.

This was her felt of choice for this particular bow.

You’ll begin by tracing the opening of the cup onto the back of the felt with a marker five times {recognize that cup from the soda can hair bows?}

And now cut them out, just inside the marker lines.  Reserve one for the base.

Run a zigzag pattern of hot glue down the middle of each of the circles.  And fold it in half.

{Hers looks more like a dot but a little more than this is necessary}

Now do the same thing on the half circle of felt and fold in half again.

Do this four times, remember to reserve the fifth one as a base.

Glue each of the pieces onto the base with the point in the middle. 

Cut a small piece of the leftover felt big enough for the clip to hold onto.  Run a zigzag pattern of glue over it and glue to the underside of the hair bow.

Add a jewel…

…and some beads… and VOILA!!  So easy, a kid can do it!!

Homemade Butter

It's Pioneer Week!  Those of us in Utah know what I'm talking about.  On the 24th of July, many Utahns will celebrate that day that Brigham Young, along with many other Mormon Pioneers, made it the Salt Lake Valley and declared, "This is the place..." in 1847.  It's a day of fun, history and fireworks!

This year, I wanted to make it special for my kids.  Help them to really get into the spirit of it all and learn some of the struggles and hardships some of our ancestors had to endure to make it possible for the Church to be a part of our lives today.

No, I'm not going to take them out and make them pull handcarts up the mountain or endure freezing temperatures with no coat or shelter.  I just want to talk to them about the struggles the pioneers had and maybe have a little fun while we learn.

So, this week, Anthony and I are doing some fun activities with the kids that the pioneers may have done themselves.  I'll be snapping pics and sharing recipes and ideas along the way so be sure to come back.

For today, I have a fun idea for making homemade butter.  Ok, so I don't know how the pioneers did it.  Probably with a churn but for our version, we're just using a jar.  It works...

Allow me to demonstrate... actually, my girls are going to demonstrate.

Here's what you'll need:

 

A clean, empty jar with a lid...



Some marbles (just two will do just fine)...



And some heavy whipping cream.



Place the marbles into the jar...



Pour the cream into the jar...



Put the lid on.  Now shake it...



and shake it some more...



and even more....



Keep shaking for several minutes (this is fun for the kids)...

When you don't hear the marbles shaking around anymore, you've got whipped cream!



Still not butter so...... KEEP SHAKING!!

You're SOOOOO close!  Keep shaking!!



THERE!  Once it separates, you've got BUTTER!!





What's that milky looking stuff, you ask?  Take a wild guess... it's BUTTERMILK!!



I got almost a full cup of buttermilk after doing two cartons of whipping cream (one at a time).  In fact, I think it would have been a full cup if I hadn't spilled some.  Whoops!

Now you've got butter...



...and buttermilk!  Hooray!  Make some buttermilk pancakes in the morning and butter them with your homemade butter.  It's the best butter you've ever tasted, promise.  If you like salted butter, you can add 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt before shaking.

This whole process takes about 5-10 minutes, total.  You can even do this without the marbles if you don't have them.  Just remember the process takes a bit longer without them.  But it will work!  The butter tastes delicious on bread!  I may have to go get me some right now...

Come back tomorrow for another fun Pioneer Day Activity!