December is here!

 easy advent calendar by martha stewart

It's December 1st tomorrow and I couldn't be more happier. If you don't have a countdown to Christmas calendar planned, then you better get crackin'. You have one day left.

We like to do Christmas activities for our Advent calendar. Here is our list for this year (in no particular order)...

1. Set Pandora station to Christmas 24/7
2. Make chocolate dipped gingersnap cookies (recipe + dip in melted chocolate)
3. Ward Christmas party
4. Walk the city lights
5. Christmas town parade
6. Make sugar cookies and decorate
7. Pearl Harbor lights tour
8. Send off Christmas gifts and Cards
9. Ice Skating
10. Make snowflakes
11. Decorate gingerbread houses
12. Make hot cocoa/mint tea
13. Ride the local mall holiday train
14. Read a CHRISTmas book
15. Donate canned goods
16. Christmas ornament exchange
17. Bake treats for neighbors and friends
18. Progressive dinner party/White elephant exchange with friends
19. Make reindeer food
20. Family Christmas party
21. Christmas movie and popcorn night
22.  Check out Christmas books at the library
23. Go Christmas shopping as a family
24. Build a "Sand"man on the beach
25. Christmas breakfast

Have a wonderful countdown!!!!

Herbal Fire Starters

If I only had a fireplace. 

For those of you who do, Whole Living shows how to make your fire smell divine: pine cone, dried herbs such as rosemary, sage leaves, and cinnamon sticks are just a few smells that will come out of your fire with these herbal fire starters.

Christmas party favors

If you have a Christmas party or get together this season, don't forget to print out these super easy chocolate wraps. Get them at the shop. 

SugarHouseInk

If you are looking for a Christmas photo card that offers a fresh, modern, yet traditional look...... Look no further.

Sugarhouse Ink has the cutest designs to choose from. The designer Sarah, a good friend of mine, has made some awesome designs for the holidays. Check out all the designs here at her shop.

And, for being an awesome friend and a reader, here is a discount code just for you: PCSR20
- it's good for 20% off of any digital design order and valid through the end of the year!!!!

We just finished up this card and will be mailing them soon 

as soon as I gather addresses- that's the worst part!

Here are some other cute choices:

 

*I love this Fa la la card

  

Thank Sarah!

Christmas decor

Oh Christmas,
You are so good to me. Your sparkling lights in the night make me smile. The smell of pine makes me sigh. The sight of a Christmas tree makes me stop and think of all the little happy things in life that I normally don't think of. And garlands strung around the house get me in the Christmas mood faster than anything else. It's my favorite time of the year!
So, here is some of my favorite Christmas decor ideas via pinterest.

 

Christmas Tree Cookies

Soooo... I sell Avon, and came across one of their products I thought and considered to be blog worthy.

It's a 10 piece cookie cutter set that, when gradually stacked on top of each other, forms a 3-D edible Christmas tree! And if you wanted to have 10 different sizes of stars, well, it works for that just as well. And maybe I bought one for myself. Just maybe. For only $7.99 who can resist!

Get yours here!

 

 

Today is the day... get your countdown on

We are trying to teach our 3 year old girl how to say her own prayers... more specifically, expressing her feelings and gratitude. So, being that Thanksgiving is nearing soon, I came up with this gratitude garland.

Starting today, the 6th, my husband and I will discuss with her what we are thankful for that day. Then write it on a long strip of paper, once a day until the end of the month... linking each paper to each other forming a paper chain.

image -pinterest

By the time the month ends we should have 25 links of paper, so on December 1st we will review the first link we made and rip it off... everyday until Christmas! It's like two countdowns in one!!!

So, today is the day to get your countdown on! Grab some scraps of paper and start.

Old but new treasure

I know Christmas is over, but  I wanted to share this neat idea that my mother did. She made everyone in the family a little keepsake Christmas ornament. She took an old sweater of our grandpa, who passed away a few years ago, cut it up, and made mini sweaters! It's about 3-4 inches big. It is the cutest little sweater ever and it reminds us of our grandpa during the holiday season. Cute, right?

Time-out

I'm signing off for a few days.

Our house is near completion.
Lots of organizing, painting and decorating to do.
Some friends are visiting.
Kids need some extra playing time.
Christmas shopping needs to be finished.

See you soon!

Meanwhile here are a few links I like:

 image credit

-If you've done and did Martha's tissue poms for most of your parties lately, try these poms. They're a new twist, they'll last forever, and you can make them any size.
-It's time to get your holiday photo cards ready. A friend of mine designs these cards. They are adorable and affordable!
-Got extra felt scraps? Make this fun felt garland for your Christmas Tree.
-How about wrapping paper? Check out this fancy wax leaves wrapping paper from Anthropologie.

Host a White Elephant Christmas Party

 

My husband and I have hosted a few white elephant Christmas parties and they get better and better each year. 

If you've never done one before, here are the rules:

You will want to give your guests some guidance on your invitation. Define what type of "White Elephant Gift" is appropriate for your party.

-under $10
-ugly
-useless
-gag gift
-ugliest ornament
-pick a theme of your own

How to get started:

1) Get a count of participants and draw numbers based on the number of people participating.
Tip: Create your numbers in advance and have them ready to be put in a hat.
2) Start choosing gifts. The person who drew #1 goes first and opens their gift then #2 and so on.
3) After the first person picks each successive person has the opportunity to choose an unopened gift or "steal" a gift from somebody who has already chosen. If your gift is stolen you now get to choose an unopened gift or steal another opened gift excluding the just stolen gift. After the stealing and such as been completed continue on with numerical order until everyone has a gift.

Optional Rules:

-After a gift is stolen 3 times it is "dead" and cannot be stolen again
-the person who picked first has the opportunity to now "steal" after all gifts are opened

-Have everyone attach a gift card or certificate to their "White Elephant" at a predetermined value of $10-$20.

-Have some extra "White Elephants" wrapped and available for guests who forgot to bring a gift. Everyone should participate if possible.

-For office party gift exchanges have a theme related to work related gag gifts that will "help with productivity"

-Have a "door prize" for best or worst "White Elephant Gift" chosen by the senior or oldest person at the party. This should be of value to encourage creativity.

And my favorite part (which we always do) have each guest also bring a pot luck item- a dessert, chips, veggies, etc. That way you have food and fun!

image credit

most rules from squidoo

Homemade Hot Chocolate

For those in cold weather.... or those in warm....

Here is a yummy hot chocolate recipe:

 

• 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 1/2 cups hot milk (2%)
• Mini marshmallows (optional)

Directions:
In large saucepan over medium heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla and salt; mix well. Slowly stir in water. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Top with marshmallows, (optional). Store covered in refrigerator. 

by allrecipes.com

maybe one day I'll tackle these homemade marshmallows

image credit

......................

Small gifts under $25

I was tempted to buy almost everything that PotteryBarnKids offers for stocking stuffers. 

It's all under $25. And free shipping too!

 

images via potterybarnkids 

Felt Christmas Stockings

I finally did it! I made our own Christmas Stockings.

I took this, this, this, and this idea 

and created something for our family of 4. 

I get all my wool felt from prairiepointjuction.com -they have really nice felt and tons of colors to choose from. 

Their 12"x18" pieces are a perfect size for stockings.

Activities for Advent Calendar

As promised, here are our activities for the Christmas Advent Calendar 2011:

 

{and in case you were wondering what Christmas in Hawaii looks like-photo}

1-Set up Christmas Tree
2-Sip cider
3-Hang stockings
4-Ward Christmas Party
5-Make a swag with real Christmas Tree branches
6-See city lights festival
7-Make felt-ball garland
8-Ride the Christmas train in the mall with kiddos
9-Roast marshmallows by the fire with friends
10-Watch 'The Santa Claus'
11-Take Christmas photos
12-Visit the Temple Christmas display
13-Make orange/clove pomanders
14-Eggnog time
15-Head to the library with kids to pick out Christmas books
16-Make Christmas cookies/gifts for neighbors
17-Host White Elephant Christmas party
18-Romantic candlelit dinner with husband under the Christmas tree
19-Sip hot cocoa
20-Eat a chocolate orange (the ones you whack on the table)
21-Finish holiday shopping
22-Watch a holiday movie as a family
23-Make sugar cookies
24-Read Jesus' birth in the Bible and Book of Mormon
25- a MERRY CHRISTMAS! with a full breakfast, Christmas music, and gifts

Some ideas came from here

Christmas Activity Advent Calendar

I love countdowns, if you didn't know.
I've been searching for a while now for a good advent calendar for Christmas.

I like these, but they aren't offered anymore:

(pottery barn, from ohhappyday)

from Ali Edwards:

Although very cute, the two above seem time consuming

So I settled on making this one below.

I wanted each compartment/day to be big enough to hold a small treat for my daughter and a note for the holiday activity we will do for that day.

You can purchase the kit here, It's called the Kaiser Craft advent calendar

(I say kit because it was a little time consuming than I thought it would be- a lot of sanding and filing down the boards). But it comes as plain as can be so you can add your own personal style. 

I'll post my advent activities soon.

More ideas I like:

An adorable "giving" advent calendar from Katherine Marie Photography
You have to check it out! She and her kids do a selfless act of kindness each day.


Magnetic Advent Calendar from Martha Stewart
another magnetic calendar from Twig and Thistle

A few more simple ideas
via ohdeedoh

Happy Counting-down!

Christmas Gifts for Twins

My brother and his wife had twin girl this past spring. Last week I got them this very cute Christmas gift from Snug Attack (yes, I'm going to be on top of gifts this year). Snug Attack produces cute clothing for twins. 

I got the set below.

Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

Found this via cakies. She uses happy tape, bakers twine and simple kraft paper to decorate and wrap her Christmas gifts. 

I'm sure these gifts will pop out from the rest of the traditionally wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree.

I might try this (as well as Furoshiki)

I guess it's never too early...

... to be shopping for Christmas gifts.

I really think these personalized products are perfect for kids. I think it may help my daughter be more excited to sit down and eat (she tends to run off and play after eating 3 bites) 

It was actually really fun to order- you get to choose your childs' hair style, hair color, eye shape, eye color, skin tone, glasses or not, and bowl background color. FUN!

from Sarah + Abraham