Great giveaway at Imagine childhood!

Check out this great giveaway at Imagine Childhood... they have fantastic things for your creative kids, and I just love their stuff! This giveaway is for a great handmade stocking and a couple stocking stuffers.

Right now, I am thinking about finishing my projects.... only a few left to go! The kids and Tyler are writing out names.... Colton is obsessed with writing everyone's names. And what a genius - he looks at the stockings for reference!

Ornaments

Yesterday, we decided to try our hand at some salt dough ornaments. The recipe was extremely easy, and even though we had to wait awhile to decorate, the kids thoroughly enjoyed the whole process!
They each made (or helped) a couple... and then Tyler had to show off and do a tractor, an excavator and a piggie. the kids thought it was fantastic. I chose to make a mushroom and a gnome (when finished, it looked a lot like Santa!)



I think they turned out fabulous!

Things I am Loving Right Now...

* Having the baby kicking me all the time :)
* Evening in Missoula tea that Jill gave me (Oh, so good!)
* Having all my Christmas sewing done and sent (at least the stuff for sending... still have some kids stuff to sew)* The way Ayla dresses herself; she loves to layer (think pants with dresses or skirts and sweaters)* Big fat flakes of snow (although it is melting as of today)
* This new lemon ricotta tea cake... Yummy!* Going to sleep early (before midnight)
* Colton's new sarcasm.... absolutely hilarious!* Winning cool stuff on blogs these last couple weeks! (Here, here and here) Yeah, me!
* This quilt given to Ayla by her Great Uncle JB! Made by his mother... isn't it fantastic?! It is all hand-stitched! Which I so appreciate now!
* The Christmas decorations

Just a couple tidbits...

My favorite saying for gift giving this holiday, courtesy of Danielle (who heard it from a friend, and so on...) :

...."something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read." (thanks Danielle, for the correction!)

How great is that? Kids get so MUCH these days (mine included) and it is hard to narrow it down, but I think I will try to stick to this saying. We are close this year, but not right on.

And... there is a great giveaway over at one of my favorite online stores.... imagine childhood. They are giving away this adorable stuffed polarbear and a great book to match! Head on over there!

Christmas tree adventure

Getting a tree has been one of my favorite things to do since living in Montana... we get a $5 permit, head into the woods, and pick a good one (Tyler does the picking!). And the kids usually have a great time. This year we went during nap time and when it was like 10 degrees, so the kids and I stayed in the car! Tyler looked around in a couple different spots, and we decided to keep driving... until we saw the tree. This one happened to have a red balloon tied to it, saying "Pick me, pick me!" It was a great looking tree, and we decided to take it. I know what you are thinking, someone had marked that tree to come back for later... well, finders keepers, I guess. Tyler ended up tying the balloon onto the tree next to it, which was a little scraggly, but what can you do, right?(do you see the drool in the pic above? Yeah, he was tired!)

We had a fun time, and the decorated tree looks awesome!(recognize the garland? We made that when Grammy was here.. a project out of Handmade Home by Amanda Soule)

Earlier that day, my friend Jill, and her family, watched Colton and Ayla so Tyler and I could have a little date. We decided to hike up Lone Pine, the State Park right in our backyard, and then we headed out to lunch at a local cafe. We had a great time, and will get to repay Jill and her family tomorrow by watching their 3 little ones. I hope they have a great time!

This last week, I hosted a cookie swap with 9 other fabulous women, and we had a great time. It turned out better than I expected, and I think (hope) everyone had a great time. I made some little giveaways so that I could show my friends how much I appreciate them.

Playdough and ornaments!

So today has been a rough day for me... well, started last night with the kids constant whining before bed, when all I wanted to do was finish up some xmas presents... go figure. 2 hours of constant crying... and Tyler was playing basketball.
Well, it continued this morning with me. I will just blame it on being pregnant for now. I even threw a plate into the sink... the kids decided that was about time to go upstairs and play :) Ha ha! Even Tyler steered clear... oh, the things we put up with.
So I was trying to get out of my funk, but making good on my promise to the kids to make some fun ornaments they could paint. We did some of it yesterday, but then I figured out that I did it wrong! So we started again today. (do you see the playdough- not colored, under the plaster? You can make any shape you want!)
First you need some things:
plaster of paris (which actually is not all that good for you... read the back :()
and the ingredients for this playdough recipe. Very simple recipe and makes some great playdough! Just remember that it looks lumpy, but will smooth out... just keep stirring!

Make the playdough (or use some you already have), then have the kids put their handprints into it, or footprints?... then you pour the plaster of paris into it and wait for it to harden. Remember to put some sort of hangy thing (paper clip or something of the like) in the top area, so that you have an ornament to hang... (see the paper clip in it?)

After it is done drying, you can take the playdough away from the plaster, and do what you want. .. paint, color with markers, etc.
This is what happens when you take the playdough off too soon! the thumb falls off!
But you can imagine how cute they will be!

Or you can mess up, and let the kids paint them anyways!


Here is another playdough recipe....haven't tried it, but sounds yummy! Chocolate scented playdough

Great new family magazine

I often check one of my favorite blogs, and Heather, the blogger of Shivaya Naturals, has co-invented a great new family magazine called The Rhythm of the Home! It is fantastic, and I encourage everyone to check it out!
There are great projects and homemade gift ideas, and some great articles. And it is FREE!
We have been busy here, getting things ready for the holidays... more pictures soon.

Go check out the magazine!!