Not Included, Yet Necessary

A Gingerbread House is a must for Christmas at our house

We've tried many different kits, bakery versions and even homemade houses.

This year we bought a Hello Kitty Pink Cookie House Kit.

 

The kit was only missing one thing...

A Glue Gun.

If you want your wall to stick together and be stable enough for kids to smash candies onto, then get the glue gun out and glue those wall to the base and to each other.

 

Be real...you're not going to eat the house, so who cares if there's glue on it!

And...

Let the kids do it their way.

Let imperfection rule and LOVE every little things about it!

 

 

December Daily Peek

I'm happy to report that so far December has been taking place in hyper speed.

I wish it didn't go by sooo fast, but that means my family is happy and busy, which makes me quite happy.

 

So here's that peek at my December Daily:

First off...A KIT!

Turns out the kit idea wasn't too organized for me.

In fact, it has helped me organize.

 

I've found that I don't have time to work on the journal everyday.

But I do have time to jot down a few quick notes on the little journaling cards, free by Creativity Prompt...and they match my journal (kinda...close enough).

 

My Cover:

 

I used two pieces of a chipboard album pack that I bought at Michaels for $1.

 

Firstly, I covered the chipboard with white acrylic paint, threw some mica snow flakes on before it dried, and then I used watercolors in aqua and magenta to add color.

 

Then I glued on a snowflake, sewed some scraps of paper on...just cuz'.

 I absolutely LOVE my accidental pages!

 

After giving each watercolor paper page a light aqua watercolor wash and a splash of magenta, I brushed over a plastic snowflake to get a fabulous snowflake "shadow".

 

The numbers and letters are cut from an iridescent Dollar Store gift bag with my Silhouette.

I add pictures and other odds and ends when I have the time.

The pictures are just printed onto watercolor paper and edged with glitter or from my Instamax.

 

I even threw in the Taco Del Mar kids menu from the 2nd.

I added some snow flakes and stickles glitter to "snow" it up a bit.

Linking to: Whatever Goes Wednesday #148 ~ Shine On Fridays

When I Make Paper Cakes (and a necessary shooting)

Christmas Cake Box Swap hosted by Bliss Angels

I sent Cake too!

These little cake boxes were SOOO frustrating for me!

I am happy with the results, but my goodness, was this a project!

Altering with paper is not a natural for me.

I'm not trying to be self-deprecating...it really was hard.

I spent hours upon agonizing hours creating these.

I created a snowy top with Styrofoam that I cut down to fit the top of the box, glued and then carved

 ...Shoot me now!

To hide my carving, patching scars, I covered the snow layer with mica snow glitter.

 

Keep in mind that each of these steps requires a FULL drying.

Really! The Styrofoam will just fall off if you don't wait for the glue to FULLY dry.

...If you didn't shoot me before, shoot me now for sure!

The houses are 1 inch tall.

and embellished with little pearls and mica.

...make sure that bullet went in my body

 

I created my own little teeny poinsettias by cutting up larger flowers and remaking.

Teeny, weeny trees are embellished with micro beads adhered with glue and a toothpick.

...let the wound fester. 

I then backed the houses and snowflake half with a HAND CUT and SCORED rosette (really would like a Tim Holz die!).

 

OH! Don't forget to glue a sequin on to the rosette :)

...Okay, you can resuscitate me now, but dont' let me get into this situation ever again!

 

This shooting reported & linked to:

 

Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts  ~ Show & Share at Southern Lovely
~Live Laugh Linky at Live Laugh Rowe ~ Shine On Friday at One Artsy Mama



Cake For Moi

I received my first piece of Christmas Cake yesterday!

A wonderful little cake box filled with bits and baubles from Marie at Artful Curiosities!

 

Not to mention a bag of extra goodies

(how did she know that I'm into the snowflakes this year?)

and a Christmas Cracker that I refuse to crack open until Christmas!

 

Happy Day for me!

Thank you Marie! 

 

 

Three Years Late To The Party....

Nonetheless,

I shall party with the best of 'em.

Ali Edwards'
known-by-everyone-in-the-world-but-me
December Daily 2012

You can stop laughing at my expense now.
Yes, I am the LAST person to discover this, but doesn't it look FUN?!!

There's a flickr group for tons of ideas, Ali Edwards has a workshop if you want to make one just like hers, or you can just Google "December Daily" (I use images) and see even more ideas.
EEK!!!

Tons and tons of free printables too.
Here's some I found:
 

Labels from Creativity Prompt

Ormolu's Everyday December Journaling Set

December Pages from Pretty Little Studio

Green & Red Number Labels from Odrai

 

And I must thank Claire from Handmade in the UK.

for my invitation to party.

She didn't know she was inviting me, but that's how I found out about this whole December Daily Journaling Party Thing.

 

For even more ideas:

 Claire is deciding on a what to do this year and has been featuring

December Daily Journals by other bloggers.

She also has a FABULOUS blog!

Molasses YUMMMMM!

Warning:  Crappy cell phone pics ahead (camera is charging)

I read and drooled over Attic24's post on Gingerbread--I WANTED that recipe, but she couldn't publish it.  Sad me.

Then I ran into this Molasses Spice Cookie recipe from Always With Butter.

It was a sign...I needed to bake.

Bake I did.

And Ate...

Ohhhhhh!  These are so yummy!

They have a very subtle spice flavor with a molasses finish.

Be sure to leave plenty of room between the cookie balls

They spread.  They are just the right amount of chewy and crisp. MMMMMM.

I used a small cookie scoop to measure out my balls and let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute before putting them on a cooling sheet 

I'm going to store them in the freezer until X-mas, because I WILL eat them all if I leave them out!

Advent Ideas: Family Activities

FAMILY ACTIVITES!

Fun things to do for advent

~Read a Christmas Story
~Sing Carols
~Walk through a neighborhood and check out the lights
~Mani or pedicures for all
~Gourmet hot cocoa night

SNOW CONES!

I'm talkin' the REAL stuff!

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY PULL

Recipe and image from Taste of Home

My best friend used to do this with her family every Christmas.
This will be our first year making it myself.  Hope it's as good as Tara's used to be!

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING

Image from Stuff 4 Crafts

I usually purchase a prebaked kit.  Safeway, Costco, Wilton, and other stores have their own versions for about $10.  We use up our extra Halloween candy too!

Mom Hint:  Just hot glue the gingerbread house together before the kids are home from school.  No one's really going to eat it.  The hot glue is fast and much more stable than the icing for structural hold!

**GIVE!**

This is honestly a kid favorite at our house. 
Give each child an envelope with some money and let them pick where they want to donate.  It doesn't even need to be a large amount and it doesn't even need to be money~Donate time by volunteering.  Let them do the shopping and let them be the one to drop off the donation.

Usually it's mom and dad who control the spending and get the warm fuzzie good vibes from donating.  Let the kids see how good it feels to do it. 

A few places that are great to donate money, food, time, etc.
Local Food Bank
Battered Women's Shelter
Red Cross
Animal Shelter
Heifer International
Doctors Without Borders
Humane Society
Community Christmas Basket Programs
Coats for Kids
Toys for Tots
Military Support Programs
etc., etc, etc....

Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 2

Sharing Advent ideas I've bookmarked throughout the year.

FOODGIFTS PART 2

Easy enough for kids to make (sometimes with a little help) and yummy enough to give as gifts!

ALMOST INSTANT CUPCAKE IN A MUG

Recipe and image from Family Fun

Check your local Dollar Stores and Ikea for inexpensive mugs

HOT COCOA MIX

Recipe and image from Family Fun

Be sure to make a batch for yourself!

SESAME CRUNCH CANDY

Recipe and image from Family Fun

I know a certain mom that might like these...just sayin'.

NEAR INSTANT PEANUT BRITTLE

Family Fun's Kid-Friendly version

Recipe and image from Family Fun

CAKE BALLS (OR POPS)

Recipe and image from Family Corner

Not just for Chocoholics!  Substitute any flavor cake mix, frosting, and candy coating to make these.

Add sticks and you've got CAKE POPS!

You can find more recipes on my Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 1 and Part Martha, Martha, Martha too.

Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 1

Sharing Advent Ideas that I've bookmarked throughout the year

FOOD GIFTS

Easy enough for kids to make (with a little help) and yummy enough to give or to munch on yourself

COOKIES & CREAM OREO BARK

Image and Recipe from Bakers Royale

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and it'll be even easier!

GRAHAM CRACKER TOFFEE

Image and Recipe from The Rusted Chain

Younger kids can help line up the grahamies, sprinkle the chocolate chips, spread the melted chocolate, break into pieces and package

*CARAMEL* & CHOCOLATE DIPPED PRETZEL RODS

Recipe and Image from Kids Caboose

To add the *caramel* to this recipe just melt a bag of unwrapped caramels in the microwave.  Pour the melted caramel into a tall mug, jar, or glass,  Dip the pretzel rod into the caramel, let dry for a bit on wax paper then dip into chocolate.

RICE KRISPIE TREAT POPS

Recipe and Image from Espresso and Cream



MICROWAVE CHEX MIX

The Original Chex® Party Mix recipe and image from Chex.com

A gift to make for those non-chocoholics!

Have fun with the recipe too...kids don't like peanuts?  Don't add them!  Add what they do like!

POPCORN SNOWBALLS

Recipe and Image from Jolly Time

I'll have more food gifts in Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 2 coming soon.

There are also some recipes on Advent Ideas: Part Martha, Martha, Martha

Advent Ideas Part Martha, Martha, Martha

Sharing Advent activities that I've bookmarked throughout the year.

Martha, Martha, Martha

All the following tutorials and images are from marthastewart.com.

You want to hate her, but the lady has some good craft ideas. 

BATH FIZZIES

  

BODY SCRUB

PET ID TAGS 

Shrinky Dinks!

DOGGIE BISCUITS

STRIPED SOAPS

Joel and I made these one year for his work gifts and they were a huge hit!

FOOLPROOF HOLIDAY FUDGE

EMBELLISHED UGGS

OMG!  Because I'm going to spend $200 on UGGS and let my kids (or myself) needlefelt them--LOL!

Done with Martha. 

 You can go puke now, but, really, she does have some good craft ideas.