This is what I want Christmas to mean!

  I was linked to this video from a blog I read - Christine Smith Digital Designs Blog  and it touched my heart.  

    ADVENT CONSPIRACY VIDEO

  Our family is doing an all homemade Christmas this year for many reasons, but this has challenged me to find ways to give outside our family as well.  I hope it inspires you to do the same.  

Happy Birthday Sammi!

Today we celebrate 10 yrs of life with our sweet girl.  Look how grown up she is!  This is a photo of her today with her new Bitty Twins - she has named them Hanna (the dark haired one and Lia (the blond one)   She is now busy playing dolls with her younger sister.  We will have cupcakes and a special dinner later. Then on Friday her BFF Sarah will come over for a sleepover. 

Falling Snow

See the pretty snowflakes 
Falling from the sky, 
On the wall and housetops 
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges, 
On the branches bare, 
Now how fast they gather, 
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden, 
Where the grass was green; 
Covered by the snowflakes, 
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes, 
All look soft and white, 
Every twig is laden - 
What a pretty sight!

-Traditional Irish Poem

         Bread pudding for breakfast!  with Banana slices. find the basic recipe here. I over mixed it a little so there where not many bread chunks left but it was still yummy and warm.

  On the Christmas gift front I found a great book at the library yesterday to make a monster or Alien for my 8 yr old. "Invasion of the Plush Monsters!: Wickedly Weird Creatures You Just Gotta Sew" by Veronica Gunter , You can see it at Amazon HERE .  

 Hope you have a wonder-filled day :D 

Handmade Holiday...

 That is what we will be doing this year.  All of our gifts will be handmade (or programmed).  We talked with The children about this back in Oct. and I had anticipated some resistance to it. But boy I have great kids who all thought it was a super idea!  We have been secretly discussing ideas and plans and making supply lists over the last month.  This is the week to get started making. Jo and I will be hold up Sewing in my room.  The boys have some books on hold at the library to help them with their plans for their sisters.  

 

 I will be checking out the "Sew, Mama, Sew blog" daily this month for all their wonderful ideas on handmade gifts.  Today there was a link to a Yummy pumpkin scone recipe so I made them up and they are YUMMY.  Go here to get the Recipe! If you want to share your Holiday traditions and plans you can share it with others there as well ( click here to see how)

 I will share the projects I can (don't wanna ruin the surprise)  and pass on any fabulous ideas I find.   Todays tip is to head over to www.YouCanMakeThis.com to buy printable patterns for all sorts of wonderful things.  I am loving the felt food (do a search for it)

 If you live in the Salt Lake Valley fm 100.3 is all Christmas music all the time right now!