Merry Christmas

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas! 

Minted Holiday Cards

It's time to start thinking about your family's holiday cards, and I'm here to help! 

I've ordered our cards from Minted the past few years and have been nothing but pleased with the results.  The only difficulty I've encountered is trying to choose between all of their amazing designs.  They have a stunning collection of layouts, color options, prints, and general esthetics.  And then there's the paper.  Hold on, the paper needs it's own paragraph...

Minted prints their cards on some impressive paper.  Paper so thick it makes you take an extra breath the first time you hold it.  Paper (and designs) sure to get your family and friends calling and sending emails to say your card is their favorite.  Paper worth reigniting a holiday card tradition for.  The only paper that is going to do your adorable family photo justice this holiday season.

This morning, I ordered our cards for this year and saved some money thanks to their current Early Bird special.  Use coupon code EARLYBIRD2012 to save 15% off your order for a limited time.

Visit minted.com to view their expansive holiday card collection.  And I wish you luck in narrowing them down to your favorite. You're going to need it.

The Tale of Three Trees

Once upon a mountaintop, three trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. Each of their dreams come true in the most unexpected of ways...

My children and I read over a hundred books a week, but The Tale of Three Trees is our favorite! This simple tale of three trees is beautiful and truth be told I cried the first time I read it.

Each of these brave trees thought they needed to abandon their dreams as they were made into a lowly feed trough, a simple fishing boat covered in dead, smelly fish, and scrap lumber (who felt cruel as a man's hands were nailed to her and carried her through a jeering crowd).

In the end they realize God's love had changed everything, made each of them more beautiful than they could have imagined in their wildest dreams...the ones they thought they had given up on.

Available at amazon.com for $8.51 and eligible for FREE shipping with a $25 purchase.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day! If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it was lovely and full of faith, family and joy!

The day is coming to an end and our home is a disaster full of wrapping and new toys for our amazingly fortunate children who are surrounded by loved ones bearing gifts. And full of dishes to be done from the food we shared together with said loved ones. And it is full of the hope only the message of Jesus's birth can bring...hope and forgivenes...and who couldn't use more of that?!

It was a spectacular day! I hope yours was too!

Snow Globe Ornaments

Each year the kids and I make ornaments for family members. Yesterday we created these snow globe ornaments with little penguins. I had originally pictured these with miniature trees and deer and perhaps a snowman inside, but my children have been obsessed with penguins since we read Mr. Popper's Penguins this fall. And when they saw these figures at the store I couldn't talk them out of making a penguin (or "gork gorks" as they've been calling them...you'll have to read the book to understand) project.

These look beautiful on the tree with the lights around them shimmering the glitter inside. And I must say the penguins are adorable. This project would be great to do in the new year as well when winter is still in full force...you could simply skip the hanging loop part and make a scene to sit on a shelf.

This project is fun, easy and inexpensive to make as most of what you need you probably have on hand...I only had to buy the penguins and the cups. Here's the project blueprint:

Materials

• Clear plastic cups (the short/wide ones are the best)
• Paper plates or other cardboard
• Cotton balls
• Winter figurines
• Ribbon or wire
• Beads
• Glitter
  
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors/scalloped-edge scissors
  
• Utility knife or other sharp object
  

Instructions

1. Cut out a circle from your cardboard base a bit larger than the diameter of your cup.
   
2. Take your cotton balls and break them up a bit to give them a light snowy texture. Place them on your base and cover with a cup to be sure you have the right amount. Then hot glue the cotton to the base.
3. Place your figurines where you want them and then take your scissors and cut out the cotton in that place. Put some hot glue directly on the base and place your figurine. It's important to secure the figures directly to the base and not onto the cotton or they won't be stable. Do this for each figure until your scene is complete.
4. Sprinkle glitter over your scene...we used white to give a subtle shimmer. When it's finished wipe the glitter from the rim of the base (where your cup will be placed).
5. Take your utility knife and make a hole in the bottom center of the cup.
6. Cut about a foot of ribbon and fold it in half. String a bead so that both ends of the ribbon go in at the same time. Then put both ends of the ribbon into the hole of the cup (starting at the top of the snow globe)...and then string another bead on (so that the cup is in the middle).
   
7. Figure out how long you want your hanging loop to be and then tie a knot in place and cut the excess ribbon. Pull it tight and put a dab of hot glue under the top bead to keep the ribbon in place.
   
8. Lastly, put a circle of hot blue around the edge of your base and quickly put your cup in place. Push to secure it and then admire your work!

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas! The day is a hit so far with my usually stoic son August declaring it, "The best day of my life," as he opened a gift my husband made for him...a wooden Twilight from Star Wars Clone Wars (shown here...and more photos in my husband's Flickr if you want to attempt the project yourself. Sorry, no instructions...he did it off the top of his talented head).

My dear Mr. Mugga logged many hours working in the basement in secret trying to make it just right...including a rotating blaster gun (I think that's what he called it), a removable top to put the figures in, and a folding wing just like the real ship in the movie and Clone Wars series.

For my daughter Martha I scoured eBay for the last few months trying to find her mint, still in the original packaging, Ginny dolls from 1978...the same exact ones I had when I was a little girl. I ended up collecting five different ones and she's as happy as can be.

As usual, it's the most thoughtful gifts that are appreciated the most! And to prove my point, I'll write tomorrow about what Mr. Mugga gave to me. Until then...

Merry Christmas to you and your families!

Advent Tradition

My family started a new tradition this year for Advent. I thought I'd share it here for those of you who celebrate Christmas. Even if you don't, you may find a way to add this thoughtful activity to your celebration this month.

Each day I ask my children, husband and self what we've done for others. I then write the selfless acts onto tiny slips of paper and put them in Jesus's bed in our nativity*. On Christmas morning, when He is added, His bed will be covered in nice soft "hay" to sleep on.

It's a wonderful thing hearing my children reflect on their good will each evening...and for my husband and I as well. It keeps us mindful of what Christmas is all about...the great gift of Jesus.

* - That's our Fontanini nativity shown above. Each year my children gift me with a piece to it. Note that a fisherman, deer family, and various villagers carrying food my children enjoy have apparently become more important than adding a third camel. Two kings must have camel-pooled to Bethlehem!

Baby's First Christmas Ornament

I love this 100% wool felt Baby's First Christmas ornament from The Land of Nod. The old world charm provided by the felt and embroidery mixes perfectly with today's color pallet...and the cuteness never goes out of style.

If you're in the market for a Baby's First Christmas ornament, this one is available at landofnod.com for only $7.95...and it currently ships FREE!