Trying to catch up on what we’ve been doing!
We have had some fun weekends this month! The 2nd weekend, we were on the go. We went to the Annual Firemuster Parade on Saturday.
Sunday Maria started Sunday School again. And then we went to cousin Jana’s 9th birthday! I made the cake and I also made a fun little gift for my sister-in-law’s 40th birthday.
At the Parade
Fire Trucks are LOUD!
Jana and her Pony Cake
40 Sucks!
With all the Christmas shopping to be done, I love hearing what other people love… and here are some of mine that I’ve discovered over the past year. And remember I’m kind of a practical mom-type…
Contigo Travel Mugs! No spill, and they keep your coffee hot for a while! I make my coffee at home, throw my mug in my bag and enjoy hot coffee when I get to work! I found this set at Costco for $20
Arrested Development: Still working my way through Season 1, but I love it! Watching it on Netflix on demand! Netflix would make a great holiday gift!
Nordicware Microwave Popcorn Popper – Air popped popcorn with a little olive oil. YUM!!! Healthier and cheaper than other microwave popcorns. Plus you control what goes in it. And a great price!
Dyson DC25 : A pretty expensive gift, but maybe YOU deserve one. We love it! And can’t believe how dirty our floors really get!
My new favorite jeans: Eddie Bauer Modern Fit Straight Leg – I own 2 pairs (well 3, but one pair is a size too big now). It’s like a skinny jean for people my age! Not a super low waist and not super tight, but still skinny enough to tuck into a pair of boots. And a good price. Plus they come in long for you tall folks.
Libman Freedom Spray Mop – Finally a mop, that doesn’t use disposable pads and doesn’t require a bucket! I just use it with vinegar and water! Available at Target or Menards (probably other places too) for around $20.
For a little girl in your life: I love this etsy shop for Hair Clips: Everyday Clippies. Most clips are offered with a “baby” clip option which works for Maria’s fine hair.
Just some of my favorites… here’s to getting your shopping done! 🙂
Possibly the cutest little kid backpacks ever! I personally love the owl the best!
Today is my brother’s birthday. Usually I am the cake maker, but since we won’t see them until Christmas Day. I just decided to make him his favorite cookies to take home. My Grandma used to make Molasses Cookies and my brother loved them. So when I found this recipe, I had to see if they were as good as Grandma’s. I don’t know if they are, but they are excellent! A keeper, unless someone has Grandma’s recipe!
My Secret Blogger Santa sent me some great things over the past few weeks! I have to give a big shout out of THANKS! A super cute brag book for my pictures of Maria! And a super cute little change purse! LOVE THEM!!
THANK YOU SECRET BLOGGER SANTA, whoever you are!??
(Excuse the frazzled hair and shiny face in this picture, I took it after coming in from scraping the driveway…seriously, I’m not making that up!)
I made these tote bags for 2 of my nieces for Christmas. (Filled with books!) They are both lined and have a zippered top. I’ve been thinking for weeks about how exactly to do it, and yesterday I figured it all out, and then made them. They are probably bigger then a 4 and 5 year old girl would need, but they can grow into them!
 
For my niece’s 1st birthday, we’ve all been requested to bring items for a time capsule to be opened on her 21st birthday in lieu of gifts.
I decided to give her some pictures from her first year, including one from the day I met her in the hospital (the day we found out I was pregnant), one of her and Chad, a couple with her and her aunts (myself, Aunt Marilyn, and Aunt Alice) and then one of her trying to steal Maria’s Nuk a few weeks ago.
But how to present them… I decided I wanted to make a small photo album for them, so I started googling for ideas. I came across several links to making an accordion style book, and kind of cross mixed the ideas and ended up with this as the final results.
I think I will definitely make one of these again. It was relatively simple, and will make a nice gift, with or without pictures.
If you’re interested read on for some of the details about how I did it…
Blog, Jane! Blog! 