Last Minute Christmas Goods!

So I have been meaning to post on these earlier this month, and just haven't come around to it, I guess getting all our presents ready, made, and lined up were just more important on my to do lists. But either way I thought I would share some more fun Christmas/ Wintery like crafts I've been up to. Hope you enjoy!

 Remember how I made pumpkin baby food jars for salt/pepper shakers for the fall? Well I thought it would be fun to do for winter too and made snowmen!

 If you ever get the baby food meats they come in really short and stubby jars, which worked great for these. I put the salt and pepper in the "heads", then put a magnet on the bottoms so they can magnatize to the metle lids of the bottom and so they can be more stable on the bottom jars.

 I just put rocks in the bottom jars so they wouldn't be top heavy. Then I just painted them however I wanted!

Yeah for happy snowmen!

This little fun-ness I actually made last year for my nursery kiddos at church, but because I jumped into labor for my little girl I never got around to posting on it. But thought I'd still share the goodness. Here's how to make "Christmas in a Nut-Shell!"

These are an easy gift for people, if you want to do it bulk, like I did here. First get the peanuts, and peices of clothe. I sorted the peanuts from largest to smallest aswell.

 Then using some "hey" from a crafty decroative broom I had laying around, I cut enough hey for each manger.

 Then I also broke enough popcicle sticks for the mangers, and hot glued the hey. I also painted the top part of the sticks brown.

 Then I glued the clothe onto the peanuts. I had the largest be Joseph, middle be Mary, and the smallest (usually the one with only one nut works best!) be little Jesus!

 Then I added a little touch of faces with a marker, but you wouldn't have to. I also attached a little note to it along with string so it can be an orniment.

Here is the quote up close, in cause you'd like to read it!

 Then, remember how I made halloween candle jars? Well, again, thought it would be fun to make winter ones. So I painted snowmen heads. And it is a little hard to tell with this pic, but the snowman on the right is actually a girl. She has a bow on her hat instead of a bow tie. Then to add a little extra ease and fun, instead of putting candles in I just had our Christmas lights go up, in and around them, along with being around our window frame. Now I don't have to remember to blow the candles out! :)

 We really want Christmas to have a better focus on CHRIST in our family. So we did a little research and made this Christmas Symbolism chart. Since we only have one kid and she's still little, we hope to use this as a guide as our family grows and we can talk and share about the real meanings of Christmas. We are also in the process of making our decorations more traditional and old fashioned so they will follow the symbolism better. I am really excited for this tradition in our family! If you want a more printable, or viewable version of this for your family, I saved a copy to google docs HERE. (oh and all we did was print on a pretty Christmas scrapbook paper and modge podged to a wood plaque, super easy!)

A fun Christmas tree with our hand cut outs! We really wanted to try it with paint...but maybe when Addie is older, she isn't a huge fan of the paint, slimy stuff, or at least a fan of making nice flat hand prints, it would have been very smeary and crazy!

Well folks, I think that's all the updating of my little Christmas crafty-ness going on! That fun block nativity I said I was gonna make has been a kind of on hold project, so...if I even finish it before Christmas, I probably won't post on it till next week, or even save it for Dec next year. Oh well...and maybe if you are lucky next week I'll share the lovely presents I made for my family too! I am so excited for them!

I hope that you have a wonderful Merry Christmas!
"Christ" + "mas" (means "more" in spanish), More Chirst! Christmas time is sharing MORE of Christ time! I hope you all have a Merry Christmas time this year, filled with the love of our Savior and all those around us! We really are so blessed, we just need to open our eyes!

Sun Up Saturday, Happy Christmas thoughts!

It is that lovely time of the month again (not the girly kind :), and I am just so thrilled to share today. If you haven't noticed from my other posts this month I just love this time of year, the music, the hot cocoa, the decorations, the presents (giving and receiving!), and most importantly, another extra special way to remember our Savior. I know we should try to focus our lives around Him all year long, but in the busy hussel bussel of life and daily things, it can be easy to forget the important simple things, at least that's how it is for me. I love the simple gentle reminder this time of year gives me, of what a great blessing we all have, to have Christ in our lives, to remember His goodness.

I know December isn't really when he was born, and the fact that we celebrate Christ's birth this time of year may seem a little off in some ways, but I love that is right before the new year. By the time Thanksgiving comes around, sometimes I feel like the year has drudged on, with so many busy things going on, it all adds up, becomes exhausting, and then Christmas comes. It brings peaceful joys and happy spirits. It brings the love of Christ back into my life, in a powerful, rekindled light, ready to take on a new year and hopefully try to keep his light bright again.

I don't know what you are like, or what your life is like. But for me it is SO extremely easy to forget what is most important. It is so easy to forget my many blessing. To forget my value and worth as a human being, as a child of God. What a powerful blessing, to be a child of God, offspring of the Divine Creator. We may hear the phrase a lot, but do we really hear it? Do we really FEEL it? I know I have a hard time letting it sink in. Many times I joke with my husband that I think I have some loose wires, or disconnection between my heart and my head, because I "Know" lots of things in my head, but it is very hard for me to make a connection down to my heart and really "feel" to really Know in my heart. The confusion, heartache, loneliness, frustration, insecurity, it can all build up so fast. Why? Because I being selfish, I worry too much about myself I am forgetting what is most important. After a year of building up in these different sort of ways I love the grand entrance Christmas time brings, reminding me how wonderful it is to think more about Christ, to find more ways to serve and be like him, and try to be closer to me family.

Christmas time has such a reviving affect on me, an almost born again sort of feeling, in wanting to start fresh, and be re-committed to living a more Christ-like life. It opens my eyes to see if there is more ways I can help others instead of allowing myself to stay enclosed within this little stay-at-home, mommy bubble I have.

I love these new little clips they have put out:

What a great time to reflect on the amazing events that occurred those many years ago. Heavenly Father's hand is in our lives and it is such a wonderful blessing. Even though it can be hard to remember at times, I do know that He is real, and He is our Father. He gave us the best gift any of us could ever dream of, His Son, to come lead by example of the most beautiful life, and then take upon Him our sins, weaknesses, trials, so that we can become whole again. Then ultimately dying and Resurrected so that we can too some day. Death is not the end because of our precious Brother. This wonderful gift is all the more tender and beautiful to think about for me. This time of year was the last cherished moments I got to have with my Mommy. Come this January it will be 7 years since she moved on from this earth life experience. Because of this beautiful gift, of our Savior and His ressurection, knowing that someday I can be with her again, see her, hug her, and chat up a storm, makes this time of year all the more joyous. Even more I love and adore my own little family now, I can't imagine life without them, and because of what our Savior has done, none of us have to ever be permanently without the ones we love.

I don't know about you, but I just love this time of year and how it makes me feel, how it makes me reflect, how it makes me be. I love my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I am forever grateful for Him, that He was born, to valiant parents. That He lived. That He led the way. That He made all the best things in life possible. There really isn't a better gift, than Him. Let's share Him, by being like Him. I definitely could use some room for improvement. What a great way to give a gift in return to Him for this wonderful Christmas, than by sharing His endless love and by being our best selves.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season this year. I hope it blesses and touches your heart, with all those nice warm fuzzies, and desires to be better. Thanks again for being the wonderful faithful readers that you are, I appreciate all the support, you are wonderful, yes YOU!

Merry Christmas friends!

Christmas is in the Air!

That's right, the Christmas Spirit is in the air, can you feel it? I just love this time of year, it just makes me feel so giddy and good feely inside. Now the trick is to make these feelings last all year long!

I don't know what its like at your place, but one of the first things on my agenda after Thanksgiving was to start on the decorations for Christmas and really create a peaceful enviroment for this wonderful fun time of year!

As a side note: I am also trying to "Up" my blog a little bit with better pictures and such, so any input on how you think it looks would be great.

Now, on to the decorations. . . .

 I saw this cleaver idea from the Dating Diva's, and had to try it out. So far it's been a hit at our house and my hubby is loving it. I am thinking this is gonna be a fun tradition we'll keep up for years to come, especially when our little girl will be old enough to help participate.

In case you don't feel like checking out the original idea from the Dating Diva's on their Spouse Countdown, this is the gist of the idea. You make 25 cards or envelopes, or however works best for you. Then put a note for each day.

 I had this fun shinny gift bag that I thought would be fun to write on. so I cut 25 of them. . .

 Then put my own little "heart" into it, by putting my finger print twice to make a heart shape. Then for each day I put either of the three: 1. a nice memory we had together, 2. something that I love and adore about him, or 3. an activity that I think would be fun to do together. The activity part took a little extra planning and thinking ahead than the others, because my husband is busy working a lot, I needed to make sure the activities were on days he wouldn't be too overwhelmed by it all or that we'd even have time for it that day. Overall it has been going great!

 Remember when I made that fun fall blanket on the couch? Well on the back I made it with fun Christmas like squares.
Then we mustin forget the stockings! The two on the ends our my husband's and mine, that my sister made for us for our first Christmas married, and the one in the middle is my little girl's that I made last year. I love these stockings because they are very similar in style to what we had growing up, that my Grandma made for everyone. Since a house fire that occurred several years ago in my youth, having these stockings are all the more treasure-able because they bring back so many memories!

 Yeah for the tree! Maybe this year for the day after Christmas sales we'll upgrade to a little bit taller tree, we'll see. . . .

 Little villages are a must at this house. Another precious memory treasure that I love having around!

 Then thanks to Pinetrest, I found this cleaver idea from the Vintage Junky. The best part about these lovely flakes is they are in the corner near our heater vent, so each time it kicks on, it makes the snowflakes sway and spin, just slightly enough it is fun to watch, especially for my little girl.

 Thanks again to Pintrest (they'll be getting a lot of thanking from me from now on). I found the cleaver idea of the white sticks from Indie Fixx. I just collected a bunch of twigs, painted them white, and put them in old cream soda bottles I held onto. I put them on our dinner table and also on our kitchen table, which you can see a few pictures down.

 Again, Pintrest idea. From Make and Takes.  You just get a picture frame, put a fun scrapbook paper in the back, and you can write on the glass with dry erasable markers. I first had it as this fun to do list, but then I changed it to. . .

 This fun Christmas tree that has the lovely scripture in it. (also a Pintrest idea, from Two and Under). I love that this is erasable, so each season I can put different quotes or scriptures, or whatever I want. And I can also always change the background too! I love it when things are easily changed around!

 Then my bulletin board in my kitchen, remember how I had for the Fall? Well, I thought it would be fun to have a switch-or-roo again and make it Christmas-y (I know, it's not a word, but you get the idea, right?)

 Then, remember where I had my scarecrows set up for the fall? Well I also changed it around with putting this little tree that I 've had since my single days, and also added some leftover fun village pieces, to add a little Christmas touch to my kitchen!

 Remember the Fall Wreath I made for this door? Well in my laziness in not wanting to make another one, I just dressed it up a little and added some more red, green, gold and poinsettia flowers. Then added our fun bells to the door nob.

 Then we put our regular wreath on our back door, to greet all those who may enter there!

 Here's the lovely white sticks on our kitchen table, I like the subtle winter fun feel they give to a room. Seeing them gives me a fun smile inside.

 Then, remember for fall how I had leaves hanging? Using the same strings we tied these beautiful snowflake ornaments that I got a few years back. It gives a fun sparkle to the room!

 Then remember my lovely window seat bench? Remember how I had fun dressing it up a little for fall with fall pillows and leaves on the end of the brown pillows? Well I had to keep up and do it for Christmas too!

 Then, again much thanks to Pintrest, I saw this idea from Saving Money, Living Life. Plus if you have little ones, it is a great way to still have ornaments up but away from little fingers. I am fan!

 And we mustin forget the mistletoe! Always adds to a fun extra spirit, for this great time of year! :)

Then to finish it all off for today's post, our lovely nativity. I found this lovely set at the local thrift store for only $2. It's so simple yet it tells it all. The wonderful story of our amazing Savior's birth. I also added a fun manger sort of background in the same picture frame that I put the Fall picture background. I love being able to change things around. Since this nativity set is a little more on the fragile side (it's already had one casualty, that was thankfully an easy fix), I saw this fun wood block nativity that I am working on (will post on it soon!), so I can feel more comfortable with my little girl playing with it, especially since it's such a wonderful blessed event, I want her to be able to become familiar with it in as many ways possible. Awe.. . .again, I just love this time of year!

Well, that's it for today. Remember the fun pumpkin salt shakers I made for fall time? Well I made some fun snowman ones for winter, so sharing that and any other fun projects I got going is up for next orders! :) But before all that, I will be back tomorrow for another lovely "Sun-Up Saturday" where I get to share my random, hopefully en-lighting, thoughts on life.

Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, this wonderful time of year!

Christmas Stocking

Yes that's right, it is now December, which means its that much closer to being Christmas. To start off in sharing my domestic ventures, I thought it would be appropriate to have my first venture be Christmas related, in honor of this new lovely first day of December. This also happens to be a very recent ventures, so all the more fun to share.

I don't know if you caught the drift from any of my other writings or things on this blog, or you just knew already, but we are expecting, that's right, I have a little bun in the oven, and it actually could come out any day now. (So beware, a lot of the ventures I will share will be baby related- so hopefully you won't become "baby bored" with my ventures, but I promise they wont ALL be about baby stuff, anyway....)

So to welcome our new little one, especially in this lovely month of December, of this Christmas month, I made a stocking for the little one (hoping she'll come before Christmas!)

For most of my venture posts, I will probably have a more detailed pic description of how I made it, in case you'd like to try making it yourself too, but I didn't think that far ahead on this one, so you only get the end result picture (plus stockings are pretty easy to make and not that hard to figure out, if you'd like more details on making one, just let me know!).

 I got a 1/3rd of a yard of the red, and an 1/8th of a yard of the green, and it was plenty for making it, plus I lined it with a nice white material I already had. Now our little one will have a stocking of their own, whether or not they come before this Christmas, or after, they got one for now on!

All hung up and ready next to our stockings!

Anyway, till next time, have a Merry first day of December!