Advent Calendar

I've read for years about people making their own advent calendars and starting the 'countdown to Christmas' tradition with their kids. 

This year I decided to try my hand at making one and saw a cute  picture on Pinterest that made me think I could make one with stuff I already had in the house that would take me less than an hour. 

Yes, this was the kind of cold weather, Saturday morning I was having...half the motivation needed for a great advent calendar, so I decided to settle for making a good one.  Until next year of course, because that's when I'll have the energy.  At least that's what mom's always try to convince themselves of...having energy as our future super mother selves:)

 

 

Here is what I ended up needing:



paper cups
wax paper
rubber bands
sharpie marker
'treats' to put inside each cup
packing tape
cardboard for the backing

Get all 25 cups for the countdown and fill them with your selected 'treats'.  I have 2 kids, so of course I have to put 2 of the exact thing in each cup. 
Cut small squares of wax paper big enough to cover the tops of the paper cups(I used our bathroom paper cups my kids use when they brush their teeth).  Leave enough wax paper over the edge of the top of the cup to secure it taught with a rubber band.  (yes, glue is in the above picture, but I found glue to not work so well with this project in any manner)
Number the wax paper with a sharpie marker 1-25

Take the packaging tape and tape the bottom of the cups to the cardboard that you precut to the shape of a Christmas tree.  It's not gorgeous, but it's Done!

We have ours hanging up in our hallway outside the kids rooms so that they can 'punch' through the wax paper each night before going to bed. 
It's been alot of fun and I think I'll be making the 'great' version of this next year:)

Snowmen Milkjugs

So, it's wasn't even December and my kids were itching to get into the Christmas Spirit. 
I am loving this, because I am a Christmas gal...but even more, Christmas is totally my husband's holiday.  He loves decorating the second Thanksgiving is over.  For this, I AM THANKFULL.

Something I saw on Pinterest was a cute little idea for a lit up milk jug decorated like snowmen. 
I had 'pinned' this idea weeks ago so had already cleaned and dried out 2 milk jugs for my kiddos. 

I got out the glue, construction paper, and safety scissors and let them have at 'em.  My 3 year old little a little help with the cutting out of specific shapes, per her instruction:)

I put my OCD mommyness away and let my kids create their masterpieces anyway they wished.  They turned out super cute. (yes, I am biased)

Here is what you'll need:
glue
colored construction paper
one milk jug per child
one string of holiday lights per milk jug
scissors

-First get ahold of your empty milk jugs.  one per child.  clean and dry them. 
I just put a little dawn dish liquid in the empty milk jug, fill with a little hot water, put the top back on, and shake shake shake.  Then I empty the water down the drain and sit it upside down in my dish drying rack over night.  Done!

-Before starting the project, take some sharp scissors or a knife and cute a whole in the back of the milk jug big enough for the string of lights to be put through and into the jub.

-Lay out your supplies and let the kids cut and glue their shapes out of construction paper to reveal their 'faces' on the milk jugs. 

 

-Allow the glued faces to dry and then put your string of lights inside the milkjug.  Make sure to remember to leave the 'teeth' end of the plug out to be plugged in.  (you don't want to fish the string of lights into the jug and then go to plug it in and realize you put the 'teeth' end of the lights in first and now cannot plug the lights in.

 You can put these little guys anywhere you wish.  I've seen them as part of fronth porch and yard decorations for Christmas.  We decided to use then in the kid's rooms as additional festive night lights for the holidays. 

*My husband and I always unplug the lights before we go to bed in case of a fire.  The jugs do get warm but not necessarily hot.  We just unplug them as a preventative measure.

Happy Decorating!

Garlic and Sundried Tomato French Bread

 

I was cooking dinner and went to the freezer and was flabbergasted when I found NO TEXAS TOAST! If you know me and how much my kids love that stuff you would be just as appalled as I was. 

What' s a mom to do?

I had to figure out how to spruce up some .99 cent french bread I got on sale at the bakery.  Luckily, I had some sun dried tomatoes in the fridge left over from another recipe and I always have garlic (thanks to being married to an Italian man). 

I sliced the french bread and laid it flat on a cookie sheet.  then I took some butter and spread that on the tops of the bread, added some chopped up garlic and sun dried tomatoes and drizzled it all with extra virgin olive oil.  I broiled it to a golden brown and it was a hit.  

(sorry i have no 'after' pictures do to quick consumption of the end product):)