We've Been Busy!

Wow, I haven't posted since Thursday. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Ours was spent laughing with family, eating some yummy food and relaxing.


(Hannah, Abby, Andrew and Matthew)

Thursday evening, I spent the night at my Mom's since we were going to get to JCPenney's at 4 a.m. when they opened on Black Friday. I think I got 2 1/2 hours of sleep. My 30th birthday is in a few weeks, so my Mom and Dad gave me birthday money early and I bought the white dishes I've been wanting. The set is 72 pieces with 12- 6 piece place settings! That was the heaviest box I've ever carried.

We then met my sister Heather at Target and waited in line until they opened at 5 a.m. Dave wanted me to pick up a hard drive for him and Mom and Heather bought some toys. The line to check out was so long. It went down the main isle, past electronics, wrapped around health and beauty and stopped in front of the frozen foods! Luckily, it only took 1/2 hour to check out.

Home Depot was our next stop, where I wanted to get the 99 cent white light sets. I got 20 to change out my tree, garlands and wreaths from colored to white.

I then headed home and got in a bit of a nap before we headed to my SIL's for dinner.

Saturday and Sunday were spent decorating the house with Christmas stuff. Seriously, I'm glad I like the white lights, because after changing them all out they're staying that way for awhile!

Oh and I got a haircut! I live near TidyMom and found out that her oldest daughter is a hair stylist! I've been wanting to try something new, so I made an appointment with her. She was so nice and did a great job! It's great to have a new style after having the last one for 5 years. What do you think?

I'll post some more pictures of the Christmas decorations soon. I also made a really cool wreath that I can't wait to show you all for the Monthly Craft Challenge at Blue Eyed Blessings this week.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great weekend!



Is anyone going Black Friday shopping tomorrow? I usually go to several stores, but I'm only heading to JcPenney's for some new dinnerware and to Home Depot for Christmas lights.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy 1st Birthday to my nephew Andrew!

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, head to:

Go Graham Go
5 Minutes For Mom
J. Leigh Designz
Look What Mom Found...And Dad Too

Coming Soon: 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends

I can't believe it's almost December! Where does the time go? Before we know it, the holidays will be over and January will be here.

I don't know about you, but January and February are such slow and sometimes boring months. If you are in the St. Louis area and are looking for something fun for your family to do, check out:

1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends
Scottrade Center
January 6 through 10


TM/(c) 2009 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of VEE Corporation

Imagine singing and dancing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all your favorite Sesame Street Live friends! It’s as easy as counting “1-2-3 Imagine!” This high-energy musical will transport audiences to far away places as Ernie captains the high seas, Elmo dances to the rhythm of the African rainforest and Bert meets an octopus who has the blues. It’s a story of adventure and fun that teaches children they can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with the power of imagination.

To receive $3 off each ticket, enter the code ERNIE here.

Disclaimer: I was contacted to get the word out about this event, but I did not receive any compensation for this post.

I ♥ Faces Week 46: Sun Flare

This is my nephew Matthew at the park in September.

For more Sun Flare pics, head to www.iheartfaces.com.

Homeschooling: Week 14

These homeschooling weekly posts are really long. I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't really read long posts, I just look at the pictures! LOL!

So, I've decided to just post some pictures and quick descriptions of some of the activities we did during the week.


Abby and Matthew played Sight Words Bingo. Matthew can read very well, so he got bored with it before it even started.


Abby working on another Real Life Learning activity. This time we used the Target Toy catalog with coupons. She answered several questions about the ad and then she matched up the cut out coupons to the items in the catalog.

Our favorite project this week was the Thanksgiving tree we did for stART.

In other news, we have gotten all of the insurance checks for the lightning damage. Monday morning, we are getting the new AC/Furnace put in. They will start at 7 a.m. and be here all day. That's going to be the longest day ever, being stuck inside!

This weekend is baby Andrew's 1st birthday party! I can't believe he'll be one on Wednesday!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Mama's Holiday Wish List Meme

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
To save money our family is mostly just doing the kids this year. My husband and I won't exchange gifts either, because of paying for 2 $1,000 deductibles for damages to our house from a roof leak and then lightning damage.
However, next time I have some money I am would love to get:

• Plain white china. Nothing expensive, just simple and good for every day use.
• New bathroom towels
• A cabinet for our homeschooling items
• A new coat
• The carpets cleaned
  

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
Anything my Memaw made, from dolls to painted crafts.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
I love all of the Advent calendars I see in blogland. I'd love to make some for the kids in the family.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
The first thing that comes to mind is the year we got real looking baby dolls. They looked like real newborn babies. We even got real baby clothes for our dolls.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
Abby wants "everything in the girl aisles at Target". Her biggest thing right now is princesses.

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Spaetzels

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
I made several hand crafted decorations last year, but this year I'd like to try to make an ornament wreath and ornament garland.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

9. Favorite holiday song?
Silent Night

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Eating Christmas cookies

stART: Thank You Thanksgiving

This week for our stART project, we read Thank You Thanksgiving, Berry Thankful and Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks.

Abby has loved the Thank You Thanksgiving book by David Milgrim for the past few years. It's very simple, but the illustrations are cute. A little girl goes to the store to buy items for pumpkin pie. Along the way, she tells what she is thankful for, "Thank you snow people, thank you park" etc. My only problem with this book is why did this girls' mother send her child out by herself to the store! Yikes!

Berry Thankful is a Strawberry Shortcake book. Each of Strawberry's friends sit around the Thanksgiving table and share what they are thankful for.

Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland is another simple book about thanks.

After reading these books, Abby made a Thanksgiving Tree. We made one of these last year, so I just used the branches we already had. The leaves were foam cut-outs that I found at Jo-Ann's a few weeks ago on clearance.



On each leaf, Abby wrote something she was thankful for. Her first leaf was Matthew, her cousin. I thought that was so cute.



The jar is just a cleaned out PB jar with rocks in it to hold the branches in. Last year, I cut out leaves from construction paper in lots of colors.

For more fun stART activities, head to A Mommy's Adventures.

Wordless Wednesday

One down two to go! By late Summer, we will be debt free except for the house.

(Oh and the card wasn't completely maxed out)

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out:

Go Graham Go
5 Minutes For Mom
Look What Mom found....And Dad Too!
J. Leigh Designz

My Last Fall Craft: Ribbon Pumpkins

Updated 10/15/2010:
Added to Someday Crafts Categorically Crafting Pumpkins link up:

This past weekend I worked on my last Fall craft. Hey Thanksgiving is still 9 days away, so I had to fit something else in!

I found the coolest idea for white ribbon pumpkins at:

 I knew right away I had to try to make a few of these. Last week Michael's had their fake pumpkins on clearance and I scored 2 for only 45 cents each and a slightly bigger one for $1.39. I went searching for ribbon and found the perfect ribbon pack in the clearance section for $2.99.

I forgot to take a before picture, but here are the pumpkins after I spray painted them white and starting working on them.



And the final product:



These were so easy to make! I love how they turned out. I am hoping to get a cheap tablecloth to hide my really beat up table top. I also want to put the pumpkins on a piece of burlap as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving.

Check out the original idea and tutorial at Living Life Creatively.

 I am linking this up to the DIY Show Off Holiday Highlights link up party

A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day:


and to It's So Very Cheri.

I ♥ Faces Week 45: Autumn Beauty

Aren't Burning Bushes beautiful?! I wish they stayed red all year.

Fore more I ♥ Faces Fall pictures, head to www.iheartfaces.com.

Love The Pie Party: Smore's Pie

Tidy Mom is having a Love the Pie party link up! Click the button above to participate and check out more pie recipes and giveaways!

First off, I don't have a picture of this pie. I saw the recipe on Emeril Live in about 2004. I didn't have a digital camera at that time. However, who doesn't like S'mores?!

This recipe is for a delicious S'mores Pie!

Triple Chocolate S'mores Pie

Ingredients

* 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/3 cup melted butter
* 1 cup milk chocolate chips
* 1 cup white chocolate chips
* 1 cup dark chocolate chips
* 1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into sprayed pie pan, covering bottom and sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For filling: In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk chocolate chips, 1/2 cup condensed milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Microwave for 2 minutes on medium (50 percent) power. Alternately, combine all ingredients and melt in a double boiler. Stir until all chips are melted and pour into bottom of cooled crust. Set in refrigerator while preparing second layer.

For second layer, repeat above process using the vanilla chips. Pour over milk chocolate layer. Set in refrigerator while preparing third layer. For third layer repeat above process using the dark chocolate chips. Pour over white chocolate layer.

Preheat the broiler. Evenly cover top with miniature marshmallows. Place under broiler for a few minutes just until marshmallows are lightly browned. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Seriously, this pie is outstanding! The only reason I haven't made it more often is because it's very rich. You would want to make sure you have lots of people to help you eat it or you'll end up dumping it or (if you are like me) eating it all and gaining 20 pounds! LOL!

Don't forget to head to Tidy Mom to check out the Love The Pie Party!

Homeschooling: Week 13

I think I say this every week, but didn't this week go by fast?!

Monday
We did something new this week. Our Church has a sign up for people to come clean and organize the kids rooms on Mondays after the weekend services. Since I could bring Abby, I thought we'd give it a try. Abby enjoyed spraying down everything with Clorox Anywhere spray. Those rooms are going to be super clean for this weekend! LOL! We were there about 2 hours and will go once a month.

After that, we were starving! We had lunch at Taco Bell and then made a run to Target.

In the evening, Abby did a few pages for the 100 Words To Know By First Grade book and played with the Tangrams. She's getting really good at these.

She also did another Real Life Learning activity with an Aldi's ad that I got in the mail. She loves doing these worksheets.

Tuesday
We did our stART project for the week and it was so cute!

Abby then helped me make Oatmeal Raisin cookies. These are Dave's favorite!
In the evening, she did a math worksheet with Math-U-See blocks.

Wednesday
Veteran's Day is a bank holiday, so Dave was off work. We ran a few errands and ended up at the mall. For those interested, Bath & Body Works has the soaps on sale for 4/$10. Print this coupon (expires 11/15) to get $1o off your purchase of $30 or more. We got 12 soaps for $20 + tax.

When you check out, they put another coupon in your bag!

Dave took Abby to the park in the late afternoon and then she worked on a money worksheet and some handwriting practice.

Thursday
Abby had gymnastics and then she had a haircut appointment. She loves going, because they let her pick out the shampoo scent she wants.
We didn't do any sit down work, but we spent a LONG time on this:

We built a Tinker Toy house with rooms for all of her Disney Princesses. And yes, it's still in the middle of my living room floor!

Friday
Another busy day! Abby and I picked up my younger sister Holly and headed to another mall to take advantage of the B&BW soap deal. My Mom needed to stock up too! I decided to use my other coupon to purchase 2 of these sets:The coupon made them only $10 each. These will be for gifts. I also bought Abby a really cute coat at Old Navy with the Friends & Family 30% off coupon. It was marked down to $30 and with the coupon, it was only $21 + tax. Abby picked blue, because the inside was turquoise, her new favorite color!

Before dinner she did another page from the 100 Words book and a few beginning sounds worksheets.

This weekend we don't have much planned. I know we'll be going to Sam's and Target. The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow and 64 degrees! I should probably work on weeding the landscaping a bit.

Have a great weekend!

Head to My Family My Forever for more Learning Through Love posts.

Monthly Craft Challenge: Picture Project

A few months ago at Xazmin's Mod Podge Mania, I found Pink and Green Mama's Family Puzzle.

I decided to make one for my Mom & Dad for Grandparent's Day this past September. I found the perfect Melissa & Doug puzzle at Homegoods in the toy area. It was only $9.99!



This puzzle was great, because I didn't have to Mod Podge anything! I just cut out the pictures and my gift was ready to go!

There are 3 pictures of each grandchild. The hardest part of this whole project was finding good pictures of the kids that were the right size for the holes.

My Mom and Dad loved this puzzle and my Dad thought that when I said I made it, that I actually cut out the wood and everything! LOL!

For more picture project ideas, head to the Monthly Craft Challenge at Blue Eyed Blessing.

stART: Ten Fat Turkeys

Check out A Mommy's Adventures for more stART projects and to participate.



This week we read Ten Fat Turkeys, by Tony Johnston and Richard F. Deas . Abby really liked this book. As the name implies, it's a counting book. 10 turkeys are sitting on a fence and one by one they fall off. Abby enjoyed the countdown of turkeys falling off the fence.



After reading this book, we got out the paints and made hand print turkeys. Abby made 10 hand print turkeys and I am going to write: "I am thankful for" on each one. Then I'll have Abby write each family member's name. She also glued on goggle eyes and drew the feet and snood.





Did you know that red hangy thingy on a turkey is called a snood? I didn't. I actually had to google that one. LOL! I just realized these turkeys don't have a beak. We'll have to take care of that tomorrow.

I am also linking this craft project up to The Snail's Trail Handmade Holidays.