Present {Name} Gift Tags

I love using monogrammed letters.

 I thought it would be fun to do this for the kids' presents. 

Then I thought it would look cute to add this to the gifts we gave the neighbors, our friends and family.

 I just printed it up in a square in Microsoft Publisher.

 Just repeat the name. Cut and Paste. 

Used a letter template to cut out the letter. Use a hole punch for the hole.

They are ready to be attached to the presents!

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Christmas {2012} Neighbor Gifts

This year for our neighbors and friends.

"Milk & Cookies"(aka Hot Cocoa & Candy Cane Pecan Cookies)

I put the Hot Chocolate in these cups and the cookies in these bags(last year bargain).
 I also added the recipe-so important, this is a must!

We added these tags to let them know who its from. Go here for a printable. So cute!

Hot Chocolate recipe(go here)

Candy Cane Pecan Cookies

Beat together:

1 cup butter (softened)

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

then add:

2 eggs

then add:

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups all purpose flour

Scoop out with an ice cream scooper. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes.

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Christmas {2012} Gifts for Teachers

Again this year, teachers were given love with homemade gifts.

They will get Homeopathic Packs (one with rice(leftover fabric), the other with flaxseed(sock was walmart clearance)-which stay warmer longer), a couple of magnets and some hot chocolate with cookies.

I carved this magnet from MDF molding(its a softer wood)

I use my Dremel tool. . .

with this tip.

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Grandma's {Gift}

This year for Christmas, this is what we gave my mom as a Gift.

Whenever our kids leave her house they always ask for candy(or a pickle), so she can always have some on hand, I made this for her.


I spray painted the lid and the base(a candlestick holder- $0.50 @ second hand store). then used E6000 glue to glue the base onto the bottom of the glass container. Pin It

{2011} Family Gifts

With the amount of family members we have on each side, we decided to do Family Gifts. Its just too much to get each person a gift.

This year I stitched a letter on a kitchen towel. Then I wrapped 2 of my homemade jams & a gift certificate inside.

I love this yummy "Candy"! Pin It

{Santa} Gift Can

I was going to recycle this can and decided it could be a cute container for a Christmas Gift.

I spray painted it red, added: buttons, leather fabric, a buckle from old belt & some treats to go inside. Pin It

Recycled Boxes for GIFTS

I love recycling anything I can.
My friend shared this tip with me: Recycle cereal boxes(and other ones) to wrap gifts in.

I know this may be so Simple but I guess it just never came to mind.
Now I don't have to go to Walmart/Dollar Store to buy boxes. Pin It

Christmas {2011} Gifts for Teachers

This year for the Teacher Christmas Gift, each teacher will receive something I made[jam + kleenex boxes] & something the kids made[decorated letter].

TAIDAN'S

AULINA'S

AURI'S

AUDRA'S

[we did a little something different for her teachers since she has 7]

Here's what I did:
Got a frame from the second hand store ($0.75)and covered it with fabric.
Bought some Walmart brand crayons and hot glued them to the fabric.
Used my heat gun to melt the crayons. Stand picture up and use heat gun in a downward position.

Then added ribbon for hanging and their name in vinyl to personalize it.

Things I think I learned to do different the next time:

1-Use "CRAYOLA" crayons

2-Use real canvas fabric or save up to buy the actual canvas

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GIFTS You've Given Me

I made this for my Mom to not only let her know what she has instilled in me, but to thank her for giving me these wonderful gifts.
I took a board book from the second hand store and altered it with paper{just cut the paper to fit each page and double stick tape it down}.


Gift 1:the Gospel


Gift 2: Comfort


Gift 3: Great memories


Gift 4: Value of Work


Gift 5: Traditions


Gift 6: to Create


Gift 7: Organization

What gifts do others give to you that enrich your life? It might be nice to let them know! Pin It

Christmas {2010} Gift for Teachers

This year I needed to do something simple for the kid's teachers as a Christmas Gift.


I took the large candy bars & wrapped them with paper. Then added a sparkly foam letter then tied it off with fabric.

This is our years edition of Homemade Fudge!

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Christmas Gift Idea for Child-Rearing Parents

There have been many readers of ours, friends, and family of mine (locally and outa-town) that wish so badly to attend the "Positive Parenting" class here in the Boise, ID area. This class is a 10-week (per semester) Adult Education class, offered by the LDS Church Educational System (CES) through BYUi. It is taught by Sister Carleen Tanner, who has raised 10 awesome children. She has spoken at Education Week for years and has been teaching this parenting class for about 20 years now. I love the class so much that I can't stop going! (I've taken the classes all the way through about 4 times in the last 9 years.) It keeps my "bucket" full, and gives me new ideas and inspiration each time. (I know Heather goes every few years as well.)

*NOTE: Each "semester" (starting in Sept. and Jan.) is a 2-hour class/once a week, for 10 weeks. So there are roughly 20 different topics that Sis. Tanner covers per year.

If you are one of those moms that really wishes you could take this class, or know someone else that does, then you are in luck!! Sister Tanner has about 10 different CD's that you can purchase from her directly. They are $10 each, and so worth it! I have 5 of her CD's, and I love to listen to them while cleaning or driving. She does not market her CD's or sell them in stores. But because of the demand for recordings of her classes, she is willing to sell and ship them to those interested.


If you would like to find out more about Carleen Tanner's CD's you can email her directly at CarleenTanner AT gmail DOT com.
These would make great gifts!!

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Service GIFT

Since life is crazy right now I want this season to be one that we get back to the main reasons of Christmas.

We are going to add a twist to the tradition we do with picking family names for a gift. Instead of doing a "gift=present"(we ususally set a $ limit of what we would spend for each other), we are going to do a gift but in the form of SERVICE. All month long.

After we pick our names, we will all write down any thoughts {about the person, ideas on how to serve this person, about this Christmas season & what we each hope to learn}. During the month, I'm going to encourage the family to write down experiences {moments, feelings} Then at the end of the month they could put them in photo book holder (walmart for $1.00).

I really believe you love those you serve. I hope this is your season also.

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Christmas Cheer

I keep forgetting to post about another elf website I found out about recently. It's called Elf on the Shelf! Go check it out- it looks really cute.

This year has been really crazy and a bit more stressful for me than usual, so I'm barely managing to get teacher gifts sent to school with my kids. I didn't send cards this year, nor goodie plates or friend gifts either. It's just not in the cards for me this year!

But I do have plenty of quick gift-giving ideas to share with you anyway! Some cute ones I have found on some other blogs are:
Neighbor Treats, Reindeer Noses, Slippers- (a funny gag) and a Snowman Kit at It's All in My Head.
Peppermint Patties and Scrabble frames over at Bizzy Bee.
Neighbor gifts at Life Frosing.
Last minute teacher gifts from Skip to My Lou.

Here are a few of the ones I have done in years passed. (I don't know how to put them on here in .pdf form, so if you want a copy of any of these you will have to copy/paste the .jpg image onto your computer and manipulate it to fit the page for printing. I lost all of these on my hard drive when my computer crashed a couple years ago, so these are just scanned copies. Sorry. :(





I also just made this cute treat for my son to take to his Secret Santa exchange tomorrow. In case you can't read it very well, here is the quote for the Whoppers candy. "Christmas is coming and so are the deer. Listen closely and bells you will hear. Along with them come special treats. Reindeer droppings for you to eat!"

Finally, every Christmas I say the same thing- "I'm never doing homemade gifts again!" They are SO time consuming. But they are also very special. So what do I do every year still? I end up making some homemade gifts. This year I made my sis-in-law a bunch of bows, headbands, and flower clips for her new baby girl. I am aslo making tu-tu's for my two girls and my two nieces. I found the tu-tu tute on Viola, my new fave blog! Pin It