"After" Season Deals

I love great bargains!!! After the Holidays are my favorite but the school ones are just as good.

I was at our local OfficeMax tonight {looking for 2010 planner refills} and came across the "end caps" and saw 1 inch ring binders for $0.20 {they're slick but vinyl will work great for the subject name} and cute 2 pocket folders for $0.50 {which would be $1.97 and up at Walmart}. I stocked up for next years school supplies. What a DEAL!

I know all the stores put the marked down stuff at the back but I don't mind looking. I have bought after season stuff now for a couple of years and then use it the following year. Its a great system. Why pay full price if you don't need to. Although if I really "need" it then I will but buying after the holiday sure does cut down on the decision making.

Have fun bargain hunting!

Embracing the Moment

I love how pictures capture moments in time. Whether you take them yourself or with a professional they are still priceless!

My sister is a professional photographer and takes breath taking pictures.

One day she set up her studio stuff in my living room and the kids had a blast and felt like they were movie stars.
She took this picture of my kids' feet and she mentioned I should put the scripture found in 3John 1:4 {I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth}. It turned out amazing.

Embrace the Moment!

Linked up to TipJunkie.com

Laurie over at TipJunkie has been one of my fave bloggers for the last few years. I've been featured on her blog/site a few times. Since I got so busy and inconsistent with my posts for a while I haven't been on the computer much, therefore no blogging OR "blog-jogging" for me for the past few months. Since I'm "back" I noticed that Laurie is hosting a Christmas Show & Tell. So I linked up some of my Christmas posts from this year and last. It looks like she's gotten a great response. I'm going to bookmark her post for next year's holiday inspiration! Head on over if you would like to share your link too!

Christmas Comics

I always love a good laugh!

This year one of our friends sent our family some Christmas cartoon comics. They were so funny and our tummy's got a workout. It was great to bring in the cheer of the Holiday in a different way. I wanted to remember these great takes on Christmas so I decided to make a "Christmas Comics" book. I found a bunch for this year and hope to add to it year to year. I just put it in a picture book(measures 7 1/2x 4 1/2) and covered the front with fabric. I'll add the title with some vinyl.

You can google "funny Christmas cartoons or comics" and you'll find a bunch. (just as an FYI: you might have to skip over the inappropriate ones)

I know this is something our family can do together! LAUGH!

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Santa Bags

I love how Santa leaves gifts by the stockings but over the years it has become more of a struggle to find "Santa only paper" to wrap the Santa gifts. So to ease Santa's frustrations this year I have made "Santa Bags" for him. I am so excited to use them. And if for whatever reason the gift is to big Santa will place a picture of the item and make them go on a scavenger hunt.

I used some red fabric (20x20) with a 1/2 inch seam. Sew a band around towards the top. My band is layered so the bottom strip is a 3 1/2 inch wide and the top strip is 2 1/2 inch wide. Just leave an opening on the band where the seams meet and you can thread the ribbon thru with a safety pin. {Before I threaded the ribbon I washed the bags so they would have that "worn" look.} I just used a scrapbooking letter so I could tell who it belongs to; but you could put a picture of your child which would be fun to change every year.

Draw string it up and its ready for Santa!

Show and Tell

Okay, I just had to show off the cute Christmas aprons that I made for my little girls a few weeks ago. I bought some super-cute Christmas gingerbread cookie material about 10+ years ago and made myself an apron with it. I recently tore that one apart and made a new one for myself (with the same fabric), and I found that I still had some more of that fabric that I hadn't used! I didn't have a pattern in the littler size, so I created my own. I will share that with you eventually! Merry Christmas!

Easy & Inexpensive Last-Minute Neighbor Gifts

Are you still in need of a last minute neighbor gift? The clock is ticking, so hurry over to Sam's club (I'm guessing Costco too) and pick up a case of hot chocolate! Slap a sticky bow on top and a "to/from" sticker and you are good to go, easy-peasy... and inexpensive as well! (This is a package of 7 boxes, assorted flavors.)

Another great idea (something a friend brought over last night, as well as one of my kids' teachers gave me as a "thank you for helping in the classroom" gift)... Sparkling Cider!

Or if you've already done all your shopping and the store is the last place you want to be, look in your pantry. Do you have a brownie mix or two in there? Make a little tag that says "Roses are Red, Chocolate is Sweet, We're too stressed out to make your treat!"

Here is what I made for my kids' teacher gifts this year...

These are rice sacks, but you can use dried corn as well. I used some fleece fabric scraps that I already had on hand (which can be fleece, flannel or another strong fabric) and regular white rice from my pantry (which you can buy at Walmart for way cheap). Just fold the material in half and cut a rectangle, any size (mine are all different). Sew a tight zig-zag stitch (I did 6/8") all the way around it, leaving the top open to fill. Don't forget to back-stitch!

Then fill with rice or dried corn, leaving a little room at the top.

Stitch across the top to close, again make sure you back-stitch on both ends!
Now just snip around the sides, being careful not to cut too close to the stitching.

Done! Throw into a gift sack with a handful of chocolates and some tissue and off you go!

Some variations for the sacks: You can throw in pieces of cinnamon stick OR dried lavender for aroma.

Oh, and don't forget to type up a little instruction tag with the rice sack. Here's what mine says...

Warm Sack: Place sack in microwave and nuke on high for 2-3 min (rice) OR 4-5 min (corn). *Sack may be hot to the touch when taking out of micro. Will also feel a little moist. Do not overnuke.

Cold Sack: Place sack in freezer until cold.

Good luck with your last-minute holiday preps, and have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Another Great Christmas Clip!

Each year at Christmas time I put great effort into keeping the true spirit of Christmas alive in our home and in the hearts of my children. It's far too easy to get caught up in material things and shopping and "to-do" lists and "busyness", that we can sometimes find ourselves frazzled and frustrated this time of year. (I'm speaking for myself at least. Christmas can be hard on us moms!)

Don't get me wrong... there is nothing wrong with the material side of Christmas, and we can have such fun with it! But in a world that threatens to take "Christ" out of Christmas... I just won't have it!

My 4 yr/old likes to pretend/role-play as a typical young child does. Some days she's a princess, sometimes a kitty or a dog, and other times even a super hero. The other day she told us to call her "Little Santa".
Yesterday she came out with a large dish towel/cloth over her head and announced that she was "Mary". I had some errands to run, but she insisted on wearing the Mary cloth the whole time. A few people in the stores actually asked about it, and she told them "who" she was. Often our children can be our best examples!


So with all that said, take a 4-minute breather to watch this clip and give yourself a little gift of the Christmas spirit! XO

*Update: Here's another video that is just precious!!

Christmas {2009} Gifts for Teachers

I'm so excited but very nervous. This is my first time blogging! I'm learning more and more how to put stuff on the computer so be patient with me for the "tutes". I hope to share many things that will either help you create or inspire you(we all need that!)

Since I truely value the many hours of work that goes into teaching I like to show that appreication to our kids' teacher by giving them something throughout the year. So for Christmas I knew they could get some use out of these (since we do at our home). Bean bags with some clearance fabric at the local fabric store and a spinner for games. I like putting the numbers on it because you can assign the numbers to be for anything(example: get to know you game: favorites).

I hope you are able to let your kids' teachers know how special they are!

A New Author on The Creative Homemaker!

Okay ladies... Are you ready for some serious "Eye Candy"?
(image taken from www.buttermilkpress.com)

I am SO excited to announce that I have a NEW (additional) author on my blog! Tomorrow we will meet HEATHER. She is THE Creative Homemaker of ALL creative homemakers, and I am extremely honored to be associated with her!! You are NOT going to want to miss out on what she has to share! In the near future we will even take you on a virtual tour through her home, and you will get to see what I mean. The girl's got some serious talent, and ideas that will inspire you like no other!

I am honored to get to introduce Heather to you all. (I hope she doesn't mind.) hehe.

Heather is a busy SAHM of 4 children and wife of an awesome guy named Will. She lives about a mile from me, and I've known her for a while now. I've always been amazed with the ideas that come out of that head of hers! She takes creativity to a whole new level in my opinion, and I am more than thrilled to share this blog with her.

Heather was the primary president in our ward before me, and is now in the stake primary presidency (go figure). She is a kindred spirit of mine, a true friend, and just a neat, neat person. I just love her and know you will love her too!

Something I've always admired about Heather is that she is always serving others. I cannot count the many times I've seen her in action, whether it be bringing a meal to a neighbor in need, or stopping by someone's house to help them clean when they've been sick.

Heather is a great mom, and a very creative one at that! She has 3 beautiful girls and 1 darling little boy, and thinks of the most creative things to do with them and for them. They are so lucky to have her as their mommy!

So that's a little bit about Heather. Tomorrow she will be showing us what she is doing for her teacher Christmas gifts, so stay tuned! We will both be doing our very best to post once/week each. So come visit us often and see what's new!!

Great Christmas Video

My Town FREE Christmas Events this Weekend

Live Nativity Walk this Friday and Saturday, Dec 11 & 12 from 6-10 pm at the corner of Cherry Ln and McDermont in Meridian.

Other Mothers Falala Bazaar & Fashion Show this Saturday, Dec 12 from 1-5 pm on Fairview/FiveMile in west Boise.

Update: I forgot to mention that both of these events are FREE!! Thanks Lisa! ;o) If anyone knows of any other free/inexpensive Christmas events, please share. I'd love to take my family!!