Dear Snow

Dear Snow,

Thank you for visiting us on Christmas this year. It was nice to see you, and we had a pretty good day, but please go away on January 1st. It's nothing personal. It's just that, I don't like taking pictures inside. I live in a rental, and I don't like the ugly wall paper in the kitchen and the bathroom.

The rest of the walls are an off white color (which makes everything look yellow-ish), and are scribbled all over with Griffin's artwork...Griffiti as my brother calls it...magic eraser and I gave up the fight long ago. Not to mention the constant mess in the background, especially today.

It's been nice having you here, nothing shows off a cardinal or a deer like you do, but frankly...your cold, and I'm not really feeling inspired by you anymore. I'm sorry.

One more week should give the kids enough time to make a snowman (I know they don't want you to go), and give Griffin time to use his new sled, but really after that...you're just white, then slushy gray, and that's going to depress me even more. So, I think it would be best for both of us if you left when you were at your peak (like Seinfeld).

So, what do you think? Would it help if I asked, "pretty please"?

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. - Norman Vincent Peale

Hoping all of your Christmas wishes come true! XXOO

Yummm

The kids and I made these yummy Kiss and M&M covered pretzels today. We made a bunch last week too, but we gave them all away as teacher gifts. These are just for us, and I can guarantee you that they won't last until Christmas.

Have you ever made them? They are super easy! Madison calls them our "famous" pretzels...for some reason that makes me laugh. :)

Here's the recipe:

little pretzels (I like to use Rold Gold Tiny Twists)
chocolate kisses
M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350. Lay out pretzels on a cookie sheet. Place a chocolate Kiss over the bottom opening of each pretzel. Bake for 2 - 2 1/2 minutes. Take out of the oven and push an M&M gently down on the point of the Kiss. That's it! I usually cool them on the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 min to set them. Enjoy!

(I was a little impatient with the melting of the chocolate today. If you time it just right, the chocolate looks smoother and not as crackly as our do here. Pretty or not, they are delicious...and famous!)

'L' is for Loopy

The past couple of days we have been celebrating Christmas with family out in the middle of nowhere. My brain and body are totally fried...long drives in the car, warm houses full of people, chasing my boy around the breakables, delicious food, and cookies, cookies, cookies!

(Cows and cookies both start with 'C', but all of the cookies were eaten by me!)...see, I'm fried...and loopy. Griffin fell in love with this quilt at my brother and sister-in-laws house today, so I have ABCs on the brain...

There is still so much more to do, but I'm trying to focus on what's really important, and forgive myself for not being able to do it all. When I was a kid, one of my favorite Christmas specials was The Little Drummer Boy. I may not have a lot of time or money this year, but I am beating my drum the best way that I can. Pa rum pum pum pum.

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
- Oren Arnold

Crafty Christmas Past

It's all coming together slowly, but surely...

It amazes me how, normally, there isn't enough time to get everything done, then you throw the holidays into the mix and...how is it possible to do all of that and then that too? It's more of the Christmas miracle, I guess.

I stopped over my parents house today in the middle of my shopping frenzy, and noticed the one thing I don't have time to do anymore. I've always enjoyed making homemade gifts, especially when they involved my kiddos, but, nowadays, there just.isn't.time. I need to make time.

Here are a couple of ornaments that adorn my parent's Christmas tree; gifts from their grandchildren years ago...so full of love and memories...and super easy to make!

(hand print on festive fabric, loom, and a cloth doily)

(hand print angel wings, foot traced on fabric for angel's body, cut out photo of a cute little angel, backed with shirt cardboard)

I miss my super crafty mama days, but school kind of took over that part of my job. I can't wait to see what will be waiting under the tree this year, made by my kiddos little (but bigger) hands.

I think I will make it a point this year, to get back into the crafty part of me. It will take a miracle, but miracles happen, right?

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. - Edward Everett Hale

Have you made any hand made gifts this year?