Valentine's is just around the Corner!!!

Christmas flew by rather quickly and before I know it

Valentine's Day will be here too!

I was lucky enough to snag a treasury on Etsy the other day, was a spur of the moment when I realized it was about to open!

I quickly searched for 'TeamSC heart' and found wonderful

things for Valentine's Day!

(Take a look quick before it expires Friday evening 9 pm est!)

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=31450

New Year New To Do List!

I am a list maker so this year instead of making resolutions

I made my to do list!

I like these steno books in my Etsy shop for making lists, they are

fun, pretty and motivate me to pull out my list and tackle a few items or add to it!

So here is my "To Do List for 2009"

My To Do List

1. Paint the trim work in the house
2. Paint the front door
3. Organize Christopher’s closet
4. Add more shelving to pantry for added storage
5. Clean out the garage
6. Donate clothes I have not worn & clean out our closet
7. Divide Daylilies
8. Divide irises
9. Have game night once a week
10. Go on at least three camping trips this year
11. Go through all my paper supplies & list ones I don’t use on Etsy
12. Make new curtains for the boy’s rooms
13. Work on my scrap books
14. Clean out one drawer or closet each week
15. Read more books
16. Learn to play guitar hero
17. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits & veggies each day
18. Don’t try to do all the to do list in one weekend!!!!!!!!!!

I have already started on my to do list! I completed #4, and started on #1.

There is alot more trim than I realized and I will be paying for being on my knees and bent over in a ball in the morning!!

What is on your 'to do list' for this year????

Another Christmas Past

All the presents have been wrapped & unwrapped, cookies eaten
and alot more memories made!

One of my favorite Christmas decorations is my Christmas Mice.

My next door neighbor growing up was also my kindergarten teacher (and my husband's also!)

and she made this darling Christmas Mice Choir.

I adored playing with them when I would visit her house & she gave them to me

one year for Christmas. Since then they have graced my piano each year & hold a special place in my heart.

Hope you had a very Blessed Holiday Season & wishing you

a Very Happy New Year!

A Mind is a Terrible thing to waste!

You can probably guess why I make organizers & notepads!

I HAVE to make lists and write down what I have due & when.

I used to be able to remember alot of things before children.

Somehow things like people's names, my phone number & even my age

have been lost in my brain somewhere & replaced with things like

where my oldest son left his jacket, where is the match to the shoe

we can't find, and did someone let the dog out????????

I organize what we are having every night

so when I go to the store with my lists I get everything I need.

I have to do lists and even a calendar on the fridge to keep track of who goes where & when.

So what happened???

I wrote on my to do list to make cookies for the teachers, I even made the cookies, packaged them up & printed out the recipe!

I just wrote it on the wrong day!!!!!!

Maybe I need glasses?

Happy Holidays!

That was quick!

I finished my craft shows so for the season so I have been

listing my extra inventory in my Etsy shop.

The other night I listed this magnet set and then ran upstairs to tuck

the boys in bed, kiss them goodnight & relish in some quiet time!

When I returned downstairs & checked my views,

the set had already sold!

Thank you Whipstitch!

You can check out her neat Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6442881

Don't worry, I have more neat magnet sets listed at Etsy!

http://www.bittybooks.etsy.com/

Polar Express

The son's class is doing their Christmas Party at school in the Polar Express theme.

They will wear their pj's to school, drink hot chocolate, watch the movie

and eat goodies. The teacher asked for a craft for the kids to make and

I volunteered to come in & help the kids make a little something.

I picked up some foam ornament shapes for the kids to decorate, but the more

I thought about it, the less I liked that idea.

So in keeping with the Polar Express theme, I decided to make tickets

for their 'trip.'

I found a vintage looking train gif and used that as the graphic for the ticket.

I printed the tickets up on gold paper and after cutting them out, inked the edges in gold.

I then decided to have the kids make little 'travel journals' of their trip on the polar express.

I have been cutting out mat board for 22 kids and decorating the covers so they can make their books. I will cut all the pages and have the parts ready to go so at the party they can assemble their books, punch the holes and bind them for a little keepsake of their day.

We can add the tickets in the book too!

I am going to bring in lots of ink pads so the kids can ink the edges of their book & pages

to age them. I have alot of scrap paper , rubber stamps & stickers for them to use to decorate
their books too.

I have one more week to get all my items cut before the party, will post pictures of the class with their finished books!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Every year at Thanksgiving we all gather at my Mom's.

Aunts, Uncles, Cousins come from all over for the big feast.

This year we won't be able to make the trip and neither will alot of Aunts, Uncles

and cousins so I am cooking at home for my family.

There were so many of our traditional favorites that

I love, but with a small family it just was not possible to make it all so I had to

decide which ones made it to my Thanksgiving menu!

I asked for every ones favorites and started planning.

My sons requested turkey with legs, so the turkey breast was replaced with

a turkey big enough to feed 12! My husband requested sweet potato casserole,

my oldest requested broccoli , cauliflower and chocolate cake! I was hoping for broccoli casserole, but I will make caraway cheese sauce to pour over my cauliflower & broccoli! My youngest son asked for mashed potatoes instead of our usual rice.

One dish that has been my favorite since I was a little girl is my Mom's fruit salad and it just wouldn't be the holidays for me without it!

I also love it for breakfast too!

Here is the recipe for the fruit salad, hope it becomes one of your favorites too!

Mom's Fruit Salad

3 apples diced

1 16 oz can pineapple tidbits (save the juice)

1 can Mandarin oranges drained

1/2 cup raisins

2 bananas sliced

1/2 bag mini marshmallows

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 small pack instant banana cream pudding

Mix apples, raisins, oranges, pineapple and marshmallows in bowl.

In a measuring cup mix mayonnaise, pudding and juice from pineapple

til smooth. Pour mayonnaise mixture over fruit and stir.

Before serving, add sliced bananas and mix.

Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!