Eighth Day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

A pinata for Smashing

We love pinata's. But this is the first one I have made for Christmas. I saw this idea at the beginning of the year and have been hanging onto it ever since.

We did the basic ~ cover a balloon with newspaper strips and clag glue ~

Then I painted it gold. Then I used a hot glue gun to glue Tinsel all over. I basically used a continuous string of tinsel just going up down/ back forth. Add a ribbon to the top ~

It is meant to look like a Christmas bauble??? Was I successful?

We will fill it with small plastic toys and lollies and looking forward to smashing it open with our cousins on Christmas Day.

Talents to Share

I know you all think I am awesome - but I am not really.

I can't sew things that aren't square/rectangle in shape

I love to cook, but only half the time and not at all now that my house is a furnace

I cut corners in most crafts and then achieve a less than desirable outcome

I don't workout

I Can't do makeup/hair

I Talk too much so I'm not really a good listener

and I have to convince my children to try most of the crafts I put on here - they would much rather watch tv/play computer (I'm a failure.. I know)



When I went to the class for the pink rag quilt, the instructor (also a friend) said her father gave her this piece of advice


Choose ONE hobby and do it well - that it will become a talent which you can share with others


This would have to be the absolute opposite of me ~ Jack of all Trades, Master of None


Can I help it if I like - Photography, painting, sewing, dancing, jewellery making, cooking, eating, dreaming of decorating, (my house is like the least decorated in the world!! we don't even have family photos up!)


I have had that thought going around my head ever since. IT really spoke to me, and I realised that is what I had been doing Wrong all these years! NO Focus!


I had piano lessons as a child, but gave up
I love to dance, but don't do it near enough (*cough* if ever these days)
I sew things from scraps but am not willing to invest the needed $$ to become good at sewing
Was good at art at school but havent produced a painting in years


Whilst I can do wellish at most things I put my hand to I do not have a talent that I could teach others. I am good at copying things, but to stand out on my own - I don't think so.


So I thought which things do I want to improve on/practice so it can become my talent


At this moment in my life this blog is all the talent I have to show (and that may be questionable)


Two people who I know IRL (in real life) commented yesterday that they really liked my blog. I didn't even know they were readers.


That made me Happy. Very Happy.


So my talent to share with you is ..... this blog.


Your life is changed isn't it :)

HA HA HA HA HA HA

Seventh Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

Books for reading nightly..

I suppose this is another sort of Advent/countdown calendar. We started this tradition last year and it was one of the girls most favourite. Maybe it is the excitement of opening a 'present' each night, or just reading Christmas stories but it is a lovely tradition that we enjoy.

Each year I buy another Christmas book or two (usually when very cheap on sale) Some of these have also been gifts from other people over the years. I don't have 24 yet, so we sometimes add christmas books borrowed from the library. Also I sometimes rewrap some of the books, and add them back to the pile, so we have enough to go for 24 days.

Some of our favourites are:

Santasaurus - in a house full of dinosaur lovers this one is a hit, I also LOVE the whimsical drawings in this one. The house and city are so colourful and imaginative

Why I love Christmas - This one has the Southern Hemisphere in mind as one of the pages says "I love Christmas because its HOT outside" and also has pictures of kangaroos and koalas decorating trees with flowers and natural items.

Once there was a Christmas Tree - This has a squishy tree on the front page filled with glitter! The Girls love it. I LOVE the story. About a bear family whose Christmas Tree is too big for their house so they cut it in half and give to the fox family. Who then cut it in half to give to Old MR rabbit, who cuts it in half again to give to the mouse family. Very good story about giving and the spirit of Christmas. "We had a tree and made it two - one half for us one half for you"

The Night before Christmas - This one was given to us by some dear friends. The girls love to read the inscription mentioning their friend who has since moved far away. Who doesn't love The night before Christmas?

Most of the other books are religious ones and we love to see the Nativity story in many different ways! There are also a few books about Christmas Carols that came with CD's and we play them while reading.


Last year I felt a bit guilty in the waste of all the wrapping paper so this year we used Newspaper as well. I covered half in decorated newspaper and half in wrapping paper. We used cookie cutters and paint to decorate.

Place books in a box or basket under the tree and enjoy reading each night. You could even number the books if you wanted it more Advent style.

Sixth Day of Christmas - Edited

my true love gave to me

glittery playdough for everybody!

I saw this idea a year ago on One Crafty Mumma and thought it would make good class gifts. I have just seen another idea where you cut the dough into a large star shape and then wrap it - If I find a cookie cutter big enough I think I will do that! I am making red glittery dough for girls and green glittery dough for boys.

Last year's class gifts were These Felt Pencil Toppers as I have a personal DISLIKE for Candy Canes (well dislike for the mess my kids make with those things.. and they get bucketloads of them over the holidays!) I thought I would be a kind mother and try to find something else to give to the girls class mates! Well maybe they won't think I am so kind when their kids leave playdough on the carpet ;)



I used this recipe on the back of the cream of tartar jar to make my dough...

10 down... 40 more to go :)What have I got myself into :)




*** Post Edit ***

We ended up cutting them into star shapes. This way I got more out of my batches of dough and it looked much cuter! Only took the girls a couple of hours to make and write out for each kid in their class.

Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful

Blowing dandelions ( or correctly as I just learnt from Wiki - 'parachute' balls ) is the ultimate spring activity.

I think I have photographed every flower that can be found along any of the walks I take.
The latest obsession has been dandelions. There is just something so whimsical and childhood envoking about dandelion heads. I wish we had been on a soft rug, lying in the shade in a field having a picnic...

but it was in an empty house lot on a busy road on our way home from school we picked and blew dandelions till our hearts content. Not all the girls were interested as it was pretty hot, if we could have picked them and taken them home we would have, but they were just too fragile.

So soft and fluffy waiting to float away on the wind.


Am I a dandelion head barely keeping it together? With one blow from the winds of change do I scatter into a hundred pieces and fall apart? Am I that fragile?

OR

Am I a hundred little pieces floating on the wind carrying love and care to those I touch? Able to go and do many things at once. Able to embrace the challenges that push us in many directions.

Able to float and flutter and sail happily along

Willing to accept the change from bright flower to scattered pappus (the hairlike parachutes) Change is unavoidable... we just become different versions of ourselves. Hopefully stronger, better, more. As the parachutes of the dandelion create more flowers - hopefully I create more too.

More love, more living, more passion, more kindness, more charity, more patience, more tenderness, more laughter. MORE and MORE.

Are Dandelions weeds? Or a thing of beauty? Reminds me of the New Era Poster - Be your own kind of beautiful. I had that poster on my bedroom wall as a teenager. Hopefully I can teach my girls that. There are many types of beauty. There are behaviours that makes one more beautiful. We are all a bunch of mixed flowers, each with their individual beauty.

Be your own kind of weed (of the plant variety not the drug :)

Today..... I am a dandelion

* oh and did you know Dandelions are edible in their entirety? *

Sabbath

But GROW in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ~ 2 Peter 3:18

Fifth Day of Christmas

my true love gave to me...

a wreath for decorating...

I saw this easy craft hanging up in the after school care room at my daughters school last Chrismtas. All year it has been hanging there and I always think... gonna make one of those this year. So we did!

Take a coat hanger and bend into a circular shape

Wrap tinsel around and around and around (kids might need a little help so they don't get tangled)

Add bow, decorations, whatever your hearts desire.. Ours is a little plain :)

We did this for a family home evening activity and talked about the meaning behind wreaths

Here is some info I gleaned from the internet and shared with the girls.

Much symbolism can be attributed to the Christmas wreath. The shape of a circle has no beginning and no ending. This may represent the eternal nature of a god's love, or the circle of life. Evergreens are used to represent immortality and the victory of life through darkness and challenge. The fact that evergreens live through winter signifies the strength of life. Holly branches have thorns when used in wreaths they can serve to remind us of the crown of thorns used at Jesus Crucifixion.

Favourites

I don't do favourites

....Nope not one .....

No favourite ~

colour

food

movie star

band

music

dessert

place

TV Show

hobby

brand

purfume

Am I bland, boring, scared to have an opinion ~ or just not ready to commit for fear I might offend? (all of the above I think)

...Like I am sorry Pink.. but Blue is just my favourite!

I was thinking on these things after seeing that Australian cleaning Guru Peter Walsh on Oprah when he said :

If you value everything you really value nothing

He was talking to people that had hoarding issues - that needed to hang onto things, and whilst my house is sometimes messy.. I am definately not a hoarder.

So....

Maybe I just have enough love in my life for most things, without having to narrow it down. I'll go where my mood takes me. As long as the food is good - I'll like it, the colour suits me today - its cool, smells good? - I'll wear it, Makes me laugh - I'll watch/read it

I honestly freaked out in like Grade 3 when they were asking all the children what they wanted to be when they grew up ~ I pretty much had sweaty palms worried about my turn ~ why? Because I had no answer.. I didn't even have a favourite dream job! ~ Lucky I haven't had to worry about that one for a while!

I remember some game we played when we were first married at an activity. The questions were all about your spouse including their 'favourite shampoo' I laughed... If I don't have a favourite food or music.. I certainly don't have a favourite shampoo...

I told the MR 'if we are ever in one of those competions about your significant others 'favourites' that his answer should be:

She doesn't have any favourites.

(but then when I am on the spot, doing one of those scarey questionaires... I desperately try to come up with some favourites so people don't think I am weird, so what will the MR do then?? Besides look stupid for answering that his wife has no favourites.)

So in the hope of not wanting my valued things to mean nothing - I better get me some favourite things.

Any suggestions?

*Breaks into song * "........these are a few of my favourite things........."

Fourth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me..

An Advent Calendar full of lollies..

So we all know about my documented hate for those shop bought Advent Calendars. I dont like the characters on them, who knows how old the chocolate is, have to have one for each child...and they just plain irk me.

I saw this wonderful calendar idea at Filth Wizardry. Go check hers out - it is MUCH PRETTIER! I made this one going from memory of that one I saw months ago. All I had in my head was little cups glued on cardboard. I just refound the link and saw how cute hers was.. I should have copied it!

I got my little cups from a party shop. They are very light plastic shot glasses. The other blog mentions condiment cups. I think they are more papery. If you find these good - if not try shot glasses!


Basically glue small little cups on some heavy cardboard (I cut up a box) the cups look big in the photo but they are only about 4cm tall really. Fill with lollies/charms/small decorations/trinkets. Cut circles of tissue paper a little larger than the cups. Write numbers 1-25 on circles with permanent pen. Using a paint brush paint glue (I used PVA glue) on the lip of the cups. Stick circles on top of cups. Allow to dry.


Enjoy the little thrill of poking fingers through the paper..


I know we will!


Other fantastic Advent Calanders can be found here:

Advent Ideas

Best Advent Calendars Ever

I scream for Ice cream

This recipe is great! 3 ingredients and the kids can make it!

Condensed Milk Icecream

6oo mls cream

1 can condensed milk

1 tbs vanilla

Whip cream, condensed milk and vanilla until thick.

Pour into a foil/cling wrap lined tray. Freeze.

You can add anything into the icecream - crushed chocoalte bars, top and fill caramel, fruit etc before freezing for added fun!

Was a yummy Sunday Treat when we felt like Icecream but had none in the house!

Sabbath

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ~ 1 Peter 2:9

Third Day of Christmas

My True love gave to me...

Christmas pillowcases for dreaming..

OK, so I posted this craft last year too. At first I thought we could just use the same pillowcases from last year as they are in perfect condition - but wheres the fun in that? - its all about the process and not the end product (I figure once I accumlate years worth of Christmas pillow cases we can recycle them into some other Christmas thing - it just a way to store material really)

Firstly we did our 'special date for christmas material' where they were allowed to choose whichever material they wanted (while I madly steered them towards the 'CHEAPER' christmas fabric :)

Then each girl sat with me and sewed their pillowcase. Miss K could almost do it herself (she just needs a little help keeping the material straight) Miss G even did it this year. She loved sitting on my lap pushing the material through.

Go to last years post for instructions on how to sew a pillowcase, I eyeballed it this year and made a mistake!! LOL

Have many lovely Christmas dreams!

3 Months or Eternity

Little Miss N turned 3 months in the past week. I have been taking photos of her in the same outfit each month to see how she has grown (we were given 2 bonds suits in different sizes)

Time seems to have flown by yet at the same time lingered slowly. Sometimes I think this is how eternity works. Miss N has only been here a short time, yet it seems she has been here a long time. Familiarity and a knowing feelings always accompanies new additions to families.

How were we before she came? I can barely remember. Yet I have spent 8 years at varying stages of motherhood - each child building upon the other. Each giving me that sense of completeness and familiarity. This makes me question how can it be like this each time? I don't feel that we were waiting for this particular child or previous ones, and that now "I am complete" - it seems to accompany each child.

I know you and you know me. We are together for Eternity.

11 years ago

11 years ago I may have looked like this...

Thank heavens for digital cameras I say ~The world needs less horrible Gummy Photo's (could my top lip go any higher?) and more attractive photos (when it doesn't matter that it took you 20 attempts to get it right and praise that delete button) I can't even show you the self portrait we took of ourselves it is THAT BAD.

Now there's the secret engagement (cause it was only like 2 weeks after we started officially dating) and then the real one -when its backed up with a ring - you know its the real deal but this first date is the one we always remember

*

We might have gone to our hill and The Mr might have had a crazy as grin on his face. I enquired to his behaviour and he said he 'couldn't tell me - YET'

A few hours later (like midnight - should I totally embarrass myself here and say that I GOT GROUNDED BY MY MOTHER after this for returning home TOO LATE 2am for the several night in a row) back at his house the man just couldn't contain himself any longer. In all seriousness he turned and Asked Me To Marry Him!

I might have said "OH I FEEL SICK" (but from my journal I was thinking this: There was such a spirit and love and warmth and belonging in that voice. My heart started to beat wildly. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt like I was gonna be sick!)

which luckily for me the MR interpreted as a "YES"

My goal for the rest of my married life is to have this look of joy each time I look at The Mr

The Gums are out :D

*Post Edit

Literally as I was posting this.. I got a delivery of long stemmed Pink Roses.... What a man I have..

The world definately needs more flowers and less Gum!!

Second Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

An Angel for me Tree...

My wonderful friend Ursula taught me how to make these. So with supplies from her the girls made these angels. I had acutally bought them for me to make but was surprised when the girls basically made them all and all I had to do was loop the wire over.

The girls want to give them to their school and primary teachers for end of year gifts. I think that is a lovely idea! Now I need to buy more for me to have some.

Thread beads onto a earring wire/head pin in this order.
.... small bead, larger oval bead, 2 crystals, round bead, bead cap, small bead ......

then turn remaining wire into a loop to secure, attach string - hang and enjoy

Miss G likes to wear hers as a bracelet.

Sabbath

Blessed are the pure in heart ~ Matthew 5:8

First Swim

Remember these swimmers? well they were just for show - the water was too cold for Miss N then

But these are the real deal


She actually made it into the water this time

She looks real impressed :)



Maybe we will just stick to baths - She loves those

It's THAT TIME again!!

Welcome to..

As it is roughly 6 weeks till Christmas (ouch) I will again be posting around 2 articles each week in my 12 days of Christmas Craft Ideas. See here for last years 12 Days of Christmas - I have also included a 12 days of Christmas label on my side bar too for easy access.

So lets get started...

My True love gave to me...

A T-shirt for looking pretty



Basically it is the same method as I used here - for Miss G's Birthday Shirt

Trace pattern on front of shirt. Using fusible webbing, fuse material to INSIDE of shirt, RIGHT side down. Turn shirt out. Hand stitch along shape/pattern. Using small sharp scissors, cut shape out. Add any embellishments you wish.

Bobbing for Apples Analogy

The girls heard about bobbing for apples for the first time and set up their own.



They filled an esky with water and placed apples in.



They realised how hard it is - almost impossible for them to catch an apple in their mouth



They moved to the bathtub - bobbing for apples is easier when you are in the water and can chase the apple apparently... they looked like little pacmen with their mouths open chasing the apple around the water. It was so cute!


So I asked "What can we learn from Bobbing for Apples?"


"That some things are REALLY REALLY Hard" said Miss K


But yet they were having a REALLY REALLY fun time also


SO....I think - Is this what we should wish for? That Hard things come our way - but hard things that are fun at the same time? Is this how one finds the perfect career? How one finds things that will extend them, fulfill them, challenge them? Or is it all about perspective? What seems hard to some can be counted as fun by others. If we choose to have a sunny outlook will the hard times seem easier to bear?

A friend gave me a great compliment once - we were talking about trials and difficulties ~ I said that I had never had a difficult trial in my whole life. That I was really blessed to have a fantastic childhood, have a wonderful husband and family and that life has pretty much been peachy keen. But then I wondered if I was missing out on some growing opportunities since nothing bad has ever happened to me (then knock on wood, cause I don't want any trials either!! That was not an invitation to send me some Lord)

She said "I think you are wrong, I think you have probably had MANY trials in your life, but through your positive nature and happiness - you just bore them and carried on. You are an example of how we can get through life" ~ probably one of the nicest things someone has said to me, even if it may not be true.


I think Motherhood is like Bobbing for Apples.

HARD!

But it can be really fun in a similar frustratingly way! We can giggle and play while we chase our apples around in circles. Ever stuck in a chomp chomp motion.



I am a little pacman

chomp chomping my way through life

maybe I will catch an apple or two

What I love - Sabbath

What I love: Yummy Home Baby Photo Shoots

But little Children are holy being Sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ: and this is what the scriptures mean ~ Doctrine and Covenants 74:7

What I don't love : The near impossibility of self portraiture while holding a baby! (I need a tripod I think) Or to I need to book Zanabelle Photography as you should too!