Grandma's Little Pearls

You Gotta' Love It!

2012-02-20T00:09:00.002-07:00

You gotta love it!

From my daughter regarding my kindergarten age grandson:

The big news from Kindergarten this weekend: there is a girl in class that sings a really naughty song called "I'm sixty and I know it".

A Four-Legged Family Member

2012-02-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmm......

I love the smell of freshly baked cookies.

Too bad they are not being baked for the

two legged members of the family.

My daughter bakes for her four-legged

little girl on a regular basis.

Kabella (my three year old grand-doggie)

loves her home baked doggie treats.

So much so that the recipe has

become a part of my fridge door!

Love was in the Air!

2012-02-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last evening the calls to see if Papa and I were home began to come in.

Before we knew it we were surrounded by grandchildren who

showered us with hugs, hand made gifts, a heart shaped balloon,

a plate of fresh baked cookies, and heartfelt Valentine's in all sizes!

Love was in the air. It was an evening that gave

this grandma's heart a great big squeeze!

On a funny note:

One grandson gave Papa a bag of Cracker Jacks

as a Valentine's gift that he had gotten at his school

Valentine's party earlier in the day.

Papa: "Are you sure you want to give this to me?"

Grandson: "Yah, I don't like them?"

Papa: Did you know that there is a prize inside?

Grandson: "There is???!!!!"

(mixed expression of surprise and regret)

Papa: "Yep, let's open it now so that you can have the prize."

Grandson: " Okay!"

(relieved)

The prize was a pencil topper

and a fun fact.

Did you know that a typical pencil can write 45,000

words or draw a line 35 miles long?

That is a very fun fact indeed!

Personalized Valentine

2012-02-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

How about doing a personalized Valentine

for someone you love this year?

I made these for my three granddaughters.

You can check out the easy and free "type and print template" here.

I listed things they love, their talents, their relationships,

special things we do together, their interests, love notes, and I ended it

with an "I love you!" from Papa and I.

I listed their name after every three words or phrases.

Each one shows just how individual the girls are.

So much fun!

I backed them in red card stock

and tied a tulle ribbon at the top.

Getting My Creative On

2012-02-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

I have had a couple of opportunities lately to get my creative on. One was for a book club brunch my daughter was hosting for a group from our church. The challenge was to pull from my resources to come up with a decorating idea for her tables.

Here is what I came up with:

Vases made from tin cans that I covered in book pages.

And, napkin rings made completely out of card stock!

The silk flowers were from my resources too.

It turned out very pretty with no cost!

The next project was two posters that I needed to

create for the very next day.

I loved the challenge.

Again, wanting to make it from the resources I had on hand.

The event was vintage so that was the direction I headed.

After pulling out far more resources than I needed this

is what I came up with times two!

I love vintage pretty!

Now I just need to figure out my refreshment table

tablescape and refreshments for the actual event.

I really do love getting my creative on!

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

2012-01-31T21:25:00.001-07:00

The Three boys in front are my grandsons.

Having three grandsons competing in the Pinewood Derby

this year made the event extra exciting!

Thankfully, the track was equipped with computerized timers

because some races were too close for the human eye to call.

I just love seeing them in uniform!

The three little boy cousins kept a close eye on the track.

Cheering on their older brothers.

Having seven grandsons I have many more pinewood

derby races in my future.

Our family cheered the boys on to victory!

They ended up with the 1st, 3rd, and 4th fastest cars.

Good sports and good job boys!

You Gotta' Love It

2012-01-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

On our recent cabin retreat to the snow one of my young grandsons came into my bathroom just after I had changed from my PJ's into my clothes for the day. I had not done my hair or make-up yet and he has not seen me very many times nor in quite some time in all my natural beauty!

As we were stepping into the hall to go help fix breakfast I said; "Wait, I forgot my glasses" and he said; "Oh, is that why you look so weird?

Catch Me Kitty

2012-01-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

My youngest grandchild just celebrated his second birthday. Papa and I selected this Catch Me Kitty toy as his birthday gift. As we browsed the aisles of toys this one caught Papa's eye. It was something new to the market which meant we probably wouldn't be duplicating a toy that was already in he and his two brothers toy box.

We had just wrapped this gift up for his birthday party the next day when we left for our family bonfire. While at the bonfire this little guy chased my daughter's kitty everywhere saying "key, key" "key, key". My husband and I looked at each other and we knew we had selected a perfect gift!

This little interactive Catch Me Kitty toy is so much fun and we were right he loves it! It has sensors in it that activate when someone is approaching it from the front or the back so that it runs away. The toddler can chase the "Key, Key" all over the place.

For other play options the run away sensors can be turned off. If you have a toddler gift to select and your little one loves "key, keys" this is a really cute and fun option!

(This is not a paid review)

Oven S'mores for a Crowd

2012-01-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

S'mores are always a fun, sweet, gooey, easy and delicious treat for a family gathering. This pan of s'mores for our group of twenty mountain cabin guests didn't require any roasting sticks or even a fire.

To Make Oven S'mores:

Fill the bottom of your baking sheet with the desired about of graham cracker halves. Don't leave any gaps between the crackers. Sprinkle the graham crackers evenly with milk chocolate chips. Top the chips with mini marshmallows. Place under the broiler and broil until the marshmallows are brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with the other half of the graham cracker. Mmmmmmm. It's that quick and easy!

Greer or Bust Memories

2012-01-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

This is the second post of our family snow outing to Greer, Arizona. If you missed the first post you can check it out here. In the first post there are some ideas for making the most of your family vacation together. Caravanning as a family. two (four way for us) way radios, crafts, snacks, meals, and more.

On our second full day in Greer it was all about eating a hearty breakfast, bundling up in our snow gear, packing our lunches, and getting outside to play in the cold white stuff! The Greer Lodge loaned us all kinds of tubes for sledding. Once all of our vehicles were filled to capacity with the tubes it was a short drive to a great public sledding hill.

The snow was about knee deep and the day was sunny.

A perfect day for snow play!

Trying a taste.

Snow and sunshine.

Where are your sunglasses buddy?

Three generations.

Cousins taking a break while crunching on snow.

All bundled up.

Learning to snowboard.

Flying down the hill!

Mom and Daughter.

Just before my camera and I were wiped out!

A tube just his size!

I can't wait to see what he captured!

Daddy/Daughter

My oldest granddaughter.

Father and Son.

All by himself!

Papa and Grand #1.

We were everywhere on that hill.

There was eleven more of us slipping and sliding

up and down the hill.

Everyone was having a great time.

The youngest sledder.

The wisest of our bunch!

As our day was coming to an end I was in the car with the wise one so that she could warm up. I watched from afar as our entire clan worked together to link all of the sleds, tubes, cousins, and parents together to create a sledding train. It was so much fun that they did it again and again.

It was a very symbolic way to end our day of family snow play.

Yay, Yay, Yay, it's Today!

2012-01-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

My husband and I gave the gift of a three day snowy cabin retreat to our entire family as a Christmas gift. The trip had been pre-scheduled with our adult children to take place three VERY LONG (for our grandchildren) weeks after Christmas.

This gift created a whole lotta' excited anticipation among the cousins. We all worked together during the weeks between Christmas and the actual trip to pull together snow bibs, gloves, boots, jackets, scarves, and snow boots for our entire clan from our outgrown cold weather clothing bins. My oldest grandson was able to wear a snow bib that my own son had worn 20 years ago! Does that make it a vintage snow bib?

My five year old grandson just about drove his parents crazy with the "How many more days?" On the day before the trip he woke up saying "Yay, Yay, only one more day!" The morning of the trip he had crawled into bed with his mommy and daddy sometime during the night. My daughter said when he first opened his eyes upon waking he said; "Yay, Yay, Yay, it's today!"

My husband and I worried as the days ticked closer to the long anticipated trip. Why? Because it had been a very warm and dry three weeks since Christmas in Arizona. The town of Greer (where we were headed) has a webcam that my husband and I had been watching and we knew that the snow cover was melting away each day.

As the trip neared my worries turned to prayers pleading for some pretty detailed blessings. My heartfelt prayers for snow and for my grandchildren to realize their long awaited anticipation of snow play were answered.

The night before our trip the forecast changed from expected rain that would have washed away all of the snow to a 90% chance of snow for the area we were headed to. My husband and I were giving each other high fives and I offered prayers of gratitude for this much appreciated blessing.

We all met the morning of the trip to caravan up together. To help make the trip all that Papa and I had envisioned for our family here are a few of the things we did:

We had given each family a snowman kit for Christmas.

I had created a laminated Greer or Bust sign

for each of the cars. (Creating family unity)

Each car had a two way radio so that we could communicate,

play games, and just be silly between our four cars.

(Creating family fun)

I did a roll call using the radios so that everyone

from two to seventy-seven had a chance

to talk in the radios.

(A sense of belonging)

We had a predetermined place that we

we invited all to stop at for lunch. It was completely

optional but we had 100% attendance!

(Family support)

After lunch, we were on the last leg of our drive.

We were not on the road long when we

realized that the lack of snow was not going to be a problem.

The scenery was an absolute treat for us desert dwellers!

The freshly fallen snow had blanketed the pines and the aspen trees.

Beautiful!

(Shared gratitude)

We all got to experience some light snowfall on our drive too.

Our two cabins were ready for our earlier than expected arrival.

Two cabins, warm fireplaces, beds for 28, 6 bathrooms, and big lofts for play

were all just perfect for our stay.

(Togetherness)

Everyone immediately changed into their snow gear and headed outdoors.

(A family that plays together stays together!)

I had prepared projects for any down time for the kids.

A snowflake door hanger project.

(Quality time with grandma)

A snowman scene using a gift tag snowman, stickers,

crayons, and a Chinet plate.

(Shared creativity)

I didn't get a picture of the edible snowmen we made but they were very close to this

one (thank you Pinterest) except we put ours on a stick and we made a beanie cap

using a fruit roll-up and a half of a marshmallow.

(Creating memories among the cousins)

Snowman donuts and hot chocolate were a big

hit following our day in the snow.

(They are way cuter with mouths too but my

hungry and chilled crowd showed up ready for a donut and a

cup of warm hot chocolate before I got the mouths on!)

How to link here.

Stay tuned for more of our fun in the snow!

The Family BonFire

2012-01-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

"In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit."

MARGE KENNEDY

One of our traditions that our entire family helps to create each new year is our family bonfire. This very simple tradition is right up there with Halloween and Christmas for the grands! This year the grands started asking when it would be well before Christmas.

The mom that shuttled six of the cousins home from school on the day of the scheduled bonfire reported that the excitement in the car about the bonfire that night was just crazy!

This loved tradition only requires an evening that works for all of the families, our Christmas trees for burning, a big pot of hot chocolate, a few dozen donuts, our outdoor chairs, matches, and some very watchful adult eyes.

The cousins stopped the cars as they arrived to give

them handmade tickets that they had made on their own

for everyone attending and they also directed the cars on

where to drop off their trees and where to park.

Once everyone arrives it is time to light the bonfire.

It is always scary to be reminded just how

flammable dry Christmas trees are.

With ten cousins in attendance it is a whirlwind of activity

that requires very close adult supervision.

This tradition is mostly just a commitment of time.

The payoff is quite simply the treasured memories that

are shared between the generations!

Anytime Party Game

2012-01-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is a party game that I first played with my grands a few years ago at one of our

Grandkid's Christmas Day Camps. For some reason it was an absolute highlight of the camp. Since then they always ask if we can play it anytime the ten cousins are together.

I had it on this years Christmas Day Camp Schedule but we did not get to it. So, we played it on Christmas eve instead.

It is just like the old fashioned carnival cake walks but instead of winning cakes I have a tray filled with goodies and small prizes.

To play:

Tape pictures, (I used Christmas pictures such as a santa, snowman, christmas tree, angel, etc.) numbers, or abc's to the floor in a circle. I use pictures because some of my players are very young and do not recognize there numbers and letters yet. I also like using pictures that fit the occasion or season to add a bit more fluff to the activity. ( I used some cute gift tags, glued them to an index card, then taped the card to the floor. Super Simple!) Place a matching picture in a bag or bowl to draw the winners from.

Before we start I give each child a goodie bag (sandwich zipper bag works) with their name on it.

To begin, each child chooses a picture in the circle to stand on.

Turn on the music (I used Christmas music this time) and walk in a circle stepping on each picture.

When the music stops (papa's job) they stand hoping that their picture will be drawn.

We pick two winners at a time. (My rule, the winners must pick a different prize each time.)

It is fun to reverse the march, change to hopping, and to sing along with the music!

At the end of the game all of the cousins come to grandma to gather any prizes they didn't win. All leave with a full goodie bag and another highlighted memory of our time together!

My Missing Pumpkin

2012-01-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

This post has little to do with my grandchildren except that they all loved seeing the big pumpkin that sat on my kitchen counter through Halloween and Thanksgiving. I can't believe that I didn't get a photo of it because it had a great shape, excellent color, and the cutest stem I had ever seen on a store bought pumpkin!

Well, one day following Thanksgiving I noticed that my pumpkin was missing from the counter. I had planned to somehow make a bird feeder out of it and place it outside my big kitchen window so that I could enjoy watching the birds helping themselves to the seeds and the flesh of the pumpkin.

Before I could ask anyone else in the house if they knew what had happened to my pumpkin I came across these photos on my computer.

Oh, my youngest daughter has taken it for a walk in the desert.

Not looking good, she has a gun!

Run, pumpkin, run!

Taking aim.

It looks like the local desert birds will still be able to

enjoy the seeds and what is now the splattered pumpkin flesh.

Poor pumpkin.

I never thought my little girl would grow

up to love shooting guns.

A little grandma reminder:

Keep all guns securely locked up!

Personal Letter from Santa

2012-01-11T16:53:00.001-07:00

Every Christmas Eve I have something special planned for my grandchildren who come to my home with their families for a special dinner and family activities. Last year I created a Candy Cane Cafe in one of my spare bedrooms. It was a full service restaurant with play food, money, Christmas dishes, and candy canes that was decked out with holiday decor and lights. The ten grands loved taking turns playing the different parts of running the cafe.

This year I had a special piece of mail waiting for them. It was a personalized letter from Santa. It was addressed to all of the cousins. Within the letter it mentioned each of them by name and Santa shared something personal about each child. As I read the letter to the children they were glued to every word. They loved hearing their names and the personal messages from Santa to each one of them.

The message that got the biggest "oooooh!" was when Santa said that he had noticed three of the boys (by name) on the nice list that day. Santa followed up by saying; "Good job boys!"

Each child took their turn to see their name printed in the letter. The kids really liked the surprise and as usual the adults loved seeing the magic of Christmas that this little surprise created for the little ones we love.

Each Year They Grow in Inches and Feet

2012-01-09T16:02:00.002-07:00

The luckiest kids in the whole wide world,

Have a Grandma & Papa on Gelding Lane.

They get to spend lots of time with them,

Which keeps their parents happy and sane.

As time goes by and memories are made,

The love among our family grows.

Others may not see what is so special,

But each and every grandchild knows.

Through day camps and campouts and parties galore,

They are loved, and nurtured, and praised.

Someday they will give thanks to these grandparents,

For the truly special way they were raised.

'Cause these kids are raised on love and fun,

Each year they grow in inches and feet.

And now you can keep track of it,

When they stop in for a treat!

This poem was written by my oldest daughter as part of a Christmas gift that she and our son-in-law made themselves for my husband and I. As I read the poem aloud to my family before opening the gift I could not hold back the tears. My very soul was bursting with gratitude for my children and my ten grandchildren and the quality time that we are so blessed to be able to share with each and every one of them!

Here is a pic of the gift.

I love it!

This will replace the pencil marks that have tracked the growth of my ten grandchildren behind my laundry room door. Since taking this picture my hubby has screwed it to the wall. I know it is going to be a treasured memory for my grandchildren and Papa and I!

It was made to be installed six inches above the floor. I'm glad that it stands over six feet tall because I am quite sure that many of my grands will surely grow to be over six feet tall. You better believe that tracking their growth at grandma's house will continue for years to come!

For instructions on how to create your own growth ruler click here. My daughter followed the instructions found in the attached post closely with the exception of using a higher quality wood and a Sharpie brand paint marker.

DIY Snowman Kit

2012-01-04T12:33:00.001-07:00

Our family Christmas gift to our adult children and their families is a three day snow retreat to the mountain resort of Greer, AZ. Twenty-eight beds, six baths, ten cousins, four generations, three days.... it's going to be a blast!

My hubby wrote this poem as part of our Christmas day gift presentation:

Our gift to you this Christmas Day

We hope that you will find

To be a very special gift

Not like any other kind

We want you to take a trip with us

Up where the air is cold

To share a time of fun and play

A gift for young and old

In Greer there are two cabins

To stay in for two nights

We all will stay together

And take in all the sights

We’ll have some time for sledding

For snowmen, food, and fun

We’ll sit down by a roaring fire

Til our time is almost done

Then we’ll pack our stuff up in our cars

and while we’re on the drive

We’ll start the countdown in our heads

For the next Christmas to arrive

Merry Christmas and Love Always,

Grandma and Papa

Also included in the gift package was some gas $$$ and a snowman kit for each family. Between my hubby and I we made our own DIY re-useable Snowman Kit.

I purchased a tote just large enough to fit the hat.

Each tote was personalized for the family.

Snowman Kit

Hat

Gloves

Scarf

Carrot Nose

Eyes

Mouth

Buttons

Storage tote

I added a fun feature to the store bought gloves.

I stuffed them using rounded wire deeply wrapped in

strips of plastic grocery bags so that the fingers all bend!

For the scarf I purchased 9" of fleece.

Each family got the same polka-dot print

but in different colors to match the gloves.

I cut the ends of the fleece to create a fringe.

The hat was store bought.

My hubby made:

The buttons (3) and eyes (2) were cut from from 2" dowel @ 1 " thick.

The mouth (5) from 1 1/4 " dowel @ 1" thick.

The carrot nose (1) was cut from an old broom handle 8" long.

My hubby did some old fashioned whittling to round the ends and

to give the stick the shape of a carrot!

We used black spray paint for the eyes, mouth, and buttons.

Orange acrylic paint for the carrot with waterproofing spray over that.

I packaged all of the parts in zippered bags

with card stock labeled inserts.

These snowman kits were a big hit as is the anticipation

of the shared snow trip.

Just add SNOW

and get ready to have some fun.

I can't wait to see the "snowmen cousins" decked

out in their coordinating scarfs!

Organizing a Grandkid's Only Party

2012-01-03T00:29:00.001-07:00

So, what needs to be done when you are expecting 10 guests between the ages of not quite two and eleven for an evening, night, and morning of food, activities, crafts, caroling, winding down, and hopefully some sleep?

In two words. Organization and help!

While I prep everything for our annual Christmas Day Camp it takes all available hands to help things go smoothly and safely during our time together. This year I had my hubby, my live-in-mother-in-law who is great-grandma to the little guests, and my youngest daughter who usually disappears but lucky for me she happened to owe me a favor this year to help me!

I gathered all of the supplies needed for everything we were going to do and I had them within my reach. How did I know what all I was going to need? I create a print out for each and every activity. The print out lists the materials, tools, and resources needed. The items that are unique to each project are placed in their own labeled bag with a sample of the finished project. Tools or resources that are needed to be used throughout the camp such as scissors, paint brushes, glue sticks were organized in caddies. I ended up having everything I needed within my reach except for a pair of wire cutters that my hubby graciously ran out to the garage to get.

Once the kids arrive I want to be in the moment with them. I post a schedule nearby so that I don't have to worry about what I need to be doing next. This schedule shows the shared tools and resources that are needed for each specific craft or activity.

Having this list prepared allows the other adults present

or the older kids to help me gather what we need next.

The schedule is full but we don't worry about getting it all done.

We allow the kids to have the time they need to finish their projects

or to enjoy a scheduled activity until they have had their fill.

One such activity was our Christmas Lights and Caroling Activity. As in years past, we bundled up, loaded up in the back of Papa's truck and drove around our rural neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. Normally, we have just sang Christmas carols with one another as we drove around. This year the kids wanted to ring the doorbells of our neighbors and actually sing carols for them. The kids had an absolute blast and better yet for Papa and I .... all of that running around and jumping in and out of the truck helped to wear them out for bedtime.

Wall to wall sleeping cousins is a precious site!

To back up a bit, one thing I always do when the cousins first arrive from three different homes is to have a gathering snack and activity ready for them. This gets everyone on the same eating schedule.

One labeled cup per camper for drinks and meals.

We wash them between meals of course!

Help yourself snacks for the first hour.

The gathering activity.

Always a tote the kids can fill with their finished projects.

The tote more times than not is made from

plastic ice cream buckets that my parents save for me.

The gathering craft is always an easy one. This one, the kids were given four blank index cards, markers, and piles of Christmas stickers. One index card required their name to be printed on it. The other three they could deck out with a Christmas scene anyway they liked. The four cards were then taped to the ice cream bucket to cover up the writing around the bucket.

All of the finished totes are then lined up nearby. As the projects are completed the kids put them in their totes. I am so sad that I didn't get a picture of the loaded totes. They all looked so cute with the santa on the sticks popping out of the top when it was time to go home.

My eleven year old granddaughter was over the other night talking through all we did at our Grandkid's Christmas party. She then followed up by asking me. "What's next?" Meaning what and when will be our next grandkids only party? I said that will be my Grandma Camp in May where we all sleep outside in the tent. Granddaughter: Not until May!!!??? That was a big ol' hug to my heart!

Today, I finished packing away my six tubs of labeled Grandkid's Christmas Day Camp in my garage. I couldn't help but to start thinking about next years Christmas Day Camp. So many many ideas already!!!!

Jingle All the Way

2011-12-31T17:07:00.002-07:00

Our month of December was filled with performances, special outings,

and amazing family support.

The winter gymnastics recital.

Tap.

Ballet.

School Christmas Programs.

More school programs.

A very dashing little brother ready to escort

his three big sisters

to the Nutcracker Ballet.

More school programs.

And, an amazing opportunity for each of my grandchildren

to help provide Christmas

for the membership of another church in our community.

It was a great month.

We jingled all the way!

Christmas Bingo

2011-12-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

It is always good to have an easy no clean up activity between craft projects at our Grandkid's Christmas Day Camp.

I love seeing all of the cousins gathered and the older ones helping the younger ones in a shared activity.

This years Christmas Bingo game did just that!

There is no need to make this game yourself when WalMart sells really cute sets every year for just a buck! The game as packaged is for up to six players so I purchase two sets for my ten Christmas Day Campers.

Since I had not gotten to it before the camp prepping the game by gently tearing apart the dozens and dozens of game pieces became a part of the activity. No one even knew that I was feeling a bit guilty for not being better prepared!

Playing bingo with a Christmas theme was

truly enjoyed by all ages!

I do have a personalized bingo game

(using pics of the grands) on my to do list.

Wouldn't that be fun?

Santa on a Stick Craft Project

2011-12-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

This project, by far, was a favorite among my ten little

Christmas Day Camp campers.

My inspiration started at the after Christmas

clearance tables last year at Michael's.

These wood Santa's on a stick were just .20 each

and they had exactly eleven of them left.

Ten of anything is my "golden" number when I know that it is

something that my ten grands would love.

I however, prefer finding eleven so that I can make

a sample of the craft project ahead of time.

To make this craft we first did our painting.

The youngest grands used crayons instead of paint at a different table.

I supplied long handled Q-tips as the paint brushes.

This made it far easier to stay within the lines of the project

and there was no washing of paint brushes!

We painted/colored the hat, nose, mouth, and stick in red

and the face in pink.

Once the paint was dry it was time to add the

cotton ball beard and hat trim.

We cut the cotton balls in half for the trim on the hat.

We dipped each cotton ball is school glue and stuck it in place.

Whole cotton balls filled in the beard portion.

Stretched out cotton balls in the shape of a mustache

created the mustache above his mouth.

A special glittery white pompom was hot glued on

(with assistance)

to the tip of his hat.

(The special pompom came from a clearance priced strand

of garland that I had cut up for this project.)

Remember to watch for crafting resources in unlikely places!

A glittery accent of Christmas holly finished the project!

The kids could hardly wait for this project to dry!

Their finished (play with) santa masks on a stick

were a huge hit!

Made with Love

2011-12-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

This was a scheduled activity for the Grandkid's Christmas Overnighter. It has been a standing tradition that each child makes and packs their own lunch around my big kitchen island as one of our camp activities for an outdoor picnic lunch here in the warm winter deserts of Arizona.

I always supply special Christmas lunch sacks, sandwich fixings, chips, goodies, baggies, a special Christmas napkin, and a drink box. It is always a flurry of mayo spreading, baggie filling, and goodie selecting. The prepared and labeled lunch sacks are then put in the fridge until it is time for our picnic.

However, this year there was a twist. Each child was to make the lunch for one of their cousins rather than themselves as an act of service using the "made with love" lunch sacks. And, because of our change in schedule this year it would be taken home to be eaten for lunch rather than eating it at the camp out.

HOWEVER, we ran out of time before the cousins could pack the lunches for another cousin. (We were up against some early in the day dental appointments for the kids this year.) Papa and I packed the ten lunches (with a whole lotta' love) ourselves. Some of the lunches required a later in the day special delivery which we did not mind making!

This little modified tradition is already penciled in for next year. I can't wait to see their little acts of Christmas service in action!

Merry Christmas from My Family to Yours

2011-12-24T17:27:00.001-07:00

My middle daughter and her family.

Count the grands...1...2...3...4...

My son (my oldest) and his family.

5...6...7...

My oldest daughter and her hubby

Their three boys below.

8...9...10... Little Pearls

And, my youngest daughter!

Merry Christmas from My Family to Yours!

Milk Jug Christmas Lantern

2011-12-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

There is little that could have brought me more holiday cheer

than from receiving this priceless glimpse from the home of three of

my grandsons the night following the Grandkid's Christmas Camp.

The Milk Jug Christmas Lantern

was one of our camp projects.

Each child was shown the flowered example in the above photo.

They were given a sheet of green tissue paper and a sheet of red

tissue paper to create their own lantern designs.

Tissue paper, a sponge brush, school glue,

scissors, a strand of lights, and an imagination is all

you need to make this project.

To make:

Wash the milk jugs and drain.

Cut along the top and two sides of the milk jug label.

This will create a door flap to insert the lights.

Dry the inside of the jug well.

(I had prepped my ten milk jugs to this point.)

Draw and cut out desired shapes to decorate the jug.

Brush on a thin layer of glue to the area of the jug where

you wish to place your paper.

Gently smooth out the paper in the glue.

Brush over the top of the paper with a thin layer of glue too.

Repeat until desired design is achieved!

Allow to dry.

Insert lights.

Oh so merry and bright!

See it Bigger Blog Give-Away

2011-12-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent two See It Bigger Planners by PlanAhead for my review. I couldn't be happier with the quality and convenience of these products!

One is a really cute pocket calendar.

The pocket planner is the perfect size for your handbag. It has all kinds of easy to use resources packed into it's compact size. The big print personal information page and the calendar pages have ample space for writing. It includes a two year reference calendar, and a listing of important holidays. I love that the holiday list includes the day of the week that the holiday falls on too!

The 2012 Weekly/Monthly Planner is a very handsome and quality made planner. The cover is very durable and the monthly tabs have been laminated for durability too. They are available in blue, black, and in a berry floral pattern. It too has large print personal information, important contacts, personal contacts, two year calendars at a glance, the holiday schedule, and upcoming events pages.

I love that the calendar pages have ample space for writing in the needed information. You could easily write in a name, time, address, phone number, and more. I also LOVE the extra space and pages allowed for notes throughout the planner.

I have three generations living in my home and these See it Bigger planners would work well for the twenty-something, the fifty-somethings, and the seventy-something who live here. They would be great for busy moms and business professionals too.

These planners would make a great Christmas gift or a great addition to your home office for the new year!

For more details check out www.planaheadnow.com .

Oh yes, the Give-Away!

Please leave a comment on this post for a chance to win your very own pocket planner and the large See it Bigger 2012 Planner. It is a great prize package. The winner will be randomly chosen on December 27th. Please be sure that I have a way to contact you. Good Luck!