Christmas Memories...

Hello. I'm back!  I took a little break from blogging to enjoy the Christmas season and to plan for festivities, such as little man's birthday party.  He turned 2 this week!  I thought I'd post a few of our Christmas pics and then later this week, I'll share little man's cookie monster party! 

Cookie baking.....

Aunt Patty's- Christmas Eve

 

Twas the night before Christmas.......

Girls enjoying MP3 players from Santa!

                                  "Wow, Buzz!"

You know that you've been married a long time
when you buy each other Sesame pajamas for Christmas!

Happy New Year and many blessings,

Jen

December Happenings....





A Lyrical Christmas Carol

Sunshine danced and sang her heart out!

Little man

He's been busy taking ornaments off of the tree,

knocking over our tree, and getting his
finger stuck in an ornament. Yikes!
Luckily, no one is injured.

Peanut building at a Lowe's trip
Tour and workshop

Christmas Tree pics!

Lots and lots to do..Doing my best to enjoy this lovely month,
 to focus on the true meaning, and enjoy family!

Merry Christmas!

Jen





Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Charades

Just a quick round of Christmas Charades!  Take a guess...... (answers at bottom of post).  

Okay, Let's see how you did! 

Photo #1-a Christmas tree with and angel on top

Photo #2-Rudolph (only in my house. lol)

Photo #3- another reindeer (in camo)

Just a peek into my silly and creative household!  For more ideas for Christmas Charades, be sure to check out this post.

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

For more W.W., be sure to visit...

5 Minutes for Mom

Merry Christmas,

Jen

Christmas Exploration Box


I couldn't wait to put this together for my little man!  It was so simple, too.  I used items around the house and some thrifty dollar store finds.  Gotta love the Dollar Tree! 

Contents: pom poms, snow flakes, bows, jingle bells, mini garland(cut),
wrapped toilet paper roll, mini stocking, Christmas gift box

Embrace this beautiful season,

Jen

Merry Christmas!

Just in case I go into labor tonight (close to due date- the 25th) or don't get a chance to get online again before Christmas, I'd like to wish you a wonderful holiday with your families.

Family, Friends, and Jesus- the true gifts of Christmas- enjoy them!

Christmas Blessings from my family to yours!

Jen

Yummy Christmas Trees!

The girls loved making these edible Christmas Trees!




I found the idea on the blogosphere and can kick myself for not writing down where. I'd like to give the blog some recognition- so Thank you, mystery blogger!


This was a simple activity to organize.
Here's what you need:


frosting, green food coloring, mini-mnm's, and sugar cones

They liked putting in their own food coloring and mixing up the frosting. We used butter knives to put the frosting on the cone. Also, I put a little frosting on the bottom of the cone and stuck it to wax paper on a small plate.









Merry Christmas!

Jen

Christmas Charades

Looking for a simple activity to do with your kids for family night? How about Christmas Charades? I made up little cards based on the Christmas story and popular Christmas characters and winter activities. The girls and Dad acted out the cards and guessed, while Mom facilitated. I did act out one- can you believe I picked a donkey? So there I was 9 months pregnant on all fours acting like a donkey. Not a sight you probably want to see!

Here are some suggestions for homemade Christmas Charades:

Mary/Joseph
WiseMen
Baby Jesus
Shepher
Animals from Nativity
Inn Keeper
Gabriel the Angel
Rudolph
Frosty
Sledriding
Snowball battle
Building a snowman
Caroling
Trimming the Tree
Santa
Christmas Morning
Riding on a one-horse open sleigh
Elf
The Grinch
Scrooge

Be creative coming up with more and have fun. We sure did!

Christmas Blessings,

Jen

Hershey Kiss Ornaments

I love making these Hershey Kiss wreaths with the girls. It brings back so many memories of making them with my own mother. They are pretty simple to make and you get to eat chocolate while you are making them- can't beat a creative activity with chocolate. For directions, click on last years post.
http://raisingcreativeandcuriouskids.blogspot.com/2008/12/hershey-kisses.html



Don't they look great hanging on the tree. So tempting though!

Christmas Greetings!

Jen

The 12 Books of Christmas!

What better gift to give your child this Christmas than the gift of reading! Today, I wrapped up 12 of our favorite Christmas stories. Each day during the last 12 days before Christmas, my girls will take turns unwrapping a book for Mom or Dad to read to them. I numbered the books from 1 to 12. I saved The Night Before Christmas for Christmas Eve and a Christmas book about the birth of Jesus for Christmas Day.

I wish I could take credit for this fun Christmas tradition, but I read it somewhere last year.(can't remember where??) I showed Peanut the 12 wrapped books and she is excited to get started.

"Can we start today Mamma? Can I open one, please?"

You can adapt this idea to however it works best for your family. The original idea may have even been to do it each day during the month of December. Also, if you don't own a lot of Christmas stories, books from the library can be used as well.

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

Jen

Hershey Kisses!!

Yum!! Who can't resist a Hershey kiss?? I wish I invented this little drop of heaven!! Every Christmas when I was a little girl, my mother would make Hershey Kiss wreaths with us. I can remember looking at that little wreath on the tree and wanting to eat it before Christmas arrived. What a great lesson in patience! This year, my husband and I made them with our girls! They loved talking about how their mommy made these when she was a little girl with their special Grammy! It is so simple and be sure to have some extra kisses on hand to eat while you are creating!


Materials: a bag of Hershey Kisses, curling ribbon, a piece of cardboard, Aluminum foil, glue

Directions:
1. Draw or trace a 4 inch circle onto cardboard. Cut out.
2. Next, cut out a circle in the center to make the shape of small wreath- with enough space to glue Hershey kisses around it.
3. Cover the cardboard wreath with aluminum foil.
4. Glue red, silver,and green Hershey kisses around the wreath.(put just a small dab of glue on the bottom of each kiss. Let dry.
5. Tie a piece of ribbon on the wreath.
6. Let your child hang their Hershey Kiss Wreath on your Christmas tree or give to someone special for a gift!!

Have a Very Merry Christmas filled with lots of chocolate and
have fun celebrating the birth of Jesus with your families!!

Blessings,
Jen

My Little Angel!!

One of my absolute favorite Christmas gifts given to me by my sunshine when she was three years old is this Angel craft above that she made for me at Preschool. I will keep this one forever!!! Luckily, her teacher even laminated it- Yeah!! I am so hoping that my littlest will come home with one of these this year. If not, I'll have to do it with her, because isn't it adorable?? I want to cry every time I look at it!

Here's another angel idea that I found in one of my Usborne Christmas books!(Things to Make and Do for Christmas by F. Watt & R. Gibson) A sneak peak for my favorite readers!!!



Starting to look like Christmas around here!!
Christmas Blessings,
Jen

Exciting News!

I'm very excited to be featured over at Keeper of the Cheerios for her Christmas in November Giveaway! I'll be giving away another great book titled- Things to Make and Do for Christmas! Be sure to head on over and take a peek!! Good Luck!!


Merry Christmas in November!!
Jen

Gifts in a Jar

Oh, how much fun it would be to make homemade gifts in the jar with the kids for the holidays! The Household Helper offers a great e-book for an affordable price. It includes recipes such as Apple Cake in a Jar and Instant Cappuccino Mix.
Click below on Great Gifts in a Jar for more details!

I've made these as gifts before and they were very easy to make. Also, it is great idea for a craft for a mother's group or as I mentioned above to do with the kids! Creating something together while teaching the gift of giving!

Now I'm hungry after writing this post and it's almost midnight- not the best time for snacking!!LOL

Goodnight,