Reindeer Craft

This past Sunday my family hosted a Gingerbread House Decorating and Craft night for some of Shane's toddler friends. Our home was filled with elated giggles, good conversations, and the warmth of Christmas cheer. It was a perfect little dream watching the wonder of the season through these little ones.

One of the crafts we did was a classic Reindeer hand and foot print craft. It was so easy to do and the kids loved it. Plus, I can never resist anything with my little guys hand and foot prints. Keith's are so squishy and Shane's are growing fast so I like to have little activities their ever changing hand and foot prints like our Turkey Family Craft.

Supplies

scissors
glue stick
construction paper in brown, black, and white
pen or pencil
cute set of hands and feet

Optional Supplies
red construction paper
circle cutter  or a hole punch and 1 inch hole punch

Directions
1. Trace one foot and one hand onto brown construction paper and cut out.

2. Flip the hand print over and trace it onto brown paper and and cut out. This step can be skipped if you can get both hands traced but for my squirmy little 10 month old I just used this trick.

3. Draw two circles on the white paper and the black paper for eyes and cut out or use the circle cutter.

4. Draw and cut out a red or black circle for the nose or use the circle cutter.

5. Position the foot with the toes up and glue the hands on the toe area as antlers. Then, glue on the the eyes and nose.

My Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that you have written on an envelope and that are handed down from generation to generation. They are tested and true, filling your  home with amazing smells. They bring memories of happy times because you have made them time and time again for the people you love. This is that recipe for me. My Great Grandmother's Sugar Cookie Recipe. They smell like a happy Christmas to me every time I make them and for advent this past week we made sugar cookies.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, sift flour and salt then toss to combine.

2. In a stand up mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, butter, and egg until light and fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes on a medium setting.

3. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined.

3. Roll dough into 1/3 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into desired shape using cookie cutters or a knife. Place into an i greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake cookies in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cool on a cooling rack and store in an air tight container for up to 5 days or freeze for a rainy day!

A Beautiful Reminder

This past week was a whirlwind. I was still trying to catch up from The Brothers having a week long virus. Keith was on the tale end of his stomach bug and I was sleep deprived from the frequent night wakings. Brian and I had opened our home up for a Thanksgiving brunch and we were busy trying to clean the house and cook on top of caring for our babies. I remember feeling slightly run down; my hair in a ponytail, my husbands sweatshirt on, no makeup, flour wiped on my face. I was not at my finest.

One morning I was getting Keith laid down for his nap and hurried to grab something for a long overdue breakfast.  My spunky little Shane was busy telling me a story while building a bridge - his current FAVORITE activity. I may have an engineer on my hands. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of myself and mumbled under my breath that I really needed a shower and to get dressed today because I was not looking great. In a quick second, I felt two little arms wrapped tightly around my legs from behind and looked down to see Shane beaming an adoring smile up at me. "Remember you are beautiful mama, God made you," Shane said as he embraced me.

What a reminder! What a kind worded compliment so tenderly delivered from my son. In that moment, holding Keith, being hugged by Shane, I felt valued and cherished. I did not look beautiful according to the worlds standards but as my sweet child reminded me, God made me according to his image and I was beautiful. Most importantly I was loved.

Thankful Thursday: The Silver Lining of Sick Days

Happy Thursday! The Christmas decorations are up, the presents are wrapped, and my kitchen has been alive with amazing smells and delicious cooking going on. It was hard to narrow down just one moment this past week but I am glad I captured this sweet time with Shane. 

Having a toddler that explores everything means that during the winter months my whole family gets sick. Last week both my boys were sick and despite cleaning up after them, getting little sleep, and giving lots of baths I found joy caring for my babies. I am thankful for the snuggles that come with the sick days. That little bit of bonding and care taking goes a long way!

Christmas Decorations

Today I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals to show you my Christmas decorations!

I love decorating for the holidays! I already have written about how we decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving and today you get to peek inside our home and see what Christmas looks like.

This wreath for our front door was the first decor I bought for our house 8 years ago. It is from Costco and I love how big and full it is and the added touch of pine cones. We have big colored Christmas lights up around the outside of the house but I did not get you a night shot and during the day they are not much to look at.

Inside our living room lives our Christmas tree. Our amazing noble fir tree is light with white lights and a collection of ornaments from Brian's and my childhood. We have slowly been adding to them over the years and starting a collection for our boys. I ordered a huge roll of red burlap ribbon that I twist around our tree. This year we did not measure well and our tree was so tall we could not fit a topper on! So starless we go but I LOVE how a fresh tree smells with or without a tree topper. 

Right inside the front door I hang this little sign Brian and I picked up on a trip to Bend, OR one year. It is a great cranberry color that matches the couch in the living room.

In the living room I stick out a Christmas book and devotional that we read during the season and on Christmas morning. 

Above my kitchen sink I have this little vase with some glitter vase filler. I put out one of our mugs and have some red and white stripe straws to put in there for our hot chocolate.

On the other side of my kitchen window are my little snowmen. I love how playful they are! My Aunt and Uncle gave these to me in college on year and they did not get much use in my single days but now that I have a place to display them they are out every year and one of my favorite decorations.

In our family room we have a fireplace where our stockings hang. I made a garland last year with bells and snowflakes and it adds a bit more festivity to a really blank wall. I greatly dislike that my beautiful fireplace doubles as a TV stand so all the cheer I can add here helps.

The Brother's have their own nativity scene that is kid friendly. I have a pretty ceramic one but after last year I decided to keep that one tucked away for a few years and opted for one the kids could touch and interact with. I also have a few Christmas books out.

This is one of my favorites for my kids right now. One Night in Bethlehem.

This is my makeshift advent calendar this year. I found this idea from iheartorganzing.com

and loved The Countdown to Christmas ideas where she does activities with her family. I used most of her pre-made cards and ideas then substituted a few of my own or her free printable. As opposed to putting them in envelopes I have my taped to my pantry door. Ideally I would get something prettier but for now this works and I wanted to be able to see them so I could plan around Brian's work schedule and not be suprised with a Christmas Light Drive on a night he was gone. 

Inside our downstairs bathroom we have a little sign and tree next to the sink on the counter.


That is our home for Christmas this year...so far. I still need to get a kid friendly centerpiece up. Last year I decorated with our Christmas gifts which I thought was a win win. They were out of the way and looked so pretty. Shane saw his name on the gifts and started unwrapping when I was getting breakfast ready. Mom fail! So I will be brainstorming on a new centerpiece and enjoy the rest of our cheery home.

Happy Holidays!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow Craft

Last week Shane I did a quick craft. We made a snow scene with four supplies and it took 20 minutes. It is such a cute one that I have left it up and it may just stay there until new years. We also read Snow and talked about how the weather was going to change soon now that it was getting cold. We had a wonderful time with this craft and I hope you do too! 

Supplies

a large sheet of contact paper

15-20 cotton balls

paper cut into squares and triangles of various sizes

tape

Directions

1. Remove the backing of the contact paper and tape to a easily accessible and hard surface such as a window. Make sure the sticky side faces out. 

2. Assemble the triangles and squares into a houses and trees. 

3. Dab the cotton balls on the contact paper to create the illusion of swirling snow. 

10 Month Old Lunches

Last  month I shared with you what I send to work with Brian for lunch. Today I am sharing with you what Keith, my sweet little 10 month old, has for lunch. Keith is a easy eater. He tends to dislike tart foods but otherwise I have not found a food he won't eat. I know this may change in the toddler years but I am doing all I can to promote healthy eating habits with this sweet boy. Keith eats a lot of what I eat but I make it more baby friendly and I try and offer a small amount of a wide variety of foods. Here are three sample meals of what we feed our baby for lunch.

Day 1

softened black beans

peas

apple sauce

Day 2

raspberries

peas
whole milk mozzarella cheese
shredded chicken

whole wheat well cooked macaroni noodles

Day 3

pear sauce
peas and whole wheat noodles sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

Here are a few more ideas of what I keep on rotation for Keith. I feed some purees and incorporate finger foods.

Fruit 

fresh diced pear

frozen mango, warmed and diced

apple sauce

blueberries

banana

avocado

Protein

black beans that are well cooked

homemade re fried beans

baked and flaked white fish such as cod or halibut

Applegate roasted chicken cut into tiny pieces

egg yolk

Vegetable

roasted yams, smashed

roasted squash, cut into bite sized pieces

peas

roasted egg plant cut into bite sized pieces

steamed broccoli, diced

pureed zuccini

pureed carrots

Grain

homemade whole wheat tortillas

whole wheat biscuits

whole wheat bread

whole wheat pasta, well cooked

Dairy

whole milk mozzarella

Irish Cheddar cheese

whole milk yogurt with apple sauce or small pieces of fruit mixed in

Mixed Meal Ideas

homemade whole wheat mini pizzas

homemade cheese and bean quesadilla

whole wheat pasta tossed with Parmesan cheese and peas

whole wheat spaghetti and marinara

whole wheat bread with hummus
banana and strawberry puree mixed with whole milk yogurt
meatballs