Happy New Year!

One of the best things I did in 07 was to start reading all your crafty blogs. The talent, kindness, inspiration and generosity with freebies and tutorials. Just knowing you all are out there with your sewing machines, knitting needles, paints, fabrics, kids and families sure made this sometimes scary, maddening world seem less so.

Giant Thank you!

Christmas re-cap

Warning this may become long and boring. I hope not too much.

Santa Rat Face. Not my best photo but the girl wanted you to see it.

I've been wanting to blog about my Wii experience but I didn't want my kids to find out about a gift early.
I want to start by saying, I am not one of those people who latch onto the latest holiday toy craze, become insane, and do insane things. USUALLY.
My son wanted a Wii last year, no way budget wise and there was no way I was standing in line with all the living in their parents basement with no responsibilities 20 something boys who need the latest electronic. So when my son asked again this year and his sister agreed to share it with him to split the cost per kid, I thought this is do-able. My kids are great kids, polite, help when asked, put up with my wait until it goes on sale, wait until it's at the dollar movies etc.. So this year I wanted to give them a something cool that they didn't have to wait years after all of their friends have one gifts.
So I went and stood in line at Toys-R-Us around 6:15, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I was #26, they had 25. The following Sunday 4:30 and I was probably 50th in line. What a joke. The third Sunday I arrived 2:20am was 20th in line, they had 19. CRAP! I was cold, tired and beat down. Slept half the day away because mind you they don't tell you they only have 19 until 6am.

Sunday #4 they were predicting a Blizzard, I was sick and wasn't going no matter what. Around 11pm I get a wild hair, grab a sleeping bag, lawn chair, a few more blankets and some hand and foot warmers, determined those bastards weren't getting the best of me! (insanity) I was #4 in line, hunkered down in my little Sleeping bag cave and braved the night and storm. Every couple hours I would shake a few inches of snow off of me and I learned the hand and foot warmers only last about 4 hours. I was cold, exhausted, and even sicker (is that a word?), but triumphant!



My kids knew nothing because I left after they were asleep and got home before they got up. They love the Wii and love me. I proved to myself I am one Bad Mamma Jamma, but NEVER AGAIN!

Christmas Eve we went to my mom in laws party.

My niece loved her sock monster and loved the gift bag even more. I'd ask her were her sock monster was and in her sweet little 2year old voice say "In my bag". So cute.

I had made Great Grandpa a huge pot of split pea soup, his fave and homemade. Then put it in single serve containers and froze it. Filled a grocery bag which my daughter decorated. He loved it. He says no one ever makes split pea anymore. Now he can just zap some whenever he wants. I also kept the ham bone from the party and promised refills.

We got home that night and a wonderful package was waiting for me. I had won a mini bundle (mini my eye) of fabric from this talented fabric designer and author. You can check out her blog and web at http://www.lindalumdebono.com/ . Such kindness and such talent. Thank you so much. I love them.

I made 2 lunch bags today using her beautiful fabrics.

We also have a tradition of making sugar cookies.

My daughters style is to cover them with as much frosting and sprinkles as possible.

Hubbie and son teamed up for Homer and Marge.

My job is to frost what is left after the fam gets bored.

We got spoiled, ate too much, laughed a ton and had a wonderful time.

Merry Christmas!

I wont be posting for awhile due to the holidays, mom stuff, family stuff and a construction project. Yay!
My son gave me the pet chick off to the side. You can feed it in the bottom right, or turn off the annoying sound on the bottom left.
I want you all to have a safe, healthy, happy Christmas and New Year. Blessings to you all!

Our winter wonderland

Sugar Creek

Bluebird house

Long driveway

Old bike

Garden shed

Bird cage on the porch with snow inside from the blizzard

Our 1964 Avian camper

Pond almost ready for skating

Charlie Brown tree with deer tracks around

Snow dog

Mrs. Cardinal

Hello, my name is Mrs. Cardinal. I live at a beautiful wooded land and share it with many other birds. I also share it with a nice family who gives us wonderful seeds served from a beautiful berry filled Honeysuckle bush to get us through the winter cold. The lady of the house says it's our reward for helping eat the bugs all summer long.

Today I was eating my share of seeds and something startled me out of my bush and I hit a window of the house. Next thing I knew I was half buried in snow, cold and hurt I couldn't move. The lady of the house must of heard my thump, because the next thing I knew I was wrapped in a towel and was carried into that warm house.

After resting awhile, the lady tried to give me water in my beak but I wouldn't open it.

I started to feel a bit better so she took me outside and took photos.

She said I was the most beautiful bird she had ever seen.

She wrapped me back up and went inside, but she kept peeking out the window to make sure I was alright. I stayed in that cozy towel for about 45 minutes until I felt well enough to fly.

I flew back to the Honeysuckle bush and called to my mate, Mr. Cardinal. It took awhile for him to hear me, he was so worried and thought I was a goner. We stayed and ate seeds awhile, he at the feeder and I at the ground. (He likes to keep an eye on me)

I love my home in the woods as much as the lady of the house does and will forever be grateful for her kindness.

Let it snow!

View from our kitchen.

We had a SNOW DAY!!

Our first of the season. I think I get as excited as the kids. We got the weekend blizzard and were lucky to find out school was cancelled the evening before so I SLEPT IN. 10 hours total!

We went sledding.

My daughter and I made wrapping paper out of grocery bags.

We cut potatoes and made them into stampers.

We added artwork once the paint dried with markers.

Fun project and planet friendly.

I shoveled paths for the girls.

"Single file ladies"

Got to keep those cheeks warm.

week re-cap

Warning: This is a public service lecture for all the other blog fans out in blog land.

If you talk about a show you participating in, then keep us hanging not giving us the scoop, good, bad or otherwise after the show, well its just plain rude. I love to hear about shows and need photos and the scoop right away, not days later or not at all. Don't do that to us.

I think I'm done.

It was a busy week but nothing major.
Monday our bus scraped the neighbors mailboxes then got stuck. I sent the kids inside to clean their rooms. 45 mins later the salt truck came, salted and scraped and got the bus moving so I sent two very disappointed children off to school.

My son had his orchestra concert Tuesday eve. It was beautiful. Our school has an amazing music program and it shows. So while I'm there this 2 year old gave me an extremely wet cough right in the face. I felt it hit my lip. I knew at that moment I was doomed.

Last night my daughter had her orchestra concert and I had to keep throat lozenges in my pocket so my dry throat cough wouldn't be a distraction to the beautiful music. Yep, I'm sick.

So I had one of those fever filled, floating between sleep and awake weird dream nights. After I got the fam up and out,I then took a 2 hour nap this morning. This is the most fascinating blog ever, talking about naps.

I forced myself awake.
I had let the chickens out for their morning goodies, which was the last thing I wanted to do at the time. But now I'm feeling a tad better and want to show you what I did yesterday.

I made my born in August niece, a chewy, squishy bunny out of the softest (new but washed) sock. I stitched on the eyes so no choking hazard . It kind of looks like a doggie chew toy, but it is sooooo soft. She is also their 3rd daughter so they don't need any practical stuff.

My other niece likes her dolls just to wear diapers so I made some cloth with Velcro ones for her.

I also made her a monster out of a toe sock. She looked naked so I made her...

a too too.

I also made personalized gift bags for their gifts. The red stripe was my score from value world.

I made a few more gift bags to add to our stash. I used fabrics that I had purchased at garage sales or was given to me. I plan to have enough some day to never buy Christmas wrap again.

I think I may need to go lay down again. Wishing you all a great weekend.

Advent Calendars

My son has been wanting a Lego Advent Calendar for x-mas for quite some time. We got the Lego catalog for this year and it showed a girl version too. Well they were out of stock. I explained that it wouldn't be fair for one kid to get one and not the other.

So I purchased 2 small Lego items, 2 snowman place mats ( wish I had a before photo), gathered all my Christmas fabric and scraps and made each child their own calendars.

Cutting the "pockets" with pinking shears made the assembly much easier. I used heat and bond on the fabrics for the numbers. It took a little over 3 hours to make both. I then put a few pieces in each pocket.

The snowman on the place mat was a pocket for silverware. It now holds the instructions for the Lego item to be opened on day 25. They don't know what the Lego is supposed to be. It is exciting to get a few new pieces each day.

They are having fun trying to figure out what to make with the pieces.

Not bad for mystery Lego's!

Life is Beautiful

I like movies. I like free movies. I like when they have a movie on a Sunday afternoon, regular TV, that touches you in a way that has you thinking about it for days later.

I saw the movie "Life is Beautiful" yesterday. It starred, directed and was co-written by Roberto Benigni back in 1998. I knew he won the Oscar that year and I have always wanted to see it.

If you haven't seen it, you must. Make sure you get the English dubbed version (I hate reading a movie). I never thought I could laugh so hard during a movie about the Holocaust. It was funny, tender, touching, sickening and heart wrenching all at the same time. I just cant say enough about this movie. I can't stop thinking about this movie. Life is Beautiful.

lunch

Yay! The boy went to school after eating us out of house and home last night, and my chicken's foot seems much better. I joked yesterday about my boy being sick after eating the schools lunch. (I know cooties don't work that way) So I thought I'd tell you about something I have been making for my families lunches that makes it easy peazy for me in the morning.

I have talked about my love of homemade bread.

Here is the recipe I use.

I use these to make it a chewy, healthy bread.

I stir with a wooden spoon right at bedtime until everything is well mixed.
Cover it with plastic. It takes less that 5 mins.

In the morning after I get my family out, I stretch it out on a floured surface.
I cut off about 1/5 th of the dough.

I spread it out, then put on about 6 pepperoni.

Top with about 1/4 cup of cheese.

I use Ham and cheese too (my daughter loves). This photo is when I used the whole loaf for dinner. With a side of broccoli, it made a tasty meal.

Seal, put on sprayed or buttered pan, finish the rest and cover with plastic and wait 2 hours.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 mins.

Cool, then I wrap with wax paper and label. Then refrigerate.

In the morning I grab one, put homemade Iced tea or juice in a recycled gator aid bottle (from soccer), a piece of fruit and a little goodie in a lunch bag. Super easy.

I figured out my cost for lunches at about $1 each. Our school lunches are $2.50, $3 if they get the extra treat, my hubbies lunch would be around $4. So by spending a little time I am able to save around $7 per day, $35 per week, $140 per month, you get the picture.

If you work during the day you can start the bread in the morning and do the rest after work, or do a big batch over the weekend.

I forgot to add that I have put in cinnamon and sugar, rolled it up and made cinnamon rolls. I have also put in ingredients for apple pie inside, it is deeeeeeliiiiiiishhhh.