Originally posted December 2009. My mom made this adorable nativity scene for my kids 4 years ago. They love it. Kaylee loves it because she likes knocking blocks over. She can't walk by a stack of blocks without practically sacrificing herself to scatter them. I taught a class on how to make these a few years ago in Kodiak. I couldn't find the stickers in the size that my mom used so I bought them a little smaller. Derrick cut out a couple hundred 2.5" blocks and smoothed the edges ... Read More about Block Nativity Scene
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Advent Gum Packs!
I made these little gum advent books for my piano students. I have two right now, sisters, who are 13 and 11. They are so sweet and I wanted to make them something instead of just buying candy. Since I didn't have any Christmas card stock I used a girlie theme instead. I hope they like them! Each day they can pop out a piece of gum! And what teen or pre-teen doesn't like gum? The foil gum pack slides back into the case. Each book holds 2 foil packs for a total of 24 pieces of ... Read More about Advent Gum Packs!
Dragon/Castle Birthday Party!
 Another post on our little guy's special day. We had his party this weekend and it went great! We did a Dragon/Castle theme. We sent out invites on antique looking paper with wax seals. Aaron had fun helping with the wax stamp. They looked nice and "official" for the century we were going for :) We invited the children to come in their best knight/princess attire, and they did! Super cute! I was happy with how the fondant turned out on the cake. I've made probably 8 fondant cakes so far and ... Read More about Dragon/Castle Birthday Party!
Bakugan Cupcakes
:: Taking a break from Christmas posts to celebrate our little guy:: My son's birthday is right before Christmas. Poor kid. We actually "planned" his pregnancy around the fact that we did not want to have a child around Christmas. Well, I guess I'm not that great at figuring out dates because his due date was December 25th! Oh well! We just make sure that his party is completely separate from Christmas and that we don't downsize it at all with the big holiday that follows it. His party is ... Read More about Bakugan Cupcakes
Our Favorite Nativity Set
 I ordered this porcelain Nativity set from Oriental Trading 2 years ago. We didn't have a chance to paint them last year and I am so glad that we waited. Kaylee is old enough to help this year and so it was a project that they could all do together.  They used acrylic paint and after the paint had dried, I touched up any spots that weren't completely covered. A couple of coats of clear spray paint and they were finished.  They really got into the character that they chose to paint. Kaylee ... Read More about Our Favorite Nativity Set
Corn & Bean Salsa
I made this for a luncheon when we were in Utah. It was so easy and delicious, not to mention....healthy. Which is rare this time of year, lol. So after eating a pound of toffee, gingerbread cookies, candy canes, and fudge...have a serving of this. I play mind games like that and it always makes me feel better :) Corn and Bean Salsa 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 can corn, drained and rinsed 2 cans rotel or diced tomatoes with chilies, ... Read More about Corn & Bean Salsa
Painted Fleece Blankets
The kids and I made ones of these personalized blankets for Derrick last year. You can see it here. We decided to make a bunch more this year for grandparents. Â All you need are acrylic paints and fleece! Acrylic paints are permanent. I know this because I have ruined several articles of clothing from previous projects ;) You can wash it and dry it, the same as you would any other blanket. Â We let the kids loose to paint whatever they wanted. We also helped them add their hand or foot ... Read More about Painted Fleece Blankets
Homemade Science Kits for Kids With Printable Instructions
These science kits for kids are easy to put together using household ingredients! They even come with printable instructions. Bobbing raisins, Invisible Ink, Wriggle Worms and more! Package them all up in baggies and put in a tote for a fun and educational gift or summer activity for kids.  Today I'm sharing a homemade gift idea that we did for my sister's family. A Science Kit for my nieces and nephews! Science kits for kids are always fun, and this one was fairly inexpensive since it was ... Read More about Homemade Science Kits for Kids With Printable Instructions
Homemade Wedding Gift Ideas
I put this gift together for my brother Cody, and his new wife, Brooke.  I try to go the homemade route whenever possible and wanted to come up with a gift that was personal, yet very practical for this young couple. Using the techniques in this post, I made an acid etched casserole dish as well as a large treat jar for their kitchen. Using the technique found in this post, I made a soap bottle for their kitchen as well. Then I added some of my favorite fabric to some white ... Read More about Homemade Wedding Gift Ideas