holiday cheer

Black Friday, Schmack Friday.  Who needs to wake up at 2am to fight the crowds when you can find the perfect gift at the perfect price while sitting cozily in your pajamas in the comfort of your own home? By now you know that this year I have been searching Etsy.com for handmade, unique, & reasonably priced gifts.   I have already featured some pretty amazing items, and there is still much more to come, but for Black Friday I reserved what I believe is hands down the best deal around, Etsy.com or elsewhere. Behold, I bring you the Scrabble Tile Pendant by TKI Designs. It is stylish. It is ... read more

About a year ago, when I finally got fed up with paying 5 dollars apiece every time I went to Hallmark, I started making my own cards.  Unfortunately for everyone who receives them, my homemade cards really aren’t pretty–an awkward combination of scrapbook paper & some sort of greeting card appropriate vellum sticker sentiment.  Passable, (if it’s the thought that counts), but certainly not impressive. I have always wanted to learn how to stamp.  Every time I go to the craft store I spend way too much time drooling over all the pretty stamps & imagining how nice my cards could be if only I could figure it all out. But ... read more

I have to be honest, I am feeling a little stressed about Christmas shopping this year.  We have a lot of extra people spending the holidays with us, and my role as “Santa” means I have a lot of stocking to fill. I normally love finding special and unique gifts for each person on my list.  However, the sheer quantity this year is stretching both my creativity (of which I have little) and my budget.  I am pretty good at stretching my money through coupon shopping, which means that Santa will be bringing everyone a variety of toothbrushes, lotions, & body wash this year.  Unconventional, perhaps, but those low-cost (or ... read more

I have a really bad memory and most of my childhood is a bit of a blur, but I remember learning how to sew like it was yesterday.  The summer between 5th and 6th grade, my friend Sarah called me up, out of the blue, and asked if I wanted to take a sewing class at the local fabric store with her.  Up to that moment, I had never even thought about sewing, but I liked Sarah and it was summer and I had nothing better to do, so I said sure, why not?  We started the class, two 11 year-olds in a room full of middle-aged women.  It was ... read more

Like many families, most Sunday mornings we head to church.  Our church has 3 services at 8am, 9:15am, and 11am.  The 11am service always seems to conflict with Trouble’s naptime and the 9:15am service is the “contemporary” service.  We prefer our church more on the traditional side.  That leaves us with the 8am service. Thus, Sunday mornings are usually a mad (often angry) dash of trying to get the girls out of bed, dressed in their (usually matching) Sunday dresses, hair combed, teeth brushed, quick breakfast in their tummies, shoes on, and strapped in their car seats (not to mention ourselves dressed & ready) just in time make our entrance ... read more