santa christmas card craft

This simple Santa card craft is easy to make and requires very little as far as energy and supplies go.

Supplies:
Scissors
Glue
Cardstock-- any kind of paper will do
Googley eyes-- can be substituted with drawn on ones
Fuzzy ball-- also can be substituted with drawn on ones
And lastly, the best and most crowd pleasing part: very basic cutting and gluing skills

But my favorite part of this whole project was the sweet chubby little helper hands. Gluing is his favorite and sometimes he gets a little (or a lot, actually) carried away, but with this; he was so very into the fact that we were making these for friends and he took that very seriously.

We opted for different shades of pinks and reds with our Santa suits this year. In prior years we've done all red, which I loved (see here) but I thought we'd switch it up a bit this year. 

And I'm happy we did!

wrapping presents with goldfish crackers

We partnered up with Goldfish crackers again to show how we incorporate our favorite snack into our holiday traditions. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Goldfish crackers helps us in making it a little extra wonderful. Classics and classics. Is there anything better!? The kids wouldn't think so. The two of them ate almost the whole bag!

Visit here for the Goldfish crackers Pinterest page for holiday activity, craft, and mix ideas to create your own Goldfish moments together as a family. For extra festivities, you can pull out a bag of colored Goldfish crackers. You can learn more about them here.

Logan tried her best in wrapping, but Jordan was on a mission to make this specific gift the best wrapped present under our tree. We decided Lo would be our official snack getter and help when Jordy needed her to. Goldfish crackers are a snack I feel good about serving to my children. They are always baked with  real cheese, they have no artificial flavors or preservatives, and their colors are sourced from plants, such as annatto extracted from the reddish seeds of the achiote tree.

Every year I love buying wrapping paper-- probably more than we need. I'm all about a quality thick paper that won't tear when you cut it. These plaid Christmas trees are my favorite-- and these simple tags paired with it...perfection!

We had so much fun creating this video which was set out to be, older cousin Jordan teaching Logan to wrap a present, but turned into him handling it all on his own. She didn't mind too much because goldfish crackers were still included. Also, the song in this video is pure magic.

december

^ Waiting in line to see Santa.

^ Picking out Christmas trees, and partaking in community festivities on maybe the coldest night yet this season. 

^ Found a tree at a new stop very close to home.

^ We participate in a holiday #NaturePalExchange and made some new friends in Seattle in the process. Hoe wonderful is this nature package?! Such a great seasonal surprise! 

*Hoping to document our package that we sent out to them soon.

^ These vintage plastic nativity lawn decorations have been on my grandmother's porch for as long as I can remember. They bring comfort and joy, which in December feels just right.









**I 'm playing a catch-up of sorts in documenting our photos here in this space. I've been using Instagram as my number one tool for photos and documenting, but I want to store them here as well, sharing a little more in-depth for our electronic family scrapbook. I'll be chipping away at the archives in the next couple of weeks clearing out the  photo albums in my iPhone. I'm also hoping to pull my camera out more, or maybe even invest in a new one.  Here's to hopes and dreams!

halloween inspiration

pumpkin.mummy.poster.wands.shirt.bats.

I love scouring the internet for inspiration as a new season begins. It's a prep of sorts for all the goodness to come. There is so much that I want to do, or buy, that realistically I could never tend to it all. I pulled a few favorites that set the tone of my Halloween dreaming. Because in this house, we've been doing a lot of it. 

Logan's costume has been purchased and delivered weeks ago. She is dressing up as Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. She could not be any more excited. I don't know if it's anticipation of the frizzy hair she insisted on rocking or the special wizard powers the character carries. She has a wand but I just loved the different colors and the feel of the DIY ones pictured above.

We are all about Holiday themed crafts and do several throughout the holiday seasons, Halloween being no exception. In fact, it may be Logan's favorite holiday to craft during. She is all about the uncertainty of spooky slimy gore. This cute little bat is definitely on our craft to-do list. So is the light-up mummy with the googley eyes. I love the simplistic look of both crafts.

This past weekend Logan painted her first pumpkin of the season. We do a lot of pumpkin painting in the fall. I love the brushstoke polka dot pumpkins pictured above. They are stylish and simple and any age can pull them off. We are going to use them for inspiration next time we paint.

Witch better have my candy. Enough said. 
I am loving all the Halloween inspired T-shirts. 
Hard to choose just one.

santa cards

This craft was inspired by this post. The second I saw it, I knew it would be the perfect craft for Lo this holiday season. I love homemade kid cards. Each year we send cards out to friends and family. Logan had so much fun making these. We did them in stages because she got a little bored from the tedious gluing. I wanted them to be her project, so this was the best option for us. I had everything pre-cut and ready for her in an assembly line structure of sorts. I did simple shapes for easy cutting. The hats I cut freely so there is a little variation in them. All items I found at our local craft store.

To speed things up, I glued the face onto the paper doily, saving Lo a step in assembling.

We used light pink watercolor for Santa's rosy cheeks and a black marker for a drawn on mouth. 

After they dried, I got out some white paint for snow prints. That was Lo's favorite part. I think they turned out pretty great! We can't wait for December to arrive so we can send them out.

my favorite things pt.2 || stocking stuffers

Logan

1. A meaningful print to hang in her room-- rolled up, would fit perfectly in Lo's stocking.

2. Logan loves using the iPad at night when we watch some TV, her current pair of headphones are MIA at the moment, so a new pair may be needed.

3. I've had this pinned forveverrr. It would look adorable peeking out of Lo's stocking. This doll in particular is not available anymore, but the other dolls in this shop are just as adorable. 

4. This girl loves chocolate. We always love to try new kinds. I never bought this brand before, but after reading about the company, I was instantly sold. Check it out!

5. To have her very own nail polish would be everything for this girl.

6. These I also had pinned for too long. I love their cute little size and Waldorf inspired look. I will definitely be ordering a few of these for Lo.

7. Stamps are always too much fun for my girl. They keep her busy for quite a while too. A win for both her and I.

Scott

1. I love the look of this packaged soap-- classic, clean, manly. And sea salt anything is the best. I know Sco would be happy with this.

2. Beard oil is all the rage right now. We're curious to try it out. A stocking must!

3. Boston is both mine and Sco's favorite city. We've liked this map poster for a while now.

4. I like unconventional things for stockings and think this bag, rolled up, just may fit in Scott's. If not, it can go under the tree. Sco needs a new bag for work and I'm loving this blue.

5. Anyone who knows Sco, knows he loves coffee-- needs it to function, in fact. This shirt was made for him.

6. A Starbucks gift card: to support his habit.

7. Winter in PA is rough on the skin. I've read great things about this chapstick. We're going to give it a try.

and just for fun--  me ;)

1. I adore these shades. I never ever buy myself expensive sunglasses, but I may just spoil myself this spring. The top two are my favorite.

2. I pinned this a while back. It's so simple, but so not. I would love it on my wall.

3. This is my favorite shampoo, ever, for both myself and Logan. I used it on Lo's hair since she was a newborn, but as her hair grew longer, I stopped buying it because it was a lot pricier than our other go-to, Panteen. Now that her hair is a lot shorter, I'd love to bring it back into our shower.

4. I recently reinstated my gym membership, and I've been going to the gym regularly for the past couple of weeks now, with anticipation of continuing to exercise weekly. I bought a pair of cheapy $5 ear buds at the store next to the gym and they have broke on me already. 5 bucks, I didn't have high hopes. But, now I'm feeling like a good pair may be a staple for gym days.

5. This past summer I read a book, that wasn't from the kids section, a first in way too long, and I loved it! Couldn't put it down. I actually had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading. This book is by the same author. I'm not sure I can wait for christmas though!

6. I need a new sports bra. This one looks perfect and has received great reviews.

7. This bag is the exact one I posted for Scott but different in color. I don't really need a backpack, but I love, love, love bags. Plus how cute would it be to match my guy. 

8. I haven't worn a watch in years... I think it may be time. See what I did there... ;)

9. I've been using an organic pumpkin face scrub for the past month and I am loving the way my skin looks and feels. I would love to try out some different scrubs. This one looks great! They are a few DIY recipes on Pinterest I may try out as well.

***Disclaimer: Though I would love to buy e v e r y t h i n g  on these boards, they mostly will serve as inspiration. See more on my Pinterest boards.

halloween cards

Every year since Logan could, we've made cards for special holidays and sent them out to friends, 
both big and little. 

Halloween cards have always been the most fun to make since we're able to get most creative. 

I found these super cute eye stickers and had to have them. 
I wasn't quite sure what we were going to do with them, but I knew we would figure something out. 

This is what we came up with, and I think they are great! 

We kept the cards pretty simple as far as detail goes because I kind of didn't want to take away from the muted tones and little  details in the eyes themselves. I love the messy eyebrows and crazy spooky varieties in the mouths. 

I find it so impactful to cut out special time to do things like this with her. 
I love exploring and finding new ways with helping her to create something unique to just her.

I love that she too, so little, can inspire me in such a big way.

a holly, jolly christmas, this year..

I didn't take many photos this Christmas because we were so in the moment, that I basically forgot. But these few that I did take, I wish to savor forever. This was our best Christmas thus far, as a family of three. Logan has finally reached an age where she can understand most things-- and does she ever. This girl knows just about every Christmas song made, ever. It's so fun to hear her sing the old ones especially. She has mastered the art of wrapping. And aside from her already (non-surprising) taste testing skills, she can decorate like no ones business. This holiday season we watched snow fall, visited Santa, assembled the most perfect tree, drove around looking at lights, and ate way too many candy canes. Usually once Christmas is over, I feel a little down-- mostly because it comes and goes all too fast; but this year is different. I feel satisfied, full even. I feel ready to put 2013 on the shelf and ready to welcome 2014. These past few months, I've been experimenting with the notion that, 'less is more,' and from what I'm finding, it really rings true. We hope to carry this with us into the new year, along with a slew of other things, and a slower pace.

book advent

 

It's no secret that Logan is nuts about books-- so what better way to celebrate the coming days leading up to Christmas than a Book Advent?!

Each day Lo gets to open a book-gift. Most books are either thrifted or ones we had in our collection. We did pick up a few new books too. 

We're two days in, and so far, it's been a hit. Logan loves waking up and opening a gift. She searches for the number, and we read our  book before breakfast. So far we have read Pooh's "Here Comes Winter" and a vintage copy of "Frosty the Snowman."

Some other books we'll be reading include:

Berenstain Bears Santa Bear
Christmas Mice
The Night Before Christmas
Home Alone (possibly a bit mature for her, but a classic!)
Merry Christmas Mouse
Christmas in the Manger
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (another classic)
What is Christmas?
Merry Christmas, Curious George
and Christmas Mice to list a few..
We also threw in some winter related stories for good measure.

Along with this, we plan to do some sort of 'cheerful' activity each week leading up to Christmas. 
We'll let our Christmas Countdown from last year be our guide.



Is there anything special you do during Advent?

the last thursday in november

...to you and yours

and mine too.

   

christmas shops are good for the soul

 

Last year we visited a local farm/market to take photos by the outdoor evergreens for our Christmas cards; and since that visit was such a success, we decided to do a repeat. Unfortunately, this year we were too early-- no tress were out yet. Nope, not a single one. The cute little side shop was though, so we ventured in committed to not waste a stop. To say Logan was overwhelmed is an understatement. An ocean of red, green, and glitter swept her in and she just floated along taking everything in. We did manage to get a couple cute 'holiday' shots of her. She even got a little time outside in the playground area to swing. Logan had been indoors for a few days nursing a cough, so this trip out to reconnect with society and get some fresh air was just what she needed. Watching our sweet little girl, at such a happy time explore and heighten her excitement for the holidays was just what we needed. A win for all.

There is a pretty funny video on Scott's instagram I took of Lo on the swings in which I misjudged the length between my face and her legs, and get kicked. 

My instagram is here.