tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73174971878746937262024-03-13T04:02:08.280-07:00Chrystal's CornerJUST A LITTLE PIECE OF ME. WHAT I DO DAY TO DAY AS A STAY AT HOME MOM AND WIFE.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.comBlogger375125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-78330918501552392382014-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:002014-12-23T12:01:00.705-08:00Elfie 2014 - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The month seems to have flown by and tomorrow we will be saying goodbye to Elfie once again. I shared with you his beginning of the month antics in <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2014/12/elfie-2014-still-going-strong.html" target="_blank">a previous post</a> and I wanted to show you what has gone on the last half of the month. He definitely keeps life interesting this time of year!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXvYI1MYbrk/VJnF-dO3N1I/AAAAAAAAEJE/udd1CbEEhIc/s1600/Dec16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXvYI1MYbrk/VJnF-dO3N1I/AAAAAAAAEJE/udd1CbEEhIc/s1600/Dec16.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot chocolate goodies! You can see the mugs <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2014/12/diy-holiday-mugs-for-all-people-on-your.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yfcJPtOtX9Y/VJnF-RL7rKI/AAAAAAAAEJI/h6XiltYyBzI/s1600/Dec18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yfcJPtOtX9Y/VJnF-RL7rKI/AAAAAAAAEJI/h6XiltYyBzI/s1600/Dec18.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie brought us a beta fish! The boys named him Tsunami.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qBWlmq0fv24/VJnF-elJ4oI/AAAAAAAAEJA/BOgUE0NquGU/s1600/Dec20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qBWlmq0fv24/VJnF-elJ4oI/AAAAAAAAEJA/BOgUE0NquGU/s1600/Dec20.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The goodies to make gingerbread cookies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fK-U6Z48AY0/VJnF_X9hBKI/AAAAAAAAEJM/JHbvSoEEtAA/s1600/Dec21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fK-U6Z48AY0/VJnF_X9hBKI/AAAAAAAAEJM/JHbvSoEEtAA/s1600/Dec21.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie having a little breakfast before Samuel got up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qMNfEhTu-GA/VJnG-qo573I/AAAAAAAAEJo/Lck3VXQRJhw/s1600/Dec22collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qMNfEhTu-GA/VJnG-qo573I/AAAAAAAAEJo/Lck3VXQRJhw/s1600/Dec22collage.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie recreated the scene from Shrek the Halls when Santa ate the Gingerbread men. Jordan wrote a letter to Santa letting him know what Elfie was up to.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uU98AlX6vp4/VJnGBZe3bnI/AAAAAAAAEJg/3CugwtNHCX8/s1600/dec23collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uU98AlX6vp4/VJnGBZe3bnI/AAAAAAAAEJg/3CugwtNHCX8/s1600/dec23collage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa responded to Jordan by putting Elfie in time out after having him bring us new goodies.</td></tr>
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Tomorrow is Christmas Eve which means, if tradition holds true, that Elfie will be bringing new pajamas for the kids. What are some of the traditions your elf on a shelf keeps up every year?<br /><br />Merry Christmas!<br /><br />**If you read this before December 31st, 2014, would you mind doing us a favor? Elfie is entered in an elf on a shelf contest through our kid's dentist. If he wins, we are donating the prize (a Kindle HD 6) to a friend whose husband is going on a missions trip to India. He will be able to auction it off as part of his fundraising. Simply click on the picture below and it will take you to the picture on Facebook. Most likes wins, all you have to do is like it. Thanks!**</div>
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<br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-13994906468226141572014-12-19T13:33:00.000-08:002014-12-19T13:33:55.986-08:00DIY Holiday Mugs {for all the people on your list}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lr7eFceRUic/VJBhof5k1zI/AAAAAAAAEHI/7Ez0N2f8D-w/s1600/mugcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lr7eFceRUic/VJBhof5k1zI/AAAAAAAAEHI/7Ez0N2f8D-w/s1600/mugcollage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are those Pinterest ideas you see, love, pin and never do anything with. Then there are the ones you see, love, pin, revisit, and not only do something with but do EVERYTHING with....that would be these mugs for me. I think we have all seen different versions of these DIY mugs. Simply write with sharpie, pop in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, let cool and you are good to go. Anyone can do that! So I did - over and over and over. Thought I would share the versions some of the people on my Christmas list are receiving this year.<br />
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<b><i>The Papa</i></b> (insert any loved one) <b><i>Mug</i></b>:<br />The idea behind this one is cute. I actually saw this it through an advertisement on Facebook for a personalized gift company. It said something different but had all the grand kids faces around it which I thought was cute. I browsed Pinterest for a saying I liked best and settled on "All my MOST favorite people call me papa." I then {attempted to} add all my kiddos faces. An artist I am not. In fact, my kids themselves probably would have done a better job. Thankfully, Papa loved it nonetheless.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-58gU9xPV0/VJSYfbSsUvI/AAAAAAAAEIg/_2wihXc7F50/s1600/papacollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-58gU9xPV0/VJSYfbSsUvI/AAAAAAAAEIg/_2wihXc7F50/s1600/papacollage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Teacher Mug</i>:<br />I found this one on <a href="http://justagirlandherblog.com/diy-teacher-gift-with-free-printable/?_szp=472809" target="_blank">Just a Girl and Her Blog</a> and knew it would make the perfect gift for my kiddos teachers. She even makes it easy for you and includes the printable tag! Nathan goes to PEP one day a week and has two teachers there on top of his and Jordan's regular teachers so I made 4 all together. I filled the cup with peppermints and spearmints, a cute striped straw and a gift card to Starbucks. Along with the printable tag I attached an ornament that I also found at the dollar store. Actually, everything but the mugs and the gift cards came from the dollar store and the only reason I didn't get the mugs from there was that someone had already cleaned out all the pure white ones. A totally reasonably priced gift that is still super adorable and useful (Lord knows I NEED coffee in my life!).<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Snowman Mug</i>:<br />I pinned these along time ago as a gift from Elfie and had originally planned to have them at our North Pole Breakfast but didn't have them ready in time. So I used them as part of a hot chocolate treat he brought instead. I picked these mugs with the cute red band at the top because I thought they looked like hats for the snowman (and you guessed it, I got these at the Dollar Store!). They love having their own mugs with their names on them and these will be fun to pull out during the holidays each year.</div>
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<br />Have you tried this Sharpie mug method yet? How'd it work for you? Baking them is supposed to keep them from wiping off but we noticed that when we hand-washed the snowman mugs they did fade in some areas. Not sure how to remedy that but if any of you have suggestions I would love to hear them.<br /><br />I will tell you a tip that helped when I was working on these - Magic Erasers will take off the sharpie if you make a mistake drawing on it in the first place so don't panic if you make an error!<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-82484423018578853792014-12-15T11:08:00.001-08:002014-12-15T11:09:04.811-08:00Elfie 2014 - Still going strong!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Can you believe that this is the 4th year Elfie has visited our house? Me either! Now, not only are the bigger boys anticipating his daily antics, but the twins are getting quite a kick out of finding him each morning. I honestly didn't expect them to really notice him yet this year but most mornings they point him out and grunt and laugh, repeatedly going back to his spot to show us. That newness through their eyes is an added bonus to this December tradition we have grown to love. So what's he been up to? Let's take a look:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3P5KeWxvzs/VI8s-kwtKGI/AAAAAAAAEGc/BWPB3PvoFcY/s1600/NPB14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3P5KeWxvzs/VI8s-kwtKGI/AAAAAAAAEGc/BWPB3PvoFcY/s1600/NPB14.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He kicked off the season with our 3rd annual North Pole Breakfast. Delicious as always!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l-6cKUGpfxk/VI8vC3jJ25I/AAAAAAAAEGs/qQCjSSK0-sY/s1600/jetpack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l-6cKUGpfxk/VI8vC3jJ25I/AAAAAAAAEGs/qQCjSSK0-sY/s1600/jetpack.jpg" height="320" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He tested out the jet pack Jordan invented and got stuck...oops!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-otHkEtWYqbQ/VI8qLzyk-wI/AAAAAAAAEF0/Q56tkx85Qkk/s1600/dec3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-otHkEtWYqbQ/VI8qLzyk-wI/AAAAAAAAEF0/Q56tkx85Qkk/s1600/dec3.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids got behind on their advent calendars so Elfie helped them out a bit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEV6WdGZVOY/VI8qMOHt1YI/AAAAAAAAEF8/DKv9dZPmVzs/s1600/dec4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEV6WdGZVOY/VI8qMOHt1YI/AAAAAAAAEF8/DKv9dZPmVzs/s1600/dec4.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just taking a soak!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSd6JmXj7OY/VI8qK2cZcTI/AAAAAAAAEFw/T7JRs6Axhrc/s1600/Dec5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSd6JmXj7OY/VI8qK2cZcTI/AAAAAAAAEFw/T7JRs6Axhrc/s1600/Dec5.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie brought their new ornaments for the year on tree decorating day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CuibqrcQs7c/VI8qK32U9xI/AAAAAAAAEFo/g47EtswLZm4/s1600/Dec6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CuibqrcQs7c/VI8qK32U9xI/AAAAAAAAEFo/g47EtswLZm4/s1600/Dec6.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out on the fire truck (we were seeing Santa at the Fire Station that day, I think he wanted to feel included)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MQyUAYkHar4/VI8qK0qlYbI/AAAAAAAAEFs/x_mvMmMaed0/s1600/Dec10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MQyUAYkHar4/VI8qK0qlYbI/AAAAAAAAEFs/x_mvMmMaed0/s1600/Dec10.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Must have wanted a late night snack - why not popcorn?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3_RWqHrkD8k/VI8uYoj7iRI/AAAAAAAAEGk/_fhEMMfYowo/s1600/swap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3_RWqHrkD8k/VI8uYoj7iRI/AAAAAAAAEGk/_fhEMMfYowo/s1600/swap.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The next day him and the angel swapped spots.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SoI3CKN1JYg/VI8qYigevnI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/UQYhXne8-zI/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SoI3CKN1JYg/VI8qYigevnI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/UQYhXne8-zI/s1600/002.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was too warm and missing home so decided to "chill" in the freezer!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDwtZ6TzFVA/VI8weafrULI/AAAAAAAAEG4/8aGvFqEN6t8/s1600/woody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDwtZ6TzFVA/VI8weafrULI/AAAAAAAAEG4/8aGvFqEN6t8/s1600/woody.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie saving Woody from the evil ogre who was trying to feed him to the shark (Jessie was helping, she was just outside the picture on the line)</td></tr>
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Whew...he's been busy already! What has your elf been up to this year?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-84818877166781751412014-11-01T08:37:00.001-07:002014-11-01T08:37:32.085-07:00Halloween 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another Halloween is in the books! One of the things we most look forward to every year at this time is the pumpkin carving contest at the boys' school. They have had some great entries in the past:</div>
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This year's ideas were just as impressive, although this was the first time they didn't get a ribbon. They are still winners in my book! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ltB1abU1A_Q/VFT87iS17GI/AAAAAAAAEEY/u_5iLeZgO7s/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ltB1abU1A_Q/VFT87iS17GI/AAAAAAAAEEY/u_5iLeZgO7s/s1600/007.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan's robot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan's working clock</td></tr>
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The gears are already turning for next year's contest and we will have a third participant as Isaiah will be in Kindergarten.</div>
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Halloween night was equally exciting, the boys experienced their first year of Trick or Treating. In the past we have always attended the Harvest Festival at our church but the twins were sick this year so I stayed home with them and Jeremy took the oldest guys out. They had an absolute blast and are in their rooms trading candy as I type. Hope you all had a happy Halloween as well!</div>
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-1748716797237245872014-08-09T20:34:00.003-07:002014-10-21T09:44:39.252-07:00My Top 10 Must Have Baby Items for Boy/Girl TwinsIt's been so, so long! We will have to catch up another time but I wanted to share with you my list of the Top 10 Must Have Baby Items for Boy/Girl Twins. You can check it out over at Every Best Of:<br />
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<a href="http://everybestof.com/1798-Top+Ten+Must+Have+Baby+Items+for+BoyGirl+Twins">http://everybestof.com/1798-Top+Ten+Must+Have+Baby+Items+for+BoyGirl+Twins</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-81717994795495232242013-12-20T09:49:00.000-08:002014-10-20T14:36:17.244-07:00Pin-spired Teacher GiftsWith the last day of school upon us before Winter Break, I have spent the week putting together little gifts to let the people in my kids school life know how much we appreciate them. All of these ideas where pinned to my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/chrystalscorner/random-acts-of-kindness/" target="_blank">Random Acts of Kindness</a> board on Pinterest, so make sure to come follow along if you want to see what other gift ideas catch my eye!<br />
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Samuel has been seeing a physical therapist for a few months now and she makes the trek out to our house every week to do his therapy and is so good with not only him but our other kids, so we wanted to give her a little Christmas gift to thank her for all she does. This gift idea came from <a href="http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.ca/2012/12/cozy-toes-freebie-download.html" target="_blank">Taylored Expressions</a> (where you can find the free printable tag to go with it) and includes some cozy socks and a bottle of nail polish. I put it in this cute Christmas tin I got for $0.99 at Walgreens:<br />
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The only people who spend anywhere near as much time with Nathan and Jordan as I do, are their teachers. We so appreciate the hard work they put in each and every day to teach and care for our boys so it was the least we could do to send along this small token of thanks. These tins full of Snickers and Almond Joy along with the tag that says To A Year Full Of Snickers and Joy is from <a href="http://lilluna.com/snickers-and-joy-gift-idea/" target="_blank">Lil' Luna</a>, head over there to get the free printable.<br />
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Finally, we wanted to pass along some Christmas wishes to the man who has the big task of picking up and dropping off our boys each and every day. This printable is actually a postcard meant for a mailman, but I cut off just the main message and crossed out mail to replace it with kids. Some M&M treats for the bus driver, as inspired by <a href="http://www.who-arted.com/2013/01/25/thank-a-mailman-day/" target="_blank">Who Arted?</a>:<br />
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While none of these gifts were over the top or about to break the bank, I think it is the thought that counts. Taking a moment to thank someone important in your life, even in a small way, is the least we can do to show our gratitude. Hope you have been Pin-spired to do the same for those special people that surround you and your love ones!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-60572312532639945002013-12-12T10:28:00.002-08:002014-10-20T14:23:53.081-07:00Elfie 2013 - week 2<br />
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Another week into December means another week of Elfie's holiday fun. Here's what he has been up to:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDQnfQwh3Qc/UqNCc70Y_RI/AAAAAAAAEAs/RmSDKcpA06o/s1600/Dec7a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDQnfQwh3Qc/UqNCc70Y_RI/AAAAAAAAEAs/RmSDKcpA06o/s320/Dec7a.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That naughty elf tp'd our tree!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGjXSP8WohI/UqYWpRWXdKI/AAAAAAAAEBU/sRmLAf7dZzs/s1600/Dec8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGjXSP8WohI/UqYWpRWXdKI/AAAAAAAAEBU/sRmLAf7dZzs/s320/Dec8.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A book tower - mad skills, Elfie :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d2XQHMKX9iI/UqYWpVTOxUI/AAAAAAAAEBQ/s_uldF3nRLs/s1600/Dec9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d2XQHMKX9iI/UqYWpVTOxUI/AAAAAAAAEBQ/s_uldF3nRLs/s320/Dec9.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ever feel like someone is watching you?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8G1EhsXaNvI/UqiSizQPf2I/AAAAAAAAEBo/mUpMzjSagPM/s1600/Dec10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8G1EhsXaNvI/UqiSizQPf2I/AAAAAAAAEBo/mUpMzjSagPM/s320/Dec10.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie brought the goodies to make Sugar Cone Christmas Trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vWZfPuk7IxQ/UqiU_EK3KWI/AAAAAAAAEB0/D7HM88n9oM8/s1600/Dec11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vWZfPuk7IxQ/UqiU_EK3KWI/AAAAAAAAEB0/D7HM88n9oM8/s320/Dec11.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little Rock 'em Sock 'em with Samuel's dog </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m28Hdsgmqzs/Uqn0gsXx2AI/AAAAAAAAECU/tRKOJdtM5sg/s1600/Dec12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m28Hdsgmqzs/Uqn0gsXx2AI/AAAAAAAAECU/tRKOJdtM5sg/s320/Dec12.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elfie, you are NO angel!</td></tr>
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Want to see what he was up to last week? Click the picture to check out last week's post:<br />
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<a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/12/elfie-week-1-2013-change-title.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/12/elfie-week-1-2013-change-title.html" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2W1CaxR1L3k/UqjD9wxranI/AAAAAAAAECE/OejlIbRWTq4/s320/eoas+-%2713w1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-75377142434003514352013-12-06T08:41:00.002-08:002014-10-20T14:24:17.885-07:00Elfie 2013 - week 1<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDPFei2dxo0/UqH9Qkmzk0I/AAAAAAAAEAU/XKGieM6i0ig/s1600/eoas+-%2713w1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDPFei2dxo0/UqH9Qkmzk0I/AAAAAAAAEAU/XKGieM6i0ig/s320/eoas+-%2713w1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Elfie's back and up to his old antics again! We have had a fun first week hunting him down each morning. Check out what he has been up to:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ibBETrM0H0w/Upy11ImHy_I/AAAAAAAAD_E/b6EZ26Pw2nU/s1600/Dec2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ibBETrM0H0w/Upy11ImHy_I/AAAAAAAAD_E/b6EZ26Pw2nU/s320/Dec2.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to blend into the boys' room to keep an eye on them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFc5UTdAhFg/Up6aNqWW4oI/AAAAAAAAD_U/C74bA9fIV_Y/s1600/Dec3(b).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFc5UTdAhFg/Up6aNqWW4oI/AAAAAAAAD_U/C74bA9fIV_Y/s320/Dec3(b).JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hanging out" in the boys' bathroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xO9lL2zRmWg/Up93GnHl7xI/AAAAAAAAD_k/DWk1h-bicAE/s1600/Dec4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xO9lL2zRmWg/Up93GnHl7xI/AAAAAAAAD_k/DWk1h-bicAE/s320/Dec4.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mini-marshmallow message</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrAdALHSTlo/UqC_XmPRv4I/AAAAAAAAD_0/jdMArMBSQQg/s1600/Dec5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrAdALHSTlo/UqC_XmPRv4I/AAAAAAAAD_0/jdMArMBSQQg/s320/Dec5.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretending to be Samuel....silly elf!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYubdPJr4IE/UqH0NmBkkLI/AAAAAAAAEAE/vZm-FZvDLmw/s1600/Dec6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYubdPJr4IE/UqH0NmBkkLI/AAAAAAAAEAE/vZm-FZvDLmw/s320/Dec6.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Movie Night - Elfie brought Arthur Christmas (I heard it was only $4 on Amazon ;) ) and instructions for mom to make homemade brownies with the popcorn</td></tr>
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Want to see how he made his entrance this year? Check out my post on the North Pole Breakfast he surprised us with:<br />
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<a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/12/north-pole-breakfast-2013.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/12/north-pole-breakfast-2013.html" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORA3lCM_JwQ/UqH9tog_rLI/AAAAAAAAEAg/cFZP75QUSHA/s320/NPB+collage.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-71463440541035838872013-12-01T08:46:00.000-08:002014-10-20T14:24:43.643-07:00North Pole Breakfast 2013Our mischievous elf friend, Elfie, has officially made his debut and decided to surprise us with a North Pole Breakfast to kick off this Christmas season. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbzqZGJopa4/UptlRnNIWNI/AAAAAAAAD-o/2jKxcSiKVNE/s1600/NPB+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbzqZGJopa4/UptlRnNIWNI/AAAAAAAAD-o/2jKxcSiKVNE/s320/NPB+collage.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
The boys came out this morning to find a note that Nathan promptly read aloud to his siblings. <br />
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They practiced their best "CHEERS" while I put together all the goodies that Elfie had been gracious enough to bring for our special breakfast.<br />
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He brought all their favorite special treats - strawberries, sausage, donuts and eggnog. Oh boy!<br />
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There is so much to be thankful for on this December morning, so we remembered to say grace before digging in to the feast.<br />
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Be on the lookout for all the creative, messy, silly things this elf is likely to have in store for us this year. Happy December everyone!<br />
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**This is our second experience with a North Pole Breakfast. If you want to read about the first one, check it out <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2011/12/north-pole-breakfast.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.** <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-62210038015818088602013-11-29T11:55:00.000-08:002014-10-20T14:25:04.492-07:00Elfie flashbackIt's almost that time again.....Elfie is set to arrive on Sunday and the boys are already anticipating the big day. Last year I didn't get around to posting about Elfie so I thought I would share some of our favorite pictures from his last visit:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3LehYT3JsmQ/UpjUunyKf4I/AAAAAAAAD90/i5Cv78mZMso/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3LehYT3JsmQ/UpjUunyKf4I/AAAAAAAAD90/i5Cv78mZMso/s320/1.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking on the ceiling....that naughty elf left footprints!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dajdfePyjZo/UpjUul9HKSI/AAAAAAAAD-A/QJx1ZUMMpB4/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dajdfePyjZo/UpjUul9HKSI/AAAAAAAAD-A/QJx1ZUMMpB4/s320/2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spidey Elf! Can you spot him?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yI_WI123it0/UpjUuhGYP8I/AAAAAAAAD94/NLHaKxRCtM4/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yI_WI123it0/UpjUuhGYP8I/AAAAAAAAD94/NLHaKxRCtM4/s320/3.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A yearly favorite - hiding in the tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMs6Z3S0WdQ/UpjUu2Dlb0I/AAAAAAAAD98/-wjxHWI4vcM/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMs6Z3S0WdQ/UpjUu2Dlb0I/AAAAAAAAD98/-wjxHWI4vcM/s320/4.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping himself to some nuts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTC4m7dZN6o/UpjUvY8gf0I/AAAAAAAAD-I/Ugd-ezN5sog/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTC4m7dZN6o/UpjUvY8gf0I/AAAAAAAAD-I/Ugd-ezN5sog/s320/5.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like Elfie had a hard time getting to sleep so his good friend Buzz helped him by reading a bedtime story :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some more Elfie fun from previous years:<br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2011/12/elfie-elfie-elfie.html" target="_blank">Elfie, Elfie, Elfie</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2011/12/more-elf-antics.html" target="_blank">More Elf Antics</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2011/12/elfies-first-week.html" target="_blank">Elfie's First Week</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2011/12/north-pole-breakfast.html" target="_blank">North Pole Breakfast</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2010/12/elfies-trip-is-coming-to-end.html" target="_blank">Elfie's Trip Is Coming to an End</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2010/12/whats-that-elf-been-up-to.html" target="_blank">What's That Elf Been Up To</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2010/12/elfie-update.html" target="_blank">Elfie Update</a><br />
- <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2010/12/elfie-is-here.html" target="_blank">Elfie is Here</a> (how Elfie came to be in our house)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-12577458060455838132013-11-25T08:18:00.000-08:002013-11-25T08:18:12.096-08:00Nimli Animal Print Scarf Giveaway (ends Dec. 2)<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lsZnDEFrIFg/UpN1O6vhsLI/AAAAAAAAD9I/QmLg_puz8rk/s1600/press_logo_download3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lsZnDEFrIFg/UpN1O6vhsLI/AAAAAAAAD9I/QmLg_puz8rk/s1600/press_logo_download3.jpg" /></a>Nimli is a curated marketplace of makers & sellers. We're a
community of designers, curators and consumers. To read more about
NIMLI, please go to <a href="http://www.nimli.com/about-us" target="_blank">www.nimli.com/about-us</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It's the season for animal prints & we have a collection of great
animal print scarves on Nimli! From leopard to cheetah to modern takes
on the animal design, we have it all & for one exciting winner -
we'll be giving away 3 seasonal animal print scarves to keep you right
on trend all season long.<br />
<br />
<strong>WHAT:</strong> The winner will receive 3 beautiful animal
print scarves from Nimli. The 3 scarves are featured below ( Azuri
Blazing Leopard Scarf, Azuri Into the Wild Scarf & Azuri Urban
Jungle Scarf).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHZz0PVFZ3M/UpN3sk0MVtI/AAAAAAAAD9U/-ijGzJTTTvE/s1600/Animal-Print-Giveaway-Update_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHZz0PVFZ3M/UpN3sk0MVtI/AAAAAAAAD9U/-ijGzJTTTvE/s320/Animal-Print-Giveaway-Update_thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<strong>WHO:</strong> One winner will be selected on December 2nd, entry ends at midnight on 12.2.13. This giveaway is open to US residents only.<br />
<br />
<strong>HOW TO ENTER:</strong> Go to <a href="http://www.nimli.com/blog/animal-print-scarf-giveaway" target="_blank">http://www.nimli.com/blog/animal-print-scarf-giveaway</a> to enter the giveaway.<br />
<br />
**This is a sponsored post from <a href="http://4sponsor.com/" target="_blank">4sponsor.com</a> with my unbiased thoughts.**Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-67164653077265605282013-11-22T13:09:00.000-08:002014-10-20T14:25:30.524-07:00Homemade Taco Seasoning Gift JarsI was recently invited to a My Favorite Things holiday party. If you have never heard of this, the concept is that you pick one of your favorite things - be it food, bath item, homemade, cleaning product, etc - and bring 3 of that item to the party. Everyone draws to see what new things they will be taking home and it is a chance to get to try new products and get some gift ideas for the holidays. Tons of fun!<br />
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We had a $5 limit (give or take) so I wracked my brain trying to decide what one thing to bring and settled on one of my truly favorite items in the kitchen....homemade taco seasoning. Seriously, if you haven't tried it, YOU MUST. It is so superior to store bought and is simple to make with seasonings that you most likely already have in your possession. It's also cost effective and you know that there are no preservatives in it. I not only use it for taco meat but like to coat homemade fries in it or mix it into sour cream for a dip or put it into a Mexican meatloaf....this list of possibilities goes on and on. Can you tell it truly is a favorite?<br />
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Let's make this into a fun little gift now. I already store mine in the freezer in a small mason jar so I decided to use the same thing for my recipients. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6XGqP0Mm_FI/Uo_FFTsrh4I/AAAAAAAAD7s/A1WiLbd8nT4/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6XGqP0Mm_FI/Uo_FFTsrh4I/AAAAAAAAD7s/A1WiLbd8nT4/s320/004.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
Time to mix the spices. You can get the easy recipe that I follow at <a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/" target="_blank">$5 Dinners</a>. To make this even more cost effective, I buy my spices from the bulk bins at Winco. I then mixed up one big batch and then evenly distributed it between the mason jars.<br />
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Should we make it pretty? Silly question! I found some <a href="http://limeshot.com/2012/free-printable-mason-jar-labels" target="_blank">free printable mason jar labels over at Limeshot Design</a> and used one of the blank designs to create a label for the lid, which I attached using Mod Podge (I am sure basic crafting glue would work fine too). I also hot glued a little bit of yellow ric rac around the rim of the jar for some extra cuteness.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8tbq_uGtS0/Uo_HUs3T_tI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/W-24Ul1JQVc/s1600/ricrac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8tbq_uGtS0/Uo_HUs3T_tI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/W-24Ul1JQVc/s320/ricrac.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wanted the people who received these to have a copy of the recipe so they could keep refilling their jars so I printed these <a href="http://www.designeatrepeat.com/wp-content/uploads/Free-Printable-Recipe-Cards1.pdf" target="_blank">adorable recipe cards from Design Eat Repeat</a>. I ended up cutting off the sayings at the top just so they wouldn't be so huge in comparison to the jar. I wrote out the ingredients, where I bought them cheap in bulk, how to make it and some suggestions for using it. The only thing I left off was how much was equivalent to a packet you would buy in the store (which is 2 Tbsp, by the way). <br />
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Small Tabasco jars attached with twine completed the gift.<br />
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Wouldn't you want to get this from a friend, co-worker, secret Santa? I'm thinking I might have to add it to my own list of homemade gifts this year! <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-11823965573177595222013-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:002013-11-20T09:00:08.263-08:00It’s a Thornton Thanksgiving from Chicago!<b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Today's post is a guest post by Kendra Thornton about Thanksgiving Traditions:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1MtLA9Uisn4/UoxLjjCvX2I/AAAAAAAAD7U/vSI93fu9QtU/s1600/Kendra_Thornton_Picture-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1MtLA9Uisn4/UoxLjjCvX2I/AAAAAAAAD7U/vSI93fu9QtU/s200/Kendra_Thornton_Picture-1.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With<b> </b>the leaves nearly fallen and a cold, crispy snap in the air,<b> </b>thoughts turn now to family and making plans for the holidays and all the cheer this season can bring.<b> </b>Thanksgiving is certainly one of my most precious times of the year because of the strong meaning it holds in my heart:<b> </b>the act of giving and gratitude. This year, at the Thornton<b> </b>household, all our relatives will be visiting Chicago, and I<b> </b>can barely wait.</span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My<b> </b>visits to</span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=thanksgiving%20appetizers&rs=ac&len=17" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pinterest</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have borne lovely fruit in the way of finding appealing<b> </b>dessert ideas and appetizers that my children can help make<b> </b>in the soon-to-be very busy holiday kitchen. As they grow older, their desire to help mom in the kitchen seems to also grow. It’s best, though, to keep the food designs simple.<b> </b>Complexity in food preparation tends to create bigger messes and also consumes more time. Fun and fast, I discovered, is the best way to prepare food for this special day.</span></div>
</b><b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The<b> </b>traditional Thanksgiving dinner still beats all other<b> </b>alternatives; so traditional it shall be again this year.<b> </b>The staple foods of this holiday will occupy their usual<b> </b>places of honor at the table. That will mean turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and my all-time favorite - potatoes and gravy. My traveling experiences will play a<b> </b>role this year in creating different dishes, too. An article<b> </b>on</span><a href="http://www.gogobot.com/blog/2013/11/01/five-decadent-thanksgiving-dinners/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gogobot’s<b> </b>blog</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b>highlighted what specific luxury hotels will prepare for guests this Thanksgiving season.</span></div>
</b><b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I<b> </b>said, why not? I gathered inspiration from these sophisticated but homey dishes and decided to give them my personal twist and flare, including them as special fare in<b> </b>my kitchen. Yes, my fingers are crossed with hope that my<b> </b>special guests will enjoy every bite. One dish destined for<b> </b>the table will be a velvet pumpkin soup with lobster accents<b> </b>from the expert chefs at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando.<b> </b>This exquisite soup, offered as a pre-dinner treat, will certainly warm the heart.</span></div>
</b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the traditions at the Thornton household is to go around<b> </b>the table and ask each person to give voice to at least one aspect of life they are grateful for. That great humanitarian Albert Schweitzer touched on gratitude in his life when he penned these words: “At times our own light<b> </b>goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those<b> </b>who have lighted the flame within us.” Perhaps this tradition of mine can become one of your traditions this<b> </b>Thanksgiving. May wonderful memories and delicious food grant you a safe and happy holiday! What will you be serving<b> </b>this year!?</span></div>
</b><b id="docs-internal-guid-0c6b8881-70c9-d63c-390d-faf9cda11e09" style="font-weight: normal;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks Kendra for stopping by and sharing your Thanksgiving traditions with us! </span></div>
</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-4198105477229145762013-11-10T14:00:00.000-08:002014-10-21T09:52:28.938-07:00"The Best Of" Shadow Box Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband's grandpa just turned 80 and I knew I had to come up with something special to celebrate this huge milestone. After some thought, I came up with the idea for a shadow box that featured all of the best things from the year he was born, which happened to be 1933. I started by having my mother-in-law hunt down an old baby picture of Jack (he was a twin too!).<br />
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Then I used <a href="http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1933.html" target="_blank">The People History</a> for my information on what was happening during that year in history. I chose the topics of popular culture, who else was born that year, and how much things cost when narrowing down my focus.<br />
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It was as easy as finding a piece of scrapbook paper I liked for the background, using my Cricut to cut out the lettering (you could simply do this by hand or print it off of your computer), and printing off the information with a few pictures to make it more interesting. I did my magic with a trusty glue stick and the gift had come altogether.<br />
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Once it was in the shadow box (which I picked up at Hobby Lobby for 50% off!) it made a great addition to the table at thebirthday party that displayed different pictures of Jack over the years. Happy 80th Birthday Jack!<br />
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I think this gift would also be a great way to commemorate an anniversary or any other fun date in history you are celebrating. I know I found it fascinating to look back a ways in time and see what memorable things had taken place.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iof2zaCEaJw/UoxFNq9AfoI/AAAAAAAAD7E/Rmn_79lWscA/s1600/Homemade-Christmas-Gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Featured on The Happy Housewives 100 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts (2013):<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-75385851031892206422013-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:002014-10-20T14:26:51.430-07:00Thankful ThursdayThis November I am making an effort to put feet to our thankfulness by creating acts of gratitude for our family to participate in. Really this is something I want to make a more regular part of our life, not just something that we think of seasonally. After all, thankfulness and gratitude are qualities I want to model and grow in my children as well as see continue to grow in my own life. Let me share what we have been doing this week to show those around us that we are thankful for them.<br />
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I started by giving my boys a project. I asked them each to pick one person outside of our household that they were most thankful for. I talked abut how it is important to show thankfulness to the people inside of our house but that we practice that on a regular basis so I wanted them to think outside of that to someone they may not take the opportunity to thank as often. Once they decided on a person, I gave them supplies to make a card and encouraged them to write out (or dictate to me what to write out) words of thankfulness. Jordan chose his teacher and Isaiah chose one of his grandma's. Nathan chose not to participate and while understandably disappointing, we honored his choice and encouraged him to think of his own way to show his thankfulness to someone. We will continue to model these actions and pray that they speak to his heart and inspire him to do the same in a way that makes sense to him. <br />
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The act of thankfulness we chose as a family was actually repaying a family that had blessed us numerous times when we had the twins. We had been talking about ways to bless them in return and I strongly felt God leading us to specifically follow through on a date with dinner. We ordered pizza for our family and their's (thank you Papa John's for 50% off every time the Seahawks win which made it possible to feed two families for the price of one!) and when we called to tell them we would be bringing it by they shared that it was an answered prayer as the mom of the family had hurt her back the night before and could use help with dinner. It also happened that her injury fell on pizza night and they ended up missing out on it so the kids were extra excited by our delivery. Doesn't God work in such fun ways?<br />
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There are more fun things in the works already so you'll have to come back next week to see what we have been up to. And not that this necessarily needs to be said, but I hope my heart for these posts is clear. It isn't about bragging about what my family has done but instead is meant as an encouragement and a resource for ideas that might get your family involved in acts of thankfulness. If you are already ahead of me and have some great ideas you are willing to share, I would love to hear what you've been up to. It's the best part of writing this....getting to share what I do and hopefully learn a little bit about what you do too. Don't be shy!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-65109220891159110562013-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:002014-10-20T14:27:43.450-07:00Apple Bacon White Chocolate Chip CookiesI was in the kitchen the other day browsing what I had on hand and call me crazy but somewhere between the baking cupboard and the fridge I had the idea for these cookies - <i><b>Green Apple Candied Bacon White Chocolate Chip</b></i> to be exact. I know what you are thinking. My husband kind of gave me <i>that look </i>when I told him what my idea. But trust me, it works!<br />
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Want to go with me on this adventure? Here's what you are going to need:<br />
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tsp salt <br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
2 1/4 cup flour<br />
4 pieces candied bacon, chopped *(see below for instructions)<br />
1 cup white chocolate chips<br />
1 grated green apple (squeeze out any excess liquid)<br />
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I used my KitchenAid to cream the butter then while still blending added in the sugars, then the salt and vanilla, then the eggs and baking soda. Finally,I mixed in the flour until all incorporated.<br />
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Once you have that done, stir in the bacon, white chocolate chips and grated apple.<br />
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Place by the scant tablespoon onto a cookie sheet and pop into a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown. Let sit for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to a baking rack to cool.<br />
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*How to candy the bacon:<br />
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and then place a wire rack on top of it. Place the individual bacon strips onto the wire rack and then top with brown sugar. Pop in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until desired crispiness. Seriously....this is to die for and I dare you not to eat it all up before it makes it's way into the cookies!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-84197113483074492172013-11-01T11:01:00.002-07:002014-10-20T14:28:56.159-07:00Halloween '13 - Carving Contests, Dress-Up, and Friday Flair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another Halloween in the books. This has never been my favorite holiday but it sure is fun to experience it through the eyes of my kids. Let's look at what this day had in store for our family.<br />
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In my last post I shared the <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/10/coffee-can-upcycle-halloween-pails.html" target="_blank">Halloween Pails I created out of coffee cans</a>. The boys loved them and they got a lot of attention at the Harvest Festival we attended. My husband said people kept asking if he was a painter! Too funny. Aren't my little super hero, ninja, and batman cute sporting their adorable pails?<br />
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Speaking of cute, while we didn't take Samuel and Amelia out with us, we still wanted to dress them up for their first Halloween. Tell me...are they not the cutest hot dog and chick you have ever seen? I sure think so!<br />
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In my recent post about <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-fun-2013.html" target="_blank">our trip to the pumpkin patch</a>, I mentioned that we were again going to be participating in the school's pumpkin carving contest again. Want to see what we came up with? Nathan designed this stegosaurus and Jordan helped create the pirate ship. We managed to place 3rd in the creative category for the third year in a row....can you guess which pumpkin was the award winner? Congratulations Jordan, that pirate ship was awesome (and the stegosaurus was a winner in my books as well)!<br />
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And as if I hadn't crammed enough into this post, I wanted to try to fit in a Friday Flair as well since I have missed the last few. We have been hit hard with pink eye, ear infections and tonsillitis for two weeks so needless to say, lunches weren't the top priority. Here's what they boys' got for lunch on Halloween:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pumpkin shaped pb and honey sandwiches, graham crackers, carrots and celery (yes, that's an ear in there!), and a special treat of boogers (thank you Dollar Store for this absolutely disgusting candy that is bound to have my guys in giggles)</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-7053579012008564462013-10-30T10:14:00.002-07:002014-10-20T14:29:27.690-07:00Coffee Can Upcycle - Halloween PailsJeremy and I drink coffee. <b><i>LOTS</i></b> of coffee. So we often just buy whatever store brand is on sale and the beauty of that is that they tend to come in those awesome metal containers. I started saving them with one intention (you'll have to wait until spring when I get more saved up and the weather turns nice again to see that project!) but as Halloween got closer I had the idea to turn them into Halloween pails for my kiddos to use at the Harvest Festival we take them to each year. This was such a fun, simple project. I think next time I would get the kids involved and let them create their own. Want to see what I did?<br />
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I started by removing the lids and peeling the labels off of some empty metal coffee containers.<br />
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Then I had my husband drill holes on opposite sides of the cans. He also filed them down so they wouldn't be sharp. We will use these later for the handles.<br />
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Then I painted them. I was thinking a Frankenstein, a pumpkin and a mummy so I used green, orange, and black (this will just be a background color for the mummy). I wanted to use stuff I had on hand so I just used the same old acrylic paint I use for nearly every other project - probably not the best stuff for this as it smeared around a lot but once I let it dry I was able to apply a second coat and it worked out fine.<br />
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Now let's add the handles. We started with a coat hanger and then my handy, helpful husband cut them down to size and wrapped them in the holes. <br />
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Time to decorate these adorable little pails. I used craft foam on Frankenstein and the jack o' lantern and gauze and googly eyes on the mummy. Add a little super glue and we had these cute pails:<br />
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I love the way they turned out and think they could be easily be used over and over. Like I said at the beginning of the post, it would also be fun to let the kids design their own. The possibilities are endless - a witch, a bat, a spider....go crazy with it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-90046348989983796162013-10-22T11:05:00.001-07:002014-10-20T14:30:51.084-07:00October Fun 2013This time each year we usually make the trek out to Greenbluff to visit the pumpkin patch and have some autumn fun on the farm. This year we decided to stay closer to home and visit <a href="http://carverfarms.com/" target="_blank">Carver Farms</a> which turned out to be just as much fun and quite a bit cheaper (that's always a bonus!). The sun was even shining which was like icing on the cake.<br />
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There were caramel apples to be eaten.<br />
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And corn "mazes" to be ran through (I say maze loosely because it was actually just a corn path....lame for the older crowd but kept my brood entertained enough).<br />
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Pumpkins to be picked. Our rule is they have to be able to carry it themselves. If not, it's too big.<br />
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This year they each picked a pumpkin to paint.<br />
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We also selected some for the carving contest at the boys school. The last two years have been ribbon worthy, will be make it in the top 3 again this year? (stay tuned for two more awesome ideas we have in the works!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 - A pumpkin piggy bank</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 - A pumpkin robot</td></tr>
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All in all it was another great year participating in some of our favorite fall activities. Can't wait to get the babies involved next year!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-85033602015110517142013-10-11T08:18:00.002-07:002014-10-20T14:37:02.791-07:00Friday Flair - October Edition {#1}Does anybody else LOVE October? To me it is the kick off of all of the upcoming holiday festivities that I love so much, so I just can't help but get excited. Not to mention pumpkin patches, apple cider, scarves, falling leaves....really, what isn't to love? <br />
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With so may fun things to look forward to this month I wanted my Friday Flair lunches to focus on all October has to offer as well. For my kids, that pretty much means all things Halloween. So be prepared for a few weeks of lunches that I hope will get my little trick-or-treaters in the mood for the holiday.<br />
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The theme of this week was basically orange (how easy is that?!?!) and I threw in a slimy surprise just to make it a little more fun. Can you say <i>WORMS</i>? Gross, I know. And my boys will <b>LOVE</b> it for sure. What you are seeing is oranges, carrot sticks, cheese slices, <a href="http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2013/03/housewife-hack-diy-bisquick.html" target="_blank">DIY Bisquick</a> drop biscuits, and {<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">slimy worms</span>} also known as hot dog slices tossed in <a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/homemade-bbq-sauce-recipe/" target="_blank">homemade BBQ sauce</a>.<br />
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Please do not get thrown off by the DIY and the homemade labels. I know for busy moms that can be enough to make you look the other way but I am only adding that in there to show options and to prove that it really is that easy. Awhile back I stopped buying some of the boxed mixes when I realized just how easy and economical it was to make your own. But by all means, use the pre-boxed stuff....heck, use the biscuits in a pop can if that is what you have! And the BBQ sauce came about when we ran out one day and my hubby volunteered to whip some up from a recipe I had found. It turned out that it was a version that all my kiddos could agree on, even those who swore they didn't like BBQ sauce, so we keep that in a mason jar in the fridge now. But squeeze bottle away! Try them with ketchup if your kids prefer. Or leave them dry. Hot dogs are hot dogs any way you dress them, right?<br />
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This week I used free printable lunch box notes from <a href="http://kikicomin.com/lunchbox-laughs-halloween-style-free-download/" target="_blank">Kiki & Company</a> that have Halloween jokes on them. My boys are always looking for a new joke to tell.<br />
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That wraps up another week! Until next Friday.....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-38293765458312527262013-10-09T12:45:00.001-07:002014-10-20T14:32:26.744-07:00Samuel and Amelia - 3 months oldThat's right, the twins are 3 months old already!<br />
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Where did the time go? I swear, each baby I have somehow makes time go even faster than before. I swear I was just finding out I was pregnant, getting the news it was twins, revealing their genders, and counting down to their birth. Didn't I just meet them face to face for the first time and introduce them to their brothers and bring them home? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy's pretty girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite duo</td></tr>
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I am in the ever constant battle with myself that always happens in this stage (well, probably in most stages if I think about it) - that fight to keep myself from looking forward to easier, funner, different times down the road and to just embrace these moments. The smiles, the coos, the cuddles, the baby smell. Such good stuff! And the last time I will ever experience them from my own children.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love those handsome smiles!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have a thumb sucker - our first!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All smiles while sister picks on him</td></tr>
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The sleeplessness is hard, but for twins I know I have it lucky. Amelia is often sleeping through the night and if not, she usually only gets up once. None of my boys were doing that this early! And Samuel generally gets up only twice. They are down by 7 every night and up around 6:30 in the mornings. There really isn't much to complain about there! Well, minus not having slept through the night myself for months (don't have the exact count since I wasn't sleeping during the night for a lot of my pregnancy either). But it's amazing as mothers how we learn to adapt and function under less than ideal conditions. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headbands are fun :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Littlest brothers bonding</td></tr>
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The real challenge isn't any different then it was when I had one infant - the simple act of getting stuff done. Keeping up on the housework, getting meals made, getting myself ready. The day to day stuff is enough to overwhelm when there is always someone to hold, change, feed. Especially times two! And when you add in my 3 older boys I truly feel like there is always something to be done and never enough of me to go around. But there is such joy in getting to watch my children form bonds with each other and learn to pitch in to get things done as a family. The love definitely outweighs the work!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankful for my Moby Wrap!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My crew</td></tr>
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Samuel is currently receiving physical therapy in our home once a week for what they originally thought was torticollis but for what the therapist now thinks is just a preference on his part to keep his head in one direction which has caused his head to be pretty severely misshapen. But he makes amazingly huge progress every week and they are pretty sure it will correct itself over time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockin' his tortle like the cutie he is :)</td></tr>
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I am excited to see what the next few months will bring. We are really looking forward to hearing them laugh and are sure the boys will be competing for the honors of getting the biggest laughs from them. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-59328135476099058872013-10-05T09:30:00.000-07:002014-10-20T14:33:10.112-07:00Tackle Box turned Treasure Chest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As Jordan's 6th birthday approached, I knew I wanted to get him a treasure chest of sorts. He is my little collector and I knew this would speak to his heart in a big way. Plus, it would give me a way to limit what he could <strike>hoard</strike> keep inside the house. Win/win!!<br />
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I had just planned to get a wooden box I had seen at the craft store and paint it up but my husband had a brilliant DIY/upcycle/conversion idea that I so wish I could take credit for. He remembered that he had a spare tackle box hanging around in the shed and thought that after some sprucing up it would make a great treasure box. Just think about those trays that lift out and all the little cubby space. It's a treasure finders dream!<br />
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Here are the outdated, sat-in-the-shed-too-long-so-it's-covered-in-<i>stuff</i>, before pictures of the tackle box: <br />
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Hubby worked his color magic and painted this up to be a much brighter, cheerier version of it's old self. I love the look of the blue and red together, don't you?<br />
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On the bottom of the inside of the treasure chest I wanted to have a treasure map so I found <a href="http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/86804/pirate-treasure-map" target="_blank">THIS IMAGE</a>, printed it out, and mod podged it to the bottom of the box. I think it's a special little touch.<br />
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This was a super easy, fun project that cost us nothing since we had all of the components on hand. I can tell you that our 6 year old LOVED this gift!We filled it with pirate candy we found at the Dollar Store and then we made a little treasure hunt for him to find it. After following the clues, he discovered it up in a tree in our yard. Do you think he likes it?<br />
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Featured on The Happy Housewife's 2013 edition of 100 Days of Homemade Christmas:<br />
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<a href="http://thehappyhousewife.com/home-management/tacklebox-treasure-chest-homemade-christmas-gifts/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://thehappyhousewife.com/home-management/tacklebox-treasure-chest-homemade-christmas-gifts/" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLkEuUys_HU/Un-oCBI5AzI/AAAAAAAAD6w/d6OJjxbc1IE/s1600/Homemade-Christmas-Gifts.jpg" /></a></div>
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Looking for another tackle box transformation idea? Check out my mom's tackle box jewelry organizer (click the picture to see the entire post):<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-62037729754199498532013-10-04T10:05:00.001-07:002014-10-21T09:53:59.037-07:00Friday Flair - Birthday EditionWelcome! This week's edition of Friday Flair is extra special because it falls on my son's 6th birthday. Let's all say a loud, "Happy Birthday" to Jordan, shall we?<br />
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I tried to find some free printable lunchbox notes with a birthday theme but didn't have any luck. If you know of any, feel free to share a link with me. Since I couldn't go that route, I just decided to make a quick little note myself.<br />
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I saw a cute sandwich idea a few weeks back that involved sprinkles so I knew this would be the perfect occasion to try that. So I punched out the top slice of bread with a 6 and filled in the hole with sprinkles. Super cute, right? For fun I put the punched out 6 in a mini-muffin liner and put a blue M&M in the center to match the blue on the sandwich. The bigger muffin liner has a little Birthday trail mix of M&M's, white chocolate chips and broken up graham crackers. Some veggies and cheese and olive skewers rounded out the meal.<br />
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Happy Birthday my big 6 year old!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-54695309884251982092013-09-27T17:03:00.002-07:002014-10-20T14:37:57.986-07:00Friday Flair - Week 3I probably should have titled this week's post Friday {Un}Flair since it really is just a typical lunch. In fact, I woke up this morning having totally forgot that it was Friday. So regular old lunch it is. BUT I did get to join the boys for the Moms R Marvelous breakfast at their school this morning so I am counting that as the flair for the day. Hey, it's my blog, I can do what I want! Right? Right!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dMWFxARgn-U/UkYbvKPohZI/AAAAAAAADtM/K8Xvv_1NzSA/s1600/Week3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dMWFxARgn-U/UkYbvKPohZI/AAAAAAAADtM/K8Xvv_1NzSA/s320/Week3.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yogurt, cheese crackers/pretzels, carrots, celery, apple wedge, peanut butter and honey tortilla roll up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to breakfast at the school. My handsome big boys :) </td></tr>
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Until next Friday!<br />
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Missed some posts? Here are the last two Friday Flair posts:<br />
<a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/09/friday-flair-week-1.html" target="_blank">Week 1</a><br />
<a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/09/friday-flair-week-2.html" target="_blank">Week 2</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317497187874693726.post-50374125562474560512013-09-20T15:41:00.001-07:002014-10-20T14:38:23.225-07:00Friday Flair - Week 2This week's Friday Flair makes me laugh a little bit. It looks more
like something that should be appearing in 2 months, don't you think? I
happened to have a very large turkey taking up space that I wanted freed
up in my extra freezer so last night I cooked up a turkey dinner with
all the fixings that much resembled a November holiday we all love. The
boys gobbled it up (get it, gobbled? Ha! I crack myself up) and were
begging for pieces of it in their lunch so I put together these little
mini-Thanksgiving looking lunches for this Friday Flair. <br />
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I
once again used <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2013/08/15/free-printable-lunch-box-notes-3/" target="_blank">THESE free printable lunchbox notes from Skip to My Lou</a>, mostly
because I had the leftovers from last week still on hand and it was the
easy thing to do! Once again, used a little tape and a toothpick to make
them into mini-signs and called it good.<br />
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I almost feel
guilty classifying a lunch that took almost no effort as a Friday Flair
post. But then I realized how stupid that was! Why do we moms always do
that to ourselves? Pile on the guilt for the little, often meaningless
things. So silly! Besides, that is the whole point of these posts. To
prove that it doesn't take a lot of extra effort and time to do
something special. It's all about the little things. I am going to keep
saying that until it sinks in and the guilt no longer creeps in.
<i><b>IT'S.ALL.ABOUT.THE.LITTLE.THINGS</b></i>!! Phew, that feels better.<br />
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Let's break it down:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tQfCuykdv3k/UjzK_eClU3I/AAAAAAAADs8/bhZC0JFFma4/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tQfCuykdv3k/UjzK_eClU3I/AAAAAAAADs8/bhZC0JFFma4/s320/002.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan's Lunch: Crock pot bread with pesto, turkey, candy corn treat, cucumbers, stuffing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8EXsyiVEu3E/UjzK_GTFqjI/AAAAAAAADs4/YOhyD17T4cc/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8EXsyiVEu3E/UjzK_GTFqjI/AAAAAAAADs4/YOhyD17T4cc/s320/003.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan's Lunch: Mashed potatoes, corn, crock pot bread, turkey, candy corn treat</td></tr>
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Here's a link to the crock pot bread by The Quiet that I tried out this week that tasted just like rolls (but so much easier!): <a href="http://inquietmemory.blogspot.ca/2012/01/crock-pot-bread.html" target="_blank">http://inquietmemory.blogspot.ca/2012/01/crock-pot-bread.html</a><br />
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Until next week! If you missed last week's post, you can check it out <a href="http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com/2013/09/friday-flair-week-1.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950396248383126492noreply@blogger.com0