A Few Of My Favorite Things: 2011

Inspired from my previous post and this post from 2008,I decided to share my favorite things at the moment (or they have been for a long time). Warning, several may revolved around food...but not all! Hover over links to get details on products and such.

Tahitian Gardenia Perfume: I have found this once again after our local natural food store stopped carrying it. Found it at Sprouts. This is a lovely subtle perfume that does not overwhelm, but I am often stopped to ask what I am wearing when I dab it on. ;-)


Roasted Chickpeas: These are also my daughter's fave snack ever. There are a gazillion ways to make it, but our fave variation is this.

Bison: Thanks to my dear friends, Jeff and "DonnaDear", we are sold. Although I can never ever ever recreate Jeff's meals (oh how I want his mustard sauce)....they turned on my entire family to bison. Read about the good stuff that bison has to offer here because I am too lazy to type it all out.  This is our fave way to make it. I need Jeff and DonnaDear to help me with more creative uses of it.

My Wonder Woman Coffee Mug: It makes me smile. Although the mug sees more tea than coffee, the attitude of the mug wakes me up.

My New Car (Buick Enclave in Cocoa): Something else that makes me smile. Funny how your fave things can make you smile. :) But this one can carry around my nieces and nephews and friends this summer. This being said, my fave car dealership is THIS ONE

Candied Bacon: NUFF SAID This is coming from a girl who doesn't like sweets

OnStar: Because it is cool and I feel like a VIP when I use it!

Pintrest: Duh

My 85mm 1.2: Several years later, it is still my fave lens ever. Especially for boudoir!

Salon LaPage: There are times I can't get in with the stylist I ask for. This being said, I am never ever let down. Now I don't know who the hell to go to. Ha.

MPIX: I have used MPIX for years personally...but totally impressed with print orders this year, plus reasonable prices! .

My Boots!  I love these even over a year later. I will always eye more boots, but these go with everything!

My Gym: They never let me down, no matter how naughty I have been.

Last Minute Holiday Craft

Most people that know me KNOW that I am not super crafty. I have tried sewing, didn't love it. Never attempted scrapping, was never interested (although I adore looking at other's). I don't make cute templates or canvas prints. Not crafty at all.

But I AM creative...AKA I rock at coming up with something creative at the very.last.possible second in a select few occasions. .

Last week I had that "oh crap" moment. I am room parent for my 9 year old son's class. That meant class party. Like planning a craft and such. I had a week.

 I came up with a theme: A Few of Our Favorite Things.

Basic plan was:

• For each child to bring their favorite treat or snack (my son picked my homemade cornbread).
• I will bring my fave holiday drink (ok, safe for kids)...Apple Cider (I totally winged this too, and although I expected the kids to dislike it, we had to ration it instead). 
• Come up with a craft that has something to do with one of the child's fave memories.

And so this "craft" was created.

I love using the clear glass bulbs for gifts each year. In the past I filled them with a special photo. But this year I did these as gifts..... so I took this idea and ran with it, on a smaller scale.

What you need:
Mini Glass Ornaments (Hobby Lobby)
A Thin Strip of Paper
A Few Strips of Shiny Ribbon

Have your child write your fave memory (depending on recipient of gift, it can be a fave memory with that person...thanks to my friend Evea for that idea). My memory was celebrating Christmas for the first time as a mommy. Twirl the paper with something small, like a wooden skewer or toothpick, and place inside ornament. Fill with ribbon (you can twirl it around the skewer or just let it curl inside bulb as you place it in).

Simple as that.

Now you take this idea and run with it. :)

Christmas & Such

Boy, Christmas snuck up on me this time...but I fought like hell to stay on top of it. :) Not to be the over achieving mom, nope. Just to create memories for the family. They may be simple memories, but that's the good stuff.

With the introduction of Pintrest into my life, just like all of my friends, I am now constantly putting inspirational things onto my life to-do list. A few of those things I actually put into action.

Mind you, this is not fancy. Not the most creative. Done in a bit of a rush. I am sure I could have done a ton more to these....but you get what you get. Right?

The first was a simple ornament idea that my 7 year old daughter saw. She calls it "SPARKLES!!!". You should hear her say that. SO we put together some ornaments for the girls in our lives. (look away Evea....please):

Next up was an advent calendar. We decided to have an activity advent. We numbered little envelopes and wrote activities on the card stock. We display the activity once it is done. It was easy, and most activities are easy. Although two will require quite a bit of work! One actually is going to end with about 40 kids at my house I am sure. Really really.

I have had a few people ask me what the activities are....

In no order:

1. make cookies for a neighbor
2. watch a Christmas movie
3. write a holiday play
4. stir peppermint into coffee, cocoa, or tea
5. watch Jordan's holiday performance
6. watch Andrew's musical performance
7. do a scavenger hunt with friends in neighborhood for local food bank
8. write a Christmas letter to a soldier
9. decorate ornaments for friends
10. go see friend's Christmas play
11. go look at Christmas lights
12. eat some peppermint ice cream
13. go see friend perform in Annie
14. spend night with besties
15. Christmas Carol with friends (this is what has turned into a TON of people)
16. make snowflakes
17. celebrate Daddy's birthday
18. bring Christmas flowers to Nana at cemetery
19. make homemade hot chocolate
20. decorate cookies
21. write letter to Santa
22. tell a stranger Merry Christmas
23. watch a Christmas TV special
24. Christmas Eve Surprise!

I hope this inspires you all in some way. :)