Valentine Marshmallow Pops

Here's a quick little treat to share this Valentine's Day! I found these strawberry flavored marshmallows at Walmart and thought that they would be so cute for Valentines day. We put them on a sucker stick and dipped them in white chocolate and then sprinkled festive sprinkles on them. We let them set and then wrapped them in little baggies and tied them up with a cute red ribbon. The kids helped to do this project and we passed them out to all our cousins for Valentine's day. They would be cute for teachers, grandparents, or friends. Super easy and inexpensive too!!

New Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions! Do you make them? Do you keep them? Well I have to say that I like to make them, but do I always keep them? No! But I really think that is not all bad. I think it is mentally good for us to regroup ourselves once a year, to evaluate our lives and try to set goals that will help improve us. Maybe we only do it for 6 months or a week, but at least we have set the goals and we are trying, right? Last year I saw this great idea on another blog and I am so sorry I don't keep better track of where I see them so I can give recognition, that should be a new goal! :) Anyways, I loved this idea because it was simple enough for my little family to do. We sat down together and each person had three sheets of paper. One said About Me at the top. Then there was listed Date, name, age, weight and height. We went through and took each persons measurements and then also at the bottom they traced their hand. The second sheet had 2009 at the top with 3 questions; Favorite things I did this year, Favorite places I went, and what I will remember most. The third sheet said 2010 at the top and had 4 questions. Something I would like to do this year, Somewhere I would like to go is, Something I would like to learn about is, and Something I'd like to improve on this year. Then on another piece of paper we put a picture of them. We put them all in a manilla envelope and then we decorated the outside with magazine clippings that represented our family. We then put them away with our Christmas stuff so we could get them out this year. We are going to do it again this year, but the only thing I would change is to make a copy of the 2010 goals and keep one out to be posted in their rooms or somewhere to remind them of their goals. This is a great family activity and one that has purpose and meaning. I think it is great to teach our children goal setting and the importance of always working to become better and improving our lives.

Christmas Cards

So, if you haven't noticed, I really neglected my blog through the month of December. Things got really crazy busy and I just didn't take the time to update. So I will start fresh today and share with you a fun project I saw a few years ago and loved it. I have always debated what to do with my Christmas cards that I get. I really do hate throwing them away, but to keep all of them seemed like way to much work. So when I saw this I knew it was perfect. I bought a big ring at office max, I think they actually came in a pack and I used the largest one. I then used my crocodile punch (which will cut through about anything) and I punch a hole through the top left side of each card or picture (I don't save the letters, but you could). Then I put them all on the ring. Next I used some scraps of my Christmas scrapbook paper and made afront cover and a little tag that says "Friends and Family 2009." I put that on the ring in the front and then I closed the ring. The last thing I did was add a bunch of Christmas ribbon just to give it some flair and make it cute and because I love ribbon. This year I just set it out on my coffee table and when people would come over they would look through it and my kids loved to look at it too and see familiar faces and ask who some of them were that they didn't know. One thing I thought of this year is to make a board that says Merry Chrismas! and then put nails along the bottom. Kind of like a family home evening board. That way you could hang the rings from there and you could even show off your new cards this way too. I liked this project because it is easy to do and doesn't take up a lot of room to show off and to store. So don't throw those cards away just yet!!

Busy

I'm sorry I haven't posted for so long. I have been so busy with all the Christmas hustle and bustle. I am almost done with my shopping and hope to be able to slow down after that and enjoy the holiday a little. I thought I would share some of Christmas decorations with you and then hopefully I can share some Christmas projects later on.

Cranberries and sugar

Marshmallows and whipping cream

The finished salad(sorry my pictures aren't prettier)

I'm sure many of you are planning your Thanksgiving dinners and I wanted to post this recipe before it was too late to add to your menu. It is one of my favorite recipes and is special because it came from my Grandma. The tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness from the marshmallows, along with the whipping cream make it so delightful. I have shared this recipe over the last several years and many friends have told me it has become a must at their Thanksgiving tables. If you make it, tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

Granner's Cranberry Salad

1/2 lb. Cranberries (ground very fine)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form

small pkg. marshmallows

1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix sugar and cranberries together. Put in refrigerator for 2 hrs. Mix whipped cream and marshmallows in seperate bowl and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. After 2 hours is up take out of fridge and combine all ingredients and add crushed pineapple. Mix thoroughly. Put back in refrigerator and let chill overnight.

Christmas gift #5 - Christmas Planner

So I hosted my card club last night and we made these darling Christmas Planners. I saw the idea on http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/. They are made from a file folder, we covered in paper and embellishments and then antiqued the edges. There are different pockets for notes, receipts and lists. I don't know how practical they are, but I thought they were super cute. You could give this as a gift to friends or sisters before Christmas and even include a gift card for shopping. I know I could use a little organization at this busy time of year and why not do it with some style!!

Christmas tree decorations

So call me crazy, but I like to do a tree in each of my little birds' rooms and they all match their decor. I found the trees super cheap after Christmas one year and also the ornaments. the birdies love them and think they are so special to get their own tree. This year I saw a new cute ornament idea and was about to buy them and then saw the tag. They were about $7.00 a pick. All it is is pipe cleaner twisted in a curly q and then we put a bead on the end. We then twisted 3 to a long pipe cleaner and twisted them together. They were simple and my girls had a blast making them with me. I probably did around 30 for about $2.00 or $3.00. I think they add some fun quirky style to their trees. I actually decided to do some silver with reds beads for my tree. It sure got me in the Christmas spirit! Can't wait!!