This afternoon, as I was running some errands after work, I realized that they have begun to decorate the shopping strip in our neighborhood with holiday decor. I know some people joke about holiday lights being put up the day after Halloween by some overzealous merry makers but, the truth is that seeing the decorations displayed really does put one into the holiday spirit! It's that time of the year when all we can think about are those cozy nights in and pumpkin spice lattes! That means Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas are back on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to welcome the exciting 2023 holiday season! One of my favorite Christmas memories was the year that I redecorated our living room and invited the entire family to spend Christmas Eve with us. I remember feeling excited to show off my decorating skills as I had single-handedly painted the whole room and picked out all the decor and furniture. Also, I was very … [Read more...]
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie Premiere of “Mystery on Mistletoe Lane” on Thursday, November 9th at 8pm/7c! #MiraclesofChristmas #Ad
Christmas Tic-Tac-Toe
One of the things that I have noticed as an educator is that children and young people are completely addicted to technology. They don't take time out to speak to one another fact to face anymore and they definitely don't play the kinds of games that we used to play when we were kids. The games I'm talking about were Jacks, Tic-Tac-Toe, Hopscotch, etc. Lately, my husband and I have been trying to limit technology in our home. Since we now have a teen and a pre-teen, they would rather spend most of their time playing video games when we are home. While we do reward them with time to play these games, we've also been going back to basics by making them turn off their gadgets in lieu of playing some good old-fashioned games as a family. When I was younger, one of my favorite games was Tic-Tac-Toe because it was so easy to play and because you could basically use any surface as a game board and many items can be used as game pieces. That … [Read more...]
Nativity Puppets
Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner? This is, by far, my favorite time of the year. I just love all of the sights, scents, and sounds of the holidays. It just feels like such a warm and inviting time and I do believe that it helps to bring out the good in people. Everything about the holidays also lends itself to some creative and colorful arts and crafts. One of my favorite memories from my childhood was my grandmother's Nativity which she put up every Christmas Eve. Those fond memories were the inspiration for this project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Nativity Finger Puppets Supplies needed: -stretchy gloves in your choice of color - peel and stick felt nativity stickers (found at Hobby Lobby or most craft stores where scrapbooking materials are sold) - craft glue or hot glue/glue gun Directions: 1. First decide in which order you wish to place the nativity characters. For ours, we placed the Holy Family together on one side … [Read more...]
Turkey Treat Bags
I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week already! Since we are going to my sister's house on Thanksgiving Day, I am excited that I got out of cooking this year. I do, however, want to bring some treats for all the kids so I made these Turkey Treat Bags for all of them. They were really easy and inexpensive to make and I hope you enjoy making them for your family as much as I enjoyed making them for mine! Turkey Treat Bags Materials: Tulle (Use rectangle tulle from a roll or tulle pre-cut circles) Pipe cleaners (red, tan, orange and yellow) Peanut butter candy with a crunchy shell (or your favorite mix of candies in fall colors!) Googly eyes Glue (hot glue or another strong glue) Scissors Small clear hair elastics Optional: clear treat bags or sandwich bags Directions: Place candies in the middle of your tulle. {Tulle from a roll may be used (cut to 16”) or precut tulle circles.} Secure the tulle closed with a … [Read more...]
How Valentine’s Day Changed My Life…
This Valentine's Day will make eighteen years since I met my husband for the first time. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday... He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina at the time and we met in a chat room online. Neither one of us had ever done that before but we really seemed to connect and had so many things in common. That weekend, he had called me to tell me that he would be unable to take leave and drive up to New York with his roommate because he had been assigned guard duty. Of course, I was extremely disappointed that I would not be able to see him but I resigned myself to the fact and just tried to keep busy. Sometime in the evening, I received a call from Ben telling me that his roommate would be stopping off at my house on his way to Jersey to drop off my Valentine's Day present. I could hear a lot of noise in the background during the call and he assured me that they were just running drills on base. Shortly after, his cousin, who … [Read more...]
Snowman Earrings
I am way behind this year on Christmas shopping. Normally, I would have already finished buying all presents by mid November. I'm trying cut down on my spending budget and making sure I give some personalized gifts that will show my loved ones just how much they mean to me. My godmother loves to wear themed costume jewelry so I thought it would be a great idea if I made her some earrings. Since it is winter and she has been rocking her winter accessories, I came up with a plan to make her some snowman earrings using supplies that I could purchase right at our local art supply store. You'd be surprised how many great gifts you could make with just a few items that you could buy locally and are pretty inexpensive. Snowman Earrings Materials Needed: Tools (small wire cutter, round nose pliers, and chain nose pliers) 22mm Fishhook earwire 3″ Head pins Glass snowman beads Tiny silver … [Read more...]
Cinco de Mayo Sombrero Cookies Recipe
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and, for those of you who don't know the history behind this day, it commemorates the Mexican Army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. I actually know facts like these from the years that I taught middle school Social Studies and planned multicultural lessons for my students. The Battle of Puebla is significant because it is the classic story of the underdog defying all the odds to come out ahead. In this case, Mexicans were greatly outnumbered by the French who had not been defeated for almost 50 years. It's a wonderful story that I love telling to my Mexican students to instill pride in their heritage. This year, I thought I would also create some delicious treats to give out to my students as we discuss the day's historical significance. Cinco de Mayo Sombrero Cookies Recipe Ingredients: 12 Pillsbury Ready To Bake Sugar Cookies (or can use store bought) … [Read more...]
Cheap Valentine’s Day Ideas
Let's face it, while most of us really enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day with our sweethearts, it can sometimes turn out to be a pretty expensive holiday. The problem is that it lands less than three months after Christmas so many are still recovering from all the money they spent in December buying presents. It's important to remember, however, that making time to show your partner how you feel about them and enjoying some romance together is a necessary part of having a good relationship. The good news is that you can show your honey how much you love him or her without spending a lot of money. Make a love coupon book Love coupons are a great way to surprise your special someone on Valentine's Day. You can create or print ones that are filled out already and also include blank ones that your partner can fill out with whatever task they want you to complete. Some of the tasks that you can include on the coupons are enjoying a home cooked meal, getting a massage, cuddle time, … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Day Poker Chip Heart Wreath
I've always loved Valentine's Day. Not only is it a special holiday for demonstrating your love for your sweetheart, but it is a lot of fun to get the kids involved and show them how important it is to tell their loved ones how they feel about them. One of the ways that I have always gotten our boys involved during this sweet time of the year is by spending time doing arts and crafts with them. Not only do they love creating things with their hands, but they also adore being able to spend this quality time with my husband and I. This year, we decided that we wanted to come up with a unique Valentine's Day activity so we got really creative! Valentine's Day Poker Chip Heart Wreath Make this easy and inexpensive Valentine’ Day poker chip heart wreath in just minutes and with minimal supplies. Here is how you can get started. Supplies needed: Red and white poker chips (check your local dollar store) Hot glue, glue … [Read more...]
Memorial Day Patriotic Felt Craft
This weekend is Memorial Day and, while many are looking forward to having a long holiday weekend, the real purpose of this day is to remember all of the men and women who died serving our country in its armed forces. It is their sacrifices that allow us to enjoy the freedom that we have as citizens of this great country. What better way to spend some quality time with the family than by doing some arts and crafts together? The possibilities with these cute, no sew felt patriotic decorations are endless! Attach a magnet to adorn your refrigerator. Affix to a frame to add patriotism to your favorite photo. Wear as a pin. Attach to a gift box in place of a bow. Plant sticks, or even at your patriotic party table! Materials: Hot Glue Felt Buttons Skewer Sticks Scissors Directions: To make the blue (or red) circles: Cut four, 2" circles out of felt. Fold circle in half and half again and glue together at the seam. Hold for a minute to let the hot glue … [Read more...]
