Christmas crafts, 2011

We made a couple of ornaments again this year.  I saw both of these on The Crafty Crow, and had been saving the ideas since last year.  They turned out quite lovely.  I forgot to take a picture of ours before I packed them away with the decorations, but they really looked just like these ones I saw online.  Promise. 

The other Christmas craft worth noting was a project I took on for T's class party.  I had been saving ideas on a Pinterest board.  I pulled it up to show T two ideas and have him pick between them.  Of course his eyes wandered over to another picture and asked if we could make THAT.  Well, THAT was this pinecone snowman, and the entire project from start to finish was disaster city.  Too many steps, too many impossible to work with materials (pinecones?  seriously?  you stink as a surface to glue crap to).  I got everything as ready as I possibly could, and then, mercifully, my mother in law was able to come with me to the party and help me.  We basically assembled these for 23 kids, they were much too difficult for kindergarteners.  I have learned my lesson and will choose the craft myself from now on, not ask for input from 5 year olds.  After all that moaning and groaning, though, I just have to say, isn't he cute???  He is.  He is cute.  Cute enough to make the whole ordeal worthwhile?  Ummmmm, the jury is still out.  Ask me next year when I hang him on the tree. 

I had a couple other crafts that I wanted to make this year but we ran out of time.  I had already purchased the supplies, though.  So here's what I did: I boxed them up all together, and then I put a printed copy of the craft instructions in with the supplies.  Next year when I pull out all the Christmas stuff I will have the supplies AND I will know what the heck I intended to do with them!  Is that not genius?  I feel like I genius for that one, I gotta say.



Blog, I have been cheating on you with another blog.  I promise I will still show you some love when I can, original blog, but for now my focus is over here:  15 Minutes Outside.  If you don't already know, I made a New Year's resolution to go outside with the boys every day for a year, for at least 15 minutes each day.  It's only been a week but this project is already very near and dear to my heart.  You should follow us and be happy for us, because being outside every single day?  It's kind of changing our lives.