One last post...

I think I have posted the most in the last few days as I ever have. Must be because school is out!! Well, after the second day of baking cookies and candy with children under 8, I decided to whip up the "Rainbow snake" that Lil requested. I must be high from all the sugar. I am cooking, baking and sewing everyday!!! Anyway, baby girl is a bit under the weather. I think catching some of what Miss M had last week. Right in time for Christmas, don't you love it!! So, she kept requesting a rainbow snake, this afternoon I pulled out some scraps and this is what I came up with:


Lil loved it. She woke up from nap just in time to pick out the white button eyes. Why do we buy so many toys?? Lil played with this snake all night and Miss M played with her Rosie doll all night. They even slept with them.
Now, to come up with a clone trooper plan for the boy....

Dolls..

I don't usually make softies and dolls. I really love this Black Apple Doll pattern from Emily Martin. I got the pattern here on the Martha Stewart website. It was fun to make. I first made one a couple of weeks ago (no pic) and Lil took it. Then I made one the other night for one of my sweet little friends that come over to make cookies with us. We used leftover Christmas fabric. (I mean, how much of that Michael Miller fabric will I use!!!) Then Miss M just had to have one so she picked out some fabric and we tried to make the hair longer, which turned out o.k. Not too much experience with this. She loved it though and named her Rosie!
Of course now, Lil has made a request for a rainbow snake??? Not sure exactly how that will work out. And the boy has requested a stuffed Star Wars Clone Trooper?? Definitely, not sure how I will do that. He has it all planned out, though. So, maybe I will let him design it and I will sew it!

Have a Blessed Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to self...

I thought this year I needed a Christmas Apron. All my kids have Christmas aprons and I make them for my neices and my best friend's daughter when they come to bake with us. And I don't even have one. So, I had ordered this fabric this summer along with the fabric I used for the girls pillowcase tops. I also had been waiting to use the Emmaline apron pattern from Sew Liberated. I think it turned out pretty cute. It is a reversible apron. Big G took the pics, he really did pretty good!!!

More Recipe Info

I am new to this blog thing and I don't want to do anything I am not supposed to like print recipes from books that are still for sale. Not sure about the rules on that kind of stuff, but I am sure there is some sort of copyright law about it. So, I thought I could at least give you more info about the books. The one where I have gotten so many great ideas and recipes is Southern Living Our Best Christmas Recipes. I have linked it to Amazon where you can buy it used for around $2 or new for around $8. There are many homemade gift ideas in there, soup mixes, cookies, breads, etc. We are using the Hot Cocoa recipe to give out at Lil's preschool class in individual plastic Christmas cups I got for like 4/$1 at Hobby Lobby. You can tell I have been spending way too much time at that store this fall!!

The Nutty Snack mix that I have modified for our family is from Christmas with Southern Living 2002. I also linked it to Amazon so you can check it out too. There will be many more recipes to come from the Christmas with Southern Living Recipe books this Holiday season, I will try to share my favorites and which Years they are from. Many recipes can be used throughout the year, but I use them a ton during the holidays.
I think I may just have a cookbook addiction!

Peppermint Ice Cream Pie and Christmas Snack Mix

This was soooo yummy. Even my hubby loved it and he doesn't eat many sweets. I got this recipe from an old cookbook. Actually, one night last week I decided to look at some cookbooks my in-laws brought me that were my husband's grandmother's. They know I love to cook. Unfortunately, when they gave them to me I couldn't think about using them - so they went straight to the basement. As usual, instead of getting to bed early, so I wouldn't be tired, I thought, "hmmm, I wonder if there is a good recipe in those cookbooks in the basement" Three hours later I was still going through them! Anyway, the one for the Peppermint Ice Cream Pie came from Southern Living "Our Best Christmas Recipes". The copyright was 1995, but the forward says it shares recipes from their first issue in 1966. It was truly delicious and I must have marked 20 other recipes to try!!!



These are teacher Christmas gifts. I have been making this Christmas Snack Mix for a few years now. My inlaws actually made it for years, but a slightly different recipe. I took the recipe from "Christmas with Southern Living 2002", Nutty Snack Mix. I have made a few changes. Like I use TLC cheese crackers instead of Cheese nips. But with this base, my family has come up with a snack mix that they can't stop eating! I'm glad I only make this at Christmas time, because everytime I turn around the kids are eating it out of a tin. I thought this year I would use it for Dance teacher, gymnastic coaches, and piano teacher gifts. Found these great bowls for a steal at Hobby Lobby. Bought some green card stock, printed out a sweet message, traced a Christmas tree and voila! a Christmas gift. I think everyone should make homemade gifts, they seem so special. The kids can actually say they helped make the gift!
I love to hear about other's Christmas Homemade Gifts also!!

Christmas Ornaments and Dresses

Miss M had an Ornament Party in her Kindergarten class this week. We did 6 ornaments! They used their thumbs to make the polka dots on the glass balls, I used Scribbles paint to paint their initials.
I painted the trains. This is a picture of what the girl train looked like. The boy train was red with lime green stripes on the smoke stack.

This Reindeer is one of two they made:

It was really fun watching 20 little ones make so many ornaments!

Finally, I finished smocking and putting the girls dresses together.


Now, to get my Christmas presents done!! Not to mention getting my photo cards done. I feel more pressure everyday as I get another Christmas Card in the mail, I feel more and more behind!

Thanksgiving Feasts

Yes, Feasts are what we had this week. Four to be exact. Miss M had her Thanksgiving Feast at school on Monday and had a wonderful time dressing up as an Indian. She learned so much this month and was quick to correct anything I had wrong. Like how many braids should be in her hair. Of course, the "goose egg" on her forehead wasn't part of her costume. She "accidently" dove under her brother's bed and hit the bed frame!!
Big G also had a Thanksgiving Program at school, but on Tuesday. The 2nd grade sang songs. It was very cute. G is not one to put a lot of effort into singing and performing, but was always cutting his eyes to see that we were watching.
The 3rd Thanksgiving Feast was at Lil's preschool. She sang a few songs and we ate a feast with her. She enjoyed having all the attention. I think it may be the first time parents and grandparents have come to see something that was only about her.
The best feast was today. We smoked the turkey and all our family came over. It was wonderful. I am so full, I don't think I will be able to eat tonight - but I am sure I will manage. I have to eat something, if only to justify why I need pie!

Christmas, Christmas time is here....

Everytime I say those words I think of the OLD Alvin and the Chipmunks song that -- yes as small child I had a cassette tape of.
Well, I am busy helping to get the kids class christmas parties ready. I just can't say no. I tested out the scented ornaments from Family Fun. They smell great. We made Gingerbread men so I can see how many one recipe made. (12) So, two recipes should be enough for the Kindergarteners. The ornaments are made from applesauce, cinnamon and white glue! You roll it out and use cookie cutters. They took about 48 hrs to dry in my house. If I had a window sill here, I think they would dry faster:


Anyway, I did manage to get some sewing in. I quickly made these fun outfits for the girls to wear in December. They are pillowcase dress tops and I just added a ruffle to some Target jeans that I got on sale. Both M and Lil loved them! Now to get their smocked dresses done!

Turkeys and Apron

I downloaded this really cute turkey applique from SWAKEmbroidery.com. Each girl loved their turkeys. Turkeys for my two little turkeys!!


I also made this apron for my best friends daughter. Her birthday is this month. She likes to play hairdresser. I was so glad to use this fabric. I have had it for over a year. She loved it!

Finally, PJ pants.

Well, I finally made the girls some pj pants. I only promised them months ago when I was doing their brothers. I also secretly wanted to try out the Boutique Bottoms pattern, I had to see if I liked it better than some of my other pants pattern. I think M's was the best fit. I was a little confused with the pattern (which is not hard to do these days) on how to do the length. I just continued the lines straight down until I got the length I wanted. Lil's pants seemed bigger. Could be because she pulls all her pants way down below her 3 yr old belly. May need to adjust that next time. They were happy with the Little Einsteins fabric and Hannah Montana. M said "FINALLY, MAMA"!!!

I'm back....

October is always a crazy month around here. Not to mention that we have 5 birthdays in our family in this month. Big G turned 8, I can't believe it. I actually can't believe I have an 8 yr old, I don't have babies anymore I have kids. So... Sad.

Anyway, I have been busy sewing. Sewing 20 Chair Pockets (cozies) for G's class. I got the pattern from Sew Spoiled. This has taken most of my time, I deliver them tomorrow and hope to get started on Christmas stuff soon. I can't believe it is almost November. Time is getting away from me.

I made these great "healthier" treats for G's class tomorrow. The school is pushing no sugar which is great. On the other hand, my husband has nicknamed Lil's preschool as "Candy School". I got the recipes for the spiders and pumpkins from Family Fun. I can always find fun stuff to do there with the kids. The spiders are two Whole Wheat crackers, then spread peanut butter and stick in the 8 pretzel stick legs, 2 raisins for eyes. Super easy and Fast.


Even faster, were the pumpkins. Just get a sun-dried tomato tortilla, spread on some cream cheese or whatever you like, roll it up and slice. Stick a toothpick in it with some cilantro or parsely for the stems. I love food with a theme!!