Homemade Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas

Hey folks! Things have been a little nuts around here, and alas, I didn't get around to writing a Make-It Monday post this week. I've actually been so busy creating crafts for Christmas Your Way and homemade gifts for DIY on a Dime over at Life as MOM that I've let things slide a bit here. Sorry!

But, I'm not completely empty handed! I thought I'd share a few things today that I've created for other blogs!

ABC Memory Game at Life as MOM

This month, Jessica at Life as MOM is posting a series of easy, handmade gifts that are perfect for Christmas. Last week, I contributed a Playdough Kit last week, and today I'm sharing my homemade ABC Memory Game. I'm actually planning on giving the game to Lu as a gift for Christmas. True, she's already seen it, but maybe if I hide it away for a couple of weeks she'll forget about it! Who knows? Maybe the girls will even get the playdough kits too. They loved those as well.

Playdough Kit at Life as MOM

All of the DIY on A Dime ideas are great. To make it easy to find them, Jessica has made a fantastic list of all the DIY on a Dime projects.



Christmas Tree Tags at Christmas Your Way

I have to confess, I've been so busy crafting that we haven't completely decorated out tree yet! Brett is busy studying for finals and I've been busy holding down the fort. I did manage to put the lights on the tree AND put up some of these little tree tag ornaments that I designed as part of the 101 Days of Christmas series at Christmas Your Way.

Well, I'm not done crafting yet. I've got a few more crafts up my sleeve. I'll post about them soon!

Felt Decorations for Your Holiday Beverages!

It's time for holiday parties and family get-togethers! Wednesday night, I got together with my friend Caroline to do a little crafting with felt. She's having a many, many houseguests this month as well as a Christmas celebration at her home. So, she wanted to make some simple decorations for beverages during the holidays. We had a great time, and my girls even joined in. Here's what we made:

So, what exactly are these?

Beverage Identifiers Made from Felt!!!!
These little babies can help folks identify their beverage (or empty glass) from everyone else's. This is great during a party OR even if you just have a home full of houseguests and don't want to wash every single glass each time it is used.

Originally, I designed these fun felt cup identifiers to go on regular beverage glasses. But, when I was playing around with them, I realized that they would work well on mugs...

 AND wine glasses as well!

Rather than stretching the elastic band around the cup itself, just loop the identifier around the handle of the mug or the stem of a wineglass. However, if you want your identifiers to fit on any style of glass, make sure that your decoration can be turned in any direction and still look right. Otherwise, you might have a sideways reindeer!

If you plan on using the identifiers primarily for wine AND you have a decoration that needs to be in a particular direction, then position your elastic band so that it is vertical rather than horizontal. For instructions on how to create these, stop by DIY Your Way and check out my felt cup identifier tutorial!

But that's not all that I made...check this out:

After Caroline left, I couldn't stop crafting. I decided to make a little decor for wine or other bottled drinks. With a strip of felt, you can make a fast, frugal, and fun little "scarf" for the bottled beverage of your choice.

How to Make a Wine Bottle Scarf:

Supplies:

• felt
• scissors
• hot glue
• other embellishments (optional)

Directions:
Cut a strip of felt to your desired length. Since I wanted to tie my scarf "european style," I needed a longer length. So, I used a 20-inch by 1-inch strip of felt. (Felt can be purchased off the bolt at a fabric store if you want a longer length. Otherwise, you can purchase a 9" x 12" sheets at the craft store for about $0.30 per sheet.)

Embellish the scarf however you wish. I glued smaller strips to the ends to create "fringe" for my scarf. You could also glue on sequins or rhinestones for a bit of bling.

When the scarf is done, tie it around the neck of your bottle. If you want to tie it European-style, fold the scarf in half with the ends together. Wrap the folded scarf around the neck of the bottle and pull the ends through the loop. Ta da!

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For other holiday craft ideas, be sure to stop by the Holiday Home Linky Party featuring Crafts at Centsational Girl on Thursday!

Christmas in Williamsburg

Can I just say, I love living in Williamsburg? Okay, to be honest, I totally thought this law school thing was nuts when my husband decided that he wanted to do it three years ago. After we've been through the LSAT, the application process, and now almost half of law school, I gotta say that I do feel blessed that we're here. Yes, it is hard to be so far away from most of our family. But, we would have had to move somewhere for school anyway, and I'm glad that it is here. We live in a beautiful and historic place. It just amazes me sometimes.

Today, my sister-in-law Aimee and I took all of the girls downtown to see the Christmas parade. Man, we've got it down. We park out by the law school (free parking) at 8:30 and then walk downtown just as they're closing the streets off to traffic. Front row seats without waiting in the cold. Perfection!

We enjoyed the parade and then walked over to Mad about Chocolate for a treat. The girls had mini cookies while Aimee and I feasted on "Savory Cheesecake." Oh, it was a delicious splurge! If you're ever in Williamsburg (Tues-Sat, 8:30am-6pm), Mad about Chocolate is a great place to enjoy a little treat. It is owned by Marcel Desaulniers, award-winning chef and author of Death by Chocolate, and his artist wife Connie. Connie helped design the cafe and the art that adorns its walls. Ella LOVED looking at all of the art and wants to bring some of it home.

Afterward, we sat in the sun while the girlies played on the Palace Green. Such a lovely day! I feel blessed! If I'm up to it, we might brave the crowds in CW for the Grand Illumination tomorrow night. We'll see how it goes. But, I'm sure we'll be back there during the month to enjoy Christmas in Williamsburg!

Gift Ideas under $12 for Little Chefs

While both of my girls enjoy cooking in the kitchen, Lucie REALLY enjoys it these days. I call her my little sous-chef. She's even started watching kitchen shows on TV for fun. Who knows if this is a life-long interest or a passing fad. But, I'm trying to embrace it now and enjoy moments in the kitchen with her.

Perhaps you've got a child (or niece, or nephew, or friend) who likes to cook too and for whom you'll be getting a Christmas gift. Here are a few inexpensive gift ideas for little chefs:

Make a Reversible Apron! Choose fabrics that your little chef will enjoy. I shared this reversible apron tutorial earlier this week.

Make a Love Spice Shaker Jar! Let your little one add that special ingredient at the end. This gift is practically free. Just reuse an old spice jar and embellish it with whatever you have on hand. I used scrapbook paper and Modge Podge. Instructions are available on Life as MOM.

Buy a child-friendly cookbook. Here are a few suggestions that are under $12:

• Food, Faith, and Fun: A Faithgirlz! Cookbook: I bought this for Lucie (sshhhhh...don't tell!). She saw it at the school's book fair and really, really wanted it. I'm not sure if I'll give it to her for Christmas or for her birthday since that comes right after Christmas. But, I know that she'll love it! It includes recipes for many different holidays as well. The "cornucopia" recipe for Thanksgiving was amazingly adorable!
• Once Upon a Time in the Kitchen: The librarian at E's school showed this to me. It looks soooo great. It has excerpts from classic children's stories and recipes that you can make together that are an extension of the story. It would be a great way to combine a storytime at home and a cooking lesson!
• Cook It in a Cup: Quick Meals and Treats Kids Can Cook in Silicone Cups: This cookbook comes with a set of silicone baking cups to use to create the dishes in the cookbook. So fun!

What would you give to the little chef in your life?

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For other money-saving ideas, stop by Frugal Friday at Life as MOM.

How to Make a Gingerbread Latte

I love coffee...specifically, I love Peet's Coffee. One of the great tragedies of living in Virginia is that there is not a Peet's Coffee in the entire state. Yes, I can purchase bags of their coffee beans at Target, but there is nothing quite like picking out fresh beans (in a variety of types / blends) and enjoying a fresh beverage in the store. Last month, my folks blessed us with a care package containing 2 pounds of my favorite beans -- Arabian Mocha Java. We were so excited because (1) it's Peet's Coffee and (2) we can't buy this type of bean at the grocery store. Thanks Mom & Dad!

I really, really love to prepare Peet's in my stovetop espresso maker. Most mornings, Brett prepares a regular cup of coffee for me while I get the girlies ready for school. (Isn't he a sweet man?) But, when I have the time, I love to make some espresso for a "fancy" drink. Honestly, it doesn't take long to use this maker, but you do have to pay attention to it until your espresso is ready. Otherwise, you can ruin your drink and your machine. On my multi-tasking mornings, this just doesn't work.

Earlier this month when my sister-in-law Rachelle was here, I broke out the espresso maker to make some fancy drinks for us. I also went a step further and made some Gingerbread Syrup. Oh my! It was so delicious that I had to share this recipe!

Gingerbread Syrup
This recipe was inspired by my Lime Ginger Ale Syrup. Instead of adding lime juice, I added some spices!

1 cup water
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into slices
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put the water and the ginger slices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to steep for about 30 minutes. Strain infused ginger water into a 1-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to make a full cup. Clean out saucepan and return ginger water to the pan. Add sugar, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Add cloves and cinnamon. Use a funnel to transfer to a clean, glass bottle with a lid. Allow to cool and then store in the refrigerator.


Gingerbread Latte

2 ounces (1/4 cup) hot espresso - you can follow this stovetop espresso tutorial
1 ounce (2 Tablespoons) Gingerbread Syrup
about 1/2 cup half-and-half, milk, or combination

While the espresso is being made on the stovetop, froth & steam your milk.** In a preheated mug, pour in the gingerbread syrup. If your syrup has been refrigerated, you may want to heat it up in the microwave for a bit. Add the hot espresso and stir to combine. Top with your steamed half-and-half or milk. Give it a gentle stir to combine. Enjoy!

**To make steamed milk, you need to froth the milk a little bit and then heat it up in the microwave. I use my Magic Bullet and blend the milk for about 15 seconds or so to froth it. Then, I remove the blade, and microwave the cup with the milk for about 45 seconds or until hot. The foam will develop when the milk is heated. You can also froth milk with something like this Aerolatte Milk Frother.

Decorate for Christmas with DIY Rolled Paper Flowers!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, I can officially decorate for Christmas!

Have you ever stopped by Christmas Your Way (a channel of Life Your Way)? Oh my, it is a wonderful resource for all things Christmas! Right now, they're about 2/3 of the way through a series called 101 Days of Christmas. There are tons of ideas for Christmas crafts, gifts, traditions, and food. Oh, it is so much fun to browse there!

Earlier this week, I shared a DIY Rolled Paper Flower Arrangement tutorial at Christmas Your Way. I just love how these flowers turned out. They were so cheap to make. I can see myself making different ones year round to suit the season. It would even be fun to make some out of book pages (for the book lover) or sheet music (for the musician). If you like crafts, stop by Christmas Your Way and check it out!

Make It Monday: Satin Floral Hairclips

I love it when I learn how to make something new from a friend. My dearest friend Jillian taught me how to make these little beauties. Every time I see one of my girlies wear one, I think of Jill and that is a very good thing.

Today, I'm going to share with you how to make these Satin Floral Hairclips for Make It Monday!

These Satin Floral Hairclips are really easy -- and inexpensive -- to make. They are also versatile. You can use them as a hairclip, of course, but also as a gift package topper or if you add a pin it can be worn as a broach.

First, a disclaimer here. This craft is of a somewhat dangerous nature because it involves using fire. Please use caution. I am not responsible for any mishaps that may occur while replicating this craft. Boom. There it is.

Materials Needed:

• Costume Satin - the feel of this can vary. What is shown here is of a stiffer nature. While it was easier to cut, I do prefer the feel of a softer costume satin. Feel free to experiment.
• Scissors
• Tea light & match
• Needle & thread
• Rhinestone or other embellishment
• Hot Glue Gun
• Metal hair clip

Instructions:

1. Cut out three satin circles of diminishing size - Large, Medium and Small. Make sure that your largest one is bigger than the hair clip you want to use. You don't want to be able to see the clip on the finished product.
2. Light a tea light. Very carefully melt the edges of each circle by holding the fabric close to, but not in, the flame. This will keep the fabric from fraying. Then, hold the circle above the flame to pucker the fabric. Repeat this over several parts of the circle. Be careful not to scorch the fabric (or light it on fire, obviously).
3. Once your circles are edged and puckered, stack them on top of each other by size with the smallest on top. With your needle and thread, stitch the three circles securely together. Tie off on the backside.
4. Use the glue gun to adhere a rhinestone or other embellishment in the center of the flower.
5. Cut out a small fabric oval shape that is as long as the prong on the hairclip. Seal the edges with the tealight just as you did the circles. Then, sandwich this between the two prongs of the hairclip.
6. Apply some more hot glue to the back of the flower where you want the hairclip to go. Place the hairclip and the fabric oval securely over the glue. The fabric oval will prevent glue from sticking to the other prong of the hairclip...you know, so it will actually open as a hairclip.

Hints:

• To make a circle easily, fold a square of satin into fourths, hold onto the folded corner and cut an arch from one side to the other. Open up, and you've got a circle.
• Speed up the preparation by making several circles at one time. Just stack layers of satin and cut multiple circles at once. They don't have to be perfect since you'll be making them uneven with the fire anyway.
• While little girls love these hairclips, I don't recommend that you let them get anywhere near the fire. However, you can involve them by letting them pick out colors of the fabric and embellishments.

For other inexpensive homemade gift ideas, check out my archive of other Make-It Monday posts. For other money-saving ideas, check out Frugal Friday at LifeasMOM.

Going for A Simpler Season

Okay folks, I'm gearing up for what is my craziest time of year. Not only is the holiday season nearly upon us, but birthday season is quickly approaching at my house as well. We love to celebrate around here. However, this is the first time in a long time that we don't have a "real" income (aka money that we have not borrowed) to provide the necessary $$$ for how we've celebrated in years past. Things will indeed be simpler this year. However, I still plan on doing my best to make things special.

In case you hadn't heard, Jessica at LifeasMOM has just started up a new series called "A Simpler Season." Trust me when I tell you, this is going to be fantastic series. (FYI - I've got some insider information seeing as I work for her and all...oh, and she's my big sis.) There will be lots of free downloads to help you plan and celebrate the season! So far, you can download a FREE Christmas planning ebook, a FREE thankfulness worksheet and a FREE booklet with some reflection questions. Each week from now until New Year's, Jessica will be posting some other FREE downloads. Be sure to keep checking it out.

I'm really looking forward to using many of her ideas throughout the holiday season. Although my family won't have as many gifts under the tree this year, I truly hope that we have some wonderful memories to hold in our hearts.

Christmas Recap

Ah, what a week! Christmas came and along with it came an influx of visits from family. We enjoyed a nice Christmas morning at home, a relaxed meal with my parents and two of my siblings on the day after Christmas, and a fun visit with my sister-in-law Dawn and our niece and nephew from Oregon. As I type, my sweet nephew Simon is reading stories to my girls so I have a quiet moment to blog. I figure that I better write about Christmas before the new year is here!

I just have to say...it is so fun to have two little girls in the house at Christmas! Now that the girlies are nearly 6 and 3, they find enjoyment in the festivities. On Christmas Eve, they opened the traditional gift of pajamas, but the pajamas weren't quite so traditional. Deluxe Princess Nightgowns from the Disney Store! Yes, they really are nightgowns. The girls just LOVE them and didn't bother getting out of them at all on Christmas day.

Of course, then we got down to the business of opening gifts. Santa left stockings for the girls filled with a combo of fun and functional gifts. Funnily enough, the girls were most excited by their new Arm & Hammer "My Way" SpinBrush toothbrushes that they could decorate with stickers. I can't say that I'm disappointed with that.

We also bought a few more gifts for the girls. They each received a set of Playmobil toys (which would coordinate nicely with their Playmobil Take Along Princess Chest that they would receive from Nanna). They also got a Disney Princess AND Prince doll -- Ella got Ariel & Eric and Lucie got Belle & The Beast. My sister Jamie and I would have gone crazy if we had unwrapped something that cool on Christmas morning. I guess you can sense my motivation for buying that gift.

The girls also picked out the typical gift for a dad -- new ties! I wouldn't have had them do that except that Brett actually likes ties and uses them everyday for work. They each told me what color they wanted to buy him: red for Ella, purple for Lucie. Then, we checked out the different ones online at Men's Wearhouse. I realized that Lucie can't keep a secret just yet when she told Brett that we wrapped up a "scarf" for him. Thankfully, he didn't really understand what she said, so his gifts were still a surprise on Christmas morning.

All in all, it was a lovely day. And now, I better get to planning this evening's festivities!

Merry Christmas!

"I bring you good new of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." - Luke 2:10-12

A New Christmas Nativity

"That Aunt Cass, she's a giver!" Ella exclaimed when we received a recent package from my beloved aunt. Indeed, Aunt Cass is a giver. Over the years, she has given me three treasured nativity pieces, a beautiful candy dish and matching juice goblets, and many, many bottles of Watkins Double-Strength Vanilla.

This year, she gifted sent us a large box with the makings of a Nativity Set.  -- a stable that was built by my cousin Joe and a collection of Anamalz, small poseable animal figures made of sustainable maple and textiles. In her note, Cass commissioned us to find other pieces to complete the set. The girls were both so excited about it, and we got to looking around our house for ways to complete it.

I decided that we would place the set beneath the tree since that is what my mom did with ours when we were children. Naturally, we also decided that my three nativity pieces that have never had a stable to call home should become a part of the set. Then, Ella got to work with her homemade ornaments and soon enough we had a star and an angel to hang from the tree. While we are still missing shepherds and wise men, I hope that over the years this collection can grow and evolve. Perhaps we'll make it a tradition to make some new "pieces" each year.

Thank you for the memories Aunt Cass!

Christmas Meal Plan

This past week, I've been thinking a lot about what will be on the menu this Christmas weekend. I love the idea of establishing a tradition when it comes to food. Not only does it make a memory, it also just simplifies life a bit in what is usually a hectic time for me. I would love to have a set of recipes to pull out each year. I'm not there yet, but this weekend I'll be experimenting with some to see if they work for my family.
Here is my plan for the weekend:

Christmas Eve: Tortellini Soup & Homemade Bread
Last year we celebrated Christmas Eve with my brother-in-law's family. His in-laws were in town, and we were treated to a delicious tortellini soup that his mother-in-law Debbie made. She is a fantastic cook! Since we will hopefully be attending a Christmas Eve service, I wanted an easy dinner. From the recipe, it looks as if Toretellini Soup will fit the bill.

Christmas Morning: Sticky Buns, Eggs & Little Smokies
When I was growing up, Mom always made scrambled eggs and Little Smokies for Christmas morning breakfast. This is the one tradition that I automatically gravitated toward when we started having Christmas at home on our own. This year, my plan is to make a plate of sticky buns early in the morning and then cook up some eggs and Little Smokies. Most likely, we'll break out the "princess" cups from my Aunt Cass for our orange juice.

I actually have a recipe for Scrambled Eggs that I love to use. I know you're thinking, "Why do you need a recipe for scrambled eggs?" Well, quite frankly, they taste so much better when I follow an actual recipe than when I just throw it together!

Scrambled Eggs

4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter

Whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper and milk in a bowl. (I usually just whip them up in my beloved Magic Bullet.) Heat butter in a non-stick skillet until the butter foams. Pour in the eggs. Use a wooden spoon to push the eggs from one side of the pan to the other until they are cooked to your liking. I abhor runny scrambled eggs so I cook them just until they are no longer wet.

Christmas Dinner: Since I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen making a huge meal on Christmas Day, I'm trying to keep it simple. I'm planning on roasting a chicken with garlic, rosemary and lemon like I learned how to do in The Last Minute Party Girl. I must not be as talented as the author because it takes me longer than 10 minutes to prep the bird, but once the bird is in the oven, there is very little to do. As for dessert, I'm still contemplating what to make. I could go the easy and traditional route and make Toffee Dream pie ahead of time. It is soooo good! But, since I might be making that for a celebration with my parents and siblings on the 26th, I thought it might be fun to make a Buche de Noel and use this chocolate filling (but substitute white chocolate for dark and omit the peppermint extract) and top it with homemade buttercream frosting (with added Special Dark Cocoa Powder). The girls would love it if I picked up some special Playmobil for the occasion too!

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If you're looking for more Christmas Meal inspiration, check out Life as Mom for Ultimate Recipe Swap!

Make It Monday: Etched Glass Gifts

Welcome to the last Make It Monday of the Christmas 2010 season! Over the past couple of weeks, I've talked about some homemade gifts like flaxseed heating wraps, dancing ribbons & felt crowns for kids and flavored liqueurs. Today I'm going to talk about etched glass gifts.

I got this idea from another M.O.P.S. craft that we did a few years ago. Personally, I have only etched a small glass, lidded container (seen above) and a small oval mirror. But, basically you can use etching cream on all types of glass products -- drinking glasses, vases, candle holders, storage containers. You could even etch something on a glass bottle like the ones I used for my Vanilla Liqueur. One project that I would love to do with etching cream is to make a set of numbered wine glasses - no need for wine charms and no mixing up your glass with someone else's. Simple and cute. It's on my "to do" list one day.

Here's a basic explanation of how I've done this project in the past. We made our own templates with contact paper and an exacto knife However, keep in mind that the cream actually etches into glass, so it is caustic. Use it carefully and be sure to follow the instructions that come with your etching cream.

Here's what you need

• glass item to etch
• glass cleaner & towel
• print out / template of your design
• contact paper
• exacto knife
• plastic gloves to protect your hands
• etching cream (such as Armour Etch Cream)
• paintbrush

Here's what you do:

1. Clean the area where you plan to etch your design with a glass cleaner.
2. Transfer your design onto contact paper. When I made the container above, I used a computer print-out of the letter P, cut it out (including the loop of the P) and traced it onto the contact paper. Then use the exacto knife to remove your shape from your piece of contact paper. In my example, I ended up with a square of contact paper that was missing the shape of a P. I also cut out the inside of the P and used it as part of the template.
3. Adhere your template to the glass and press firmly so that all edges are stuck completely to the glass. You don't want etching cream to get under the edges or it will blur your design.
4. Wearing gloves and using a paint brush, apply a thick layer of etching cream to your design. Wait several minutes or as instructed by the cream's directions.
5. Rinse the cream off thoroughly and remove your contact paper template. 

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For other "Make It Monday" ideas, visit last year's posts -- the Playdough Kit, Family Calendars, Morning Out Kit, Romance Kit, Pizza Night Kit, and Personalized T-Shirts.

Our Christmas "Estrofest"

Last weekend, Brett was in Washington, D.C. to have some meetings about a potential project, so the girls and I had four days without him. Once upon a time, I used to bemoan his absence when he left on trips. A couple of years ago, I decided to embrace those absences and enjoy a girls' weekend with my two girlies, an "estrofest" if you will. Now, I don't have any set rules about what we do at our estrofests, but in the past they've typically included:

• Eating one meal from McDonald's (Brett's not a big fan of McDo so we don't eat there often). Sometimes we eat there, othertimes we have a "picnic" in front of the TV and watch a "kid movie"
• Watching at least one "mommy movie." Since I've trained my girls well, at ages 5 and 2, they both will watch Jane Austen movies with me. We've got Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightly version)), Pride & Prejudice (BBC Version) and Sense & Sensiblity. I'd like to add some more movies to my collection so that we'll have a little more variety!

Since it is Christmas time, I of course had to add a holiday-themed event to our schedule. The girls were soooo excited to put together our store-bought gingerbread house. We had a great time doing it together. Simple joys.

Holiday Tradition: Food Gifts

Food traditions and holidays go hand in hand. For me, no Christmas is complete without a slice of Toffee Dream Pie! The recipe sounds so strange, but it is oh, so, good. It's one of those desserts that we'd eat the leftovers for breakfast because if you waited for a more "appropriate" time, there wouldn't be any leftover to be had.

Another "holiday food tradition"that I love is to make food gifts for friends, some family members and those special people who do nice things for our family (caregivers, work support staff, etc). Back in high school and in my office days, I liked to make either bags or plates of goodies. Some of my favorites treats to include have been Chocolate Chip Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies and my once top-secret recipe for Walnut Bars.

However, since we all seem to be beseiged by cookies at this time of year, I find that it's also nice to make gifts of the non-cookie variety. Last year, I bottled up some homemade liqueurs (amaretto & coffee) for my brothers-in-law in Oregon. This year, I purchased some cool bottles at World Market and tested out my own creation for Vanilla Liqueur. I'm still not sure who is going to get those ones yet. The Oregonians won't be headed here, and I don't really want to ship a liquid...that just sounds like a mess. So, someone nearby just might be a lucky recipient!

Along with those glass bottles, I bought some cool little seasoning jars with red ceramic lids. Using this recipe as a guide, I'm going to mix up some dipping oil seasoning to put in these jars. On Sunday, I tried my version out, and it was quite yummy with some toasted sourdough bread. If I have time, I might try out this ciabatta recipe and include a small loaf along with the seasoning mix. I think the dipping oil seasoning is an idea that I just might experiment with in the future.

Hot cocoa mix is also a quick and easy gift idea. Ella's teacher and classroom aide will be the lucky recipients of some of Lynn's Homemade Hot Cocoa mix that the girls and I mixed up on Monday night. Rather than buying jars, I'm repurposing some Bonne Maman jam jars and including a tag with the recipe (and Lynn's website, of course!)

While I enjoy making homemade food gifts, I have purchased food gifts in the past few years to make my life just a bit easier. I imagine that there are others out there who feel the same way. You can easily put together a cute and inexpensive "thank you" gift for those people you want to give a little something to WITHOUT actually having to make anything. I like to buy a few boxes of the Awesome Bars from See's Candies (Awesome Peanut Brittle Bars, Awesome Walnut Square Bars and Awesome Nuts & Chew Bars. Then, I wrap up 2 or 3 bars with some cellophane, ribbon, and a tag that says, "You're awesome!" along with a personal note. It costs less than $3 per gift, and has been just perfect to give to the sweet caregiver who watch my girls at MOPS.

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For other recipes of holiday traditions, be sure to stop by Jessica's Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom. For other homemade gift ideas, check out "Make It Monday."

Ella's Christmas Ornaments

It amazes me what joy and hours of activity a set of new Crayola markers can bring. A couple of weeks ago, I busted out some markers that I picked up at one of the back-to-school sales so that the girls could draw on our Christmas Calendar. Since then, Ella has enjoyed drawing and making paper creations with the markers as well as her crayons. Nearly every morning, she tries to squeeze in some art before school. She's been gifting lots of people with her creations -- school teacher, dance teacher, childcare provider, friends, etc.

Now, she hasn't just been making drawings. She has also been making ornaments! I didn't even show her the idea - she thought of it all on her own. She draws out a shape, cuts it out, and tapes a loop of embroidery thread at the top. I keep finding them everywhere! She has a stack ready to go to decorate our still unadorned tree. It was just a few years ago that she was breaking "oh-na-ments" and now she is making them.

Make It Monday: Vanilla Liqueur

Welcome back to "Make It Monday," a source for homemade gift ideas and instructions. This Christmas season, I've explained how to make a Flaxseed Heating Wrap as well as the child-friendly Dancing Ribbons and Felt Crowns. Today, I'm going to talk about a homemade gift for adults -- homemade liqueurs.

Some liqueurs can be made rather quickly (typically those that use extracts) while others take some steeping time (typically those that use fresh ingredients like citrus peel). Last year, I made coffee liqueur as well as amaretto for two of my brothers-in-law. They were quick and easy to make, and had the benefit of tasting yummy together. (Just mix 1/3 amaretto, 1/3 coffee liqueur and 1/3 half-and-half and serve over ice.)

As for bottling up your homemade beverage, you can go the "green" way and recycle a glass bottle with a screw lid. Just be sure to sterilize the cap and bottle before filling them up. You can also check out stores for pretty bottles. I just bought the one pictured above from World Market (they're sold out online but you can check stores).

Recipes abound for different homemade liqueurs. Last year, I used All Recipes to research and read feedback about particular liqueur recipes. Here's one of their articles about making homemade liqueur if you're interested for more info. This year, I tried my hand at making some Vanilla Liqueur. Since it is made with an extract, it doesn't need steeping time. However, it will taste better after the flavors have some time to blend and mellow.


Vanilla Liqueur

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups vodka
4 Tablespoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine the water and two sugars over medium heat. Bring to a boil and make sure all of the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and let the sugar mixture cool for at least 20 minutes. Add the vodka and extract and stir well to combine. Store in a sealed bottle.

Amaretto Variation: Substitute dark brown sugar for the light and 2 Tablespoons of almond extract for 2 Tablespoons of the vanilla.

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For other "Make It Monday" ideas, visit last year's posts -- the Playdough Kit, Family Calendars, Morning Out Kit, Romance Kit, Pizza Night Kit, and Personalized T-Shirts.

Make-It Monday: Felt Crowns & Dancing Ribbons

Welcome back to "Make It Monday". Each Monday from now until Christmas, I'm going to attempt to post some ideas for inexpensive, homemade gifts. Last week I started off "Make It Monday 2010" with instructions on how to make a Flaxseed Heating Wrap. Today, is your lucky day! You're going to get TWO homemade gift ideas for children instead of just one -- Play Felt Crowns and Dancing Ribbons. They would make a great stocking stuffer -- small, cute and inexpensive! It's easy enough to make several at a time and stash some extras for future gifts as well.

A couple of years ago, I read about the book Creative Play for Your Toddler: Steiner Waldorf Expertise and Toy Projects for 2-4s on a friend's blog. I loved the idea of simple, homemade toys and ordered the book primarily for the toy ideas. The book is filled with lots of projects; however, I discovered that many of them probably required more time than I wanted to spend to create them. One project that particular caught my eyes was "Crowns and Cloaks." At the time, Ella was going to have a Castle Birthday Party, and I thought it would be fun to make crowns for all of our little guests.

Inspired by the book, I decided to make felt crowns with one particular change that my brilliant mother had suggested. Rather than sewing elastic to the sides of the felt crown, I used an elastic headband.  This created a one-size-fits-all crown and simplified the process -- no worrying about how large a child's head was and not having to stitch the elastic on. (You can see the red headband in the photo above -- I got a pack of 5 at the dollar store and they were in basic colors. Perfect!)

For our party, I made the crowns ahead of time and allowed the children to choose rhinestones to decorate them. They told me where to place them, and I affixed them with a hot glue gun. Obviously, rhinestones can be a choking hazard for young children, so a sewn on felt embellishment might be a better choice for little ones. Use your common sense.

Play Felt Crowns

Here's what you need:

• felt in your preferred color(s)
• scissors
• needle & thread
• elastic headband (I got a pack of five at the 99 cent store!)
• embellishments (sequins, small shapes of colored felt, rhinestones etc.)
• hot glue gun & glue  

1. Draw a template of what you'd like the front of your crown to look like.
2. Trace your template onto a strip of folded felt and cut out.
3. Sew decorations onto one side of the felt. If you choose to glue them on, you can do that now or later if you wish.
4. Slip the elastic headband between the folded felt and then stitch around the crown to close it. You may want to reinforce the stitching near the headband.
5. Glue on your embellishments if you haven't already done so.

Dancing Ribbons

Like many kids, my girls love to dance around the house. I made these simple dancing ribbons for my niece and my girls. Here's what you'll need:

• a thick wooden dowel 
• sandpaper
• small eye screws
• craft paint or wood varnish
• several yards of ribbon in various colors
• embroidery thread, fishing wire or elastic bead cord

1. Cut the wooden dowel into several pieces to make handles. I cut mine to lengths of about 5 inches long. Use sandpaper to smooth the wood, especially the cut ends.
2. Put an eye screw into one end of the handle. This might be difficult -- I used a set of pliers to twist it in.
3. If you wish, you can either paint the handle or put some wood varnish on it. This takes more time, but I liked having a nice clear finish on mine. That way, you can wipe down the handles to clean them and the wood won't get stained by grimy little hands. I varnished them after I put the screw in so that I could hold it more by the eye screw while I worked and was then able to hang them to dry.
4. Cut your ribbon into long lengths. Mine were about a yard long each. Fold over one end of each ribbon about 1/2-inch and stitch down to make a little loop. I used 5 ribbons for each handle.
5. Thread some thread/wire/cord through the little loop and make a double knot. Then place the thread through the eye screw and tie tightly. Repeat with all ribbons. Initially, I tied mine on with embroidery thread, but I noticed that it has a tendency to come untied. So, I've repaired mine with elastic bead cord and it seems to be holding better.

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For other "Make It Monday" ideas, visit last year's posts -- the Playdough Kit, Family Calendars, Morning Out Kit, Romance Kit, Pizza Night Kit, and Personalized T-Shirts.

For other frugal ideas, visit Life As Mom on Fridays for Frugal Friday!

Fun and Frugal Ways to Celebrate Christmas

December is a hard time for me. Right after Thanksgiving, I jump into Birthday & Christmas Season. My husband's birthday is in early December and is followed all-too-soon by Christmas. Right after New Year's, we celebrate Lucie's birthday, and then we celebrate Ella's a few weeks after that. Not only is it a busy season with so many wonderful things to celebrate, it is difficult for me too keep my budget under control. I love giving gifts to my family on their special days. Throughout the rest of the year, it's easier for me to stick to our budget and avoid any unecessary spending. But when their birthdays and Christmas arrive, I want to shower them with gifts! I'm in the process of adjusting my budget by saving throughout the year so that I can do just that.

However, Christmas is something that I'd like to celebrate all December long...and not just with gifts. When I began creating my Christmas Calendar a couple of weeks ago, I got to thinking about the things I want to do with my girls and the memories that I want us to make as a family. Funnily enough, most of the things that I came up with DON'T involve money. There are lots of ways to celebrate throughout the month without hurting your budget:

• Go to a Christmas Tree Lighting -- we're headed out to one tonight! Our little rural valley offers at least two tree lightings that I'm aware of and many local shops offer holiday Open Houses at the same time. Check with your local paper to see what is going on in your area.
• Go to a Christmas Parade. If all goes according to plan, we're headed to one tomorrow! The kids just LOVE collecting all the candy from the parade participants.
• Count down to Christmas with a Candy Calendar. I had one of these when I was a kid, and I LOVED it. A few years ago I made one for Ella and posted some instructions here. If you get a ton of candy from a Christmas Parade, use it on the calendar!
• Check out a Living Nativity if there is one in your area. The church I attended as a girl had a drive-thru one every year, and our current town has a Nativity Pageant at our local outdoor theater. I've never actually gone to the Pageant, but I've got it on our "To-Do" list this year! Don't have one in your area? Get some friends together and make your own!
• Go look at Christmas Lights. A friend of mine likes to get her kids bundled up in their pjs close to bedtime and drive to a town about 20-minutes away where there is a phenomenal street. Typically, her husand will drive around until the kids fall asleep in the car...and once they do, she and her hubby stop at Baskins & Robbins for ice cream. A family outing and date night all in one! (No, they don't leave their kids unattended in the car -- one of them runs in to get it and then they eat it in the car.)
• Build a Gingerbread House. You can find inexpensive kits at various places, but Organized Christmas also provides Gingerbread Recipe & instructions. I was going to try this one out until my mom gifted me with a kit. The girls can't wait to make it!
• Do a holiday craft once a week with your kids. Family Fun is a great resource for cute and inexpensive Christmas crafts.
• Make holiday cookies with your kids or host a Cookie Making Party. Here is an egg-free cookie recipe that works with cookie cutters. Also, check out FishMama's Ulitmate Recipe Swap for other cookie recipes.
• Take your child out on a "date" for a special treat and shop for a Christmas ornament for his/her collection.
• Take a family walk and collect some pinecones. Turn your finds into nearly free ornaments with some ribbon, paint and eye screws. Screw an eye screw into the base of the pinecone and thread it with some pretty ribbon. Put some paint (white or gold) onto a paper plate and roll the edges of the pinecone in it. Let dry and then hang on your tree! See photo above for an example.

Christmas Calendar

At a recent MOPS meeting, one of our fabulous mentors Anne shared with us one of her holiday traditions / planning tricks. Just like me, Anne found herself in "Birthday Season" during the holiday season. Early on she discovered that she really needed to be organized in order to enjoy the month of December and celebrate Christmas all month long. One way she did this was to create a Chrismas Calendar each year on a large piece of butcher paper. It had space at the top for each child to illustrate what Christmas meant to them and at the bottom there was a large calendar that included their scheduled events. Anne has kept each calendar over the years and hangs them up as decorations in her hallway at Christmas time. (She reinforces the corners with packaging tape so that they don't get damaged from hanging -- smart woman!)

Inspired by the oh-so-organized Anne, I ran home to start my calendar. Since I didn't have butcher paper (and since I like things typed), I used Microsoft Publisher to create a large poster and printed it out on separate letter-sized pages. I admit, taping them together was a total pain, but I got it done. A couple of nights ago, I let my girlies decorate it. Ella went to town on it. And Lucie, well, she needed a bit of assistance from Mommy and insisted on using pink.  I think it turned out cute, and the girls loved doing. For kids who can't really create art yet, Anne suggested using their handprints, footprints or fingerprints to make a design. I thought that you could use handprints to make a cute little wreath with green paint.

What a great way to make a memory with your kids AND be organized for the holidays. Thank you Anne!