Computer Withdrawls

I am having computer withdrawals....my computer all of a sudden had a break down and stopped working and would not load. I have an iMac and kind of had the idea that my computer was invincible. I didn't back it up to an external hard drive. I have ALL if my pictures from birth to present of my lite girl on this computer.

To make a long story short all of my information was spared but I will be without my compurer for another 3-5 days. So with that being said, I am typing on this super tiny iTouch and it is very hard. I don't know how texters do it. I can't get my pictures on to my blog so unless I have something verbally creative to talk about, I won't be blogging for a couple of days.


I hope to be reading some though!!

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!!

Alyssa

Cute Christmas/Winter Craft

Before time runs out and Christmas is actually here, I wanted to share this incredibly adorable craft to do with you kid/s. It's called Hand Print Snowmen Ornaments (or for cards) and I found it at Uncreate with Kids and plan on doing this with Hannah as soon as she recovers from out HUGE craft today.

She created presents for Grandma & Grandpa and Grana and her friends Charlie and Grady. I can't post about it today just in case they read my blog before Christmas. I can tell you that any child can look a true artist. I'm so excited that Hannah can give her grandparent's a present that is truly from her!!

Merry Christmas Give Away

While looking at Etsy this morning, I saw that I could do a search in the treasuries section for my shop. So, I did not thinking that I would see my shop. Well, I was in 6 treasuries! And this ring was in most of them.

I would love for this giveaway to go to my followers...so the way that you can enter your name:
1. Follow my blog by clicking the link to the side (Mandatory)
2. Post this giveaway in your blog
3. Post this giveaway through Facebook
4. Post this giveaway through Twitter
5. Leave a comment saying what you love about the holidays

(Make sure that I can find your email address to let you know if you won. Each thing that you do above, make sure you leave a separate comment for each thing saying what you did. If you are already a follower you can still leave a comment saying that you already follow me.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

I will announce the winner on Christmas day!

Handmade Christmas Art

I'm always amazed with people that can take something that is worth nothing and turn it into something functional as well as beautiful..

And example would be this bottle wreath...made from plastic bottles. I found this on Michelle Made Me.

This is a wreath made from recycled Christmas cards from previous years taken from Good Housekeeping's website.

I found these Ice Lanterns on Ordinary Life Magic. They seem to be very easy to make. Check them out!

This is from the blog Let's Go Fly A Kite and she has a description of her Pom Pom Pine Cone Forest that would be fun with your kids. (Looks like I need to start drinking some wine. ;-))

I found this fun little craft on Domestifluff.com. Haven't you ever wanted to make Yarn Pom Poms and not know how? I did!

Do you have any buttons lying around? Hopefully not lying around but somewhere in a secure place in your home? Look at what you can do!! A Button Wreath!

Who is this girl?

Before the weather got fa-reezing, I took Hannah out in her Christmas dress and took some pictures of her to send out to family...and friends. Here are just couple of the many ones I got.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

When I see this picture that I took of Hannah, I think mysterious, or a scary movie.

Sparkle Box Learning Website

I'm wondering if anyone else has found out about this GEM of a website! SPARKLE BOX. It is filled with down-loadable information for kids regarding teaching "stuff". Here is their index of pages:

Literacy
Numeracy
Topics
Signs and labels
Class management
Miscellaneous
Sharing Zone
Photo Gallery
Books
Welsh
Australia
Parents
By subject
New resource

They also have a blog. It doesn't seem like they update it as often but their information is still very helpful!

PlayDough Christmas Tree

This was such an easy and fun craft to do with Hannah. I put some glitter on a plate and Hannah rolled the play dough in the glitter. Then I helped her to shape it into a tree. And then we put some bells and and cut up pipe cleaners in the tree. You could probably focus on one color but with a colorful girl like Hannah...nope more the better!

Playdough (green preferably, which we didn't use. Ours was a swirl of many colors)
Glitter
Pipe Cleaners (cut about an inch)
Other objects (Rhinestones, bells or anything else small enough to stay)
(You may need to hot glue the piece after the play dough dries.)

The idea came from Counting Coconuts. And she has quite a few other Christmas Crafting and Learning ides!

Put 'Em Up!

You're scared right??

While shopping at the mall yesterday with my Dad and Step-mom, Jonathan decided to give her a foot stocking to put on her face (FYI-this is a brand new stocking. No one else has worn it). If she wasn't wearing a super pink dress with a butterfly tattoo you just might think she is a dangerous robber...ay?

Can't Pick More than One Color?

If your child is like my child...and LOVES a certain color (for her it is PINK!!!) then you will love what Crayola has to offer. A Custom Box Creator. You get a 64 crayon filled box of your choice of 4 colors! They even have Metallic choices (with glitter). So, go on over there, asap, because after December 9th you may not get the box of crayons in time for Christmas!

MOM.....I'm Bored!

Do you ever go through a "funk" where you don't know what to do with a kid?...specifically YOUR kid? My creative juices have been failing me lately..

This post is coming from desperation to NOT turn on the tv or computer at the drop of a hat. We have limited Hannah's tv time to 30 minutes a day. (If your child watches more than that, there is NO judgment here. Us, as a family, are going through a season of wanting to limit tv time and do more engaging things with each other) Maybe she will watch it but maybe she won't it just depends on what we have going on that day. She loves "The Electric Company" and watches that at 5pm. But I don't want to just turn on the tv because she loves it. She would watch tv ALL day long. Seriously.

So, what are some things to do with your kids when you don't know what to do with them.....or they are bored and they don't know what to do. This is my small list:

1. Read books

2. Draw pictures

3. Play dress-up

4. Cut pictures out of a magazines

5. Write a Funny Story

6. Build with blocks/legos

7. Make someone a card

8. Listen to music and dance

9. Go on a nature hunt

10. Make homemade play dough

11. Play a Board Game

12. Organize Photos

13. Make homemade Christmas Ornaments

14. Help a neighbor with raking leaves, shoveling snow, serving a meal, etc.

15. Build a Fairy House

16. Make Rainbow Jello

17. Crafts related to the current holiday

18. Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

19. Build a Baking Soda Volcano

20. Make Chocolate Banana Pops

The "Mommy, I'm Bored Box" from Unplug Your Kids website.

Even though we are not in Summer, currently, this website lists 200 things to do with your bored kids.

Here is a website that lists 100 more things to do when you are bored

Why Parents Should resign as Boredom Busters