A Snowman in Summer

As the school year comes to an end, our schedules are filled with talent shows and other school performances. They really are one of my favorite things. What could be more adorable than lining a bunch of little kiddos up in their homemade costumes? Oh, put them on stage, giving them music and a few cute gestures! Adorable!

I’ve been to two such shows so far this month and there are two more to go still.

When my middle child started planning her performance, I was all too happy to help out with some matching shirts for her and her buddies. While they planned a riveting, show-stopping hula-hoop routine to the song “Summer” (made famous by our favorite snowman) I went into action planning their shirts.

After finding a cute image of Olaf, I printed out 3 copies. I grabbed 3 T-shirts for about 3.50 each and a couple of paint pens and was able to make them matching Olaf shirts for less than if I had bought just one shirt at a Disney store.

 

 

Here’s the easy “how to”…

1.   Pre-wash your shirt
2.   Place a plastic covered piece of cardboard inside the shirt to prevent the paint from going through. (I taped my shirts to the table too so they didn't shift while I was working)
3.   Slid the image inside the shirt and trace.

Ta-da! Three happy hula-hooping little girls! Life is good!!

A New Beginning

 

Happy New Year 2014! With a new year comes the chance to start fresh and try again at those “resolutions”. The same goals tend to pop up and we try over to approach them but maybe in a different way, hoping that this time it will work or at the very least, last longer.

For me, the beginning of 2013 came with a hit; much like a one-two punch. I suffered a blow that had a hugely negative impact on my life. It hurt me personally, emotionally, professionally and financially. Through a series of events I came to question every friendship/relationship I have had in the past as well as current ones. I questioned my ability to judge someone’s character and my own ability to trust. I have slowly been pulling myself upward emotionally. In finding my spirit again I have been re-inspired to create.

I always start a new year out with hope and intrigue for what that coming year will bring. This time I thought I might need to take a running start at a new year. Towards the end of November, I was felling optimistic and gave myself a challenge for the month of December. I would create something every day. I make a lot of things for my business but that tends to be in waves. My challenge was to keep me going on the momentum of creating. I set the challenge so that I would make at least one item daily. It could be for business or for me personally. It could be a craft that I made as a gift, something for the kids or better yet with the kids. It could even be a project that was already started and coming to be finished during the challenge.

To keep up with a daily deadline, I had to be organized and diligent. Some of my creations needed time to dry between steps or they took more than a day to finish so I had to be sure I was moving forward all the time. Moving forward felt good and it helped me to find more of a balance in my business, myself and my family.

 

Here is a fun look at several of the projects I worked on during my “Creative Challenge”.

A lion T-shirt for my son made with bleach pen

 

A gift for Grandma

Thumbprint Christmas lights. (My friend suggested making these on a roll of white craft paper to use as wrapping paper...Great idea!)

Paint Chip trees

Teacher Gift for her "mistletoes"

These Mistletoes now hang in my foyer

Nail art for my girlies

 

Some cute snowmen for my kitchen

 

A special order birthstone bracelet for a customer. This Grandma has 8 grandchildren. What a special gift for her.

 
 

 
 


This is a hand chain I made for myself. I'm making a few changes so I can add these to my product line.

 

A simple earring I made for ME!

 

Red leather wrap bracelet

 

Braided breacelet

 

A crocheted necklace but you can also wrap it as a bracelet.

 

This blue circle bracelet and the black and white knot bracelet were new patterns I was trying out. (My Mother-in-law kept these for herself)

 

 

Now my next challenge will be to keep up with more regular blog posts.

I hope you all are getting off to a great 2014!!

Classroom Christmas Party

This year I am “homeroom” Mom for my son’s Kindergarten class. I think I’m having way too much fun planning the various holiday parties. Here’s what we did for Christmas this year.

SNACK:

I cut strips of paper to fit over the label and used a bingo dabber to make a red nose, drew on eyes and taped the label on the bottle. Then I used a brown pipe cleaner to wrap around the top for antlers.

 

My older kids had so much fun helping with all the tasks and we used the activity to talk about the industrial revolution and the use of assemble lines.

We glued paper hats to the top of cheese sticks tied a ribbon around them and used a Sharpie to draw on faces, buttons and a carrot nose.

I used a circle punch to make red nosed and a dot of glue to stick them to paper bags. Drew on eyes then filled the bags with popcorn. Mini clothes pin were used to look like tiny antlers.


CRAFTS:

We made candy canes with red and white beads. I cut pipe cleaners in half before the party. I also printed out cards with the story of the candy cane to go home with them.

Legend of the Candy Cane

Look at the Candy Cane

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me.

White is for my Savior

Who is sinless and pure!

“J’ is for Jesus

my Lord, that’s for sure!

Turn it around

And a staff you will see 

Jesus my shepherd

Was born for ME!

 

We also made a baby in a manger.

I used cupcake papers for the manger and filled them with shredded paper (gift bag filler). I pre glued the “straw” in the cupcake papers to save mess and glue drying time during the party.

The baby was made from old fashioned clothes pins that my husband cut in half to make them smaller. The kids wrapped little pieces of felt around the baby and tied it on with a piece of cord.

 

 

Then they glued the baby on the straw. Some of the kids drew faces on their baby. It was fun to hear their story of “the baby is sleeping“ or “the bay is crying because it’s hungry”. I love the glimpse into their little minds.

GAMES:

 

I printed out a Snow Globe game here.

Between actives and when there was any down time the kids went to the back of the room to play a snowball toss game. 

 

I used a pop up laundry bin from the dollar store and decorated him with cardstock to look like a snowman. We tossed plastic baseballs as the “snowballs”.

The other game played was a Snowman Team Relay Race.

This game was a huge hit!

With two teams, you will need; 2 half used rolls of TP

2 hats
2 scarves
2 sets of sticks for arms (4 total)
Cut out buttons (3 for each snowman)
And 2 carrot noses.
I made small cones from cardstock and attached a piece of elastic to go around their heads.

 

Each team has one person to become the snowman.

Then first person up has to wrap their teammate with the TP.

Then each of the following people add one item; hat, scarf, arms, tape on buttons and then finally the nose.

 

So many of the parents have told me that the kid want to re-create the game at home to play with family.

 

Feeling a Little Down?

I know we have had an unusually warm winter in this part of the country but don’t forget it is still flu season. I’m doing fairly ok. Not really sick, just maybe a little run down (or on overload).

Looking at our snowman today, made me wonder, how many other people might not be feeling up to par.

In an effort to stay ahead of the game, I thought I would publish my own PSA. Don’t be fooled by the extra sunshine, remember to maintain your health. Always get the rest your body needs. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat something healthy everyday.

Seriously, I hope you all are doing well. Take care of yourself. Spring is almost here, I can feel it!!!

(Hmm, Maybe that’s what the snowman is doing…He’s looking for spring??)

I am surprised that he is still standing. Really, how far can he tilt????