Happy, Happy Traditions!

We did it! Christmas cut out cookies version 7!
Here’s a quick look at version 1 – Engagement night, December 16, 2003

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This year was extra special.  Miles is finally old enough to REALLY participate. We had a blast remembering the beginning and celebrating the growth of our family!
I ended up making two different sets of sugar cookies.  By accident, I made a batch of sugar cookies that are not suitable as cut out cookies. However, we baked both…. and may just have to continue this little mistake in later years.  Decorating some with sprinkles and decorating the rest with super bright frosting helped keep Miles attention really well from beginning to end!
Here are the 2 recipes:
Chewy-ish sugar cookies decorated with sprinkles
Cut out cookies with frosting
And here are the pictures
Round 1: sprinkle cookies

 

Round 2: cut out cookies

   

I think he’s having fun… don’t you?!

  

Nate did a GREAT job being patient and teaching Miles the way of the cookie!

We had a super fun evening… here’s even MORE proof! The sugar got to Miles….

Here they ALL are……

Nate’s prize cookie – “Pollock” Man

Miles’ favorite decoration – fingers!

  

My favorite – The purple star because…..

 

……. I HAVE A JOB!!!

Today, I was offered and accepted a research job at Northwestern University! I start on January 3, 2011! I’m super excited to put my brain back to work and to let Miles socialize in a daycare again! 
Hooray for quality family time and lasting traditions and memories !!!

Read more »

Posted in: Chicago,Kelly,Memories,Miles,Nathan,Video

Projects, crafts, and traditions

We bake, we glue, and we have a blast!

Here are a few more of our recent activities :)

Lots of baking :dumping, mixing, stirring, and licking…..

 

More paper crafts….

(Nate calls this the SouthPark (Cartman-esque) Nativity scene – My drawing/cutting skills are weak, I know)

~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight’s project is Christmas cut out cookies!! It’s a HUGE tradition, 7 years in the making…

7 year ago today, Nate proposed!!

Fade in cloudy, dream sequence…..

I had always made it clear to Nate that in order for me to graduate from college, I couldn’t even consider engagement until I was done with school.  My mind would have wondered into the realm of wedding planning, losing all focus on my coursework.  I had no idea that Nathan would have taken me so literally…  Within 30 minutes of completing my last final exam for my undergraduate degree, I was engaged to be married!! Nate, being big on creating and keeping traditions, suggested that we make Christmas cut out cookies together – we were a family!!

Every year since, we’ve made Christmas cut out cookies on December 16th! Tonight shall be no different! I’ll do my best to document the activity. I’ll also be sure to post the recipe if all turns out. As mentioned, this is the 7th time for this event and I have NEVER used the same recipe twice. I just can’t find one I like….

Read more »

Posted in: Christmas,Kelly,Memories,Miles,Nathan

Mom’s Day School Projects

‘Tis the season to be festive with crafts, right?!  Sadly, I am not talented enough to make wares worthy of selling or giving as gifts,but I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with ideas for Miles and I to do during the day!
Here are a few of our recent projects!
A countdown to Jesus’ Birthday
This is just a simple construction paper chain. Miles gets to take off one link each evening to visually see that the big celebration is getting closer and closer! 

Ideally, we would have written something to be thankful for, something to pray about, or an act of kindness too perform on the inside of each link, but Miles wanted to get started with the tape immediately.  If only I had thought of the idea earlier in the day. I would have prepped the links during his nap. 
 
We wrote the number of day’s left until Jesus’ birthday on the outside of each link… that’s it.

Our next project was a mask!
Glue and cotton balls…. you really can’t go wrong when playing with messy stuff! Miles loved making the mask as much as he loves shouting  Ho! Ho! Ho! afterwards!

We just used stuff we had laying  around… a paper plate, construction paper, white card stock, cotton balls and elmers glue.  I did all the cutting before Miles knew I was up to anything!

We stretched each cotton ball a little to make them go a little farther…  I should have checked my stock before getting Miles involved. He had a blast!!
 
Here’s the proof!

Want to see another version of this mask, Click here!!

Finally… we made a couple wreaths.
For this project, we used construction paper, a paper plate and rubber cement.  I thought the painting action for the rubber cement would be interesting – for future projects, I recommend elmers glue!
I traced Miles hands several times on one piece of construction paper. Then I stacked several pieces of paper behind the one with the traced hands before starting to cut in order to get more “stuff” for my effort.
  
I did all the cutting again before getting Miles situated to start assembly.
 
He got to paint the glue… and stick the hands on the paper plate.

Quick and easy!  This one might actually make a decent gift… right?
We do lots of baking and read lots of stories… so its nice to take a break to make crafts every once in a while…  however, we all know that his dad would be a lot better mentor for this stuff!
That’s all I’ve got for now.. I’ll let you know if we create any other masterpieces :)

Read more »

Posted in: Christmas,Kelly,Miles

Goofy mood

Goofy moods make a goofy kid dance all…… Goofy!

Read more »

Posted in: Miles,Video

Shutterfly Photo Christmas Ideas

Have you ever checked out Shutterfly for prints?
Did you know that just for creating an account, you can get 50 free 4x6 prints?
They also have ties to Target so you can get your prints there, as long as they have a photo center!


What about your Christmas photo cards?  We have and their print quality is great!  Personally, I think that shutterfly has one of the biggest selections of card layouts - many of them are approved by my designer-minded husband! s 


They also make fantastic photo calendars and other photo gifts?  What grandparent wouldn't want to stare at an adorable picture of their grandkid for a whole month, only to blessed with a brand new picture for the following month! Miles and I made a mouse pad for Nate's Father's Day while in Grad school.  Many of his classmates paid him compliments on his adorable son..... and the clever gift!


The best part for this year is that if you're a fellow blogger, Shutterfly is running a great promotion.  You can get 50 photo holiday cards for free.  Just check out this link! Please hurry because registration for this deal ends on December 10th!


Have a happy holiday!  Hope this helps to spark a few ideas!

Read more »

Perfectionists: Turn away now!

We had a big project planned for today; A gingerbread house!

What a fun little craft – what could possible deviate for my vision for the afternoon, right?

Here’s the set up:

Kit with all components accounted for

 

Happy-go-lucky 2-yr-old male

 

We were off to a marvelous start – naming colors, counting to 10, singing Christmas songs, and making frosting

Everything is still peachy! Assembly began… Miles did fantastic placing pieces and holding them still!

  

Now to decorate the roof with the frosting… you can see he’s starting to get restless.

 

Finally the fun can begin!  Add the candy!

Frosting was being licked directly from the roof, candies placed in the wrong locations, same colored candies placed side by side – YES, I was on the verge of breakdown. We were following a picture!!!  Writing this now, I realize how crazy I was to think that my 2 year old boy could follow an elaborate picture and keep the sugary facade out of his mouth!

(sorry – due to my strained patience, I missed multiple photo opportunities..)

Then there was a calm…. I thought it likely the calm that arrives just seconds before a terrible storm. To my surprise, this calm was followed by a new vision:

This is Miles creation – if he wants to lick the roof, that’s okay! If he wants to eat the candies that he just stuck to the roof, that is also okay. Taking a bite out of the jelly shrub is also alright as long as the remainder is put back in its original location.

 

We went on with the rest of the decorating in a messy Miles manner, arguably having a lot more fun until…..

….. Miles got bored, started tossing candy across the room AND the icing bag blew a big hole in its side!!

Great ending point – don’t you think?!

Here’s the finished product – sides and back not completed due to equipment malfunction and designer fatigue!

Moral of this story: Perfectionists, please purchase a second kit for yourself to complete during naptime! You’ll enjoy both processes much MUCH more!

Read more »

Posted in: Banwarth's,Christmas,Kelly,Miles