If I were Oprah

. . . and I could give away my favorite things.

This is what I would give you!

I love my new 180's. My friend Melissa introduced them to me on the youth fall retreat. They are warm & soft & not bulky. They have them at Marshall's for only $7.99. I have them in brown & black. Well now just brown b/c I did give them away to my mama.

One of my favorite NON homemade yummy treat is the tasty White Fudged Gingerbread Men from Trader Joes. Have you tasted them? Go grab a box while they still have them!

Also recently introduced to me is some fabulous Lip Gloss by Maybelline. I'm not a huge lip color fan but I love "Touch of Toffee".

Have you seen the Sharpie Pens? I love the way they write. They come in fun colors too.

The Eucerin lip creme has been especially helpful with Ben's chapped skin. It's been bad ~ raw, red, sore. We apply some of the creme and in a short time it's remarkably better. We just need to remember to reapply especially before going outside. We also use similar stuff on Jacob's hands. We were very smart when playing in the snow and put it on every time before he put his gloves on. His hands have not gotten to rough & raw this winter. It's a tad pricey but worth it!

I know this was a totally random post. I was just thinking (while we waited & waited for car inspections) about all these simple pleasures. Some of them are on our shopping list as we need to restock.

Thinking on These Words

The words to this song just stuck out to me yesterday in church.

I'm still thinking on them today.

Lord Help me to see what I can't see.
Help me to love with purity.

Give me the heart to follow you.

Lord help me to hear what I can't hear;

the whisper of God I long to feel.

Give me the heart to follow you.
Derek Webster

More Ornaments

When I saw these on Elisa Lou's Blog, I couldn't wait to have our boys make them. (She has a great tutorial) Ben has had the most fun with them. He's made quite a few. I also had these for the 8th grade girls that gathered at our house Monday night. I think they enjoyed them as well.

We also had fun making these featured on Kristin's Write it Down

Both of these were great as they provided a break from all the arguing. That was until they started competing on who was faster and closer to finishing.

Fun stuff!

Instead of blogging, I really should be wrapping presents as I still haven't wrapped the first one!

Merry Christmas Friends!

I WON

Kristin over at wRIteiTDOwn hosted a fun 12 days of ornament making ideas. I loved many of the various bloggers creations. Then she offered a give-away of 4 of those ornaments . . . any 4 of the ideas that she recreated! I was so excited to get an email today that I won. I absolutely love the ornaments from Becca at Blue Cricket Designs and have really been wanting to make my own. I haven't had the time but now I'll get a set! I chose 4 of the same ornament.

Thanks again Kristin!

Santa Claus?

John Mark just sent me this article and he titled it "Maybe it's a Good Thing Jacob doesn't Believe in Santa". We've been really laid back about the entire Santa thing. We've never taken the boys to sit on Santa's lap. His name is discussed every year but we always have simply left it up to the boys' thoughts.

I like this article and it makes me even happier that we've never "pushed" Santa (nor have we discouraged it).

Homemade Christmas Gifts

I love to make ornaments w/ the boys

and as long as they'll cooperate, I'll continue!

When I saw this idea online,

I just had to make some as well.

They are especially cute for the grandparents.

So

granny

poppy

memaw

papaw

stop

reading

now!

MOM ~ I MEAN IT!

You'll need some ornaments

(that 40% off Michaels would come in handy)

some white paint

paint pens

and ribbon for hanging

(or string if you aren't the ribbon type)

Simply paint the top part of your child's hand white

along with their 4 fingers.

Allow to dry.

Then add the snowman features with your pens.

Of course I had to adorn with some funky ribbons.

Cast Pictures & Interviews

Tonight the boys were in our Christmas Play at church.

Ben sang in a few songs and Jacob was in the crew.

Aligning the hallway were all the members

of the cast & crews' pictures and mini interview questions & answers.

Ours are as follows

Ben

age 6

Favorite color: Turquoise

What is your favorite activity when you are not at school?

Play basketball at home.

Who is your favorite Bible character? Why?

Goliath, because he fights the other guy.

What does it mean when we say Jesus is a gift?

He's happy.

If you could GIVE any gift in the world, what would it be?

Basketball

And finally . . . what was your favorite Christmas present ever?

Little dinosaurs

Jacob

Age 8

Favorite color: Teal

What is your favorite activity when you are not at school?

Legos

Who is your favorite Bible character?

Samson, becuase he was so strong.

What does it mean when we say Jesus is a gift?

Because God gave Him to us

If you could GIVE any gift in the world, what would it be?

World Peace

And finally . . . what was your favorite Christmas present ever?

My Wii.

I just love their answers.

Some of them I would have answered the same way

and others surprised me.

They are so different yet similar in many ways.

I love our boys!

Addy Grace is 1!

Addy Grace has a blog.

I'm still praying!

Will you join me?!

vitamin d

This is a great reminder for us. I do so well making sure we are doing these things for a while and then I slip and start forgetting how important ALL of these things are to do. Hope it's a great reminder for you too!

Enjoy reading and go get your vitamin d, kombucha, & cinnamon!

Homemade Christmas Gifts

I was so excited when a random lady in Wal-Mart

described this adorable gift idea to me.

First you simply purchase a cake/cupcake carrier.

This one is from Ben Franklin.

They have a gazillion of them for only 9.99.
It carries cakes, cupcakes, or mini cupcakes/muffins.

Then you decorate it.

I used my cricut & some vinyl.

(I hope "you" were able to get your Cricut

the day after Thanksgiving

for the lowest price I've EVER seen it.

$65!! whoa!)

And what really makes this a "homemade" gift

is the TREAT you place inside!

The "H" one will have a birthday cake for a special friend.

She doesn't do blogs so it's safe in posting it!

Happy Creating!

Homemade Christmas Gifts

I've been thinking back to last year and my quest to do as much "homemade" Christmas presents as possible. How does a "Cake (or cupcake) Carrier" sound? I'll be back tomorrow with an idea for that.

Fun Christmas Tunes

To help you get into the Christmas Spirit
Enjoy!

I'm HOOKED!

Give Thanks

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

We enjoyed worshiping through these words & promises last night.

I hope you are encouraged by them as well.

Give Thanks

I placed a glass jar on our kitchen table

filled with blank scrapbooking strips & sharpees.

We were to write things on the slips

whenever we thought of something we were thankful for.

Ben even invited our friend Sam to take part.


Today we will read them.

This is exactly how what they said.
(there are a few repeats
and also some where the boys are learning how to spell)

. . . . . . . . . .


my dog
I am veary thankful for my house
Becca, Ellie, Isaac, Holden, James, Kaleb, Sadie, Adreanna, Charlie, Alyssa, Mason, Steven
i i my hose
Miss Lazarchic & Mrs. Bouton
I am thankful for my family
My friends
My shelter
My food
My family
air
God
I love my bed.
I l my school
I am thankful for my siblings.
my sweet husband
our church
our healthy boys
My mom and Dad and Brother
I i my friends
I am thankful for my friend.
I am thankful for paper.
I am thankful for food.
I love my toys.
I love my clothes because they keep me warm.
I love my mom and dad.
I am thankful for my pets.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

Fall Fun

sigh

Each child in Ben's K class

gets to take home various books & newspapers

created by the children.

The newspapers are written throughout the week

during circle time.

This weekend it was Ben's turn

w/ one of the October Newspapers.

Jacob offered to help out tonight by reading it to Ben.

Imagine my heart

when I heard him read that first line in blue.

I didn't make a big deal

& they don't even know I took a picture.

I had to take it quickly though so I didn't get caught ~

I don't want him to ever stop playing with my hair!

(or ever stop asking us to rub his back

every night "as soft as we can")

so THANKFUL

Today is Thursday ~ all day long I've had so much on my mind that I am truly thankful for.

~ starting off w/ waking up in a warm cozy home

~ then a sweet husband who took the boys to school

~ then a job that is flexible enough that it's okay that we had a slow moving morning. therefore a little bit late. I did arrive before the sweet kiddos did though!

~ some sweet ladies to work with & precious kiddos to love on

~ 2 great teachers for our boys who really seem to "get" them. the boys love school this year and that's a blessing as well.

~ a wonderful church family ~ GBC feels like "home"

~ FALL I love this season (w/ the exception of the cold rainy days)

What are you thankful for?!

tHanKfuL tHuRsdaY

It's been incredibly long since I have done a

Thankful Thursday Post.

I think today is a good day to start back up

afterall it is the First Thursday in November.

I am extremely thankful for our family's health.

The last week w/ 2 sick little boys

reminded me to appreciate all the other days

we have been healthy.

Our sick days were minimal & temporary.

I'm thankful to finally feel settled in our

Pleasant Place.

The boys feel it too.

It feels good.

Routine, order, settling.

Pleasant

It was wonderful to be at preschool

with all of my little kiddos back & healthy.

10 out of 12 of my sweet ones were sick

in a bout a week & 1/2 span.

so it's been quite a while

since our classroom has been "complete".

I'm totally thrilled about the weekend

right around the corner.

I'm getting away with 3 wonderful friends.

None of them know each other

but I know they are going to love each other!

I'm thankful that my sweet husband has said

"GO"!

The boys are in super hands with him

and grandparents when JM

has other things to get done.

I was so thankful to come home to a clean kitchen

especially considering the disaster it was in

when I had to leave.

I was seriously dreading entering.

What a pleasant surprise.

I love our yard.

Quite possible the best feature of our new home.

We have spent the past 3 afternoons outside.

Which leads me to loving the glorious weather

we have been fortunate enough to enjoy.

I love fall.

I am so thankful for

how much better the boys have gotten along

with each other this week.

It's been a rough couple of weeks of pure meaness

coming from these sweet boys.

I hope we're done with this phase.

i.am.truly.thankful.

Just 1 Word

BOYS!

Fun Fall Weekend

Thankfully the boys are so much better.

They got better just in time to participate

in our SkamFam traditions for Halloween.

In addition to celebrating Ben's Birthday,

we had pumpkins to carve,

costumes to get ready,

candles to light,

etc.

In an effort to avoid purchasing costumes

from Wal-Mart or Target,

we encouraged the boys to be creative.

Imagine my excitement when Jacob says he wants to be a

MAD SCIENTIST!!

So then it was Ben's turn and he said he wanted to be a

Basketball Player.

(also cute b/c it was his idea)

Then Jacob says he wants to be a

basketball player too.

(well to me, that's boring)

But we did it anyway.

At least is cost next to nothing.
All we bought were the

wrist bands & head bands.

E-A-S-Y

and they enjoyed it

so it really doesn't matter if we think it's boring!

The SkamFam has a tradition of

eating hot dogs by candle light.

It was started before we had children

by dear friends of ours in Texas.

We used to call them each Halloween

to tell them what they started for us.