Glittery Snowflake Window UnCling

In my never ending attempt to be crafty, I decided that the kids and I should make the glittery snowflake window cling craft from December's Family Fun Magazine.

It seemed simple enough that even I could handle it. You just trace a pattern with fabric paint onto wax paper and let it dry over night and then they are supposed to cling to your windows making them look all snowy and cheery and wintry.

Deciding that even I could handle that, I purchased some glittery fabric paint from Wal-Mart. I think each bottle was $2.97.
I downloaded the snowflake template from Family Fun and I traced the pattern onto wax paper.

And Sarah and I sat down to make glittery window cling snowflakes.

At 4, Sarah lacked the control she needed to follow the lines of the snowflake while squeezing the paint, so hers ended up looking like glittery blobs.

I was pleased with the way mine looked so we left them to dry overnight.

The next morning the kids and I peeled them off the wax paper and hung them on the windows. We were excited that they actually clung like they were supposed to.

We were not excited the next morning when we found that they had all come "unclung" from the windows. And even trying to restick them didn't work for more than a few minutes.

But being the resourceful mother that I am, I hung ornament hangers in them and tried to hang them from my tree. They looked cute but were a little floppy and kept folding into themselves. Not the look I was hoping for.

So if you are looking for an easy snowflake craft for the 4 year old set, this isn't it.

If you are looking for an easy way to make floppy snowflake ornaments that grown ups can do, this is it.

Happy floppy snowflake making!

Kindergarten update...

We found out on Tuesday that Peter will not have to switch Kindergarten classes. Both he and his BFF Colton get to stay in their current class.

I was thrilled to learn this. However, Peter's new friend Gilberto is one of the kids that have to move.

When I told Peter the news, he started crying. It was rather pitiful.

Luckily the tears didn't last long and I think he's getting used to the idea of his new buddy not being in his class. He told me yesterday that on Friday he and Gilberto got to play at the Lego table together and then he added in a quiet voice, "at least we got to play there one more time together."

He said that without tears so that's progress.

I'm still praying for the new teacher (she's actually an experienced Kindergarten teacher) and all the kids that have to switch classes but for now, I'm just glad Peter gets to stay where he is!

The Secret to Moist, Chewy, Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Tuesday I received the Pampered Chef medium scoop that I ordered and decided that I needed to make some Toll House cookies for my family.

I used to make chocolate chip cookies for Dan quite frequently but once the kids came along my energy level plummeted and along with it went my desire to spend lots of time in the kitchen baking.

So to compensate, I've been "baking" my family cookies with the pre-made Nestle cookie dough.

And while these are okay, there's nothing like eating real made-from-scratch cookie dough.

So while my kids had settled in to watch the Polar Express, I whipped up a batch of original Toll House cookies.

In a flash, I had the dough mixed up and was ducking down behind the cabinets eating large spoonfuls of it.

Sarah kept asking when it would be ready so she could have a lick.

I felt a little nauseous from all the dough I had eaten and decided I better give the kids some before I ate it all.

Then I used my Pampered Chef medium scoop. It was so much easier to use than the normal spoon and finger routine. And look how uniform they look....

And here is the finished product....

And here's the secret for delicious, moist, chewy wonderful chocolate chip cookies....

DO NOT OVER BAKE THEM!

Take them out of the oven before they look done. It will be hard to do, but trust me. I took these out at 9 minutes and they looked like pancake batter that was just starting to get tiny holes in them.

Leave them on the pan while the next pan of cookies is baking (for 9 minutes) and then when the second batch is done, take the first batch off of the pan. They will have finished baking and will be solid enough to remove from the pan.

And trust me, they will be delicious!

And I should know, because I had chocolate chip cookies for breakfast!

Crayola, if you are reading this, call me!

I was on the Toys R Us website this morning trying to complete the kid's Christmas shopping.

As I was perusing the "Art" category looking for something Sarah might love, I came across the Crayola Cutter with Sparkle Crafts.

As soon as I saw this product, I laughed out loud.

Check out the extremely fake look of disbelief on the little boy's face.

Check out the creepy look on the little girl's face.

I figured that any product that can elicit looks like these from the child actors must be a horrible product.

Either that or they are horrible actors.

So I checked the online reviews for this product and found out that the majority of the reviewers hate it because it does not work.

Even the actors knew this toy was a bust.

I just wonder how much the actors got paid for those horrible faces? Because my kids would be great at that!

Just look at the shot I snapped a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to take their picture for the Christmas card...

I think we have the fake overly excited look and creepy grin down pat!

Wonder if Crayola needs face models for any other bad products? My kids may have found their calling.

****Edited***** Just found out from BlondeMom Jaime that there is a blog carnival of bad Christmas card out takes being hosted by DesignHer Momma. It's a giveaway so I'm in! Go check her out.

Photo Cards That Actually Say "Merry Christmas"!

Every year it seems harder and harder to find a place with a good selection of photo Christmas cards that actually say "Merry Christmas" as opposed to "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings".

I want my Christmas cards to say "Merry Christmas"! Is that so wrong? I mean, it is Christmas after all!

So imagine my delight when I came across VistaPrint!

VistaPrint is a great online print shop that has tons and tons of photo Christmas cards to choose from and guess what? There is an excellent selection of cards that actually say "Merry Christmas".

In addition to cards with space for one picture, they also have many cards with space for multiple pictures. But, I had a hard enough time getting one photo I liked of the kids, much less three or four. Maybe next year...

And in addition to a large selection of cards that say Merry Christmas...they are reasonably priced! I got 100 photo cards, envelopes, 140 FREE matching return address labels and shipping for $37.00.

All that and Merry Christmas! Now that, Works for Me!

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!

I love the ornaments on my Christmas tree. They all have special meaning.

We can remember where we got them or why we selected them and we enjoy reminiscing every year while decorating the tree.

But now that the kids are starting to get older, they are coming home from school with ornaments they have made and they want to put them on my tree!

On my beautiful tree!

Last year in preschool Peter made an angel out of a large white paper plate. It's a cute angel, but it's made out of a paper plate.

A large white paper plate.

It stands out like a sore thumb on my tree of colorful glass ornaments and intricate Hallmark designs.

As we were decorating the tree last weekend, Peter spotted this angel at the bottom of the ornament box and hung it front and center, proudly declaring "This is the angel that I made last year in school!"

And I will admit, as he hung this ornament in the most prominent spot on the tree, I cringed a little.

No problem, I thought. I'll just move it when he goes outside to play.

And that's exactly what I did.

As soon as he went outside, I took his ornament and I moved it to the back lower branches of the tree.

Later that evening, Peter came in and said, "Where's my angel ornament?" And after a frantic search he exclaimed, "Hey! Why is my angel way back here at the bottom of the tree?"

So I sighed a little sigh and I told him to place it wherever he wanted it to be.

And that's exactly what he did.

As I told my husband the story later that evening, he gave me a hard time and told me that Christmas is for kids. And then he does what he always does and reminds me that they will be gone soon.

And you know what? As usual, he's right. (There honey! You've got it in writing! You are right - as usual!)

Christmas is for kids. It's all about the kids learning about Jesus. It's all about the kids learning that giving feels good. And it's all about the excitement they have on Christmas morning.

So now, when I look at my tree, I smile.

And I'm pretty sure that every year I am going to place the kid's handmade ornaments front and center to remind me that Christmas is about a little baby - and not about my tree.

Can you spot Peter's angel ornament??

Here's a close-up...

Miracle Monday

Is it Monday already?

If so, it must be Miracle Monday. Please share a miracle with us today!

It's easy to participate. Just post a miracle on your blog and link it back here using Mr. Linky below.

Please mention "A Mom's Life" and my URL in your post. And if you want, you can use the Miracle Monday button in your post as well.

This edition of Miracle Monday is now closed. Please come back next Monday if you would like to link to a miracle on your blog. If you are looking for other miracles, please check our Miracle Monday archives located on the right sidebar.

A Day in Pompeii

I did something unusual yesterday. I went on a Mother-Daughter Outing.

What's so unusual about that, you might ask?

It wasn't me and Sarah, it was me and my mother!

About a month ago, we read in our local newspaper about an exhibit that was currently being shown at the Discovery Place Museum in Charlotte.

The exhibit was "A Day in Pompeii". And they were showing many different types of artifacts that had been uncovered in the ruins at Pompeii.

The minute I read the article, I knew I wanted to go. I have been fascinated with Pompeii since learning about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in elementary school.

The minute she read the article, she knew she wanted to go.

So, we went together and made a day of it!

After we looked at all the artifacts and the chilling molds made from all the holes left by the bodies that had been covered in lava and ash, we made a Target run and we had lunch together at wonderful restaurant near my old house.

A cool museum exhibit. Target. Lunch. My mom.

Can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday!

Our Thankful Turkeys

Last year we made Thankful Trees and it was a tradition that I wanted to carry on every year while the kids were young.

This year we decided to do Thankful Turkeys.

Peter was being a grump and after writing out three things he was thankful for, he gave up and had me write them down for him.

Sarah wanted to write everyone of hers which is why none of them are legible. I do commend her for the effort though.

Peter's list included the following things:

God
Toys
The Doctor
Telephone
Mom and Dad
Max and Ruby
Himself
Friends
Grandma and Grandpa
The Computer

Sarah's list included the following things:

Family
God
Food
Flowers
Ball
Pumpkins
The World
Clocks
And a couple of other things that I can't remember and can't decipher.

My hope for my children is that they remember to be thankful to God for all that he provides for them. Because really, it's all his anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving!