Cookie Crazy

Yesterday was our cookie baking day with my MIL and SILs. 

These cookies in the last picture were finished off with a dollop of chocolate and an almond.  I had more pictures of the cookies but you get the idea. 

We did have to compete with some cookie monsters running around...

There was a lot of fighting over a remote...

Oh, these boys are going to have so many years of "sharing"...

Mod Podge

If you have not heard of this product or used it, go get some now.  For reals.

I makes any crafting project infinitely better, less DIY-y.

Here is the house warming gift I crafted for the Shagers.  I took some close up pics of some of the unique features of their new house and Mod Podged them together onto a piece of cardboard.  Then I placed that in a frame and actually Mod Podged the glass/plastic that came with the frame so it looks more like a canvas than a picture just stuck in a frame. (I think this project would have turned out a bit better with my new lens)

Have you ever gotten a present with the most fantastic wrapping paper that you could not throw the wrapping paper away?  Me too.  Just yesterday, even! 

I took the paper, Mod Podged it to a canvas and then Mod Podged over it and stuck it in a frame.  Instant winter art. 

So easy!

Addiction...

My not so new addiction is...

Starting with Sully's birth announcement and following through with picture books and invitations and then our Christmas card, you can really make some great, personalized things.  I so love everything I have made on Shutterfly and here are all the cards...

And just for the hell of it (Merry Christmas to me), I went and bought myself a new lens for my camera.

Now I am obsessed with mastering bokeh photography, or at least practicing it a lot.  Bokeh is the blurring of highlights within a picture (basically).  Wikepedia has a much more in-depth definition so feel free to reference that if you need to.

(Oops, Sully is just a bit fuzzy in this one)

Yes, I did try to practice some bokeh with my pics of my Shutterfly cards (you guys are good for noticing that).  Well, have a fab Tuesday!

Weekend

What a wonderful weekend we had!  It started off with water park fun on Saturday...

Sully + Santa does not equal happy.

This is my FAVORITE pic of the weekend.  Sully and Papa...

Sully and Gamma in the water park...

On Saturday, we went back to the water park for about an hour and then after watching the Packer game, we headed to my brother's house for our family Christmas celebration. 

Sully and cousin Jerry...

Jingle boy...

4-wheeling fun!

Sully and his cousin Jack, Aunt Gina and Uncle Jesse (full house style)...

Jack is completely mesmerized by his work bench that my dad built for him.  He spent most of the night organizing it over and over...

Jerry opening one of our gifts for him...

Sully and cousin Harlie...

Our Harlie girl...

Jack using the nail gun we got him to "fix" his present...

Such a happy baby...

Gamma and Jack...

2 year old + 1 year old= impossible to get a decent cousin pic...

All and all, it was a wonderful weekend with my family.  I did not escape the weekend without injury though.  I stabbed my hand with a steak knife trying to get one of Sully's toys out of the packaging.  Yes, I totally know better.  But why does everything have to be zip-tied into the boxes, is that really necessary?  I think not.  Fortunately, I am pretty sure I will live so it is all good. 

Now I am going to enjoy my week off.

Magic of Christmas

Today starts the first of several Christmas celebrations this year.  We will be headed to MoTown for Christmas with my mom's family today and we will be taking Sully to the waterpark at the Lodge.  He is going to just love it, can't wait! 

Now, I am aware that Sully is not "getting" the whole Santa thing and probably won't until he is a few years older.  But that is not going to stop me from pretending he does and going through all the rituals of Christmas.  I tell Sully all the time about Santa.  We inherited a Santa reciting part of the Night Before Christmas from his great-grandma Neva.  Here he is...

My Santa, what a nice beard you have...

Would you like a few bites of my Werewolf block?  Look at that little sweetie, sharing already!

There really are only so many years where Christmas is magical and so very special, through the eyes of a child.  I am soaking it up.  I have waited so long to experience the magic of Chrismas again and it is wonderful! 

So we will be leaving cookies and milk out on Christmas eve.
We will be waking up to gifts from Santa for the whole family on Christmas day.
And it will be just a little magical...

Gift

I would love to get the perfect gift for all of Sully's daycare providers.  But how do you do that when he has like 8 fantastic daycare providers?  How do you thank them for taking the best care of a piece of my heart each day?  How do you really show your appreciation to others who care for your baby as if he were their own?  How do you express how wonderful it is to have not a care or concern in the world when I drop him off as I know he is in loving hands? 

In the spirit of the season, I would love to get each and everyone of them a diamond ring, a piece of gold, a star.  Anything that would equal my gratitude or appreciation for what they do and how much it means to me. 

For caring for this little bug...

In the end, I chose a special ornament for his Grandma Subes which Sully gave her a few weeks ago.
For his caregivers at his daycare, I chose a small JOY ornament and holiday scratch offs (of course) in addition to a sincere handwritten letter of gratitude. 

I don't know.  Maybe it is not enough, maybe I could do better.  I hope it is perfect.

On

I tell ya, some weeks I am so on my game. When I am on my game, stay-at-home-mom Monday goes great, I make dinner at least 3 nights that week, the house is pretty clean and I even get some projects done.

Exhibit 1:

cookie baking

Exhibit 2:

This would be a pic of the house warming present/art I made the Shagers but since they have not seen it yet, you will have to wait.

Exhibit3:

A happy boy playing independently for 15-20 minute stretches of time=me getting some stuff done!

Exhibit 4:

This would be the tacos I made tonight and the chicken curry crock pot meal I made up to make for tomorrow.

Yup, feeling pretty good about myself right about now.  I will try not to break my arm as I pat myself on the back.  It is going to be a good week...