Monthly Archives: December 2012

DIY Rudolph Ornaments

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rudolph

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Oh these ornaments are so cute! And super easy too! I found this pin on Pinterest and knew I had to try making these with the kiddos.

Things you’ll need:

Clear glass ornament

Super fine brown glitter

Clear liquid hairspray

Foam stickers or paint, googly eyes, etc.

Ribbon

Easy to do: Coat inside of glass ornament with liquid hairspray. Pour out any extra liquid. Add a generous amount of glitter. Cover the top of the ornament with finger or cloth. Shake ornament until the glitter covers the entire inside of the ornament. Dump out any excess glitter. Let dry before capping the ornament. Decorate with stickers or paint. Add ribbon.

For my Rudolph I used foam stickers from the craft store. I cut them to the right shapes and sizes to make the circle nose and eyes. The antlers were made from cutting foam snowflakes in half and gluing them to the ornament.

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Holiday Gift Ideas: Homemade Brown Sugar Vanilla Scrub & Peppermint Sugar Scrub

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brownsugarscrub

Oh sugar scrubs, how I love thee! What better way to rejuvenate your skin and leave it feeling silky smooth? The sugar works to exfoliate the dry cells and the oils help to replenish and moisturize. And the best part? You can make sugar scrubs at home with simple all natural ingredients. Yay! They are gentle enough to use on the face and strong enough to use on dry hands, elbows, and feet. They make great gifts as well.

Vanilla and Brown Sugar Body Scrub ingredients:

2 cups Organic Brown Sugar

1 cup Pure Cane Sugar

1/3 cup Organic Almond Oil

2 tbsp Organic Vanilla Extract

Directions: Combine and mix sugars together in a bowl until they are blended nicely. Slowly add almond oil while stirring sugar. Mix in the vanilla for a yummy scent. Store in a pretty jar, label, and enjoy!

To Use: Wet hands. Scoop sugar scrub onto desired body part and lather. Rinse.

*The above directions will give you an all brown sugar scrub. If you would like to layer in some white to make it a bit fancier just mix 2 cups pure cane sugar in a separate bowl and add the almond oil to get a wet sand consistency. Then layer it into the jar – brown, white, brown, etc. DO NOT add vanilla to the white sugar because it will turn it brown and thus defeat the purpose of adding a white layer to your jar!

**This is a coarse body scrub. I would not recommend using this one on your face if you are prone to irritation. Brown Sugar Vanilla works best on the body, hands, elbows, and feet.

peppermint2

Christmas in a jar! Thanks to The Idea Room! I got this recipe from Amy Huntley over at The Idea Room and it is amazingly refreshing and will make for a wonderful holiday gift. ‘Tis the season for pink and white candy cane stripes!

Peppermint Sugar Scrub ingredients:

4 cups Pure Cane Sugar

1/2 cup Organic Almond Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil

1/3 cup Organic Cherry Juicepeppermint1

Directions: This recipe requires two bowls for two separate mixtures. Add two cups of sugar to each bowl. Slowly drizzle in the almond oil and mix until you get the desired consistency. The sugar should be wet, but not soaked. Add a few drops of peppermint oil to each mixture. Set one bowl aside. Pour cherry juice into other mix and stir, stir, stir until the color is evenly distributed. (You can add more or less cherry juice depending on the desired color you prefer for the stripe. More juice = brighter color).

Layer mix into jar – red, white, red, white, etc.

Label, and enjoy!

To Use: Wet hands. Scoop sugar scrub onto desired body part and lather. Rinse.

*I’ve used the peppermint scrub on my face, hands, body. Feels great!

Happy exfoliating! Happy gifting!

The Spirit of the Holidays – Conversations with My Six-Year-Old

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spirit

The holiday season is in full swing and the spirit of the year can be found all around us. Everywhere I turn I see beautiful wreaths hung with red ribbon, trees twinkling in the night, and smiles on the faces of strangers. I absolutely adore the generosity and purity that flows within us this time of year. I sincerely hope my children will learn and understand the importance of giving to others. I pray that I  teach them to hold dear their loved ones and to cherish their friendships, their health, and their opportunities in life.

After a few recent conversations with my six-year-old Ella, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the magic and innocence of childhood. That, and the fact that she made me laugh, a lot.

The Spirit of Remembrance:

Ella: Mom, I need the binoculars.

Me: For what?

Ella: So I can go outside and look for Great Grandma Nonny in the sky.

Me: Okay, but it’s kind of cloudy out so you might not see her.

Ella: Oh. Oh well then maybe I can see a bird poop while it’s flying.

The Spirit of Knowing Who’s Boss:

Me: Ella, you forgot to make your bed this morning.

Ella: I know mom. It’s just that I have coat room clean-up at school this week.

Me: Well that’s no excuse for not helping out at home.

Ella: Mrs. M said that coat room was my only chore for the week.

Me: At school, not at home.

Ella: Oh yeah. And she is bigger and older than you. And she wears red lipstick.

Me: So.

Ella: Exactly.

The Spirit of Conversation:

Me: Ella, what do you want Santa to bring you this year?

Ella: A canopy.

Ethen (my four-year-old): A can of what?

Ella: A canopy.

Ethen: A can of PEE? <giggle>

Me: No potty talk. <Snort>

The Spirit of Supporting Our Troops:

Ella: I want to join the army.

Me: When did you decide that?

Ella: When I saw how much stuff they had there.

Me: What are you talking about?

Ella: At that place where they have tons of stuff. I really want to join there.

Me: Are you talking about the Salvation Army?

Ella: Yep. That’s it. Can I join?

The Spirit of Friendship:

Ella: Who is ‘Tot’ and where does she live?

Me: What? Who?

Ella: You know, that girl named Tot. I heard she gets tons of toys.

Me: You mean Toys for Tots?

Ella: Yes. Can you call her mom for a play date?

The Spirit of Health:

Ella: Mom, can we do yoga together?

Me: Sure.

Ella: Okay, just bend over and I’ll climb up on your back.

Me: Ummmm. What yoga pose is that?

Ella: The one where you carry me around the house until your legs fall off.

Me: Uhh.

Ella: Come on, it will be good for you.