And a Partridge in a Pear Tree—Christmas Card 2008

I am not ready to reveal the Christmas card insanity I am up to this year, but can now show you what we sent out last year. A cute digital photo card using recolored elements by Rhonna Farrer @ 2peas. But wait….

…there is more! The card is actually made of two postcards. One oversized, and one standard sized (ordered from Vista Print—on one of their sales). The small postcard (where you see the graphic of the bird), lifts up to reveal the accordion fold insert, attached at the other end to half of the large post card. Make sense?

For the insert, I used 11 x 17 paper (that I have had on hand for the last 8 years, since I bought it to do a similar design for my oldest’s birth announcement), and had two inserts printed/per sheet. If you can’t read, it, here is what it says (with lots of pictures to illustrate the lyrics):

The Year 2008

(To the tune of the 12 days of Christmas)

The year 2008, brought the H---- family:

12 weeks of preschool

11 months of insanity (with the URL to my blog)

10 pounds of Tessa

9 years of marriage

8 days of paintball

7 gourmet meals

6 teeth-a-missing

5 years of work (with my husband’s company)

4 days on a boat (Lake Powell)

3 birthday parties (for the kids)

2 camping trips

and our new home in Laveen.

I liked that the card tied in with my Christmas theme (that no one really knows about, but it makes me happy. Last year was “partridge in a pear tree”). But I also liked that I was able to give a bit of news, with our writing a formal newsletter. The last few years, I have been directing people to our family blog for an update, rather than writing a lengthy letter. That means, I need to update my blog!

If you want to see more of my Christmas card insanity, you can check out a parade of past cards here:

My card/birth announcement from 2007, here:

And my sister’s clever photocard, that won a prize in Tip Junkie’s Christmas Card contest last year, here:

Are you sending a card this year? Paper or digital? Printed or handmade? Christmas or New Years (or Valentine’s Day)? :-)

If you liked this post, please consider contributing to my Big Hearted Holidays project! Read all about it here!

It’s My Birthday—You Get the Presents! (Gratitude Giveaway Winners Announced)

{image: Martha Stewart}

Yes.  Today is my birthday.  I am now the same age as Angelina Jolie, and only a few kids behind her.  (Do you know what age that is?)  My 8-yr-old daughter gave me a lovely card stating that she loves me and how she is glad I’m her mom, etc., and then says “You are not THAT old you know.  Think of all of the people who are dead.  Just think!”  Maybe she has a future with Hallmark.  What do you think?

I think it is time for some PRESENTS…

For you guys (gals)…

This concludes my Gratitude Giveaway week.  I do want to say thank you to all of you who read and support this blog.  Fittingly, I reached 400 Google followers today.  That’s a nice b-day present.  Thanks!

Giveaway #1—New Moon Inspired Vampire Card:

And the winners are…

…everyone…

…who took the time to leave me a comment.  That’s right.  I have 5 cards to give away, and there were 6 entrants, so the good people at “Love and Luck Greetings” decided that they could all be winners (instead of choosing one looser).  So that means:

jenjen

AJ

Lisa

Brittany

Kristin

&

The Burns Family

will all get this cool vampire card, as soon as you email me your mailing addresses (kendrascreations{at}gmail{dot}com).

 

Giveaway #2—Black Diamond Floor Cleaning System

Lots of great entries here!  Lots of us looking for help in our housekeeping.  I went to random.org, and it selected Anonymous (Sarah), and Rogers, as the two winners of the kits.  Congratulations!  Email me your mailing addresses and will get your prizes in the mail.  (kendrascreations{at}gmail{dot}com)

Last but not least…

Giveaway #3—Noteable Journals 

 

Again, I turned to Random.org, and it is a good thing, too, because one of the winners is my sister!  But I didn’t pick her,  Random.org  did!  Jessica and Mama’s Boys each win their choice of journal.  Email me your selections and your mailing address (Yes!  You too, Trina.  Don’t make me look it up. :-)) at kendrascreations{at}gmail{dot}com.

I’m planning to notify winners by email tomorrow, but if you contact me first, I will love you for saving me the hassle!

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Are You Ready for December?

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I am happy to report that our turkey and gravy both turned out well, although by the time we cooked them, I had read so many different techniques on-line that my brain was spinning, and I had my doubts. Everyone has a different method! Luckily ours worked, and made it to its destination, mostly on time, and still hot and ready to eat. (Maybe we'll talk turkey more next year!)
But I know most of us, have moved well past the bird, into the Christmas frenzy. We are not the kind of people that enjoy the Black Friday mayhem, but my husband was kind enough to brave it for me this morning, to get the keyboards I need for the music classes I teach. Thanks, hon!


And while we aren't traveling this year for Christmas, so I am trying not to be too panicky about what all there is to do in the upcoming month, I am realizing that there are some projects that need to be done, sooner than later if they are going to happen. Here's one of them!


Dec. 1 is on Tuesday (I know because it is my birthday.) I'm intending to actually start my advent calendar that night (instead of a week or so late). If you are going to make and advent calendar, you probably want to do it this weekend. I've seen some fun ideas floating around the web for calendars, but I still really like the one my husband and I put together a couple of years ago. You can read how we did it here.


Of course, it took until the following year, for me to figure out what all to put inside it. You can find that here, and use it in any advent calendar, if you like. It is a combination of scriptures with some thought questions, songs to sing, or small gifts to give on different days. My goal with this is to help keep our Christmas centered on the birth of Christ, and help them feel how exciting and special that part of Christmas is.


In other news, we are making good progress on decorating the house, and I just might be ready to show it to you in a week or so! Wish me luck (and stamina)! Happy Black Friday, everyone!


Don't forget to enter my three Gratitude Giveaways, now through Monday night!
And if you enjoyed this post, please consider donating to my Big-Hearted Holiday project, to help two families who lost parents this fall.

HappyThanksgiving! Last Minute Tips, and Gratitude Giveaway #3

So are you stressing yet? I was going to be hosting this year, but I was given a reprieve from my hosting duties, since I haven't recovered from my first trimester yet (even though I am well into my 2nd one, *sigh*). Even so, I still have some experiments to conduct on a 21 lb. bird we are bringing to the feast tomorrow, so I'd better make this quick...

If you are one that focused on menu and forgot about the table setting until now (I'm the opposite, usually), you are in luck, The ladies at Paper & Cake, have got you covered. They are showing their gratitude with a free download of printable menus, placecards, etc--most everything you might need to spruce up your table.

Or if you want to go a different route, I've assembled a few of my ideas from previous posts, that you may be able to pull off, with out a trip to the store.

You can use scrapbook paper as placemats (The Hostess does this all the time, and it always looks cool for her.) Fun and funky, if that is your style, or use an elegant color with a sophisticated pattern.

These place cards are deceptively simple to make, if you have some basic scrapbooking supplies on hand. Again, you can change up the tone, but using deeper colors and swirly stems, if you like.

We don't have these in AZ, but if you are in a place with some autumn leaves, go collect them. If you have a paint pen, you can carefully write names, right on the leaves. While you are leave hunting, you might collect branches or pinecones, or anything else seasonal to make a festive centerpiece. Easy and Free!

*****

And now for our final GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY, I bring you Noteable Journals.

I think you have heard me talk about one of my bffs, Kameron, a few times on this blog. She is one of the only people I know that I really think is more insane than I am, although she always seems less flustered and more on the ball. How does she do it all? I don't know.

Anyway, a while back, she went searching for an age-appropriate journal for her daughter, and couldn't find anything she liked, so she decided to create her own children's journals. She and her mom have written, designed, produced, etc. these cute, customizable children's journals, themselves. They are designed to give kids easy to answer prompts, that make journaling accessible and fun, especially for those just getting started. I think lots of kids have no idea what to write about. They would make great Christmas gifts (or Hanukkah!).

On their website, you can build your own journal, selecting your favorite scrapbook-type cover (like these shown, but lots more to choose from), and which version of the journal you would like (standard, LDS, or Hanukkah editions currently available). And just because she loves me, Kameron is helping me say "thank you" this holiday by giving away journals to TWO of my readers.

Here's what you do to enter:

-Leave me a comment on this post telling me if you kept a journal when you were a kid, and anything else about that you want to share (like who was your 7th grade crush--no you don't have to, unless you really want to).

Additional entries:

-Go to Notable Journals, and pick your favorite cover. Come back and leave me a comment telling me which cover, and which edition you would choose if you win.

-Tell people about this giveaway (blog, facebook, twitter, or email it), and come back and tell me who you told and how.

-Follow my blog.

-Follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter.

-Enter my New Moon, or Black Diamond giveaways. Leave a comment telling me which you entered.

For two extra entries: Kameron and I are working together on my Big-Hearted Holidays project. Spread the word about the families we are trying to help on FB, Twitter, email, or blog, and come back and let me know what you've done. I've had a few generous donations, but would really love to have more participate, so we can really help these families feel loved this holiday season. I appreciate whatever support you can give.

Please make sure your email is in your comment or in your profile so I can contact you if you win. All of my Gratitude Giveaways will end Monday, Nov. 30 (11:59pm). Winners will be announced the following day.

HAVE A TERRIFIC THANKSGIVING!

May your hearts be filled with gratitude (and your bellies, with yummy food)!

Black Diamond Floor Cleaning System-Gratitude Giveaway #2

Believe it or not, after I posted about this table,

 

I received a comment (I like those, by the way), from a reader who wanted to know how I kept my floors so clean.  I never really answered her, because the the truthful answer I wanted to give was…careful photo editing!  In fact, since this post, pregnancy woes began, and things have gotten dirtier and dirtier.  I’m wondering if the people at Black Diamond have been spying on me, and know this, because they approached me about trying out their new floor cleaning system.  When they said they had some to share with my readers, I said “great”!  We are probably all stressing a little bit about the condition of our homes during the holidays and want to be able to have things ready for company.  (Except I still need help with my clutter, bathrooms, and laundry.  Anyone???)

 

This is what my floor usually looks like…yikes!

 

 

 

 

This floor systems is ideally designed for wood and laminate floors.  I told the Black Diamond folks, that I only have tile, so they were kind enough to include some grout cleaner, and some granite cleaner, for my massive kitchen island.  Both of which work nicely.  All of the products are supposed to be “safe” (alcohol and ammonia free) which is great, since I have so many young “helpers.”  I also like that most of the products don’t have to be rinsed off.  That is a huge time saver!  If you want to see the floor system in action, you can watch a funny video, here. 

I did try the cleaner out on my tile floors (even though it is designed for wood and laminate).  I’m guessing that it might not be the best for the grout, but I used it to spot clean my tile, and it worked really well!  (Side note for the friendly reader who thinks I have clean floors:  The one thing we have tried to do, is be careful about using a lot of regular cleaners in the grout, they seem to attract dirt.  We often just mop with water, or vinegar….that is when we actually mop).  It was great for those crusty spots that mysteriously appear around my daughter’s high chair, that don’t usually come off with out some elbow grease.

The mop/broom device, is really smooth and easy to use.  I like using it as a dry mop, too.  It gets all the dust and stuff that you don’t always get with a broom (then I just get the broom and dustpan to sweep up the pile at the end).  The pads are removable and machine washable.  A few years ago, everyone was excited about the disposable pads in cleaning systems, but not only do these work better, and are better for the environment, I love that I don’t have to keep investing in more product.  That held me back when I tried other swiffer-type systems.  This also glides much more smoothly than those did.

If I have one complaint, it is with the packaging.  It’s clamshell case comes with what looked to be a brilliant idea…only it didn’t work.  It has perforation, where you are supposed to be able to tear the plastic open.  Only mine wouldn’t tear at the perforation.  Just everywhere else (I think I eventually had to wait for my husband and his knife).  And don’t ignore the warning about sharp edges when opened.  My fingers can attest to that.

So, once you get in the package, I’m sure you are going to love your WOW!  Wood floor cleaning system from Black Diamond!  And, not one, but TWO of you are going to get your very own to try out for FREE!  If you don’t want to wait for our giveaway to end, you can find a Wal-Mart near you that carries these products.  Don’t forget to download the $2 off coupon here.

So here are the details of the giveaway:

This giveaway is open to anyone in the US.  I’m giving you lots of chances to enter.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry and make sure your email is in your profile or in your comment.  Thanks!

1st entry-Tell me what housework you need the most help with through this holiday season.

Additional entries--

• Follow my blog  (I’m almost at 400 followers), or tell me if you are already following.
• Follow me on Twitter, and tweet anything (kind or informative) to me @myinsanity.
• Follow me on Facebook.
• Follow Black Diamond on Twitter.
• Follow Black Diamond on Facebook.

That means you can enter to win up to 6 times, and remember, 2 winners will be chosen!  Because of the craziness of this holiday week, I am going to let all of the Gratitude Giveaways run until midnight, on Monday Nov. 30.  Then on my b-day (Dec. 1), I will announce all of the winners.

Don’t forget about the other giveaways, and remember my Big-Hearted Holiday Project.  I still need lots of donations, if I am going to be able to do much for these families this Christmas.  Thanks for your support!

Comfort and Joy—A Seasonal Meal

I’ve been wanting to share this “comfort-food”-themed Gourmet Group meal with you, since I had the pleasure of eating it, a year ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t get photos right away, and then the season had kind of passed. I’m sharing it with you now, because some of the ideas, might work well on your Thanksgiving table. If not, you might look at this menu for another autumn/winter time feast.

Let’s start with the centerpiece, because it was so beautiful in its simplicity, and would be quite simple to re-create for Thanksgiving.

My friends, Angie and Raquel hosted the meal, and for the table setting, they pulled together several elements they already had, borrowing some from their neighbor, who came and helped with the pretty stuff. The main element, is this large vase filled with mini-white pumpkins, and pomegranates. I’ve always loved the use of food/fruit in centerpieces, particularly at Thanksgiving time, since the bounty of the harvest, is what we are celebrating. I liked the eclectic mix of candlesticks they used, and thought it worked well together, with all the varying heights. But, as spectacularly as everything looked, the food, is really what stole the show. Everything was so delicious, and did just what comfort food should do!

Here was the menu:

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Lettuce Soup (shown above)

Individual Chicken Pot Pies (below—so flavorful!)

And my favorite of the evening (so I am sharing the recipe)…

Pear Dumpling with Caramel Cream Sauce

• For the filling:

• 3 tablespoons dark rum 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced (1/2 lemon) 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup pecan halves

In a small saucepan, simmer raisins in rum over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates. Sauté pecans over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of butter. Toss/stir continually so they don’t burn, then chop. Combine raisins, pecans, brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Set aside.

• For the Caramel Cream Sauce:

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine butter with sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until mixture turns golden brown. Watch carefully. Stir continually for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, add heavy cream to sauce. It will bubble so be careful. Add vanilla seeds. Return mixture to stove and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Strain and cool.

Preparing pears:

• 4 pears (I used bosc), hollowed (with melon baller) and peeled

• juice from two lemons

• 2 sheets purchased puff pastry, thawed

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon water

• sugar for sprinkling

Level off the bottoms of the pears so they sit flat on baking sheet. To keep from browning, place in a bowl of cool water with lemon juice and let sit for 10 min. Drain & pat dry. Roll out puff pastry dough into a 14” x 21” rectangle, about 1/8” thick. Cut four 7” squares from dough, trimming any uneven sides. Place a pear in the center of dough square. Fill the cavity with 1 – 2 tablespoons of filling, pack tightly. Fold up one corner of dough and moisten with water. Fold up the other corner and glue it onto the first with water, applying pressure to secure. Wrap completely and secure at top. Repeat for all pears. Cut 2” – 3” leaves out of leftover dough. Score veins down the center of the leaf with the back of a knife. Moisten backs of leaves with water. Glue 2 – 3 leaves onto each pear with water. Bend leaves slightly. Stagger pears on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes. Mix egg wash (egg beaten with water) and brush over dumplings. Liberally sprinkle all sides of dumplings with granulated sugar. Bake at 425˚ for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375˚ and bake 30-40 minutes more, until pastry is browned and pears can be pierced with wooden skewer. Serve dumplings warm with Caramel-Cream sauce.

And here we all are eating, and feeling the comfort! Thanks Raquel and Angie!

Gratitude Giveaway #2 coming up tonight!

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider donating what ever sum you can to either or both families for my Big-Hearted Holidays project. Read more about it here!

New Moon Party Plans--Gratitude Giveaway #1

I don't really consider myself to be a "Twi-hard." (That is the correct term, isn't it?) Sure, I did get sucked in to the books, and although I knew she needed to end up with Edward, to make the story work, I was pretty firmly camped with "Team Jacob" while I was reading "New Moon." (Don't hate me--Edward lovers. He redeems himself later in the series). And I do want to see the movie--I actually dreamt I was trying to watch it this morning while my daughter was still sleeping--but pregnancy has zapped any fanaticism, I might have had in me. I hope all of my girlfriends (and all of you who I am writing this post for), who are up at this unearthly hour to watch the movie, are having a spectacular time. But I am happy to be snuggled in my warm bed. Maybe I will be up for a party when the DVD is released. And if so, I am in luck, because the people from a couple of cool on-line stores have contacted me with some great party ideas, that I of course, am passing along to you, with the opportunity to win one of these cool products.

WHAT TO WEAR

A party is always the most fun if you dress up for the occasion. Some guests may opt for fake vampire teeth and costumes (or really cool ones like the Jane costume at Little Ant Designs). But for you movie-goers, TEAM Edward and TEAM Jacob t-shirts, seem to be the best bet. Everyone can choose sides and proudly proclaim their choice! Alana and Javier of Love and Luck Shop explain, “Zazzle.com offers countless styles of the Edward and Jacob shirts, many of which are under $40.” What I want to know is if they make one with Edward and Jacob on the same shirt. Hmm.... Anyway, you can probably DIY it, by getting some iron on letters from the craft store, and maybe some red fabric paint.

INVITATIONS

Love & Luck Greetings recently introduced a Vampire Card titled “Forever Always” ($4.75). The greeting card features vicious vampire fangs, the words, “Forever Always” and on the inside, “Loving you for all Eternity,” and adorned with a genuine Swarovski crystals on the teeth. Available online at www.loveandluckshop.com. (or in our giveaway below!)

If you are going to the theater, another fun way to get friends excited about the party would be to deliver them a box of popcorn like this one with movie tickets and an invite tucked inside. For a home viewing party, it would be fun to have popcorn dished out in cute boxes, and give it more of a movie theatre feel. Snappy.com has a few options for popcorn boxes.

PARTY DÉCOR

ForYourParty.com has created a Vampire Collection of coasters, cocktail napkins, and more. Shoppers can personalize every aspect of the product (font, artwork, style, layout, etc). Cocktail Napkins retail for $25 for 50 and Round Coasters for $33 for 50, www.foryourparty.com

Look at the details! Clever, and a bit creepy!

For more New Moon/Twilight Party fabulousness, you need to checkout these posts:

The Hostess Blog New Moon Printables

The Hostess Blog Twilight Party ideas

Little Ant Designs eerily cool "Jane" costume (how-to here)

But not until you've entered the Giveaway:

Love & Luck Greetings is offering 5 of their cool Vampire cards (shown above) to my readers. Just leave me a comment telling me when you plan to see "New Moon" to be entered to win. You can also get extra chances to win by following my blog (or subscribing to my RSS feed), following me on Twitter, or following me on Facebook. Just leave an additional comment for each entry.

And a Discount for everyone:

ForYourParty.com is offering 30% all their products through December 31, 2009 by using the code “luckybreaks9” at checkout. (May not be combined with any other offer.) Even if you aren't a "Twi-hard," you might want to take advantage of this deal if you are planning a wedding or any other kind of party. They have a pretty extensive collection.

So tell me...how big of a "Twi-hard" are you?

********

If you liked this post, please consider donating any amount to the Farnsworth and/or Blaser families as part of my Big-Hearted Holiday Project.

Gratitude Giveaways--Thanksgiving Week

I still have some Thanksgiving ideas to share, but this week, as we remember what and who we are grateful for, I'd like to say,"thank you" to you my loyal readers (and even those who are just stumbling upon my blog for the first time), with a few fun giveaways that might help you get ready for the holidays--or just be fun for you. The first will start tonight at midnight (any guesses what that might be about?), and we'll run a couple more next week. So look for this logo, and comment to win. Also, please don't forget about my Big-Hearted Holiday project. My posts about both families are up, and I would love your donations (however small) to help me, help them, this holiday season.

Gratitude Giveaways:

#1-"New Moon" Inspired cards

#2-Black Diamond floor cleaning system

#3-Customized Noteable Journal for kids

All the giveaways will end at 11:59pm on Monday Nov. 30. I will announce all of the winners on Dec. 1 (my b-day)

Big-Hearted Holidays--The Farnsworth Family

My friend, Ashleigh, passed away Sept. 28, 2009. She was only 28 and left behind a husband and four young children (Sarah-5, Lucas and Alex-3, and Audrey-2). She had only been diagnosed with colon cancer for a month, but it was an aggressive and wide-spread cancer. She chose to fight back aggressively with chemo treatments, but her body was too weak and did not respond well. After several complications, it became clear to her loved ones that she wouldn't recover. Her immediate family was able to be with her and say their goodbyes shortly before she died.

I got to know Ashleigh and her family during the couple of years they lived in our part of Phoenix. Although she was younger than I, and had more children than I did, she and I had a lot in common. We both loved to sing. Ashleigh had a beautiful soprano voice and became the director of our ward choir at church. We spent several Sundays rehearsing for our Christmas program and other performances at the Farnsworth home, while our children played together, and hopefully didn't disrupt the music too much.

She was very creative. I was amazed that she always sewed dresses for her little girls, and often something for herself that would match them.

But I don't think it was until after she moved away. That I realized all of her creative pursuits. We kept in touch through blogs and Facebook. She seemed to have so much energy, taking care of four young children and accomplishing so many projects. I had no idea at the time, that her body was so taxed.

She painted paintings, decorated cakes, painted and redecorated rooms (by herself, while her husband was out of town), and wrote some of her philosophies about life on a blog she called Ashleigh's Impressions.

One of the things that amazed me the most about Ashleigh was the way she embraced motherhood. I remember when she was pregnant with twins (and we all thought she was crazy) how excited she was! She wanted a large family and didn't want to waste time getting it. She considered each child a tremendous blessing. I think hers was the only baby shower I attended where the mom-to-be never showed up. She was already at the hospital getting ready to have the twins.

I think maybe my favorite thing about Ashleigh, was her attitude. Her blog is titled "Cheer Central." And if you read her last couple of posts, when she had to be miserable, undergoing unsuccessful chemotherapy, she doesn't deny that life is tough, but instead choses to focus on the good things, like how wonderful her husband is for buying her a new vacuum. In all of the emails, or updates leading up to her death, I never detected a tone of "why me?" or "life isn't fair!" She approached each challenge in a matter-of-fact, practical sort of way, as a small obstacle to overcome in the big picture of her life.

I know her family has been comforted that this was the Lord's will for her. I am comforted that although Ashleigh's days were short, that she was someone who really "lived" and took advantage of each day given her. But I find it somewhat difficult to feel comforted when I think of those sweet children she leaves behind and the incredible responsibility their dad faces on his own now.

My first plan was to get Ashleigh's blog published into a book for her family to have access to. Her personality is so clear in her blog--I hear her voice as I read it. Before I was able to move on that, I found that a generous cousin, had the same idea, and already presented Jeff with a hard-bound book, over 200 pages long. I would still love to be able to get at least one more copy of the book made, so that it can be preserved, and the kids can have access to it, to remember who their mom is. Other ideas I've had are to get gift certificates to kid-friendly restaurants/activities in their area. I imagine it has to be difficult for Jeff to adjust to providing for and caring for the kids. It makes me sad that kids won't be getting homemade Christmas dresses/outfits from their mom this year. If anyone wants to donate something along those lines, please send me an email at kendrascreations {at} gmail {dot} com. You can contribute any monetary amount, through Paypal, by clicking on the button on my sidebar that says, "The Farnsworth Family." I'm sure Ashleigh made the holidays magical for her family, and I'd love for them to be able to have some of that holiday joy, even though their mom can't be with them this time. Thank you for any help you are able to give!

To get to know Ashleigh better, you can read her blog:

Cheer Central

Or watch this video shown at her funeral:

Well Done, Ashleigh

For more info on my Big-Hearted Holidays Project, read this.

Big Hearted Holidays--The Blaser Family

I had only recently gotten to know the Blaser family, when Clint passed away. Jackie is one of the moms on the MomTimeTV show, and the Blasers had generously offered their home for the filming of several episodes. Spending time in their home that day, I felt like I knew them. They seemed to have it all: a happy marriage, big loving family, nice home, healthy active lifestyle, fun vacations, etc. I did learn that their home had been rebuilt after nearly burning to the ground. So they had had their challenges, too. I had no idea what challenges they were about to face.

Although I had only know the Blasers a few weeks, my very good friend Kameron, had been very good friends with them for sometime. I asked her to tell you a little more about this family and what happened. Here is what she wrote:

October 1st, Clint Blaser was out enjoying the newly-turned Fall weather. In the middle of training for a marathon, he thought he’d fit in another run before he had to leave for his daughter’s high school choir concert. Jackie warned him to be at school before the concert started, and he assured her he wouldn’t be late. It was a typical exchange between a loving husband and wife, neither knowing it would be their last in this lifetime.

Clint never showed up at the concert, and midway through, Jackie knew something was wrong. She left the concert after Ali’s performance and headed home to check in on Clint. She finally phoned the police, worried he may have been hit by a car and was injured somewhere. Jackie was given the news no wife wants to hear: her husband had suffered an apparent heart attack while jogging in their neighborhood, and they weren’t able to revive him. The police came to get Jackie and escort her to the hospital, where she confirmed Clint’s identity, leaving their six children at home in the care of their grandma.

Clint Blaser, only 40 years old, left behind six children, ages 19 down to 7. Paige, Ali, Travis, Lilly, Joey and Michael all adore their father, and have such wonderful memories of him and the time they were able to spend together. Clint was known far and wide for his hilarious sense of humour, love of everyone, and mischievous grin that constantly spread across his face. Clint often drove his kids and their friends to and from school and church activities, and every single one of them has memories involving Clint and Taco Bell, and some sort of teasing. Maybe a few impersonations thrown in for good measure, too. Everyone knew they could come to the Blaser home and find laughter, music, and – if it was Sunday – tacos.

While the Blasers are trying to adjust to their “new normal”, they thrive on remembering Clint and the fun husband, father and friend he was, as well as the knowledge that they will see him again one day.

Thanks, Kameron! With the money raised, Kameron and I would first like to make a hard-bound memory book for the Blaser family. Kameron has been collecting favorite stories and pictures from friends at church and family, and we would love to present them with all of those wonderful memories in a keepsake book, that they can keep their Dad's memory alive. If there are other special Christmas wishes, we'd love to help make those come true, as well. Any remaining funds will be deposited in the college education funds established for each of the children. Clint was the bread-winner and provider of the family and Jackie stayed home with the 6 children, so there are clearly some financial adjustments that they are having to make.

If you'd like to help us bring a little cheer to this sweet family, this holiday season, you can make a donation through paypal, by clicking on the green button in the sidebar that says "The Blaser Family." (No donation is too small!) If you have other ideas, or special messages for them, email me at kendrascreations {at} gmail {dot} com. For more about this project, read this post. Thanks for your generosity!

Big Hearted Holidays--IMPORTANT

This fall, my heart was broken, not once, but twice in the same week as two of my friends were taken from their families. My heart broke as my friend, Ashleigh, a mother of 4 very young children lost a short battle with colon cancer. Later that week, I received word that Clint, the husband of Jackie (one of the Mom Time TV moms), had died suddenly, leaving behind 6 children.

When someone dies, we feel vulnerable, we miss them, and we want to do something to help those who are left behind, but often our efforts seem inconsequential compared with the magnitude of what they are experiencing. In both of these situations, I felt their deaths so keenly, mainly because of who they left behind. It is hard for adults to lose the ones they love, but it just doesn't seem right for children to have to learn to live without a much-loved parent.

Since that week, I have been trying to figure out a way to help. I remember last year, when so many of us in the blogging community came together to raise funds and prayers for Stephanie and Christian Nielson. As tragic as their story was, the love and the big hearts of friends and strangers alike, was as compelling to me as the drama that was unfolding. It restored my faith in humanity, and that people are generally good, and want to help where they can.

So in that spirit, I am dedicating my blogging over the next few weeks to these two families, in the hopes that many of you will want to make a small (or really big, if you can) donation to either or both families. At the end of those weeks, I will take whatever funds have been raised and use them for gifts and needs for those families, to help them through, what I'm sure will be a difficult holiday season. I have some specific ideas of what I would like to do for each family (which I will outline in upcoming posts), but the end result will depend entirely on what money is raised. I think, more than the monetary amount, the families will be moved to know that lots of people care about them, and the trials they are going through.

So spread the word, and help me do something special for these families this Christmas! You can click on the buttons on the right-hand bar to pay through paypal. Leave a comment and let me know if you would like your donation to be anonymous, or if you have a special message for the family, you would like to have delivered with the gifts. You can also email me at kendrascreations {at} gmail {dot} com, with your message, or if you have a non-monetary gift you would like to send. Please put something about "Big Hearted Holidays" in the subject line.

I'd love to help turn some heart-break into heart-felt love this season! Thank you for your support in this endeavor!

Kendra

To read more about Ashleigh Farnsworth, click here.

To read more about Clint Blaser, click here.

Edible Placecard Holders for a Fun Thanksgiving

This idea has made it's appearance in many Thanksgiving meals I've been involved in over the years. If you look closely, you can see my mini cornucopias in this post, and in this post.

The cornucopias are made by "glueing" Runts candies into Bugles snacks, using Marshmallow creme as your glue. The trick is using the most open Bugles, so you can get a few Runts in there. I made these a few weeks ago for a "Thanksgiving Tips and Tricks" class I taught for the ladies at my church. I have to tell you that while I found the Bugles easily at the store, no one was carrying Runts. I don't know why that is! I thought they were a popular movie box-style candy. I don't know if they are considered seasonal at all. Anyway, Dollar Tree pulled through for me (although it had some different fruits than the standard boxes do). Note to self: when looking for unusual candies, always check the dollar store first!

In giving credit where credit is due, I'm pretty sure the first time I saw these was at a Thanksgiving celebration at my cousins' house when I was still a teenage. They have since become part of my standard repertoire. I do think I came up with the hay bales on my own. All I do for those is make rice crispy treats, substituting crumbled Shredded Wheat for the the Rice Crispies. Then I cut them in to rectangle shapes. If you want to tie them with some twine, I'm sure that would be super-cute. They are much heavier and chewier than rice crispy treats, but my kids still like to eat them. This batch was a little extra chewy since my marshmallows were hard to begin with. You might get away with using a little less Shredded Wheat than you would Rice Crispies, since they are much more dense.

It's easy to stick a toothpick into the bales and use labels to make placecards. If I were going all out, I would print the labels on the computer with a cute background (old wood look, maybe). Then just stick two labels together with the toothpick in between to make your sign.

These are what I was missing in my initial picture. Sprinkle a few of these candy pumpkins (which you can find on clearance after Halloween, and they aren't even hard yet!), around the hay bale, and you've completed your miniature scene.

For more fun kids ideas for Thanksgiving, take a look at these posts:

Pilgrim Hat Placecards

Individual Turkeys

Turkey Centerpiece

Gratitude Tree 2009

We've been a little slow getting our Gratitude Tree going this year. But it is never too late to remember to be grateful, right?

So this is what we have this year. It is a little different than last year, as many of you will recall...

I loved how our tree turned out last year, but that wall has since been wallpapered, and I didn't want to damage that in anyway. I meant to move it to the other room and make a new tree, but it kept getting pushed off. One day, I realized I had two dilemmas, that just might be solved with one solution. 1-I needed a gratitude tree. 2-I needed to get my Halloween tree off of the front porch and find something to do with it. So, I am attempting to turn my spooky tree, into a warm and happy gratitude tree. I think by the end of the month, it won't look spooky at all, with all of the happy, thankful leaves on it! Here is a sampling of what we have, so far:

My 5 year old is grateful for each family member, and is figuring out how to spell our names.

My 2-year-old is grateful for markers, and loves to scribble with them, whenever she gets the chance.

It must have been Sunday when my husband added this leaf, since naps aren't normal occurrences around here on other days. But that is what he was thankful for that day! The goal is to add to the tree each day, and not repeat what others have said, or what we have said in days past. Then we can really think about all of the different things we are thankful for--each day.

I added some ribbon to the urn, to help it look a little happier. What do you think? Do you like the paper version from last year, or our 3D version, this year? One night in her prayer, my daughter said she was grateful for our gratitude tree. Aww! So I think the form matters a little less than the function, as far what really counts.

I meant to tell you, I found a great template for the Autumn leaves, here. She posted them as a pattern for a felt garland (which would be adorable). So if you can't get up the gumption up to make a tree, you might consider a Gratitude garland.

Btw, I'm grateful for people who read my blog and help fuel "My Insanity!"

Christmas Crafting--Gifts you can make

I did this last year, posted about Christmas, right after posting about Halloween. I haven't forgotten about Thanksgiving, I promise! But we'll blame this slight on Chris at Just a Girl. She is having her 2nd annual "I Can Make That Party" today. I participated last year, and got tons of great ideas for Christmas gifts, so I thought I would share some of what I've done, and other ideas I've collected for homemade Christmas gifts this year.

Last year, Chris shared a fantastic tutorial on how to make Scrabble Tile necklaces, so I stole that idea and made them for all of my sisters, friends, etc. But I put my own spin on the necklaces I made for my childrens' teachers. I blogged about it here. I think they were a big hit!

This one is so easy, I'm not sure it counts as a craft. I just added vinyl lettering to these boxes from IKEA for my sister's laundry room. More details here. Sometimes a little personalizing goes a long way to making a meaningful gift.

Maybe you are ahead of the game, and have all of your presents bought/made. You might want to check out this post. I found this vintage present wrapping pamphlet from Hallmark, at my mom's house. I don't know if I'll attempt any of these, but they make me smile!

A few years ago, when I was being really good about not eating sugar, I made these simple floral arrangements to give to friends (in lieu of baking). We are going to bake (gingerbread people), this year (because I got the cool Martha Stewart gingerbread house boxes on after-christmas clearance last year), but I do think non-food gifts are often remembered and appreciated in the middle of the holiday gluttony. More info on this project, here.

As for this year, pregnancy is diminishing some of my ambition for homemade gifts, but if I do make some, I will take inspiration from this brilliant personalized Yahtzee game, created by Stacey @ The Thrifty Chick. This makes me sad, every time I think about it, though, because it wasn't very long after she shared this great idea, that Stacey passed away unexpectedly. Fortunately for us, her blog is still up and sharing her great ideas with the world. Look for other fun game and gift ideas on her blog.

There are lots of different games and puzzles that could be personalized. Once upon a time, my family made our own Clue game. It was very personalized to our home, living situation at the time, personalities, etc. We had a great time coming up with that. I wonder who has it now! Have you ever made a personalized game? I'd love to see it or any other homemade game ideas you have!

So let's go get busy! And don't forget to visit Just a Girl, for tons more inspiration!

(Adding to Kimba's DIY day, as well)

Halloween 2009—the big reveal…

TOY STORY:

Yes! You were all right about our Toy Story theme! Which either means that you read and pay attention to my blog, or else you are just really smart (both?). These photos were taken by Peter Thatcher at our church Halloween party. I’m so glad he does this! I can’t ever get the best shots at night! Woody looks a little Indiana Jones in this photo, but here you can get a better look at his costume…

I don’t remember this part of the movie, but we were prodded, and hey, Woody is pretty handsome! Buzz actually lost his purple helmet right before the party, so we had to borrow his knight’s helmet from last year (worked fine…we found the purple one for trick or treating the following night). I think I will forbid him from playing with his costumes before Halloween in the future. The same kind of thing happened last year! *sigh*

Big shout-out to my mom, for whipping up the chaps for Jessie, and the vest for Woody when she was in town last month. I made Jessie some stiff cuffs to wear (which she hated), and had more plans to fancy up her shirt but ran out of time/stamina. The hat was from the dollar store. I punched holes in it, and my daughter laced them with yarn herself. She did a good job and was excited to be involved. She just wished her red hair was a little longer for the braid. And you saw my ham before. She loved being a piggy! I guess if I were trying to be more movie authentic, I would have included the slots for the bank. I also had some big rings that never made it on the backs of Woody or Jessie, as their pull-strings. But hey, I’m pregnant! We do the best we can, right?

PAINTED PUMPKINS:

Last year, our carved pumpkins were moldy within just one or two days in the Phoenix heat, so I thought we would try painting them this year (even though the weather turned out to be much cooler this Halloween). Big thanks to Grandpa for growing the kids’ pumpkins and saving me the 5 or 6 bucks a pop at the grocery store! The only disappointment, was that I tried glow-in-the-dark paint, with minimal results. I’m not sure if I mixed it well enough, or what. But if any of you have experience with glow-in-the-dark paint, I’d love to know your secrets (I’m planning on trying some in the space room).

From L to R: My two-year old’s pumpkin, a pumpkin my oldest decorated at a church activity (her fake eyelashes are falling off), my 5-year-old’s Frankenstein, and my 8-year-old’s moon and stars (that were supposed to glow in the dark.)

I already knew my 8-year-old was a perfectionist, but I had no idea how badly my 5-year-old son suffers from this condition, until now. He must have wiped the paint off of his pumpkin a dozen times, before he came-up with his great green Frankenstein, after I threatened to set a timer. Heaven help me! I’m not sure I can handle a family full of perfectionists. At least Tessa, my 2-year-old, was content with a few random strokes on her pumpkin—for this year, any way!

BRAIN FOOD:

I had volunteered to bring a dessert to the big family party we attended on Saturday night. I decided to go with the Martha Stewart brain cupcakes, but couldn’t keep it too simple. And had to gore it up, just a little.

While my children were arguing about which flavor of cake mix to use (oh, yes, I used a mix!), I remembered the Jello poke cakes, my mom had made once upon a time. Basically, what you do is poke holes in the top of the cupcake after it has cooled a little, and drizzle a jello mixture (1 3oz. pkg. jello dissolved in 1 cup boiling water)into the holes. It makes red drips through out the cupcake (blood). I didn’t get a good picture of the inside, but you can see Woody enjoying one here:

After I piped on the brain design, I took the left over jello liquid and drizzled a little in the crevices, to make the brains look a little bloody. Eeeww!

I ran out of time to make the fun labels that Martha had, so I turned that job over to my 8-year-old. Most of the labels got lost on the way to the party, but she was excited to try and think up the funny names.

There you have it! And now it is mostly put away, to make room for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now just to decide what we will be next year….