2008 December — We are THAT Family

The Greatest Hits of 2008

7:00 am Bykristen

It’s been quite a year!

Since I won’t ever have a Greatest Hits album (thank God!), I didn’t think that should stop a recap of the year. Thanks for sharing these favorite moments with me!

Humorous

Inspirational

Romantic

DIYP (Do It Yourself Projects)

Sincerely ‘Fro Me to You

Because I’m Pathetic

And here’s to a fabulous New Year!

If you have a favorite, mention it in the comments and I’ll add it (Thanks, Valerie Lea for suggesting it).

Reader’s Favorites

They Will Let Anyone Be a Mother These Days (Super Glue Incident)

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The ICEcapades

12:01 am Bykristen

During the holidays, we have a little family tradition.

It’s the day my kids wait for: They love ice skating.

I can’t tell you why exactly.

It’s crowded. It’s soggy (it’s hard to keep ice frozen in the heart of Texas). It’s cold (in an effort to keep the ice, ice). It’s expensive.

And it’s painful:

At the end of the day, we wrapped up our shivering, cranky children and assured them that were very good (!) skaters, just the best(!) and no, you hardly fell at all (!) We were forced to make our annual promise:

“YES, we will do it again next year.”

Which my son points out, “That’s tomorrow, ya know.”

Oh, yes. Another smart one. Great.

Happy New Year, Y’all.

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Because I’m Tired of Letting It All Hang Out

7:00 am Bykristen

I got new jeans ($17.99 Ross)!

And they have a little bonus feature. I mean, can you really put a price on hidden tummy panels?

That’s what I call value and too many Christmas cookies.

This comes in handy since I’m not really into New Year’s Resolutions.

But if I was, these pants would not be necessary.

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Christmas 101

9:15 pm Bykristen

So much for my resolve to not peek back in here until New Year’s.

I’m pathetic.

But I have to tell you about Christmas. It has been a great couple of days and I’ve learned some fabulous lessons.

You are never too young to discover or too old to participate in the icing leftover from Christmas morning cinnamon muffins.

Life isn’t as perfect as a picture.

(I knew this already, but it’s worth repeating)

Our Christmas Service at church was beautiful. It was especially holy when my 2 year old grabbed my Communion cup and partook of the sacred emblems. It was even more special when she yelled, “Mo, bread, pease!”

That old saying, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”…..

Yeah. It works! (My son smiled to confirm the breakthrough).

This Santa has still got the magic touch!

As if Santa and Jesus’ birthday weren’t enough, we had the most delightful visitors knock at our door.

Uzbek Christmas tradition calls for surprise visits. Our friends from The Persecuted Church (dressed in their wedding garb) brought Russian candy. They were led by a guide and rode a donkey (see Eeyore costume). It was a highlight of the day!

The best gifts aren’t wrapped.

One of the best moments of my day was finding the above note tucked under my pillow from my oldest child. It was a thank you note for the coolest Christmas ever and she wasn’t even referring to the gifts. Since she has gratitude-struggles, I don’t she could have given me a greater gift.

I hope your Christmas was full of joy too.

I am blessed.

I will leave you with one more lesson…..

Sometimes you have to be nekid to find The Force.

That is all. Do enjoy the next couple of days. I’ll see ya in a few!

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The First Nativity

7:00 am Bykristen

I love nativity scenes.

Mine sits on my entry table as a welcome into my home and as a statement that I hope trumps all my other decor.

I love looking at Mary- looking at her baby. I love the protective stance Joseph holds over his son.

I love the warm colors and the simplicity.

The elegance.

But the more I stared and contemplated this pretty scene this season, I realized something is missing.

The reality.

Can you imagine being a young girl of 15 or 16, escaped from the comforts of home with a full belly and a child you didn’t expect? On a donkey.

Can you imagine giving birth in a foul, smelly barn and being thankful you found a food trough to place your newborn son in? The good man she married, but didn’t know yet, delivered her son to an audience of cows and sheep.

The hay is blood-stained. The air is musty. The dirty animals are noisy.

There are no knitted booties or helpful nurses. There isn’t a bath or even a bed.

And there certainly aren’t clean, pastel flowing garments….

But there is peace.

There is hope.

There is worship.

There is a Savior.

And that is enough.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Enjoy this beautiful time reveling in Him.

I will be hiding my bathroom scale in a dark corner of the house, feasting at The Farm and watching my kids discover the glory of Jesus and the thrill of Santa.

I’ll peek my head in here and resume around New Year’s, unless something really funny happens. Which is entirely possible. Thank you for being a part of my world. It wouldn’t be the same without you. Merry Christmas!

Food for the Soul:

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”- Matthew 1:20-21

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Favorite Advent Moments

8:00 am Bykristen

Moments from our Advent Calendar

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{Last Minute HomeSpun Christmas Gifts}

7:00 am Bykristen

If you’ve waited until the last minute to finish up your Christmas shopping or you forgot about Great Aunt Edna, Homespun Christmas Gifts are still a great choice.

Here are a few gifts that are easy to put together, but still show your thoughtful, albeit, tardy heart:

The gift of you

Don’t forget the best gift you can give to those you love: you. Your time and attention are valuable to those you love. Create a coupon book, like this one. Or make a commitment to a loved one to write more, be healthier, complain less. Sometimes we spent oodles of money and countless hours shopping, when all our family wants is time. With you.

The gift of food

We tackled many of our teacher gifts in our kitchen. It was also part of our Advent Calendar, so I multi-tasked and got my kids involved. If you don’t have time to bake, buy something like chocolate covered cherries and create your own unique gift wrapping with scrapbook paper and small jewelry boxes:

I’ve been buying mason jars for the past few months. (I found them at Hobby Lobby for less than $1 each). I grabbed some leftover Christmas scrap booking paper from my stash, bought some tags from the craft store and festive wax baking paper.

I cut circles for the mason jar lid:

And I cut the wax baking paper in circles:

Used cookie mix from a box (shoot me) and added Andes Mint Chips to give them a gourmet flare:

I used ribbon to tie the tag around the neck of the jar, layered gooey cookies and baking paper to create this:

I found these fun felt gift bags at The Dollar Spot at Target and slipped the jar into them:

The gift of sentimentality

My favorite gift to give and receive is the thoughtful kind. I love invoking special feelings of love and remembrance. Photographs, memory books, and letters are such special gifts. They have lost their place of priority in our busy electronic world. If you want to really bless someone in your life, give a sentimental gift. It’s always a winner!

The gift of paper

I discovered this amazing site in search of Advent activities for my. calendar. Boy, was it a hit! And it’s entirely free…you just need household supplies like paper, paperclips and a printer (color is even better). It’s called The ToyMaker. If you need a last minute gift, fire up your printer and print a slew of activities. The best gifts don’t always cost money!

My kids spent HOURS playing with their whirleycopter. And over the Christmas break, my kids have an extensive list of things to print.

Of course, they had the perfect target:

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My New Office Space

7:00 am Bykristen

I have new office space {not that I had an old office}.

I’ve moved all my veryimportantbusiness to my bed. Under my new electric blanket.

After spending the night in one of my sister-in-law’s beds, equipped with a heated blankie, I knew I must add this to my list.

Well. Santa came early (thank you sweet hubby who is also cold at night).

And he brought duel controls.

I must be on the nice list.

I think I was a bit eager the first night. I put the blanket at full power.

I dreamed of being boiled alive that night.

It was a rough night.

I’ve learned the error of my ways and applied ointment to all my blisters.

Oh, I jest.

Seriously, love my blankie.

And I totally get my toddler now.

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THAT Family Tree Society-Issue 23

7:00 am Bykristen

Picture of the week:

The Week in Review: Well. We had a busy birthday-anniversary-birthday week! It was fun, hectic and veryexpensivethankyouverymuchforasking. But the BIG NEWS of the week is about Baby Jesus. He lost part of his thumb and pinky in a Nativity-related accident. My son is pretty sure He can “fix himself” though.

Introduction into the Society: I’m happy to Welcome Mrs. 007 to The Society. I love her blog name (we’re big Bond fans, but the older ones…) She submitted this awesome post called We are Kindred. Go, give her some love, but watch your back, she’s got a spatula.

1. Tell us a little about your blog (name/reason why you blog):

The name of my blog is Mrs.007 and it is called that because that is my name. I am Mrs. Bond in real life and it just seemed all clever and fitting. I blog because I need/love to write, and the fact that I have fallen in love with this whole Bloggy World has been a big surprise to me. It’s also a way for family and friends to keep up with our little family.

2. How long have you blogging?

I started blogging on my Myspace page a couple of years ago. Then I stumbled upon some other blogs and decided to start fresh on my own website in May ’08. Now I struggle to keep up with the 70 blogs in my Google Reader on top of trying to write on my own blog. I really love it though!

3. How would you define THAT family?

I would say THAT family lives under “Murphy’s Law”. On any given day at any given moment ANYTHING can happen. I think it’s wonderful and chaotic and sometimes painful to be a member of THAT family.

4. When did you discover you were a part of THAT family?

I guess I suspected something when I realized that I was buying band aids every week and meeting deductibles WAY too soon! I have gotten very used to that old familiar feeling of all of the blood in my body rushing to my head. (either out of embarrassment or because I am watching one of my kids get hurt or almost get hurt)

5. Where can we find your blog?

You can find me here… http://www.mrs007.com

I’m new and I am still finding my way, but I am here to stay!

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I Caught Santa Winners

1:27 pm Bykristen

Congrats to the following I CAUGHT SANTA winners:

I am not your mother , Bubba’s Sis, The Eck Life, Fried Okra and There Must be More to Life than Laundry and Dishes!

Please email me and I’ll tell you what to do!

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DIYP {Last Minute Christmas Decor & Ideas}

7:00 am Bykristen

I’ve saved some good ideas just for that last-minute burst of inspiration:

Impromptu Centerpiece

I love taking dollar items and things I have and creating little Christmas inspirations!

Small wreaths from the Dollar Store and glass plates can make a really cute centerpiece:

The options are endless. Just stack a cake stand (or plate on top off glass) and add the wreaths. You can add red berries or small ornament balls around the wreath to make it even more festive!

A Spot of Color

Inexpensive glass/plastic ornaments in a bowl add a splash of color against my white dishes.

Bring the Snow Indoors

Grab a glass jar, hurricane or vase. I’m using the one from my dining room table.

Buy a can of spray snow. I got mine at Wal Mart for .99 cents.

Put stickers around the base of your glass jar. I used snowflake stickers.

Spray the snow on the bottom half of the glass, covering the stickers.

Carefully remove stickers after the ‘snow’ sets up some.

I added a candle and red berries and pretended that it’s snowing again in my part of Texas.

Personalizing Ornaments

I saw these rub on decals at Wal Mart for a couple of dollars. I loved the damask design.

I thought they would make really elegant ornaments. I cut out a design (I had to use the small ones on the ornaments) and taped it to the surface.

I love the elegant feel this inexpensive project gave my funky silver tree in my dining room!

Adding fancy stickers to a plain ornament can really personalize it too.

Christmas Card Holder

I’ve never had a great place to stick my holiday greeting cards. I thought the little thrift store shutter propped on my dresser might work. I used screwed small cup hooks into the wood, punched holes in my cards and hung them!

I love how it looks. I think it will be a great place to feature my kid’s latest artwork after the holidays.

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GoodWill

9:26 pm Bykristen

A sweet friend of mine (Hi Jen!) sent me an email about a special little girl.

She is dying.

And she has a Christmas wish.

Her mother died three years ago of breast cancer. She spends her remaining days in bed being cared for by her grandmother. She has lost most of her motor skills and is unable to play with the gifts thoughtful people have sent her.

But there is something she wants. She loves receiving cards that her grandmother reads to her. She loves looking at the pictures people include in the cards.

Her room is decorated with dozens and dozens from church and school groups and people just like you.

Her dream is to receive as many cards as possible.

At the heart of Christmas, is goodwill.

Will you help me make this simple last wish of a dying child come true?

Here is her Caring Bridge Page to learn more about her.

Please mail cards to:

Hannah Garman

704 Orchard Rd

Lititz, PA 17543

{Don’t forget to enter my fun Christmas giveaway! It ends on Saturday at noon}

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I Caught Santa {BIG Christmas GIVEAWAY!}

7:00 am Bykristen

*Updated* Congrats to the following winners: I am not your mother , Bubba’s Sis, The Eck Life, Fried Okra and There Must be More to Life than Laundry and Dishes! Please email me and I’ll tell you what to do!

We believe in Santa around here.

My nearly 9 year old has asked some pointed questions this year and while we haven’t directly misled her, we’ve told her to follow her heart.

She wants to believe.

And I think believing is good.

Look who came to our house a little early this year…..

Um, yes, that is SANTA sneaking around my house!

My hubby spotted a billboard on the way to work that read, “I Caught Santa!”

He told me about this great site that puts the seeing in the believing.

The good people at I Caught Santa want you to visit their site and imagine Santa in your living room. FIVE people will randomly be chosen to receive a personalized photo of Santa in their house! You can read the details here.

It’s so realistic, I think it might be real.

That’s because I still believe.

Leave a comment, five winners will be announced on Saturday morning. You better get that photo of your living room ready ($17.95 value, expires Jan.5).

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I Can’t Forget {Sincerely ‘Fro Me to You}

7:00 am Bykristen

{Carnival guidelines}

Tomorrow, I will turn 36 years old.

Today, I remember.

Because I can’t forget.

Two years ago, I celebrated my 34th birthday, in a hospital bed.

My children, hubby and sweet mother-in-law (who dropped everything to help us) came bearing presents, balloons, cans of silly string and Bubba teeth.

We got quite the raised eyebrows from the nursing staff about the silly string hanging from the ceiling.

And from my I.V.

My family did there best to cheer me up and they tried very hard to make if feel like my birthday.

But it didn’t.

Because my gift was lying in the ICU.

She was 32 hours old and she was born too early.

This week she turned two. She’s perfectly healthy and a picture of God’s power.

And when I think of my birthday, I can’t really think of anything I want. Because I have it all.

I can’t forget.

But that’s because I don’t want to.

{The ‘Fro will be taking a 2 week-perm break for the holidays, I’ll still be posting, but I won’t resume Sincerely ‘Fro Me to You until January. Please let me know in the comments if you want me to continue this carnival ‘o mine. I have fun with it, but I want to quit it before it stops being fun for everyone else!} Updated at 7:00 am…The ‘Fro will live on—

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The Letter

7:00 am Bykristen

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary.

And guess what I got from my hubby?

A letter.

And it came in this:

When I saw my name engraved on the box, I burst into tears.

I knew my hubby had been reading Letters from Dad, a book that encourages and teaches fathers the importance of writing letters and leaving a legacy for their children thru the written word.

The author encourages fathers to start the tradition by first, writing a letter to their wife.

And unbeknownst to me, that’s what my hubby has been doing by the moonlight on his laptop.

(Work, ha!)

I love words. I love writing. I love letters.

And my new box with it’s precious content moved me deeply. (And it will contain all future letters!)

My Kristen,

There is something distinctly you that resonates deep within my soul. It is your character. Your confidence. Your purity.

My distant memories of you at Southwestern ring true to your soft, strong personality. You were like no one else. Your confident, quiet stare screamed purpose, conviction and integrity. Many of the people we brushed shoulders with, both male and female, were less than genuine in both their interpersonal behavior and their walk with Christ. It was like the difference between Diet Coke and the real thing. Five minutes wasted with one of these individuals quickly revealed emptiness.

You, however,…what a breath of clean fresh oxygen. The hours spent playing cards, driving to church, and sitting on the porch swing at Collins Hall seemed like mere minutes. There was something about you that drew me to you. Before I knew that I loved you, my soul loved you.

You were my princess!

Foolish immaturity allowed you to slip through my grasp. It’s dumbfounding, my inability to see the treasure that was standing before me. Thankfully, providence could not be denied.

I remember the moment I realized I was deeply in love with you. We weren’t seeing each other. We had never kissed. It was a night in early June of 1994 and I left a message on your answering machine. My heart was pounding so hard, I could barely leave a message to tell you that I was thinking of you. (Really, I was longing for you.) My deepest fantasy was that you too were in love with me. How could I have ever known that this fantasy would come to life?

On December 17, 1994, I married my best friend. True to character you presented yourself to me, a spotless bride.

Though the past fourteen years have shaped and molded the both of us, the core of who you were then is still intact today. Your pristine beauty, integrity, and pure love are the qualities that are infused within me.

Outstanding Mother

Purposeful Homemaker

Servant of God

Constant Companion

Faithful Friend

Kindred Spirit

Beautiful Soul

Proverbs 31:28-29 says this about you,

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

You are woven and intertwined in the deepest parts of my flesh, mind, spirit, and soul. To breathe, is to love you.

Happy Fourteenth Anniversary

And this is the letter I wrote to him: (I might add, it pales in comparison)

Dear Hubby,

Fourteen years ago we walked down the aisle of an ugly church (I never got over the burnt orange pews).

We were young. Nervous. Naive and crazy enough to get married on my Christmas break from teaching the first grade.

Two days before my 22nd birthday.

You were a Youth Pastor. Remember when we drove off in my highly-decorated and oh-so-offensive car?

I can still remember the look on the Pastor’s face with the condoms dangling from the muffler.

My brother had quite the sense of humor.

Ahem.

And I still feel bad about the piles of birdseed we dumped from our underwear in the restrooms of Dairy Queen.

But this is our week.

Our busy, crazy, expensive week.

Who knew 2 out of 3 children would also be born during the hectic holiday season?

This is a busy week for us, but I wanted to pause and tell you that if I could change anything, I wouldn’t.

Not a thing.

Because even though we’ve faced some tough challenges, we are in this place today because of those difficulties.

And though these are trite words, I’ve never meant them more than I do today.

I love you. Happy Anniversary.

Don’t plan anything for Friday night, I’ve found a new unsuspecting babysitter.

And, I found 14 more images of me giving you that look loaded on my Mac this morning.

I thought I’d include it in your letter. Because you know what it means.

Let’s put the camera away, k?

The end.

Visit The Glamorous Life to be a part of blog proposal history!

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It’s Time to Share Your Tree

7:01 am Bykristen

I love Christmas. And I love decorating.

Put them together?

Oh, yes.

We are trying to keep the focus on Christ this year. After all, we wouldn’t have the day without Him. It’s a struggle though.

But I like to weave The Savior throughout all of our traditions and even decorations.

I asked my kids, “Why do we light up our tree?” They waited… “Because Jesus is the light of the season. And the Wisemen followed a light…and”

Call me corny, but I try.

We have a couple of family traditions: We read the Christmas story from The Bible (something my hubby did as a child) and we open a gift on Christmas Eve (something I did as a child). We also give each of our kids a special new ornament every year.

What are some traditions your family shares?

My tree:

To see more great trees, visit Kelly’s!

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{HomeSpun Christmas Gifts from Kids}

7:00 am Bykristen

My kids are getting into the Christmas spirit. They are at an age where they understand it’s not just about the getting.

They are finding that the giving is good too.

Idea #1 Personalized Recipe Towel (written and drawn by kids)

I found the most fabulous idea for one of their Grandma’s who loves cooking (and she’s without internet, so I’m free to share).

And since my kids love to eat her delicious recipes, I thought this was perfect:

A kitchen towel with one of her recipes (from my kid’s perspective)!

I found this idea at Wonder Time. You can read their version (with instructions) here.

After my kids wrote their hilarious version of Nanny’s Gravy and Cinnamon Bread, I scanned their artwork and printed it onto iron-on transfer from a craft store.

I have to say my first attempt was an utter DIY failure. I couldn’t find a print shop to make the transfers (per the Wonder Time instructions) , so I decided to make my own transfers. I went thru an entire package before reading the instructions because I’m smart like that. But after another visit to the store, I had better luck.

The transfers worked like a charm (just don’t forget to reverse the image before printing).

I bought flour sack cloths in the kitchen towel section of Wal Mart. These are just large cotton white hand towels (5 towels for $4.50). They worked really well.

I put two recipes on each kitchen towel.

I used Stitch Witchery and ironed festive ribbon around the bottom of the towel.

And I can’t wait to se my mother-in-law’s face when she reads them!

Idea #2 Personalized Paper Weight

I saw this cute idea in the December issue of GooberPatch magazine and thought it would make a perfect gift for Dad or a teacher.

And it’s easy enough for my kids to do all by themselves!

Grab a glass ashtray, photos, and stickers.

Glue the photos behind the glass, add stickers to personalize and that’s it!

Join Kimba for a fun Holiday Open House!

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Big Enough is Still Little

12:01 am Bykristen

You are old enough to say my name.

You are big enough to climb in my lap.

You are strong enough to pull my heart strings.

You are wild enough to attract attention from strangers.

You are sweet enough that I don’t care about the attention.

You are my baby.

You are two years old today.

But you are still not allowed to wear my mascara.

Happy Birthday, baby.

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Just Like Mom

7:00 am Bykristen

What do you call a fireman hat, a honey-bun and a potty chair mixed together?

Efficient.

Just like Mom.

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A Worthy Cause

2:00 pm Bykristen

Most of you have heard of The Mother Letter Project, an amazing Christmas present from a husband to a wife.

It’s not my hubby.

Although he’s sweet enough to do it.

My birthday and anniversary are this week and he’s been sneaking around the house, making hushed phone calls and bank withdrawals.

{Swoon}

If you haven’t heard of this project, you must go check it out and write a letter. And while your there, please read this post.

The unknown hubby has a big heart for missions. And he encourages you to give. I do too.

He contacted me and asked if he could add The Persecuted Church to the list.

Um, yes.

Because y’all know how I feel about these people:

So, go visit.

And give.

Even if it’s just a dollar. It’s a dollar. It will make a difference.

Remember the greatest gift of Christmas was given to us.

Let’s give to others.

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THAT Family Tree Society-Issue 22

12:01 am Bykristen

Grab the button, email me the answers, join the club! (If you sent in your answers, but haven’t been featured yet, would you please email me again? I’ve had issues with my spam folder and many of my emails have been deleted. kristenwrites@yahoo.com. I will keep this little Society going until I run out of members! The Society will resume in January 2009).

Picture of the week:

The week in Review: We’ve were bitten by the stomach bug again and I bleached the house, threw away tooth brushes and had a nervous breakdown (thanks for asking, I’m all better now). My toddler also got her plumber on. That’s for free. You’re welcome.

Introduction into the Society: The Adventures of Juju and Boo

Please go visit her and welcome her to The Club. It’s so nice to get some Sunday traffic!

1. Tell us a little about your blog (name/reason why you blog):

I started blogging as a way to keep my family back home in Michigan and in Tennessee (we currently live in Florida) up-to-date on what my girls are up to. My blog is named “The Adventuresof JujuBoo. The Love, the Lemon, and the Laundry.” JujuBoo is both of my girls nicknames combined into one word (Juju and Boo) and the love, lemons, laundry part is also known as the good, the bad, and the ugly.

2. How long have you been blogging?

Since December 2007.

3. How would you define THAT family?

THAT family is the one where even when things are going good, they can go horribly, horribly wrong. A seemingly innocent day at the park can turn into a trip to the emergency room. A simple family cookout can result in a burnt mess. A game of tag can end up with a broken toe.

4. When did you discover you were a part of THAT family?

When Ally (Boo) was about 6 months old and Julia (Juju) was 2 1/2. I was in the other room putting away laundry and Ally was in her exer-saucer. I came into the family room to discover Julia had fed Ally a wad of green play-doh. Ally had green slime all over her face and hair and Julia was smiling saying “She likes it!” Then, when Ally was about 3 she stumbled into our bedroom around 2am, tripped somehow (she is a very clumsy child), and hit the heat vent on the wall. She cut open her face right under her left eye. I have the pictures to prove it. And most recently, in May, my husband fell while at work and busted both bones in his left leg. He now has a titanium rod and screw in place and is still off work. While on a trip in June to Tennessee, my mom fell and had to go to the ER to get stitches because she busted open her shin to the bone. I have a picture of her and my husband with their legs up on the couch. I get my THAT family gene from my mom. She currently has no bone in her 2 of her toes as she has busted them so much by walking into closet doors and corners of walls. Yeah, I’m catching up to her on that.

5. Where can we find your blog? You can find me at :

http://jujuboo.blogspot.com

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DIYP {Christmas Home Tour & Ideas Part 3}

7:00 am Bykristen

{Don’t you just love my old painted chair?

I found it at a craft show a few years ago for a bargain}

Welcome to my Christmas decor home tour! (Click the links to see part 1, part 2, and my Christmas Tree from my little carnival. There’s still time to show off your tree!)

Think Outside the Wreath

I found these delicious tin stars at Ross for $5.99 each (!) a few months ago. I added some Christmas ribbon and hung them in our family room. I love the idea of putting wreaths throughout the house, but they can be so expensive. So, I bought large berry candle rings, tied festive ribbon on and hung them over my windows and mirrors. They cost just a fraction of the price of wreath, but give the same merry feel!

Have you seen how the fancy decorator’s put wreaths on the backs of chairs? I love this idea! But I couldn’t really see spending $10 a wreath on six chairs. So, I found these tiny wreath ornaments for only a $1.50 each.

I just tied the ornament string through the holes in my chair, but these could also be hung by ribbon and attached to the inside.

A frilly wreath you don’t need

I found these floral wreaths at the Dollar store. I wrapped some fun plastic garland around the wreath and added a ribbon to hang.

I don’t usually decorate our master bedroom, but I couldn’t resist since I got it all from the Dollar store for just a few bucks!

I love it against the dark wood of my headboard.

I also found some oversized sparkly snowflakes that have no use at all! I added some ribbon I had and hung them over our mirror. Festive, huh?

Pair Christmas Collections Together

I’m not a huge collector. I don’t have the space for it. But there are a couple of things I love to collect {after at the sales} Christmas snow globes. Usually I spread them throughout the house, but this year I love the way they look together.

My all-time favorite Christmas find ev-ah is my little collection of Nesting Santas. Some are antiques, some are newer, but they all came from various garage sales! I haven’t found any this year, but I always keeps my eye out!

I usually hang my stockings on the mantle. But since my mantle is Nester-inspired this year, I hung them on my stairs.

Where do you hang yours?

To see more Christmas tours, visit Boo Mama, Tip Junkie and Hooked on Houses this week.

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This is a BIG Deal

2:01 pm Bykristen

It only happens a couple of times a decade.

And this is the first time my kids have seen it in their yard {which warranted me dragging their sick bodies out of bed last night}.

I’m sure there will be mocking from the Northerners (cough*cough The Diaper Diaries)

But it turns out there is a snow balls chance in Texas.

{side note:} For the last 3 weeks, we have had ALL MANNER of illnesses in our home. I feel like the germs are planning a full takeover. I’ve bleached every surface. And cried. Any suggestions?

Food for the Soul:

Isaiah 58:8
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

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This Used to Be a Family Blog

7:00 am Bykristen

Welcome to Sincerely ‘Fro Me to You. I’m taking it UP A NOTCH today. Because I’m crazy like that.

This used to be a family blog, until my toddler learned to take it all off:

(push play in the bottom left hand corner to view the strip show, I mean, slide show)

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=63961

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Two {More} Things I Can’t Do Well

7:00 am Bykristen

*UPDATE* Here are the two winners from yesterday’s fun giveaway: Winner of the BareFoot Home Essentials is Putting the Best Thing First! Congratulations. And winner of the $20 gift certificate from NikiPets Crochet ‘n Things is Colleen from Mommy Always Wins! Y’all email me, k?

{TWO Mom Store Giveaways Today!}

I know my limitations.

And I’ve spent a fair amount of time telling you about them.

Well. I was reminded of two more in my preparation for a couple of fabulous giveaways this week.

The first, involves all things sewing with a needle, or hook, as it were. But just because I can’t do it, doesn’t mean I’m not fabulous at buying it!

I love crocheted things. And I love this delightful Etsy store, NikiPets Crochet ‘n Things!

Wouldn’t this scarf be perfect for the cold weather?

And I LOVE this hat, although my 9 yo fashion diva daughter doubts I’m cool enough to wear it.

But, I have to tell you, this is probably my favorite item {and not because eating is something I excel at, although I’d challenge you any day}:

It would go perfect with my toddler’s kitchen that I’m hiding in the garage for Santa.

Go, visit, Niki. Come back and tell me what you’d pick or gift with the $20 gift certificate she’s giving away!

Today’s other amazing Mom store is Barefoot Home Essentials.

Lora produces some delightful, all natural home cleaners. And I’m not even going to talk about my lack ‘o talent in this area. Because it’s none of your business. But I must say, just the thought of cleaning with natural Cinnamon and Spice All-Purpose cleaner, encourages me to want to clean.

And that’s saying a lot.

I’m itching to smell this and try this one too. And if you could see my dirty mirrors, you’d wish it too.

Go visit Barefoot Home Essentials and tell me what you’d choose with the $20 gift certificate being given away today.

Please leave a comment FOR BOTH stores (2 comments). I will drawn a random winner for each Mom store on Thursday afternoon.

Support Mom Stores!

For more great tips, visit Works for Me Wednesday!

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{Homespun Christmas Gifts II}

7:00 am Bykristen

I’m excited to share a couple more creative and easy Homespun Christmas Gifts with you today. These are also very inexpensive!

Personalized gifts are the best! I love using names or sending special messages to the ones I love.

Idea #1 Personalized Family Trees

You will need the following:

artist canvas from craft store (You can use any size, but I used 8×8 canvases from Hobby Lobby, 2 come in a package and the set cost around $5).
Craft paint
Paint brush
Leaf-shaped stickers
Thin point Sharpee marker
Frame the size of canvas (I bought document frames, much cheaper and sold in this square size).

Before I even begin, let me say that YOU CAN DO THIS. I am not an artist. I am not a painter. I am a thief of good ideas. I got this idea when I saw a whimsical clip art tree and just did something similar. Or you can use a tree stencil like this.

Draw a tree onto the canvas with a pencil. Paint over it with black paint.

I wanted to make a tree for each side of my family, so I did another variety of tree (I think this one was a little easier).

Let the canvas dry. You will probably have to go over branches a couple of times. My limbs kept growing with my fine painting skills!

I found these cute leaf-shaped stickers in the craft section of WalMart, from The Martha Stewart line. I love this stuff. And who knew Martha shopped at Wal Mart?

I wrote the names of family members with a Sharpee on the leaf stickers and placed them on the branches:

I painted our family name on the corner too.

I put it in the frame (if you buy the size of the canvas, it doesn’t need a mat) and stuck it on an

easel!

For the other part of the family, I made leaves out of green paper (felt would be cool too) and I put the leaves on raised stickers to make them look dimensional. Here’s how it looks in a frame:

Idea #2 A Personalized Christmas Message

I saw this idea in a GooberPatch Christmas book I have. I thought it was such a frugal and simple idea, I decided to give it a try and I love it! I think it will make a great gift and it cost less than $5 to make!

You will need: a hinged frame, either 4×6 or 5×7. (I found plastic ones and they worked great.) An ornament, a Christmas card with a thoughtful expression or pretty Christmas scrap paper and some buttons. And hot glue.

Most of the items, I found at The Dollar Store (God bless the $ store!)

Take the glass and backing off the frames. Insert the Christmas card into one of the openings (I had to cut mine down). Leave the glass out, you can replace the back of this one side.

You can also personalize this even more by printing a message or poem on pretty paper instead of using a card. I like it easy, plus I’m out of ink.

Next, take your yummy ornament and hot glue the string it hangs from to the inside of the other framed opening:

I took part of the message from my card and glued it to the back:

I added some cute gold buttons and look at this little gift:

The possibilities are endless-different colored frames, ornaments, cards, scrapbooking paper….

Cute, huh?

For more great tips, visit Works for Me Wednesday.

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Giving Christmas

6:59 am Bykristen

Our home is surrounded by giant Texas pine trees.

They are beautiful.

And they are messy.

Millions of pine needles blanket the ground this time of year. It’s really pointless to sweep them away because a gust of wind will only bring more.

But every couple of weeks (when I can’t see the ground or driveway), I start to feel claustrophobic (!) and my hubby tackles the big job. I sent my two older kids out to help him rake and bag the pine needles.

If you want to read more, click here. I hosting over at The Internet Cafe today too. Thanks.

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