I spy with my little eyes

I wanted Robbie to be able to give a gift to all his little buddies at daycare, but didn't really want to spend a lot of money.  When I saw the idea for making your own 'I Spy' bottles on the Meet the Dubiens blog, I decided to try this out.  I'm so pleased with the results.  My bottles don't look nearly as professional as hers, but I don't think Robbie's toddler friends will care.  

Step 1:  Collect stuff

Fortunately for me, my mother is a collector and was able to send me lots of little goodies to use.  Make sure your stuff will actually fit through the top of the container you are going to fill.

Step 2:  Fill bottle

I used an empty Fiji water bottle because it was a nice size and shape.  I looked all over for containers that would work.  Voss water bottles would have been great, but difficult to locate in my area.  I filled with the items above, miscellaneous "sprinkles" of sequins and confetti, and dry rice.  Be sure to leave room at the top to allow for shaking.

Step 3: Seal and Finish
We super-glued the cap of the bottle.  For added security I wrapped some electrical tape around the cap as well.  I'm less concerned with Robbie's friends ingesting the bottle contents and more concerned about them spilling the contents... 'cause y'know little kids WILL FIND A WAY to make a huge mess given the opportunity.  I took a picture of the contents of each bottle and then laminated the picture and a message together.  This was tied to each bottle.

This craft was super easy to do.  Now that I've made a few, I will be on the lookout for interesting little items for bottles and also for other containers that might work.  Merry Christmas!

[Insert Haircut Pun Here]

Hair today... gone tomorrow?

The Long and Short of It.

 Making the Cut.

How to choose a title.... it's just too difficult.

I decided to donate my hair, which had been growing without a cut for a little over a year.  I researched several programs and decided on Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.  Unlike Locks of Love, which primarily makes wigs for children suffering from a genetic disorder that causes hair loss, and Wigs for Kids, which primarily makes wigs for children with cancer, the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program partners with the American Cancer Society to provide real-hair wigs to adult women with cancer who have lost their hair during chemotherapy.  This really struck a chord with me as I see myself helping someone who could be just like me, a working mom, a wife, a woman but unlike me is fighting the monster that is cancer.  If such a simple thing such as my hair could help her retain her dignity and make her feel beautiful, then I am all for it.

So, off to the salon with my dearest gal pal Brianna.  Here are some pictures from the cut.

Pre-cut:  My long hair

Banded up into ponytails as per Beautiful Lengths instructions.

Severed ponytails in their plastic bag, ready to be mailed.

New Short Hairdo

Short!

 If you are interested in donating your own hair, please click on the link here and look into the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Program.  I am so glad that I did this!

"But life is a battle: may we all be enabled to fight it well!" ~ Charlotte Bronte

Cute Lunch - A Naughty Pig

If you've never played angry birds, then you probably aren't addicted to angry birds. 

We've played.  We're addicted. Robbie LOVES to play and Sam and I watch in awe as he navigates the screens and throws birds at pigs using the touch screen on my droid.  Here is my attempt at an angry birds pig... as a... well... a sandwich.

First I took a biscuit cutter and removed the inside cutting circle (the 'hole').  I cut two pieces of bread.  I used the 'hole' part of the biscuit cutter to cut a small bread circle from the bread scraps.  I cut two smaller "nostril" holes from that circle using the small end of a Wilton metal cake decorating tip. I used the large end of the tip to cut two bread circles for ears and two mozzarella circles for eyes.

Next, I took the biscuit cutter and cut some meat and cheese for sandwich filler.  We had bologna, Colby, and mozzarella.  I took the bread ears and stuck them between the meat/cheese and "pasted" them into the sandwich using Miracle Whip.

I decided to make the pig green, so I took the top layer of bread and the nose and spread with a very thin layer of miracle whip then topped with green sprinkles.  I added candy eyes to the top of the mozz circles.  Lunch was finished off with some apple slices & caramel dip, some wheat thins sticks, and other lunchy items.

Next time I think I'll make the eyes a little wider set and maybe use mayo instead of miracle whip for the sprinkles....  I'd also like to find a way to make some birds in a way that Robbie would actually eat.... but until then... OINK!

The Season

I love the Christmas season.  I love decorating the tree.  I love singing Christmas carols.  

I love baking and sharing goodies with family and friends.  

This was the first year Robbie was able to help us decorate our tree.  He had so much fun and we had a blast watching him be adorable.

 A few years ago I made these beaded candy canes.  I normally spread them equally about the tree.  Robbie decided they all should go in a cluster about a foot from the bottom.  Perfect! 

 I keep thinking that some day I will think back to our tree and that cluster of candy canes and remember these as the best times of our lives.  I love our little guy so much.

Another great thing about the season are the opportunities to give.  I am so grateful for my blessings.  I am thankful that I always have had food on the table and presents under the tree.  Even when money is "tight", it is always enough.  I think that it is incredibly important that we stop and say, "I am grateful.  I am blessed.  I want to share what I have with someone else."  Our church has been encouraging congregation members to make this a year round philosophy and not just a holiday event, but has participated in several holiday specific giving opportunities.

 One of these was "Christmas Dinner in a Bag"

We were given a shopping list for some grocery staples and returned them to the church.  Needy families are given the sack of groceries and also a turkey to have a nice holiday dinner.  This year I heard we provided dinner to nearly 100 families in our community.

Another opportunity was "Operation Christmas Child"

We filled two shoe boxes with gifts, toys, and toiletries.  We filled one for a little boy age 2-4 and one for a little girl age 2-4.  We went to the Samaritan's Purse website and printed a tracking label so we could follow our box.  It turned out that the boxes went to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

So does it really make a difference?

Do our gifts and food make a difference in the life our neighbors or in the lives of children halfway across the world? Maybe?  Maybe not.  I hope so.  I really really hope so.  But I can tell you 100% that it does make a difference to me... because I have to do something.  There is a line in "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss that I read to Robbie that says, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."  Giving a little time, a little money, and a whole lot of prayer is such a simple thing to do and it reminds me to be grateful for the things I do have.  I have a good life.  I am grateful.

Merry Christmas!