10th Day of Christmas

Snapfish Book - Friendship

Last year I created a family photo book as a Christmas gift for Braden.  It had each individual family members name and photos of them with Braden.  Of course the family has grown since then, so will have to update it someday!  

This year a friend in the mom group created a friendship book based on the story Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  Each page has a picture of one of the friends asking them what they see and they respond with another friends name/picture.  I decided to order the book as a Christmas gift for Braden this year.

Any type of photo book is precious, memorable and becomes a cherished gift for any recipient.  

Twenty Nine Months

A little summary of the month:

* Can recognize & name most of his letters and will name a few objects that begin with each letter (thank you mini alphabet books).

* More descriptive sentences "I see orange fish on the top, in the back".  

* No longer wears his amber teething necklace (the fastening piece broke :/)  

* Loves Pete the Cat, Elephant & Piggy books, Cat and the Hat and continues to love Curious George

* Enjoys helping clean up: empty dishwasher, pick up toys, putting dishes in the sink, washing hands & taking laundry out of the washing machine.

* Discovered a new play space for the winter - Bounce Zone

* Loves taking tissues out of the box, "blowing" his nose & putting the tissue in the trash

* Working on covering his mouth with his arm when sneezing or coughing

* Braden announced to us one day " 'nother tooth comin' in!!" Sure enough all four molars have broken through partially (11/29)

* Played his first game with Grandma & Grandpa - Snails Pace Race

* Famous phrase "one timer!" when hitting the hockey ball or puck back to Mike

* A few new words/phrases "no like it", "I want" 

* He will ask, "What doing mommy?" and if I ask him what he is doing he responds "watching"

* Getting better with 1 to 1 correspondence when counting small amounts

* Can point out specific numbers of objects (small amounts)  2 chairs, 1 monkey, etc

* Uses words like top, bottom, under, next to

* Spent another day with Grandma & Grandpa while mommy was at jury duty (11/12)

* First sleepover without mommy or daddy - at Grandma & Grandpa's  (11/20)

* Met the newest little friend in our play group and wanted to hold him - Baby C (11/14)

* Got to visit Grampy Ireland and sit in his UPS truck (11/27)

* Spent Thanksgiving at Mimi's and went and cut down a real Christmas Tree.  Braden enjoyed some cider and a donut afterwards (11/30)

9th Day of Christmas

2013 Scrapbook

This particular craft I have actually been working on all year.  I decided at the beginning of January to start using Project Life for scrapbooking.  It actually worked out really well, and I was able to keep up. My hope is that I will be able to continue this and it will be a memorable Christmas gift for the family every year.  

Here are a few of the highlights from this years album!

8th Day of Christmas

Crochet Nesting Bowls

Well I did get around to finishing most of my 12 Days of Christmas crafts, but did not get a chance to actually write about them.  One of those projects was a set of crochet nesting bowls.  I originally found the idea on Pinterest, but eventually located the actual pattern through Ravelry.  

The bowls were a little more stretched than they should have been, so I will have to try it again sometime.  I also need to work on eventually create the matching marbles, which will be perfect for sorting activities.  

7th Day of Christmas

Play Mailbox & Envelopes

Braden loves to watch the mailman drive by.  If he hears the mail truck coming he will go running to the window.  He will stay there until our mail is delivered, the truck drives around the circle and comes back around to deliver the mail across the street.  He also enjoys walking down to the mailbox to collect the envelopes or to put the outgoing mail inside.  

He is at an age where imaginative play is so fun and important, so I thought he would enjoy his own little version of a mailbox & envelopes.  I found this tutorial for a mailbox geared towards collecting valentines.  There were also a ton of tutorials and examples of felt envelopes, so I adapted some of them to create my own look.  Then I will use regular card stock or paper to create little letters and notes to put inside the envelopes for Braden to find.  

First, the envelopes I cut them 5" by 12" and then angled the tops.  Then I figured out the placement of the return address & address, and used the sewing machine to create some straight and zig zag lines.  

Then I cut out the velcro pieces, which would be used for the stamp and for closing the envelopes.  Once those were sewn in place I did an outline stitch around the entire envelope to close it up and give it a finished look.  

For the mailbox I followed the tutorial above step by step.  I started by covering the box in blue construction paper.  Then I worked on creating the chute/mail slot.  Finally I added the flag piece.  The envelopes fit perfectly inside and Braden can open up the top of the shoe box to collect the mail.  

The finished look!  I may try to add some US Postal logos or personalize it in some way for Braden.  

6th Day of Christmas

Crochet Fingerless Gloves

In September I decided that I wanted to learn how to either knit or crochet.  In the end I chose crochet, because I could follow a set of lessons I found available online - Crochet School.  With this new hobby the possibilities are endless with cute hates, scarves, mittens/gloves, shawls, etc.  

That is why I had to include at least one crochet project, but I am sure there may be at least one more in the next set of 6 Christmas crafts.  These fingerless gloves looked very intimidating to me when I first saw the picture (a friend asked me to make them for her). Once I actually started the pattern I realized how easy it was!  I love the way they came out, and I hope they keep my friends hands warm while still allowing her to use her camera!  

Here are a few other projects that I have found successful.  

I am hoping to also make a few hats to donate to Stitch For Cancer - if not before Christmas then definitely for January!  

5th Day of Christmas

Colorful Wine Coasters

This project makes a great gift for any of your wine/drink lovers.  I had found the tutorial quite a while ago, and just never had a chance to try it.  If I had realized how easy they are to make I would have started the project much sooner.  The original pattern can be found here.

The thing that took the longest was trying to pick out colors & coordinating fabrics (5 per coaster).  Once that was complete I cut a 5" square piece from each fabric.  Then I layered them one on top of the other, and traced the outline of a CD on the wrong side of one fabric.  I pinned them all together, so they would not move while cutting out the circles.

Next choose one of the circles to be the bottom and fold the other 4 in half wrong sides together and press.  Once that is complete it is time to start layering them onto the bottom fabric.  

With the bottom piece right side up place on of the half circles on top with the folded edge towards the center.

Do the same with another half circle to the left, layering it on top of the other half circle.

Again do the same by placing a half circle on the bottom.

Now, lift the original half circle up and towards the left and place the last half circle on top and replace the original half circle.

Finished look:

I then pinned each intersection, so the pieces would not move while sewing.  Next, sew around the outside of the entire circle with 1/4" seam.  Do no leave any openings and backstitch over the beginning to secure.  

Then turn the fabric inside out and they are complete.  I still have one left to do to make a complete set of 6 coasters.  However, I did not like any of my yellow/orange fabric combinations. 

They can be used around the bottom of wine glasses, and can help determine whose drink belongs to who.  Or they can be used as regular coasters and by placing the glass directly on top!