Home for the Holidays

It's that time again! Time to lug those bins filled with pretty shiny things out of your attic, garage or closet. Time to put away your everyday decor and fill every nook and cranny with shiny ornaments, green sprigs, berries, stockings, holiday trees, winter fun and more! 

Time for baking, daily Christmas music, cozy sweaters, Hallmark movies, hot cocoa, blankets on the couch. Traditions, shopping, wrapping, list making, holiday parties, Christmas performances, that fill our days sometimes with stress but hopefully more smiles than frowns. 

A time to rejoice, reflect and take moments to just be still. Don't forget to take those moments because all the hustle and bustle is only there if we let it consume us. Remember what this season is really about, it's oh so easy to forget. As much as we like to give, Jesus gave it all! Happy Birthday to Jesus and Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you! 

Please enjoy this festive photo dump! 

Christmas Gift Ideas

This post is sponsored by UncommonGoods. Get all the best Christmas gifts here! Pat yourself on the back and impact the world in a positive way. Order everything you need from unique jewelry, designer decor, tabletop items and handcrafted gifts for even the pickiest ones on your list!

Hello friends! Christmas is almost here! If you haven't crossed everyone off your list and are starting to scramble for the perfectly thoughtful gift, look no further, UncommonGoods has a little something for everyone and you might even find a little something to wrap up for yourself or your Mom!

Here are a few of my favorites for the Old Fashioned Classic Gentleman in your life, ones I'm sure your fellow will adore... 1. Customizable cufflinks to keep a lasting memory with him forever. 2. Record your life's experiences with the My Life Story journal, what a treasure for future generations. 3. A hand-carved shisham Eye Glasses Holder to keep spectacles handy. 4. A clever Wooden Bow-Tie for the bold classic. 5. DIY Old Fashioned Whiskey Infusion Kit for the man with good taste.

How about the lovely ladies on your list? They too enjoy a package tied up with string, here are a few of my favorite things... 1. Note all the reasons your love is evermore in this memorable What I Love About You by Me Book, she will cherish this for years to come, believe me. 2. Remind her that anything is possible with this She Believed She Could Bangle, a simple yet graceful daily reminder. 3. Snuggle up with your sweetie and enjoying these Crackling Candles, they are so fun, you can't just have one. 4. Dance in the rain with your sweetheart under this Crimson Heart Umbrella, you're sure to stand out in Central Park. 5. Let your inner Mozart out with these Musical Wine Glasses, they are sure to bring any party to life! Check out more unique gift ideas for Women here.

But don't stop there, if you have a Music Lover on your list, they can be a bit hard to shop for...you can only buy so many ITunes gift cards. Here are four Gifts your Music Lovers will sing about. 1. Never be without a pick for your big gig, pack this Pick Punch in your bag and use it to create your own one of a kind recycled pick. 2. Impromptu dance parties your thing? This Mason Jar Speaker & Amplifier might be small but it packs a big punch.  3. Bring the beaches of Maine into your home with a Driftwood IPhone Charging Dock . 4. Kick back with the Classics when you set your cold one on one of these Recycled Record Coasters.

Not only do I love the quality of the UncommonGoods company but I love the variety they provide. Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, UncommonGoods supports and provides a platform for artists and designers in all trades. Give back this holiday season, every purchase made through UncommonGoods has donated over $1Million to charities around the world! View more Christmas gift ideas at UncommonGoods, happy gifting! 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of UncommonGoods. 

The opinions and text are all my own.

Chalkboard Christmas Countdown

If you follow me on Instagram, then you've seen my latest Chalkboard chicken scratches Art!

I freehanded, rather quickly I might add because I was running out of natural light and it's hard enough to get a photo of our chalkboard since you practically have to climb inside the pantry to do so! It's across from our pantry in a small walk through hallway.

I wanted to reuse the magnetic snowball numbers I had made from our Olaf Disney Countdown last year, so was looking for something with a round shape that I could put them in. I have an entire board full of Chalk Art on Pinterest, so turned to that for inspiration before I got started. 

The truck with a wreath was perfect, if you want to see the original, Jenn who blogs over at Clean and Scentsible is the original artist. I just looked at hers on my phone, while sketching and created my own little Pinterest knock off!

Tips for creating your own chalk art : Make it your own & have fun! Keep a pencil sharpener handy to create a nice outline. Turn your chalk sideways to fill in large areas. Use your finger or a Q-Tip to blend away harsh lines and fill in small areas.

Above the words, I now have envelopes for each of our children, they are doing extra jobs/chores around the house to earn money for Christmas presents...

Christmas will be here before we know it!

DIY Chalkboard Art Freehand - Jingle All the Way

Since we just took down our tree and Christmas decor this past

weekend, this post is the perfect way to finish up the holidays

this season. Christmas can still be in January, right?!

This chalkboard is an oldie but goodie. My Great Aunt

taught me K-2nd grade and we each had our own chalk

boards in our desk. Dominos, flash-cards, chalkboards, 

these are the things that built my early education

(and no, it wasn't a little one room school house).

Now of course, until Pinterest and of course the internet,

I had NO idea you could actually sharpen chalk, wow!

No printer ink, no lines, no tracing...I hand sketched

and RE-sketched. Colored and RE-colored, Wiped and RE-wiped

until I was able to come out with the letters I was looking for.

I'm a lefty too, so until Sharpie fine tipped markers

came around, I've had the mark of a right brained

person on my left hand. In purple ink, pencil, marker,

you name it...I made sure to not let my hand rest

on the chalkboard while I was sketching, now

that would've been a disaster!

I added a bit of holly and berries at the end, they added

just the perfect touch of color without taking away from

the lettering.

Did you try your hand at any chalk lettering over

the holidays or any other time? Add your post link in

the comments, I'd love to see your creations!

Holiday Teacher Gifts

If you're looking for a one of a kind teacher gift, look no further

than a personalized stamp! I picked up these beauties from

Pick Your Plum and the teachers LOVED them!

Of course Target has some amazing pens, mini clipboards,

pads of paper, mini note pads and much more. 

I love to 'theme' our gifts and of course when they 

match, all the better!

If you've got a budding artist on your hands, have them

draw a picture of their teacher and frame it, a true

one of a kind gift that will be cherished...

A simple but fun (and not so Christmasy) tag for 

the bag filled with all sorts of goodies. I didn't include 

them all in the photos but some new lip balm, nail polish,

treats, tea...anything that you yourself would love

to receive, is a thoughtful gift for someone who

spends a great deal with your child throughout 

the year. Remember it's not about price but

more about thought...

I made a few note card with the stamps for each teacher

and clipped them to the mini clipboards, so they are 

ready to use as a thank you or note.

What are some of your favorite teacher gift ideas or

memorable items you've received from your students?

DIY Holiday Money Banks

Mr. Banks doesn't have anything on these fun upcycled 

Holiday Money Banks. I made these for my kiddos 

since they were asking how they could earn money 

for Christmas gifts (and of course they needed 

something cute to put their money in) The best part, 

the banks double as Christmas decor!

I started by cutting out the patterns with felt and

laid the pieces on top of the empty scotch 

containers until I was happy with the 'look'.

Then the FUN part, gluing it all down...

since the hot glue hardens quickly, I found that

running a strip of glue along one side of the felt

and then rolling the container on top, to start,

worked best. Next I ran a strip along the top

and bottom, a bit in the middle (if you are quick)

and then I rolled the container on top using the 

weight of the container and my hands to flatten out

any bubbles. I left the end flap to glue down last

and then added another small strip, since the felt

didn't reach the entire way around my container.

Next the white trim pieces, first one, then

the other...

and finally the belt and holly. I attached the belt

the same as the larger red felt piece and then picked 

up the unglued end to wrap it in place. 

Next Mrs. Claus, isn't she sweet?

I learned new tricks with each container
 and found that gluing the layers on before attaching 

them to the money banks worked best. For instance,

the felt buttons and pockets on the apron.

and it wouldn't be Christmas without a Grinch in the

house, I know we have a couple here!

I looked up a picture of the Grinch online and then 

free-hand cut out one eyebrow, laid it on top

of another piece of felt and mirrored the image  

and did the same with the eyes and eyeballs.

I was out of black felt but grey worked just fine.

Everything used for these projects I had on hand

so no last minute trips to the store...and if you don't

happen to have any scotch containers, you can 

always use a jar or can as well.

The pom pom was a fun 3-D touch and the black

glitter glue was leftover from Halloween.

My hubby cut slits in the tops of the containers 

with a tin snips and then filed down the sharp 

edges so no tiny fingers would be harmed. 

One of the ends of the scotch containers
opens up, so you could always use that to put
your money in as well, happy felting!

DIY $2 Tree Topper

Yes, you read that right...a tree topper for only $2.00!!

I needed a topper for our red and gold tree in the sunroom/mudroom

but didn't want to pay out the nose for something that I might change up

the color scheme next year soooo, off to the Dollar Tree. 

I was actually looking for items for a different project but 

when I saw these stars, I knew exactly what I was going to

do with them. Pick up two identical stars. Mine are 3-D

and glittered to the max.

Make sure your glue gun is plugged in and hot and then

quickly run a strip of glue on each of the flat sides, then

stick your two stars together. Mine didn't want to stay

together at the corners, so I just worked with them one 

at a time and squeezed a bit of hot glue inside the little

ducks beak and then pinched them together. Worked

like a charm!

I was going to leave one side unglued but didn't

want my stars popping apart when I tried stuffing

the topper on top of the tree. Instead, I tied the star 

to the top with a piece of fishing line.