Valentine's Day Felt Heart Banners

The past few days I've had fun creating my newest craft item.  These felt heart banners are cute and festive ... perfect for celebrating love.  Please contact me if interested.  

i carry your heart with me: celebrating with love

I carry your heart with me
[I carry it in my heart]
- ee cummings

Each time a special day comes, I love to decorate the house and make it a fun event for the kids.  With Valentine's Day next week, we started our festivities on February 1st.  Counting down to the day is always fun.  The kids love to run to their mailboxes to see what treat and love note they will receive that morning.  I want to show my kids love and I hope this is one little way they feel loved by me.  And of course I can't leave out my husband.  He needs to feel loved just as much.  Or maybe more in the chaos of life with small children.  It's easy to focus all your time and energy on your kids when they need to know they are one of your top priorities.  And that takes time and being intentional.

Some of these things we did last year and will probably become a tradition of some sort.

Numbered hearts with little treats every morning.

Mailboxes filled with love notes.

31 Days of Prayer for your Child by Family Matters.  Here is the link: 31 Days of Prayer for Your Child

Love notes go on the door after.

Sort of a love note for my husband every morning.

Little things to say "I Love You" first thing in the morning.

Super Bowl Appy: Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Yesterday was a big day for football fans, especially Seattle Seahawk fans.  We watched the game with some friends, ate yummy food and enjoyed the celebration that is the Super Bowl.

I made a tasty appetizer that I have made many times ... 

Loaded Baked Potato Dip
16 oz sour cream
16 slices (12 oz package) bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for at east one hour before serving to allow flavors to come together.  Garnish with extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and chopped green onions.  Serve with your favourite potato chips.  Can be stored in a container for a few days.

Pipe Cleaner Crowns

This was a great little morning activity to do with the kids.  They love dressing up so this was a sure bet that they would be into it.  Who doesn't like to wear a crown?  Every little girl likes to play the princess and every little boy wants to be the prince.  This would make a great Valentine's Day party activity.  Or for a birthday party and New Years Eve.  Or any day really!
The pipe cleaners can be sharp so make sure to have adults help the little ones.

I basically took two piper cleaners and twisted the ends together.  First measure your child's head so it fits. 

Make the shape you want to add to the crown.  Once made, twist again onto base of crown.

To make the circles on the top of the crown, I used a pen and twisted it around it.

We even made some wands because they are just as important.

And even made one for the piggy.

DIY Hot/Cold RIce Pack

On one of my earlier posts I mentioned that I don't like to be cold, especially my feet.  I'm like my mother and must have poor circulation.  My feet are always cold in the winter.  And I can't sleep if my feet are cold.  I use rice bags all the time.  Nothing better than a warm bed and warm feet when you are falling asleep.  Recently mine leaked a hole .... not fun cleaning that up.  So I took to the computer to find a tutorial and it wasn't hard.  How hard can it be sewing fabric together with some rice in it.  My motto lately is, if I can make it or even think I can, I will try.  I was quite happy with the results.  

What you need:
Fabric and flannel
Rice
Lavender (optional)

1.  Cut the size of fabric you want.  Here are the sizes of mine: large was 17 x 6 and the small was 5 x 5.
2.  I lined the bags with flannel to keep the heat it.  I cut flannel pieces the same size as the fabric pieces.
3.  I tried two different ways to sew the bags.  For the large, I sewed the back sides together and turned inside out.  The small, I put right sides together and zig-zagged together.  Both worked well.  
4.  Leave a small hole to add the rice (use funnel if needed) and I added dried lavender.  Lavender is light, pleasant and used to help with sleeping.
5.  Lastly, I sewed the hole together.

The west coast doesn't get too cold so I might be sending a few mini packs to my nieces and nephew in Alberta.  I'm sure they would love to warm up there hands and feet after playing in the snow on cold, winter day.

Ultimate Chocolate Trifle

Here is a crowd pleasing dessert.  I love chocolate and this has lots of it.  Plus it looks decedent.  

Ultimate Chocolate Trifle
1 box of chocolate cake (I prefer Duncan Hines devil's food cake)
2 packages of instant chocolate pudding
1 500ml Whipping Cream/Cool Whip
5 Skor Chocolate Bars 

Prepare cake, pudding and whipping cream.  Crush up Skor bars.  Layer with cake, pudding, Skor and whipping cream.  Repeat as many times as desired.   

Easy peasy!

choosing gratefulness + joy

Today is just one of those days.  It's a Monday, I'm tired and having a hard time finding the joy in an ordinary dreary day.  Isla was up a few times during the day and finally came into our bed.  Not a great sleep.  Then as Trevor was leaving for work he woke her up at 6:30am.  It made me grumpy.  I wasn't ready to start the day.  Isla had some breakfast and I needed coffee.  She watched Dora while I tried to become functional.  Oliver was up not long after and we were in the swing of things.  A spill later on the couch and grumpy mommy came out.  I felt bad and asked for forgiveness.  Oliver said he didn't like that I was grumpy.  It made him sad.  Yup, he called me out.  I knew I needed to turn the day around so I went to my room and did devotions.  I came out determine this wasn't going to be a waste of a day filled with guilt so we had a dance party to praise songs, played a few board games and Oliver was off to preschool.  

These are the days that are hard to find the 'enjoy every moment because they grow so fast' or 'cherish these times'.  I've heard it many times from strangers.  I know in my heart it's true.  But it's hard to delight in them.  However I know God works in the ordinary and the little things.  I just need to be faithful.  And grateful.  Families are mourning the loss of little ones right now.  I get to kiss mine good night.  Some have lost all their homes and possessions and I have a comfortable home to sleep in.  It's so easy to loose perspective and that's usually when I take my eyes off Jesus.  So I'm choosing Jesus.  And gratefulness.  And joy.  

Many of you might know this hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Helen H. Lemmel.  This is my song today.