December Daily 2016 - Day 4

Today was for Letters to Santa and Advent Celebrations for Aiden's school homework (yes, homework in kindergarten...but it was the fun kind!)

This afternoon the kids and I sat together and looked through catalogues to cut out pictures of things that they wanted to ask Santa for.  I really try to stress to them that we can ask Santa for things, but that doesn't mean he will always bring them what they ask for.  Aiden thinks writing a letter to Santa is the equivalent of 'placing an order', and he expects delivery.  Things we will continue to talk on, as well as stress the true meaning of Christmas.

In the evening we did a little Advent activity that Aiden brought home from school.  This included setting up a wreath and candles, lighting the candles, singing Light the Advent Candle as a prayer, setting up a manger scene, and reading a story.  We did this as a family, and then Aiden had to draw a picture and write about what we did (things I wish I had taken pictures of).  It was a super cute activity that I am going to suggest to my kindy teacher friends!


Tonight's Christmas Movie - Mickey's A Christmas Carol

December Daily® is a December mini-album project devised by Ali Edwards with the simple goal of capturing the spirit of December via one story per day. Read more on her website here.

December Daily 2016 - Day 3

The Story of the Christmas Movie Bed

In December 2014 my sister, who was VERY pregnant and had a high risk pregnancy, was staying with us for the month.  The only 'bed' she felt comfortable sleeping in was a foam mattress that we set up on the floor in the living room.  This was the beginning of the The Christmas Movie Bed.  We usually watch a show or read a story before bed but that year Aiden was old enough to start watching Christmas Movies!  Each night leading up to Christmas we would lay on the foam mattress in the living room and watch a different Christmas Movie.  The mattress was already set up, so it was a natural place to watch from.

Enter December 2015.  We began setting up for Christmas, trimmed the tree, hung the lights, and were getting ready for our bedtime routine.  After getting our jammies on, Aiden asked if we were going to set up the bed to watch Christmas movies!  I hadn't realized he even remembered that.  It seemed a tradition had been born.

Enter November 2016.  We had a November snowfall, and as soon as the kids saw the snow they started thinking about Christmas.  The first thing Aiden asked me?  'Is it time to set up the bed in the living room and watch Christmas Movies Mommy?'.  Love this.  For now we will stick with the foam mattress on the floor, but I hope one day to switch to a pull-out couch.  This year I bought special bedding for The Christmas Movie Bed, and got the bed all set up while the kids were at school and daycare.  They came home and found it all set up and got so excited!  Love this festive addition to our Christmas season!

Tonight's Christmas Movie - Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas (Belles on Ice, Christmas: Impossible, & Christmas Maximus)

December Daily® is a December mini-album project devised by Ali Edwards with the simple goal of capturing the spirit of December via one story per day. Read more on her website here.

December Daily 2016 - Day 2

Today was a pretty low key day Christmas wise.  It seems like the Christmas Movie is going to be quite popular this year!  The kids decided to relax before school in the bed this morning!

We also picked up our wreath for the front door.  Aiden's school sold them as part of a charity fundraiser, and it turned out to be quite beautiful! I can't wait to add a little sparkle to it.

Tonight's Christmas Movie - Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas ( A Very Goofy Christmas, and Mickey and Minnie's The Gift of the Magi)

December Daily® is a December mini-album project devised by Ali Edwards with the simple goal of capturing the spirit of December via one story per day. Read more on her website here.

December Daily 2016 - Day 1

The So much wonderfulness today! 

And so much chaos!

The kids came down for breakfast to find their advent calendars waiting for them, as well as a new tradition (thank you Ali), a wrapped Christmas book.  They will get a 'new' wrapped book each day - most aren't actually new, I pulled them from our Christmas book stash - and we can read them each morning before school.  Love this.

After breakfast I packed up and delivered the kids to daycare and school, got the little man to bed for his nap and it was off to the Christmas races for me.  We always decorate our tree on the 1st of Dec, but seeing as it is a school/work night, I wanted everything ready to go for after dinner.  So I cleaned the living room, stored all excess 'stuff' in the basement, hauled up the Christmas decor, set up the tree, hung the lights on the tree, set up the Christmas Bed in the living room (complete with new Christmassy bedding that is ADORABLE), put up the garland and lights on the banister and railing, sorted through all decor and put what we didn't need back downstairs, and then waited for kids to be ready to pick up.

So fun seeing them walk into the house partially decorated.  They absolutely LOVE this season just as much as I do!

Tonight's Christmas Movie - Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas (Donald Duck Stuck On Christmas)

December Daily® is a December mini-album project devised by Ali Edwards with the simple goal of capturing the spirit of December via one story per day. Read more on her website here.

December Daily 2016 - The Hanging of the Lights

OLight hanging took us a few days this year.  Aiden and Sophia were pretty excited to 'help' with this task - thus resulting in the first attempt taking quite a bit longer than usual.  I ended up finishing them off on a separate day.  We did a test viewing of the lights tonight  and showed Liam through the front door window.  So fun.  He was so drawn to the colours.  Loving the magic of this season even for a little dude like him.  Official lighting will happen on Dec 1st as is our tradition - Mickey and Yoda will be added that day too!  Can't wait!

December Daily® is a December mini-album project devised by Ali Edwards with the simple goal of capturing the spirit of December via one story per day. Read more on her website here.

Layout - Lego Love

Another new layout.  Another hybrid!  So excited about these new (to me) options in my scrapping world!  I am especially loving that Ali's Pinterest Passport Challenges have me thinking in a new way, getting my stories onto paper and into albums!  With this layout I used the Here We Go digital stamp (link below), probably not in the way it was originally intended, but in a way that definitely meant something with these pictures.  Aiden has recently gotten into the Lego building phase of childhood, and I know just how well that road will travel into the future.  One set will (has) led to a few sets, which will lead to The Death Star, (the real question being, who is more excited about that...me or him?), hence the 'Here We Go!'.  Love the skills (both physical and mental) that Lego building instills.  Also love how much fun he has with each new set!  haha

Supplies
Cardstock: Heavyweight White 110lb (Georgia Pacific)
Digital Elements: Layered Template Set No. 122 (Cathy Zielske), Here We Go Digital Stamp (Ali Edwards)
Inks: Tuxedo Black (Momento), Blue Watercolour (Artist's Loft)
Other: White Foam Thickers (American Crafts for Amy Tangerine), Red Tiny Type Letters (Cosmo Cricket), red phrase stickers (Cosmo Cricket), black phrase stickers (Authentique), Date Stamp (Trodat), yellow enamel dots (Twine & Ink), arrow paper clips (Ikea), star and heart stickers (Jillibean Soup), washi tape (unknown)


Thanks for stopping by!
Please leave a comment.  I love to hear from you!

Lisa

Layout - Hello Independence

I made a layout that is NOT 12 x 12, is HYBRID, and includes hand cutting.  I don't really think there is much more to say about this.  YAY for me branching out (WAY OUT) of my comfort zone!! 

In all seriousness, I so love how simple this layout was to put together.  The 8.5 x 11 size combined with the digital elements made this so so quick and easy.  I will definitely be trying this again!  My goal was to use one of Ali Edwards digi elements from her current Pinterest Passport challenge, but I ended up surpassing even my own expectations about how this would turn out.  

Supplies
Cardstock: Heavyweight White 110lb (Georgia Pacific)
Digital Elements: Layered Template Set No. 127 (Cathy Zielske), Love This Story Digital Stamp (Ali Edwards), Little Things Digital Stamp Set (Ali Edwards)
Patterned Paper: grey hearts strip (unknown)
Stamps: Little Things Stamp Set (Ali Edwards)
Inks: Tuxedo Black (Momento), Grey Watercolour (Artist's Loft)
Other: pink phrase stickers (October Afternoon), grey and turquoise phrase stickers (Elle's Studio), Date Stamp (Trodat), yellow brads (unknown), turquoise enamel dots (My Mind's Eye), pink enamel triangles (Recollections), twine ( My Mind's Eye), mini staples (Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher)


Thanks for stopping by!
Please leave a comment.  I love to hear from you!

Lisa

Layout - Sibling Love

I'm sharing an update on a layout base that I did AGES ago, (we're talking 2010 here - Original Post), where I only made the basic background for the layout.  And while I LOVED the layout, until this point I never really had any pictures that I wanted to use it with.  In continuing my catch-up game for my daughter's baby album, I had these two memories printed of the first time my son met his new sister, and the first time he held her.  Originally I included these in her baby album in a 5x7 Becky Higgins page protector, and just slipped it into her album.  But when looking through old layouts that didn't have pictures yet, (of which I sadly have many), this one jumped out at me as an option.  

While different than something I might create now, I definitely loved how this layout ended up.  I was able to make a few additional embellishments to coordinate with those that were already on the page, and love that it is now tucked away in Miss Sophia's baby album.  <3 p="">

Supplies (all quite old - using up the stash!!)
Cardstock: Early Espresso, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Kraft (I think now called Crumb Cake), Dusty Durango (Stampin' Up!)
Letter Stickers: Love Phrase (Recollections), tiny gold ones (unknown)
Stamps: Week in the Life 2014 (Ali Edwards)
Inks: Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink), Clear, Gold, and Bronze Smooch Spritz
Other: gold heart, antique gold brads (unknown), Date Stamp (Trodat), Early Espresso Stamoin' Write Marker (Stamping' Up!)


Thanks for stopping by!
Please leave a comment.  I love to hear from you!

Lisa

Layout - Our Wee Elmo Family

I've been playing catch-up!  While looking through their current Baby Albums, my 2 year old wee girl asked why she only had a few pages in her book, when her 4 year old big brother had TWO FULL BOOKS.  YES, she could articulate that emotion.  YES, Mommy guilt hit hard and I have been putting in some much needed time on this neglected hobby of mine.  And YES, the first actual layout I have made, (not PL style), is actually for her big brother's book.  hahahahaha

But seriously, how cute is this picture!?!?  When Aiden was almost 2, and we were expecting our second baby (the aforementioned deep question asker), we wanted to help prepare him for the changes that a new baby would bring.  So we used his collection of Elmo stuffies to put together a brilliant Elmo family analogy.  Totally on his level.  Totally worked.  For the rest of my pregnancy, and well after, he called the Elmo stuffies by their family names; Daddy Elmo, Mommy Elmo, Aiden Elmo and Baby Elmo.  And when Miss S arrived, he showed her her Baby Elmo and said 'This is you!'  Adorable.  Layout needed.  Guilt still present, but semi-justified.  haha

I DID make Soph a PL card of the event (see below), but felt the full layout belonged in Aiden's album, rather than hers.

The PL card for Sophia's album.

Supplies (all quite old - using up the stash!!)
Cardstock: White (Basil?)
Patterned Paper: Road Trip, Junior & Abode Collections (American Crafts), Odds and Ends (Cosmo Cricket)
Letter Stickers: Hardcover Red Thickers (American Crafts for Crate Paper), Cool Grey and Apple Glitter Alpha (Sassafrass), tiny black ones (unknowns)
Inks: Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink), Tuxedo Black (Momento), Atmosphere Sunshine, Schoolhouse, Calico Shine (Studio Calico Mister Huey's), Lemon Metallic (Maya Road Maya Mists))
Other: Red Heart Enamel Dot (Ali Edwards), Grey and Yellow Heart Enamel Dots (unknown), Mini Paperclips (Tim Holtz), Diamond Sticker (unknown), Date Stamp (Trodat), Red Ticket (unknown), Black Felt Tip Pen (Paper Mate)



Thanks for stopping by!
Please leave a comment.  I love to hear from you!

Lisa

WITL Day 1 - Monday May 9, 2016

I am participating in Ali Edward's Week in the Life project again this year (so excited) and am planning to document some of the details here, although won't be sharing alllllllll the photos.  I love this project because it is something that forces me to look at our family, our routines, etc, and I can see what is the same, and what has changed from year to year.  This is my third time participating in this project and I am looking forward to what I discover about us this week!

Funnily enough, all three years I have participated in this project were weeks that weren't 'normal' for us.  Each time we have been visiting family, and here we are again, staying at my brother and sister-in-laws house for a week long visit.  So maybe what I am learning is that we like to visit people? haha  These two came into bed with me for a morning snuggle - love them to pieces.

Our morning was filled with breakfast (rice krispies for everyone, thank you), tv watching, and playing in the kitchen while I did the dishes, before heading over to my parents to visit.  I had a few errands to run this morning, so my mom watched the kids while I took care of business.  

I dropped off a scrumptious lunch of McDonald's happy meals (the kids were thrilled) in between my last few errands, and they were delighted to eat outdoors on the deck.

S headed inside with my mom for her nap and I hung out with A outside all afternoon.  We are LOVING that this is possible as the weather has been terrible.  He had so much fun playing outside all day, and we plan to make this  a habit while visiting this week.

My parents were coming to my brother's for Chinese take out for dinner, so while we waited for everyone to show up after work, the kids and I watched tv and played with toys.  They are both loving this couch extension, especially S, who has declared this as her official tv watching spot.

The kids loved spending some silly the with daddy after dinner.  He has been working odd hours for the past week and they have been missing him a LOT!

After getting jimmies on and snacks eaten, we piled into the bed A is sleeping in and read some books before bed.  The kids (A especially) love the Disney Story Central App because their options are endless.  We fluctuate between watching a show, reading a story, of a combination before bed.  These days we are heavy on the story reading, which I of course love.

Week In The Life™ is a seven-day documentary project devised by Ali Edwards with the goal of capturing the simple everyday details of life with photos and words. Read more on her website here.