Joy School Valentine's Party

Ainsley has had lots of fun doing joy school. I was incharge of our Valentine's Party which was a lot of work, but it was fun. We did games, read Valentine books, made Valentines and crafts, watched a Valentine show at the end and decorated mini cupcakes while us Moms dug into the giant chocolate/strawberry cupcake.

Again don't judge the non-baker.

Hey it's just going to get eaten and poked at by the kids.

These little love bugs and animals were made from recycled egg cartons and the monkey from plastic plates (was a Valentine Holder).

Backtoback Babyshowers

I had backtoback babyshowers Saturday and one a week ago which are my favorite because it means craft time. My Aunt Shawna was having a boy and I haven't done much with boy themes so this was going to be fun. My other shower was for a good friend I grew up with and she even moved out to Vancouver, WA when I was out there in Salem, OR. She was going to have her first baby girl and if she was going to be anything like her mom and aunts, she would have gorgeous long blonde hair. I had the perfect idea. And last week I helped throw a small ward babyshower for our former Primary President who is also having a girl. Yeah we love girl themed stuff! So here's what I came up with:

If I had had more time I would've gone more crazy with this.

I just love diaper cakes and a good frog theme for a boy.

This is a hair bow display holder.

So easy, fits budget, fun to make and display.

We did a panda theme since our former Pres. loves pandas and she's having a girl so our colors were hot pink, black and white. My presidency put me incharge of all the creative stuff which took a lot of time, but Christine loved it all so it was even more worth it. Here's what I did:

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

Cake (Would've had a cute stuffed Panda on top, but I didn't want to ruin it and I didn't have $$/ time to get and do a Wilton 3D Bear)

Panda Cupcakes (Not a baker, don't judge, but she loved them and took all the rest home)

Grand finale was my gift the Panda Diaper Cake.

She loved the Panda and all the flowers are hair clips I made.

It's topped with a pink soothie pacifier.

Invitations I made (I had typed up the info and pasted inside on finished ones).

2010 Homemade Gifts

So I've been busy getting into the Christmas Spirit by teaching lessons in Primary about Christmas and our Savior all this month, doing joy school, some baking (I wished I had had time & $ to have done that Ivory Home Gingerbread contest), Christmas/Birthday/Baby Shower parties, Visiting Teaching, Primary Visits, getting sick (an annual Christmas Holiday tradition) and making gifts.

Here are some of my *homemade gifts: (more coming)

Cards, cards, cards

Not my thing, but I had fun

The 3 hair bows were for my VT companion's little girl who turned 1!

This little huggie bear was for my friend's baby boy's first Christmas

which I filled with goodies for her whole fam.

These were gifts for my VT people and RS pres.

This was a lonely candle stick holder which I glued a candy dish on top and filled the snow ball with candy and trinkets that went with my note to a dear friend going through a hard time.

One of my bestest friends is having a boy around Jan. 7th! I went out to Eagle Mountain to her baby shower. It was a lot of fun and I had fun making her present.

The bear's bib says "A hug a day keeps the grouchies away."

"On the go" bag. Open because sometimes you barely only have one hand at the store and you need to get to things quickly.

Nursing Cover/blankie

Baby mittons to keep them from scratching themselves.

My Arabelli model

This hat idea I found on Etsy and I found a hat Arabella had and made a pattern from that.

*(Nothing was bought except the candy and baby booties on bear. I used what I had and well upcycled.)

Kid Christmas Craft/ Gift Ideas

So as I was pulling out all my Christmas decorations I found some of the crafties and gifts I did as a Kid and last year. Here's some ideas for your kids/cousins/nieces/nephews if they want to make gifts, ornaments or just want to be kept busy doing something during the Christmas holiday.

Sculphy Clay Ornaments (bake in oven)

Baby Jesus Cloth Doll

Pom Pom Bears, Animals, Reindeer & Clothes pin dolls

My mom made these little guys

Have a "Nutty" Christmas

Pasta Angels

Gingerbread Ornaments

Doll Clothes and Bean Bag Frog

Snowman capsule stuffed with beanbag frog and goodies

(snowman was made from recycled baby snack container- walmart)

"Olive the Other Reindeer" gift

Stay tuned for more ideas...

Christmas

Ok so I couldn't wait to get my tree up and finally use the ornaments I made. Here are some of the snowbabies I made a acouple of years ago that were inspired by the Department 56 snowbaby ornaments I collect and the faces inspired by Anna Lee dolls. The nice thing is that they won't break and are good for little ansy, exploring fingers. (All made from recycled scraps from my mom's house or what I've collected from other projects).

You can't tell, but I added some of these sonobe balls in black.

I learned how to make these from my cousin Sandy and from Youtube.

Those last 3 snowbabies were made from some of my favorite childhood dolls.

Santa inspired by his head which was an ornament on sale. I made him for my mom and he's made from all recycled scraps, cardboard, and hanger wire lying around. Also, those white presents' bows in the background I made from the silver fabric scraps.