girls night...{while the guys went to a movie}

the day after...{looking back}

 

did you and yours have a merry little christmas?

easy-to-do gift tags...{all you need is a photo}

i have made these for several years now, and it's an easy and creative way to label your gifts...

 choose a family photo...print them in wallet size on your computer...

cut and label with the name of your recepient!

just wanted to share...merry christmas!

100 in 100...{complete!}

and so, it is finished!  at least for the last 100 days of 2011.

we have officially rid ourselves of {over} 100 items.  and it was actually easy and liberating.  the last 17 items consisted of...

corkscrew, christmas wreath, 7 items of clothing, 2 pillows, television, bag of clothing, doll crib, computer monitor and keyboard, and dressing table...

ta-da!

what i have learned from 100 in 100...
* i am now more conscientious of what i bring into our home...i find myself replacing item for item and really thinking about whether or not i need something.
* i don't need half the stuff i think i do...
* there is a sense of relief when you toss items and have less to worry about, less to clean, and space to breathe...
* i find real worth in the things i DO have, because they serve a purpose (or two or three, now that i am living with less)...
* i realize the capacity i have to bless people with things that i have, or with the time/money that i have now that i live with less...

so, what's next?
i've been thinking about doing the 30 day clothing fast again, to see if i can weed more out of my closet.  i've also thought about going on a spending fast, trying to only buy what we absolutely have to have.  that would be a challenge, since we *really* need mcdonald's french fries about once a week it seems.  one thing for sure, i will continue to rid my home of items in 2012!

any thoughts on what i could do next?

twelve dates...{five and six and seven}

date five of twelve was a family date to sesame burgers on half-price burger night.  we all love that place.  it's hard to go and not take the kids with us.  {they'd be sad.}  then coach sal and i sent them home via david, the-child-who-can-drive, and we did a wee bit of christmas shopping.  alone.  aaahhh.

date six of twelve was to hash-out the rest of our christmas giving list without ears to hear us...so we retreated to t-bonz {and used a gift certificate...bonus!} to talk and eat.  after some thinking and adding, we realized that we had enough b&n gift cards {given to use by generous students} to purchase a nook!  so off to b&n we went.  grand total we spent = $1.68.  awesomeness!  now we own a kindle and a nook.  summer and beach reading can not get here soon enough.

date seven was to adona and bill's card game christmas party.  we've been invited for many years but have never been able to attend until this year.  we played crazy poker with friends from our church and ate yummy food and did a white elephant gift exchange.  it was a nice way to end the school week and start our christmas vacation- hanging out with *big people*!

update...{on dates three & four}

so, date three was to hubee d's.  never been before, heard it was good.  and it was!  then coach sal and i went to target and bought my dad a kindle for his 70th birthday.  {you are only 70 years old once.}

date four was to lessons and carols for our school.  it was not only a beautiful beginning to the christmas season, but all three of our children participated {david for the last time}.  i shed tears a few times for a few different reasons...

and then date four ended at hubee d's, ironically. this time with our three children.

lessons and carols, 2009

date two...{and a wish list}

our second date of our twelve dates of christmas was to one of our favorite places...barnes and noble!  ever heard the saying, "not everyone who wanders is lost"?  well, yeah, that's coach sal and i in b&n.  we could wander for hours, yet we always seem to find each other to compare notes about our discoveries.  as i wandered this evening, i found so many marvelous things that made me smile that i took photos for you so you could see...

 the fisher-price music box record player!!!  i actually picked this up and hugged it...i had one!  did you??

 i think my brother would love this...it teaches you how to speak wookiee by pushing the sound buttons for various situations, like socializing in the canteen or flying the millenium falcon.  very practical.

 my boys loved playmobil, and i'm diggin' the rv!  brought back some good memories from our xc trip in 2005...

with modern masterpieces you get to recreate artwork from picasso and other artists.  i love to color.

i have been wanting to read this book since discovering katie's website...



 ...and right next to katie's book was the other book i want to read!  so i read the first chapter...oh.my.  moving.  this author has a wonderful writing style and a story to tell.

 i have found myself searching for better picture books that tell the christmas story, and this one is so so sweet.  a must have!

i am totally buying this book for my nephew!  as a teacher who is frustrated with all the technology our kids are plugged into, this book is hilarious and fun!  you "press" the yellow dot and turn the page to find something has changed and there are new directions...instant gratification and multimedia old style- a book!

 these hedgehog babies were rockin' the hair!

 christmas around the world, a pop-up book was so incredibly beautiful and intricate...

 yah yah!  christmas shrinky-dinks!  {i had those, too.  all good moms let their kids do shrinky-dinks.}

wreck the halls makes you laugh out loud in store.

 the harry potter sweet shoppe kit includes directions for making all the delicious delights from the harry potter books....



national geographic is amazing.  the photographs are a beautiful way to see a small part of God's glory.

have you found anything worth reading in b&n lately?