New Year's Eve Craft/Project

I like New Years Eve-the start to new goals, projects, lists, cleaning, sorting, games, appetizers-it is really my kind of holiday. However I don't think I have made it to midnight since 2000! I love journaling and thinking through my goals for the new year. I wanted something to do with my family-some way of remembering looking back and starting the year with Thanksgiving. This past year was not easy in many aspects however we have so many blessings and things to remember that were happy and good. I also want to start a list each year of things we want to accomplish and do as a family-not just as individuals. I feel that so often my goals might get thwarted because they are just that only for me, but family goals seem to have more long lasting impact. For example eating healthy-doesn't really work unless we all eat healthy.

I used an composition notebook to make a family journal that we will use to record our new year rememberings and goals entitled" The Best of . . ." Some of our Best of include Potty Training, big boy beds, sleeping in their own beds all night, overnight get-away for mommy and daddy and many more. What are things you do as a family to ring in the New Year??

Homemade Vanilla Extract

For a few friends this year I made Homemade Vanilla Extract. I had been wanting to for a while and Christmas is always a good excuse to make homemade gifts. It is really easy!

You need Vanilla bean pods, Vodka, Glass jars.

I found the glass jars at our Dollar Tree, they said oil or vinegar on them, but I made little labels to cover that part up. Then added a direction tag. Place one vanilla pod per 6 oz. Cut the vanilla pod in half and split down the center so the seeds are exposed. Place in the jar and add the Vodka. The extract needs two months to "marinate" and cure then it is ready to use. The best thing is that it can last forever. When running low simply fill up with Vodka and every so often add more vanilla pods.

Linked to Skip to my Lou and Today's Creative Blog!

Sugar cookies

I have been busy the last two days trying to finish up all the food prep for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas. So far I think I have used at least 10 pounds of butter-wouldn't Paula Dean be proud! Thankfully much of that is in gifts!!!-so hopefully the 10 pounds won't be added to my rear end!!

I love the look of royal frosting, but hate the taste so I have been using a few different recipes to try to get the royal frosting look without the icky, hard as rock taste.

First I have found that using americolor instead of wilton makes a significant difference. The other thing I have learned is that I am not really a fan of sugar cookies-so I have been using shortbread cookie recipes instead-and they make the cookies sooo much better!! I have also been using a glaze type frosting adapted from Toba Garrett's cream glaze recipe. Then I use the icky tasting royal icing as the pipping-therefore it can taste not so grand because the glaze is good and so are the shortbread!!

Here are the recipes I used:

Scotch Shortbread

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 cups flour

chill 30 minutes

roll out to 1/2" cut and bake 325 for 10 minutes

Cream Glaze

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon flavoring (vanilla, lemon, rum, peppermint . . .)

Royal Frosting

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons Meringue Powder

5 Tablespoons water

(flavoring if desired)

-I use this for pipping so I use about 4 tablespoons of water-you want it fairly stiff

Salt Dough Ornaments 101

Last week I guest posted on my friend Jen's blog about different affordable gift ideas. One of my favorite is Salt dough ornaments. I love making them because I can get my "cookie" fix without the calories. Plus the boys love it!! They love rolling the dough, doing the cookie cutters and of course decorating them. Since doing the post I have had a number of friends ask me specific questions about them so I decided I would do a post on them too:)

Here is the basic recipe:

Classic Salt Dough Ornament Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix salt and flour.

2. Add in half the water, then gradually add the remaining water.

3. Knead until the dough is smooth, this can take up to 10 minutes.

4. For flat dough ornaments roll out the dough on baking paper

Create:

Use cookie cutters, cut-out templates, or just use your hands.

Dust dough with flour and begin to add details to the ornaments with a toothpick, popsicle stick, and knife.

Don't Forget:

Use a straw to make a hole so you can hang the ornament or a small piece of wire inserted while the dough is soft (I use 34 gage, cut it about an inch then fold it to a horseshoe shape and stick the two ends in the dough)

Baking: Time varies based on thickness of ornament

Temperature: 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours - or until dry

Decorate: Let cool before you begin

Paint with acrylic paints

Glue on beads, buttons, or any fun accessory

I like to use puffy paints and glitter glue

Preservation: Making them last a long time

Coat with acrylic varnish when everything is dry

- Substitute coffee for water - great for gingerbread people, reindeer and a bonus is it smells goodJ

- Add food coloring to make dough a unique color - white, blue, red, etc...

Sorry my pictures are backward:)-Anyhow this year we are trying a few new techniques. -I tried doing some rubber stamping on a few and the boys did watercolor on theirs. I also tried gold leafing on some and that turned out really pretty. I will try to post pictures as we finish more, but I am a really bad photographer-so frustrating. I need someone to come give me tips!!! Anyone out there have any for me let me know:)

Head over to Today's Creative Blog and Get your Craft on!!

Sneak Peek!

today is my last post over at my friend, Jen's blog Thirfty NW Mom!! Be sure to check it out because there will be a give away!!!

Here is a little sneak peek of the post:)

foam ball ornaments two ways

I bought a bag of styrofoam balls at the dollar store last year with the intent to make a few Christmas ornaments and finally this year I am getting around to it.

Here are the two I finished this week.

-the first is a cupcake:) I used a silicone cupcake holder (bought a 4 pack in the $ bins at Target this summer.), I took the Styrofoam ball-stuck a skewer in it so I could paint the top half with glue then rolled it in fake snow and stuck it in a jar to dry. After it had dried I hot glued it in the cupcake holder and glued the ribbon and cherry on top.

-the second I saw on a blog last year and bookmarked to try. I used a 1.5" circle punch and punched out dictionary pages, then folded/crumbled them using the end of a pencil and hot glued them on the ball. Next I used a straight pin to stick in the ribbon. I glittered a star and wrote "Peace on Earth and hot glued those two on as well.

linked to Get your Craft on!

Guest Posts!

Hi there!

this week you can find some fun gift idea posts from me on my friend Jen's blog!

Jen is Thrifty NW Mom and always has the latest on coupons, grocery deals and cyber bargains!!! Seriously, she has saved our family lots!! Everyone I know reads her blog so if you are the last person in the NW to check it out-head on over!!

She often has 5-6 different deals a day!!

Anyhow, I am super excited to be posting over there this week. So get going!!!!!

Clothespin Wreath

I have been wanting to make this clothes pin wreath for a while. I have seen them on a number of blogs used for baby showers, birthday cards, tea and I decided to make one to use with 25 days of Christmas Activities. I did the colors non-Christmas so I could use it for other activities as well. I LOVE it. Of course the Amy Butler paper helps:)

I saw on the blog Blue Cricket designs that they had used library pocket for their days so I used those and then placed inside our activity for the day!!

Linked to Get your Craft ON!