Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String

Last year for my husband's family gift exchange we had my sister in law. I personally have no interest in asking someone what they want for christmas. Some years we do ask people what they want and some years they get stuck with my fancy. I also don't have an interest in giving gift cards. So last year I was left to my own devises. I sent my sister in law a whole lot of brown paper packages tied up with string. Almost all were silly, except for the dvd which is one of my favorite movies. I sent things like graham crackers because it was the only table food my baby could eat and so he LOVED them. And things like a frozen t-shirt in honor of my daughter. My favorite was "money in my pocket" since my husband never wants us to buy him a present.

Pottery Barn Not Quite Knock Off

Turns out I never posted my wreath from last year. Postpartum depression is a ------. One day I actually hope to knock off the original. But this wasn't the year.

So here is the post I never posted.

I was sick of my holiday wreath last December. I decided to make something more rustic to go with my drought-ridden dry winter climate. 

My inspiration was this picture from a Pottery Barn catalog. I absolutely love those wreaths. But didn't want to buy new holiday bobbles, I only had one size so I had to improvise.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

The other day I hosted book group. So I made a bundt cake. It was so soothing. I rarely make bundt cakes, and I'm not sure I've ever made one with frosting. Every other year or so I make pound cake in a bundt cake pan for strawberry shortcake (clearly cake shortcake not biscuit shortcake). 

Back to this cake. I thought it looked delightfully imperfect. It was from a box cake favored for pumpkin. It was actually pretty terrible, I would have much rather eaten spice cake then this pumpkin cake. But the cream cheese frosting was pretty yummy.

I had to add this printable because everyone is always on diets so no one ever eats sweets anymore. If you know me you know I love cake. Actually everyone who attended did have a slice.

P.S. If one more person asks me if I went to book group last month I might scream! I hosted it. So yes I went, and yes I know you didn't show up. The three of us had fun without you. I'm trying not to be offended but when the third person asks the same question, my thick skin is feeling a little like my son's eczema. (Rubbed the wrong way.)

Homemade Birthday Cards

If you are making Christmas presents, you better get started before December. Last year I made my sweet 91 year old grandma birthday cards. 50 to be exact! She sends birthday cards to all her children, spouses, grandchildren, spouses and great grandchildren. I should have added extras since 50 won't even make it through the year...

I think the cards turned out adorable, if I do say so myself. I used a bunch of printables from pinterest, and I won't even try to remember all the sites I printed them off. There were many repeating elements, but they are all at least slightly different the the last. Since they would be sent out to the same families, I didn't want to make 50 of the same card.

Not wanting my craft on

I've decided to make a few Christmas presents this year.
You may wonder why?
I've been thinking about the why, because I'm not very motivated this year.

1. Sometimes its just the right thing to do
2. It saves money, yes, sometimes homemade gifts are far cheaper
3. To build memories, yes, my children get so excited when I make thing for them

I started yesterday, I was so unmotivated. Beyond unmotivated. I realized in part I haven't been crafting because of my little boys, but also in part because it makes messes and I've lost interest in cleaning up messes. Four times a day is too much. That is my pre-craft amount of messes, I should be cleaning.

Instead I'll fold clothes the KonMari way. Weird huh? I use to think I hate laundry, but since its the only chore I can accomplish when I'm beyond depressed I think I might need to reframe my opinion. Plus the author is right there is something soothing about folding laundry her way. Although I will admit it does take longer. More time to watch TV. (Last year when book group had a poor amount of support, I suggested a Netflix group we all watch the same season of the same show and discuss it. People didn't like that idea, like they don't all netflix binge.)

One More Skylander

The night before the Halloween Carnival/Fall Festival my husband says as we are falling asleep, I wonder what I should dress up as?

The next day it came to me. Since this was my daughter's first year of not wearing a girly costume, she was a little worried that girls wouldn't like her. (If I haven't ever mentioned I mostly hate girls.) So I thought her daddy matching with her would be a great confidence boost.

So I made him a Double Trouble Skylander Costume. Its a paper bag tiki mask.

I also made a scepter for him. I think this might have been his favorite part, but I can't tell you for sure, because we never discussed it.

I'm pretty sure he wore it for a grand total of 20 minutes. But I had fun putting it together for him and my daughter because it came together in less than an hour. 

 I got the idea from this blog.

P.S. My costume is BEYOND unflattering! :)

Candy Corn Costume

I dressed up too! 

My kids and husband think its fun.

Although when my kids tell every random person for a month, "my mom is dressing up as candy corn, I'm quite embarrassed.

I always planned on dressing a baby girl up as candy corn, but instead I had two boys! Thank heavens.

So I decided it was my year for candy corn.

My hat looks awful, but I didn't feel like reshaping it to make it better.
I also realized after the fact, I put the candy corn in the wrong order, but it worked better this way. I used scraps, and the yellow was fleece so it had stretch to go with the t shirt unlike the orange.
I did not make my baby's costume. I bought the Disney Brand Nemo costume for $7 at the thrift store. Can't beat that. I didn't sew my three year old's costume either, he was a fireman. I just didn't have the time to make all homemade costumes.

Cub Scout Spinner

My oldest is a Bear Cub Scout, one of his requirements was to participate in a Carnival. He picked doing a spinner. This was a join project of mostly my husband and I, and a little bit of my son. Its made from a 5 gallon bucket lid. 1 ticket = 1 candy/prize

 People seemed to enjoy his spinner. It spun forever, which was good or bad, depending on your opinion.

My kid dressed up as the numbers Pi and Phi. Who knew phi was even a number? One of the easiest costumes ever, just a sandwich board with two printer copies.

Halloween Frame

My husband was camping or something, so I had a free evening last month to craft once the little ones were in bed. I made this:

Ok, so it might not be that crafty. But I did edit the picture so it was almost black and white, and I cut out scrapbook paper, and those ticket printables from the internet.
It goes with our whole Halloween photo montage.

I know my Halloween posts are a little late this year.

Homemade Ninja Stealth Elf Halloween Costume

This past summer when my children got screen time everyday instead of once a week during the school year, my 6 year old daughter decided she wanted to be Ninja Stealth Elf from Skylanders for Halloween.
Her costume was pretty easy to put together.

 I sewed some yarn on a black beanie for hair, and then made some green elf ears out of felt. She wasn't interested in any other accessories. In fact I made her round sword things, and she lost them at a Fall Festival, before I had a chance to take her picture.

Sure her face isn't painted green, and she doesn't have belts on her wrists and legs, but she didn't want that. I think she looks pretty good. A few people recognized her, but you have to be a big Skylander fan for that. 

She turns 7 in 6 weeks and with three brothers around she might be done with Princess Halloween Costumes, and since I had 5 brothers I really ok with that.