We had an Elf, he was rarely on a shelf...

This was the third year that our family has had the pleasure of having an elf come for the month of December.  Each year is a different elf, each elf does things differently, I'm not into the creepy "elf is watching you" stuff so we just don't do it that way.

This year, our elf was named Zeke and he was always being silly...

1. Showed up on Red (our stuffed reindeer) with a note explaining who he was.
2. The girls had written him a note back and left him some cookies, so he was caught making a mess of the cookies.
3. Drew in white-board marker on some photos... glasses, mustaches, etc.
4. Caught hanging outside the window, must have locked himself out

5. Read a story to some Barbies (Barbies not pictured)

6. Switched our stockings for underwear

7. Toilet papered the Christmas tree

8. Caught hanging from some furniture

9. Wrote a message in M&Ms

10. Locked himself in Toby's crate

11. Fishing in the potty with a candy cane, turned the water blue

12. Hiding in a cabinet, wearing glow bracelets

13. Completed a homework page, did it wrong but wrote 100% on the top
14. Brought a family movie for everyone to enjoy
15. Made a flour angel
16. Hid inside a glass in the cabinet

17. Hanging out with friends
18. Hanging upside down on our Christmas banner (Made by A Hint of Whimsy!!)
19.Took a bath (or just made a bed) out of marshmallows
20. Hid in the tree

And then see below for the last few days... 

This year was fun and really took minimal effort aside from picking up a few treats and small gifts which were totally optional.  The girls enjoyed just finding him every morning.  On the last day, along with the Barbies, he left a note explaining the real reason for Christmas.  He said he hoped they had fun, but reminded them to focus on Jesus and remember that we celebrate with gifts because the wise men brought gifts when Jesus was born.

This was our first elf that did something every day, the previous ones came just a few times throughout the month.  Each time we have an elf the girls discuss at great length that not everyone gets one and they never know what to expect... so it has been a fun tradition that can change each year.

**Most ideas for elf placement were found though searching Pintrest, or modified from an idea found there.  Although I would love to claim credit, most nights I scrambled to remember to place the elf**

Christmas Photo Booth Project

I am "Room Mom" in Hannah's class this year.  Room Mom duties can really be as heavy or light as you or the teacher of the class would like them to be.  Basically, I am the point person when it comes to the four parties throughout the year, I am in charge of getting volunteers for the carnival (held in October) and I try to coordinate a gift for the teacher for both her birthday and 'Teacher Appreciation Day'.  Beyond that, as room parent I can do as little or as much extra stuff as I would like.

This year, I had an idea that I was excited about and when I shared the thought with Hannah's teacher she was pretty excited as well... so I went with it!

Photo-booths seem to be all the rage the past few years for weddings, parties, etc... especially the make-it-yourself variety... and thanks to some fabulous ideas found via Pintrest... I developed this idea for a 'parent gift' for each student to give their parents this year.

Each student was able to choose three props, I took their photos, edited them into photo strips, and had them printed at Costco.  To take it a step further, John cut plywood boards to size and drilled holes in the tops, then I painted them a Christmas-y red color and used Collage Pauge  to attach the photo strips to the boards.  (Ok- yes, it sounds super involved, but really once you do a sort-of assembly line, it wasn't too bad at all!)

And, voila!  The final product :-)

And here are the props I used!  All were cut using my Silhouette machine, and hot glued to skewer sticks.

Merry Christmas to the parents in Hannah's class this year!!

Garden Boxes

One of the projects we (ok, it was really mostly John) did in February was to build some raised-bed garden boxes.  This had been on our list for quite some time, and I really pushed to get this project started.  Thankfully, once John got started he really got into it and they came out so nice!

Here is the area, before boxes... I spared you the true 'before' shot as we had just cleared out some knee-deep weeds and John dug down and leveled off the area where we were planning on putting the boxes.

We used 12' long redwood boards.  If you ever plan on buliding garden boxes, used non-pressure treated wood.  The chemicals from the pressure treated wood aren't good and can leach into your home grown veggies!

All cut and ready to go!



I then headed off to a party and came home to this wonderfulness... :-)

Happy Valentine's Day to me!!

January Goals

I have been hesitating to actually write down goals for 2012. 

For starters, I don't feel like I did so well last year and I don't want to put it out there if I am not willing to put in the effort to follow through.  Sad, but true.

Secondly, I have been tossing around the idea of having monthly goals.  Like a monthly check-up to see where I am and keep myself in check.  On this flip side, this seems like a pretty big commitment and something I need to be committed to following through on. 

Finally, I realize that goals have to be specific and attainable...not a blanket statement.  (I'd like to be healthier...)

After the last few weeks of a little soul searching, I have decided to go for it.  Succeed or fail, I would like to become a goal-setter and a goal-accomplisher and the only way to become either is to suck it up and do it!

Luckily, I am setting myself up for success this month because we are nearly three weeks in and I am doing well on most of my goals so far...

**Note to self, for privacy reasons you have left out financial and spiritual goals**

• Health:  Take specific steps to become a healthier person and family. 
• MOVE at least 15 minutes everyday and get your heart rate up.  More is better. 
• As the budget allows, choose real food to bring into the house and actually cook with it!
• Avoid high fructose corn syrup and as many chemicals as possible. 
• Toss or donate the foods that don't fit the bill.
• Avoid all wine and beer for the month
• Join Weight Watchers and attend a meeting each week
• Eat out as little as possible.  Choose places that serve real food... not processed stuff.
• Other:
• Personal Blog: Catch up through September of 2011, and post at least 20 posts for January.
• Enroll Claire in gymnastics <-- I had to add this, I was putting it off for so long!
• NO Starbucks for the month (this falls under my 'financial' goals, but I am still throwing it out there.  If you see me at Starbucks in January, kick me out!)
• WFP Blog: Post (or schedule) all sessions from 2012 so far and five from 2011.
• Crafty Blog: Post (or schedule) at least one ILTC post and three personal posts.

Looks like I've got some work to do.  :-) 

Tie Dye Results Photo

My sister and I planned a little tie dye day last weekend, these were my results!

 I am going to post more photos over at my other blog today, but thought this photo was fun and deserved a place here too ;-)

Cute Girls and thier cones of Cotton Candy

I added together the amount of Valentines we would need for three dance classes and two school classes and came up with about 80.  Yikes! 

I opted to just do 'fancy' Valentines for the dance classes and have the girls choose their favorite boxed set of Valentines for their school classes.  Hannah chose Barbie with 'glitterized' tatoos and Claire chose Scooby 'DOOBY' Doo... because he is all the rage in the Frank household these days.

Then we found a cute idea for the dance class Valentines and got to work.  I enlisted the help of two sweet girls...

...and we stuffed some cotton candy into some ice cream cones.  I put them into a plastic treat bag and on the outside I attaced a note that said:

'Here's the Scoop:

You're a SWEET Valentine!'

I should have taken a photo of the finished product, but as you all well know I sometimes drop the ball on that kind of stuff.

Ok.  So there might be one more Valentine's Day related post, and then I promise I am done.  I didn't realize how much fun Valentine's Day could be with the kiddos!

Our Card

So, in designing our card this year I started with blue and gray... only because they are my favorite colors right now.  Then, after liking the design of the front I realized that blue and gray have nothing to do with Christmas colors.  Hrmpf.  I decided to go with it, making a mental note that I should actually consider Christmas colors for next year.

So, if you hadn't been told yet... Merry Christmas... from the Frank family ;)

24/365

Hannah cut beans and Claire poked potatoes

Our family was in charge of sweet potatoes and green bean casserole for Thanksgiving.  We prepared the night before, which was smart because usually I am the biggest procrastinator on stuff like this.  The girls are old enough now to help with a bunch of kitchen tasks...especially Hannah.

I like fresh beans rather than canned or frozen, so Hannah's job was to cut the beans before we bolied them. 

There wasn't much else to do, but we did need to bake the sweet potatoes so Claire poked holes in them. ;-)  

Yay for Thanksgiving prep and getting the kids involved in the kitchen!  I need to do this MUCH more often!

9/365

New Year

I actually enjoy making New Year's resolutions.  Most of them do fizzle out a bit, but for those that stick... your life can really change.  Last year at this point I was 20 pounds heavier.  Another of last year's resolutions lasted through May (when I stated a second job) and the others had good intentions but fell short of the success I had with my weight loss.   

If 2010 was the year of changing our eating habits and physical well-being, then I want 2011 to be a year that builds upon that but focuses on our mental well-being by creating routines and systems that cut down on the chaos the continues to creep up on us.  I also wanted to make resolutions that I could either list and cross of when they are acomplished or that could be quantified.  Some of my resolutions are on the private side, so I won't be sharing all of them on the blog.  But, there are a few I don't mind listing here and hopefully expanding on how well they are working (or not working) throughout the year. 

Family Goals:

1. Make the girls a morning routine chart.
2. Mount a large family calendar on the wall in the kitchen.  Color code the family's activities.
3. Create laminated chore charts that can be checked off as the tasks listed are completed.
4. Mount a weekly meal plan in the same location.
5. Eat dinner at home (at 6:00) 4-5 nights per week.

Financial Goals:

1. No new debt.
2. Budget every single dollar.
3. Utilize the envelope-cash system.
4. Utilize coupons, sticking to a reasonable (or allotted?) window of time for preparation and shopping.   

Personal Goals:

1. Read THREE books.  (A classic, something fun, and something helpful)   <- suggestions??
2. Continue the weight-loss, healthy lifestyle resolution from last year.  Focus on portion control, PIONTS, and working out at least twice per week.
3. Read through the entire New Testiment.
4. Attend church at least twice per month.
5. 365 day blog project!
6. Complete list of crafting projects.  [these will be on my crafting blog]

House: (These are projects aimed at the first 6 months of the year.)

1. Paint and finish backyard pergola.
2. Paint three areas of the house. (one large, two small)
3. Build stoneware and cast iron racks.
4. Get a daybed and storage for Claire's room.
5. Complete Hannah's wall decorations.
6. Epoxy last 2/3 garage floor.
7. Mulch flower beds.

It was actually pretty fun to sit down with John and write this out, each voicing our opinions about what we would like to see change or what had been working in the past but we had lost sight of.  It seems like a lot, but a good portion of it can be crossed off when it is complete which makes me feel like there is a better liklihood of success.

2/365

Home Decor Project: Custom Kitchen Chalkboard

I mentioned a few posts ago that I have been a little bit project-obsessed lately.  Thankfully, my wonderful Hubby shares this obsession with me.  Seriously, give the guy a reason to use a saw or two and he is all for the project.  (I know, I am lucky!)  This project started as my idea, but John took it and ran with it. 

This is a wall in our kitchen. 

It needed some love. 

I loved the idea of having a chalkboard painted directly onto the wall, but that would have meant sanding down the texture of the wall (and would have madea big mess).  We decided on going a little bit different route...

First we determined the size of the chalkboard and cut some molding (found at Lowes) to fit the area.

We found a very thin board, cut it to size (as big as the outer edge of the molding), primered, and painted it with black chalkboard paint.  We used about 3 coats.  Since it was so hot outside, we had to paint inside. [Notice all the junk in the background, we had a lot going on at once :)]

We let the chalkboard dry overnight, as per the directions on the can.  John then nailed the edges of the board to the wall as a preliminary hold.

He started attaching the molding as the frame directly onto the top of the board, piece by piece, using a nail gun.

And voila!  The finished product!  A beautiful custom chalkboard...perfect for meal plans, messages, love notes, and silly drawings. 

Projects, projects, and projects! [Sorry, no photos]

I am on a bit of a project high at the moment.  My Husband would say that I have 'project ADD' [he hasn't yet, but I am sure that is the nice version of what he is really thinking].  It is just that time of year where there is no sense going outside for anything other than swimming, so the logical thing to do is busy ourselves inside. 

I have decided to revamp BOTH girls rooms.  Yes, I am crazy.

Claire finally made the transition to a Big Girl Bed [!!] about an hour ago.  It has been a project that was put on hold awhile ago, so I am happy that will finally be done soon.  Since I needed to buy a matress and bedding, I plan on going all-out with new decor and hopefully soon some paint.  All of which is yet to be determined. 

But before that, I am re-doing Hannah's room.  I got all inspired last week and now have a bunch of ideas for improving the functionality of her room.  Plus, I lost my inspiration with the theme and color scheme I had been going with.  I am excited to post about all the fun projects I will be doing to revamp her decor. 

My goal is to try to finish one thing before heading to the next.  Not really an easy thing for me, but I really want them to have fresh new rooms to start the school year. :-)

My Husband, the Pergola builder

This post has been long overdue. 

[although I have been waiting for it to have the final coat of paint before I post, but we can't decide on a final color]

My Husband designed and built the pergola completely by himself!  I am so proud of him and how far he has come with his woodworking.  While it took the better part of a few months to complete, it really adds a lot to our yard.  I am excited for the vision we have of adding two adorandak chairs and a firepit underneath.  It seems like with us progress on our yard goes slowly and steadily, but eventually we get closer to where we want to be.  If John had it his way he would spend all of his time designing and building things for our house.  Which reminds me of a few more projects I need to post ;)

I set up the tripod and made us take this photo on the Fourth of July.  I love having photos of our whole family, but rarely get them. 

iLoveToCreate: Cow Shirts for Cow Appreciation Day @ Chick-Fil-A!

Friday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A, which basically means you can get a FREE meal for dressing like a cow.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to try out more of my iLoveToCreate products by making some cow shirts for the girls!

I started by finding camisole undershirts for the girls and sliding a paper grocery bag inside each. 

I took some of the Tulip Fashion Glitter Bond from the girl's previous project and dabbed it on each shirt freehand in the shape of cow spots. I sprinkled those spots with black glitter...

I thought the spots looked cool, but I had this spray fabric paint that I wanted to try out and figured a few extra spots wouldn't hurt. :)  The spray was very easy to use..literally just spray where you want it.  I need to find a project to let the girls try this stuff!

To add a little finishing touch, I outlined the glittery spots with black fabric paint.  Then I just let it dry overnight.

Here are the girls enjoying their FREE meals and hanging out with the 'Moo'. (which is what the Chick-Fil-A cow has come to be known in our house)

Again, this was a quick and simple project.  The girls really turned some heads with their glittery spots!  The shirts ended up being pretty big so we will hang on to them and enjoy another FREE meal next year on Cow Appreciation Day.

Tie-Dye

I think the last time I made anything tie-dye I was 6 and at a Brownie camp-out. Wow, have things come a long way! My sister hooked us up in a focus group one day awhile back so we had a few tie-dye kits to play with. My friend Alice had done this before, so she caught us up on some of the different techniques and volunteered her house for us to have our little tie-dye party at during the spring break.
Here is one shirt all tied up...
Another, tied into a swirly pattern.

And now we add the dye...

Hannah enjoyed this, as she does any craft...

One of the outcomes... the swirly pattern.

Another, just gathered and tied in three spots.

This was really such a fun easy project for us to do. The girls got the biggest kick out of seeing how different they all were when we washed them out the next day. They have been wearing them to bed or out to play every day since they were made. I am looking forward to making a few more soon :)

How to Make a Carmel Apple

In an effort to get into the spirit of fall, I bought some carmel for some apples... here was our attempt at carmel apples!

One bag of Carmel Bits, sticks included.

One baggie of Oreos, smooshed around on the ground into bits.

Five medium sized apples... add the sticks.

Stir the carmel over medium low heat until nice and smoothly melted.

Dunk apples in the carmel, then roll them in the Oreos. Put them in the fridge for a half hour or so... enjoy!

Ours didn't turn out so pretty, but it is all in the experience! I thought they were tasty... the kiddos weren't so happy with them.

Look what we found on the side of the road!!!

The very day we were talking about needing to start looking and budgeting for a Big Girl bed for Claire we drove by this on the side of the road! It was in a pile of stuff waiting to be picked up for the neighboorhood clean-up day. The rails were pretty mangled so we didn't take them, but the headboard and footboard will only need a little sanding, some paint and maybe a touch of glue on one side and they will *hopefully* work perfectly!

Claire keeps walking by them in the garage and saying "MY NEW BED!!!"... "DADDY FIX IT FIRST"

Yay for new projects!