Chocolate Easter Bunny in a Jar Gift

I was in Target's dollar section and saw a pair of really cute jars.  I just had to buy them, but had no idea what I was going to do with them.  Before I left the store, I had to think of something to do with them so the hubby would not think my purchase a waste of money.  I love to purchase items from the dollar section...maybe a little too often.

They looked perfect for a gift in a jar and I still needed teacher presents for Easter.  Bada boom bada bing!  I had a reason to buy them!

I remembered seeing in the past somewhere a bunny in a jar, but I did not really remember exactly what was in the jar.  However, I knew I wanted to put in something edible, so I started there.  

I came up with a cutesy saying while I was in target, so I purchased my items from what I was going to put on the gift tag.  

After washing the jars, I started with some edible grass and added some Cadbury Mini Eggs.  If you have not had the Mini Eggs yet, stop what you're doing and go buy a bag now!  Of course, you may have trouble putting the bag down once you start snacking.  I then added a Lindt chocolate bunny, because who doesn't love those?!

I tied it all up with the gift tag.  I ended up making one for the neighbors as well.  I would love to say that my son is excited to give the gifts to his teachers, but that is not quite true...he wants to keep them all for himself.  So l guess they do look good enough to eat.

Snowflakes and Valentines

I can hardly believe just a week ago everything here was covered in snow.  Here in the South, we do not see much snow, so when we had about nine inches of it we were snowed in--and the kids loved it!  Owen has seen snow before, but not to this extent.  Addyson has not really seen a good snow and had never played in it before.  They would have lived outside if I had let them.

The snow was a time of several firsts. Owen built his first snowman and named her Snowball. Both Owen and Addyson made their first snow angels and went sledding for the first time.  Addyson walked in the snow for the first time. Owen and I had our first snowball fight.  Addy was hit in the face with a snowball by daddy.  Both saw snow more than two inches deep for the first time.

We were not prepared in the least as far as snow toys go.  My husband went looking at several stores for sleds or anything that could be used as one.  Everyone was sold out.  Instead, we improvised by getting a lid from a storage bin, putting a trash bag around it, and attaching a strap.  I wish you could have heard the squeals of delight and seen the smiles on their faces.  I admit I was just slightly jealous since I was a little too big for the "sled."

Due to the snow, Owen missed three days of school.  In class those days the kids were going to work on Valentine's Day crafts and such during the week and then have the class Valentine's Day party on Friday, so I was a little disappointed for him.  He, however, probably would have chosen to play in the snow anyway if given a choice, so he was happy.  

On day two, we all were starting to get cabin fever a bit.  We took a drive to get out of the house for a little bit.  It was beautiful and abnormally quiet.  I love how the snow makes everything look so clean and softened, before the snow plows come through that is.  There is also a beautiful calm when you walk outside.  Everything was muffled and peaceful, especially since most people did not venture out during the peak of the snow.

By day three, I was over the beauty of the snow and ready for it to be gone.  I love my children, but it is tough on everyone's nerves to be cooped up in a house for almost a week with nowhere to go and the weather not pleasant enough to be outside for long.  This is one of the many times I am thankful I live in the South.  The snow comes quickly, but thankfully also leaves quickly.

By Monday I was definitely ready for school to start back, but school was out for President's Day.  So when Tuesday rolled around, I was beyond thrilled.  Thankfully, Owen was excited to go back to school by then.  His class had their Valentine's party, so I went to that to help a little and to watch.  I completely forgot to take pictures until it was almost over.  He loved giving out his valentines and eating all the goodies at the party.  However, he wanted to go home about as soon as I arrived.  I think he partially missed all the time he had been able to spend with Mommy and Daddy.  When we did leave, he was so proud to carry out all of his valentines, until he slipped on some ice and they flew everywhere.

Now that a week has passed, I already have those moments when I wish I could keep him at home for the day.  I often look back and realize just how much time flies and how precious and treasured each and every moment is with my kids.  Sure, there are days I can hardly wait for bedtime, but more often I can hardly wait for them to wake up in the morning so I can talk to them, play with them, laugh with them, just spend time with them.  Three years ago, just a couple of weeks before Valentine's Day, I found out I was pregnant with my second (and last) child.  That valentine gift made our little family complete.  As Valentine's Day comes and goes, I count myself loved, fortunate, and blessed indeed.  

Last-Minute Valentine Ideas

I know I'm cutting it a little close, but I wanted to share some cute non-food valentines I found.  I love chocolate, but I am not a huge fan of giving a lot of it to my kids, so these valentines are great alternatives to the typical candy valentines.  Your kids can even help you put some of these together for their friends!

I made the Glow Stick Valentines for my son last year and the Bubble Valentine's for my daughter--their friends loved them!  I printed the glow stick valentines onto the back side of some Valentine-themed paper to give it a little more pizzazz.  This year I made my son's valentines myself, but these valentine ideas are great if you do not want to design your own but still want something cute and unique.

1. You're Over the Rainbow Loom Bracelet Valentine

2. Bubble Valentine's Cards

3. Valentine's Day Bag Toppers

4. Play-Doh Valentines

5. Glow Stick Valentines

6. Dollar Store Kazoo Valentines

7. Printable Valentine Puppets

Airplane Valentine

Like most people, I love chocolate.  However, I do not always want my children eating chocolate and other sweets.  I know there are other parents out there who also try to limit their kids' sweets intake.  That's why I like to send non-food valentines with my kids to school.

Last year, my son gave some cute glow stick valentines.  This year, I wanted to do something about airplanes after I saw some cute gliders that kids can make and fly themselves.  I did not see any printables I liked, so I made some for him.  I didn't want them to be too girly, so I didn't make them all pink and red.  However, they can still be used for either a girl or a boy.

I had some leftover paper from his valentines last year that I was able to use for the top of the bags.  The valentines are simple yet fun, and they do not take long to put together.  My son can hardly wait to give them out to all his friends!

'Tis the Season

I can hardly believe it is a new year.  I feel as if I'm still playing catch-up from before Thanksgiving.  I absolutely love this time of year though.  Thanksgiving brings feasts, family, and Fall.  Christmas brings feelings of joy, gatherings of family and friends, and gifts, whether they take physical form or they are actions, with the biggest gift being that of Jesus Christ's love--His coming to the earth as a baby to be the Savior of the world.  New Year is a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future.  This whole season of celebrating is memory-making at it's finest.  

Of course, all this merry-making means I play a lot of catch-up this time of year.  Add to that one or both of the kids being sick for over three months and I felt at times as if I would never get ahead (I think this may be the year I finally buy stock in facial tissue brands so I can hopefully recoup some of my money one day).  Now, time for some catch-up:

Thanksgiving

Owen's classroom made Indian outfits out of pillow cases.  One of the teachers dyed all of the cases and each child was able to stamp shapes all over it.  The hat he is wearing has a blue feather in the back with his Indian name, Prowling Panther, on the front.  Yeah, he likes the Carolina Panthers.  They also made colored pasta necklaces.  When he brought the outfit home, he wanted to wear the costume everywhere.  He wore it to Target, the grocery store, and every place in between.  He tried to wear it to bed, but I stopped him there.

We went a couple of hours away where most of our family and friends live and stayed with my parents for Thanksgiving.  Owen wore his costume to a few of those feasts as well.  We met for breakfast with friends and enjoyed watching the first "snow" of the season.  Here in the south, snow is not very common during Winter so many people get excited about even the tiniest of flakes.  My husband is from Iowa and laughs at our snow saying we haven't really seen snow until you go up north.

{My little Indian at school}

   

{First taste of snow}

{My silly girl at Grandpa and Oma's house for Thanksgiving}

While at Grandpa and Oma's house for Thanksgiving, I looked all over the house in the afternoon for these two.  I found them out in the garage eating leftover turkey out of the fridge.  Busted!

Christmas

We always get a fresh Christmas tree each year.  You cannot beat the smell of a real tree, and the look of a real one is, in my opinion, far better and more unique than an artificial tree.   We always get our tree the day after Thanksgiving.  Our favorite place to go is a tree farm near my parents.  You can cut your own or purchase freshly cut trees.

{Shopping for a Christmas tree at the tree farm}

{Watching a Christmas movie}

I volunteered to help out at my son's class Christmas party.  If you bring food for the class, it must be store-bought food due to allergy issues of other students.  Last year, I did some fruit juice boxes I made to look like snowmen as well as some other snacks.  This year I only needed to bring the drinks, so I did the snowmen juice boxes again since the kids liked them so much last year.  They loved drinking from a snowman!  

{Class Christmas party}

{Drinks for the class party}

 This was Owen's first year to send a letter to Santa.  I made up the stationery and wrote what he said since he can't yet write.

{About to mail his first letter to Santa}

{Mailing his letter to Santa}

    With school being out, we had to figure out some more activities to stay busy.  We made pipe cleaner crowns one day.  They were really fun to make (okay, so I made them while they created hair bow pipe cleaners for me) and the kiddos got a few days out of them before they were destroyed.

{Pipe cleaner crown fun

We let Owen have a miniature tree in his room this year and he helped me decorate it.  He went to sleep every night with it lit.

{Decorating the tree in his room}

{One of many cups of hot cocoa}

 For his last day at school, I put the teachers' gifts together and made a little card to go with it.

With "Running Behind" being the theme of the season, I failed to get pictures and order Christmas cards until about two weeks before Christmas.  My husband set up the tripod, snapped a few pictures, and voila!

{I love this picture!  Such a ham with the camera}

{Date with Mommy to see Frozen}

 We started a new tradition this year of getting a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve and watching a Christmas movie.  We added that to the current tradition of driving around looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  So this year, the kiddos took early baths, opened their new pajamas, and then we hopped in the car to look at lights.  When we came home, we watched 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The kiddos put out some cookies they had decorated and milk for Santa and then went to bed.

{Eating her Christmas morning sausage bread}

On Christmas day, we opened up presents in the morning, packed our bags, and drove to my sister's house where we had my more immediate family's Christmas party.  The next day we had the Christmas get-together with my husband's family, and the day after that was a Christmas party with my extended family.  The kids probably think now that every time we stay with my sister and her family then they will receive a lot of presents.

{"Playing" piano with the cousins}

{Having some fun with their cousin}

{This is what really happens to your new Christmas present.  Yeah, Travis isn't getting that one back}

As chaotic as this time feels, I would not trade it for the world.  The memories made this year are numerous and precious.  It was the first Christmas where both kids really got into all the festivities and where Owen really understood the reason for Christmas.  Sometimes, it pays to be running behind because the reason you are behind may be that you are busy making memories with your family.  Now that's priceless.

Breakfast Sausage Bread

Every Christmas for a couple of years now I have made a sausage bread for breakfast on Christmas morning.  The recipe makes two loaves, one of which I freeze for later.  Both of my picky eaters eat this bread and my husband always eats seconds.  He rarely eats seconds of anything, so I take this as a compliment.  I think this next year I will make the bread the day before and put the one for Christmas morning in the fridge.  After I thaw the frozen one, I just slice it and put it in the toaster oven to make the outside edges crispy again.  

I get the dough from my local grocery store bakery instead of buying the frozen loaves.  You could do this too if your store doesn't have the frozen loaves.  The bread looks and smells so great when I pull it out from the oven!  It's hard not to pick on it before I let everyone else eat some.

Breakfast Sausage Bread

Ingredients

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen white bread dough, thawed

1/2 pound mild pork sausage

1/2 pound bulk spicy pork sausage

1-1/2 cups diced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 eggs

2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Allow dough to rise until nearly doubled.  Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble sausage.  Add mushrooms and onion.  Cook and stir until the sausage is browned and vegetables are tender; drain.  Cool.  Beat 1 egg, set aside.  To sausage mixture, add 2 eggs, cheese and seasonings; mix well.  Roll each loaf of dough into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle.  Spread half the sausage mixture on each loaf to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting at a narrow end; seal edges.  Place on a greased baking sheet (or line sheet with parchment paper).  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes; brush with beaten egg.  Bake 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Credit: Taste of Home

Teacher Gifts

For my son's teachers this year I wanted to do something other than a typical gift card or other usual teacher gift.  I wanted it to be a little more personal and not seasonal.  I decided to do a personalized tote bag filled with what would seem like nice basic items, but that have meaning.  

Each bag was embroidered with the initial of their first name and filled with a frosted fern plant, a loaf of cinnamon chip bread from a bakery, a box of Sleepytime tea, and a card explaining the meaning of the items choices.

I printed the message on a craft paper cardstock and then placed a strip of glitter tape at the bottom for a little pizazz.  I trimmed the top and bottom with a decorative blade on my trimmer.  Easy and fairly quick.

The card reads:

Thank you for helping me grow

Frosted Fern

Thank you for nourishing with love

and the heart of Christ

Cinnamon Chip Bread

May you receive in return all that you put in me

Tote Bag

May you relax this Christmas (You deserve it!)

Sleepytime Tea

Love,

Owen

His teachers are fantastic and love the children they teach.  It was a simple yet heartfelt gesture to say thanks for all the time and effort they put into my child.