Advent - Books & Bible Verses

While scouring Pinterest for holiday ideas to try, I came across a great idea by TSJ Photography... books and Bible verses.  As many of you may know, we absolutely love to read in my house!

To start, collect twenty-four Christmas or winter themed books you already have.  I will confess that a couple of the ones we used are not in either of those categories because we ran out.  I then wrapped each one up, sticking a Bible verse inside the front of each.  Next I labeled the front with the numbers 2 through 24 (we missed the first day).  They are under the front of our Christmas tree to open each night until Christmas.

What a great way to incorporate reading time and scripture through the holidays!

We have read two books so far and are really enjoying it.  

Have you tried a book tradition in your house?

Freebie Thursday with the family.

As most of you know, I am a self-proclaimed freebie and sample junkie.  Last night was a girl's night with my mom and baby girl... and of course it included picking up some freebies along the way.

Enjoying our evening out.

Our first stop was Dollar Tree for a great coupon matchup on a kid's toothbrush.  I used the $1 off ANY FireFly toothbrush to score an adorable Hello Kitty one to put up as a stocking stuffer.  (Yes, I'm always on the hunt for little extras for the holidays.)  The store I went to only had Hello Kitty, but I'm told some stores have Angry Birds or Avengers too.  Just make sure that the one you choose says FireFly on the back.

Our next stop was the mall.  I was looking for an Estee Lauder counter and decided on Macy's.  Here I scored a free deluxe travel-size sample of their New Advanced Night Repair (no purchase necessary).  I'm so excited to try this product.  It retails starting at $62.  Hurry over if you want to get this one because the promotion only runs through tomorrow, July 27 at 6pm.  Macy's is also having a promotion where you can score a free 10-day supply of foundation from any of their cosmetic counters.  I chose Estee Lauder foundation, which I found out is actually MAC's sister company.  We didn't need coupons for either of these promotions.  Yay!

After some more shopping, we finished off the evening with dinner at IHOP.  It was a fun night with some great family bonding.

Tied the knot...

I married my best friend this week... and it could not have been more perfect!

Isn't he handsome?  :-)

My little flower child... she went barefoot through the ceremony (and the rest of the afternoon).  

Our love is so amazing...

Our little family...

We went downtown for pictures after the ceremony....

They turned out amazing... sun was beginning to set, so it was a beautiful backdrop.

My little princess and I... this is one of my all-time favorite pictures!

Yep... it's official!

Day 1 - Gratitude

I am SO grateful for my precious little girl... Gia.  

A New Way to Use an Old Book

For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE my books!  I have shelves and shelves of them - all sizes and kinds.

I found this great idea on how to use the ones I will never read again at Redefine Creativity... by making holiday ornaments.  Alisa Burke has some other great ideas for upcycling your old books too.

Supplies needed:  styrofoam ball, old book pages, glue  (I started with stick glue, but switched to permanent fabric glue halfway through - it seems to hold better), hot glue gun, ribbon.

Start by tearing your book pages into little bits.  Next, apply little dabs of glue onto the styrofoam ball and smear around - doing small sections at a time makes it more manageable and keeps the glue from drying before you get to it.  Once you apply the glue, collage your torn book pages onto the ball.

Set aside to dry.  Once completely dry, attach the ribbon to the styrofoam ball - forming a loop to hang your ornament with.

I love this idea so much!

Making Leaf Prints

My little one and I took advantage of the crisp fall weather this week and set out for the park to collect leaves.  I've recently gotten a creative spark and decided the perfect way to start was with a fall leaf project.

We gathered all different shapes and sizes, and put them in our bucket to take home.  Gia loved this part and was a wonderful leaf collector!

When we got home, we got out our art supplies.  All you need to make great leaf prints is paper, crayons, and a collection of leaves.

First, lay the leaf (veiny side up) under the piece of paper.  Next, using the flat part of the crayon, rub it over the leaf.  Continue this with different leaves and colors until your paper is full.

If your little one is too young to get the hang of it, their own personal artwork will just add to the picture.  Gia colored what she wanted and I used contrasting colors for the leaf prints.

When we finished with our artwork, I found some extra frames that I had laying around and framed our art for fall.  I'm really happy with how it came out... and the best part was the experience of making it with my little one!  

Let me know what you think...