This year I want to focus more on traditions and making memories than getting gifts.  After all in a few years they aren’t likely to remember the gifts but they will remember what we did.  However, I was a little stuck on what kind of things to do, so I started thinking back over my childhood memories.  Here’s what I remember.

I remember Christmas caroling with church.  We would visit the shut ins and then go back to the church and have refreshments which always included popcorn balls made by the pastor’s wife.  I remember having an Advent calendar to help me count down to Christmas.  And I remember going for a drive to take in all the lights and decorations of the season.   We also of course watched many Christmas specials.

My memories helped get me started with what I could do with my kids.  We’ve been doing a short Advent devotional each day, although I still get asked how many days until Christmas at least 2x a day.  We won’t be doing any caroling as many of the kids are too little to sing along but there’s always next year for that.  I’m hoping to do our “tour of lights” this weekend.  Also, 2 years ago I brought a great abridge verison of A Christmas Carol and have read it aloud every year and am once again doing that this year.  We haven’t seen many Christmas specials yet this year but I’m sure we will watch a few yet.

This left me wanting to build more memories.  One thing that we are going to be doing this week and next is making cookies.  While we do that all year long, I’m going to be reserving some “special” recipes just for holidays so that they in the future years they can bring special memories.  After talking to my husband about my thoughts we also have decided to do a “slumber party” on Christmas eve.  We are going to let the kids stay up until they drop and sleep downstairs by the tree.  Since I have been thinking about all this since Thanksgiving I was thrilled to see The Happy Housewife’s post listing more ideas (and frugal ones at that).  You can see her post here.  I’m also hoping to make popcorn balls for in their stockings but I haven’t figured out how to make them without them know.

Well I’d love to here your traditions and I hope you have enjoyed hearing what we are doing this year.

Oh my, I’m crocheting away (well at least when the children are otherwise engaged) and just don’t feel like I”m getting anywhere.  Then, because I’m not thinking straight, yesterday I took a custom order.  Thankfully it’s a small one and can be in the mail tomorrow but still I need to get more sleep or something.  I don’t have much to share because of lot of what I’m working on isn’t done yet but I do have somethings.

First, 1 part of the custom order.  The order was for 4 sets of dishclothes and pot scrubbers.  I had 1 in the colors of her order.  Thankfully I at least had the yarn to start the second set of red and today will brave the cold to get the blue yarn to make the second 2 sets.

Next up is the rest of Cinderella’s outfit.  Remember last week I was able to share the purse?  Well here is the dress and wrap.

And a better picture of just the dress,

 

 I was hurrying to get those pictures taken because I did not want a certainly little girl to see it on the doll.

And last I was able to make 3 of these in the “open” but know that the last 2 will have to be done in secret or they will figure things out.  Here are some ball-n-cup games that 5 of the kids will be getting (I don’t think the baby will care that she doesn’t get one the year)

Well there are the items that got completed this week.  I did get some more work on the army tent done and have 3 fish parts started and another ball-n-cup game started.  Still feels like a lot to do in such a short time.  I think this week I will either be spending some time in my room or making the kids spend time in theirs so I can get more work done.

So this year I’m trying hard to make some traditions, problem is I really don’t know what I want to do.  I started by thinking about to my childhood Christmases and that has given me a few ideas but when it comes to meals, I draw a complete blank.  I know of the “Christmas Ham” but would like other ideas.  After all there are 3 meals a day and Christmas is a special day so I’d rather not spend it all in the kitchen.  I was starting to think of Cinnamon rolls and oranges for breakfast but am really unsure about the rest of the.   I have been given a great suggestion of using disposal dishes so that at least clean up is simple.  I’ve heard that some people go to a Chinese resturant for a meal.  I didn’t even know such places were open on Christmas.  So what are you having this year?  Are you cooking or just taking a dish someplace?  Maybe you don’t have to do any of the cooking because of where are you going.  Still I want to know, what are others eating on Christmas day.

Well here it is December 7th and I still have Christmas gifts to crochet.  I wouldn’t have any problems except these are gifts for my children and so I can’t work on them while they are awake (or at least not very easily).  So here’s the my list:  4 more cup and ball games, 1 army man tent, 4 army men sleeping bags, 6-8 fish, 2 fishing poles and maybe a teddy bear.  The army man tent  is about 3/4 done, the ball and cup games don’t take long and well, I’m not sure about the rest of it.  I’ll of course be posting pictures of things when they are done.  Well it’s time to get something done, even if it’s not crochet because all but 1 child is awake.

Oh my, how is it the first week of December is over already?????  November was filled with having baby number 6 and Thanksgiving.  Hopefully now though I can get back to a rountine, haha.

Anyways, here are some things I have been working on.

First up is an Angel Tree topper for my dad for Christmas.  He wanted blue because he got a white artificial tree and thought blue would look nice.

Next up is a scarf I made. 

Slingshot has asked for some clothes for her Cinderella Fashion size doll so here is a purse.  It will have a matching dress and an off white shawl to go with it.

I also made some candy cane covers for selling at a local shop.

And last but not least, as promised a picture of the shawl I made for my mother-in-law for Christmas.  I hope she likes it.

Well that’s all for this week.  December will hopefully be full of the rest of the Christmas gifts I need to get made.

Well I know this is normally a Friday post but I have plans for Friday and I really wanted to share these items.  I have been staying busy for sure.

First up is a custom order for ice skate ornaments  I quite enjoyed doing these I hope they are everything the client wanted them to be.

Next up, thanks to that custom order, I was able to buy the pattern to make this snowman cocoon.  I can’t wait to get a picture with a real baby in it.

 

I then worked on my mother-in-law’s Christmas gift but sadly don’t have a picture of it yet.  I promise to get one though.

Yesterday I made some candy cane covers and I think they are rather cute.

I also made 2 angel ornaments.

 

So there you have it.  All the wonderful things I’ve been working on.  I hope you enjoy.

Well, the first week of November is about over.  At this point I’m mainly working on Christmas gifts, or at least I was until I got a phone call.  The tea room where I have some things on consignment has a few busy weeks coming up and she wanted to be well stocked.  So that’s what I got busy on so that I could have it up to her before baby 6 decides to come.

First up, 3 cell phone holders.

Next is more chapstick holders. 

And lastly for the tea room lady was pony tail holders

Two things not for the tea room were a multi-green bath puff

And a Christmas gift for my sister.

So there’s what I’ve been working on.  It definately wasn’t a slow week.

So end of last week you saw my challenge item for Christy’s Craft challenge and now it’s time to vote.  Head over to her blog and please, please vote for the drawstring bag with pins.

Well it’s that time again.  It’s time to vote in the Etsyhookers Creative Challenge.  Our mission this time?  To create something either reused, recycled, or repurposed something.  I got say, making a decision on which on to vote for is difficult but once you have it only takes seconds to place your vote.  Head on over to the blog to see the entries and place your vote.

Well sometimes things just make you wonder.  Last night I was reminiscing with some residents and we started talking about brown paper packages tied up with string.  When was the last night you saw a brown paper package tied up with string?  Depending on your age you may just think I’m talking about a line in a song but seriously, once a upon a time packages where sent in brown paper and tied with twine.  I can remember my finger being used to hold down the twine while my grandmother made her knot.  Course I hadn’t thought of such things until last night but sometimes it’s good to go strolling down memory lane.