Two GREAT Gift Ideas!

It is always around this time of year that my brain starts to go a little mushy.    If I don't keep myself organized, then I quickly become overwhelmed.  That is such an awful feeling.  So along about the first week of November I start making lists.  A shopping list, a baking list, a "to do" list...these are all on my iPhone  so they go with me everywhere.  I update, and cross off as I go!  

Do you make lists?  Well if you do, please put these gift ideas on your list right now.  Your friends and family will love them.  I made them last year and had such positive feedback that I am telling you about them again.  

Homemade Body Lotion

This really is THE BEST body lotion.  I love it, and anyone that tried it, loved it as well.  This is on my "to do " list!! (click on the name above the pictures for the original post and recipe)




Soothing Bath Salts

I strongly recommend stashing a few of these away for yourself, before you give them all away.  They are perfect for those evenings when you have just completed a shopping or baking marathon.  Your feet and back hurt, and you need a good soak before heading off to dreamland.  Start the warm water running in the tub and empty a bag!  You will be so glad you did.  



~Tanya

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Sights and Sounds of Christmas 2011

Each year at Christmas time, the ladies of our church gather for a special night to kick off the Christmas season.  Sights and Sounds of Christmas is so much fun.  Our focus is on the real reason for the season, and that makes such a joyful evening.  We enjoy beautiful music, a cooking demo, lots of yummy refreshments, and a decorating/craft demo.  This year, "yours truly" did a demonstration on all the different ways you can decorate with Epsom Salts.



My daughter was there and snapped these pictures of me.  I commented that I could have used a little less facial expression.  She said, "Mom, these were the pictures with less facial expression"!!  Well, I guess you can tell we were having fun!

#1 - Mason Jar Luminaries

So easy!  Just put a few inches of Epsom Salts in the bottom of your jar and place a votive candle inside.  You can tie some fabric, raffia, or hemp string around the edge.  Add some greenery, jingle bells, or any decorations you have on hand.  These are so pretty lining your walkway, front steps, or inside the house going up a staircase!

#2 - Epsom Salt Tea Light Holders

Collect some old jars.  Any size goes.  I wanted smaller ones since I was using it for a table centerpiece.  Paint the outside of your jars with Mod Podge, and roll in Epsom Salts.    Let them dry overnight.  Put a tea light inside, and place on a plate, platter, or right on your table.  At Sights and Sounds, we lined the center of the food tables with the mason jar luminaries and these tea light holders.  They were sweet with some fresh greenery and pine cones around them.

#3 - Epsom Salt Ornament

These take seconds to make.  Using a funnel (make one from paper), pour some Epsom Salts in the ornament and replace the top.  Tie on a ribbon and if you wish, put a letter sticker on as a monogram.

#4 - Snowballs 

Pick up a package of styrofoam balls from the Dollar Store.  Paint them with Mod Podge and roll in Epsom Salts.  As you can see in the picture below, I also used some much smaller ones and strung them on ribbon for a garland on my winter tree.  When Christmas is over and all the decorations get packed away, I find everything looks so bare.  So that is the time that I get out my snowmen, skates, sleds, snowflakes and decorate again!

#5 - Epsom Salt Candles

I simply painted the candles with Mod Podge, as I did the glass jars, and rolled them in Epsom Salts.  I did the same with the snowflake ornaments.  There were 6 in a pkg at the dollar store.  How cute and frosty looking!

#6 Frosting Imitation Greenery

This is plastic greenery from the Dollar Store.  Paint the ends with Mod Podge and dip in Epsom Salts!

#7 - Painted Candle

I decided I wanted a bit of color on one of these candles.  So I wrapped painters tape around, about 3/4 of the way up the tallest candle.  Then I painted it with a brown tole paint.  I let it dry completely before I painted a coat of Mod Podge on it and rolled it in Epsom Salts.  When it was all dry, I took the tape off and tied the gold ribbon around it.  The other two candles just have Mod Podge and Epsom Salts...no paint!


I hope these ideas have inspired you to pick up some Epsom Salts (at the Dollar Store) and have some fun!  If you have any Epsom Salts left over, you can use it up with the Bath Salts Recipe that I posted last week.  


Photos by Nicole!

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Friendships Flower

A few days ago a friend of mine emailed me to see if she could "drop off a little something" to me.  She lives about an hour away so I arranged to meet her the next day when she would be coming in town.  When we met, she popped the back hatch of her van and this is what I saw.  

My friend has a beautiful garden in her backyard that she and her husband lovingly tend all summer.  She explained that she picks the  the blossoms and hangs them to dry in a room in her basement.  

The only thing that is not from her garden are the sunflowers (and the real pumpkin she used as the vase). 

Look at the beautiful dried peony!  She also has, hydrangea, allium, brown-eyed susan, globe thistle, ornamental grass, and so much more!

When the pumpkin "vase" goes the way of all good pumpkins...I plan on lifting out the bundle of dried flowers and setting them in another container. 

I am blessed!

Friendships Flower

Life is like a garden

And friendship like a flower,

That blooms and grows in beauty

With the sunshine and the shower.

And lovely are the blossoms

That are tended with great care,

By those who work unselfishly

To make the place more fair.

And, like the garden blossoms,

Friendship's flower grows more sweet

When watched and tended carefully

By those we know and meet.

And, if the seed of friendship

Is planted deep and true

And watched with understanding,

Friendship's flower will bloom for you.

- Helen Steiner Rice

~Tanya~

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Indian Corn Candle

In CANADA, we are preparing for Thanksgiving this weekend.  It sure snuck up on me this year.  I cannot believe we are into OCTOBER.   However the leaves on the trees, and the pumpkins at the farmers markets, are confirming that the calendar is correct!


I saw this cute idea on Pinterest, and LOVED it.  It was so very easy, and only takes 10 minutes to make.  It would make a wonderful Thanksgiving table centerpiece, or a warm cozy welcome in the front entryway to all those coming for dinner.  

You use the small Indian corn for this project.  It will depend on the size of your candle, how many you need.  I didn't buy enough and had to make another trip to the grocery store.   The teaspoon will give you the idea of how small they are.  

The first step is to break off all the corn husks that are pulled up and used to tie the bundle of corn together.

Next, I put an elastic band around the candle, and began slipping the corn in one at a time.  I picked up this candle at an after Christmas sale at Michaels last year.  It is Ginger Cookie scented.  After I took this picture, I decided to alternate the way I put them in.  The first one went in right side up, the next one went in upside down.  They fit together better that way.

This picture shows the alternating way I put the corn under the elastic.  That step is complete.

I did not even remove the elastic but just wrapped some hemp string around the corn several times. 

I tried out several different ribbons on it, but these two were my favorite.

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway ---
Thanksgiving comes again!
Old Rhyme.

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Burlap Napkin Rings

Burlap is very popular fabric for decorating right now.   I have been loving the pictures on the internet of burlap flowers, and really wanted to give it a try.  So I picked up a roll of tree wrap at Home Hardware.  It is 8" wide, and perfect for my project.  I envisioned having to buy a huge roll of burlap and never use half of it.  However, there are lots of sizes out there...check them out.  The Dollarama probably has it too.  ;0)  That same day I picked up a roll that is 20" wide, as well.  But that is another story, for another day!!

  

To make the rosette part of my napkin ring, I cut off a piece of the roll 20" long, and divided it into three strips lengthwise.  This makes three rosettes.  I took a needle and thread and just ran a line of stitches down the middle of the strip.  I then pulled the thread to gather the burlap into a little rosette and stitched it so it would not "ungather". 

Voila...

You can then attach it to anything you want.  For this one, I wrapped a strip of burlap around the candle, and then stitched the rosette onto the burlap. 

 

This is the one I made into a napkin ring.  You just cut a piece of burlap as wide and long as you want.  I made mine 7" long so there was some extra space to overlap to stitch the ring together. Stitch the rosette onto the napkin ring!  (press the "easy" button!!)

They would be sweet stitched onto a hat, a cluster of them on a canvas bag, or stitch a safety pin onto the back of one and wear it as a fall pin on your jean jacket!!  Too cute!

I did a fall tablescape with these little pretties...

I think you will like it!

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Clay Pot Wreath

In the Spring, I saw the cutest wreath on Shelley's blog, Prairie Cottage Rose. She made it by wiring lots (and I do mean lots) of clay pots onto a grapevine wreath.

Shelley's Wreath

I was totally inspired to make my own. Shelley graciously emailed me with the particulars. My first stop was Michaels, to pick up an 18" wreath. Then off to the Dollarama (you're shocked, I'm sure!) for all my clay pots.

I started by wiring 4" pots all around the outer edge.

Then I filled in the front with all three sizes. (4", 3", 2")

Due to the fact that I am just a tad impatient, I wanted to "help" the pots develop a bit of a weathered look. I took out my jar of White Lightening, which gives a white washed look, and painted on some areas of the pots. I also added some white and green paint in a few areas as well.



What do you think? I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Shelley cautioned me about the weight of the finished wreath. Wow! She wasn't kidding. That's one heavy wreath. Hubby helped me hang it on the side of our new shed at the trailer. He used L O N G screws and wired it to the screws, at the top and bottom of the wreath.





Please click on Shelley's blog link at the top of my post, and pop over to visit her at Prairie Cottage Rose!!

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Christmas Centerpiece

I don't consider myself very creative but I was recently inspired by a lovely lady to make a Christmas centerpiece. She used many items with sentimental value and great memories attached. Also, she used many organic items such as branches, berries, pine cones and water. I was in awe of how simply yet beautifully she crafted these centerpieces in mere minutes so I thought I would give it a whirl.

First I bought something to start with, I went to a second hand store and pick up this beautiful rectangle red metal tray for $4.99 and while I was there I spotted a set of ornaments (red & orange with gold) for $.99. I then went through my own ornaments and picked up what I thought would go with it and put it all together. In the end, it did not cost me much and it brightens up my table. :)

Thank you Tanya Payzant for the inspiration!

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Homemade Christmas Ornament

Homemade gifts are so special to receive. I started making ornaments two years ago and I'd love to share with you how I do it.

Step 1. Buy your materials and fill the ball. The clear balls seen above are at Michaels for $8.49 but are usually on sale for 50% off. You can fill the ball with whatever you like. I use scrap paper and curl it, stickers on paper, ornamental snow, pom poms, beads and ribbon. The list can go on forever.

Step 2. Once you have your ball filled, you can finish it off by decorating the top with glitter, a bow and a string to hang on the tree.

Step 3. Let dry and wrap for someone special.

These ornaments can be as expensive or as inexpensive, as detailed or as simple as you like. Here are a couple pictures of ones that I have made.



I started this one with ornamental snow and curled scrap book paper on top. To finish, I put glue on and then the glitter. Hot glue gunned the bow and tied a string.

I filled this one with string red beads and red foil star garland. Hot glue gunned a bow and tied a string.

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Yummy Dough- Product Review

Yummy Dough cleverly combines two favorite childhood activities: creating designs with play dough and baking with mom, dad or a grandparent -- Mixed with water the Yummy Dough powder turns into smooth, well shapeable dough which can be baked. You can eat it raw or after it is baked.

The special consistency of Yummy Dough allows long kneading and shaping, it doesn’t stick to the fingers and it doesn’t turn soft and ‘greasy’ like cookie dough. Yummy Dough does not contain rising agents, but a particular flour and starch. This ensures that you don’t get a stomach ache when eating it raw and that the figures stay in their original shape after baking them.

Each package makes about a cookie sheet full of figures ... generally enough play and fun for 2-3 children.

Ages: 3+


I used this Yummy Dough for a playdate with 5 children (ages 2 to 8). The mixing of the powder and water definitely needed adult supervision. Once the dough was mixed, they all worked together and LOVED it! Each child was able to make 4-6 cookies. The taste of the cookies was not great, but the kids didn't seem to mind. The whole activity lasted about an hour and 45 min. It would be a nice activity to have on hand for those rainy playdates. You can purchase Yummy Dough on line or at "Uncommon Kids" in the Sunnyside Mall. It retails for there for $9.99. Costco has recently started selling it as well, 3 boxes for around $17.00.

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A Way to Remember the Moment

Last month, I was sitting on the front porch watching my kids play in the yard. It was one of those perfect moments Lisa referred to in a recent blog post. The sun was shinning, the hydrangeas and tiger lilies were in full bloom, the children were laughing and playing together. It was perfect! It was one of those moments when you can't help but give thanks to the Lord. I sat there wishing I would be able to remember this moment forever, but knowing how my brain has been retaining information lately....I ran inside and grabbed my camera and took pictures of everything.





In the last couple days, I have put together this little book to help me remember those few moments of perfection. In the book, I used all the pictures I took that day of the house, flowers, and children and added a few quotes about memories and our home.





Now when this day probably would have been a long forgotten memory, I can pull out his little book, show my kids, and thank the Lord for all the sweet memories.

Go snap a picture of something you enjoyed today!!

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Organize It

For some of us organize is a dirty word, for others this word brings comfort like a good book or a hot cup of tea. I realize that there are natural born organizers and I applaud you! There are others that I call the "want-a- be". They are always saying "I want to be more organized but just don't know how". I fall somewhere in the middle. I love organizing but still have many areas in my house that need work (my Tupperware cupboard for one).

As many of you know, I do a lot of paper crafting. With any kind of crafting there is always a ton of stuff!! So I am always on the hunt for creative ways to organize. I came across this great project to help contain some of my supplies. It came with the frame and little boxes that you need to assemble. You use paper to decorate the boxes anyway you want and the boxes are a perfect size for storing smaller items. I snapped a few pictures as I went along.

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The project only took a few hours to complete and matches my scrapbooking room perfectly. As I was working on the boxes, I thought of a few other places in the house to use something like this. It would be great for a little boy to store Lego. You could even glue little Lego pieces as the pulls for the drawers and use bright colors to decorate the boxes. You could make one for a little girl's room to hold barrettes, ribbons and elastics or jewelery. It could be used to store sewing supplies. The possibilities are endless.

For those of you who find organizing overwhelming, start with one drawer or closet. Work up to a whole room. When you have the right tools and the right frame of mind organizing can be rewarding.

I can hear my Tupperware cupboard calling my name...must go...organize it!

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