Easy, Inexpensive Gift Idea!

Woo Hoo!  

Christmas is finally on the horizon!

Ok, so I'm not actually THAT excited about it.  

The thought of shelling out tons of money on gifts for our ever-growing list of family and friends stresses me out!  My stomach hurts just thinking about it.  So this year, I've jumped on the homemade gift bandwagon!  At least following this crowd will have us putting more thought into our gifts and maybe a little less money.  

I'm also getting the kids involved.  There are several things I want them to take away this year:

1 It really is the thought that counts.

2 Money can't buy the best gifts.

3 Jesus is the WHOLE reason we celebrate!  As we make each and every item, the boys and I pray for the recipient.

I'll try to post as many gift ideas as I can in the coming weeks without showing EVERYONE on my list what they will be receiving this year!  

Christmas Coasters

For these super cute, totally customizable Christmas Coasters, you'll need:

4x4 inch tiles

scrapbook paper

Mod Podge or similar product

paint brush or sponge

sealant

felt

hot glue and glue gun

scissors & other cutting tools desired

Start off with your 4x4 inch tile

Cut felt into 4x4 inch squares and put hot glue around all edges

Line up and press down on back of tile

Yay!  Now it won't scratch the recipient's table.  

That's not the kind of gift I want to give.

Gather your cute Christmas or other decorative papers

Cut them just shy of 4x4 inches square

These are the products I used to apply paper and seal my coasters

Apply Mod Podge with brush or sponge.  

I apply directly on tile in a thin layer.

Place paper on tile and let dry 15 minutes.  If ripples appear, smooth down while wet.

Apply layer of Mod Podge on top of paper - but only when it's dry!

Allow Mod Podge to dry.

Spray sealer outside (!!!!).  Dry 15 minutes, apply again.  

I did 3 layers.

These were a few of the finished tiles.

I packaged 4 coordinating coasters together for a teacher gift.

And I'm sure she'll love it!

These coasters I show above are waterproof as long as you seal them well (I've tested mine).

I did very basic designs for the example on here, but others will have names or initials stamped on them, etc.  I'm also doing several sets that are not in Christmas themed paper so they can be used all year.  There are so many possibilities!

Tips I learned the hard way:

*If using photos, have them printed at the store.  Inkjet printed photos will change colors and run.

*Allowing Mod Podge to dry between layers greatly reduces ripples.

*Using a brush will leave brush strokes in the Mod Podge.  This does not bother me, but if you don't like that, experiment with sponges and other applicators.

*Be creative, but be careful of too many layers of paper - you want the glass you be level on the coaster.

Find me here:

http://tinselcompany.blogspot.com/

A Slightly Less Stressful Thanksgiving

We are now just a couple days away.  Thanksgiving is looming in the background - I can just see the turkey staring at me with his beady little eyes.  Well, not really - I don't know where his head is but I do know some guy shoved poor old Tom Turkey's neck up his butt.  Now THAT'S a bad day!  I guess maybe putting that into perspective makes me want to complain a little less about retrieving the darn thing.  Over the last few years I've realized that dealing with life's stressors is mostly about perspective.  I realize that even when things are at their toughest in my life, there are people that have it SO much worse.

Here are some things I'm doing around my house this year that are helping me keep the stress level a bit lower and the fun factor WAY up there!

1. I'm hosting the big meal this year.  Yep, that's right.  For some reason, this calms me.  Let me tell you a few reasons: if my boys act up, they can go to their rooms.  I control the menu, so I KNOW I'll get my sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and plenty of pie.  (This is NOT the case at other family member's houses who don't even serve the items I mentioned.  Yes, crazy.  I know.)  Also, it means that even though we've moved 9+ hours from our last home and 24+ hours from my parents I'll still see family.  They love us enough to fly down and bless us with their company.

2. I'm limiting the menu.  While there are a few staples that I HAVE to have (like above mentioned sweet potatoes), there are usually 10 million new recipes I want to try.  I have decided that I just can't.  And honestly, do we need three kinds of potatoes?  Do we need 5 different kinds of salads?  Not in my house.  I'll have a total of 8 people eating here, so far.  (If you are near by and have no family to eat with, come on by!  No, seriously.)  With 8 people eating, I'll still have enough food to feed them all at least two or three times.  See, I limit the menu, but double the size of the dishes.  :D

3. Clean like a mad woman TODAY.  Yep, after this post gets completed, I'm putting the apron on and making mad dashes through the house until it's clean or I drop from total exhaustion.  Well, that's only partly true.  I enlist the help of my kiddos!  Con-Man will have two rooms upstairs to clean - where all of the toys accumulate.  Monkey-Man will pick up toys downstairs and put them in the color coded baskets we have at the base of the stairs.  The Chief will help with laundry and dishes.  And the older two are responsible for scrubbing their own bathrooms.  

4. Bake Tomorrow.  Most years, I've cooked and baked everything on the big day.  I love how all the smells mingle together.  Well, this year I'm baking cookies, making the mashed potatoes and baking bread tomorrow.  (More about the bread in a little bit.)

5. Admit defeat and just buy it.  I cannot make pumpkin pie.  I've tried and tried.  Last year I made my last attempt.  I baked that stinkin pie for 4 hours.  FOUR HOURS!!!!!  It was STILL soupy in the middle.  I cannot bake pumpkin pie.  It's the one dish I fail at.  I can handle that - one dish out of hundreds, right?  Not a bad average.  So I buy it.  Why stress out and try to beat something into submission when you can just run to the store for it?  Can't cook at all?  You can get a complete cooked meal for about $50 - what a bargain when it means you don't scream at everyone, pull all your hair out and end up eating turkey so dry it resembles the one on that National Lampoons Christmas movie.

6. Give.  It really helps me with my own stress levels when I can stop and think about someone else who may be going through a rough time and give to them.  It doesn't have to be anything elaborate - you can just stop and call a friend that is lonely, send a card or two out to family you haven't talked to, donate some food to a charity that could feed the hungry.  Well, this year we are participating in National Tie One On Day!  I'm very excited about this.  Tomorrow I'm going to bake a few loaves of bread.  Just a simple little tried and true yummy wheat bread recipe.  I'll wrap the bread up in a cute little apron and tuck a note inside.  My note will tell the person that I'm thinking of them, that I pray for them and that I hope they know how much they mean to me.  

7. Have fun!  I know that when Thursday comes, I'll be busy running around in the kitchen.  I'll have to balance the food, my kids, visiting with my family, etc.  But in the middle of it all, I've got games already printed out to play with everyone!  I've also got a simple craft for the kids to do while they are waiting for food.  I will gather everything we need today so it's one less thing to do on Thursday.

This year, I'm so thankful for every little aspect of my life.  Things are never perfect, but we are healthy, happy and very blessed.  I give thanks to God for all these blessings and pray that every single one of you has what you need, what you want and what you love in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie Play-dough

My kids are out of school for Thanksgiving Break right now AND my hubby is out of town on business.  So what am I going to do to keep my kids busy, happy, and NOT fighting?  Crafts, of course.  And hopefully lots of them!

Today we are using my favorite play-dough recipe - with a Thanksgiving twist!  

Pumpkin Pie Play-Dough!

You will need:

1 cup of cold water

1 cup of salt

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

food coloring (we used red and yellow)

3 cups of flour

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

2 tablespoons (or so) of pumpkin pie spice

*This picture reveals a lot about me - mostly that I'm cheap! lol

Now gather your crew to help you.

Cute, right? Cute help is a must for this project!

Oh, and look at my helpful little Monkey-Man in his apron! 

Directions: 

Mix water, salt, oil & food coloring.

Gradually add flour, cornstarch and pumpkin pie spice until the mixture reaches the desired consistency - like bread dough.  

* When adding the last cup of flour, it was just TOO hard to stir.  

But it's fun to get your hands dirty, anyway!

Now just have fun!

*See our Thanksgiving Tree from last week?  And the printables I got at Craftily Ever After.  

Store covered or in a zip-top bag.

While I've been uploading pics and working on this blog post, my boys have been very happily playing with their play-dough at the table.  They almost NEVER sit for this long doing anything.  Ahhhh, this is nice!

Brag About It - And Fun Hops!

This week, the theme for the Mommy Madness Blog Hop is:

Brag About It!

"We all have something in our life that we are proud of whether it's a person or maybe even something we've worked really hard to earn or buy. Write a post about whatever you choose to brag about."

I'm actually kind of proud of a few things going on in my life right now, but none are bigger or better than my kids!

We got report cards yesterday.  Last grading period, The Chief (2nd grade) got all A's.  We were so proud!  But this grading period, he IMPROVED his grades!  He has also decided to be baptized, which will be done this Sunday!!!  Con-Man had a HUGE improvement as well!!!  In Kindergarten, they have 26 sight words they want the children to know by the end of the year.  Last grading period he knew 9.  Now he knows ALL 26 words!  I love that they are doing so well this early because it just paves the way for future success!  I loved school from the time I was little and I hope they do, too.  It's much easier to learn and make good grades if you enjoy it!  Monkey-Man is also making me super proud right now.  I had to drop him off with a sitter yesterday so I could go to the doctor. He doesn't get much time with sitters and he cried twice about the event before we even left the house.  When we got there, though, he put on such a brave face.  I could tell he wanted to cry, but he didn't!  He gave me a hug, asked if I'd be back after I went to the doctor, and then went and played.  

There are many days where I feel soooo stressed.  I feel like I've been yelling more than I've been using sweet, soft tones.  Heck, there are days I feel like I'm the worst mom ever.  But then there are days where I can actually SEE the good I've done for my kids.  And those days, I feel proud.  




Other awesome Blog Hops I'm enjoying today:

Thanksgiving party games - Review!

So what does your family do Thanksgiving Day while everyone is waiting on the big meal?  I am usually in the kitchen, rushing around to make sure everything is prepared and delicious.  But what about my hubby and kids?!  They are usually alternating between tv time, wrestling on the furniture, and tearing up the house!!  

Well, not this year.  I've been given the opportunity to review printable Thanksgiving games from Python Printables.  I did a test run with my guys so I could make sure these were fun and worth the price before I recommend them to my readers.  

Let me tell you, they are!  Python Printables has a TON of printable games on their site, but I think the Thanksgiving pack is my favorite so far.  There are fun coloring pages for the little ones, word searches, fun word games, even an NFL game pack!  I'm saving the NFL games until Thanksgiving Day because I can just see things heating up between my husband, brother and dad - should be a good show. ;)

You can go here to get more than 50 games for just $19.95!

But FIRST, go here to print of some free coloring pages and get a $5 off $19.95 purchase!

Have fun!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

It's a Social Parade - Follow On Fridays!

What a great Linky Party - It's Social Parade on Friday!  Hosted by Smart & Trendy Moms.

Have fun!

Camel Race Bible Trivia Questions Game Review

This week, For The Luv Of Boys has been given the opportunity to review Camel Race Bible Trivia Questions Game by Python Printable Games.  

I was very excited to play this with my boys - this is what the website says: 

"How to make Bible trivia more fun for the kids this Christmas? Teach by stealth with this UNIQUE giant printable board game! The kids become the Wise Men's camels in a race for the finish line at Bethlehem. Along the way, they answer simple Christmas Bible trivia quizzes. Fun for players and anybody watching!"

It recommends ages 6-9, but there were some questions that even stumped me!  It was so much fun to play!

This is a printable game - you print it out, cut the game pieces out and you are ready to go.  Python Printable Games has TONS of printable games for all occasions.  I can't wait to try out more!

Head on over and take a look!

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."]