Reston Mom

cute Thanksgiving ideas

I love these cute and easy ideas for a kids table at Thanksgiving:

Paper bag popcorn turkey over at One Charming Party

Apple cider apple cups over at Gimme Some Oven

Easter and pizza

I have been meaning to post a few pics from Easter.  We had a nice celebration and spent a quiet day with just our immediate family.  I was recalling how last year for Easter dinner we ordered pizza - ha! Ami was a week or two old and I was still recovering from a c-section and feeling pretty wiped out.  

This year, for Easter dinner - pizza again!  We had recently been busy and feeling wiped out for various reasons.  We weren't traveling to see family since we had just seen everyone for Ami's 1st birthday, so after church and naps for all of us, we headed over to California Pizza Kitchen at Fairfax corner.  The weather was perfect and there were tons of people enjoying the day.  Then we headed back to Reston Town Center for some frozen yogurt where even more people were out and about. 

  

this is what happens when you try to get more than two children to all take a picture together

grandma provided cute matching Easter dresses for all the pretty little girls

 

Valentines day sleepover

The girls wanted to have a few friends over for a sleepover so we partied Valentine's style.  A few simple ideas and it turned out to be a great evening!

 
 
 I set the table with valentine's napkins, dark red goblets, and these frames that I found at Michaels craft store for $1.  I painted the frames white and added construction paper with the girls' names in the picture slot for name cards at the table.

   
 

I made pizza with heart-shaped pepperoni for dinner.  I used a fondant cutter on the pepperoni. 

 

After dinner, all the girls got to decorate their frame with felt flowers (I also found these at Michaels - they were peel and stick!) and a pink paint pen.  I'll be making copies of pictures I took of the girls together for each of them to put in their frames.

 
 

Next was dessert - ice cream cone cupcakes with heart sprinkles and a red skittles candy for the cherry on top.  If you've never made these before, they are simple.  Fill cake cones 1/2 full with your cake batter and bake, frost when cool and - voila! Just stand the cones in a muffin tin for ease.  The great thing about these is no messy wrapper - just good eating!

 

Following dessert, we retired to sleeping bags in the living room for a movie (Kit Kittredge) and some reading before bed.  What a fabulous group of girls - tons of fun and the biggest topic of the sleepover? what chapter books they were reading and if they could borrow - smart girls, too! 

Pancakes and play in the morning wrapped it all up nicely.  I love that having a few friends spend the night is like the biggest deal ever at this age! 

simple blanket-stitched valentines

I've been in a crafty mood lately, but with little time.  So, I've resorted to quick and simple. Stitching has such a relaxing effect on me that I've picked up needles again - knitting needles, sewing needles - anything to draw a thread hypnotically.  

In trying to pull together a few decorations for the girls, I cut some felt hearts, doubled them, and quickly blanket-stitched them with some yarn. This simple stitch is one of the very first ones I'll teach to the girls - it is really not complicated and they can make a ton of really cute things from basic felt and yarn.  Maybe by Christmas next year, Hope will be well on her way to making some lovely homemade ornaments.

  

Christmas with the cousins

It was a ton of fun to have all the littles from Matt's side of the family together for Christmas.  The girls LOVED the time playing with their cousins.  We tried to get some good photos - but you know how it goes trying to get that many kids to all take a great shot! Still...cute as can be!

  
 
 
 

Tuesday's Tip - Peppermint bark

 I know that peppermint bark is a favorite treat at this time of year - and one that is easy to make and give. I'm all about sharing and receiving homemade goodies and I've got some good tips to make your peppermint bark desired by all your friends and family. And if you have any great bark recipes that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about them!

• regular candy canes are cheap and wonderful - except that when you make peppermint bark with them you end up with a candy component that is really sticky and hard on the teeth.  If you want the perfect texture to your bark, avoid the regular candy canes and look for "soft peppermint sticks" - which actually aren't really, really soft but are the perfect texture for noshing on instead of sucking on.  You'll find these straight-shaped candy-cane striped sticks usually in a little bag - like Bob's brand - and very cheap as well.  Wal-mart had them here for $.88 this year and they were less than a dollar in our Rite Aid.  So next year....you know what to do.
• try a different variation on the "bark."  My own version that I make every year consists of a layer of semi-sweet chocolate, topped by a layer of white chocolate flavored with a little peppermint extract and topped with a generous amount of crushed Oreo cookies.  Voila! Mint Chocolate Oreo bark (it's delicious, you are lucky I shared my idea with you!) Another fave version of mine is chocolate bark with smokey almonds, coarse sea salt, and turbinado sugar (or colored sugar sprinkles).  Get creative and surprise your friends and family with something that goes beyond their expectation of that same old peppermint bark.  

Tuesday's Tip - Christmas card lists

 I am terrible at sending out Christmas cards.  I really want to every year - but it just never seems to get done.  Granted, twice I had just given birth - last year I was quite pregnant with two little ones keeping me busy, and there have been other various reasons.  I've even meant to send New Year's cards or even Easter cards to make up for the missed opportunity at Christmas and failed at that too.  There are some things I'm just not gifted in.  I haven't given up though.  

If you are a Christmas card sender - you may find you have a list to manage.  If you aren't organized, it may be difficult to keep track of people to whom you want to send a card.  You may find yourself trying to keep tabs on who you have received a card from - wasn't there someone who sent you a card last year that you'd like to send one out to this year? Or perhaps, your list has become overwhelming and you'd like to weed it out a bit.

Here is one thing you might try.  Buy a notebook to designate as your Christmas card list.  Copy essential addresses into the front - the people you know you will send a card to year after year regardless.  Then date the top of a page with this year.  As you receive cards in the mail - cut off the address portion of the envelope and tape it onto that page.  Store this book with your Christmas items.   Next year, you'll know exactly who sent you a card the previous year and you will have their address.  You will also be sure to have new addresses for anyone who has changed residences.  The next year when you use your list to send out cards, record all the people you send them to by placing a mark next to the address clip and writing in new recipients.  Each year you will know who received a card from you the previous year and you will have a ready list for the present year.  You can make a section in the back of the book for a list of names or addresses for people you would prefer to send greetings to via email instead of snail mail.  

Family fun and Holidays

Here's the catch-you-up on a few of our family happenings:

First, Matt's sister and her husband (who has been his best friend since middle school) and their son, West, came for a good visit.  It was fun to have the little cousins together!

  

Thanksgiving was so nice! Matt's parents (Nana and Boompa to the girls) came and we feasted and enjoyed each other's company! 
 

  

Then on Friday, we ignored the black Friday sales and headed over to the town center to watch the annual parade for the first time - which we ditched early due to being so cold and the RIDICULOUS gaps between parade features which left us waiting and watching nothing in the cold for too long especially for little kids.  

  

So, we headed west instead to Snicker's Gap farm to cut down our Christmas tree.  The weather, though cold, was a far cry from the crazyness of last year and we all had a good time and scored a bea-u-ti-ful tree! I love the picture of our family together with Boompa filming next to us!

  
 
 
 

Santa is at the Reston Town Center

 I don't have all the details, I'll post them when I get them - in the meantime, perhaps one of you will be able to fill the rest of us in.  While I was at the town center, I noticed that down past Williams Sonoma - heading towards Nine West, there is a currently vacated space which is being used this season to host Santa Claus for pictures and such with the kiddos.  So, if you haven't already hit up the mall Santa - you might want to head over to the town center (like I said, I'll try to get hold of times and post them) and take your pictures with Santa there, then watch the ice skaters (or join in!) Marvelous Market now actually has hot apple cider (after forever having it on their sign without actually having it for sale) and the big gingerbread house and train display is up inside the foyer of the Hyatt.  Tons of new shops down there too - like Lou Lou.  You'd think this was an advertisement for RTC, but really, I just love spending time with my family there.  

Tuesday's Tip - Turkey

 Since I'll be hosting and cooking on Thanksgiving this year, I've been thinking about the turkey! Usually, we grill (yes, you can grill an entire Turkey and yes, it is amazingly good!) but since our gas grill has some issues, it looks like a good old-fashioned in-the-oven bird this year.  No prob - I've done this before.  But, I heard that rubbing the bird with salt the day before helps the skin to get nice and crispy.  Has anyone done this before?  I've definitely heard of doing an herbed salt-rub instead of brine, though my refrigerator doesn't allow space for submerging the turkey in brine overnight and I'm too timid of parts of the bird being too dry to try burying it in salt - but if a nice poultry massage with salt will draw out some of the moisture and leave a perfectly crispy, brown skin it may be worth a try.  We all know though that it's the butter that works magic on the outside of Turkey, right?  Butter and basting (basting every 30 min or so) - that's the way to go if you want a nice golden bird.  Tent your foil until towards the end of baking and then take it off and watch the bird tan nicely.  If it browns too quickly, just put the foil on again.  

Halloween wings!

Hope and Maddie put in special requests to dress in costume as a fairy and a butterfly this year.  I'm not a huge fan of spending a ton of money on Halloween, so I figured I could whip together some wings from some materials I already had on hand.  I thought they came out pretty well considering I didn't have any patterns, although I wish I had used stronger wire to support them.  It is difficult to tell how glittery they are in the pictures - they were outlined with glow-in-the-dark glitter and the fairy wings have swirls and the butterfly wings have white sections that are made from this glitter as well.  Plus the sparkly trim and sequins they were a big hit for some pretty girly girls!  The girls just picked some pretty dresses that they already had - and away they flew! 

  

Easter craft

I decided to do a craft with the girls to make something decorative for our table for Easter.  So, I looked through the materials we had and came up with a project to make paper mache eggs.  We just used balloons, white glue, and water to make the egg shape.  Then we cut strips of colorful tissue paper and after the eggs were dry we used brushes to "paint" the tissue onto the eggs using the same glue/water mix. When they dried again, I popped and pulled out the balloons, punched a hole in the bottom and pulled some ribbon through knotting it underneath.  We chose a branch from our yard and filled a vase with paper grass to create our centerpiece.  The eggs aren't perfectly egg shaped, but the color is great and it was a lot of fun to make.  

My Valentine and his favorite pie

Today the girls and I are going to make a pie for our most special guy.  

I didn't have a really great post planned for Valentine's Day  - but I do happen to have a really great pie recipe and a little story to go along with it.

Almond Cream Pie with Raspberry Sauce is my hubby's favorite pie.  By our first Valentine's Day together - just shortly after we began dating - I was already well versed in the wonder of this delicate dessert and Matt's affection for it.  

So, I called his mom.  Now, I hadn't met her yet and, to be honest, I wasn't sure if she even knew that we were dating.  Plus, with the way Matt had extolled this pie, I figured it might be some special family recipe and asking for it might be a bit presumptuous.  Also, being an introvert and in general a person who loathes talking on the phone, this was a really big step for me.  

Luckily Matt's family are all wonderful and his mom didn't mind giving the recipe to some random girl "friend" of Matt's from college.  

Now, to the task of baking a pie that I had never seen before or tasted and which would inevitably be compared to mom's pie.  

I was pretty nervous upon presenting this pie to Matt on Valentine's Day - not knowing whether it had turned out right or not.  But somehow I got it right and apparently impressed Matt with both the pie and the fact that I had called his mom to get the recipe.

He still likes to tease that that pie is how I won him over.  And while there is more to us than that, for whatever role the pie had in it all or not, I'm certainly glad to have spent the last 8 years married to this man whom I love and admire so deeply.

Now you are wondering about that pie - creamy whipped almond flavored filling, drizzled with the perfect red raspberry sauce...it really is a winner.  While it takes a little time to prepare, it's worth it and so I'll post the recipe for you soon.  

motherload of Christmas photos

This may be overkill, but it's for my family and friends who don't live close by.  So while the rest of you may not be quite that into my family...we had a lot of fun this year, photos are fun - and so here are a whole lot of fun photos of us having fun!

WE MADE TONS OF COOKIES THIS YEAR:

peppermint/sugar cookie swirl lollipops

royal-frosted sugar cookies for Santa

my friend Erica came over to teach us how to make authentic Swedish pepparkakor

and goodies to fill these gift boxes, which the girls decorated by themselves using triangles cut from green felt with adhesive backing, elmer's glue and buttons.

POTBELLY CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY:

all dressed up

CHRISTMAS AT HOME:

this is pretty much the feel of our Christmas...ahhh

lunch - a little spoiled for just the four of us don't you think?

we had an awesome candle lit dinner and it ended like this.  Such is life with kids.

VACATING WITH THE IN-LAWS:

first time bowling for the girls, Maddie thought it was the best thing ever and wouldn't let us help her at all

can-jo anyone?

rock band

a balmy day in the upper 70's at the beach

Merry Christmas

From my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. "   Isaiah 9:6

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.   All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet; The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means 'God with us'."  Matthew 1:21-22

Christmas Eve Party

I just wanted to post an invitation to you all in case you haven't solidified any plans for Christmas Eve as of yet.  We're throwing a party at PotBelly restaurant in the Reston Town Center at 5 pm.  It will be a casual affair with some activities for the kids, maybe some caroling, and the food is on us!  It will be an easy way to save yourself from a mess in the kitchen and to gather some Christmas cheer.  The town center is gorgeous right now with all it's lights and so festive with ice- skating and the like, that it's the perfect location! Bring anyone you like and come say hi, grab some munchies, stay for as little or as long as you like and have a great time!

The event is sponsored by my church, RCC, (you didn't think I could afford all those sandwiches and milkshakes did you? :) which meets in the movie theaters right there in the town center - so you can read more about it at www.potbellychristmas.com.  But don't worry, there won't be any solicitation...just a bunch of locals and friends gathering at the town center.  Hope to see you there!

real vs. artificial Christmas trees

Although most of you who intend to, probably have already chosen and decorated a Christmas tree, I found this article interesting.  We've always been a "real" tree family...not necessarily because of greener implications, but honestly just because I like the smell and the idea of having something "living."  When we are finished with it, we recycle ours to a pile in the woods along with other neighbors, as a natural habitat providing winter shelter for the local wildlife, which I like too.  However, we've also known people with allergies to evergreen trees, so for them artificial is a must.  What is your preference?  And would it make any difference in your decision if you thought one option was "greener" than the other?

Our crazy christmas tree story - 2008

The Monday after Thanksgiving, our family was determined to travel westward to the foot of the mountains to a great little place called Snicker's Gap Farm to cut down a Christmas tree ourselves. We arrived, welcomed by piney aroma and gorgeous views, and didn't waste any time gathering a saw and heading straight up the side of the mountain directly to the Douglas Fir's up in the very back.

  As soon as we started looking, out of nowhere a sudden and crazy little storm whipped up and in seconds we were bombarded by lighting and heavy thunder while being pelted by freezing precipitation changing by degree from icy rain into massive amounts of white pellets right before our eyes.  Matt and I just looked at each other and started laughing as if to say, "you've got to be kidding me!"  Hope and Maddie were shrieking from the loud crashes of thunder and the instant drench of cold wetness.

So, unable to predict what this storm was about to do, Matt decided to stay and chop a tree and follow us later, while I grabbed up the girls and made my way down as quickly and awkwardly as is possible for a pregnant woman with a shrieking 40 lb 3 yr. old buried in her neck and another crying child grasping at her hand to keep from slipping.  I just kept a cheerful voice and assured them we'd be out of there soon. We made it to the shelter - and I kid you not - no sooner had we free hot cider in hand and the warmth of a kerosene heater nearby than I turned around and voila! BLUE SKIES! That 8 minute storm was over, and as I and my children - all completely soaked from head to toe with frosty fingers and noses - watched Matt come down the hill with a tree, other dry and smiley families gathered beneath the gorgeous blue skies to happily hunt for their own.  So there's our happy memory of our first time cutting our own tree for ya! 

Alas, it was probably a blessing in disguise which prevented my indecision from keeping us up on the side of that mountain for hours and allowed the rest of the day for festivities and decorating inside our own cozy home. 

 And, I must add, that in the midst of a crazy storm - Matt's tree judgement was proven awesome as our tree is gorgeous, shapely, and very tall! We had to trim our 8 1/2 footer to fit it beneath our 8 foot ceilings...but as Matt said on our way to the farm - "If I'm going into the mountains to cut down a tree for my family, it better be majestic!"

What is your stocking tradition?

We were having a conversation with friends last night about Christmas stockings.  Each family seems to have their own way of doing this.  One of our friends recalled that they opened the stockings first and that all the really great things were in there, it was the jackpot!  Another friend recalled that the stockings were always filled with cheap dime-store stuff and the good stuff was under the tree.  Growing up, my husband and I both had knit stockings, either made by someone or bought - but unlike the quilted ones our daughters have, they stretched to a greedy capacity, especially with an orange in the toe.  His family opened them first, while mine saved them for last.  My stocking always had candy inside of it and even our family dog had a stocking with little toys and treats that I fondly remember opening and showing her.

What is the stocking tradition that you remember or that you have in your home?

Mama Chef - Oreo peppermint bark

If you are tired of the same peppermint bark each year, or just looking to mix things up a bit - here is a recipe I threw together a few years ago (I think it can hardly be called a recipe, and I'm probably not the first to do this) that always gets gobbled up.  It's really easy and the kids will love to help crush up the Oreos, plus it makes great gifts!

What you need:

1 pkg Oreo cookies

1 small pkg of white chocolate chips

1 large pkg or 2 small pkg of semi-sweet chocolate chips

peppermint extract

1 tsp of vegetable oil

green food coloring (optional)

waxed paper

small to medium cookie sheet

What to do:

• line the cookie sheet with waxed paper
• break up about 2 rows of whole Oreo cookies into a bowl.  You will want pieces rather than crumbs, but small pieces.
• melt the semi-sweet chocolate over a double boiler or in a heavy-bottomed pan over low - stirring constantly until smooth - careful not to burn!
• spread the chocolate evenly over the waxed paper and let cool completely (sticking it in the freezer is a really great trick that helps with spreading the white chocolate later)
• melt the white chocolate in the same fashion, adding in the vegetable oil (this will keep the white chocolate smooth instead of dry) as well as a few drops - maybe start with 1/4 tsp peppermint extract.

NOTE: peppermint extract is extremely strong and goes a long way...add just a few drops at a time and taste test until you reach the desired strength.  Add some green food coloring too if you like.

• spread the melted white chocolate over the top of the cold, now hardened, semi-sweet chocolate to create a smooth second layer
• sprinkle the crushed Oreos across the top and press lightly 
• place the pan in the freezer until everything is set and very cold 
• remove, peel away the waxed paper, and break into medium pieces of bark 
• enjoy! 

town festivity

I love to find the most festive places in town at Christmas - ours of course is the Reston Town Center. We've driven through at night a couple of times already just to see the lights - which are new and more numerous than ever this year! Today we decided to go for a few minutes to see the annual gingerbread village display in the Hyatt's lobby and watch the ice skaters and the horse-drawn carriage.  It was very cold...but very festive with tiny snowflakes floating down from the sky.  I never get tired of the decorations and looking at the displays in the store windows.  

Where do you go for some town festivity? Is there a special place you traditionally visit?

Answers to the Carol game

Here are the answers to the game I posted this week where you try to identify the Christmas carols.  Hope you had fun!  I still have fun doing this every year.

1. Silent Night
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
3. Silver Bells
4. Let It Snow
5. Frosty the Snowman
6. The 12 Days of Christmas
7. Away In A Manger
8. O Holy Night
9. Jingle Bells
10. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
11. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
12. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
13. Winter Wonderland
14. Carol Of The Bells
15. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
16. The Holly and The Ivy
17. The First Noel
18. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
19. Deck The Halls With Boughs of Holly
20. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
21. We Three Kings
22. O Christmas Tree!
23. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
24. Do You Hear What I Hear
25. Go Tell It On The Mountain
26. O Come All Ye Faithful
27. Joy To The World
28. What Child Is This?
29. I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas
30. Angels We Have Heard On High

Can you identify each carol?

Back when I used to teach chorus/music, I created little festive activities for my students on the fun free-day following our holiday concerts.  This is one that somehow has stuck around in my Christmas stuff for years.  The title of each Christmas carol is rewritten in a descriptive method - Can you identify the true title of each carol.  Feel free to copy it and use it for whatever - it has been a good conversation point and activity for gatherings over the years.  First, I'll give you the chance to figure them out by yourself...but don't worry, I'll post the answers this week!

1. the counterpart of day, devoid of noise
2. respite be granted by the diving being to you cheerful persons of masculine high social standing 
3. domed instrument of Ag 
4. grant that frozen precipitation may descend 
5. humanoid of frozen precipitation with an appropriate title 
6. a dozen axis rotations prior to the divine birthday celebration 
7. placed aside in the animal trough 
8. interjection of wonder towards the sacred counterpart of day 
9. hollow object named for the character of the sound it makes when struck 
10. interjections of wonder towards the small village of the Savior's family residence 
11. rosy snouted, hoofed animal 
12. personal past viewing of a maternal parent engaged in affection with jolly holiday person 
13. geographical place of awe during the coldest season of the year 
14. song of joy or praise regarding a rhythmic instrument 
15. the thing arrived at the middle of the transparent counterpart of day 
16. the green prickly vegetation and the green vine vegetation 
17. the primary Christmas 
18. jolly holiday person will soon arrive in the village 
19. adorn the passageway with branches of green prickly vegetation 
20. dancing in a circular pattern to the holiday evergreen 
21. our trio of royal men 
22. interjection of wonder towards the holiday evergreen 
23. attention! the proclaiming heavenly messengers are making vocal music 
24. are you able to audibly recognize that which I audibly recognize? 
25. move forth to verbally communicate on the surface of the great hill that which has ocurred 
26. draw near all those who are loyal 
27. elation towards our inhabited planet 
28. which infant be the very one? 
29. I am imagining in my slumber a snowy December holiday 
30. heavenly messengers we did audibly recognize in an elevation position 

a little pneumonia with her turkey

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful - the best part was being surrounded by so many people we love and enjoy.  And there just is something about sharing a meal with other people....
Anyway, the downside was that as soon as we arrived at my parents home, Maddie exhibited a fever and vomited a few times.  She had a cough too, so my dad got out his stethoscope and gave her a good listen.  Turns out she probably has a little patchy viral pneumonia which should get better in a couple days, though we are watching her closely.
She was feeling better the next day, so we continued on and I think our whole family has really enjoyed the celebration this year.  I'll post pictures when I can.
On top of it all though, I've had a splitting headache for four days.  I've never had a headache last for longer than a couple of hours, ever!  I've never had a migraine.  And I have to say it really stinks.  Between Maddie and myself, I've declared today a rest day.  But I'm honestly SUPER THANKFUL for good immune systems - it's not often that we're sick around here and that, my friends, is a true blessing. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

"The blessings we are used to, become so much the habit of our lives that we are apt to take them for granted and to fail to be stirred by them to any positive emotion of thankfulness. There are those who,ever mindful of the unequal measure in which privilege, opportunity and all material goods are distributed in this world, are always consciously grateful for the ordinary, every-day comforts; for food and shelter and decent surroundings and a peaceful life. But most of us, differently constructed, are prone to consider that all we are used to have is ours by a natural right, and that on the whole it is rather a hardship that we cannot contrive to have an ever-increasing share of sugar-plums allotted to us. We that are of that disposition must try at Thanksgiving to come to a fuller appreciation of our more recondite blessings, as well as of those which we accept as matters of course."    E.C. Martin

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."   Melody Beattie

Let the feasting begin!

My family will have it's fill of Thanksgiving foods this year starting today!  This evening my small group from church is coming over to share a Thanksgiving dinner together.  Then tomorrow we are traveling 3 hrs. to my parents home to have Thanksgiving with them.  Thursday morning we'll travel another hour and a half to Matt's sister's house to have celebrate with his family.  Now that's a lot of turkey!  I'm feeling grateful for all the food that will abound (we've got some top notch chefs in this family), but mostly for all the friends and family we'll be surrounded by this year. 
When we return, we'll be traveling to the mountains to cut down our own Christmas tree - another fun family outing I'll be sure to post about!
Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving - and thanks to you for visiting this blog and for all of your friendships!

cinnamon applesauce ornaments

If you've never tried this holiday craft idea with your kids (or even by yourself), you'll find that it is super easy, comes out looking really nice , and requires little ingredients.  Plus, you'll get the aromatic benefit of cinnamon! Here's a helpful hint too: instead of buying an expensive jar of cinnamon at the grocery store - Dollar Tree stores carry large bottles for a buck this time of year.  My girls had a lot of fun with this.

Here's what you need:
1 C store-bought applesauce
1 C cinnamon
1 tbls of white glue  (this is optional)
cookie cutters

Here's what to do:
Mix all the ingredients together to make a soft dough.  If the dough is too sticky or moist, add more cinnamon.  Roll the dough to 1/4 in. thickness (any less and the ornaments will be too fragile).  Use cookie cutters to cut shapes.  Use a straw or a toothpick to make a hole in the tops for hanging with ribbon.  Let them air dry for 4 or 5 days, turning once a day.  (you can also put them in a 200 degree oven for a little while to dry them, but it isn't the best method). 

Thankful Thursday, Nov. 20

Continuing my November Thankful Thursdays,

Today I am thankful to God for:

• being able to choose my attitude
• the new baby and all her ferocious little movements
• having a houseful of little girls
• I often say thankful prayers for my eyes - that I can see my children and my husband and so many beautiful things, and for my ears - that I can hear their voices and music and all different kinds of sounds
• hope (my daughter yes, but I mean having hope for our lives and our futures)
• rest and peace

New Book Giveaway!

I love a good Christmas book that is worthy of the whole family, so I'm excited to give this one away!
Cole Family Christmas is a piece of oral history.  The very special family Christmas story from her childhood was related by Hazel Cole Kendle to her granddaughter-in-law and co-author, Jennifer Liu Bryan.

Hazel was one of nine Cole children raised in the small mining community of Benham, Kentucky, in the Appalachian Mountains.  The tale, based on true story, follows a special Christmas when the Cole children are allowed to ask Santa for gifts from the Sears catalogue wish book.  An unlikely snowstorm, however, sets the stage for a holiday in which gifts are given and received that no one could have predicted.  The joyful and unexpected Christmas morning that results has lived on as family lore.

The book is simple, sweet, and heartwarming.  I'm looking forward to reading it again, hopefully sharing a chapter a night as a family.  It would also make a nice little gift for someone this season.  So, if you'd like a chance to win a free copy, all you have to do is leave a comment below.  No need to say anything specific, but if you have a favorite holiday book, I'd love to hear what it is!  The winner will be randomly drawn by Hope one week from now on Tuesday, Nov. 25th!

Thankful Thursday, Nov. 13

Today I thank God for:

Clean water - showers, a dishwasher and laundry machines, toilets,  a refrigerator with ice, plenty to drink, extra to cook and clean and play with. 

Health - healthy children, husband, and self; access to health care and products; food and clean water and sanitary living conditions.

The option to be a stay at home mom

Always, the people I share my everyday life with and who share theirs with me; Matt, Hope, and Maddie
and the new baby girl

Christmas conversation with a 4 yr old

Hope stumped me with her discernment about the Easter Bunny last year - I tell you, she's not easily fooled.

Hope:  "Mommy, does Santa really have a sleigh that flies in the sky?"
Me: "Yes, Santa does."
Hope: "But does it really fly?"
Me: "Um hm."
Hope: "But how does it stay up there?"
Me: "Magic."
Hope: "But mommy, there's no such thing as magic.  I don't think that Santa's sleigh can really fly that way.  He must have to get there a different way."

Santa comes to RTC!

The holidays have arrived at Reston Town Center, which is busy being decorated in preparation for the parade and tree lighting on November 28th.  The ice-skating rink is up and running and things are beginning to look pretty merry. 
One new feature - Santa is coming this year!  Hooray for not standing in line at the mall!  You can pick up a schedule at Cradle n' Crayon or several other stores at the town center.  Our family is also going to take advantage of a horse drawn carriage ride on Hope's birthday this year - kids 5 and under ride free!
I love it when the town center is all lit up and holiday cheery - can't wait to stroll around some more with the family and perhaps a peppermint mocha. 

Thankful Thursdays in November

Okay...so it's not Thursday.  I'm a day late, but no less grateful.  In honor of Thanksgiving Day, I'm spending some time pondering all the things I have to be grateful for and practicing giving thanks. 
I'd like to add that I find being thankful a little meaningless without actually directing that gratitude towards someone.  I do believe in God and so I am going to direct my own thanks towards Him.

Today I thank God for:
- I was listening to a story on NPR the other day about day laborers in our area not being able to find work and giving up their daily meals sans maybe one candy bar so that they can send everything they are making to family back in their home country.  They won't go home, their families wouldn't let them anyway, the economy there is just as bad and even if they only work various jobs for a total of two weeks per month in the States, they are earning like ten times what they would at a regular job back home.
I am so grateful for being an American, for having an amazing home full of conveniences to live in, together with my family, and for the food we have and my husband's job. 
I am grateful for the words of Paul (in the Bible) " I have learned the secret to being content in plenty and in want" and also "Godliness with contentment is great gain."   Americans seem to be about the most discontent people in the world, and yet we are the richest.  I think that giving thanks breeds contentment, maybe that was Paul's great secret - today I feel like the wealthiest person on the planet in so many ways!

Halloween pics

Matt took the girls trick-or-treating just down our little street, which is funny because not only was it Hope's second time ever, but Matt's.  Maddie joined them this year and the girls did great - confidently approaching the doors all by themselves and coming home happy as ever.   I folded laundry and gave away candy to the only 5 people who came to our door :) Needless to say, we have a lot left over and I'm going to need to pawn it off on someone or throw it away soon since I have very little restraint when it comes to my sweet tooth!  Instead of spending money, the girls chose costumes from their dress-up trunk - a princess and a cat - they were totally satisfied.

a healthy halloween tip

If you plan on taking the kids trick-or-treating this year, here's a tip for keeping their intake of sugar and all those artificial colors and ingredients to a limit.  It's easy - have them take a smaller bag.  Too often kids eyes greedily light up at the game of how big a hoard of tooth-rotting candy they can glean from their generous neighbors. Then as parents we end up throwing away candy, trying to limit the kids consumption over a long period of time, or eating it ourselves.  There is no reason why a child needs to fill a giant pillowcase full of candy or more than one receptacle...even those plastic pumpkins hold way more than a reasonable amount of candy.  Why not use this as an opportunity to teach kids self-restraint and gratefulness?  Try a smaller bag and stop trick-or-treating when it is full.  Teach your kids that there is such a thing as enough and that they can be content and appreciative.  This is a small application of a lesson that will go a long way in life. 

We got Boo'd

There is this little Halloween tradition that occurs in our neighborhood each year...it's called "Boo".  Basically, someone starts it by anonymously leaving treats at two people's doorsteps plus taping a little picture or piece of paper to the door which says "Boo!"  Within the package of treats is this little poem:

This treat is for you, we hope you enjoy.
The idea is simple, one we hope you'll employ.
You pass "Boo" along to 2 other neighbors,
along with any kind of Halloween favors.
If we all do our part and spread the good cheer,
by Halloween night it will be very clear:
We're a friendly bunch, we like to share fun!
So please do your part and keep "Boo" on the run!

The key is taping that picture to the door - this lets other neighbors know that you've received this treat already so that it can pass without repeat, but it's my favorite part because usually people have their kids draw the picture!  Suddenly front doors throughout our neighborhood become decorated by handmade drawings by kids of all ages and they are really cute!  And during a holiday time which features going from door to door to get,get,get...it's a nice change to take your kids to someone's door to give a thoughtful treat.

LED votives and tea lights

Of course I've seen these before, but I ran into them again at the grocery store recently.  I have to say that I think that battery-operated LED candles are a fantastic idea, especially at times like Halloween.  I have a specific memory of the smell of a candle burning inside a freshly carved pumpkin...but when there are lots of children around, safety is the best policy.  Little tea-lights can be placed in paper bags to line a walk-way at any festive occasion or used wherever a real flame might be a temptation or a hazard for little ones.  You can get them in pretty much any size (even pillars) or color and they aren't very expensive. 

Happy Halloween!

...compliments of Michael's Craft Store, where I entered tonight and met with pumpkins, skulls and black feathery wreaths and shopped to the sounds of cackles, moans, and groans from little moving table-top scenes. 
That's right, it's only been one week since July 4th...but if you've got a hankering for black cauldrons and crunchy fall leaves, then Michael's is all ready for you! 
Fall is absolutely my favorite season, but this is downright ridiculous.  Just be prepared for Christmas sales to push out the back-to-school sales.  Ugh. 

Independance Day

Yesterday was the best 4th of July I can remember.  We got brave in the morning and headed into D.C. with family via the metro.  The first time the kids had a chance to ride, and they loved it!  Hope was so giddy!  We watched the parade down Constitution Ave. in our nation's Capital for some authentic festivity and hit the Smithsonian Air and Space and Natural History museums.  Then, we left the city (yes, that's right - no fireworks downtown for us, and a good idea since it rained anyway) and headed home for some fun at our friends' home with a couple of other families.  We had a yummy cook-out, a little kiddie parade with decorated wagons and face paint, lots of glow sticks, sparklers, smoke bombs, and screamers and then we topped off the night at the top of the hill with an spectacularly illegal display of sky-high real fireworks compliments of a neighbor.  The kids had a blast, and so did we.

Fun Holiday Weekend

I wasn't expecting much for this Memorial Day weekend, but it turned out to be really fun.  Sunday night we invited some good friends and their kids over for a cook-out and had a blast.  Monday, we finally broke down and gave into the pleading by our girls to go to the pool.  It was FREEZING, as expected, but they loved it!  I'm so looking forward to being at the pool a lot this summer.  And then we were invited to the house of some other friends for BBQ ribs and other great summer holiday foods.  For starting out with no plans, the weekend ended up filled with friends and fun!

Happy Mother's Day!

Just wanted to wish you all a happy Mother's Day.  I hope it's great!

 

Leftover plastic Easter eggs, part 2

With a touch of creativity, plastic Easter eggs can become great inspiration and starter material for fun crafts with your kids.  Here are just a few ideas:

• make little Easter egg people or animals using markers, construction paper, glitter, ribbon, stickers and other glue-ons
• make nesting dolls with different size eggs - your children will have fun making their own characters and you can discuss concepts of size
• grow a garden of daffodils using some wire and felt (some eggs come with tiny holes in the bottoms, those are good for this craft) - you can fill the cups with little messages or candies and give them away to a friend
• the eggs with the little holes are great for stringing together as well for garlands and necklaces.  One egg can instantly be transformed into a locket to carry a favorite little treasure.
• nail halves of the eggs (cup upward) to a flat piece of wood.  Fill the cups with favorite bird treats and place on a window ledge or in a garden as is or drill two holes at either end and suspend with rope like a swing.
• create a fun wreath for next year

wreath pictured comes from thriftyfun.com_

leftover plastic Easter eggs, part 1

Now that Easter is over, you may be wondering what to do with all the left-over plastic eggs!  I just can't bear to throw them away - it seems sad and bad for the environment.  Last year, I stowed them away for re-use this year...but thanks to grandma, we ended up with twice as many.  Here are some things you can do with your kids to put those colorful plastic eggs to use and keep the fun going.....

• make egg shakers by filling them with buttons, beans, beads, whatever and taping closed
• fill each egg with a puzzle piece and re-hide them.  Let the kids search and put the puzzle together
• use a glue gun and a foam wreath form or a plain grape-vine wreath to create a festive decoration for next year
• empty eggs make great bathtub toys for scooping and pouring - will they float or sink? how can you make them sink?
• empty eggs make great sandbox toys for scooping and pouring.  Bury them and dig up your treasure.
• use them to cut circle-shaped cookies or biscuits
• create a matching game by mixing up halves and letting a young child put them back together
• create patterns with your kids by lining up halves with alternating colors and sizes.  You can make a pattern and ask them to guess what would come next.  Have them create their own.
• use three halves flat on a table, place an object under one and shuffle them around. Can your child guess where the object is?
• plastic eggs are just the right size for snack containers for lunch boxes or in mom's purse - they make good serving sizes for little kids.
• play scavenger hunt - fill the eggs with clues and hide them leading to something fun
• use them for seed starters - place halves in the cups of an empty egg-carton, fill with soil and plant seeds, keep moist and set in a sunny place until seeds sprout
• smaller eggs can sometimes fit into board game boxes to hold small pieces such as dice or pawns to keep them from getting lost
• if the egg doesn't have small holes in the bottoms, you can place a small amount of play-doh or clay inside and stash it in your purse for entertaining your kids while waiting at a restaurant or at the doctor's office, etc....  or fill it with stickers or beads and a shoelace.
• use one in your purse or make-up bag for storing cotton balls, earrings, or other small items
• play your own version of Jenga - have each child take a turn stacking one egg half over top of another, see how high the tower will grow until it falls over

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Easter pictures

After a short Easter-induced blogging hiatus, I'm finally back into the swing of things once again.  Here are a few pictures from our family's celebration.

Sugar-free peeps!

I just tried some of these sugar-free peeps.  I couldn't resist - how can you not wonder how a sugar-coated marshmallow can be made sugar-freeI Isn't "sugar-free" like the antithesis of peeps? There are just three in a package, one for me and each of my girls - so I figured we'd give it a whirl - curiosity got the better of me.  Actually, made with splenda, the peeps were really pretty good.  They aren't the same as the real thing at all, in my opinion, however.  They are a little less sickeningly sweet (a good thing) and very vanilla-y. The coating is not the crystally-crunchy sugar that characterizes the original peeps, but overall I'd say they are a worthy substitution.  My daughter Hope who loves marshmallows but despises peeps gave them her stamp of approval.  So, if you're looking to reduce the amount of sugar in your Easter baskets this year, but can't part with your traditional peep candy...I definitely think these are worth a try. 

Easter Bunny? yeah right.

While Hope is fully willing to believe in Santa Claus, she's apparently a little too astute for a bunny who delivers colorful eggs and candy.  Here is the simple straightforward conversation we had recently - out of the blue, Hope asks:
"mom, is there really no Easter Bunny, right?"
me: "well, yes, not really"
Hope: "then who puts the stuff in my Easter basket?"
me: "well, who knows what kind of stuff you like?"
Hope: "you and daddy."
me: "yes."
Hope: contently "okay then."
So much for childhood fables, my girl is a realist.

Easter at the Theater

Easter is one of my favorite holidays! I hope that all of your celebrations are special and memorable. If you don't have plans yet or are looking for somewhere to celebrate, you are invited to join me at 10 am for a fantastic and unique church service in the theater at Reston Town Center.  I guarantee you won't be bored and you'll spend the hour surrounded by the friendliest people you've ever met!

Green for St. Patty's Day

In honor of the holiday that touts green as it's theme color and in honor of the country that can easily claim to be literally the most brilliantly green place in the world (I can testify - amazingly beautiful!), I thought I'd post links to my favorite "green" sites to help us all "go green" and arm our attitudes with green thinking for the sake of our planet and the generations which follow us.  Enjoy!

Green Daily
Ideal Bite
I Go Green
Green Mom Finds
The Green Guide
livingreen
green baby guide
ecofabulous

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When I was in college I had the opportunity to travel to Ireland to work with some youth and children.  It was the easiest thing in the world to fall in love with that land and it's people.  I remember the names of some of the teenagers I met: Marten, Sean, Fergal, Ronan, Nile, Friar, Ryan, and Sheena, Rosemarie, Fiona, and Rosheen.  I myself bear an Irish name - Patricia, after my grandmother who was so named for being born on St. Patrick's Day.  If you are currently considering baby names, you might find it interesting that Irish names have gained popularity in the States - among all the top names for 2007 you can find Aidan/Aiden/Aden in the first spot followed also by Connor, Logan, Liam, Ryan, Keegan, Sean, Riley and Finn for boys and Kaitlyn, Brianna, Keira/Ciara, and Riley popular for girls.  For a considerable list of Irish names, check here courtesy of BabyNames.com.

Mr. Chocolate Easter Bunny

While I was in Tree Top Kids recently, I spied a cute item in the Easter section - it looked exactly like those chocolate easter bunnies you see from Russell Stover and other companies....except inside the box was a cute milk or white-chocolate plush bunny.  I somehow remembered that it was made by Ganz and searched all over the internet to try to find it again and didn't have much luck.  I did also happen to find this cute chocolate bunny from Lilly Bean.  So, if you aren't so keen on stuffing your little one's basket full of sugary, caffeine containing, messy melty treats - then perhaps you'll fall in love with these alternatives too.