The Best Cookies...

 are made and shared with friends!!

Sweet Lainey's Sugar Cookies

 UNO

 Big Boy

 

 Little Boy

 DOS

TRES

Peppermint Sticks!!

Vallimasoos: "Honey will you get those for me?"

Cookie Man: "what for?" (said in a very sarcastic tone)

Vallimasoos: "Peppermint Sticks!"

Cookie Man: "oh!" (gears rolling in his head as he puts 2 and 2 together)

You know a man TRULY loves you when you ask him to go dumpster diving AND he does!

And so I love him even more than yesterday!

OK-OK he really didn't jump into a dumpster... 

Cookie Man was tall enough to reach in and grab them while standing from his truck!

Gotta love that man!!

Enough with all the gooey, kissy stuff!

You know what these are???

...Me either BUT they came from a parking lot re-do!

These were waiting to be rescued 

by a strong, super sexy man 

in YES...the dumpster!

 I bought some painters tape and White Krylon Spray Paint for plastics.

I gave them Peppermint stripes!

  and sprayed them up good!!

We placed them on each side of the garage.

Being that we love to decorate the outside of our house for Christmas...

I knew they would be an awesome and FREE addition!!

Best of all...I have 3 more to make!!

I think eventually I'd like to see if I can add a 'hook' on the end to made a Candy Cane!

I'm linking up to

Mad in Crafts Link Party

Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

This has got to be my most favorite feast day to celebrate!! I grew up going to church at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.  Every year we would wake up to attend the morning "mañanitas"!


Play this video to hear Las Mananitas!

I have the best memories as a child attending the grand celebration!

Today the littles made Juan Diego Tilmas. 

We got the directions from this website but I made ours "Momma Friendly"!

(I cut out flowers with one of my punches!) 

The kids just simply glued their flowers around the Image of the Virgen.

 

 UNO and TRES showing off their tilmas.

(DOS fell asleep before the picture)

 

Last year, my mom..."Wela" had Our Lady of Guadalupe Aprons made for her and her granddaughters!

(She says for making tortillas and tamales!)

TRES posing in an OLG apron her "Wela" made for her.

(I'm thinking I need one too!)

After dinner we had Chocolate and Pan Dulce...

reliving another childhood memory!

VIVA LA VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE!

I am linking here!

Click here to learn more about:
Juan Diego
Our Lady of Guadalupe

Christmas Playdough

For someone who has never liked the texture and smell of Playdoh...

I am so in L.O.V.E. with Homemade Playdough!!

This month I made 3 colors.

RED, GREEN & WHITE

I added glitter to them!

Total cost...$1 for the glitter!

(I had the rest in the kitchen!)

I am making this for "Fun Party Favors" at UNO's Christmas Party at school!

Homemade Playdough
1 c. flour
1/2 cup salt
1 T. cooking oil
1 T. cream of tartar
1 c. water
Food coloring of your choice
Add-ins of your choice (i.e. spices, extracts, glitter, etc.)
Stir ingredients together well.  Just measure them into the saucepan you will be using to cook the dough, but mix them well before heating up the pan.  Over medium heat cook the dough, stirring constantly until it forms a ball.  (NOTE:  When it starts to pull away from the sides somewhat and clump together and most of the "wet-looking" parts look dry, it's ready to remove from the pan.)  Turn dough onto a board (or the countertop) and knead until very smooth.

Recipe borrowed  from here!

Celebrating St. Nicholas' Day

Last night, the "littles" put out their shoes for St. Nicholas!

 This morning, they found their treats of Peppermint sticks, Clementines and "Chocolate" Gold Coins!

 

And they quickly emptied them...

 And ate everything that was in them!!!

(note to momma...

not a good idea to sleep in on morning of St. Nicholas' Day...

Daddy let them eat all their goodies for breakfast!!)

There are also lots of great ideas for celebrating St. Nicholas' Day at Catholic Icing!

Nicholas, An Advent Saint

Advent is the time when Christians prepare to greet Christ—who came as a babe in a manger, who comes into our lives each day, and who will come again at the end of time. Advent is the time when people of faith are most at odds with the culture. The church calls people to focus on getting ready to receive Christ—preparing hearts and lives to make room for Jesus, to live as he would have us live. It is a time of longing, not fulfillment. Quiet reflection, not celebration. The culture, however, is already in a time of festivity, unable or unwilling, to wait and contemplate and prepare for the real festival. It is not easy to observe Advent without being pulled prematurely into Christmas. How does St. Nicholas fit into all of this? He is an Advent saint because his December 6th feast day always falls in early Advent (Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas between November 27 and December 3). However, Nicholas is a good Advent saint for more important reasons than the date of his special day. Whatever he did, and it is said that he did many kinds of amazing things, may not be as important as the way he did it. Nicholas became so popular because he was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. His life clearly reflected the way each one of us is called to show God's love to others, especially those in need.
Celebrating St. Nicholas on his day in Advent brings a bit of fun and festivity into homes, churches, and schools. His small treats and surprises help keep the spirit of good St. Nicholas, especially when stories of his goodness and kind deeds are told and ways to express his care for those in need are sought. Saint Nicholas helps us remember Christmas is a feast of love, hope, kindness and generosity.

Yes, Nicholas is a good Advent saint.

From the St. Nicholas Center, www.stnicholascenter.org

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

UNO and I made Snowflakes out of Coffee Filters.

We simply folder them in half 3 times and snipped away.

Cutting through the filters was a bit difficult for UNO, 

but he did great!

UNO's Snowflake!

Our Snow flurry!

 We then hung them next to our

"It's a Wonderful Life" sign!

December Sensory Tub

I L.O.V.E. Christmas time!

I was so excited to introduce December's Sensory tub!

I thought it would be great way to REALLY keep CHRIST in Christmas!

I am using the vermicelli from the November Sensory box.

I added Little People Nativity figurines!
(Bought this on sale at Target! Thanks Lacy!)

I plan on using it with this book.

 UNO was so excited he couldn't keep his hand off it!

 Best of all, it almost all fits in our Sensory Box!