Gift Bucket

Why is it so fun to get or give a gift basket?  Or in this case gift bucket?

I made this for a friend in the hospital after delivering her baby girl.  Someone told me about a recipe for chicken soup using 6 canned goods.  I tried it and liked it.  So, I thought maybe it would make a good gift.  Especially if it is wrapped in a super cute green bucket from the dollar bins at Target.  (It was actually $2.50, but still a great deal.)  You'll never guess what I made the monogram with.  Shelf liner!!  Shhhhh! don't tell my secrets!  It was on clearance at Michael's so I bought several different patterns because I just knew it would work like vinyl cut with my Slice machine or Cricut.  

I added a bag of Fritos and a cute recipe card to the basket.  You could even add shredded cheese to the gift basket if you are delivering to the recipient's home. Everything for a complete meal without having to try too hard.  Everything goes in one pot. No need to remember to thaw something or dirty lots of dishes if you seriously don't feel like cooking OR going out.  Or having pizza delivered.  Am I the only girl in America that doesn't care for pizza much?

6 Can Taco Soup:
Rotel
Whole Kernel Corn
Black Beans
Chicken Broth
Can of Chicken
Cream of Chicken soup
+ Taco Seasoning packet

Mix all ingredients in a pot and simmer.
(Most of the time, I actually cook chicken in the pot first and then add all ingredients except canned chicken. In a pinch, it works with canned chicken.)

January Coaster

"No fair.  You get to miss school to go look at my new cousin and I don't."

Welcome to the world, Baby M!!

Aprons

THE gift for Christmas this year was an Easy Bake Oven. 

If a girl is gonna bake, she needs an apron, right?

If a girl has an apron her dolly will definitely need one, too!

My sisters made these for my daughter and her new American Girl doll.  I don't even think they had a pattern.  Pretty cute, huh?  I am just a little jealous of their mad sewing skills.  But not really cause my new Instax mini camera should come in by Friday and it's gonna be awesome!  Stay tuned for more on that. 

And get your little self ready to Smash with me.  (You don't really need a mini instant camera, but it might make it even more fun.)

Christmas Wreath

Little Girl:  "Maybe Nanny will open the owl propellet with me. Since you  never want to."

(She means pellet.  I think she is confused with propeller, which she may have heard her Papaw say since he has airplanes.)

That's right.  This is the girl who would rather dissect the bones from owl regurgitation than play with Barbies.  Kinda makes it hard on Santa.

Now that I look at the picture of the wreath I made, it looks a little wonky.  May  need some adjustment.  I actually made the wreath last year, but it just got an update and I must say I like it MUCH better.  No before pic, sorry.  Instead of a colorful ornament in the center, it had a white snowflake.  Sorta blah.  And not as coordinated with my Christmas color scheme.  Now it is perfect.  And the best part about the upgrade?  The enormous ornament (which is covered in a metallic foil stuff which did not photograph well) was only $1!!!  It was half off and I had a coupon.  Awe-some!

These are suprisingly easy to make.  Go to Dollar Tree and get the wire wreath for $1.  Get some of that mesh stuff.  I think they sell it at Hobby Lobby now.  I got mine and the purple tubular stuff at a local store called Ellis Pottery, but you could use ribbon or something similar.  Attach it to the wreath using wire.  Attach the ornament in the middle.  Done.  And I have seen people charge up to $70 for these! I would love to see yours!

Santa Photo

I really cannot believe my child made this far in life without ever having taken a picture with Good Ole Saint Nick.  I know, I know.  Bad Mom.  I really am not much into waiting in long lines with cranky children.  



To give the long awaited Santa photo the respect it deserves, I used the frame from Goodwill that I had spraypainted for my sister's baby shower.  I even left the same chartreuse fabric covered cardboard on it.  (You can see that here.)  It just happened to work out perfectly for a Christmas color scheme as well as it did for the Circus themed shower.

I love how it makes this picture important, rather than blending in on the fridge with the Christmas cards.  

Elf Update

Sparky decided he needed a midnight snack.

We found him in the dollhouse drinking the milk that was in the Advent calendar yesterday with cookies.

 

 

What was your Elf on the Shelf up to last night?

Elf in a Bird Cage

Sparky was a bad boy last night.  Look where we found him.

He climbed on top of the armoire, into the birdcage and was trying to catch the bird.  Or strangle the bird ornament. 

What was your Elf on the Shelf up to last night?