WANTED: My Birthday Girl. . . . . .

 my baby girl has a birthday today.

a special birthday.

today she is sweet sixteen!

let me tell you a bit about her.

she's a God-fearin

country music lovin,

cowboy boot wearing

football watchin

sweet tea drinkin

southern girl.

she has down home values 

and old fashioned morals in a modern world.

her faith is solid and strong.

(she's actually been called a "female Tim Tebow" by people she just met:)

she's fun

she's brave

she's thoughtful

she's generous

she's a cutie

she's adventurous

she's friendly

she's smart.

she's my girl.

she's 16.

and i love her!

happy birthday baby girl!!!

xoxoxo

mama

AND a birthday cake to match those boots,
made by a sister, with love:)

it's New Year's Eve. . . . . .

and the simple fact that i'm writing a blog post to help YOU

is kinda crazy.

 i'll be the first to admit it.

i'm a boring new year's person.

i don't ask for much, other than to be happy:)

let me stay home with my family and watch a few good movies

and i'm happy, happy.

oh, and let me munch on some yummy treats, too.

cause you know, the diet starts in the morning, or so they say!

i'm not even a resolution person.

but i did come across some cute things i thought i'd share with you.

maybe i'm not hopeless about new year's after all!

feel like making resolutions but don't know where to start?

here are some good ideas. . . . . .

or maybe there's something for you here. . . . . .

seems like we should be able to grab something from one of these lists,

don't ya think?

here's a cool idea i wish i'd done through the years.

use a mason jar or something similar, and writing on scraps of paper,

add memories throughout the year and then read them on

 New Year's Eve.

next, this would be cool to do each new years. . . . .

just go to thirtyhandmadedays.com for free printables

think of the adorable notebook you could have of each child someday!

IF i were having a party, it would be a family party

with kids of all ages.

so we would need goodie bags!

but remember, no stressing out over details, okay?

just be happy:)

sorry i'm not much help with a menu.

give me a big bowl of caramel corn and i'll be good to go!

but here are a few ideas.

chocolate covered strawberries. . . . .

and they only LOOK hard, because they're really easy to do.

 i love the idea of these simple frosted cookies. . . . .

personally, i'm feeling so lazy these days, i wouldn't even bake any.

these kinda look like those soft, frosted Lofthouse cookies at the grocery store

(which i love and can't have in the house:)

i would buy some, regardless of the color frosting,

and just frost/draw on a clock face.

voila. . . . .instant new year's treat!

maybe, more than anything,

we can all just remember it's a NEW year,

with NEW changes, NEW choices, 

possibly NEW opportunities. . . . .

and a year full of hopes and dreams come true.

 

whatever you do, 

please be safe this New Year's Eve!

may God Bless You in the coming year. . . . .

Suzanne

Christmas Traditions. . . . .There's Still Time:)

JOY to the world. . . . .

it's Christmas Eve!

love came down on Christmas Eve.

TRUE love.

the birth of God's Son,

Jesus.

you know that saying "it is what it is".

well, never was that more true than on Christmas.

because we can make it about a million different things,

but it is what it is. . . . . .

a celebration of the birth of Jesus.

does that mean we can't have fun and be merry throughout the Holidays?

personally, i don't think so.

my God wants me to be joyful.

and happy.

and Christmas time makes me happy. 

as long as we never lose sight of the reason we are celebrating.

that's what i think.

i hope i'm right, at least a little bit:)

maybe you've been on top of things this Christmas season.

if so, you're my hero:)

because if you're like me,

you've been so busy,

the LAST thing you've been is on top of things.

but no worries!

there are still plenty of wonderful traditions to be done on Christmas Eve

and Christmas day.

i'm going to share a list. . . . . . .

some we have done (or still do) and some i know that others do.

so relax. . . . . .

when we're through,

you'll be right and ready with a few meaningful and joyful traditions!

in no particular order. . . . . .

1.  if you're not done wrapping, you can do something we do every year.

and it is SO much fun!

when you write on the tag the to: and from: names,

put who it is for, and for the from part, use fake names,

superhero names, favorite athletes, funny names. . . .

we do this, and it is always good for a few laughs.

plus, the person who gave the gift can always pipe up and say "it was from me".

a few examples. . . . .

my girls will be getting gifts from Tim Tebow, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, 

Pioneer Woman, Rafael Nadal (tennis player) and even Martha Stewart:)

Seriously, you can get really silly and have some fun:)

2.  if you haven't baked cookies yet, now's the time.

cause Santa gets hungry!

and you can make a "cookies for santa" plate

 with a sharpie pen if you don't already have one:)

and today is a great day to have the little ones color

a Christmas picture and take it to a neighbor, along with a few

of those yummy cookies:)

you can also grab a marked down gingerbread house kit to make today

if you haven't yet.

3.  one more thing needs to be baked.

a "Happy Birthday Jesus Cake" for tomorrow's dessert.

and the coolest thing to do, is to let the kids truly make and DECORATE it. . . . . .

their way!  no need for a professional cake with this one.

such an easy reminder of what it's all about.

4.  you can still make up some reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn.

it's easy...uncooked oats and colored sprinkles.

trust me, if you've never done this, they're gonna LOVE it!

5.  got the new jammies all ready to go?

make them festive and matching for some great photos by the tree!

6.  read "twas the Night Before Christmas" before bed.

7.  hopefully you were able to go to church,

but if not, sing carols or watch a favorite Christmas eve movie.

ours is White Christmas, EVERY year:)

8.  you can also have game night. . . . .

anything as a family is what counts, if you ask me:)

9.  go outside and sprinkle that reindeer food on the lawn.

and if you haven't driven around and looked at lights yet,

bundle everyone up, make some hot cocoa in to-go cups and go for a ride.

my girls STILL love this!

10.  when the kiddies are all tucked in, use a bit of flour to make 

"santa's footprints" on the floor.

as long as they're still young, they'll love this!

11.  it's Christmas morning!!!!!

and they can't wait to open presents, right?

but try, try, try to read the Nativity story first.

so, so, so easy and important to do.

and then let them place baby Jesus in the manger...

signifying He is born.

12.  now this is just my opinion,

but my kids were never allowed to tear into gifts and throw them aside,

reaching for the next present right away.

a.  we took turns opening to appreciate what each other received.

b.  if the gift they open is from someone far away, 

have them hold it up and snap a picture.

makes a great thank you later on.

i just think it is so important that they learn to share in the joy 

of the rest of the family too,

and not just focus on themselves.

13.  whether you do brunch, lunch or dinner,

make something traditional.

it's so tempting to try something new every year and that's ok to a point,

but part of Holiday traditions is enjoying special dishes that you

associate with that day.

again, just my opinion:)

14.  make one of the gifts a shiny new ornament.

my daughter is turning 18 in a few weeks,

and i am gathering all of "her" ornament to give to her.

a nice start for her own tree someday or even if she doesn't use them,

some nice memories of years past:)

15.  finally, make lots of memories,

take lots of pictures,

eat TONS of food...sweets too,

play, play, play,

watch a Christmas parade from Disney World,

call family far away and spend time with those you love all day,

keep the day for your family.....

and by this i mean, TURN OFF the computer/cell phone/ipad or whatever.

and for pete's sake, don't spend the whole day on facebook, pinterest or whatever.

post a simple message and get off if you have young kids.

your family is more important than that,

and deserves your undivided attention for one day, at least.

now THAT one will get me nasty emails,

but i stand by it.

16.  and before the day is done,

have a list for thank you notes,

and when you tuck your kiddos in,

remind them of all they have to be thankful for and 

also remind them of the BEST gift they got that day,

in case they forgot.

the gift of God's Love.

Merry Christmas Eve. . . . .

from my family to yours!

xoxoxoxo

Suzanne

Dollar Store Christmas Decorating.........

okay, who doesn't LOVE the dollar store?

come on, admit it.......

you go there for SOMETHING every once in awhile,

right????

either way, you are gonna be AMAZED at what crafty projects

you can create from goodies found at the dollar store.

i mean it!

you'll SERIOUSLY think some of these are really COOL!

so sit back and check out THESE festive pretties!

GLITTER............

glitter goes with everything, especially at the Holidays.

here we have miniature Christmas village houses from the dollar store, 

spray painted and glittered.

love em!

(visit mrspollyrogers.com for her tutorial:)

also, thanks to Martha Stewart,

crafty people everywhere are snatching up little deer, snowmen, fruit

and anything else you can think of,

painting on a bit of glue and glittering them up!

just think of what you could GLITTER!

SNOWFLAKES................

create your own little winter wonderland with the GORGEOUS,

oversized snowflakes at our favorite store!

hang them in the window, on the front door, outside with twinkle lights........

glue them together to make a wreath or, for the MOST clever idea........

glue them on vintage paper, sheet music, stationery or whatever,

 slide them in a frame and VOILA.........instant art!

i use these all the time!

we decorated a winter nutcracker themed float for a

 Christmas parade last year and this year,

i spray painted them pink and added glitter, of course,

for a whimsical pink Christmas theme at the store.

ORNAMENTS...............

don't ya just love ornaments?

so pretty, colorful and festive...........

and the dollar store has sleeves of them for.......you guessed it, a dollar!  

(once, when these store first opened, i was shopping with my mom

 and she made the mistake of asking the clerk how much something cost. 

 apparently this is the funniest question they get,

 so they yelled at the top of their lungs

  "everything's a DOLLAR":)  hahaha

so, if you have a clear vase or jar,

 grab some faux berries, some pinecones and ornaments and you're good to go!

this wreath can be made with $$$$$ store plastic ornaments a number of ways.

you can also glue ball ornaments on a regular wreath, on styrofoam, or the latest way to make them

is to thread them on a hanger.

lots of people have tutorials out there so go for it:)

possible my FAVORITE way to use them is to make a curtain of ornaments!!!

pick out your favorite cheapo ornaments, 

take them home, thread them on fishing wire, 

knotting around the loop on each one and attach to a tension rod to hang in the window.

is it just me, or is this REALLY cool?

CANDLES............

candles are just plain festive, no matter how you like your decorations.

even unlit, they look so pretty!

and these are pretty incredible!

oh. my. gosh.   

just look at the candles in the hurricane vases.

looks like pottery barn or something,

but nope, they are made from dollar store candle sticks and vases, 

glued together with silicone and there you have your lovely candle holder display!

(visit momtastic for instructions:)

i love the tall candle holders too!

i've seen them there all the time but never would have thought of this.

simply apply words  or sayings from your scrapbook stash, embellish and you're done.

love it!!!!!

finally, if you put a bit of mod podge or white glue mixed with water

onto a candle and roll it in epsom salts,

you get a snowy, sugary candle!

EPSOM SALTS!

who knew???:)

CANDY and TREES.............

okay, last we have some traditional, festive looking decorations in red and green.
fill those clear jars with candy canes and peppermints for instant decorating.
and using glue, spray paint, dollar store candle holders, glitter and styro cones,
you can make the cute trees.
SWEET and SIMPLE!

so, there you have it!
no excuse for having an un-festive home now!
just head to your nearest dollar store and have at it:)
and remember to have FUN while you're at it!

i'm HOPING to do a PINK Christmas post on Saturday, so stay tuned.
(hope being the key word there:)

hohoho.....
Suzanne

Sis...

Happy Birthday to my sister...

who shares my love of all things shabby...

and understands that this is the ONLY way to decorate!!!:-)

...and she also shares my love of pink!
(Actually, she loved it first so I stole that from her:-)

Hope all of your birthday WISHES come true...


especially the one about a cottage in Pentwater. hahaha

So how about some calorie free cake...

I know...but we are wishing here!:-)

XOXOXOX

Birthday Traditions...

Birthdays are big at our house.
If you don't want anyone fussing over your big day,
you probably want to avoid us.

Ever since my girls were little, we've had some traditions that we do every year.
I remember thinking they wouldn't last but they did...and I love it!
My girls know that as they get older,
we will still celebrate this way.
They might come home from college
and have a spongebob theme party...who knows?
Who cares?
It's a birthday...once a year and all that.

Most of these are silly little things
but put them all together
and they equal one big special memory.
This is not to say you have to do these things, just thought I'd pass on a few things that make birthdays special at our house.

Our Traditions:

~Decorate! Pick a theme too, even for the family party.
It makes decorating so much easier and it also makes for a fun day. We usually do this after they go to bed so they wake up to their birthday decorations.


Someday I'm going to do a post on all of the birthday party themes we have done so I'll save you this time but trust me, pick a theme.
It could be as simple as a color but it just makes it all come together.
And the Birthday Cake blow-up always comes out:-)


~Decorate some more...in their bedroom. Every night after they fall asleep, the Birthday Fairy sneaks in their room, leaving balloons all over the floor and ribbons or crepe paper strung around. This fairy then writes on the bedroom or closet mirror a birthday message
...in lipstick:-)

~Breakfast in bed. Always. I know, with school that's tough
but it starts the day off great! On the tray, include a few tiny gifts.

This year Taylor got a magazine, gum and mints. Sometimes it might be nail polish, a silly straw...any little thing.


~Bring out some special things about that person.
We always scatter photos of the birthday girl around the house
as part of the decorations and if you notice
in the photo of the presents, there is a container that says "Baby".
Taylor received flowers in that when she was born.
(Note to Trudy...save a few things like that:-)


~Birthday messages... If you read my blog you know I love chalkboards.
There is always a birthday message written on it.
When my girls were younger and walked to school,
the chalkboard would be out on our big front porch to
welcome them home.


~The Birthday girl (or boy) chooses their favorite foods for their meals.
Yep...it might mean pink pancakes or pink mashed potatoes but go for it!
This goes for the cake, too...it's theirs so if they want
a purple cake with green or pink frosting, that's what they get.
We never worried if anyone else would
want it although...Helloooo...it's cake...close your eyes and eat it it already:-)
(And yes, ours were almost always pink
unless we bought a Barbie cake and oh yeah
...those were pink too:-)


~Serve their meals on cute birthday plates and we always include birthday hats.
My girls got a special frou-frou hat when they were born
that they still have, although I don't always make them wear it these days.
We also have a red "You are special plate" that they eat on for special occasions,
like their birthday or a good report card...
Even my husband gets the special plate...but only if he behaves!


~It's their day.
Make it special.
That means no errands or other boring things that take up our time
and that most kids hate doing anyway.
Some days we did a bunch of fun little activities and other birthdays,
we stayed in jammies and watched their favorite shows all day:-)
Have my girls ever skipped school on their birthday???
Ummm...yes.
But they are good students and didn't miss a lot.
Hey...many adults take the day off work on their birthday so...
Anyway, they usually wanted to go and celebrate with their friends.
But if they're home and their idea of a fabulous birthday is playing Barbies...
Go for it!


~Special restaurants. We had a restaurant that gave you a
pie in your face on your birthday.
Somehow, even though you knew it was coming,
you let your guard down while eating and it always came when you least
expected it.
Kids love this so even if you hate the food...go for it:-)



~Yes, of course the dog gets a birthday.
What did you think...I could leave my boys out????

Obviously, we will do anything for some birthday cake!!! hahaha

Well, I've probably bored you enough so I'll stop there.
Let me know if you have any special traditions.
I would love to pass them on to my readers.
Have a great day and stay warm!!!!!!!
Suzanne