Advent Calendar Activities

Last year I purchased an advent calendar at Dollar Tree (I know, you are shocked, right? Especially since I NEVER shop there. Can you sense the sarcasm? If you are new to this blog, I shop there all the time!) Anyways. I basically just put a little mint in each day and called it done.

This year is going to be different. Advent calendar ideas are all over blogland. I may someday make a much cuter version, but for now, my cheap Santa calendar will have to do.

My darling son (he's 5), has a bad case of the "I want it's!" So to help him realize Christmas and the holidays are about being together as a family and helping others, I wanted show him how we can make those ideas part of our daily lives throughout December. The advent calendar was a perfect place to put this into practice. Now we can focus on what is really important and hopefully I can go through one morning without him asking me for some new toy!

Our list of activites include:

1. Go to a Christmas party
2. Get a Christmas tree
3. Decorate Christmas tree
4. Take family Christmas photos
5. Bake cookies and decorate
6. Make paper snowflakes
7. Visit the gingerbread village
8. Decorate a paper Christmas tree with beads and sequins
9. Read your favorite Christmas book with Mommy and Daddy
10. Visit the Valley of Lights in our jammies
11. Color holiday pictures
12. Eat dinner on the floor by the Christmas tree
13. Watch 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and have special snacks
14. Watch 'Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story'
15. Write a letter to Santa
16. Make hot chocolate with candy cane stir sticks
17. Set out cookies for Santa and reindeer food
18. Visit Santa Claus
19. Shop for a child from the Angel tree
20. Make an ornament for the tree
21. Family game night
22. Go ice skating
23. Have a Christmas music dance party
24. Write a thank you note
25. Donate food to the local shelter
26. String popcorn for the tree
27. Make and decorate a paper chain with things we are thankful for
28. Make homemade cards for grandparents
29. Take homemade treats to our special friends
30. Watch the Christmas tree lighting at the square

You may notice there are more than 24 activities on this list. There are some days that we might double up and it is a possibility that something could fall through. I have most days planned out in advance so I will have whatever supplies we need on hand. If you would like a copy of the printable cards I made email me at laurascraftylife@gmail.com.

Basically all I did was print the activities out on a sheet of cardstock. Then I cut them with my paper trimmer and placed them in the calendar!

Are you doing something similar? I would love for you to share it with me here! Post a link or just tell me what you have planned.

Linked up here:
Tatertots and Jello: Weekend Wrap Up Party
The Girl Creative: Creating Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

In honor of this great holiday I thought I would share a few blessings in my life. So without further ado, in no particular order:

I am thankful . . .

• for my family
• for my children and all that they teach ME
• for my husband and how wonderful he is to me and our kids
• my 22 month old daughter is FINALLY sleeping through the night (at least most nights)
• for my friends
• for my furbabies - our kitties and our dog
• for my health and my family's health
• each day we have food on our table
• we have everything we could possibly need
• for this blog and having a place to share my creativity
• for ice cream (in particular, Chubby Hubby)
• to have hot chocolate on a cold night
• for snuggles on the couch in the morning with my two kiddos
• for date night (even though they can be few and far between, sometimes)
• I get to be a stay at home mom
• for the first snow of the season
• for a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning
• enjoying holidays surrounded by my family and wonderful things to eat

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Last Minute Turkey Day Activities for Kids

I figured I would share some ideas for keeping the kids occupied while you are cooking and visiting that I have collected on Pinterest! For most of these crafts you probably have the items on hand already.

A Lemon Squeezy Home

Parents

Reading With Kids

The Tomkat Studio

Busy Bee Kids Crafts

And if you missed it, you can see how my son and I made a fall leaf wreath and pine cone turkey!

Fall Leaf Wreath

Pine Cone Turkey

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day!

Kids Craft: Pine Cone Turkey

This is a fun project to make and you may even have all the supplies on hand!

Pine Cone Turkey

Supplies needed:

• Pine cone
• Pine Cone Turkey Template
• Various colors of construction paper
• Google eyes
• Scissors and glue 

Step One: 
Print out your template.

Pine Cone Turkey Template

Step Two:

Use the template as a guide to cut the pieces out of construction paper. We used brown for the head, orange for the beak, red for the waddle and a mix of red, yellow, orange and brown for the different size feathers. I would recommend about 5 to 7 feathers of each size.

Step Three:

Glue your google eyes to the head. Glue the beak on below the eyes. Glue the waddle on/near the beak. Allow this to dry for a few minutes or the eyes will just slide right off!

Google eyes purchased from the Dollar Tree

Completed turkey head

Step Four:

Glue your head to the pine cone. You can fold the bottom part of the paper to get it to slide into the pine cone a little better.

Pine Cones from Dollar Tree

Step Five:

Glue your feathers to the back part of your pine cone.

This is the turkey we made together.

This is the turkey my son made all by himself. He said it has big eyes so it looks like the baby turkey!

Linked up here:
Clean and Scentsible: The Creative Spark
Delightful Order: Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party

From Me to You Giveaway Winner

A winner has been chosen! Thank you to all of those of you who entered the giveaway of special things I made from me to you. And thank you again to all of you that follow along with me on my blogging adventure!

Congratulations, xperimentl! You are the lucky winner. :)

Giveaway Ends Tonight

Don't forget to head on over to this post to enter to win some really fun presents from me!

(2) Important Date Signs, Earrings and matching Pendant, Perpetual Birthday Calendar

Keep them for yourself or get someone special crossed off your gift list.

Giveaway ends tonight at 8:00 PM MST.

Good luck!

Kids Craft: Fall Leaf Wreath

Sometimes everything just seems to fall into place. The kids and I were watching The Goodnight Show on Sprout recently. Nina showed a fun craft to make with your kids - a fall wreath.

Just a few days later, my son went on a field trip with his preschool class to a local park. One of their activities was collecting fallen leaves. I didn't want to keep a bag of leaves sitting around the house, but I didn't want to just throw them out either - he worked so hard on collecting them! So we decided to make this fall wreath. It is so super easy and you probably already have all the supplies on hand!

Supplies needed:

• Paper plate
• Scissors
• Leaves or other items you can find in nature (acorns, twigs, etc.)
• Glue
• Hole punch
• String

Step One:

Gather leaves or other materials you can find outside.

Step Two:

Cut out the middle of your paper plate. (A parent should do this step if you have a small child.) Punch a hole at the top of the paper plate.

Step Four:

Have your child glue their special finds on the wreath.

Step Five:

Once your wreath is complete, attach a string to the hole you punched earlier. Hang to display! :)

Now we have a fun keepsake from his special day and it looks pretty darn cute hanging on his bedroom door as well.

If you want to see the video of Nina making this craft to show to your child, click here.

I have no affiliation with the Sprout network, I just thought this was such a cute and easy craft, I had to share it! :)

Friday Freebie: My Memories Designer Pack {11/18}

Sorry I missed last week. It is Friday Freebie time from My Memories.  The download includes two Quick Pages (just add your photos, text, and you are done!). Plus you will get all the individual elements and papers used to create the two pages.

Here is my layout for each of the Quick Pages:

And here is a page I created with some of the elements that this kit comes with:

I created these pages using the My Memories software, but you can also use these elements with Photoshop or another photo editing/digital scrapbooking program you may have.

This week's kit:

Freebie Page 3

Click here to download your freebie! Enjoy!

DISCOUNT:

Want your own digital scrapbooking software? My Memories is offering a special deal for my readers. Enter code STMMMS30543 at checkout to receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v2 Software. You will also receive a $10 coupon to use in the My Memories store. (A $20 value!) {Copy and paste the code to avoid typos}


Have fun! I would love to see what you come up with for these downloads. Feel free to email me with your layout and I just might feature your page on the blog! :)

Disclosure: I am able to offer these freebies because I am an affiliate with the Share the Memories program at www.MyMemories.com. 

Giveaway: From Me to You

** Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered!**

I promised a super fun giveaway once I reached 50 followers and we got there this morning!!

First of all, let me thank YOU, my readers! I changed this blog from my personal blog to a craft blog in February and I am happy to have gained 50 followers! That is a really big deal to me. So as my way of saying thanks, I want to give away a few of my favorite items I have crafted lately. Each item was hand crafted by yours truly. You can see more of my handiwork at my Etsy Shop - Laura Silva Designs.

So what is it that you can win, you may ask?

1. 2 (Two) Important Date Signs - We will work together to create two different designs with the same dates, or do two completely different signs and keep one for yourself and gift the other! This is one of my most well received projects I have done. And now you can have them for yourself! :)

2 Important Dates Sign
(Personalized just for you!)

2. Black glass bead earrings with silver findings and a matching pendant.

3. Perpetual Birthday Calendar

There is a page for each month to record birthdays or anniversaries. It has holes punched to hang it, or you can tuck it away in your desk. Never forget another birthday! I made this one using some of my favorite papers out of my stash.

Here are the details:

• One lucky person will win everything listed below: 
• two personalized important dates sign (will be emailed to you in .jpeg format) {value $20}
• one set of black glass bead earrings with silver findings and matching pendant {value $15}
• one perpetual birthday calendar {value $15}
• Giveaway is open to US Residents only 
• Giveaway is open from Thursday, November 17, 2011 to Wednesday, November 23, 2011 8:00 pm MST
• One winner will be selected using random.org
• Please make sure your email is linked to your profile or leave it in your comment(s). I have instructions for linking your email to your profile in this post.

Before you enter, you must be a follower of Laura's Crafty Life - after all, I am doing this giveaway because of my super awesome fans!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me which item you would be most excited to win! 
2. Bonus Entry: Like Laura's Crafty Life on Facebook. Come back and leave me a comment that you did.
3. Bonus Entry: Tweet, Facebook OR blog about this giveaway, and come back and leave me a comment with which one you did! 

No purchase is necessary. Odds of winning are based on number of entries. Winner will be notified via email. If winner chosen does not respond to email notification after 48 hours a new winner will be chosen via random.org.

Blogger: Enable Your Email for Comments

Did you know most bloggers respond to your comments through email rather than on the post you left the comment on? I am like most bloggers. Since my blog is still so small, I respond to each and every comment that is written on any post. I don't typically go back and comment on a post, I respond through email. I figure not everyone goes back and rechecks the original post to see if I have responded.

You know what makes me so sad though? When I can't reply to you! If you read a lot of blogs and make comments, be sure to have your account set to show your email address.

Don't know how? No worries. I will walk you through it.

Here is the tutorial for you:

(please note I am using the new Blogger format. If you are using the old one, the steps are still pretty much the same, the screen will just look a little different)

First, open up your blogger account at www.blogger.com.

Next, click on the little arrow next to your email address at the top of the screen.

This will bring up a little drop down menu. Click on the option 'Blogger Profile'.

This will pop up a new window or tab depending on how your browser is set up. On your Blogger profile page, click on 'Edit Profile'.

Then click on the box that says 'Show my email address'.

Scroll down to the bottom and click on the orange 'Save Profile' button and you will be done!

This way you will no longer be a noreply-comment@blogger.com. You will be your actual self! And when you write me a comment, I can reply back to you on how much I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. Because I really, really do appreciate each and every comment!

There is Still Time to Plant Bulbs

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am not sure if you know this about me, but I am a plant killer. I am getting MUCH better, but no plant used to be safe around me. The ironic thing is, I love plants. I have come to terms with the fact that I am a much better outdoor gardener than an indoor one. Mind you, the houseplants are doing okay, but they are incredibly difficult to kill varieties.

The outside, though, is my pride and joy. But, as much as I love having pretty flowers and a beautiful yard, I am low maintenance. I don’t want to spend a bunch of time planting each year. That is why I have always strayed away from annuals. I have a couple of small planters that house my annuals, but the rest of my yard is filled with perennials. After the initial investment, you do the work once, and you are done.

This is why I was so excited when I first started using bulbs. You just plant them, and wait for them to come up. I always enjoy the first signs of life in the spring when my tulips and daffodils make their appearances.

Bulbs are so easy to use. And they are incredibley versatile. The holidays are fast approaching. And this means gift giving time.  With bulbs you can create really wonderful, inexpensive gifts. Here are a couple of ideas I found on Pinterest for a perfect gift!

Source: nobiggie.net via Laura on Pinterest

Source: according-to-kelly.com via Laura on Pinterest

Bulbs are great if you have kids too! My kids love to help me. This spring my son was out there with us helping to dig holes and put the bulbs and plants in the ground. Here is a simple activity you can do with your kids year round. From the Dig Drop Done website:

First you take your pot (let the kids decorate them with markers for a more personalized look) and cover the bottom with a layer of pebbles. Then pack in the bulbs. Fit in as many as you can, paperwhites love a crowd, making sure the pointy end is facing up on each. Next, add another layer of pebbles around and between the bulbs being sure to leave the top of the bulbs exposed. Finally, add enough water to come just up to the bottom of the bulbs (not all the way to the top or they will rot) and you're done!


Have you checked out Dig Drop Done yet? It is great website if you are just getting started with bulbs or even if you are a pro. They offer so many helpful tips and ideas – when to plant, photo inspiration, a bulb calendar and so much more. visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more

They even have three ladies with different personalities and lifestyles. Choose the one that matches you and get some helpful information for YOUR life! The one I related to most with was “Marcy”.



She is a Super Mom! She has a busy life with three kids and doesn’t have much time for gardening. She tries to find ways to simplify her life. I feel like this most of the time! Her busy life lends perfectly to planting with bulbs. You just dig a hole, drop them in the ground and you are done!

And now that you are a bulb expert, you have to go checkout Curbside Chaos. They are having a contest called “Bulbs, Dig, Drop, Done.”. It is an educational effort designed to get women excited about how easy and beautiful bulbs are. You can win a $5,000 yard makeover. (Who couldn’t use a yard makeover?) All you have to do is submit a photo of your yard at CurbsideChaos.com. Not only could you win a makeover, but also a visit from Taniya Nayak (@TaniyaNayak on Twitter). She will give you tips on how to update your yard and offer creative ideas for incorporating bulbs into your landscape.

Be sure to enter and share about this contest! For every share on Twitter, "Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done." will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together - the nation’s leading nonprofit, working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities.

While you are at Curbside Chaos, check out their ‘Garden Guru’. It takes all the guess work out of what to plant and when. You choose your country, your location, the type of bulb you want to grow and the Planting Guide will show you how to plant your bulb.

I chose ‘Chionodoxa’ to bloom in April. They are so pretty and we don’t have much blue in our landscape.



Awesome, right?

So check out the websites and get those bulbs planted. I know if you live in the Southwest like I do, you can usually plant all the way through December!