2009 "Year" in Review

I've seen some fun posts on different blogs of their favourite posts or activities from the year. Since I just started this blog a few months ago, I don't have a year to draw from, but since the blog started, here are some of our favourite activities of 2009:


- Water Tub
- Typing & Starfall Games
- Library studies
- Go Fish Feelings Card Game Print Out
- Saltdough Ornaments- Stuffed Snowman
- Advent Calendar
- Playing in the Snow
- Homemade Bubble Wrapping Paper

A Sewing Machine!

Remember a few entries back when I talked about changing my mind about sewing?

Well, I mentioned these thoughts to my mother and mother-in-law a couple of times, and guess what they got me for Christmas??

A sewing machine!



So, today I managed to test it out & make a very rough "purse" for Talia and a hat for her doll, while trying it out (out of an old shirt of Ken's that we were going to throw out. (I will be happy to throw them out later, when I sew something that looks decent ;)

But look forward to more sewing-related posts in the new year! :)

Decorating Cookies for Santa

For Christmas this year, a friend of ours gave us a bunch of mini gingerbread men with frosting and sprinkles to decorate them with. What a great gift idea!


I thought we had put off the decorating for too long- Christmas is tomorrow!
But it was actually the perfect opportunity for Talia to "make" cookies for Santa.


She & Ken had fun working on them together.


She sampled some, too :)


And I'm sure Santa will enjoy this treat this evening :)

A Personalized Video Message from Santa!

My Sister In Law, Tami, just shared a really cool website with me that lets Santa send a personalized video message to your son or daughter!


We just got our message for Talia from Santa, & it was great! He knew special things about her, he showed us the page in his book that had Talia's picture in it, and that she was "nice". :)

She was smiling the whole time & responding to his questions :)

Gingerbread House

I had been keeping my eye open for a good gingerbread house kit this year (I'm just not ambitious enough to bake the whole thing myself right now ;) when I saw that our grocery/superstore was offering gingerbread house making classes. So, I signed Talia & I up for it, and we had a great afternoon out. It was so much fun! :)

Stockings

This year I needed to add another stocking to our collection :) I made our elf stockings when we first stayed at our own house for Christmas morning, when Talia was tiny. Since Katrina was born in December, I didn't get hers made for her first Christmas last year, but this is the first year that she'll have any idea what's going on, so I'm ok with that ;)

So, exactly one week before Christmas, our family stockings are complete!

Ok, so I need to get my hands on some stuffing to stuff Katrina's stocking's toe, but we're really close! ;)

I had to re-attach each of the jingle bells this year, because last year Talia had some fun pulling them all off! Here's a close-up of my hard work:


These stockings were sewn by hand, using felt for the lining, and fleece for the outside. I found a pattern when I made them a couple of years ago, on the Family Fun Magazine webpage. Here's the link to the pattern (Thanks Sarah!). If anyone decides to try something like this, I suggest finding fishing line for the jingle bells because they're just sharp enough to pull right threw embroidery floss (but fishing line is not foolproof.. or toddler proof either. I didn't have fishing line this time around, and Katrina already got one bell free.

Paper Bag Reindeer Puppet

Today we made paper bag reindeer puppets! This idea came from Mommy's Little Helper.

Talia had fun playing with the puppet afterward, as well as doing the craft. :)

How To Do It:

- trace hands on construction paper
- cut hand shapes out
- glue hand shapes onto back of paper lunch bag
- glue eyes & nose onto bag
- draw mouth onto bag
- play with the puppet! :)