Snowflake Wreath DIY

Welcome to another edition of Blog With Friends! This month our theme is "Baby, it's Cold Outside" and for the first time this winter it actually is! It was a little odd having my kids running around outside on Christmas day in short sleeves! I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it was odd!

I finally got all the Christmas decorations organized and put away and now my house looks a little bare. This snowflake wreath is perfect for a little pop of fun on the front door, or even as a wall decoration inside the house.

If you'd like one too, here's what you'll need:

• snowflake chipboard decorations (I got one large, and three small)
• 1-2 sheets of snowy scrapbook paper
• wide, white grosgrain ribbon
• Mod Podge
• pencil
• scissors
• paintbrush
• hot glue gun

First, position your snowflakes on the back of the scrapbook paper. (I was cheap and forced them all to fit on one sheet, but in retrospect two would have been easier.) Trace around the snowflakes and then cut them out. Using the mod podge, paint the chipboard snowflakes and align the paper over them to adhere the paper to each snowflake.

Next, cut your ribbon to the length you want and arrange the snowflakes how you like them. Using hot glue, attach the snowflakes to the ribbon. Make sure to leave enough at the top to fold over for hanging. I also added a bow, but for the life of me I can't find the tutorial now to show you how. It's similar to this method.

Now your snowflakes are ready for display! Easy, peasy!

Want some more project ideas?

Check out this recipe for crockpot Italian soup from Karen at Baking in a Tornado. That will warm you from the inside out!

Need something else to keep you warm? How about these romantic books and movies perfect for a cold night at home on the couch. Many thanks to Melissa at Home on Deranged for putting that list together!

And Lydia at Cluttered Genius has some great At Home Date Nights for you as well!

And if you have to go out, at least you can keep your head warm with this beginners crocheted head wrap from Robin at Someone Else's Genius.

As always, if you'd like to join in on the challenge, just let me or Karen know and we'll get you hooked up with the details. Our theme for February is "romance."

SnowPocalypse 2013

After missing school at least three times for what amounted to really cold rain, the kids finally have some snow to talk about. Over a foot!! My parents, just south of us, didn't get anything at all. We got so much that Ken's store and my university both closed. In fact JMU closed for two days! It's Spring Break for the students, and now it's Spring Break for the staff!

We had a big breakfast of sausage, eggs, and muffins and then began the long, grueling task of collecting winter wear: clean underwear, tights, socks, leggings, corduroys, tank tops, t shirts, long sleeves and sweater. Over all of that went snow suits, jackets, hats, gloves, scarves and boots. I even remembered to have the kids go potty before they started!!

We went out and tried getting out the front door. Ken had shoveled the walk before he had gone to check on the store, but it had snowed another few inches after that. Benjamin kept getting stuck by walking into snow that was up to his waist.

We eventually made it down the street and had fun sledding down the road by our house. Then we went to our neighbor's house and built her a snowman right by her back door.

When Ken got back, we went to a different part of the street to sled and throw snowballs. Henry had fun just diving into snow piles. Frances tried building a snow fort, but I'm not sure how far she actually got.

After about two hours we came in for lunch (tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches) and the a 'nap.' I think Ken was the only one who actually slept. We did some housework and I got started on dinner before we went back out to build a family snowman. All in all, it was a great day. It was also the first time we've had a day together as a family in a very long time. And we get to spend today together too!

Halloween Snow?!!

I really didn't want to believe all the hype I was seeing on Facebook and hearing from friends, but my denial didn't matter.  We had a Halloween Snow!! It started late Friday night with some drizzle and freezing rain. By the time we work up Saturday morning, it was a Winter Wonderland.  Except that it's still Fall!! And will be for another 7 weeks!
I frantically dug through all the winter boxes in the basement to find snowsuits and boots. Poor Benjamin didn't have anything I could find. I tried this, but he HATED it!  He couldn't even move!!  I only took one picture before he started BAWLING and I rescued him from it. We all laughed hysterically as I was trying to get it off.  Is that wrong??

 

Once we all got suited up, we ventured outside to check things out. The bigs had a good time jumping in snow and throwing it at each other. They tried to build a snowman, but didn't have the patience to finish.  They did enjoy playing hide and seek with the pumpkins on the picnic table that had ended up buried!

Benjamin just stood in one place and looked around.  He dropped his pacifier a few times and cried until I picked it up for him.  But basically he just stood there.

I noticed that our immediate neighbors on both sides lost some trees. We don't have anything in our yard that would be big enough to worry about, really.  I did clean the snow off of our dogwood so it wouldn't break.  Thankfully it looks like there was no housing damage done.

My neighbor's tree hit her house, but I don't think it broke anything.

After all that, we went inside to eat lunch and take naps. By the time the kids woke up the snow was mostly melted and we were left with just wet and cold.

Thankful Thursday

I can really tell that I have taken too long of a break from my purposeful thankfulness. I have been in a funk this week, mostly because of recovering from everyone being sick and being way behind on our sleep. And of course, who could forget what will forever be known as "the sled incident." But I am putting that behind me and moving forward. This week I am thankful for:

• My friends-when the incident mentioned above happened, I did a lot of venting online through facebook as well as on the phone. I think I probably got pretty annoying, but no one told me that. They just lent me vent and even a few offered the use of a sled for my kids the next time it snows. You guys have really rallied around me and I am very grateful for it.
• Snow days-up until Tuesday it had been a pretty disappointing winter. Francs kept wondering when she would be able to make a snowman. And the finally it snowed. And even better-the day care was closed. I had no excuse to go outside and play with my kids, so that is exactly what I did!
• My new camera-I was looking back through my earlier entries and noticing how much better my pictures look now. I got a good deal on this camera shortly before Christmas and I am loving getting to know more about it!

Snow Day

It finally snowed! Not a whole lot, mind you, but it snowed. Enough that the daycare (and all surrounding schools) were closed today. The weather forecast was calling for the snow to turn to ice in the early afternoon, so I bundled up the kids early on and went outside with them. Frances was uber-excited about going out, but Henry really didn't have much experience with snow. He reminded me of Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story." He got so bundled up that he could barely move. But he ended up loving it!

We got outside and walked around for a bit and then I went to the garage to get the sled. I pulled the kids around the neighborhood, and then Frances exclaimed, "Mommy put Henry in the sled. I want to slay him!" It cracked me up! So she pulled him around the whole neighborhood by herself. We also did the requisite snowball throwing, snow angel making,and hill sledding. The kids had an absolute blast!! Henry threw a hissy fit when it was time to come inside for lunch. It was really a wonderful day!

Until some jerk stole my kids sled right of the front porch. And then we spent the rest of the day running around town trying to find a store in town that still had some, but no one did and my daughter cried herself to sleep because she wanted her sled back.