Back to School Blues

Back to School Blues.

Not for my children. They love school and are so happy to see their friends again.

I am the one with the blues. I miss them already.

We had a really great time over the holidays.

The house is quiet today.

The lego table is waiting for a little girl to get home. (Please don't think we spoil her too much. Some of these sets were for Christmas and birthdays, but most of them she bought after saving her allowance money.)

The scrabble game is packed away. My son won the last round.

Another favorite game is back in the box.

And our coat rack looks sad with only one jacket.

Sometimes it is so hard to watch our children grow up. Birthdays and other milestones can be bittersweet. But we are blessed to be able to watch our children grow. The last few weeks, my heart has been with those moms and dads in Connecticut who will not get to send their children back to school. I am keeping them in my prayers. I hope they feel God's arms wrapped around them.

Much love, Elizabeth

Snowflake Wreath

Handmade Snowflake Wreath

Hello! We just finished our last day of school before Christmas break! I always love the last day before break. It is a bit crazy, but so much fun! We bundled up gifts to take to favorite teachers. Our yummy homemade fudge and some bird seed wreaths and red bird ornaments.

I want to share my handmade snowflake wreath. I love it so much, it is hanging in our family room this year! So easy to make. I have enjoyed cutting snowflakes since I was little! 

Snowflake Wreath
Here are the instructions for the wreath. It is so easy--just takes time to cut out the snowflakes! 

Cut a ring from a big cereal box. 10" across and 1/2" thick. 

Cover ring in aluminum foil (so the base of the wreath will blend in with the mirror). 

Cut out about 32 snowflakes. 3-4" wide. 

Barely hot glue the center of snowflakes to the ring. 

Then add more snowflakes to the outer edges of the first layer of flakes. (I like to attach these to the underneath edges of the first layer of flakes.)

Add a ribbon on top. 

This year, I added snowflake garlands to two mirrors in our home. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Snowflake Garland in the powder room

Have you made Christmas decorations this year? We still need to decorate our gingerbread houses. Now that my sweeties are out of school, we will get started on them!

Hope you all are doing well!
xoxo Elizabeth

Elf on the Shelf Tea Party

Elf on the Shelf Tea Party

Hello! I hope you all are taking a little time to slow down and enjoy this magical time of year! We are slowing down today because Little Polka Dot has a fever. I think we will spend most of the afternoon cuddled up on the sofa and reading our favorite Christmas stories.
Even though we are slowing down, our silly Elf is still busy, busy, busy! This morning, we came downstairs to find him having a tea party with Peaches (One of our very favorite babies).

And here is is hanging out on our Christmas tree.

Do you have some cute elf stories to share?  Last year was our first year with an elf. So much fun!

Hope you have a very happy day!
xoxo Elizabeth

Christmas Calendar

It's that wonderful time of year! We joyfully count the days until Christmas! This year, I made an easy Christmas Calendar with materials I already have at home. Brown paper bags, red and green construction paper, green glitter paper, clothespins, and red ribbon. I spent part of Sunday afternoon making the numbers and then glued them to the bags. I clipped each bag to a red ribbon strung along the staircase.

Each bag holds surprises for my children. Nothing fancy.
Little sweets
Salty snacks
Chapstick
Etc.

Some bags have little cards sharing a fun activity we will do that day.
Decorating gingerbread houses.
Going out at night to look at Christmas lights in our neighborhood.
Baking Christmas fudge for friends.

A sweet little reminder of baby Jesus in this bag.

Does your family have a special way to count down the days until Christmas?
I'd love to know!

xoxo Elizabeth

Chilly Night Chili Recipe

Handmade Bowls from The Mud Place

Rain, rain, and more rain! It's the perfect night for chili!

This is my favorite chili recipe from one of my dearest college buddies. Sometimes, I use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.

Chilly Night Chili
1 pound ground beef
1 big onion, chopped
2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans of tomato soup (Campbell's Healthy Request is my favorite!)
1/2 tsp.salt
1 Tbsp. chilli powder

Brown the meat and onion in a little bit of butter and cook until meat is brown-about 10 minutes. Add everything else and let simmer-covered for 1/2 hour. Make sure not to let it burn on bottom of pan. This works great in a crock-pot. It freezes well and always tastes even better the next day! Serves 6-8 I love it best with a spoonful of sour cream!

Sending you all warm and cozy wishes for a great weekend!