Winter Art

You'll need the following supplies:

white crayons

white paper

watercolors

water

paintbrushes

We did this in two days.

I had the kids draw a snowy scene filled with snowmen and all things wintery.

They had to use ONLY their white crayon on white paper.

They could hold their paper up to the light to see where they had drawn.

I told them that our project would take two days

and they were very skeptical about my plan.

We pulled out the water colors and determined that winter colors were blues and purples.

So I told them that they were going to wash over their drawing with watercolors

to reveal their wintery scene.

I wish I could have recorded their reactions because they were

SHOCKED

when the picture that they'd imagined in their mind turned out.

They were smiling from ear to ear and were showing off their secret picture.

 Clean up with really easy.

We just used Clorox wipes to wipe off their desks.

The paintings had to dry for an hour or so

and then I laid heavy books on top so that they dried flat.

 I hung them on a clothesline in the back of my classroom.

 My students thought I was magic after this fun art project!

Perfection in a Cereal Bowl

I h.a.t.e. soggy cereal

so I'm pretty sure that this $20 bowl would be well worth the investment.

via Brookstone

Best Friends

My cats are best friends and it makes me so happy.

 What are you looking at?

Nothing to see here.

 Go out and get your pet a BFF today.

Wallpaper Paint Roller

OMG I'm head over heels for this amazing

alternative to wallpaper.

via etsy

Trail Mix Bar

Are you a fan of trail mix?

I love it (heavy on the bits of chocolate)

so I was thinking it would be fun to do a trail mix bar at a party.

Everyone could bring one item

(dried fruit, oats, nuts, m&ms, etc.)

and then you could create a mix that you love.

I always pick out the raisins so I could easily leave them out

if I were doing my own mix.

via Pinterest

Pancake Muffins

Give these a try on a chilly morning for breakfast or brunch.

via clockworklemon

What Does Your State Do Best?

Interesting poster.

via tiny99

Sephora Insider Club

Are you a frequent Sephora shopper?

I have a few staple products that I buy from there.

I signed up for a Sephora Insider card when I made my first purchase.

I earn points and apparently they have a birthday club.

I forgot about this fact and my birthday came and went.

I stopped in my local store last weekend and made a small purchase.

The cashier asked if I'd been in to claim my birthday gift.

I hadn't so they immediately grabbed a fun birthday gift for me.

Sweet! Free make-up!

 Moral of the story:

Sign up for a Sephora card and take advantage of the perks!

Costco Photo Lab

I'm a new fan of Costco having only been a member since August.

It was a little nerve wracking to use their photo service 

for my Christmas cards this year because it was a little different.

I did it all on-line and was pleased with the results.

They were VERY affordable and good quality.

I loved the saying, colors on the card and large picture.

I was bummed that I couldn't find an adorable card for 2 pictures.

 So I had to improvise a bit...

I browsed Costco's website and made an amazing discovery

STICKERS!

I had a cute Instagram picture of my favorite cats that worked perfectly.

Added a few words and then stuck it on my card.

I felt like a bad cat mom when I selected a card sans my cats

so it was a relief to find an easy, affordable way to include them.

 Costco was also doing a fun deal where you got free calendars with your card purchase.

I'm going to give some out to family and keep some for our offices.

 I'm looking forward to using Costco again soon!

WIWW

My holiday outfits for the week:

1. Sparkles

turtleneck - Limited

skirt - TJ Maxx

necklace/earring set - gift

*I typically don't wear sets of jewelry but I'm LOVING this new gift

flowered sparkly belt - Charlotte Russe

boots - Macys

 2. Christmasy School Day

 dress - TJ Maxx

turtleneck -Limited

belt - gift

snowflake brooch - Macys

booties - BORN

earrings - Polka-Dotty Place etsy shop

I'm linking up with Lindsey

Meowy Christmas

 We Wish you a 

Meowy Christmas!

 Love,

Kevin, Whitney, Oliver & Topher

We hope you've been nice this year and not naughty...

The Christmas Story

The real Christmas story told by kids.

godtube

Merry CHRISTmas to you today!

9 Years Ago

2003

 I was getting engaged this evening.

I was so surprised.

We'd talked about it plenty of times.

Went ring shopping so he'd have a feel for what I liked

but I did not preselect my ring.

We went to the Christmas Eve service at church,

a family gathering

and headed to my parent's house.

He asked my Dad's permission,

was acting all sneaky

and then proposed later that evening.

What a great Christmas memory~!!

 I loved my ring and loved my new fiance even more!

He has always known me so well :)