I'm not weird, right?

Grocery shopping is like a mini vacation. With Ryan in town for nearly a month straight, I have been able to go all by myself. Ahhhhh, those trips have been wonderful.

After Christmas shopping is a true addiction. Anyone need any extension cords? I bought out a local craft store and Ryan laughed at me. Hey, they were thirty cents a piece! With all the gadgets in this house I figured they would come in handy.

I sleep with my mp3 player in my ears. I need something to help turn my brain off. Ryan is upset I won't stick it in the docking station to listen to it at night. It isn't the same. Right?

I use pencil cases as my wipes containers. Those flimsy flip top containers they come in are always falling apart. When they aren't falling apart, they are being ripped apart by two year olds. They attract toddlers! But the pencil cases I bought for fourteen cents a piece on clearance, now THOSE are awesome. Takes the babies longer to get into them, they are way more durable, and since they are bright neon colors, I can spot them across the room.

I save egg cartons. They make the BEST acrylic paint holders. Cut them in half, squirt a bit of each color into them. TA DA, you have a color pallet!

Oh, and my newest addiction, mis-tinted paint. I have gotten some fabulous colors of top of the line paint for five bucks a gallon. Now if I could just get Ryan to pull out the tape . . . (I hate taping)

-Sara

Gingerbread Fun

YUMMY! My kids had a blast. We will definitely have to do this again sometime.

We took grahm crackers, frosting, sprinkles, and some candy we had lying in the house and made gingerbread houses.

The first one was my 7 year olds house. The roof is rotated a bit because she kept knocking the whole thing over. Next time I will have to "glue" the house together with frosting a few hours before we start so it will be a little more durable.

the second one was my 6 year olds house. My favorite part of his house is the tootsie roll chimney.

When we were done we let the kids take pictures and start snacking. Not the healthiest snack, but we had super fun.

- Sara

Blanket update

Ten blankets down, four to go!

Now I am trying to figure out what order to do them in case I run out of time. I could keep the new baby blanket last and claim I didn't know someone was pregnant (in our family, this happens a bunch). But at the same time, a newborn would benefit most from a baby blanket!

I suppose I will finish the baby one today sometime and work on the 10, 11, and 12 year old blankets next. I will keep you posted :)

- Sara

Blankets Keep Blogger Busy

I am in the middle of a blanket marathon. My father's side of the family is fairly large - seven brothers and sisters. With that many aunts and uncles, there are 18 cousins. The next generation of cousins is growing every year as well. We are up to 17 with one on the way.

About four months ago I found myself in the midst of a dilemma. I was at my favorite craft store, standing in the middle of the yarn department knowing I was banned from buying more yarn until I had utilized more of my reserves at home. It was HORRIBLE! Skeins of super cute yarn were marked down to 99 cents. What is a crafter to do!? I simply needed a good reason to buy the fabulous yarn. Ta Da! The blankets for cousins plan was hatched.

I was able to buy enough colors for all the cousins under the age of four (including the one on the way): pink, light pink, blue, light blue, purple, light purple, yellow and peach. It was hard to keep the blankets a secret at Thanksgiving dinner, and I could have done it except for one minor detail - DJ. My cut off line was perfect, but he is pretty close. I asked my aunt if he would like a blanket.

Stay with me, this is how my mind works. If I make one for DJ, then I will also need to do one for his 11 year old sister. If I make one for her, then that only leaves my older cousin's kids, that is three more. Now I am up to 13 blankets. Who is missing? My four, they already have blankets . . . MY NIECE! I can't very well give all my second cousins blankets and leave out my niece. I made her one when she was an infant, but surely she doesn't remember. I went to my second favorite craft store on Black Friday to pick up more yarn.

Yes. I am trying to crochet 14 blankets. I picked a baby blanket pattern that takes four 3.5 oz skeins per blanket. Cross your fingers for me. Yesterday I hit the halfway mark. I am done with five baby blankets and two of the bigger kid ones. As long as I do one skein a day from now until Christmas (with a few days of two skeins thrown in there) I am perfectly on track.

I promise to bump up the blogging as my fingers heal :)

-Sara