SAYING GOODBYE TO THE ELF ON THE SHELF

Have you had an elf perched on your shelf this month?  Our elf's name is Holly. Here are just some of the funny scenarios we found her in when we woke up in the morning!

The Elf on the Shelf was new to our house this year. I wasn't quite sure how to have her leave the house until I found this cute poem idea here on Pinterest.  We woke up this morning with Holly under the tree, holding the poem with her goodbye written in Skittles and Smarties.  I explained to Renee and Siena that Holly will be leaving with Santa tonight.  They are sad to see her go.

Besides being entertaining, Holly was really helpful to me in the parenting department.  She actually got my girls out of bed without me hounding them in the morning.  They were so anxious to see what she got herself into, they would pop up out of bed.  That was an unexpected benefit!

We'll miss Holly and the magic she brought into the house.  I'll be sure to collect more ideas for her return next year!

What funny scenarios did you put your elf in??

OUR HOLIDAY CLASSROOM PARTIES

We had a lot of fun at the girls' classroom holiday parties Friday. The kids really enjoyed themselves.  I was only responsible for organizing Siena's class party where you'll see below we did a snowman stick ornament craft, penguin craft and the donut reindeer.  The favorite station seemed to be the Hedbanz game -- holiday themed! I made up holiday themed cards to play with.  It was a fun spin to a popular game (maybe I should talk to them about licensing a special edition?!). We gave out the Santa whistle blowers as a prize when they were finished with the game.  (Yes, they drove the teacher crazy!)  It was pajama day in Siena's class too, in case anyone is wondering why she is in her pjs!

Renee's class had a book exchange, made gingerbread houses (which was messy!) and enjoyed snowman cheese sticks as a snack.  It was a good way to launch into winter break. For those of you who are home with the kiddies, you can use these ideas to help entertain them at home.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

I am off to my girls' holiday classroom parties this morning, and then hoping to finish my Christmas shopping.  I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday and that you are blessed with only good things in 2014.  I'll be taking it easy the next couple of weeks since the kids will be home, but will be popping in to share some fun stuff.  This was our Christmas card photo this year. We had a lot of fun doing it!  Cheers!

DIY HOLIDAY NEIGHBOR GIFTS

If you're planning to play Santa this weekend delivering gifts to neighbors, but still don't know what to get them, here are a few of my favorite ideas.

Top Left: Stovetop Potpourri at I (Heart) Naptime
Top Right: My favorite of the neighbor gifts I've done over the years is this hand beaded pie server I gave out with a pie. It's fun to see that people still use it!  You can find the tutorial here.
Bottom Left: Flavored syrup from The Shabby Creek Cottage
Bottom Right: Hot Cocoa Snowman kit, made with baby jars.  Found this on Pinterest with no source. I bet you could make these with half pint mason jars too.

What are you planning on giving out this year?!

ROMANTIC WINTER WEDDING

If you're sulking because you have a little snow on the ground, your feelings will immediately change when you see this beautiful, romantic winter wedding. A lot of people shy away from hosting a special occasion during the winter, but it can result in beautiful photographs, such as these, taken and submitted by Beth Photography LLC.  This wedding took place not very far from me, in Boulder, Colorado at the Flagstaff House Restaurant. I love how the couple injected their love for biking and the outdoors into their wedding.  It's personal and so indicative of the area! Please make sure to check out the list of other participating vendors after the photos.

Additional Participating Vendors:
Floral Designer: Boulder Blooms
Music: Chris Webb Music

SNOWBALL FIGHT CUPCAKES

Not only can I not believe Christmas is a week from Wednesday, but this is the kids' last week of school before break! (My stress barometer just went up!) If you're in the midst of planning how you're going to occupy your kids over break, consider a fun, light-hearted snowball fight party or playdate. Even if you live in a warmer climate there are lots of fun ideas on how to make fake snowballs, or snowball playdough on Pinterest and around the Internet. These adorable cupcakes from Hungry Happenings are the perfect treat for such an occasion.  Find the how-to here. She even provides you with a free download of the cupcake wrapper!

OUR ADVENT CALENDAR

I put up our Advent Calendar today. We just do the 12 days leading up to Christmas.  It's less to think about and come up with!  Normally I have our Advent Calendar sitting or hanging on our mantel, but when I saw these cute little stockings in Walmart, I thought they'd be a fun way to dress up our wine rack a little bit this year.  I got the printable numbers from here.

The girls were excited to see the stockings go up, but it stressed me a bit to know that–yes–there are only 12 days until Christmas!  I am so far behind this year.  I've got lots to do this weekend! Hope you're in better shape than I am.

Have a great weekend!

OUTDOOR HOLIDAY DIY IDEAS FROM SPOONFUL

Do you get the Disney Spoonful emails?  They've got a lot of cute holiday ideas.  I love these ideas to add some holiday cheer to your front porch. Those ornaments at the top left are made by wrapping tablecovers around bouncey balls, and the candy cane is made from a pool noodle!  You can find these and other ideas here.

DIY CANDY CANE TREE

Did you know you can bake candy canes to make them pliable?  I figured it could be done but never thought to really test it out. Thankfully Sugar and Charm did the homework and provides the directions for this festive candy cane tree.  With about 55 candy canes you can make one! Find out how she did it here.

WHIMSICAL PASTEL BUTTERFLY PARTY

This darling party will make your heart flutter with its adorable details. Designed by Winsor Event Studio, they created a garden environment with hummus filled flowerpots, butterfly shaped fruit, antique bird cages and so much more.  The handwritten chalkboard signs added a bit of whimsy to the decor and the photo garland was a nice personal touch.  My favorite detail is the "Fluttering Feet" station where the children got to stamp their feet to make a souvenir.  The charming details were captured beautifully and submitted by Life Long Studios in Florida. So happy they shared this adorable party with us!

GEOMETRIC PAPER TABLECLOTH

Use of geometric patterns and shapes is still going strong as a party theme. There is something pretty mesmerizing about this geometric tablecloth from MayDae.  Pretty cool, right? It still looks festive without using bright colors, and it's so simple to make.  You could also use this idea for a backdrop.  Find the full tutorial here.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND PARTY

Since our Queen of Hearts party, I have a sweet spot for anything Alice in Wonderland.  This 2-year birthday party for sweet Saveena brought the magic and beloved story of Alice to life.  Photographer Summer Shea had a blast capturing all the sweets, fun and mad details. I think the photo booth is my favorite! Thank you Summer for sharing your work and this fun, colorful party with us!

FELT TREE UTENSIL HOLDER

Such a simple little project can make such a big festive difference to your table! I love this felt tree from Confetti Pop to add a little fa-la-la to Christmas place settings.  And just as they showed, the tree doesn't have to be green. Go for fun colors like their pink or yellow. Find the full tutorial here.

MINT, GOLD AND PINK FIRST COMMUNION DESSERT TABLE

This party struck a chord with me, because my girls will be receiving their First Communion in May. So, I'm personally looking for inspiration on what to do to commemorate the event. For those of you who may not be familiar with a First Communion, it's when a child receives the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in the Catholic Church.  Children are usually in the second grade when they receive it, and it's kind of a big deal.

Event designer Party Envy by Charlene used a color palette of mint, gold and pink that really complements the special occasion. The dessert table was filled with cake pops, cupcakes and cookies. And what little girl would not love that Barbie cake?  It makes her feel like Barbie herself! Thanks to Charlene for sharing her delicious looking table.