Handmade Christmas Gift Idea

What do you get when you put this:

together with this:

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Root Beer Reindeer!

When I saw these on Fingerprints on the Fridge, I knew I had to make them. I have been trying to come up with something clever to give to Cooper's preschool teachers, and since there is a staff of nine who all work with each class, I knew it had to be something cute and on the cheap!

Total cost for this project:

$3.60 per six pack (on sale at Ralphs)

Packs of pipe cleaner, google eyes, and pom-poms (about 100 each): $10

Total cost was a little $40 for nine six-packs, or about $4.70 per six pack. 

Less than $5  per person and I have a super adorable treat for each of the wonderful teachers to show them our appreciation. It would be a great activity for the kids too!

Linking up to some of these great parties.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Reindeer

I had a lot of ideas in my head of projects I wanted to try out this holiday season, and this is the one that has won out as my favorite so far. My Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins were so incredibly popular, that I knew I needed to come up with some new ideas for Christmas...and probably for every season afterward! (Can you say, Chocolate Covered Peeps??? YUM!!!)

I am giddy with excitement at how cute these turned out!!!

Want to make your own?

Here's what you need:
Large Marshmallows (I prefer Jet-Puffed over the store brand)
Lollipop sticks, popsicle sticks, or pretzel sticks
Ribbon
Melting Chocolate (I prefer the ones you buy at the craft store for their smooth texture)
Cinnamon dots, Hot Tamales or Mike & Ike's Reds
Small Pretzels
Pearl Sprinkles (or other candies for the eyes)
Foam block 

First, set up your assembly line.

Break the pretzels in half. It was not an easy task to get them all to break properly, so make sure to have plenty on hand. You need two halves for each reindeer's antlers.

Snip just the ends of the Hot Tamales or Mike & Ike's, or count out your cinnamon dots. I used the Mike & Ike's because I'm planning to give these to Cooper's preschool class, and the cinnamon ones are a little too spicy for him.

Put the marshmallows on the stick, and push them into the foam block. This saves you from having to do that with melted chocolate on them. (Since this was only a trial run, I was working with what I had on hand. I'm going to purchase a larger block next trip to the craft store.)

I scored the tops of the marshmallows, hoping that would make it easier to attach the pretzel antlers.

Once your assembly line is set, it's time to melt your chocolate.

Place chocolate melts or chocolate chips in a microwaveable glass bowl. Microwave on high at 20-30 second intervals, stirring each time until chocolate is just melted, but not too hot.

Dip a marshmallow into the chocolate, covering it entirely. Use the backside of a spoon to smooth out the side and top, and to remove any excess. Place it back into the foam block and repeat the process on the next marshmallow.

After about five or six marshmallows, add the pretzel antlers, by gently inserting them into the scored parts of the marshmallows, and hold them for a few seconds to make sure they are secure. This took some practice!

For the nose and eyes, you can either add them when the chocolate is still wet, or finish the whole batch, then dab some melted chocolate onto each piece and attach it to the marshmallow to make the face. I did it both ways, but decided the second way was easier.

Once they are completely dry, tie a small piece of ribbon around the stick like a scarf.

These would make great treats for neighbors, teachers, classmates or as party favors.Wrap in a plastic treat bag, and relish in the oohs and ahhs as you deliver them to your friends!

I participate in these parties.

Christmas Inspiration, or, Too Many Ideas Swirrling Around My Head

Halloween is barely over, but I've been thinking about my Christmas inspiration for a few weeks. ( I realize that some people do this all year long, but I'm not one of those people).  I've decided that I don't want to buy any new decor this year, rather I would like to make some. I also plan to make most of my gifts for friends and Cooper's teachers. I've been scouring the internet, trying to get some ideas of some projects I'd like to complete, and I thought I'd share a few with you...

Home decor:

All of the above images are from Pottery Barn

source

Centerpieces for the Christmas party we're hosting: 

source

Christmas gifts for Cooper's teachers:

source

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Be watching in the coming weeks to see my take on all of these projects. Hopefully my oven will be fixed soon, because I have an amazing Cinnamon Chocolate Christmas cookie to share with you as well!

Where do you get your inspiration for the holidays?

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Did you know that November is National Adoption month? I'll be revisiting some of my old posts, and I have a few new ones in the works, so stay tuned!

Simple Back to School Teacher Gifts!

When I taught preschool, close to 9 years ago, it was the little ways parents showed their appreciation for us, that really touched my heart. I decided long ago that when my children went to school, the teachers would always know how much I appreciated the hard work and dedication they put into their field.

My little guy starts "real" preschool on Monday. Over the summer he attended their summer program, but tomorrow he's in a regular classroom with his regular teacher for the whole year. I always used to think that I couldn't wait for him to start preschool, meeting new friends, bring home art projects and ouch reports. Well, I changed my mind. I can wait. Really, I can!

The past few weeks, I've been up to my eyeballs in birthday party planning, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to get things ready for his first day.

I decided to put together a few little gifts for his teachers and the staff at his preschool. It's a small school, just 10 staff members.

Here's what I decided to do:

"Apples for the Teachers"

I just wanted to do something very simple for the whole staff. I decided to give them a little healthy snack, since I know how long those first few days of school can be.

I used google search to find a cute clipart apple and I created a simple notecard in publisher:

I also included a hand written note inside, wishing them all blessings on the first day of school and through the year.

For Cooper's teachers, and the director, I put some small bottles of hand sanitizer and a few chocolates in a small bag and tied it with the same little note card, including a personal note for each teacher.

The whole set of gifts cost me about $10, and I'm hoping it will make a big impact, and will help them all feel appreciated, even as the year is just getting underway. I plan to do things like this several times throughout the year, not just around the holidays.

How did you get ready for the first day of school?

New Inspiration for Homemade Artwork

I get tons of inspiration all over the web, but especially from blogs. I read a diverse variety of blogs about decorating, cooking & baking, mommyhood, adoption, infertility, photography and some written by friends. These are just a few of my favorites - take a look at my sidebar for some more great reads.

My most recent inspiration, was a post by Tara at Just Devine Style about some scripture printables that she made and used to decorate her mantel. I have been wanting to get some new artwork for my kitchen, and I love the written word as art, so after reading her idea, I decided to make my own!

I played around with some of my favorite scripture in Photoshop, found some great black frames that Rick made (too bad I only have 2), and voila! Beautiful new artwork for my kitchen!

It's simple and sweet just the way I envisioned it. I made an extra and gave it to a friend for her birthday, an idea I'm going to be tucking away and using again. For just the cost of a simple frame, you have a lovely and inexpensive gift.

Thanks, Tara, for the inspiration!