Calla's Christmas photo shoot

Calla recently had her first experience with a Mamarazzi (that's the official name of us Mom's with fancy cameras) when I set up a space to take Christmas pictures.  It was a fairly easy set up, the most difficult part was finding good lighting.  As I'm no professional, I don't have all the fancy equipment, but I think they turned out beautifully.  I wanted the warmth in the colors and the blanket and tulle provided a good amount of texture.  Some of these I posted on facebook, but I like the viewer on this blog better.  You can see them in their original size and resolution.  I debated editting them with Photoshop and turning them black and white or vintage or adding them to a collage, but I think I like them the way they are.  I hope you enjoy them in all their glory, outtakes and all.

This is me testing out the lighting and settings on the camera pre-dress.

Sometimes you just need a little food to cheer you up.

Thank you to my husband for Calla's blue eyes.

She's working on the Walker women's death stare.

The set up.

She was watching me as I was trying to get over head shots.

Thanks to Krystal and Isabella for the dress!

Stocking stuffer ideas

I am always on the look out for cheap and easy ways to give gifts, especially at Christmas.  So when I read an article about ways to fill your kids' stockings without breaking the bank, AND without a bunch of candy and plastic crap, I was really excited.  Even though I can't find the exact article to post here, I do remember a lot of the suggestions and thought I would share them!

Some ideas were to give things that would last past Christmas, every day household things but spruced up a little.  A new toothbrush that lights up or plays music (we found them at the Dollar Store or PX for $1-2 each). New socks with characters on them (Target, Dollar Store $1).  Art supplies (crayons, stamps, stickers, mini notepads).

The ideas that stuck with me the most were food ideas.  You can take food out of your pantry, add some decorations to it and put it in their stockings.  Granola bars in wrapping paper.  Oatmeal and hot chocolate packets with stickers on it.  Pediasure with a bow.  Pancake mix premeasured into a bag with sprinkles.  Basically, the author said any kind of breakfast food is a good idea because they can eat it right away and you don't have to worry about making a separate breakfast meal.  Also, you don't have to fight with them about eating candy so early in the morning (a BIG issue in our house).

Sticking with this theme of breakfast food, I have decided to take it in my own direction.  For Gabe, my oatmeal fiend, I will put all the ingredients for oatmeal (oats, brown sugar and cinnamon) along with some green and red sprinkles into a cellophane bag, tie it closed with a ribbon and a printable tag from the Reindeer.  Zander, who hates oatmeal, loves trail mix - so I'll put a mixture of dried fruits, nuts, pretzels (for fun) and sprinkles in a bag for him.  Also, I have prepackaged hot chocolate - dump that in a cellophane bag with some marshmallows and sprinkles and I have two more things for their stockings from Santa.  Matt and I will get Keurig k-cups in a cellophane bag from Santa (Gabe's getting to the age where he notices if Santa doesn't come for us).  These are super easy ideas that cost a very minimal amount of money, all I bought was the cellophane bags ($).

I wanted to share these ideas with everyone because I know how hard it can be to come up with new ideas, especially ones that aren't too costly or wasteful.  I'm so tired of buying toys and candy as filler for their stockings that I think this will become a tradition for us.  Let me know what you think or if you have any other ideas or traditions your family does.

Christmas crafts and DIY projects

DISCLAIMER - There are pictures of Christmas gifts on here.  

FAMILY - That means if you want to be surprised, don't look at the pictures below!!

This year, we decided to make it a DIY Christmas.  With all the ideas on websites like Pinterest to get the creative juices flowing, I think we've done really well.  I'm really excited to be creating.  This is one of my "things".  

Okay, if you're still here, here are pictures of some of my finished products:

Baby food jar candle holders -

I put stickers on the baby food jar and acrylic painted over them.  Before the paint completely dries, pull off the letters.  Once it's dry, trace the outline of the letters with a paint marker (my new favorite craft item).  After that, I mod podged the whole jar for the glossy look.

Hand and foot print canvas -

I bought an 8x10 canvas at Hobby Lobby, spray painted it matte black and had the kids pick out what acrylic paint for their prints.  Then I wrote the title and names with a silver paint marker and mod podged it.

Homemade ornaments - 

The reindeer is two clothespins hot glued together with goggly eyes and a pom pom nose.  I also hot glued a magnet to the back for a refrigerator decoration.  The Star Wars ornaments are made out of salt dough (equal parts salt and flour, half part water), the kids colored them with Crayola markers and I sealed them with mod podge.

Picture Magnets -

By far the most time consuming project I took on, but I think that's because I made so many and because I made them so big.  I had 5 different sets of wallets printed, then cut out cardboard in wallet size.  After double-side taping the picture to the cardboard, I wrapped the picture with clear packing tape and hot glued two magnets to the back of the cardboard.  If I had to do it again, I would have used smaller pictures, only because I had to use two pieces of packing tape (due to the size) and it left a seam on the pictures.

Teacher card -

Completely and utterly stolen from Pinterest, but redesigned on Photoshop.  A Starbucks gift card will be tucked inside the coffee liner.

Scrapbook paper picture frames -

I bought wooden frames from Hobby Lobby and spray painted them matte black.  Then I had the kids rip up pieces of scrapbook paper.  After piecing them together and adding a few extra rips and tears, I double-side taped them to the frame and applied mod podge to seal it and add gloss.

Holiday picture frame -

This was actually the first project I did this year.  Again, I started with a blank wooden frame from Hobby Lobby and spray painted it with glossy green (I will never use glossy spray paint again, too much of a pain).  Then I painted the snow flakes with white acrylic paint and a stencil.  After everything dried, I added the mod podge.

I still have a couple items planned before Christmas gets here, but those aren't gifts and are just for our house.  These are my to-do's -

http://blogs.babble.com/the-new-home-ec/2011/11/10/25-diy-christmas-wreaths-holiday-home-decor/

http://www.makeandtakes.com/christmas-card-garland-tutorial

I really do love being creative.  It's so fulfilling to see your finished products.  If you haven't check out Pinterest yet, you really should.

Holiday Festival

Last Friday, Fort Bliss hosted a holiday festival complete with a visit from Santa.  It was definitely something different that we were happy to attend.  The German Helping Hands group here baked tables and tables full of cakes, pies and cookies, selling them by the take-out box full.  Hot chocolate and bratwurst were also consumed happily.  While we froze a little (it was a planned outdoor event before the temperature dropped 20 degrees), seeing Santa and his elves helped evoke the Christmas spirit in the boys.  It's definitely been a different year for us.  We're still unpacking boxes, while also trying to set up Christmas decorations.  This was the first Santa visit, but won't be the last!

Take one:

Take two:

Take three:

Oh, Zander - thank you for making this photo a classic!

Hanging around

Zander, Calla and I have developed a daily routine for when Matt and Gabe are gone.  This is a sneak peek into our life:

Calla sleeps.  For usually 2-3 hours at a time.  I count my blessings daily.

She even sleeps while I try newly made bows on her head.  I am so lucky.

Zander is an outside boy.  If he could live outside, he would.  He spends as much time as I'll let him outside.

Especially if that means he can trounce around fighting imaginary bad guys with a light saber and crown.

In his pajamas.

Wonder where he gets that from?

"Don't make fun of my crown, Mom."

Sometimes we take pictures of our feet.  Zander also has a thing for shoes.

He wants to wear them constantly.  Thankfully, there's a Croc store in the outlet mall here.

Nothing cuter than a little kid wearing big huge rubber shoes.  And he can get them on himself.  Double win.

Pictures of hands too.  Why not?  They're not little forever.  

Mostly, I sit and watch him discover the world.  Best job in the world.

Sometimes, if we're really bored, we even take pictures of the dog.

Oh, Cher-Cher.

When Dad gets home, the routine changes.  A little.

Instead of trouncing in Crocs, Zander wears Daddy's boots.

I told you he has a thing with shoes.