Project Homemade Christmas: Welcome Home Gift

Just over a week until Christmas. Eek. I promised myself I would wrap up all my Christmas projects by the 15th of December...

I am oh-so-close. I still have some super hero jammie pants to sew and my neighbor gifts to put together.

Are you guys all done with Christmas present getting/making? Do you need any last minute gifts? I am kind of loving this Welcome Home one.

I have a few brothers who just bought their first homes. So I thought it might be a good idea to give them a house related present.

Make a plain old wooden spoon and fork a little fancier with some paint.

I paired the new fancified serving utensils with some ever-so-lovely washrags from my very favorite store, Target. I can't handle how gorgeous their Threshold line is.

Then I went and swooned over this chunky knit pot holder. Sigh. Die. Love it.

Tied it all together with a scrap of lace and then added a hand-written tag. I wrote Wecome Home, but Merry Christmas would have worked too.

This doesn't have to be a gift just for a new home owner. This would be a lovely gift for any Goddess of the Kitchen...

...by the way, I totally think I should be called that from this day and all the days ever after (oh, oh name the movie...we haven't played that game in awhile).

Merry Christmas and happy present giving.

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Build A Snowman Activity (Printable)

Yesterday I gave a little teaser of our Build a Snowman Activity on Instagram (follow along @larissa_anotherday).

When it is cold outside and there are some crazy Littles who have a pretty severe case of cabin fever, a fun indoor activity is just what the doctor ordered.

So I put together a fun Build a Snowman Activity printable that my boys could cut out and glue together.

Download Build a Snowman

I printed off the pages on cardstock.

Then the boys cut everything out.

Little required some help on the smaller pieces...aka the twig arms.

I made the face so that the individual eye and mouth dots didn't need to be separately cut out. I made them in a square that fits right onto the head circle.

Cut out the face square. Glue it onto the circle , and then glue on the nose.

I used larger pieces of craft paper for the backdrop of the snowman. They glued all the separate pieces on to that.

All three of my older boys were able to do the activity. Building their snowmen took up a good chunk of after school unrest time. Plus now I have three pretty awesome works of art to hang up on my Santa's Art Gallery wall.

I hope you enjoy and that you have fun with this Build a Snowman Activity Printable.

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Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Avengers Hand Puppets

Ridiculous.

It is ridiculous, how much I am in love with these puppets.

If you have been around here for a bit, you know I am a mom to all boys. Boys who are kind of obsessed with superheros.

I had the idea for these puppets over a year ago. Confession time...The Hulk and Ironman have actually been sitting on my sewing table waiting to be sewn for that year. No excuse, I just didn't follow through with my brain child.

Until now that is...

I finally got a set of Avengers Hand Puppets designed and sewn for this year's Project Handmade Christmas Presents.

I chose to make the main four Avengers.

Everyone's favorite soldier- Captain America

An Almighty God of Thunder- Thor

A genius billionaire turned superhero- Ironman

A gamma ray rage monster- The Hulk

I love each and every one of them. I just couldn't pick a favorite.

Okay maybe I can. These two might make me clap-my-hands-giggle kind of happy.

Thor and that cape. That hat. Goosh.

Captain America and those head wings. Those stars and stripes.

Okay, so here is the part where you can't be mad at me. I am not offering a free pattern for these puppets. My goal is to make this into a pattern to sell in the future.

So I am sorry for the little tease.

But look for a pattern soonish.

But I hope just seeing these makes you as happy as it does me.

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Embellished Christmas Flour Sack Towels

I decided my kitchen could use a little Christmas-fying.

Since I am running out of time it had to be a quick little project. I gathered a few of my favorite supplies--flocked heat transfer vinyl and trim. Lots and lots of trim.

Add those two things to a super inexpensive flour sack towel, and you my friend have just about the cutest kitchen towel ever.

The flour sack towels are under $2 for a set of two. I purchased my favorite trims in a bright and jolly red. I used my red flocked heat transfer (which I buy from Expressions Vinyl). I downloaded the Santa and Reindeer image from Silhouette and then cut it out.

First I took out the flour sack towels and I ironed them out flat. Then I ironed them in half lengthwise and then in half again.

First I laid out the trim how I liked. I made sure to cut extra on each side in order to fold it over the front flap of the towel.

Once I sewed everything in place it was time to adhere the vinyl.

And done!

Now here is the disclaimer, these towels are not really for using. These are just for looking. Hence the stripey towel hanging with the pretty towels. That is the hand wiping towel.

I have threatened my boys with sloppy kisses and hugging them in public if they touch those towels with their cute grubby little mitts.

They have totally kept these towels pristine, and it has already been FOUR WHOLE DAYS. Woot! Woot! Pshaw only 16 more days. Totally doable.

Good job, Little Men. Thanks for indulging your mom. I love ya.

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Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa (Slow Cooker Saturday)

Guys! Guys! Guys!

SLOW COOKER SATURDAY is BACK!

Happy dance. Happy dance.

Man it has been awhile.

I have a really good excuse. Sadly my handy dandy slow cooker up and died on me. Well it didn't die on me per say, but it was making some awfully naughty choices.

For instance, it chose to not control how hot it was getting on the outside and after a little Kahlua pork it went and warped my counter top. Then when I was so generous and gave it another try, this time setting it on my wooden cutting board, it went and melted the glue holding the boards together.

So I had to kick that slow cooker right on up and out of my life for fear of losing more counter space and/or my house to a fire.

At the same time my slow cooker went crazy, we had a couple other things up and lame out on us too. So purchasing a new slow cooker wasn't part of the plan.

Thanks to some Black Friday online shopping, I can happily announce that I have been reunited with a slow cooker.

Happy dance again. 

The very first recipe I made in my lovely new slow cooker was for this Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa.

Uh, guys! To. Die. For. This hot cocoa is INSANE. Insane I tell you.

There are almost no words. Almost.

This cocoa is rich and creamy. The cinnamon is glorious.

This cocoa almost made me wish for a longer winter. Almost.

The ingredients for this cocoa just all go into the slow cooker. The slow cooker melts it all together over a couple of hours. Then when it is done it can just sit there on warm. Yep my new slow cooker has a warm function. Yippee! Although we did find out that it only will warm things for 6 hours. I guess after that long it figures you should just probably finish off the rest of the hot cocoa.

Oh okay, if you insist slow cooker, if you insist.

I can't help but say again, how awesome this cocoa is.

It is so very cold in so many places right now...including some places that aren't normally so chilly. I just think that is another reason to make yourself some cocoa.

Stay warm. Drink some cocoa, but not just any cocoa. Drink this Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa. You will totally thank me.

Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa

Printable Recipe

5 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cinnamon roll flavored creamer (like International Delight)
1 cup heavy cream
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the milk, creamer, cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in the slow cooker. Then add in the cinnamon chips and the white chocolate chips. Stir them into the milk mixture evenly. Cover the crock pot and set to low. Cook for 2 hours. Stir frequently. After two hours, keep on warm.

Serve with a giant dollop of homemade whip cream.

I hope you are keeping warm on these chilly days.

This cocoa will definitely help.

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