a little thank you...

As the end of the year drew closer for my mom's group, it was time to start thinking about a little gift that we could leave with the nursery workers. If they didn't volunteer to watch our little ones during the meetings, many of these moms could not attend.

My church has had a profound impact on my children and their understanding about Jesus and the Bible. I am so thankful for all those who willingly work with my children, teaching them that Jesus loves them. Because when those truths are instilled an early age, they have a lifetime to grow.

Little seeds grow great testimonies.

We had these fruit baskets leftover from this craft. You can find the link to purchase them inexpensively in this post.

The flowers were just the $1.50 flats of 6 from Walmart - cut down into two flowers per gift.

A couple of book pages finished off the look, acting as tissue paper for our little gifts.

The tags were printed on card stock and taped to popsicle sticks . I am happy to send the PDF of this printable I created if you comment with your email address below.

A friend used this idea for some teacher gifts - she put her flower flats inside a lunch bag and rolled down the sides. A bamboo skewer made a great replacement for the popsicle stick.

Thank those who impact your children for eternity. After all, little seeds grow great testimonies

Stovetop Simmer Starter Kit

I often associate memories and feelings with scents. My new favorite addition to our holiday home is a simmering potpourri pot! The whole house quickly smells like Christmas - and I am just using peels from an orange and a few branches from a tree outside.

For my favors at our Christmas tea (read more about that wonderful night here), I gave each lady her own stovetop simmer starter kit. 

Once you understand the concept, you will find yourself throwing all kinds of things into your pot of simmering water. 

The instructions are simple.

Toss orange peels, a handful of cranberries, and some spices (I like a cinnamon stick and some whole cloves) into a small pot. Cover the ingredients with water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add water every thirty minutes or so. As the pot steams, your home will be filled with wonderful scents.

Some have said they forget about having to add water. If that's the case, set yourself a timer to remind you to check the water levels!

I found this handy printable already prepared for me here. The clear bags can be found on the party isle at Walmart - 20/$.97.

Most days, I save orange peels (or sliced oranges) and apple peels/core from preparing my kid's lunches, add some spices and some days I even add pine or cedar branches to the pot.  A super simple recipe is orange peel and a tablespoon or so of vanilla extract. The possibilities are endless. And it makes an adorable, affordable gift. 

I love that I can step out my backdoor, grab a tree branch, save some peels and make my home smell welcoming and cozy! Do any of you have any favorite combinations? 

Elastic Hair Tie Gift Sets

Last month, we made this quick craft at MOPS. These elastic hair ties are great for personal use, but also make a really creative gift. With a cute saying, they would even be the perfect candy-less valentine to share.

You can buy colorful, patterned elastic at most craft stores. I bought ours at Hobby Lobby when the ribbon was marked 50% off. That made each 9 foot roll to be $1.50.

Elastic strips cut in 9 inch segments make the perfect sized pony-tail holder.

After securing both ends in a single knot, the ties are ready to go.



Some of the ties have a tendency to fray. If you are worried about fraying, you can finish the ends with a coat of clear fingernail polish.

After tying the ties around a piece of cardstock, a clever saying is all that is needed to complete this little gift.

"Our friendship ties us together." or "I would KNOT be the same without your friendship."

I love to use these ties on my own hair - it seems to leave less of a "pony-tail crease" and it looks cute on my wrist when it's not in my hair.

I want to remember these little hands

Usually, the Sunday before Mother's Day, I panic. WHAT AM I GOING TO SEND MY MOM AND GRANDMAS???? But this year, people kept asking me, "Are you doing anything fun for Mother's Day gifts?" I started thinking early! I knew I wanted to incorporate hand prints, but I knew that Nora was not ready to participate in a bunch of paint hand prints. I was sure I'd MAYBE get one good one and the rest would not resemble a hand print at all.

I want to remember their little hands. I wash them daily. They hold my fingers and touch my face. They reach for me to pick them up. They clap when they are excited. The do the motions to their Bible verses. They help me pick up toys. I spend a lot of time looking at these little hands.

I decided to stitch their hand prints on tea towels. I know that these hands won't stay little forever. And I wanted the moms in our lives to have a way to remember those little fingers.

I purchased red striped tea towels at Walmart (2 pack for $1.97). I traced the kid's hands on paper and cut out the shapes. After tracing the hand onto the towel, I stitched around the outline with embroidery thread.

If I was super focused, each towel only took about 30 minutes to complete. I added the year at the bottom of the towel, and I designated who's hand was who's with their initial.

Hudson helped me color the cards for each of the mom's in our lives. I signed each note "Love, Nana's Helping Hands - Hudson and Nora" or "Love, "Grammy's Helping Hands - Hudson and Nora." It was a memorable but inexpensive way to capture the memory of my kid's hand prints and let these ladies know how much they mean to us!

Since Hudson was born, I've taken pictures with him on the deck every Mother's Day. I decided to try to have Jeremiah take our pictures before church this morning. Despite the bright sun light, I hoped to have a few images to remember this day. And I thought we might not all be dressed in the same outfits after church.  Spills happen a lot at this stage in our life.

I am so thankful for these two little blessings that the Lord has given me to raise.

Although some days (and nights) are super long, I still think being their mom is the best job in the world.

I am so thankful that my husband works so hard, allowing me to stay home with our babies. Each moment with them is a gift, and I appreciate his sacrifice.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a mom. I know I had the best mom ever - and I always dreamed of having the opportunity to love and nurture kids of my own. She taught me so much by her words and example. I pray I am able to influence my children they way she influences me.

So whether it's wiping fingers or picking up cheerios...I have decided that these are some of the best days of my life.

And some of the sweetest words I heard all day came from Hudson... "Happy Mudder's Day, Mom...I wuv you!"

I am so thankful that the Lord picked me to be Hudson and Nora Lynn's mommy. 

DIY Advent Calendar Kit

For the Christmas Tea last week, I needed favors for my table. I thought about chocolates. I thought about ornaments. Finally, I decided on DIY Advent Calendar Kits. 

I simply cut flags from cardstock. I used two different shaped flags so that I could get the most use out of my cardstock. 

Each kit also got 10-ish feet of baker's twine and 25 clothespins. I purchased a large amount of this baker's twine over a year ago. I use it all the time - wrapping gifts, etc. and I still have so much left. It was a good investment, to be sure. I measured how much string would be needed to hang all 25 flags - across a doorway top, along the top of a hutch, or even just on the wall.

I stamped each flag using my date stamp. These stamps are pretty inexpensive and I use mine all the time. 

I hoped that the guests at my table could take this home and use it to count down to Christmas. They could write on the tag what Scripture they plan to read. Or clip a 3x5 card to each dated flag with an activity or scripture reference. They could even clip an ornament for each day, hanging them on a little tree as the days pass. 

I packaged the kits in plain brown lunch sacks. 

I thought I had come up with a fabulous way to make easy tassels. I figured it made a cute bow, added color and could be later used as an ornament. But alas, someone else had already thought of my cool idea.  I ended up making two tassels from one skein of thread.

This was a fun and simple favor to make. I hope it helped a few of these ladies as they count down to Christmas. 

PS: Hudson and I are reading the Jesus Storybook as our Advent reading each evening. And I am using She Reads Truth. There is a free app and you can buy the advent pack. I, however, have just been reading it all on the website directly for free. 

What are you reading? How are you counting down to Christmas? 

4 Canvas Zippered Pouches for $3.48, FREE SHIPPING

Gifts are my love language - I don't mean that I need diamonds and expensive things given to me at all times in order to feel loved (However, I'm not saying I'd turn down diamonds). But I find great joy in the giving and receiving of little things. I love to mail a card with some stickers inside or give a friend a potted plant. I also keep a drawer of gifts that I can pull from when the need arises. When the Lord prompts, I love to have a journal or a bracelet already on hand.

Recently, I saw these cute little zippered pouches on Amazon. Covered in adorably patterned fabric, these little canvas bags make the perfect "gift bag" for a few new pens or some lip gloss. I also love that these little pouches are lined in a cute polka-dot fabric. I love them so much, in fact, that I am keeping one or two for myself.

This four pack of  canvas pouches is currently just $3.48, FREE shipping! That means, for less than $1 each, I have a few gifts or gift bags on hand. 

I must warn you, however, when I received these in the mail, the little "saying" on the tiny tag that is sewn to the front was all out of order. Coming from a different country, I think that someone got a little confused in their translation. However, the writing is so small and the bags are so cheap, it was a flaw that I was willing to accept. It is still an adorable way to give some lip gloss, a gift card or a few pens and highlighters. 

I love to pass on a good deal - It's even more fun if the good deal is adorable as well as practical. Check out these pouches here if you are looking for some inexpensive gift ideas! And as always, with Amazon, prices fluctuate...so act fast if you want the $3.48 price. 

Cheap Photo iPhone Case and FREE Prints

Just wanted to pass this fun idea along. York Photo has a great deal on a custom photo case for your iPhone 4 or 4S. Right now, get a photo case for just $10 when you use the code MYIPHONE at checkout (Reg $29.99)

I love a personalized gift! And I love a cheap personalized gift even more! This would make an awesome Mother's Day or Father's Day surprise...or a fun little something for yourself.

If you use my referral link (here), you will also get 60 FREE 4x6 Prints! (And I'll get credit too!)

I'd love to see what your case creations look like! Send me a pic! 

What can you do with a soup can? Part 1

A few weeks back, I fell in love with the 50th anniversary Campbell's Tomato Soup cans being sold at Target. I knew there had to be something creative that could come out of such adorable cans. So, I printed my coupons (you can find the same printables on the right hand side of my blog - just scroll through the coupons above the "I Heart Comments" pic) and purchased a few in different colors.

I hope to do something creative with the rest of the cans I've purchased, but for now, I've crafted something cute for my sister's kitchen. She uses yellows and blues - and I knew this can would be a perfect fit for her decor. 

I simply emptied the soup from the can (serve it with grilled cheese). Then, I applied a coat of Modge Podge to the label, hoping that this would help preserve it a bit. 

After hot gluing three strong magnets on the back of the can, I was left with an adorable pen holder. 

It seems I can never keep track of the pen near my grocery list. This way, you can store a few on your refrigerator in an adorable way. And for now, the three magnets are proving to be strong enough. 

Have you attempted any projects with these adorable cans? I'd love to know what you're doing with them.  I had a friend send me an idea a few days ago that I am hoping to try...so stay tuned!  

The Best Parents get promoted to grandparents

I've dreamed about this day for a long time - the day when Jeremiah and I can tell our parents that we are expecting a baby. And the day finally arrived.

Like most things in my life, I already had in mind how I wanted the moment to pass.

1. I wanted to tell them in person if at all possible. 
2. I wanted to surprise them. 
3. I wanted to give them some creative gift to reveal the surprise.
4. I wanted to tell our parents in the same couple of days. 

I searched Pinterest and blogs for ideas of how to reveal the pregnancy...I knew we didn't want to hand them a jar of Preggo pasta sauce. I wanted to do something memorable. 

I thought about making them T-shirts that said, "Pawpaw....since 2013" or "Nana...since 2013" But our baby is due in January. I started to worry about what year to put on the shirt. Do you put the year you found out you were pregnant? Do you put the year that the baby is born? What if the baby comes early? And my parents were already grandparents....too much uncertainty. 

We thought about telling them on Father's Day - but we weren't able to travel that weekend due to other scheduled events. And I wanted to have my first doctor's appointment before announcing (in hopes that I would have an ultra-sound picture). 

Finally, I saw an adorable quote online.    "The best parents get promoted to GRANDPARENTS." It seemed so perfect and fitting. 

Using some digital scrapbooking material (downloaded for personal use for free here, from Shabby Princess) and Microsoft Publisher to create a little "announcement" of sorts to frame.

Since I had been to my first doctor's appointment, it was so fun to include the ultra-sound photograph....our baby's first picture. Placed in a $1.95 5x7 frame, I was proud of our method to reveal our great news.

And our parents were thrilled with the news the frame brought, as well.

To share our news with my sister, Amy, I sent a picture to my niece, Pippa Louise.

She was thrilled with the news of her cousin!

Stay tuned for better Ultra-sound pictures...this one was taken at 9 weeks .

Where you go, I'll go...

Last August, my parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. The last time I was at their home, I realized I'd never posted about the gift that I gave them.

I admire my parents so much. I have seen God do amazing things in their lives, and I have watched them follow the Lord wherever He led. Whether they knew all the details or not, if God led, they followed. I can remember moving into a house on Sunday and starting school on Monday. I can remember people who let us stay in their homes while we looked for a permanent residence. God led, and God provided. I wanted my gift to serve as a memorial of the places God had directed them to. By compiling a few Pinterest ideas, I had my plan!

I purchased a frame from Target that had glass on both sides - I thought it would make finished product look a little more sophisticated.

Taking the Atlas from the back seat of our car (I convinced Jeremiah we could purchase one more up to date), I cut out six locations in the shape of a heart. By simply highlighting the cities my parents have lived and ministered in, I was hoping to bring back lots of memories each time they glanced at my gift.

Using my Cricut, I cut out the words of Ruth 1:16. "Where you go, I'll go...Where you stay, I'll stay..." I used black cardstock for the letters. Since I made this, I have discovered the ease of cutting vinyl on the Cricut. It would have been much simpler to use the vinyl for the letters, instead of having to glue each letter individually.

When they first saw their gift, they immediately began to talk about the locations represented.

I am so proud of my parent's desire to follow the Lord. Almost every day, I am reminded of little lessons they taught me. And I am constantly challenged by their relationship with the Lord.

Easy Free Decorations...It feels like Spring!

During my weekend with family, I packed in lots of projects. From Green Eggs and Ham to remaking an old man shirt, I had a blast. 

I also helped my parents add some vinyl letters and shapes to the church nursery walls. I had never used my Cricut to cut vinyl, but it was so simple! I will definitely be adding some favorite quotes or verses to my walls at home.

And if you read this post, you'll know that I had a great time hanging out with my blogger friend, Joni. Her house is beautiful and who wouldn't be inspired in this craft room.

While she was finishing up her old man polo remake, I snuck around her house taking pictures. I loved this vase of branches on her kitchen table. 

I had also noticed 2 forks on her craft table.

Little did I know that these supplies were the makings of an awesome craft.

There's no need to reinvent a tutorial that someone else has successfully written. Find the original tutorial here.

She had adorable colors of yarn.

I quickly fashioned a few pink pom-poms. I also had made a couple gray ones. One of my gray ones fell off in the car. As we were packing the car for our trip back to Tennessee, I heard my husband say, "What in the world is this?" Apart from the branches, those gray poms look like the biggest dust bunnies you've ever seen.



I proudly took my new spring decorations to my parent's house. I think the pom-poms look like beautiful little flower buds. I was in love...and apparently my mother was too. She thought that it went great with a picture she had in the living room. So, being the great daughter that I am, I found another vase at her house and put the branches in them.  I just wish I had taken a real picture of it, but all I have is the blurry one from my phone.

Yesterday, I went out to the back yard and selected some branches for my vase. I also grabbed a few extra to make one for my neighbor. Before taking the branches inside, I made sure they were bug free.

I made some cream colored pom-poms for my branches.

I am loving the fun wispy look. I put my friend's branches in an empty mason jar. Mine however are proudly displayed in the milk bottle than Joni gave me. She thought it appropriate that the dairy farm was called "Goodwill."

This project is one of my new favorite crafts. It took less than 30 minutes to complete and all the supplies were free. And, it was a fun way to brighten my neighbor's day. It would be super easy to whip up one of these bouquets for anyone feeling down. And, it will be super easy to change out the pom-pom colors to reflect the time of year. It's also a great way to use up those random bits of yarn you may have laying around the house.

And, before you throw away the little bits that you trim from your pom-poms, why not give it to the birds?

Pin found here.