Save Those Cards!

I can't tell you how happy it makes me that more and more people are choosing to send out photo Christmas and holiday cards!  December is my favorite "mail month" of the year because it is so fun to see how families have grown and changed over the last year.  It's especially fun because non-junk/bill mail is few and far between anymore.

Now it's mid January and I am paralyzed by the same dilemma each year...what to do with all these amazing photo cards?  I have them stored up from past years and can not bring myself to get rid of any.  I came across this amazing idea on Pinterest and the Tiny Prints website...take pictures of the cards you receive and use the photo as the contact picture in your smartphone.  Genius!

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Kristy at on Pinterest

I just did this about a week ago and if you edit your contact and put the picture in that way, you don't even have to take up your memory saving the picture itself.  The entire post can be found here.  The kids have had a ball looking to see who is calling, since now they see their little friends faces pop up...and I have to admit, I like it just as much.

One other great product that I have found is a photo carousel at Potterybarn.  I'm thinking about getting either the tall version or the tabletop version to keep my cards out all year.  In the past, they stay out in a basket, but I like this display better.  You and your family really will love looking through these all year long.  Here's what I found...

Source: potterybarn.com via Kristy at on Pinterest

Source: potterybarn.com via Kristy at on Pinterest

Source: potterybarn.com via Kristy at on Pinterest

I think that the more ways you can find to integrate memories and photos of your loved ones into your home and daily life the better!  I love that both of these are new and creative, and a fresh twist on just framing a photo wall of friends.  Enjoy!

Paper Memories

One of my favorite Mommy notes from Son (written at age 5) says this

"Mom I love how you control this house.  Love, [name deleted to protect the innocent;)]"


This makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.  He is my sweet boy who loves order and plans.  My plan is to frame this and hang it in the kitchen and point to it daily when he is a teenager.  But I am so afraid I will lose it before then!


I usually take pictures like this one of special works so I have a digital copy. I have found some really cute ways to preserve those special notes and pieces of artwork.  My friend Aimie has a great idea and she scans in special notes and letters, which would probably yield a higher quality copy but would only work for letter size or smaller.


These were found on Pinterest.


I love this one because you can take photos of notes and artwork and turn it into a "photo collage" at any online digital printing company;

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Kristy at on Pinterest

This next one is great because you can turn your pictures or digital files into a book.  How fun would this be to make a book for each school year of special memories?!

Source: myyellowsandbox.blogspot.com via Kristy at on Pinterest

This would be a wonderful way to pass these on to your children when they are older.  I treasure the pieces of work that my mom saved all those years for me, but to be honest the ancient paper gives me an allergy attack every time I look in the box!  ;)  You could even make a book for yourself of memories that you have from your childhood, college, travels etc.


To get you started I have a special offer for CPL readers!  Blurb books is offering a great discount on photo books.  These are very high quality books that will help your memories stand the test of time!  Here are the details:

15% off Blurb Books

Click  Blurb Photo Book to get started.  

Offer: Make Your Own Blurb Book and Save 15% | Code: 15OFFBLURB | Dates: 1/1/12-3/31/12 | 
Promo code details: Offer valid through March 31st 2012 (11:59 p.m. your local time). 
A 15% discount is applied toward your product total. Maximum discount is USD $200.00. CAD/AUD $250, EUR 160 or GBP 140.00. 
This offer is good for one-time use, and cannot be combined with other promotional codes, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous orders. 


Blurb also has a new feature where you can turn your Facebook and Instagram photos into a book.  I know so many of us have pictures in our computers and phone that we will never "get out", so this would be a great way to preserve those photos.  


Share this post with your friends and start preserving those paper memories!

What's Your Number?

13.

That's my number.  My number of "after Christmas chaos" homeless piles around my house waiting to find a home.  It is my first morning alone in my house for maybe a month, but I am not really alone with my piles staring at me.  They are upstairs and downstairs, and sadly I can't even blame the kids.  They are mine.  Pile might be a conservative label as well, mountain may suffice for some.  Certainly, hill with a steep grade would work too.

I have...

The single sock pile looking for their long lost mate from a day of tons of laundry.
The single candle vase with candle inside sitting on the floor because it has no home.
A stack of Christmas books to email the titles to a friend (it's coming Cynthia!)
A group of 6 wrapping paper rolls that don't fit in my otherwise organized wrapping paper holder.
A tray of tools on the dining table waiting to go to the garage.
A stack of tablecloths that won't fit back into the cabinet that they came out of 3 weeks ago.  A wonder.
A bagged Christmas tree in my entryway waiting to be stored.
10 Christmas decoration boxes waiting to go into the crawl space under my stairs.  Also blocking the front door.
...to name a few.

Today I have made progress with my piles though.  I pinned pictures of mudrooms and storage ideas on my new obsession Pinterest account.  Organized today?  No.  Ready for when I win the lottery and add on my dream mudroom and storage room?  Absolutely.

I had the sweetest neighbor up the street who was in her 80's with 4 grown children.  She always had a perfect outfit on, nails done and bright red or pink lipstick on.  I just knew that she had to have looked this way even while raising 4 kids.  She used to pop in to visit and chat.  One day she rang the doorbell and I opened the door without thinking to my foyer of sorted dirty laundry piles.  She just looked at the floor wide eyed and said "Oh, dear.  I can see this is a bad time."  I thought, not a bad time...just the time.  The next time she stopped by and I had piles, I made the kids be quiet and hide with me behind the couch.

As I lay on the ground with the kids, they kept saying "Why can't we let Miss Barbara in?" and I harshly said "SHHHHHH!", I felt ridiculous.  I wish now that I had let her in and just explained that this is the stage I was in and the best I could do on that day.  She would've understood, and I doubt she really cared to begin with.  In fact, she probably would've offered to help me.  You probably have piles, just "own them".  Don't let them hold you back from the things in life that really are important.  The piles will find their way home.  We all know this, but do we do it?

Now, excuse me.  I need to climb out and get Sissy.

A Bad Move

Last night we were talking about Christmas in review, the kids and I and they were missing our friendly elf, Snitch.  Some of you may have the Elf on a Shelf which could also be called Mother's Greatest Helper and I'll tell you why.  Here is a head shot of Snitch, so we know who we are talking about...with his knowing little glance...

Snitch comes to our house on Thanksgiving night and stays until Christmas as sort of a Santa spy.  He reports back to the North Pole each night with the goings-on, bad AND good of the day.  This fall as my house and toys were swallowing me whole, I though I can not have one more toy, game, Lego, paint set or anything in this house.  Then I had my (few and far between) stroke of genius.  Thanksgiving morning the kids found a note typed in teeeeeeny tiiiiiiiny 6 point font (because Snitch has a teeny tiny hand) that said:

A year has flown by and I'll be with you very soon

But before I arrive you must make room!

Too many toys you have when I peeked in this morning

If you want more Christmas toys, this is your warning.

Fill the playroom hall with toys and books to give

To boys and girls who don't have any toys where they live.

I'm already watching so do this task with a smile and cheer,

And when you finish it won't be long till I'm near!

Love,

Snitch

They freeeeeeeeeaked out!  They ran like I had yelled FIRE! and started loading things OUT of their playroom like they were on a game show.  I stood in shocked amazement as the toys piled higher.  Now, I know that the whole Elf thing is a commercialization of Christmas.  But, I would say that when used as a nudge for helping others, he taught a pretty good lesson at our house this year.  You can use this poem next year.  I should charge you, but I won't.  ;)

The wheels came off a bit when I accidentally took Sissy with me to drop off the toys.  Seeing the whole car unloaded of your toys before your very eyes with no Elf in sight to impress was almost too much for her to bear at her age.  She wept.  She told me she was "just about to play with all those baby toys".  She wept more.

By Christmas, though they were so excited to reap the rewards of their generosity.  Here they are on Christmas morning, cute as can be.

See?  This is a girl who doesn't play around.  Not trying to have one thing left in the bottom of that stocking.  She was hoping the circle of generosity would complete its cycle in her stocking.

So last night as we were talking and reviewing all this and how great Christmas was, the conversation turned to this:

Sissy:  Mom, remember how we gave all those toys to the boys and girls that don't have toys?
Me: Yes, that was so awesome.  Now a little girl could have gifts at Christmas, just like you had!
Sissy:  No boy or girl came to give me a toy.
Me:  That's right, because you have plenty.  That's why we did it.  It always feels better to give to someone who really needs it.
Sissy:  I think it was a bad move!

Well, it's a work in progress.  It's hard for us adults to give with a cheerful heart sometimes.  It's all about the process though, and sometimes especially in our faith, what feels like a really bad move turns out to be just the right one.

Have a great day!

Measure This

Yesterday I had some time and I found myself at the mall.  Now from previous posts, you know I don't often find myself there.  I felt like my eyes were burning when I entered AND exited each children's clothing store because all the summer clothes are out!  Christmas is passé, Valentine's Day is lost and hop right on past Easter to your bathing suit, cover up, and flip flops.  Ugh.  I guess that's January 2nd for ya.

Do you all know about Anthropologie?  Am I simply the last lame-o around that didn't know about this store?  Hubby and I discovered it when we were in Florida and they have clothes, but more importantly the coolest, most unique home items.  Kitchen gadgets, hand painted knobs and hooks, books, textiles...the whole nine.  It is awesome.

Do you ever feel like you need a little treat?  A little pick me up?  A little something to glance at in your house and make you smile?  I found it at Anthropologie.  This is my new favorite thing.  Unfortunately since it is a week AFTER Christmas and all our gifts have been exchanged, I had no one to buy it for.  Wait!  I do know one person I could get it for...little ole me!

Look at this adorable "Milk Bottle" Measuring Cup Set!  Love!  It would look darling in any kitchen and I love the awesome colors inside.  It is kind of hard to see in my picture, but the top is 1/4 cup, then 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup.  A nesting tower of measuring wonderness (I know that's not a word, but that's what this makes me wanna shout)!  It would make a great hostess gift as well!

Here's the link to view (since my pics don't do it justice!) or purchase at Anthropologie:
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=20101796&catId=HOME-KITCHEN&pushId=HOME-KITCHEN&popId=HOME&navCount=28&color=095&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&isSubcategory=true&subCategoryId=HOME-KITCHEN-GADGETS

Happy measuring!  Happy baking!  Or just Happy Admiring!

Making the List

Our kids go back to school tomorrow, how about yours?  Tonight when they started to whine that they didn't want to go back, Hubby and I amused ourselves and therefore them by dancing around the house singing "It's the most wonderful day of the year!"  At first they didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but then we made up ridiculous lyrics ("The house will stay clean and be super quiet, I can't wait to try it!") and belted our song horribly out of tune.  It's amazing how a bad song and worse dancing can turn a night around.  Now everyone is ready for the most wonderful day of the year...and I'm ready to dismantle Christmas decorations and dig out of piles of to-do's.


But this year, I am making the list.  No, not writing a list.  I am making it...as in, I MADE it ONTO my list.  Tomorrow, I have an appointment to workout.  On purpose, I made my appointment for right after I drop them off.  There is no time to run an errand for anyone else first.  For the first time in a long time, I am first on the calendar tomorrow and it feels really good.  I half expected my phone to smoke when I entered "Workout" in the calendar for ME.  True confessions, I have not been in a gym in 7 years.  I have exercised, walked, some runs, lots of chasing the kids but all catch as catch can.  Usually when I get them back into school it is a mad dash for Costco, the grocery store, and more and more errands benefiting everyone but me, it seems on the surface.  


Not this year.  I am so excited that I made it onto my own To Do List.  I really do want to dance around and sing "It's the most wonderful day of the year!".  I need to exercise to just be plain ole healthy.  Your "it" could be something else, it probably is.  We all have an "it" that we have put off for ___ years while we are raising our kids.  


Last year I took a day long photography class.  That sustained me for months.  Honestly!  I loved finding a hobby as an adult that I could get lost in.  I reveled in packing a bag just for me with notebook, pens and pencils the night before.  Learning a new skill, being with all adults, sparking creativity were all things that had been lacking on my list.  During the day to day grind of the year, I often think about that class.  It sounds silly but it is true.  


You have heard the metaphor of securing your own oxygen mask first so you can then help others?  There is value in being filled up so you can give to those around you.  I feel like a lot of time in the last 7 years I've had it backwards...more about securing everyone else's mask first and gasping for whatever is left over.


Here's hoping and encouraging you to make the cut on your own list this year.  The kids will thank us for being  kinder, gentler, happier moms.  And tomorrow I'll be gasping for air for a whole different reason! ;)

By the way, one kinder, gentler, happier mom will be 

Mindy 

Winner of the Michael's Gift Card when she gets crafting!  

Congrats!

Happy New Year!

Photo by Heather Wied

Happy New Year To All
from Our Family to Yours!

This picture defines New Years Day for me, one quarter looking back and three quarters looking ahead!  I hope this can be a time of reflection as well as anticipation for the year that is to come.  May you have a blessed and healthy 2012!

Love,
Kristy and Family

P.S. ~ Don't forget to check the last post to enter in the giveaway on Monday!  Free!