Dear Santa

With my crazy schedule this year, I have felt very little Christmas spirit. I'm thankful that we will be out of town this year so that I don't have to worry about half the things I normally do. I'm hoping once we get on the road and away from this house, I'll be able to relax a bit and enjoy a little Christmas cheer.

For now though, I have my children to remind me that this time of the year is supposed to be fun - a season of giving. Okay, the kids aren't necessarily reminding me about the giving part... more the getting.

But I love their wish list to Santa and had to share it. It reminds me how fun it is to be a kid. I have it hanging on the refrigerator (I'm not willing to give it up and sent it to Santa).

My kids are currently focused on what they are getting rather than what they are giving... but they are kids. And I'm making sure that we fill this season with plenty of giving.

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Sneak Peak

I admit, I've been MIA for a while... it seems that I'm having trouble balancing the holiday season, craft shows, co-op preschool, the family and the blog. And sadly, after this post... I'm sure I'll be missing again for a bit. We have a busy month. This weekend I'll be selling in Portland at Crafty Wonderland, I have a week to make all the Christmas gifts I need to make, then we are off to celebrate Christmas with family in San Jose. And the day after Christmas we leave for Las Vegas for a few days (this is the light at the end of the tunnel for me).

My blog has been lacking because I've been too lazy to plug in the camera and download pictures. I didn't realize how long it had been as there pictures from Thanksgiving. Oops! I guess I missed a few blogging opportunities... but there will be many more to come :)

So, for now, I leave you with a sneak peak of the new display we are working on for Crafty Wonderland. While we don't have time to make it all that I have envisioned... it's going to be pretty cute (in my opinion). Artwork is by my talented husband (sorry, no link to his work as his site is still down).

Now, let's cross our fingers that we don't have snow for the show like they did last year!

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Muffin Tin Monday - on Tuesday again

I've been very tired and unmotivated lately. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the change of weather here, coming out of being sick for several weeks and the stress of holiday shows on the horizon. So, doing a muffin tin lunch for Lyssie this afternoon was the perfect solution to not wanting to put together a lunch for her.

Muffin Tin lunches are great because you can just pull out anything you have in the fridge and stick it in one of the cups. Lyssie helped as she wanted Mac & Cheese (I think she just wanted to help make the Easy Mac as it's one of the few things she didn't eat in the whole tin).

Contents: Carrots, Edamame crackers (from Trader Joes - surprisingly good), Mac and Cheese, Goldfish and raisins and the PB&J sandwich that her dad made for her this morning.

Yes, she was still in her jammies at noon. I have since dressed her... but I'm still feeling very unmotivated to much more. I have lots to share - some tutorials, some fun finds, current projects, etc. Just need to find the time (and motivation) to do it. Stick with me though... I'm working through this current slump!

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Homemade Costumes

Having a shop of imaginative play items does mean a bit of pressure to make my kid's costumes (I'd do it anyway) and to top previous ones I've done. It is hard sometimes because they are choosing the subject and I just have to go with it. Luckily, the kids chose things that I was actually inspired to make. Okay, truth be told, my daughter was manipulated a little bit as she originally wanted to be Han Solo and I couldn't figure out a way to represent him without the gun and holster... and I refuse to have my three year old daughter carrying around a gun. As it was, she kept asking me where Princess Leia's pocket was for her gun. This is what happens when you let your kids watch something that is really a bit inappropriate for their age. Oh well!

Anyhow, I was pleased with the way our costumes came out this time... especially my daughter's. I made hers entirely from recycled materials and it was not only a fun challenge... but a rewarding one as well.

I was a little less pleased with my sons because I couldn't get the front of the robe to lay down flat (the fleece kept stretching as I stitched it to the flannel and I didn't have time to tear it out a third time). Of course, my son didn't know the difference and was pleased with the result. His costume also has elements of recycled materials including the belts and the pouches on them. Oh - and the piece of droid that he's carrying. He made that with his dad. I would have missed this little detail as I did not realize that Jawas collect droids.

I had trouble making his eyes glow and finally came up with glasses with the glow bracelets wrapped around them. I had also bought him a ski mask to black out his face but the "one size fits all" didn't fit my son's large head :)

The kids had a great time trick-or-treating with my son's best friend. I'm happy to put, yet another, memorable Halloween behind us. Hope everyone had a safe and fun filled Halloween! I'd love to see your costumes... so leave a link in comment section so that I can check them out!

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Thankful

It's the first day of November and I am reminded that we have so many things to be thankful for. Today, while I was out with my family, a stranger treated us to a free lunch. We were actually having a pretty horrible experience... long wait to order... long wait to get food... food that comes is incorrect... little attention... you get the picture.

While my husband and I stewed about it - sitting for an hour and half with hungry kids in uncomfortable seats is not fun - a nice gentleman approached our table and insisted on paying for our lunch, slipping some money under my husband's plate. It was the oddest and most wonderful thing we have experienced in a long time.

We suddenly felt awkward about accepting the kind gesture, amazed by our renewed faith in people, conflicted in our annoyance with the restaurant staff... One generous stranger made our day with one kind gesture. It really had nothing to do with the money. It was the ease of his generosity, his lack of need for acknowledgement and the influence that the gesture had on us.

This month I hope to make a point of telling me kids each day what I'm thankful for. I often go through this exercise every night before I fall asleep - but I've always kept it to myself. I hope to have my kids do the same.

Tonight I am thankful, not only for generous strangers, but for that stranger's timing.

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