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Final Christmas Preparations

December 24, 2009 by Tracey 3 Comments

I’m sure you have a much more organized system for wrapping your presents than I do…..


This would be called the “scatter everything on the living room floor, grab a gift, then search around for what you need to wrap it with” method!! My girls were engrossed in reading the books we bought for my nephews.

Well, our daughters’ doll beds are nearly done!


The finishing touch will be a wooden letter (their initial), painted in black, and attached to the center top of the headboard.

Here’s one of the dolls trying out her new bed.


I took these pictures while my husband was out with our daughters yesterday, doing their annual Christmas shopping trip for my presents. The girls got lunch out of the deal as well, so I think they were pretty pleased! I know they’re going to love their doll beds tomorrow, too!!

Filed Under: Create, Parent

Our Christmas Cookie Tradition

December 23, 2009 by Tracey 5 Comments

I typically don’t do a lot of cookie baking around the holidays since we already seem to be swamped with sweets from every corner at this time of year. However, once our daughters were old enough to bake with me, I wanted to begin a tradition of making some type of shaped cookie that they could decorate as they pleased. Since I personally don’t care for gingerbread, I was delighted some years ago to find a recipe for chocolate cookie dough that I could use.


It’s from the Holiday 2004 edition of Kraft Food & Family magazine and I’m posting it here, in order to share it with you – and also for posterity’s sake, in case I ever lose the original!

Chocolate Holiday Bears

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 package (4-serving size) chocolate flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 squares baking chocolate, if desired
Decorations, such as assorted small candies, raisins, craisins, sprinkles, chocolate (or other flavored) chips, colored sugars, mini marshmallows, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, dry pudding mix and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Combine remaining dry ingredients. Gradually add to pudding mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Form into ball. (Refrigerate for up to one hour if dough is soft.)

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out the dough into shapes using large cookie cutters; place on lightly greased baking sheet. Reroll scraps and cut additional cookies as needed.

Decorate cut-outs with assorted decorations, pressing in lightly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly firm. Remove from baking sheets. Cool on wire racks.

Melt chocolate in microwavable bowl on medium power until melted. Spread on cookies as desired or use as “glue” to attach more decorations.

Every year, my daughters and I bake these together a few days before Christmas, keeping some for ourselves and sharing some with friends. This time we decided to carry out this tradition by including a couple of friends in the baking. To help things go more smoothly, I made the dough ahead, then had each set of girls roll out their own dough, use the cookie cutters to create the shapes they desired, then decorate their individual cookies.


The older girls ended up with neatly decorated cookies…..


…..while the younger ones were a bit more random and generous with their toppings!


This is another tradition that I look forward to every year and is an additional way to create fun memories together!

Others are sharing their Christmas food traditions at Life as Mom.

Filed Under: Create, Parent

Doll Bed Mattresses: A Solution

December 22, 2009 by Tracey 8 Comments

You may remember my little dilemma from a couple of weeks ago in regards to needing mattresses for the doll beds my husband is making our daughters for Christmas. Based on my own thoughts and a couple of reader suggestions, I decided to see about buying some foam that I could cut or have cut for me to the proper size and then attempt in my own non-crafty way to cover it.

Well, that idea lasted as long as it took me to peruse the Walmart craft department. The first item I spotted (after asking a “sales associate” for direction, that is) was a package of four foam squares, intended for seat cushions. Size-wise, those might have worked if I somehow finagled them together, but at a cost of almost $12, I wasn’t willing to try it. Who knew foam cost that much??? Beside that product was a space for some thinner foam, cost of about $9, but all out of stock. I suppose I could have gone to the fabric store to check the cost of foam there, but decided to keep wracking my brain for some other idea.

The next night, I was standing in our laundry area, looking at some table place mats I had recently washed and decided that they had seen better days.


Just as I determined that they were headed for the trash, a light bulb clicked on in my brain. These were a rectangular shape that was similar to what I needed for the mattresses. Was there a way I could use them to make what I wanted? I decided to experiment.

I trimmed each of the four place mats down to the size that I needed, then hand stitched the cut side of each one to close it. I found an old, relatively fluffy towel and cut two pieces out of it that matched the size of the cut-down place mats. I stitched those three layers together – one place mat, topped by a towel rectangle, topped by the other place mat – one set of three pieces for each mattress.


Once that was done, I took some old pink fabric I had around the house and cut it to double the size of the place mat. I stitched around two sides (one side was the fold), then turned it inside out, inserted the place mat/towel configuration and just hot-glued the final side shut.


I was actually pleased with how it turned out, considering my total lack of expertise. My husband pointed out that it’s not the thickest mattress in the world, but I don’t think the dolls will be sitting up in bed in the middle of the night to complain.


Maybe touching it up with an iron would help as a finishing touch!! The doll beds are receiving their final coat of white paint, so I hope to post pictures of the completed project tomorrow.

See what others accomplished this week at Tackle It Tuesday.

Filed Under: Create, Parent

Helpless in Hancock

December 7, 2009 by Tracey 3 Comments

It’s not that I’ve ever wanted to know how a “fish out of water” feels, but that was the phrase that came to mind as I walked into Hancock Fabrics one day last week. I tend to stay out of such stores as they always make me feel woefully inadequate. However, searching for something we need for a Christmas project for our daughters drove me to throw my inferiority complex to the wind and enter unfamiliar territory.

All around me, smiling, creative-Cathy types strode confidently from department to department, carrying various tools of their trade, mostly mysterious objects to me. I was a wanderer, aimlessly searching the aisles for what I hoped to find. I was too intimidated to ask one of the cheerful, apron-clad workers for help. I could picture her look of disdain – or worse, pity – as she silently scoffed at my lack of expertise.

So before long, I headed for the exit empty-handed, briefly wondering why a fabric store carried giant bags of Tootsie Roll pops and Ghiradelli chocolate. I guess all that crafting can cause even the sanest person to need a chocolate fix.

Next stop? The Dollar Tree. Now that’s right up my alley.

photo courtesy public domain pictures

Filed Under: Create

Thirteen Foods for My Thanksgiving Table

November 19, 2009 by Tracey Leave a Comment

Source

I’ve always had a strong association between
Thanksgiving, food, and family. Growing up, we often visited both sets of
grandparents on Thanksgiving Day and ate a full meal at both places!

I actually enjoy cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. If
I was overly ambitious and decided to prepare every dish that I would
like to see on our table that day, here would be my top thirteen
choices.

  1. Turkey. Yes, very traditional, baked in the oven.
  2. Gravy. I will admit that this most often comes from a packet or a jar.
  3. Dressing. Either I or my husband prepare his mom’s recipe using biscuits and cornbread.
  4. Sweet Potato Casserole. We eat ours with a streusel-type topping as opposed to marshmallows.
  5. Collard Greens. I don’t eat these, but my husband loves them!
  6. Cranberry Sauce. As in straight out of the can. Another food
    that I don’t eat, but our two daughters love. Thanks, mom, for
    introducing them to it!
  7. Strawberry Pretzel Salad. This dish was added to our Thanksgiving meal just in the last few years, but it’s one of my favorites!
  8. Green Bean Casserole. Another classic that’s quick and easy to prepare.
  9. Broccoli and Rice Casserole.
    No one in my house likes broccoli, so I’m thrilled when my parents or
    other family members are visiting and prevent me from eating the whole
    thing by myself!

  10. Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese. One
    of my all-time favorite comfort foods, this version works well at
    Thanksgiving as it can be put together ahead of time and doesn’t take up
    space in the oven.
  11. Yeast rolls. This is one of the foods that I most associate
    with meals at my parents’ house. I buy the frozen roll dough and just
    let it thaw and rise, then bake it.
  12. Double Layer Pumpkin Pie. With the cream cheese layer on the
    bottom, topped by a pumpkin layer and finished with a dollop of Cool
    Whip, this far surpasses a plain pumpkin pie for me. Pumpkin Cheesecake
    would be another fabulous option!
  13. Pecan Pie. One dessert that I don’t make very well, a frozen
    pie that had been heated in the oven would work just as well for me as a
    homemade version.

Are there certain foods that must be on your Thanksgiving table each year? Let me know what your favorites are!

Filed Under: Create, Live

My Simple Art Project

October 30, 2009 by Tracey 8 Comments

My moments of inspiration are few and far between, but when they come, I usually love and keep what I have put together.

A couple of years ago, I was reading a magazine and came across a beautiful photo on the last page. It spoke to me (does that ever happen to you??) I think it was because the simplicistic beauty of the objects in the picture stood out in the neutral setting. There is also a quote on the page which says, “Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day – like writing a poem or saying a prayer.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I carefully tore out the page and decided I would try to frame it. On my next visit to Walmart, I bought a basic wooden frame for $3. I painted it with some leftover white paint we had in the garage, then used some sandpaper to give it more of a distressed look.


I hung it in my kitchen in the house we were living in then and it now hangs in the kitchen of our current house. It has to be one of my favorite (yet probably least expensive) pieces of “art” in our home.

Visit Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home to see what others are sharing.

Filed Under: Create

Of Goblets and Seashells

October 23, 2009 by Tracey 7 Comments

I have mentioned before that the areas of home decor and crafty projects are not my strengths. Whenever I actually come up with an idea to try and end up liking it, I so surprise myself.

A small bucket of seashells had been sitting on top of my clothes dryer since our last trip to the beach which was, um, let’s see, Labor Day weekend!! We found some really pretty shells that day and I thought using a shallow bowl to display them in would be a nice touch. Since I don’t have a clear, pretty shallow bowl, the shells continued to occupy the same space.

In my fall organizing blitz last week, I decided that something had to be done with the seashells. After spending several minutes rummaging through the cabinets for something to display them in, I remembered the tall goblets I store on a top shelf in the kitchen. We never drink out of them, but I have used them on the mantel at Christmas time by partially filling them with water and floating candles in them. Yes, the shells fit in one of the goblets perfectly!

Then came the task of determining where to put this new decoration. I made a spot between a couple of picture frames up on a ledge and I was so excited about how it looked.

A small, simple touch, to be sure, but a pretty container for some lovely shells that remind me of a wonderful summer!

See what others are displaying at Show and Tell Friday.

Filed Under: Create

Review: Draw and Write Through History

October 12, 2009 by Tracey Leave a Comment

I recently shared that my eight-year-old daughter has a new-found interest in art. Therefore the timing was perfect when I received a copy of Draw and Write Through History: Creation through Jonah from CPR Publishing, written by Carylee Gressman and illustrated by Peggy Dick. This series is targeted to children ages eight and up, but can be adapted for those a bit younger.

Each section begins with an introductory page about a certain time period in history. That is followed by several pages of items a child can draw that are related to that historical period. For example, the pages devoted to Noah’s Ark show how to draw several different animals. Numbered steps are given and demonstrated to make it easy to replicate the drawings. The last page of each section contains one or two paragraphs describing the designated time period written in cursive handwriting for a child to copy onto his own paper.

My favorite aspect of this book is that it’s written from a Christian, Biblical perspective. My daughter couldn’t wait to try it and easily followed the steps to create her own drawing of a plant from the section about creation.

Not only does the book address time periods in history as they relate to the Bible, it also details other historical facts. For example, before the section on the Israelites in slavery and their deliverance by Moses, Egyptian pyramids and mummies are introduced.

I would definitely recommend this book as a supplement to a history or art curriculum. The steps for drawing the pictures are so well demonstrated that I feel even I could copy them – and that’s saying something! I am confident that this book will get repeated use at our house.

Visit the Draw and Write Through History website for information on other books in the series. You can view a sample art lesson here or purchase the book here.

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product for this review was provided to me free of charge by CPR Publishing. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for them in any other way.

Filed Under: Create, Parent, Read

My Very First Post

February 13, 2009 by Tracey Leave a Comment

Welcome to my little piece of the World Wide Web! I’m excited to begin blogging about subjects that are near and dear to my heart. I hope you’ll join me on this journey of learning and growing as a mom of two young girls. I hope to share things I’ve learned (and am learning!) and also be exposed to new ideas from you!

Having been saved at an early age, I approach blogging from a Christian perspective, seeking to glorify God by rearing daughters who can fulfill their God-given potential. Let’s talk about lots of topics: big ones, like educating our children, sibling rivalry and putting faith into practice; and other topics that are just for fun – favorite books, toys and foods!

I’ll share stories from our family and hope to get to know more about yours. Thanks for reading this first post – and welcome!!

Filed Under: Create

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Welcome! I'm Tracey, wife and mom to two teenage girls. I seek to help Christian moms raise children who know, love, and serve God by sharing Biblical wisdom, helpful tips, and practical advice. Read More…

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