DIY- Simple, Fun & Budget Friendly Ornaments!

My mom made a few and sent us last year & worth a share.

Angel Ornament

Teddy Bear Ornament

She also made one that was a little Christmas house but I can't seem to find that one

Reindeer Ornament

We made these this year:

Sledding Rudolph Reindeer Ornament

                     

Reindeer Canes

* Can glue googly eyes on instead of doodling some on.

Pipe Cleaner with Pony Beads

Rudolph

 Music Bell with Jute Cord

 Ribbon and Jute Ornament

 Glitter Sprayed Pine Cone with Jute : I used .10 Halloween Glitter Hair Spray

Monogrammed Ornament with Silver and Gold Puff Paint & Ribbon

 

 Glittered Puff Paint with Bling Squares & Jute

 Satin Ribbon Sparkly Bell: Epsom Salt & Glitter Spray

 Red Ribbon w Glittered Ribbon & Bling Squares

 Snowman Ribbon Bell

Jute Cord Wrapped Ornament

Painted Clothes Pin Ornaments

Stay tuned for a few more DIY options in the next post.

Happy Holidays!

The Easiest Salt Dough Recipe EVER!

The best keepsakes are the ones that you can keep forever. I am loving the salt dough making. Normally, I just do not have luck with these kinds of things, but this one worked out great. 

Roll out to 1/2 inch and bake at 200 degree for up to 2 hours ~ more or less depending on the thickness.  You can poke a hole before you bake it in order to string it up.  Another option is poke your hole and let air dry for 2 days and then you can string it up. After it dried it was nice creamy color with a little sparkle from the salt. They do turn out a bit heavy, but it depends on how thick you roll them. The ornaments turned out light enough to hang on the tree. The handprints were pretty heavy and wouldn't go to well on the tree. Keep them forever or send to a loved one. We sent ours to my mom that lives in MS for a gift along with all of the little ornaments. You can paint them too!

We plan on painting ours and using hot glue to attach a jute cord and ribbons to them for ornaments.

I made this batch which came out perfect the 1st time.  I used Mortons Fine Sea Salt. I made 2 more batches for our Central Foothills Mommies Holidaze Party and the 1st batch came out great the 2nd batch not so much. I am not too sure why except for me using a different salt....which was- Antica Salina Fine Sea Salt. If I would have had more flour on hand, I could have fixed the dough. 

*I figured I would share the good and the bad so you know what to expect.  Now I didn't have any more ingredients on hand but you could mix a little more salt and flour to make the consistency firm and less sticky.

I hope you have just as much fun making these as we did!  If you post about it or make it let me know how it turned out for you.

Happy Holidays!

12 Days of Christmas in our house

Ever have posts you just can't wait to post? Yesterday I wanted to post what I posted today, and completely forgot about the 12 days of Christmas post I wanted to put together.  I tell you some days I am so behind on my content and other days I am just so excited and wanting to post multiple posts.  What a crazy date...12/12/12!

I wanted to share with you guys one of my most favorite and cherisable holiday keepsakes.  My 12 days of Christmas glasses that I scored at an awesome deal last year on ebay due to the eleventh day having a chip in the glass.  However, that is not why they are SO special to me.  They are so special to me because my grandmother had these in the China cabinet every year.  They were in the back for the whole year and in the front during Christmas.  They were there as long as I could remember.  She passed in the early 2000's and Hurricane Katrina ruined the entire house and everything in it so they were lost.  They mean a lot to me.  I may be weird, but I like to have things that my grandmother or mom had when we were growing up, so when I run across things like that I try to get them if I can or just wait and hope for it to come along again.

This is how we do 12 days of Christmas in our house:

My husband has made this a traditional song for us.  This song really could be our family in it.  The song will make you laugh, so press play.

12 Pains of Christmas

And of course 12 Days of Redneck Christmas for laughs.

Traditional 12 Days of Christmas which I think I know the words to finally due to my 7 year old singing it constantly. 

Now on to my glasses- Front/backs

Happy Holidays!

DIY- Personalized Special Photo Ornament

Start to Finish:

I have been TERRIFIED to send tissue paper through the printer and it ruin the printer. I finally tried it because I wanted a personalized marriage ornament this year.  You have no idea on how excited it made me for it to actually work. I was so excited and still am {until I ruin the printer with tissue paper} that I could dance and I don't even know how to. This was on my first try too. I always have to print something to make sure that I see how the printer is printing...front/back-top/bottom. I should know this by now as many times as I have printed things.

So without further ado.......

Choose your image: Wedding, Anniversary, Birth,  1st Year Christmas, Family, 1st day of school...etc.

I used an image from our wedding that I had practiced doing a subway type art with previously, but was not satisfied with the entire photo. The song we got married to "Would You Go With Me" by Josh Turner. It was just us and baby girl when we got married so we went non traditional style.

Part I:

1. Get a piece of tissue paper{ I used off white Christmas} & cut it to the size of my printer paper.

2. Tape up all of the corners & sides well, so when it runs through the printer nothing snags or causes the tissue paper to get stuck.

3. Size up your bell with the photo on the computer screen to ensure that you get the portion of the photo you want on the bell.

4. PRINT- {it turned out okay, but next time instead of using a piece that was a little crumply I will use one that is not}

5. Put your bell on top of the image section you want on top of a cut worthy surface. I put it on a piece of double folded paper. Trace around the bell with your X-acto tool until you can lift the side of the tissue paper from the ornament. 

6. Remove the portion of the bell and the photo copied tissue paper. Remove the string if it came with one. 

Part II:

1. Apply Mod Podge to the surface

2. Place the image CAREFULLY on to the Mod Podged surface. I luckily didn't have to move mine around, so I am not sure how much working room you would have. I would not think very much due to the delicate nature of the tissue paper. If you have a little bubble or crease you could smooth it out gently with your finger or a soft paint brush to the consistency you want it. Take your X-acto tool and softly remove the string hole of the ornament where the tissue paper is covering. I slightly tapped it and it folded in. 

3. Mod Podge the back of your tissue paper photo and let dry. I was impatient and I let it sit for about 30 minutes and then took the hair dryer on the warm/low setting and dried it the rest of the way.

   It had one line in the middle there, but I didn't try to work it out because I like the old vintage photo look it gives.

4. I strung some Jute cord through the string hole and wrote the date of our marriage on it with a permanent metallic sharpie.

 

 Pretty cool, huh!  I plan to make a few more before the holidays are over.  I am excited to see what other Mod Podge creations I can make.

Happy Holidays.

Tag You're It

 

I was so excited to see this.  The things that I get excited by lol.  

Welcome to Tag! You’re it ~ Christmas Style!

<img src="http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t475/RaisingReagan/TagChristmas.jpg" border="0" alt="TagChristmas" width="225" height="250" border="0" /></a>

My goal is to get this to hop around all the different blogs and have everyone learn something about the blogs and people they follow ~ Christmas Style! So … pick five bloggers that you want to know more about their Christmas traditions. Tag the bloggers you picked and have them write up a post with the answers to 5 questions that you want to know about.

Lanayas ?'s ~

1. What makes Christmas such a special holiday for you and your family?

 

We get to spend it together, and we have lots of holiday fun.  The cocoa and movies, the Christmas music, the kids laying under the tree looking at the lights, doing a Christmas light drive around and for me is definitely the crafts!  I like the magical feeling of when it actually snows on Christmas so everything is all sparkly and white.  The crackling fires and holiday treats and smells. <3

 

2. Were you told the truth about Santa Claus by your parents or did you find out another way? And..do you plan on lying to your kids (if you have them or plan on having them)?

 

I had an unfortunate event happen when I was a 2nd grader, which made us all know that there was no such thing.  We didn't have to be told.  Hmm, lying no but telling half truth, yes.   We give them the hope and happiness that comes along with the whole santa idea, but that they also know that Christmas is not about santa but the birth of Jesus.  Santa doesn't come for free and all the days their dad is out working hard in every weather condition, sick or not and having to stay away all week also makes Christmas possible.  We don't ruin it for them, but make sure they understand that it is a blessing that we are able to have Christmas and every other thing we have.

 

3. Real tree or Fake tree?

FAKE!  I have a black thumb and I tell you I would hate to be the responsible party that catches the house on fire for not tending to the tree.  I like to have the tree so full of lights, that it looks like a light hoarder, so a real tree could never make it in this house. 

 

4. Do you open presents on Christmas morning, Christmas Eve or both?

A small one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. 

 

5. What is your favorite Christmas movie to watch? Favorite Christmas song to sing or listen to? ( I know…technically two questions)

 

I LOVE all the Christmas Classics like Rudolph, Jack Frost, The Year Without Santa Claus, T'was the Night, The Miser Brothers etc.  I love How the Grinch stole Christmas and A Christmas Carol (the Jim Carey ones). 

 

Christmas music....I love them ALL.  Well, this year the exception is the Mommy Kissing Santa song, because I have had to explain that a little and make it sound less naughty. 

So many songs....I will have a post with ALL the songs coming soon. 

 

TOP 3:

 

<3<3<3 Trans-Siberian Orchestra

 

Carol of the Bells

 

Christmas Cannon

 

Sugar Plum Fairy

 

 

For the inaugural Tag! You’re It Christmas Style ~ I am tagging the following five bloggers

Sarah- My Little Smarties
Amy- Life's Little Adventures
Ashley- Ashley Spain
Paula- Call Me PMC
Nichole- Pinkie for Pink

 Make sure you link back to Raising Reagan so we can all check out which blogs have participated and all say Hello! Make sure you do an initial post with the questions answered and then TAG your next five bloggers!

 

 

Tips to take care of your Poinsettia Plants

The Christmas season has officially began once the most popular holiday decoration makes its debut - 'the most beautiful euphorbia' - the poinsettia . I couldn't resist picking up a few this past weekend and I am sure a couple more will make their may home with me this season.

Whether you enjoy the beauty of the poinsettia in your own holiday decor or pass this traditional gift on to others - the charm of these potted plants can last well throughout the season and beyond with a little diligence. This week's Tuesday Ten details some pointers on selecting the best potted poinsettia and tips on how to take care of these favorite holiday plants.

1. When choosing a poinsettia look for signs of a good healthy plant including rich colorful leaves - full dense dark green foliage - stiff sturdy stems - no falling leaves.

2. The colorful bunches of leaves on a poinsettia plant are called bracts and are not the considered the flowers of the plant. The actual flower is located in the center of leaf bunches - they should be yellow/green in color and unopened. It should look like they are just beginning to grow - This signifies the plant is still in the early stages of the flowering cycle.

3. Protect the plant from cold weather especially when transporting from the store to home. Cover the plant with a bag to protect it from the elements and do not leave it in your vehicle for a prolonged period of time.

poinsettia flower pouch via martha stewart

4. If the plant is wrapped in decorative plastic remove it once you have the plant home. This will increase the air flow and prevent the plant from sitting in water.

5. Place the poinsettia in the brightest sunny spot available indoors. The plant should receive at least five hours of sunlight a day.

6. Poinsettias do not prefer wet conditions so water only when the soil is dry to the touch. The best way to water the plant is to let the water flow into the soil until it drains out of the bottom - however do not let the plant sit in water - let it drain completely.

7. As with most houseplants, if your home is dry and lacks humidity, the plant may need to be checked and watered more frequently.

8. Poinsettias like it warm but not hot. Maintain a temp between 60 to 70.

Do not set the plants near cold drafts like doorways or really warm spaces like fireplaces or heating ducts. If you spot a plants foliage becoming droopy - move to a brighter, warmer location. Make sure, if the plant is placed near a window, the leaves do not come in contact with the cold glass panes as they will cause damage to the plant.

how to sear poinsettia stems via southern living

9. Cut poinsettia stems can be placed in water and live up to two weeks. To prolong the life of the cut stems they can be seared with a pillar candle - check out this article from Southern Living for complete instructions.

10. Poinsettias are said to be one of the hardest and most difficult plant to get to re-bloom.

Once the blooming period is over and the leaves start to fall, reduce watering the plant - only to keep the soil from completely drying out. Store the plant in a cool, ventilated area - like the garage. Around March/April prune the stem back to about 6 inches to promote new plant growth and re-pot the plant - as the pots they are typically sold in will become too small. Keep the plant in a bright location and resume regular watering. As growth develops pinch back new shoots until mid August to create a bushy balanced plant.

The poinsettia plant flowers only when it gets less than 12 hours a day of sunlight. To encourage Christmas blooming, put the plant in a dark closet every night and place in bright location during the day - beginning in October and continuing through until Thanksgiving. Once color starts to show on the bracts resume with the typical poinsettia care cycle.

Oppose to many myths, poinsettias are non toxic and safe to have in your home - that said, they obviously should not be digested by humans or pets. If keeping them alive from year to year is not your thing they are safe to put in the compost pile at the end of the season.

Source: www.bystephanielynn.com

Happy Holidays,

Hot Chocolate and X-mas Cartoons

One of our favorite things to do as a family during the xmas holiday is drink hot chocolate while watching Christmas cartoons.  We watched Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

My daughter had asked for egg nog hot chocolate so we tried that out last night.  I drink egg nog in my coffee for a creamer/sugar substitute & I have mixed egg nog in my kids oatmeal for breakfast instead of milk sometimes and they love it so why not use it in hot chocolate.  My husband is in love with marshmallow anything and especially some marshmallow fluff.  I have never had it on hot chocolate either so we went all out on the experimenting last night.  My husband did the regular hot chocolate, because he doesn't care for egg nog.  This is how it turned out.

What I learned about this experiment.  It is okay to mix egg nog into coffee and oatmeal and perhaps hot chocolate and even by itself, but heating it extra shouldn't be done.  Oh, and in the addition of marshmallow fluff that just doesn't turn out too well.  It was still good but it was REALLY thick and the marshmallow fluff and the egg nog double heated together over flowed and made us feel like we just ate a big meal.  So more than likely we will stick to our extra chocolately hot chocolate with whip cream.
 

The kids nog oatmeal:

Happy Holidays!