Sights, Sounds, Scents ...

If I had sent out cards and gifts to our friends and family this year, like I have done other years, this idea from I Heart Naptime would have been perfect for us this year.

 

We do wish that you enjoy the sights, sounds and scents of a wonderful new year.

 

 

Celebrate January!

While cleaning my files I found a folder full of fun and silly reasons to make your day a special day ... things to celebrate ... every day ... any day.   I remember having some fun with these years ago, using some of these ideas for a while before forgetting about them.  I've found a few more and thought they'd be a fun addition to the blog.  Some of these are quite ridiculous, but several are great for family fun, for preschool fun, for party fun, or just for fun!

Happy Celebrating!

 

January

 

Birthstone is Garnet (meaning Constancy)

Flower of the month is Carnation, Snowdrop

 

- Nat'l Soup Month and Soup Swap Month

- Nat'l Oatmeal Month

- Nat'l Hobby Month

- Nat'l Bath Safety Month

- Nat'l Blood Donor Month

- Nat'l Soup Month

- Nat'l Get Organized Month

 

- 2nd week is "Someday We'll Laugh About This" week

- 2nd week is Letter Writing Week

 

- 1st Friday is Gals Night Out

- 2nd Monday is Clean Off Your Desk Day

- 3rd Sunday is World Religion Day

- 3rd Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day

- 3rd Thursday is Guys Night Out

- Last Tuesday is Backwards Day

 

 

1 

- New Year's day

- The ball was first dropped at Times Square NYC in 1908

- Betsy Ross Birthday (b1752)

- Beanie Babies Introduced (1994)

- Ellis Island opened 1892

 

2

- Swiss Cheese Day

- Science Fiction Day

- Nat'l Buffet Day

 

3

- Drinking Straws Patented (1888)

- Nat'l Chocolate Covered Cherry Day

 

4

- Trivia Day

- Louis Braille Birthday (1809)

- Roller Skates Birthday (1863)
- Nat'l Spaghetti Day

 

5

- Nat'l Bird Day

- Nat'l Whipped Cream Day

 

6

- Three Kings Day / The 12th day after Christmas celebrates the visit of the 3 Wise Men.

- Bean Day
- Nat'l Shortbread Day

 

7

- Nat'l Old Rock Day

 

8

- Nat'l Bubble Bath Day

- Nat'l Show and Tell Day 

 

9

 

10

- Peculiar People Day

- Houseplant Appreciation Day

 

11

- Secret Pal Day

- International Thank You Day

- Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day (don't let your kids know this one ..., or your friends)

- Milk Day (milk bottles delivered for first time in 1878)

 

12

- Batman debuts on television in 1966

 

13

- Make Your Dreams Come True Day

 

14

- Organize Your Home Day

 

15

- Nat'l Hat Day
- Nat'l Strawberry Ice Cream Day

 

16

- Nat'l Nothing Day

- Appreciate a Dragon Day

 

17

- Benjamin Franklin's Birthday (b1706)

- Popeye's Birthday (started 1929)

 

18

- Winnie-the-Pooh Day / A.A. (Alan Alexander) Milne's Birthday (1882)

 

19

- Nat'l Popcorn Day

- Tin Can Day

- International Sing-Out Day

 

20

- Nat'l Cheese Lovers Day

- Inauguration Day

- Penguin Awareness Day

 

21

- Squirrel Appreciation Day

 

22

- Nat'l Polka Dot Day

- Nat'l Blonde Brownie Day

 

23

- Nat'l Pie Day (not to be confused with Pi Day celebrated on March 14th)

- Nat'l Handwriting Day

 

24

- Eskimo Pie (1919)

 

25

- Nat'l Opposite Day

- 101 Dalmatian's (1961)

 

26

- Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

- Spouses Day

 

27

- Mozart's Birthday (b1756)

- Nat'l Chocolate Cake Day

 

28

- Nat'l Kazoo Day

- Nat'l Blueberry Pancake Day

- Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day  

29

- Nat'l Puzzle Day

- Nat'l Corn Chip Day

 

30
- Nat'l Croissant Day

 

31

- Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
- Nat'l Hot Chocolate Day

 

Look to the Future

 

"I look to the future

because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life."

 

- George Burns

 

 

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image is a card I made for my girls

 

 

 

“I do not want to go back to the past; I want to go back to the past way of facing the future.”

 

- Quote from Ronald Reagan

found in message given by L. Tom Perry, The Past Way of Facing the Future

 

 

 

--

 

 

"Be of good cheer.

The future is as bright as your faith."

 

President Thomas S. Monson, Be of Good Cheer

 

 

Black-eyed Peas = Good Luck and Prosperity

This is a favor idea I cut from a Real Simple magazine (January 2008) a few years ago.

While trying to de-junk my stuff this year I found this again, scanned it for safe keeping, and tossed the paper clipping.  De-junking is an on going project for me.  It's hard though, because at the same time I keep stuffing new or different stuff away.

I thought this would be a good thing to consider around this time of year.  We only have a few more days before our new year begins.
Let's finish this one strong and be prepared to begin the next year even stronger.

 

 

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What do you know about black-eyed peas?

 I checked it out.

 

pauladeen.com offers this and more, including recipes:

 

Why does Paula eat one black-eyed pea for each day of the New Year? We Southerners know that eating black-eyed peas ensures good luck and prosperity throughout the upcoming year.

 

A coin in the pot promises extra fortune to the one who finds it in his scoop of peas. And a penny is often put under each bowl of peas to boost the luck potential.

 

Legend tells us also that black-eyed peas became a lucky dish during the Civil War. Union soldiers near the town of Vicksburg, Va. burned all crops except the peas; thinking they were animal feed, the soldiers did not bother them. Residents discovered that the legume was the only thing left to eat; they adapted it into their diet, and black-eyed peas were therefore considered the food of good fortune.

 

Today, people wouldn’t dream of starting off their year without a good luck pot of black-eyed peas.

 

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I found info and some recipes at Southern Living, Wikipedia and at Aggie Horticulture.

 

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Here is another paper I filed away - more beans - from a page out of a Rachael Ray magazine (don't know the date).

 

 

 

Twas the Night Before Christmas ...

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house ...


It is the day of the night before Christmas and we will be stirring up some fun here in our house.  Hope you are too!

Check out these links for great musical Christmas video clips to help your night before Christmas be filled with true JOY

 What Shall We Give

and

The Nativity
 
Merry Christmas!

 

Wise Men Still Seek Him

image from here

The Search for Jesus

 



"Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ.

Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ.

 

As we undertake our personal search for Jesus, aided and guided by the principle of prayer, it is fundamental that we have a clear concept of him whom we seek. The shepherds of old sought Jesus the child. But we seek Jesus the Christ, our Older Brother, our Mediator with the Father, our Redeemer, the Author of our salvation; he who was in the beginning with the Father; he who took upon himself the sins of the world and so willingly died that we might forever live. This is the Jesus whom we seek.

 

And when we find him, will we be prepared as were the wise men of old to provide gifts from our many treasures? They presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are not the gifts Jesus asks of us. From the treasure of our hearts Jesus asks that we give of ourselves: “Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.” (D&C 64:34.)

 

Fortunately, the privilege to render service to others can come to each of us. If we but look, we, too, will see a bright, particular star which will guide us to our opportunity."

Complete message by President Thomas S. Monson found here

 



image from here

All around the world, those who give and receive service can feel the love of the Savior.

images from here and here



By the sweat of their brows, with their hands men earn bread
Among them are those that desire to be led
With spiritual eyesight sent from above,
They sense a sign pointing to He who is Love.
They carry forth gifts not fit for a king,
Through service they witness what hope, Emmanuel means.
The child of God they encounter is not found in a manger,
It’s the brother or sister they once viewed as a stranger.
As the star in the East led the wise men of old,
The Bread of Life leads wise men today to the hungry and cold.
And sends to the fatherless, the widow, the poor,
Earthly angels proclaiming His love evermore.
Precious gifts to the Christ child upon a holy night were once brought,
But wise men today a new thing are taught.
“Give unto others as Christ would have you give.”
Remember the season and echo the reason for His miraculous birth.

Awesome video presentation with this narration can be found here and here.

image from here

 



A Small Christmas Tree and a Wreath

Living in a tiny apartment away from home is a strange thing for me in many ways.  One thing I'm feeling right now is the difference in decorating for Christmas.  I have a half dozen things up and not much room for anything else.  (Though if I found something I couldn't live without I'd find a place to stuff it.)  :)  It's what I do!

 

I didn't want to bring décor with me and I didn't want to purchase anything like what I already have, so I tried to come up with another idea. I was hoping for something easy to purchase and easy to pack up and take home, something different, and something lovely.

 

Vintage hankies have been a favorite thing of mine for the last year or two, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that I thought of using vintage Christmas hankies to decorate my tree this year. (Actually, vintage anything attracts me.) 

 

I forgot to figure out what to do for a tree skirt but the presents we have hide it perfectly. The lights, pine cones, and vine were already on the tree, so vintage hankies and vintage knee hugger elves are the only things I've added to a tree this year.

I like it!  It looks better than the photos show, and it's lovely day or night. Those little elves are hanging around bringing Christmas cheer to the room.  They seem to be saying Merry Christmas! 

 

 

I think there are about 30 hankies tucked into the tree. 

 

But wait, I washed and ironed over 50 hankies ...

 

Well, there are a few that I didn't use.  A couple are Valentine print, a couple were just too pretty to stick into the tree, and one I sent ... Oh, shhh!  It's a secret!  It had a monogram on it and that letter reminded me of ..., well someone I love, so I sent it to her.

 

The other 16 hankies are decorating our front door - on a wreath I purchased from Target (because that is the only place I ventured this week that had a wreath.  Well, Safeway had some pretty wreaths but they were real pine boughs and I can't do that this year).
 

I added a star ornament (that was given to us as part of a Christmas gift).

It brightens the otherwise drab hallway and helps spread Christmas cheer to all who see it.

Christmas cheer is always good!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

One Happiness ...

One happiness scatters a thousand sorrows.

 





image here

Christmas Favor/Gift Ideas

I don't remember where I learned about this little poem, but this is a card I created and attached to a container of m&ms many years ago to give to my family.  This card has been stored in my paper files ever since then.  I still think the message is cute!   (Someone must have shared it with me first.)



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Cookie dough:
Here’s a little extra “dough” for Christmas 
or
"Everyone needs a little extra "Dough" for Christmas!!"

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Measuring cups/spoons:
Wishing you joy beyond measure!

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Nuts:
We're nuts about you!

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Soup or soup mix:
Wishing you a "souper" holiday.

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Here are several fun ideas from love the day :









and muffin


and twiz


and sprinkling


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This idea comes from here

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Christmas Decor

A great look

from Shanty 2 Chic

 

 

 

and from Molly Mo's comes this great look.



 

 

God's side First

 

 

 

"We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

 

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."

 

Complete message from Ezra Taft Benson The Great Commandment - Love the Lord

 

 

Lovely Christmas Stocking

 

I love this Christmas stocking from Remnants - it is lovely 

 

 

 

 

and their close up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Stuff - Crafts, Gift Ideas, Food Ideas ...

More Christmas Stuff from my files

 

 

a free instruction leaflet printed 1988
 

 

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Probably a Family Fun magazine - Dec/Jan 2006
 

 

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These next three were from The Friend Magazine, but I do not know a date - 1980's or 90's sometime.
 

 

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The Friend 1980
 

 

I wish I would have saved both front and back covers to have the full view of this awesome creation.

 

 

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Something we did for preschool one year. The kids made paper chains to attach to it.
 

 

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We made Yule Logs for a RS event and this was the message put on a pretty card attached to the log.
 

 

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Info about trees, from a RS Homemaking Book
 

 

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Jan. / Feb. Country Living 1995
 

 

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This doesn't say, but to me, it looks like it came from the same Country Living as the snowman paddle.  It's the same kind and size of paper.
 

 

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Family Fun 2005
 

 

?

 

 

?

 

 

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someone (maybe my mother) gave this to me.  I save it to remind me to use scarves as runners on tables.

 

 

 

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Card my sister made for us about 32 or 33 years ago. Cute isn't it!
 

 

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give your heart
 

 

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Ideas from The New Era December 1982

 

 

That is is!