Thursday, November 29, 2012
Project Life...
I'm pondering doing something like Project Life this year. Not so much buying Becky Higgins' albums / pages, etc, but the same general idea. Basic layouts (or even divided page protectors) that sketch out the year for me with places for journaling cards, etc. Has anyone out there done Project Life? What are your thoughts?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Daily December Downloads
As I'm putting together our Daily December activities, I'm also creating some printables you are welcome to use for your own Daily December activities! Some are specific to what we're doing, but perhaps they will inspire you or be something you can adapt for your own purposes. I already shared my Christmas Planner cover sheet with you. Here's my snowman certificate...
And here's the printout I used of our Daily December activities.
I hope you enjoy them! I will (hopefully) be posting more downloads as we go!
And here's the printout I used of our Daily December activities.
I hope you enjoy them! I will (hopefully) be posting more downloads as we go!
Daily December 2012
First off, I am going to apologize for the less than stellar pictures. I took these pictures with my phone late last night in low light, so I'm actually surprised they turned out as good as they did! But given the options of poor pictures or no blog post, I chose the former. And now.... on with the show!
I made this Advent-style calendar in February. I find that I don't have time during the bustling holiday season to make all the brilliant ideas I come up with during the season, but that I get in the mood to do holiday things around February. Perhaps that's normal, perhaps that's strange, but I say seize the motivation and do it! What a wonderful surprise when I unpacked my holiday boxes this year to find this little gem!
I have done a Daily December album in years past, and even created a list of activities to do in advance. The problem is that I have either done all the activities / done an activity every day but not finished the album, or I've finished the album (I think 2008 is actually the only one I've completely finished, since it's the only one I could find in our Christmas boxes) but had to stretch to make some of the activities. It sort of ended up with me saying, nightly, "Hmm.... what did we do that was Daily December worthy today?"
So this year we have a plan. Every day I have an activity planned to do with Eliana to celebrate the season. Here's an overview of what we're doing...
I have this page in my Christmas Planner. I hand-wrote what thing was in each of the gifts on the calendar so I would remember what we were doing that day.
My grand plan is that each day when Eliana comes home from school, she will get to open one of the Daily December containers and see what the day's activity is.
Some activities are events, like going to the downtown Christmas Stroll or seeing the Nutcracker (which is gift #11, since she is getting a Nutcracker book with paper dolls to play with - that I got on clearance last year!), while other activities are things like making a snowman or drinking hot cocoa and playing games. The days that say "Open Gift #____" she has a corresponding gift under the tree to open.
In years past I have done a gift every day for the 12 days of Christmas, but found that there were too many trinkety toys around my house, then. This year the gifts are books we already had (like the Primer Christmas Carols book I used as a child that Eliana can probably play out of now), or books / puzzles I got on clearance last January, or holiday movies we only watch this time of year. I think she will enjoy opening gifts and doing activities, and I will enjoy not having extra things around out house to clutter things up, or the cost of buying trinkety things.
As for the album, we'll see how that goes. I'd love to make one this year, but I haven't started it yet, so we'll have to see how it works. Maybe it will happen, maybe it won't. Either way, I will get to spend quality holiday time with my family, and that's what really counts.
What activities do YOU do in December?
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| From Christmas 2012 |
I have done a Daily December album in years past, and even created a list of activities to do in advance. The problem is that I have either done all the activities / done an activity every day but not finished the album, or I've finished the album (I think 2008 is actually the only one I've completely finished, since it's the only one I could find in our Christmas boxes) but had to stretch to make some of the activities. It sort of ended up with me saying, nightly, "Hmm.... what did we do that was Daily December worthy today?"
So this year we have a plan. Every day I have an activity planned to do with Eliana to celebrate the season. Here's an overview of what we're doing...
 |
| From Christmas 2012 |
My grand plan is that each day when Eliana comes home from school, she will get to open one of the Daily December containers and see what the day's activity is.
 |
| From Christmas 2012 |
 |
| From Christmas 2012 |
As for the album, we'll see how that goes. I'd love to make one this year, but I haven't started it yet, so we'll have to see how it works. Maybe it will happen, maybe it won't. Either way, I will get to spend quality holiday time with my family, and that's what really counts.
What activities do YOU do in December?
Friday, November 23, 2012
Candy Land Birthday Party... from 6 months ago.
I just looked through my last few posts and realized that I never posted (on THIS blog) Eliana's birthday party. While I **have** taken a bit of a break from crafting, I have not given up on all My Inner Martha's endeavors!! So, while it's belated, here's a look at Eliana's Candy Land birthday party....
For Eliana's 6th birthday party, she wanted a CandyLand theme. What she got was 10 friends hyped up on sugar. =D The party was today and it went well. The kids got CandyLand tattoos...
... And made candy themed necklaces...
... And walked down the candy path...
... And laughed a lot...
... And got goody boxes...
... complete with toothbrushes...
... And ate LOTS OF CANDY!!
... And cupcakes...
... and generally had a great time.
Happy Birthday Party Day, Eliana!! I can't believe you're almost 6 already!
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
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| From Eliana's Birthday Party |
Monday, November 19, 2012
2012 Christmas Planner
I have not been crafting much lately, but on Sunday afternoon I got together with a couple friends and I made my Christmas cards. I love having them finished! More than that, I love our craft get-togethers. I miss crafting.
And now, having my Christmas cards finished means I am thinking about the next steps to make this holiday season merry and bright. And, well, not only this season, but next year's too. So today while I was piddling around on the computer, here's the cover I made for this year's Christmas Planner.
I'm excited to create printables as the season progresses that I can use year after year. I have used other people's freebie printables for a couple years, but find that the mish-mash doesn't make me nearly as happy as everything matching does. =D So that means creating my own! Click the picture above to download the cover sheet for the planner.
I'm debating doing a Daily December album this year. Part of my problem is that there are 33 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I don't just want to do daily DECEMBER, but a list of the activities between the holidays. So we'll see what happens with that. I'm okay with making it simple this year, but I don't want to lose all documentation. I've been bad about recording things this year or taking pictures, so I don't want that to happen over the holidays, too!
And now, having my Christmas cards finished means I am thinking about the next steps to make this holiday season merry and bright. And, well, not only this season, but next year's too. So today while I was piddling around on the computer, here's the cover I made for this year's Christmas Planner.
I'm excited to create printables as the season progresses that I can use year after year. I have used other people's freebie printables for a couple years, but find that the mish-mash doesn't make me nearly as happy as everything matching does. =D So that means creating my own! Click the picture above to download the cover sheet for the planner.
I'm debating doing a Daily December album this year. Part of my problem is that there are 33 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I don't just want to do daily DECEMBER, but a list of the activities between the holidays. So we'll see what happens with that. I'm okay with making it simple this year, but I don't want to lose all documentation. I've been bad about recording things this year or taking pictures, so I don't want that to happen over the holidays, too!
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