Organizing: Kids’ Art
What to do with all the art the kids bring home from school? You want to give that hard work and creativity the respect it deserves but there’s only so much wall space. I found a large, cheap frame at a local antique shop, removed the original art (a hunting scene that I hope wasn’t worth millions), and hung the empty frame on the wall over the kids’ art cabinet. A more exacting sort of person might have repainted it, but I think the whole gold and shiny thing makes it special.
So now the kids select their favorite pieces, I tape them onto the wall inside the frame, and we enjoy the artwork until some new projects are ready to take a turn. The kids are happy because their work is being honored and I’m happy because it’s not taking over the house.
Full disclosure: I don’t keep every piece of schoolwork or artwork that comes home. I used to save every single scribble, but I realized after a few years that kids bring home a lot of stuff, especially in the preschool and kindergarten years. Lily alone draws 10 pictures a day. So I recycle a lot of it, give some away, and store the rest in bins labeled for each kid. These bins are also a great place to store report cards, awards, and other mementos. When they fill up, we sit down together and weed out some things (easier to do after a few years have gone by) to make room for more.
Spread Some Cheer
Amanda at Kind Over Matter has a great freebie to help you spread a little sunshine. Print out one of these fliers (or customize your own) and stick it on the bulletin board at your local coffee shop, post office, or grocery store. Or put it up on your fridge to let your nearest and dearest know how much they mean to you. Don’t forget to snip along the dotted lines so people can tear off the messages.
- The Purl Bee has a full tutorial for these adorable little felt heart barrettes.
- Lily will love this Q-Tip Pointillism art project. Will might even be willing to give it a try.
- What a cool handmade memory game. What images would you use if you created your own set?
- I have got to buck up and help Lexie sew some clothes for her American Girl dolls. The poor child is nearly desperate. These patterns might work. Maybe it won’t be as hard as I think.
- Day 26 of the Push-Up Challenge.
Countdown to Christmas 2011: Part 1
I just realized it’s the 25th, which means it’s time for Holiday Countdown: Part 1.
I know, I know. How dare I even mention Christmas 2011 when you’re still recovering from Christmas 2010? Here’s the deal. After way too many frenzied December days followed by way too many nights staying up way too late trying to get everything done, I promised myself that next year I would do things differently. As Tim kindly pointed out, I was trying to do a year’s worth of stuff in four weeks. How true. So then and there I decided no more waiting until after Thanksgiving to start doing all the things I could easily do throughout the year.
Of course we’re busy the rest of the year, too, and it’s hard to think about the holidays when you’re chasing kids around a swimming pool on a blistering summer’s day. But let’s remember the desperation of December and power through. And don’t worry. I’ll ease us in gently because we’re still feeling a little fragile from last Christmas.
First things first: Organization
Here’s a nice little project that will help you have a more organized Christmas. I saw Ann’s Amazing Holiday Planner years ago in Family Fun magazine. This was before downloadable PDFs were the norm so my planner sheets look very much like the handmade ones found in the original article. But you can download Family Fun’s ready-made versions if you prefer. Grab a 3-ring binder and some dividers, print out the planning sheets, give them a quick punch, and you’re good to go!
If you’re already on top of your holiday game, you could make this organizer as a gift for an overwhelmed friend or relative. He or she will love you for it. I know I would have.
Next up: Advent Books
We started an Advent Book tradition when our oldest was in preschool and it’s still a family favorite. Every day starting December 1st the kids take turns opening a wrapped Christmas book and we read it together. In the beginning many of the books were board books because that’s what we had around, but since we give each kid a new Christmas book every year the collection has grown quickly. Tim and Andrew’s favorite is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Lexie and I love Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant, Will digs Santa Kid by James Patterson, and Lily is all over Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O’Connor. In early January, I pick 25 to wrap, plunk myself down in front of the TV after the younger kids are in bed, and wrap away. Just remember where you hide them.
I bought three of next year’s books for 50 percent off at Borders right after Christmas. They didn’t have one of the books I wanted in stock (Every Man Heart Lay Down by Lorenz Grahm) so I was going to order it later and use a coupon. The old me would have forgotten all about this until December and stressed out trying to find a copy. But the new me will calmly order the book and be all set for next year. The Plan is already working!
That wasn’t so bad, was it? Future topics include: Teacher Gifts, Sibling Gifts, Kids’ Crafting-for-Charity Party Ideas, Fun Traditions, Christmas Knits, Wrapping Ideas, Decorating, and Recipes.
Sugared Pecans Recipe
How can you ever thank someone who shows up every single time it snows (during what is by far the snowiest winter in years) to plow your very long driveway because your husband is recovering from a spinal cord injury?
Well, of course you can’t even begin to thank them enough, but you can at least bring them some sugared pecans. And be first in line to offer them help if, heaven forbid, they ever need it. Here’s the recipe. I’m sure there’s someone you could give these to for Valentine’s Day. You’d definitely have yourself a sweetheart.
Sugared Pecans
You’ll need:
- 1 egg white
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Place the butter in the pan and put in the oven to melt. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the egg white with one tablespoon of water and whisk until foamy. Add the pecans and stir until the nuts are coated with the egg-white mixture. Set aside.
In a second bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour the sugar mixture over the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Remove the pan from the oven and gently stir the nuts into the melted butter. Spread the nuts out evenly and bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be sure to watch them so they don’t burn. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pecans to cool directly in the pan. Try not to eat too many so you’ll have enough to give away.
- The cute little tag on the pecans is a freebie from Creature Comforts.
- Remember that amazing cake with the heart magically in the middle? Manda shows us how to make one of our own here.
- It’s never too early to encourage someone to follow his or her dreams.
- Gunther the Golden would love us even more if we made these for him. Or how about heart shapes for Valentine’s Day?
- Day 25 of the Push-Ups Challenge.