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We had a friendly little family competition to see who could make the best snowman. These are the snowmen that are in the competition. Now of course I have my favorite, but that wouldn’t be fair, so I was hoping all of you would pick your favorite. So will you help us choose a winner?
Cream Cheese Snowman
Cute Little Snowman
Great Big Snowman
This is the dragon hoodie I made for my grandson for Christmas. His mom said he loved it! I’ll post a picture of him in it soon!
This was really easy to make with a hoodie I purchased at Walmart and white felt for the teeth and eyes.
This is one of my flour bag gift bags I made. I just added a little wrapping paper trim at the top and ribbon handles. I saved all my flour and sugar bags to make all different size gift bags, because, all my friends and family know that I love to bake!
This is our tree this year. My sweet hubby cut a piece of plywood and painted it, then mounted a little train track on it!
I love that it is an electric train!
Next year we’re going to add another track and train!
I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I’m looking forward to spending a little time with my family, so my posts will be a little infrequent. I will try to post all the winners for the giveaways when I can. I have lots of great giveaways lined up for you for January!
Here is my all time favorite Christmas Song~Hallelujah Chorus by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
That time of year is just around the corner, the time for family gatherings, good food and merriment. But along with all the rejoicing comes the extra stress and challenges of the holidays. Prominent Los Angeles-based life coach Dennis Grounds weighs in again with more tips on how to survive the holiday season.
Food: During the time of year where extra calories lurk around every corner, it’s important to notice what your eating and why. The average holiday weight gain is 9 lbs, most of which is never lost! Are you eating to entertain yourself and distract yourself from the family? Because you are bored? Eat when you are hungry and just say no and walk away when you are not.
Gifts: Gifts have lost their meaning. If you’re wondering what to get people, remember that everyone loves love. Write a love letter from your heart to theirs, they will cherish it long after a piece of clothing goes out of style or an electronic becomes out-dated. Remember, no matter how big or small, the thought signals your love and that’s what counts.
History: History is mostly what we have with family. The challenge is catching our relationship up in the short amount of time we have together over the holidays. I have to be just so. There are all sorts of conversations that haven’t been had (the good, the bad and the ugly) and we are going to catch up on all of them in a few days? That seems like a set up for disappointment and upset. Laugh about your history or redirect the conversation. You cannot control other people but you can manage your own thoughts, feelings and body. Do that!
Holiday Traditions: Holiday traditions are a great way to share community with others. Pick and choose what your participate in. Healthy boundaries are good for you and others. There is no perfect holiday other than the one you choose and experience. Have fun!
Holidays are meant to be a time of closeness and celebration. If it isn’t that way for you, start designing and living the holiday that you imagined. Choose how you feel, where you go and what you do.
Dennis Grounds is a personal trainer, life coach and healer, and creator of Training Grounds for Life. The man behind the writers and managers to some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, Grounds combines cardio circuit, functional and core training, Pilates and certified life coaching. Training Grounds for Life is an exclusive, luxury studio in Los Angeles where Grounds gets to the "core" of the matter, helping clients to strengthen the core of their bodies as well as the core of their minds. www.traininggroundsforlife.com
Leelou Blogs has just released her Christmas printables!
She has not one, but TWO holiday banners, gift tags, treat bag toppers, and more!
(Personally, my favorite just might be the "french fry" box that I'm going to fill with Tootsie Rolls!)
They really are so cute, and we think that your home and visiting teaching families would love to get a little something with a Leelou twist!
Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, in fact it is my favorite time of year! For me when I think of Christmas, my thoughts are immediately filled with all of the sights and sounds of Christmas that I’ve experienced over the years! I think my favorite thoughts of Christmas are in remembering the joy, excitement and awe in the faces of each one of my five children when they were young! From the oh’s and awes of driving around looking at Christmas lights to the excitement in their faces when they see their stockings filled to overflowing with Christmas goodies! I remember many a Christmas being woken up in the wee hours of the morning by an anxious child asking if they could go downstairs and see what Santa Claus left them! It seemed like my sweet hubby and I had just barely gone to bed when they have come creeping in to ask that most important question, is it time?
I still have one child that believes in that special gift giver, Mr. Claus. For the last few years I’ve told myself that this will be the last year that she believes. Then the next year she hands me an envelope and asks me if we can mail it to Santa because her list is in it and I think, oh good, one more year of that innocent belief! Oh yes, part of me thinks it would be easier if she didn’t believe, but then the other part of me isn’t yet willing or wanting her to give up that childish belief in that jolly old elf. I wish that we never had to let go of all those childhood dreams of sugar plums, elves, candy land, the North Pole, reindeer that fly and a Santa busily filling stockings all over the world!
A big part of Christmas for me is the joy in innocent young faces as they see the sights and sounds that are Christmas. So, for me watching children believe whether it be my own or my grandchildren or any child is what makes up my favorite Christmas memories. Christmas is a belief that the world and it’s people are wonderful, magical and above all kind and loving.
