Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookie Order Information is up on my fb page.  Message me for more details.  There is a limited amount of space.  I will update this post when all slots are filled.  Thank you!

Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your families!  Wishing you and yours a wonderful NEW YEAR!

Yes.  These cookies are from 2016 hahahaha.  I made another batch this year, but I was exhausted finishing the last orders of the year and decided not to take photos.  I used that extra time to give extra snuggles and hugs to my little ones on New Years Eve.

My little ones.  Photo courtesy of SH Portraits.

Merry Christmas!

 

The last of the Christmas cookies have gone out!  Now it's time to relax before the holiday, in just a few days cookie making starts all over for the new year!   I'd like to thank all of you once again for making our 2016 a little bit brighter.  I appreciate you all so very much.  However you spend the holidays - I hope they are filled with joy and happiness!  Thank you and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays .... or just Happy Winter!  Keep on spreading kindness!!!!

Christmas Cookies (It's time to start planning!)

Yikes!  There are only a few weeks left until December!  It is by far my busiest month of the year.  It kicks off with my son's birth day (this year he wants a Willy Wonka cake) and then somewhere around a million Christmas cookies!  Oh yeah, and in between there are other birthdays and events.  I'm tired just thinking about it. 

I'm not sure if I'll have time before December 1st to get a mock Christmas set up, but here are a few cookies from last year.  For 2016 I'll be making sets in a Country Blue, White and Silver theme.   I think they'll look beautiful on silver trays for the holidays.  Until then, I'll be finishing !up my November sets - I just might have time to post a few other things I've been working on before then. 

Thanks for checking in and I hope to have more holiday treats posted soon!

Harry Potter DIY Project Part 2 : Spell Book and Mandrake Root

Hooray!  Despite behind a month and a half past my original deadline, Christmas only 2 weeks away, pausing to celebrate my little man's birthday and managing the busiest cookie month EVER - I finally finished the Harry Potter DIY gifts for my daughter.

You can read more about how I made the potions in my earlier post here.

The Harry Potter Book of Spells and Magical Potions:

I opted to make it look like a scrapbook of spells.  A place where she could see the spells she's read about, but also add her own.  So, I looked up the spells here and formatted them using these free fonts.  I printed them on regular printer/copy paper, ripped the edges and aged them with tea.  After they dried, I glued them inside the leathery sketchbook I purchased from Hobby Lobby.  I also hand wrote a few spells for an even more handmade feel.  Finally, I added a sticker with the Hogwarts crest inside the front cover.

If you don't feel like editing and formatting your own spells, you can use the ones I prepared for FREE here.

Harry Potter Spells FREE Printable

Mandrake Root:



I'm a big fan of using what I have on hand for diy projects - so I made this Mandrake Root for FREE!  First, I shaped his body out of tin foil (this doesn't need to be perfect, as you'll be covering it in another thick material.)  Next I added the leaves and roots (from fake stems I had stored) using floral tape to attach them to the tin foil.  

To start shaping the body, I used all purpose compound (drywall mud) mixed with a little sand.  It took approx 3 coats to achieve the shape I wanted.  You could also use clay to mold the body.  Once that dried, I added some hot glue around the stems to assure they would stay in place and painted the little guy.  Finally I sprayed a sealer over the entire thing.  

*I'm planning on purchasing a little pot and a piece of brown felt (to look like soil) for him.  Oh and be sure to wear your ear muffs before you play with him!
 
The Extras:

Book: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them purchased on ebay.  Proceeds go to charity too!

Light up Magic Wand purchased on ebay.  This is really nice and very much exceeded my expectations.  It is not thick and bulky like the ones they sell in the costume store and the led light is very bright.


Potions Carrying Case / Wizard Kit:

I found this leather box (Hobby Lobby) with a handle to carry around her potion kit.  There's enough space for all the potion ingredients I made previously and her spell book as well as a small mixing cauldron of sorts (an oil warmer from the Dollar Tree) and 2 battery operated tea lights (to heat the potions.)

Gift Tags made from Christmas Cards

Taking down the Christmas cards?  In the past I have used parts of them for scrapbooking, but this year I was inspired by a friend of a friend to turn them into gift tags for next year.   I just used whatever was handy (a roll of tape, poker chip, ruler) for tracing and them cut them out by hand.  You could use any template, shape or even a punch.  You are only limited by your imagination and of course, the Christmas cards you received ;)

 

Easy and Possibly FREE Stocking Stuffers!

I procrastinate like crazy!  I have lots of little things that need "fixing" on my desk.  Watch batteries that need replacing, parts that need to be glued back on, buttons that need to be put back on, etc.  Why not have the Elves help you out and get some of those little to-dos off your list!

Get those little things fixed (by Elves of course), tie on a repair tag and pop them in the stocking!  You can use my printable here or make your own labels. 

Merry Christmas!

Really Fun FREEBIES from Santa and his Reindeer!

Not only are these things awesome, they're also FREE!

Absolutely one of my kids favorite things - the Video Message from Santa!  You can create and customize your video message from Santa (via the Portable North Pole) here.  I assure you they are truly magical.  They also offer a premium version that costs $3.99 (a portion of the proceeds goes to your local Children's Hospital) and gives you some extra options and additional footage, plus a special Christmas Eve message.  They offer lots of other goodies on their site as well.

You can even modify the video later.  This is especially handy if say your child (like my David) is not quite on the nice list yet.  You'll still have time to scoot them onto that nice list before Christmas (hopefully they've cleaned up their act by then!)

You can check out the videos for my kids here and here (just make sure your little ones don't see it!)  Ellen's is a premium version and David has the free one.

When you're not watching Santa, you can watch his Reindeer!  Be sure to check out ReindeerCam.com for Santa's Official Reindeer Live Feed.   Santa pops in to feed the reindeer Mon-Fri at 11am, 6pm & 9pm | Weekends at 6pm (Eastern Time).  Yes, they also have an app so you can watch those reindeer on your tablet too.  This is a free service, but if you are feeling extra nice, you can make a donation.

Don't forget to add your little ones names to the nice list that plays in the background.  Go here to learn how.