AWOL

Christmas festivities have kept us pretty busy round these parts, so instead of detailing all that's going on, I'm just gonna post our Christmas card.

Enjoy!

Fortune Cookie Ornament - A Tutorial

Every year, I make each of my children a handmade ornament so that when they get married/move away from home they'll have a nice little set of ornaments for their first tree.

That's the plan, anyway.

This year, I decided on some fabric fortune cookies I had seen on this blog, and holy cow! I love them!
So, let's get started shall we?

Here's what I used:
1/4 yd felt (I used a 30% wool felt blend)
1/4 yd coordinating fabric (I used a Christmas flannel)
Thread
Pinking shears
Ribbon



I traced the bottom of a quart sized paint can onto my fabric. I used a fabric marking pencil, but you could easily use a regular pencil or pen because you cut the edges off anyway.

I layered one felt circle with one fabric circle and had my daughter (who is 7 and desperately wanted to help) pin the center and four points around the edge. I had her pin it mostly to give her something to do, but also so they wouldn't wiggle around too much while I stitched them together.

Then I sewed them together using whatever seam allowance it is to the edge of my presser foot (you can tell that I'm totally a professional).

Then, using my awesome new pinking shears, I cut around my circles. Don't cut too close to your stitching!

Now, fold your circle in half with the patterned fabric side being on the inside. Estimate the center (I guess you could measure, but where's the fun in that?!). Stitch about one inch down the middle, leaving it unsewn at the top and bottom (oh just see the picture!). Note: I moved the presser foot away from where I'd sewn so you can see. Also, it can't hurt to backstitch over it a couple times.

Now, this is the part where it looks complicated, but once you've got it in your hands, you have a *lightbulb* moment. Simply, fold/flip the edges over.

And it'll look like this:

Do it to both sides and it'll look like this:

Play with the folding and shape until you get it the way you want it. Then cut yourself a four inch-ish piece of coordinating ribbon. Loop it and sandwich it inside the corner of the cookie.

Now, stick it back under your machine and stitch the ribbon in place. I tried to stitch on my original seams to keep it clean looking.

And voila! You're done!

Making one took me about 8 minutes. So, go to it!

Make a bunch. Some ideas I had:
They could be used for advent!
Attached to a gift with the "To/From" inside
Make a set and stick them inside a takeout box as a gift set for a friend.
Add fortunes.

My intention is to add a slip of ribbon or paper (sewn in) with each of my children's names and the year on them.

But freak! if they aren't the cutest ornaments on my tree right now!

Advent 2009

Last year I made up this Advent Banner for our home. I even posted a tutorial for how you can make one, too. And amazingly, we followed through. We did each day's activity and I think only missed one or maybe two days. Not too shabby.

This year, I decided to do more of the same. It worked so well, why mess with perfection, eh? I did add a couple new activities and even removed some of the less well-received things.

Our revised list for 2009 (in no particular order):

Put out our shoes for Sinterklaas (Dec 5th) and explain the tradition.
Attend a live Nativity
Drink Hot chocolate and read a Christmas Book
Watch a Christmas Movie
Drive around to see lights and give an award to our favorite house
Read the Christmas story from the scriptures
Address our Christmas cards
Attend Ward Christmas party
Make a gingerbread house
Make & Decorate Sugar Cookies
Write a letter to Santa
Have a Sock Snowball Fight
Act out the Nativity
Make Marshmallow Snowmen
Attend the Festival of the Nativity
Go for a walk as a family
Sing Christmas Songs
Play Board Games
Make Candy Cane Reindeer
Make an Ornament for the Christmas Tree
Watch Mr. Kreuger’s Christmas
Dance to Christmas Music
Go Christmas Shopping ($1 store for sibling gifts)
Wrap presents
Color Christmas Pictures
Make a Paper Chain to count down until Christmas
Chocolate Fondue for Dessert Tonight

So far, so good. We've played a fierce round of Monopoly Jr in which I got my butt whipped by Abbie. We danced for well over a half hour to random Christmas songs, thanks to Pandora. We made a chain to countdown until Christmas, only this year we made a fabric chain... like this one.

Are you having fun with Advent?

Cheese.

What's that mom?


You have your camera out?!


Boy, do I love that thing!

Addicted

We have a small problem.

Miles is addicted to all things electronic.

If it has a screen, he wants to play on it. TV, Wii, Matt's Nintendo DS, Matt's G1 Phone, the computer, an old-school Nintendo GameBoy we've got, movies, even those kiddie laptops. He's even content to just watch you play something. It's pathetic.

And it's nauseating. And I'm SO over it. And it must stop.
He couldn't even pull his eyes away from the screen for two seconds to look at me...


Any advice?