Tamales!

we made tamales this weekend. this is the recipe we used. it was SUPER yummy!

here are our corn shucks soaking...

it was a pork/chicken mixture. 22 lbs worth :)
here's the first 60 we made. our 2nd batch will be made this coming weekend.

my christmas stocking is my favorite christmas tradition! in my family, we take stockings VERY seriously and don't change them very often. true story, my sister andrea called last night panicking because she couldn't find hers! my brother mark made his in kindegarten and still uses it. i've had my felt baby panda stocking for 26 yrs! as a teenager i did "upgrade" for a few years from the baby panda stocking to a nice red/green quilted one. but one christmas, in the dozens of christmas boxes my mom has, it wasn't found. so i picked another quilted stocking, and have used that one ever since. though the baby panda stocking is still around. i can't wait to get to my parents house for christmas to take a picture of it to show you, lol. it's pretty adorable. well anyways... i think a stocking should represent you and your personality and likes etc. i love the matchy matchy stockings you see in catalogs where everyone has the same design and they're all monogrammed. but who has a catalog lifestyle? so it's no big surprise that this year i wanted to make nathan's first stocking with hopes that he will use it forever and it will be his favorite tradition as well :) i had visioned a different fabric, but jaren won that arguement and we stuck with cars.
so here are our christmas stockings :) the far left is our dog bugsys. i made his this year also. then nathan's, then mine, then jarens. i'm debating making new ones for jaren and i. but with my sewing list growing everyday, who knows if i can get around to it.

Christmas Sock Advent

i love my new Christmas advent! i made a yellow star out of felt that slides on and off the clothespins to countdown the days. and inside each sock/glove is an activity that relates to the holiday season. making cookies. singing a song. reading a scripture. sharing a Christmas memory etc... things like that.

i was recognized for the snowman handprint ornament i made :) if want to check it out. here ya go... thanks stephanie!

it's official. we've got a walker :) age 10 months.

Snowman Handprint Ornament

found the idea here... i painted nathans hand white and pressed against the side of an ornament. painted each finger to look like a snowman and attached the following poem...

these aren't just five snowman, as anyone can see.

they're made from my handprint, which is a part of me.

now each year when you trim the tree, you'll look back and recall

christmas of 2009, when my hand was just this small.

sew liberated "emmeline" apron...

it can be tied in the front, or the back. and the best part... it's reversible! it was a pain to make, took me 3 days. i kept having to walk away and gather my thoughts, i was getting so frustrated, lol. it has darts, gathering, and making your own bias strips. not my favorite type of pattern! but now that i've made 1, any others should be a piece of cake! and i totally want one with thanksgiving on one side and christmas on the other. to match my thanksgiving/christmas tablecloths. lol.

we went to a craft fair this past weekend and got this cool step stool made for nathan. the top part is a jigsaw puzzle that spells out his name (obviously)
mmm... green beans :)

you know the holidays are upon us when you start stocking up on mormon cristal, lol.

and with the holidays upon us, here are some gifts i've been making...

tinkerbell quilt...

doodle bag... the leftside has a pocket for a sketchpad and the rightside has pockets for crayons.

and it folds up for on the go...

here's a boy version...

i only caught the last few steps. he'd taken 4 steps before this :)

just a random picture of nathan on jarens shoulders. he likes doing this a lot lately.
did you know when you order a kids meal from mcdonalds, you can request an under age 3 toy? so tonight we did, and this is what we got. i think it's so cute! pefect little bath toy.

yesterday in the mail nathan received a letter from the president. pretty neat i think.

Wooden Baby Block Picture Ornament

i don't remember where i saw this idea, so i can't link to it. but if anyone knows, please share so i can give credit where credits due! this idea is great, easy, fast and inexpensive. you probably have the supplies sitting around your house right now! i did, and i probably have enough to make HUNDREDS of these! they're wooden baby block ornaments.

supplies:

mod podge

scrapbook paper

wooden baby block (i got the whole alphabet in 1 box at the dollar tree)

hammer and nail (optional, depends if you have muscles)

screw eyes (CHEAP)

wallet size picture of your baby :)

sandpaper and ribbon (not included in picture, sorry)

step 1: depending on how many sides you want to cover, you need to cut that many pieces of scrapbook paper. so trace your block onto the paper, and cut it out. also cut your childs picture to the size you want it.

like so...

step 2: using the mod podge, apply a thin layer to whatever sides you're cover and place your scrapbook paper on it. it doesn't matter if your measurements aren't exact. you'll be getting rid of the excess during the next step.

mod podge your picture on too

step 3: using sandpaper, gently sand all the corners. this will even up any larger squares of scrapbook paper

step 4: apply another layer of modge podge to all sides of the block to seal everything on

step 5: once modge podge has dried (few minutes), use a nail to make the hole where you want to put your screw eye.

step 6: pull out the nail and replace with the screw eye

step 7: string ribbon through the eye and tada... you're all done! ready to adorn the tree!

*OPTIONAL* i believe the blog i saw this on also used diamond glaze on the side of the block with the picture. it gave that side of the block a clear glass type finish. i have NEVER found diamond glaze at any craft store! they advertise the product on there websites, but everytime i go to purchase it, its never there! and i check EVERYTIME i go. but anyways, that's an option.

another snuggie i made. i love them and they rock!

introducing the car cozie. it's a perfect solution for storing your little mans cars on the go. it has 6 pockets on one side, and a road on the other side.

when it's not in use, you fold it up, roll it up, and tie it up. thanks sharla w/ my little gems for the idea and especially for sharing how to make it here. 1 down, 8 more to go as christmas gifts :)
and here's nathan being nathan...