#8. Make Christmas Stockings: Abby's

I finally came up with an idea for Abby's stocking.  I had an image in my head, but couldn't decide how it would actually turn out.  Landon told me to just go with it and see what happened.  So I did.  And I think it turned out just the way I wanted it.

This picture isn't the best, but it gives you the basic idea.  I promise the toe and cuff look better in person. 

My original plan was to put her name on the cuff, but now I can't decide.  What do you think?  And if I do it, how should I do it? 

I'm not sure what I'll do, but for now I am calling it good.  I need to get going on Landon's and my other projects.  I'm so glad I can cross this off my list and do it with something I am proud of. 

Abby's A

Here is one of my homemade Christmas presents.  It is for my baby girl, so I figured I could share it on here.  These types of projects are nothing new, but it was my first time making one.  I used pinking shears to cut the letter out so that I wouldn't have to cut the paper to fit exactly on the letter.  I think it looks cute that way, and seemed a lot easier in my mind.  I plan to hang it in her room with red ribbon.  It was only a few dollars and makes a great gift. 

Christmas Decorating: A Centerpiece

This is the centerpiece I made for the holidays.  I am so pleased with how it turned out.  I got the orange/peppermint idea from Real Simple a couple of years ago and just love it.  I think it is a great combination for Christmas but one I never would have thought of.  I already had the jar and ribbon and I purchased the evergreen for $2.  It was so easy to put together (I did it during one of baby's short naps).  I have also done the orange peppermint thing in little clear baggies tied with ribbon for gifts.  The possibilities are endless! 

Brown Paper Packages

I have been busy this week trying to cross things off my list as I mentioned last post.  Many of the things I won't share with you because they are Christmas presents, so I will probably share them after Christmas.

Here is one thing I have done that isn't a Christmas gift spoiler.  It has to do with Christmas presents, but people will see it before Christmas anyway, so it really doesn't matter that much.  I like to come up with a theme for my gift wrapping at Christmas.  Nothing too fancy or expensive, just something a bit more special than simply wrapping paper.  Here is what I came up with this year.

 

I love plain brown wrapping paper and did this bow to freshen it up a bit.  I got the idea for the flower from here, but changed it a little.

I thought the green rick-rack was a nice change to regular ribbon.  And I think the color scheme is festive without screaming Christmas.

I made the flowers by cutting three circles of descending size.  Then I sprayed them to make them damp.  Crumpled them up in to a little ball.  Un-crumpled them, arranged them, and secured them with a brad.  Let them dry completely.  Very easy.

Crunch Time

I just looked at my calendar and counted that there are only 40 days until Christmas!  That still seems like a ways out there, but I know it is going to fly, especially once Thanksgiving passes by.  I have accomplished a lot so far, but still have many things I need to do and finish before the joyful day.

I have made a list of all the things I need to do before Christmas and have put my game face on.  Here it is.

I even have a plan to do a couple projects while out of town for Thanksgiving.  I figure I should take advantage of the opportunity of so many willing babysitters!  We'll see how everything goes.  So far my list is just of things I absolutely need to do, while I still have ideas in my head of things that would be nice as well.  I'm hoping for the best, without excessive, unwanted stress.

I know I'm not the only one in this position, so good luck to you all as well!

Beverages

There are a million varieties of beverages out there these days that have loads of sugar and fat, yet are so delicious.  It is very easy to drink hundreds (maybe even thousands) of calories without even realizing it.  Even easier than eating tons of calories, in my opinion. 

I'm not telling you that you have to stay away from these types of drinks, but just remember to use the same sense as with food.  Here are some tips.

• Reserve these beverages for special occasions and at that time, watch your portions.
• Go with water as often as possible when eating out.  It's typically free and also calorie-free.
• Don't drink soda on a daily basis.  Start cutting down little by little if you are a soda-addict, even if you are a diet-soda addict.  Maybe they don't have calories, but it is debatable on what they do to your total daily caloric intake.  Plus, it is still bad for your teeth.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.  An easy way to determine how much you need is to take your weight in lbs and divide by two. Drink at least that amount of fluid ounces.  (140 lb/2 = 70 fl oz. = about 9 cups)
• Drink low-fat or skim milk.  Although you don't need more than 3 cups each day.
• Limit intake of juice, but when you do have it, drink 100% juice without added sugar.  You can try diluting juice with water as well.  The increase in volume will decrease the proportion of calories and sugar.
• Make smoothies yourself.  Use only fruits, veggies, water, and maybe a little yogurt if you want.  Don't add extra sugar.  Bananas are a great way to make them creamy without adding any dairy.
• Drink some gatorade if you are sick of water.  It will give you an extra boost of flavor without a ton of sugar and calories.

I hope these tips help you out.  Believe me, I've been struggling with this one as a nursing mother.  I am thirsty all the time and it is hard to drink only water all the time!  I try to use my own tips and feel they really are doable.  You can do it!

*Thanks to my husband who questioned me on this topic and inspired this post.*

What I should be doing right now...

As part of my 500 Days of Refinement, some of my goals I want to accomplish have to do with reading.  I really do like to read, but as a full time student the past six years, "reading for pleasure" didn't really happen.  I am now starting to get back into the habit. 

What I did for my project is ask my husband, parents, and siblings the following question:

"If you had to pick only one book for me to read, what would it be?"

I thought it would be a fun way to have a reading queue all set up for me and to include books I maybe wouldn't have picked up otherwise.  Here are the responses I got.

Husband:  The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Dad: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Mom: Siddartha by Herman Hesse
Brother #1:  The Fifties by David Halberstam
Sister: The Mother in Me by various mothers
Brother #2:  Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Brother #3:  A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

I have started The Count of Monte Cristo, but am only about four chapters into it.  At this rate, I probably won't even finish it in the next 500 days.  It's not that I don't like it, it is just intimidating because it is a very long book (I was specifically told I am not allowed to read the abridged version). 

On that note, I think I will hop in the tub and read a little before bed.  Goodnight!