Creative Holiday Gift Ideas

LDS General Conference Packets

2011-09-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

I always get lots of emails requesting Conference Packets every April and Oct. There are so many great ones out there now days. Here is a link to where I usually get mine from. I also get lots of requests for a french toast recipe I mentioned along with Conference, here is a link to that. Since I can't get the bread for it where I live we now make puffed french toast with coconut syrup on Conference morning. The recipe for that is on my recipe blog and you can find that here. It's pretty much the yummiest breakfast ever. :) Have a great Conference weekend!

CALLING ALL MOM'S OF SCHOOL AGE KIDS

2010-08-24T20:44:00.001-07:00

Got any great ideas for school lunches for your kids? Mine get sick of the same old pb&j. I'd love to hear what you do including sides, drinks etc.

JOETE'S PLAYGROUND MOTHER'S DAY AUCTION

2010-04-19T13:37:00.001-07:00

Joete's Playground is hosting its Mother's Day auction HERE and it begins tomorrow!! Bidding will go until Saturday the 24th!

Joete's was founded a few years ago by my cousin, Lindsay..

You can read all about the non-profit organization on her website (link above).

Fabulous people and companies have donated fantastic things to this auction... so please check it out, let your friends know and bid on something great for the women in your lives!

All proceeds from the auction will go directly to new playgrounds that Joete's has in the works, so be generous! Give the mothers in your life a fantastic gift and help impoverished children at the same time. We'll ship the gifts directly to mom, or wherever you'd like them to go, it's so easy!

And... if you'd be so kind, it would be very much appreciated if you'd repost this on YOUR blog to get the word out.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

2010-02-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Alisha and I can't resist any reason to throw a party. We invited a few of our friends families and had so much fun (despite it having to be rescheduled to Nov 1st because of my sick kiddos). All of the costumes were amazing!

{the costumes}

{the food}

bubbling cauldron cheese dip with bat wing dippers, bones and blood, mummies with mustard dip, apples and toffee dip, veggies and spinach dip, 7 layer spiderweb bean dip and chips, witches brew, dirt n' worms & pumpkin pie tarts

{invitations & party favors}

{the games}

donuts on a string are always a huge hit. even better when they're tanya's homemade donuts

GIRLFRIENDS CHRISTMAS PARTY 2009

2010-02-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite holiday traditions is the Christmas Dinner that my friend Alisha and I host for some of our girlfriends. I love planning, preparing for and enjoying it. It's so fun to get together with friends and enjoy each others company along with good food every now and again.

These were the invitations we sent out and the little craft/favor that everyone made and went home with. It's a recipe book with several of our favorite recipes complete with pics from the party over the years. We'll add new recipes to it each year and it will be a great collection of holiday favorites.

Appetizers:

Frothy Pink Grapefruit Strawberry Drink
Tomato, Mozzerella & Basil Skewers drizzled with Balsamic Dressing
Roasted Red Pepper Dip on a Crusty Baguette

Dinner:

Christmas Salad
Cajun Candied Salmon
Lemon Rice
New Wave Green Beans
Fruit Salad with Cherries
Orange Rolls

Dessert:

Mini Cheesecakes & Brownie Tarts with Carmel Frosting

It was all soooooo goood!

(most of these recipes are on the recipe blog linked on my sidebar and the rest will make their way there eventually)

We had our traditional dessert exchange which is always fun and exciting. Everyone goes home with a fun holiday dessert for their family and a cute new serving tray. This year we had a banana cake with carmel and burnt butter frosting, peppermint bark popcorn, chocolate covered oreos, adoreable pretzel rod snowmen, homemade oreo cookies with peppermint, peanut butter and jelly bars and fudge, red velvet cupcakes, and a chocolate cheesecake cake.

RECIPES

2010-02-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

I get lots of emails requesting recipes that I mention on this blog. Instead of having to email them out to several people or retype them on this blog {here} is a link to my recipe blog where I post almost all of my favorite recipes. I'm in the process of transferring all the recipes from my private blog so it will take a few days before they are all up.

There is also a link on the sidebar.

BIG Cupcake Recipe

2010-01-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

I've had lots of emails lately about the recipe for the big cupcakes pictured on the header of this blog. There is no fancy recipe, just a fancy pan. It's made by Wilton and I got mine at my local craft store, Micheals along with the cupcake liners. Then you just use a regular cupcake mix (one mix makes six big cupcakes) and decorate however you like. I hope that answers your questions.

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posting, two babies in two years tends to suck your time and energy...in a good way of course!

General Conference Galore

2009-09-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

For anything and everything you could possibly want for Conference including activity packets, go here:

http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3101

Cute Aprons Ideas

2009-07-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm in search of a cute apron ideas (for moms) for one of the projects at our Super Saturday (church craft day). I'm looking for something cute, fun, and not too complex as sewers will be of all skill levels and our time is limited. So if you have any fun ideas, tutorials, patterns please share them with me at delightfuldistraction@gmail.com.

THANKS A BUNCH!

Thanks & Father's Day Ideas

2009-06-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of you who are sharing your great ideas for teacher gifts. I know I've definitely found some keepers.

Father's Day is quickly approaching so if you have any ideas and pics to share, send them my way!

Teacher Gift - Apple Stationary

2009-06-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

I purchased this darling apple stationary set from this Etsy site:http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6388691

I have used it numerous times throughout the school year to send notes to Zach's teacher and thought she might like to have a set of her own to use next year. I just printed a set of the notecards, folded them and wrapped them (along with enough envelopes) with the belly band included in the download! The download also included a template to make your own matching envelopes, gift tags and small gift cards. I love these printable stationary packs because you can reuse them over and over again!

submitted by Shelly Brown (www.shellyabrown.typepad.com)

Teacher Gift - Supply Pail

2009-06-04T09:26:00.001-07:00

It was the twins last day of preschool yesterday...so sad:(!! They really love their teacher and looked forward to going to her house every Wednesday. But they will be attending Pre-K this fall, so that will be fun! I really appreciated teacher Shelley, she was so awesome and very sweet. I wanted to show her how much she meant to the kids by giving her a little something from all of us. A few weeks ago Celeste and I found all this fun Crayola stuff in the $1 section at Micheal's. She came up with the clever title and putting it in a paint can. I added some Skittles, scissors, pens, pencils, sharpies, stickers, paper clips (in the Crayola tin), and ribbon to tie it all together. I stuck the lid to the bottom of the can with some removable adhesive. It turned out so cute and she loved it. The title says..."Teacher's fill the world with color...thanks for brightening our year!"

submitted by Shannon & Celeste (www.aplace4mommystoshare.blogspot.com & www.acraftychic.blogspot.com)

More teacher gifts...

2009-06-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Nikki has a bunch of great teacher gifts to share...click here to go to her blog post and check them all out along with info on how to do it yourself!

Teacher Gift - Lemonade & Gift Card

2009-06-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

Kristi (murillofam.blogspot.com) got this idea from her friend Becca.

End of the year teacher gift time! Last year I stressed and worried all about end of the year teacher gifts... I over-worried, over-spent... I loved Colin's preschool teachers and wanted them to know it! A little older, a little wiser, and much, much busier this year. I love Ms. Aquino...she, along with all teachers, deserve a BIG thank you for putting up with our little darlings all year. However, I'm no millionaire...as much as I'd love to give her thousands of dollars it's just not fiscally responsible...especially in this economy. A gift card to the bookstore and a few tall glasses of ice-cold, delicious lemonade will have to suffice!

Teacher Gift - Wordle

2009-06-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

This year, I made all ten of the kids’ teachers a Word Cloud or a Wordle. Here is an example of the one I made for HHE using all the teachers/administrators names and school words.

I emailed each teacher the following letter:

Hi
I am going to make your year end gift and I need your help to make it better. Please provide me with the following information to make your gift more special. Just skip any areas that don't apply. The more info you provide me the better.
What color tones do you like (Greens, Blues, Maroons, Other):
Names (your name, spouse, children & their spouse, grandchildren):
Nicknames (if any):
Names of your pets (if any):
If you have grandchildren, what do they call you and your husband?
Places or words that have meaning to you (college, favorite team, hobby, pets, nicknames, etc.): The more words the better!

Then you take the list of words and type them up in a word document. I added the following words deleting the ones that did not apply: fortunate happy kin loving parents offspring relatives wonderful hope love blessed faith son daughter sister brother daughter-in-law son-in-law trust wish dream ancestors joy mother father mom dad Hidden~Hollow elementary school educator Family Family Family

The words you want to appear larger you will need to list more times. I did last names and the word Family three times, first names twice and the remainder of the words just once. If you have two words that you want to appear together, you will need to us a ~ in place of the space.

Once you have your list of words, go to http://www.wordle.net/create. Copy and paste your list of words into the “Create” box and press “Go”. The next screen will allow you to pick your colors, fonts and layout. My personal preference is “Heat” for the Color, “Mostly Horizontal” for the Layout and “Loved by the King” for the Font. Once you are happy with your settings you can “Re-layout with current settings” or “Recolor” until you are happy with the finished product. Once I was happy with the look, I printed them on an 8.5 x 11 piece of photo paper and place them in a document frame. Here is an example of how they turned out.

submitted by Tracy Barger (www.bargerfam.blogspot.com)

Not your ordinary lanyard

2009-05-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

What teacher wouldn't love a lanyard like this to wear their name/id badge on? This fun idea comes from Cute2Carry click here for the tutorial.

Personalized Notepads for dads, teachers, etc.

2009-05-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Found this SIMPLE & EASY gift idea on Family Fun. I thought it would also be fun to do something similar for teachers and let your child draw a pic of their teacher at the top and then write or type under it "from the desk of Mrs. Brown".

DAD'S PADS

Memo pads adorned with your child's original artwork make a noteworthy Father's Day gift. Simply have your kids decorate the top of a piece of paper and take it to a copy shop or printer to be made into notepads. Pads start at 50 cents each, depending on the paper size and your printer.

Fathers Day Book

2009-05-31T16:10:00.001-07:00

I saw this creative gift idea for Father's Day on Stacy Julian's blog and LOVED it! I'm pretty sure this is what I'll be making for the hubs and maybe even a different version for the grandpas this year. Thanks Stacy!

Teacher Stitching

2009-05-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

This adoreable idea comes from Anne, her sister-in-law Dianna (who is a teacher and said she would LOVE something like this) submitted it.

She created it using a picture her daughter drew of her teacher and then she stitched it. Such a fun idea!

Teacher Gift-Framed Crayon Letters

2009-05-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

This cute idea and pics come from Hilary Shirley, and she found it via the Tip Junkie.

I bought an 8x 10 shadow box... printed the first letter of the teacher's last name really light in a plain font (I used Century Gothic) and the teacher's name on the side or bottom using a font called Pea Heather's Handwriting. I printed it on cardstock, cut crayons to size with a sharp paring knife and glued on with Elmer's glue. Crayons leave little flakey bits of color, so be careful not to smear your 'masterpiece.' I printed a sample on paper to hold my crayons up to to size them and a cutting board for cutting the crayons on. The cardstock does warp a bit, but it isn't noticeable in the shadow box.

Post It Note Holders for Teachers

2009-05-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

These cute post it holders were submitted by Misty at thecreativeitchbotique.blogspot.com who go the idea from Creating Keepsakes Magazine. Thanks Misty!

MATERIALS NEEDED
Post-It notes (regular size)
Cardstock
Patterned paper (traditional or digitally created)
Bone folder, embossing stylus or scoring blade
Adhesive
Terrifically Tacky Tape
BasicGrey magnetic snaps or Velcro dots
Paper trimmer

Instructions:

1. Trim cardstock to an 8" x 3 1/8" rectangle.

2. Trim the patterned paper to an 8" x 2 3/4" rectangle, or create it digitally the same size. Adhere to the center of the cardstock.

3. Using the bone folder, embossing stylus, or scoring blade, make folding marks at 2”, 2-1/2”, 5-5/8” and 6-1/8”. Fold on the marks.

4. Use a strip of Terrifically Tacky Tape to stick the Post-It pad to the center of the inside of the cardstock.

5. Fold cover.

6. Place magnetic snaps on the center of the flap openings (if they won’t stay, use little pieces of the Terrifically Tacky Tape). If you don’t have magnetic snaps, Velcro dots will also work.

7. Add embellishments to the cover if desired.

Calling All Creative Minds

2009-05-28T13:29:00.001-07:00

I think it would be great if we could get a bunch of ideas up here for end of the year teacher gifts (any kind of teachers, school, dance, coaches, music, etc). I know some of you have kids that are already out but others still have a few weeks to go, so please share any and all ideas from this year or years past ASAP by emailing them to me at delightfuldistraction@gmail.com. Pictures are always appreciated.

Thanks!

Recipe Requests

2009-03-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

I've had several emails lately (okay, maybe some of the requests are 4 or 5 months old but hey didn't I just have a baby, oh wait, that was 4 or 5 months ago too...hmm...)requesting recipes for some of the dishes featured on previous posts. So I thought I'd just post them here instead of sending out a million emails. See below.

Enjoy!

French Breakfast Puffs

2009-03-31T21:30:00.001-07:00

(picture and recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Blog)

French Breakfast Puffs
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. Pray. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat. Faint.

Ham, Mushroom, and Spinach Strata

2009-03-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is delicious and a great idea for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning since you make it the night before. I got the recipe from my friend Alisha and the only change I made was adding some baby spinach. Thanks for sharing Alisha!

8 eggs
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
5 slices dense French Bread cut into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes
1 lb ham, cubed (I had deli ham on hand so I just sliced that up and it worked great)
1/2 pkg sliced mushrooms
8 oz grated cheddar cheese
1/2-1 cup baby spinach leaves torn into pieces (optional)

note: I used a little less ham and added 1/2-1 cup of baby spinach torn into pieces

Beat eggs; add milk, salt and dry mustard. Stir well. Add next 4 ingredients, stirring well after each addition.

I put it in a 2 1/2 quart DeMarle (silicone bakeware) mold to bake, if you do it in something else you'll probably need to grease it. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before inverting onto plate (you'll only be inverting this if you use a DeMarle mold, you can just serve it out of the pan if you're using something else) Slice and serve.

Orange Rolls

2009-03-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

Rolls:

Best Refrigerator Rolls - from the kitchen of my Mom

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 cups Better for Bread Flour - divided (note: my mom lives in UT and this works for her, I always end up adding a bit more flour here in OR, so you may need to adjust a little)
3 eggs, well beaten

2 Tbsp rapid rise yeast

Mix all ingredients together in mixer except for yeast and half of the flour. Then sprinkle yeast on mixture and add remaining flour. Mix until sticky. About 5 min. Place in lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel. Raise until double. About 2 hours.

Punch dough down and cover bowl with a damp towel. Refrigerate. (I make the dough the night before and then refrigerate it till whenever I'm ready to make it the next day)

Roll out as desired. Shape. (I divide the dough into thirds, roll each ball into about a 14" circle (about 1/4" thick) like a pizza crust and then use my pizza cutter to cut it into 12 triangles, then I roll them up into crescent shapes) Brush with melted butter. Place on baking sheets and cover lightly with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let raise 2-3 hours. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min or 375 for 12 min.

Makes 3 dozen

Filling:
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp orange rind (I use more)
1/2-1 tsp orange juice

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2-1 Tbsp grated orange rind
1 Tbsp melted butter

Brush filling onto rolls before rolling them up (and before they rise) so it's on the inside, then dip tops of rolls in glaze when rolls have cooled. Makes enough for 16-20 rolls.

Lego Party Ideas

2008-10-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my 7 year old wanted to have a Lego Party with some of his friends. Here is what we did (just cutting and pasting the rest of this post from my own blog):

The Lego Party was a huge hit. Mark had a great time and all his friends seemed to also. I had tons of fun putting it together and was really happy with how it all turned out. And let's be honest, I'd much rather plan a party than clean house, pay bills, etc. So, it really was a great week. Although my bathrooms, floor and laundry may complain of neglect.

Here was the invitation Mark and I put together and delivered:

And here are some pics from the party:

(click to enlarge)

Each picture above is numbered and a coordinating number is below with a description/explaination:

1. We decorated in traditional Lego colors with balloons streamers, and different colored plates, cups, forks, etc.

2. One of the games we played I printed off of Lego.com, it had two similar pictures and the kids had to find and circle the 15 differences between the two pics. The winner got to pic a lego person keychain/bag charm as their prize.

3. For another contest we had everyone build anything they wanted to out of legos. We had spaceships, Star Wars ships, a house, and other things that I had no idea what they were, but everyone loved what they made and loved playing with all their creations together after this game. For this game everyone got a bag of Lego Brick candy that I got at the bulk candy store in the mall for a prize.

4. Here are the Lego Brick Candy prizes. We had one for the most colorful creation, one for the fastest looking one, one for the person that used the most people, etc.

5. These were the prizes for the other games. They are Lego figure keychains that the boys like to hook on their backpack zippers. I took Mark to the Lego store at the mall and he picked them out so of course they are all Star Wars.

6. These are the gift bags I put together for the boys. I found the idea online and just bought bags and coordinating cardstock and then used a craft punch to punch the circles out of the cardstock and then attached them with pop dots to the bags. Inside the bag was a lego poster again a download from Lego.com that I had printed on 8x10 photo paper at Fred Meyer, and a set of lego stickers (from Lego.com) that I printed on sticker paper from the office supply store.

7. The first game we did as the boys arrived was to have them guess how many Legos were in this jar. They all guessed super low, and I would have too if I didn't know how many were in there. Can you believe there are 300?

8. We had a tallest tower contest to see who could build the tallest tower in 2 minutes and it couldn't fall over.

9. I used the bags as place cards at the table so that boys who knew each other would have a friend to sit by (some of the kids were from church and some from school so they didn't all know each other before hand)

10. I found the basic idea for these Lego cakes online from Betty Crocker and thought they turned out great. I'm not a cake decorator by any means so they definitely aren't perfect, but the boys thought they were great!

The time actually flew by and the boys were totally content to just build and play with their Lego creations. I had to pry them away to eat the cake before their parents came to pick them up.

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Halloween Carmel Apples

2008-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Caramel Apple Recipe

1 pound brown sugar

2 sticks butter, at room temp

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

12 apples

12 dowels

Topping:

1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 TB shortening

Combine ingredients in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Heat at medium low temp, stirring constantly but slowly and frequently scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook caramel to the soft ball stage (236) degrees. Pour into a small deep metal or heat proof bowl and let cool to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Push a dowel or stick into the top of each apple. Dip apples into caramel using a straight up and down motion. (Too much agitation causes the caramel to separate and become oily). Place dipped apples on baking sheet and place in the fridge for 15 - 20 min. Next, dip caramel apples into melted chocolate, then sprinkle with decorative candy.

TIP: Granny Smith and Fuji apples are the best apples to use. Make sure you wash and dry them because there is a waxy film on the apples which will make the caramel not stick.

To make the sticks I cut a 12 inch dowel in half. Then cut out 5 inch by 1.5 inch scrapbook paper. I spread Mod Podge on the back of the paper and rolled it on the stick. It sealed perfectly!!

Submitted by Brandy Dunaway
www.dunawaydivasanddad.blogspot.com

Tall Cupcakes

2008-10-22T09:44:00.001-07:00

Okay, here it is, the tall cupcake post. The pan is made by Wilton, along with the cupcake wrappers/papers. I found both at my local craft store (Michael's). There are 6 cupcakes to a pan. One cake mix makes one pan. Then I just use a can of frosting and decorate according to the occasion.

HELP!

2008-10-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so a while ago I saw these cute, crafty Halloween door hangers that someone had made to hang on the doors of friends, neighbors, people you visit teach, etc. I think they were made of cardstock but even had a small pocket to put some candy in, or maybe the candy was just stapled to it. Anyway, I can't for the life of me remember whose blog I saw them on. Does anyone know? I will love ya forever if you do!

Crafty Halloween Decor

2008-10-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Witches Boot

1 witches book kit from Wood Connection(includes boot, star, and moon)
20 gauge black wire
2 yards 1/4" ribbon
5 3/16" Zision Eyelets( I used Kiwi/Lime color)
Black, green, purple, orange, yellow, and white acrylic paint
Silver glitter spray

Paint the bottom part of the boot black. Paint 1/2 of the top green and the other 1/2 purple. After it dries paint an orange stripe. Sand the edges and apply a coat of stain(minwax colonial pine). and wipe off. When dry spray with glitter. Using a glue gun, glue eyeletz into "shoelace" holes. When dry, lace up with ribbon. I used a pin with a ball on the end to fish it through. Push wire through the hole in the tip of the boot and on each end of wire attach the star and the moon. I curled it up to make it cute.

Witch hat

Supplies
hat(I used a DCC Crafts paper mache hat 9" high and 12" diameter. However I have had a hard time finding them. I saw a foam at Roberts and Micheals that would be cute to use and it is already black.)
2 yards of 2" or 2 1/2" wired ribbon
1 yard of two other styles of ribbon
20 gauge black wire
decorative spider(tai pan)
1 yard of pom pom fringe(may need more or less depending on size of hat) I use 1/2 inch wide
2 small wood stars(wood connection)
1 small wood moon(wood connection
Black, yellow, purple, and white acrylic paint
Silver glitter spray

Paint the hat black and one star yellow, one star purple, and the moon white. After drying sand the edges of the wood pieces and apply a coat of stain(minwax colonial pine) and wipe it off. Let those dry. Spray the wood pieces and hat with a light coat of glitter.
Dry. Poke 3 small holes in the top of the hat to attach the wood pieces with wire. Wrap the wire around the wood pieces and put into the holes and curl the wire to make it stay. Using a glue gun attach the pom pom fringe to the edges, and use a dot in the back just to hold the wired ribbon in place. Tie a knot with the wired ribbon and before you tie it off just lay the other ribbons in the knot. Tie a bow with just the wired ribbon. Glue the spider on and that was it.

submitted by Mandi (www.tmlloydfam.blogspot.com)

French Toast Recipe

2008-09-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

First, to those who have emailed asking for copies of the Conference packets I will email those out tomorrow.

And second, your not going to like me unless you live in UT or in the vicinity of Yuma, AZ. The Overnight French Toast Recipe comes from Kneaders Bakery and Cafe which has locations in the above mentioned places. You use their Chunky Cinnamon Bread to make it. And it is "what makes it". You could try it with a similar type bread from another bakery, but I don't know how it would turn out. The bread from Kneaders is a dense bread (fluffy wonder bread isn't going to cut it) with cinnamon swirled throughout and then a white icing/glaze on top and also throughout the bread.

Here is the recipe:

1 Loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread cut into 8 slices

6-7 eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter

Butter a glass 9x13 pan. Place slices flat in pan. Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving the butter and pour over the bread. Cut butter into pieces and dot over the tops. Refrigerate overnight. Bake 45-50 min at 350.

Emily's notes: First off, I can't fit it all in a 9x13, I end up using a 9x13 plus an 8x8. Also, I like it best when I refrigerate it overnight and then turn the pieces of bread over and let them sit an hour before you bake it in the morning so both sides really soak up the egg mixture. It is great with maple syrup or with strawberries and whip cream!

submitted by Emily (delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com) email: delightfuldistraction@gmail.com

Kids General Conference Baskets

2008-09-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

*SEE POST DATED 9.29.11 ON THIS BLOG TO GET UP TO DATE CONFERENCE PACKETS AND THE FRENCH TOAST RECIPE.

This is a post from a while back on my personal blog that I thought was appropriate to share since for those who read this and are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (learn more at www.mormon.org) it's almost time for Conference again. I love General Conference. I look forward to it and so do my kids, and I really love that. I know that the reason it's such an enjoyable and uplifting experience for all of us is that we are prepared. It wasn't always that way, but it is now. Here is a link to some ways to make Conference memorable for your family, we love the "tents" toward the temple idea and use it every time, the kids insist.

Another great help I received last Conference was a booklet of Conference related activities, coloring pages, and games for kids that a friend forwarded to me. I updated it the best I could for this time and plan on using it again. I am not kidding when I tell you that my 4 and 6 year old sat in the family room with us and listened to almost all 8 hours of Conference. (email me if you want a copy at delightfuldistraction@gmail.com, I already sent it to a bunch of you yesterday).

A few Conferences ago I started a little tradition of doing something fun for the families of the women I visit teach to help them enjoy Conference weekend. The first time I made sticky buns for all of them and dropped them off the night before so they could bake them fresh in the morning. Last time I made the baskets pictured above for their kids. They included an activity booklet for each child, pencils and crayons, and some apples and toffee apple dip. This weekend I plan on delivering "Overnight French Toast" with strawberries and whip cream to them on Saturday night. They can put it in their fridge and bake it Sunday morning to enjoy. I have not been a faithful Visiting Teacher lately and need to do better so hopefully this will start me off on the right foot!

TOFFEE DIP FOR APPLES

1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 (8oz) bag Heath toffee bits

Mix all ingredients together and serve with sliced apples or refrigerate till ready to serve. Makes about 3 cups.

So, here's my little nudge to you to be prepared so that you really can feast upon the words of Christ. It makes all the difference!

P.S. I'd love to hear any other Conference related activities/ideas your family enjoys.

submitted by Emily (delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com) email: delightfuldistraction@gmail.com

Visiting Teaching Brunch

2008-09-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I hosted a brunch at my house for the girls I Visit Teach (a program from my church, to learn more visit www.mormon.org). It was so much fun and I think would be a fun "gift idea" to do for any group of gals you love for the holidays. Below I will cut and paste from my personal blog what I did for mine, it was pretty simple since I'm at the end of being pregnant with #4. I've heard of lots of other fun ideas for this and next time I think it would be fun to send out invitations and have something for them to take home (a plant, handmade gift, etc).

What: Brunch (Ham, Mushroom & Spinach Strata, French Breakfast Puffs, Fresh Orange Juice and Fruit Skewers)

When: Last Friday Morning

Where: Emily's House

Who: Emily, Heather, Cassandra, Tina, Kari, and Michelle + the littles that aren't in school yet

Why: Do you really need a why to get together and eat good food with good friends? I don't think so!

submitted by Emily (delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com) email: delightfuldistraction@gmail.com

"BOO" sign

2008-09-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Used scrap wood, painted it black, modge podged the scrapbooking paper on the board, then sand papered, tore additional paper and glued onto the board and added "boo" in buttons with Ribbon at the top to hang

submitted by Mandy

Photo Book Gift

2008-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

I might be a bit late to post but I wanted to share the gifts that I made for my mom and my mother in law for Mother's day... Photo Books from Shutterfly... they were easy to put together and I watched for a good sale and I'm really happy with how they turned out. I feel like it's a personalized gift and a little different from the gifts they usually receive.

This one is for my Mother in Law... it's her son's (my husband's brother) wedding in Hawaii last summer.

Here is a link to the whole book:

http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/start.sfly?postId=/gallery/1/post/GMGDBg2Zt2DVk0YA6TmZla&v_r=t

submitted by MaryRuth (thefrancks.typepad.com)

We're Back & Nativity Blocks

2008-09-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Being pregnant with #4 has been exhausting! Anyway, I've had lots of people email hoping for more posts on this blog and just wanted to let you know that I'd love to post more ideas as the holidays are right around the corner. I also know lots of church groups have Super Saturdays and craft days in the fall and there are plenty of great ideas to be had there as well. So follow the directions on the sidebar and email your ideas, I'll be happy to post them and we can all enjoy! I will also try to answer the questions you have emailed me over the past while.

Okay, one really fun item of business to start things off is that a fellow blogger found a site where you can print off the MAMBI clip art that was used to make the Nativity Blocks shared by Hilary last year. The clip art costs $5 to download and you can find it at pccrafter.com. The stickers have been discontinued but you can print the clip art on adhesive paper and viola you've got stickers. So, a big huge thanks to Sanders Family (sorry I don't know your first name) for this awesome find!

Here is the original post submitted by Hilary:

This is a fun idea for nieces, nephews and even your own kids. I saw this on a message board and asked the girl if I could share.

Paint blocks with a few coats of paint. Then apply the stickers. Ink or sand the edges to distress. Then put a coat of Mod Podge on them to seal in the stickers. Let dry.

This particular set of stickers is by Me & My Big Ideas (MAMBI). They are no longer made, so if you like this set you just have to hope a craft or scrapbook store still carries this line. I've done extensive searches online and they are hard to find! However, there are other brands of Nativity stickers. You could probably even find cute nativity clipart.

Fresh Ideas Needed

2008-03-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I apologize for not updating this for so long, life often gets the best of me which is how it should be, right?!

Be sure to check out three fun new ideas submitted by fellow bloggers below.

The holidays/occasions that I'm going to be needing ideas for next (and I assume you, too) are Mother's and Father's Day and then of course teacher gifts for the end of the school year. So put your thinking caps on, dig out your ideas and SHARE!

Fruit Kabob Centerpiece

2008-03-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Used for my husband's luau themed birthday party

The fruit is on kabobs and pushed into pineapples. The "trees" are carrots with slits on the sides and a green bell pepper on top. Fruit is then filled in on the bottom, it was easy and turned out looking great

submitted by Mandy Hughes

EASTER BUNNY S'MORES

2008-03-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 quart jar.
3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.
4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.
6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.
My changes: I did M&M's first, then Peeps, then put combined brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in baggie. I didn't like how the crumbs made a mess in the jar.

Attach a gift tag giving the following instructions:

1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
(Makes 9 to 12 bars.)

*Option - leave bunnies whole; combine remaining ingredients and place the bunnies on top; then bake as directed.

*This gift jar may be created to suit any holiday for which marshmallow candies are available.

submitted by Hilary Shirley

Kid Friendly Sushi

2008-03-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Supply list

Rice Krispies
Marshmallows
Butter
Swedish Fish
Fruit roll ups

I made these sushi for my kids to celebrate the Chinese New Year!

1. make rice krispy treats if you don’t have a recipie here is an easy one:
¼ c. butter
10 oz. marshmallows
6 c. Rice Krispies

Melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat on the stove. Pull off heat and add rice krispies. Place in buttered pan.

2. While the Rice Krispies are still warm, butter your hands and take a little ball out. Place a Swedish fish in the middle of the ball and form it into a sushi roll size. Wrap with a fruit roll up. Place on a plate to cool off.

Tips- you need to be able to rebutter your hands a lot so they don’t stick to the rice krispie treats. Also I cut the fruit roll ups in half. You might even want to cut it in thirds, it depends on how big you want your sushi to be. Have fun!

Submitted by Erin Wayland
http://nathananderinwayland.blogspot.com/

Cute Anytime Gift Idea

2008-01-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

Supplies needed:
2 colors of cardstock (Valentine's is coming . . . think pink!)
cellophane
coordinating ribbon
and . . .
Chocolates!

To make these little cuties . . . borrow your friend's scallop cutter to get the cute edge on the smaller circle. (Or you can probably buy that fun cutter at your local craft store.) Then I used the Creative Memories cutting systems circle patterns to cut the larger circles. I used a bit of 2-sided adhesive to stick them together. Finally, I used the CM circle maker to do the smaller circles for the coordinating gift tags, and a corner rounder to finish them off.

I've had my eye on these chocolates for two years now . . . they are from Costco and I think they are so cute! One box was $10.-12. I think, and dividing them up for these gifts had enough for the women I visit teach and for the elderly couples and widows in our cul-de-sac. (And of course a few left over for me to sample.)

These are nice because they are a small but delicious gift for a single person to enjoy.

submitted by
Alisha

Baby Shower Accessory Jar (Girl)

2008-01-29T10:41:00.001-08:00

Okay, I have to start out by saying I got this adorable idea from Anna. She along with her sister and mom have a business that makes some of the cutest baby accessories EVER! Check them out at The Pixie Patch.

I'm headed to a baby shower for a friend who is expecting her first girl in a couple of days. I ordered these booties, hair accessories and binky clip from the Pixie Patch, put them in this glass jar that she can use to keep all her little accessories in (got it at WalMart for $2.86, thank you Hilary!), tied a ribbon and attached some tags and viola. It almost makes me want to have a baby!

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Valentine Flower Pots

2008-01-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

After Christmas, January arrives and in Utah, it's often grey, cloudy and snowy, so we thought (my 6 year old and I) that we'd invite February in a little sooner to add a little cheer. February is full of birthdays in our home and Valentine's Day and who doesn't love the color pink? I don't know how this idea came about except for I wanted something cheery and felt a bit crafty. So while I used some flower pots from Christmas sales (red and black), I also used flower pots painted pink. Use whatever you choose. I was on a quest to have a craft project for my daughter and nieces but it turned into a "Just for Fun" project that I gave to some of my neighbor friends as well. It's just cheery and you could modify it to how you'd like.

Items needed:
1- 6" flower pot (mine were Christmas w/ red and black, or choose red, pink, white, etc.) ($2-$6 depending on pot used)
2- Ribbon-I used a solid red (to cover the black to red seam—not necessary w/ a solid color pot) and a pink/orange/red ribbon (used over the solid red and tied in a knot at the front of the pot) ($3 at JoAnn's)
3- Floral foam
4- Bunch of gerbera daisies (6 per pot) ($1-$2 dollars a bunch for 6)
5- Fountain grass (mine were from the $1 Store)
6- White paint (for polka dots)
7- Sparkly hearts on sticks ($1 Store)
8- Sparkly heart chip boards (4.99 on sale for 2.79 at Roberts)
9- Wire for beads ($2 at JoAnn's)
10- Beads (red, pink, orange to coordinate w/ ribbon, larger aurora/clear beads-.59 at Robert's)
11- Small rhinestone crystals (I got mine at JoAnn's fabrics for about $3 or at Robert's Crafts)

Very easy project (my 6 year old helped while I did the hot glue gun) but fun and cheery!
1. First I painted white polka dots on the top 1" of the pot and let those dry. (I used the Spouncers – foam circle shapes- found at Walmart.
2. I then hot glued the solid red ribbon (optional if you have a color seam and want it to be hidden under chiffon ribbon) overlapping about ¼ inch of the black to the red w/ the seam of the ribbon at the back of the pot.
3. I then put the striped wire chiffon ribbon at the seam of the red in the back of the pot, hot glued it in a few spots so it would stay in place, and tied it in a knot at the front center of the pot.
4. Next we hot glued rhinestones randomly near the white paint polka dots and overlapping the ribbon.
5. We put foam in the pot and put the green fountain grass in the center so it cascades up and out.
6. I then put the gerbera daisies in starting with one in the front center, alternating colors to the sides and worked my way to the back (6 total). I put them low so they rested on the pot and covered the foam.
7. I put 3 glittery hearts on stakes in the center of the fountain grass alternating in heights. I was going to make them but saw these at the $1 Store and they were perfect.
8. I strung beads on wire and randomly curled the wire around the paint brush stick (pencil width) adding beads as I went. Four total pairs (sequence: small colored bead, larger ¼" size aurora crystal, then same tiny colored bead). I put the wire through the knot of the ribbon and back down so the wire hung with the beads. At the end of the wire, I wrapped it around a glittery, heart chipboard (found at Robert's Crafts) and ended with a crystal bead. I also glued a heart on the pot above the knot in the ribbon.
9. For my neighbors, I put a tag inside that coordinated and said "Just for Fun".
10. Final flower pot stands about 15 inches high.

I spent about $6-8 per flower pot but these could easily be made smaller (less $) for VT's or friends.

**submitted by Nikki Norris -- ( nicole.norris@gmail.com)

Happy New Year & Thank YOU!

2008-01-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

First, I wanted to thank all of you for sharing your wonderful ideas on this blog. You are all so creative and I love all the inspiration I find here. Because I have enjoyed this site so much during the winter holidays I really don't want it to end. What do ya say we keep this blog going and open it up to any holiday or gift ideas, such as, birthdays, valentines, anniversaries, baby shower gifts, bridal shower gifts, visiting teaching gifts, etc. We could also include any fun holiday related traditions such as green pancakes on St. Patrick's Day, etc.

Let me know what you think.

Emily

Another Girlfriends Christmas Party

2007-12-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

My friend Alisha and I enjoy hosting a party for our Girlfriends at Christmas as our "gift" to them. Here's what we did this year.

Wednesday night my friend Alisha and I hosted our 2nd Girlfriends Christmas Party. Neither of our days went as planned but we still had a great time and were happy with how everything turned out. When we were on the phone in the afternoon realizing how much was left to do in such little time I said "I think we might not be the super women we thought we were", she laughed at my drama.

These were the invitations we sent out.

We invited 6 friends to the party so there were 8 of us total. We started off with appetizers and punch while we played a little "get to know you better game". Okay, okay, I'll tell the truth, we started off with Alisha using my blender without putting the bottom of it on and then having quite the mess when she tried to take the blender off of the stand, after that our guests started arriving and we enlisted there help in some last minute food prep. THEN we enjoyed Creamy Mushroom Phyllo Triangles, Veggie Pizza, Shrimp Dip and Frothy Pink Grapefruit Strawberry Drink while we played the "get to know you better game". Four of the girls won prizes which were either a bag filled with foot scrub, lotion, a pumice stone and pedicure kit, or a bag of chocolate covered pretzel rods rolled in toffee bits.

Then it was onto dinner. Alisha made the lime tower centerpiece and had extra berries left over that I used along with some ribbon and a tag to tie the napkins with. We served Christmas Salad, Barbequed London Broil with Vermont Cheddar Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Crunchy Green Beans, Orange Rolls, and the most delicious and beautiful Island Fruit Cups you have ever seen (Alisha has an amazing gift for food presentation).

After dinner we did our dessert exchange. Everyone brought a fun holiday dessert on a new serving tray to give away! Here is a picture of them, I took individuals but most of them were blurry. Alisha made the Black Forest Cake, I made the tall cupcakes, Tanya made the Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Torte, Tina made the cutest snowman cupcakes, Kelly made her famous Peppermint Fudge Truffle Cake on a pedestal that I REALLY wanted, Lori made her own recipe of Ooey Gooey bars in this super cute candy cane tray, Heidi brought her favorite wassail recipe in this cute teapot, and Celeste made her famous cathedral cookies. Everyone was so excited to take their treats home to their families.

For the dessert that we actually got to eat Alisha made Double Chocolate Souffles.with Warm Fudge Sauce. And OH. MY. GOODNESS. Heaven in a bowl. Seriously a must try!

The last part of our evening was our little craft. We made these cute ornaments inspired by Becky Higgins. Each ornament has four pics of each child on it to remember this year by. Each person made them so differently and they all turned out so cute.

I had a great time and am so thankful for such good friends to share fun times with. I can't wait for next year!

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Packaging Idea

2007-12-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Looking for a cute and economical way to present all of those little gifties?

I found these great red lunch sacks at Target. They had blue as well. I can't remember how many were in the package but I want to say 50 for less than $2

Fold over the top, hole punch two holes, bring some fab ribbon through and add a tag. All set!

You could even jazz it up with a charm or ornament attached to the ribbon.

We like to do the ribbon through the flap side but you could do the backside as well.

We have used brown paper sacks too and they look great, as well.

(Our teacher gifts for Religious Ed were homemade cutouts cookies and hot cocoa packets.)

submitted by Carlo

A Few Fun Ideas

2007-12-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

This first one is a scraplift from Becky Higgins blog, it is soo easy to make. Clear pebbles from your local craft store and scrap paper and ribbon and it is a great gift to give too. The second is a piece of wood, painted and I used rub on letters from my local scrapbooking store and rub on snowflakes and wrapped fabric around the edges. The third is an Ikea mirror frame which I painted a snowman on and used a wooden snowflake.

submitted by Joanne

Christmas Potpourri

2007-12-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

his Christmas potpourri fills your house with a delicous holiday aroma. You will need: Fresh oranges, lemons and limes, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks (I got my spices in bulk and it saved me a ton of $). I got my cellophane bags at Michaels and you could attatch any sort of tag you wanted. I typed up these directions on the back of my tag:

Christmas Potpourri

1. Place ingredients in pot.
2. Fill Pot with water, covering potpourri mix.
3. Bring to a boil and turn down to low.
4. Let simmer & continute to add water as needed.

* potpourri will last approx. one week.

These can be used as visiting teaching gifts or little party favors etc. I think I spent around $14 to do approx. 40 bags. They are always a hit! Hope you enjoy!

submitted by Holly (http://www.zachhollyd.blogspot.com)

Girlfriends Christmas Party Invite

2007-11-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

Ok this isn't really a gift idea but its the invitation to my "Girlfriends Christmas Party" that I'm having next week... invitations are simple.. maybe too simple but they're done and in the mailbox.

At the party I'm serving dinner...

3-4 different homemade soups
homemade Parmesan breadsticks
strawberry spinach salad (because its Christmas colors and so yummy!)
Hot Chocolate bar (mints, marshmellows, chocolate chips, etc)
Caramel Apple Cider

and then for dessert everybody will be bringing their favorite homemade holiday treat

I'll also be doing door prizes every twenty minutes... I'll have questions made up before hand and every twenty minutes I'll draw a question and somebody will win a gift... gifts are Christmas items... most from the dollar spot (actually the $2.50 spot ) at Target... christmas towels, cookie cutters, a Christmas movie, a christmas apron, etc.

We'll finish off the evening with "My Favorite Things" gift exchange and everybody received an insert in their invitation describing what to bring.

I hope that it turns out well... I'm reallly looking forward to it!!

submitted by MaryRuth Francks
www.thefrancks.typepad.com

Christmas Pineapples

2007-11-29T21:41:00.001-08:00

My friend Kristi has the best ideas! Every year she gives out pineapples with a big red bow attached.
They are simple, beautiful and an especially delicious treat for everyone. They make great thank you gifts,
are a great addition to any homemade meal you might be delivering, and are great as gifts for friends and neighbors.
The pineapple symbolizes hospitality. In colonial times, if a pineapple was placed at the entrance to a village or placed as
the main centerpiece on a dining table, it symbolized the utmost welcome and hospitality to the visitor.

Submitted by Liz Brown (www.brownsarebloggin.blogspot.com)

Christmas Card/Sucker idea

2007-11-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here is one of mine from last year...sorry the photo of the actual item
isn't all that great, but they turned out really cute! We dropped them by
several neighbors and ward members homes and rec'd lots of calls asking how
we made the succors and the tags.

Chocolate Lightbulb Succors:
Candy Molds
Melting Chocolate (I used red and green for the bulbs & brown for the little
screw tip)
Succor Sticks
Candy bags for wrappers (or any kind of cellophane)
Ribbon
Treat Tags

Directions: Melt chocolate in microwave on 50% power stirring occasionaly,
until smooth. Pour into molds and lightly tap mold on counter to allow air
bubbles to rise to the top. Insert sticks. Let harden in fridge or freezer.
Candy should be ready to remove from molds in about 30 minutes.

Note: I purchased about five molds so that I could make several at a time. I
got the light bulb molds from Hobby Lobby, but you can get them at Michaels
or any type of Cake/Candy shop. With the molds and candy I believe I spent
around $20 and made over 100 succors.

Treat Tags:
I created the tags in photoshop using a few digiscrap supplies I already
had. I printed them in a 2x3 business card size and attached one to each
group of succors (Each group had a succor for each person in the recipients
family).

I came up with the tag idea and got the light bulb strand from:
http://heatheranndesigns.info/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=33&osCsid=dc7565ea6991e44f06555b38c1aef4de

Submitted by: Jennifer Kesler http://jenkesler.blogspot.com

Help

2007-11-13T20:53:00.001-08:00

Do any of you blogger savvy people know how to get rid of the blogger blue border that is around my banner?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Emily

Pilgrim Hats

2007-11-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

I found a cute idea on the Family Fun Website. Tonight for Family Home evening we talked about Giving Thanks and for our treats we made these cute Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats. The kids had a great time and they even taste pretty good. I also thought this would be a fun Visiting Teaching Family Treat. All you need is: Shortbread striped cookies, milk chocolate chips, large marshmallows, and a tube of yellow decorators frosting.

The gift bags for my visiting teaching ladies turned out great! I even created a great tag with the instructions on Photoshop! Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!!

submitted by Emily H.(www.holversonfamily.blogspot.com)

Sparkling Cider Gift

2007-11-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

We did this one year for neighbor gifts and I thought I'd share the idea...

I bought tall skinny bags (meant for wine, I think) in the Christmas section at Target and put a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider in it and attached a homemade tag that said:

"Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Sparkling New Year!"
Love, the Browns

submitted by Shelly(www.shellyabrown.typepad.com)

Link

2007-11-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

Here's another great link courtesy of Hilary!

http://www.utahholidayguide.com/christmas/gifts/articles/little_gifts.asp

AWESOME ONLINE RESOURCE!

2007-11-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, in the last post Shelly shared a tutorial from a cute bag she found online. The site she found it on is sharing 30 days of gifts to sew for the month of November. So if you're the sewing kind this link is for you!

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2

Tote Bag

2007-11-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

Click on the link below for a step by step tutorial on how to make this adorable bag that Shelly (www.shellyabrown.typepad.com) found on the internet.

http://writemamawrite.typepad.com/photos/dishtowel_tote_tutorial/index.html

Don't Forget & Helpful Info

2007-11-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

My friend Kelly had a great suggestion and I finally figured out how to do it. So, if you look on the sidebar you will see a section titled "click here to view ideas by category" and then below you can click on whatever type of ideas you're looking for like Halloween, visiting teaching, etc. I try to label each idea for all it's possibilities. You can also do a search in the box in the top left corner to try and find something specific you might be looking for.

I also wanted to remind all of you that have submitted ideas for this blog to occasionally check the comments on your ideas posts. Some readers leave questions about your gift there and are hoping you'll answer!

Thanks, and keep the great ideas coming!
Emily

Holiday Frames

2007-11-06T18:08:00.001-08:00

What a cute, easy, inexpensive way to doll up a multi-opening frame. This example uses Making Memories prodcuts, which I love.

Source: Unknown. (thus the smearing of the faces)

submitted by Hilary

Nativity Blocks

2007-11-06T18:06:00.001-08:00

Halloween Treat "Hand" bags

2007-11-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know Halloween is over, but this was such a hit at my daughter's Kindergarten class party, that I had to pass it along.
I got the idea from Family Fun's website, which has the best ideas! Anyway, it is super easy and fun!

Here is what you need:
clear, plastic food handlers gloves (I found mine at the Dollar Store)
Candy Corn
Popcorn
Twist ties

Take the candy corn and put one in the finger of each glove. Then fill up each glove with the cooled popcorn, and really stuff it in there.
Then twist the hand closed with your twist tie. You are done! The kids loved them and they are sort of spooky too! I will warn you, that it
took me about an hour to fill about 15 bags, the popcorn was kind of hard to stuff into the fingers.

Submitted by Liz Brown (www.brownsarebloggin.blogspot.com)

Decorative Glass Blocks

2007-11-06T17:55:00.001-08:00

I just made these this week, and I thought they turned out really cute! They could be for a gift or a decoration for your home. My sister's ward did this at a Super Saturday and she sent me the stuff to make my own!

Buy a 3 or 4 inch wide Decorative Glass Window from Lowe's. The 3 inch is $3.33 and the 4 inch is $4.28. Choose a saying from a Vinyl Lettering place and a color that you want to put on the window. I chose "Give (orange) Thanks (brown)" and "Silent Night Holy Night(navy blue)." Buy some ribbon to match the Vinyl lettering colors! Buy the ribbon the width of the Glass Window. You need one strip of ribbon to go around the window, and another strip to make a bow! Put the vinyl lettering on and then glue the ribbon on the window and make a bow!

I've heard of other people drilling a hole in the top of the window, and adding Christmas lights to it! I think that would be really pretty!

submitted by Kris

Gumball Can

2007-11-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Heather White's blog (www.heatherdwhite.typepad.com). This little treat really shows that it's all about the packaging. I mean seriously, no one would think "hmmm, I'll take my Visiting Teacher some gumballs", but when you see it like this, it sounds like a great idea!

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Halloween Bears

2007-11-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Hilary's blog and thought it was cute. What a fun party favor for a kids party or fun for a class party.

I think DeMarle makes a Teddy Bear mold like this?

Cookie Dough Jars

2007-11-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Instead of taking over a plate of cookies... take a cute jar full of your favorite cookie dough. This way the recepient can bake at her leisure. Make sure to include baking directions. The jar that is pictured in the latter picture can be found in the kitchen section at Wal-Mart for $2.86.

Other fun ideas would be to do sugar cookie dough and attach a cookie cutter. Or fill a shaker jar with fun sprinkles and attach a recipe.

Submitted by Hilary
(second picture & idea found at www.heatherdwhite.typepad.com which is an amazing blog.)

Snowmen Donuts

2007-11-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

I thought this would be a cute neighbor gift or FHE treat. They just make me smile! Idea found on web somewhere...

submitted by Hilary

Home Tiles

2007-11-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

I think this would be a great gift for a friend or family member. I saw these pictures on Karen Russell's blog (I don't know her). She bought them like this, but I snagged it as an easy idea to recreate.

Michael's has tin tiles (as do other craft stores and boutiques. Some are silver, others are distressed and painted already)... letters of different fonts are easy to find anywhere... Simply adhere the letters (I was imagining Liquid Nails for maximum stick-ability!).

Submitted by Hilary

More Ideas PLEASE!

2007-11-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm starting to feel like an idea hog on here. And I know you all have great ideas. So please, please share them. If you don't have pics it's okay, just type up the idea and then if you make it later on in the season take a pic and I'll add it then. Don't be shy!

Halloween Treat Baskets

2007-11-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

A kind lady in our ward always has a little something special for my kids on the Sunday before Halloween. This was her sweet treat this year. I thought it would make a great party favor so I took pics to remember the idea. The baskets are made out of black cardstock. The rectangular boxes are just little match boxes covered in paper. Then inside there is a little candy bar. The round treats have a mint sandwiched in between the paper circles and they all fit nicely in the cute little basket. I'm guessing the stamps came from Stampin Up.

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Halloween Frames

2007-10-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

This year we hosted a Family Halloween Party. Each family dressed up and had a theme to their costumes (The Wizard of Oz, Pirates, etc.) and I took a picture of them as they arrived. I thought it would be fun to give them a little something to remember the evening by so I made these frames for the pictures to go in.

Supplies:

wood frame (I got these at Michael's, they are made by Provo Craft, and they are normally about $7, but I had coupons)

orange craft paint

black craft paint

alphabet stamps (I already had these they are the foam stamps made by Making Memories)

45 inches of ribbon

glue gun

sand paper

To assemble simply paint the whole frame orange and let it dry then lightly sand around all the edges of the frame. Sstamp the word "Boo" on the lower right hand corner. Cut the ribbon into one 21" piece and one 24" piece. Hot glue about a 1/2" of the shorter ribbon on the back left side of the frame and do the same with the larger piece on the right side, both about an inch down from the top. Then tie in a bow off to the left side and then secure the back of the bow to the frame with some glue. Easy, fun, and festive!

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Thanksgiving Cards

2007-10-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

We moved recently between Christmas and New Year's. Due to the chaos, I never got Christmas cards sent. I love receiving Christmas cards and was nervous that some friends who are "Christmas card friends" wouldn't know my new address in order to send ME Christmas cards, so I came up with Thanksgiving cards.

It was fun to get fall dresses (any excuse for matchy-matchy girl clothes!) and use fall colors. I had the letter inside be based on what each of us was thankful for that year. It was really fun and it felt so good to be completely done with Christmas cards before Thanksgiving even hit! (I have a love/hate relationship with making Christmas cards!) Give it a try!

Submitted by: Hilary

Neighbor Taco Soup

2007-10-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago I gave out quart jars of homemade Taco Soup with this tag tied on. (sorry I didn't want to make taco soup just for a photo! Imagine a jar full of yummy soup!) You could include tortilla chips.

My taco soup recipe is as follows:

1 lb. hamburger
1 med. onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
– Combine, brown and drain.

In large (5 qt) pot combine the following:
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 lg can diced, stewed tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 pkg Taco Seasoning Mix
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
Add in meat mixture and water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. (Or, keep the water to a minimum and put it in the crock pot for all day.)

Serve over tortilla chips (or tamales). Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheeses, cubed avocado ... or all three!

Cost is relatively cheap - quart jars, ribbon and then tortilla chips, if desired.

(oh... I delivered them warm and made sure to tell them they weren't canned (processed), so they did need to be refrigerated until being eaten.)

Submitted by Hilary

Card/Gift Making Gathering

2007-10-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is something I have wanted to do for a couple years but haven't yet. Hopefully this year will be the one!

I think it would be fun to host a casual get together towards the end of November where everyone can come and get their Christmas Cards done. Whether it's hand making the cards or simply stuffing the envelopes and addressing them. How nice would it be to have something that made you get it all done so you could drop your finished cards in the mail by Dec 1st! If someone doesn't send cards they could bring any handmade gifts they might be making to work on.

And of course anyone who knows me knows food would need to be involved and since this is a stressful time of year I think this would be a great night for take out or some sort of soup in the crock pot and rolls.

submitted by Emily(www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Girlfriends Christmas Party

2007-10-24T14:10:00.001-07:00

You may want to get a glass of water, this is a long one!

Last year I decided that instead of doing individual gifts for close friends I would have a Dinner Party instead. It was so much fun to plan and attend. My friend Alisha is always up for a party and helped out a ton. This idea could easily be adapted to a couples dinner party, you could do a progressive dinner with neighbors if you are close with several of them, or you could just use some of the little ideas of things we did at the party.

First I made these invitations.

I combined a place card and favor into one as shown below.

We had a couple different appetizers as guests were arriving and then for our meal we had Christmas salad, Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing, Homemade Rolls, and a fruit salad. For dessert we had Hot Chocolate and a delicious cake that Alisha made.

After dinner we painted picture frames and then added the word "JOY" to them with vinyl lettering. I got the frames from Micheals for $1 and the vinyl lettering online from www.iasign.com. Just a little holiday decoration they could take home to remember their evening.

Then we had a dessert gift exchange. Each girl brought a favorite holiday dessert in a nice serving dish to give away (serving piece included). We did the exchange white elephant style so you could steal back and forth to try and get what you wanted.

Adrianne's tray of chocolates from Harry & David and Chocolate Mousse Cups

I made English Trifle

Alisha made a cranberry pear tart

Kelly made a chocolate peppermint trifle

All in all it was a great night with friends, food, and visiting. This years is already in the works!

submitted by Emily(delighfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Christmas Card

2007-10-20T10:58:00.001-07:00

This was our Christmas Card from last year. I actually don't recommend it if you need to make a large amount. I darn near killed myself rounding so many corners last year. Anyway, I just photoshoped and printed off the pics of the kids in strips, cut them apart and rounded all the corners. Printed the text out on the computer and punched it out with a circle punch. Printed the Merry Christmas on the computer and cut it out and rounded the corners and then put it all together. So, if you only have a few cards to make or if you can adapt it without all the corner rounding go for it. If not, learn from my corner rounding fiasco!

submitted by Emily(www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Christmas Party Invite

2007-10-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

These were the invitations I made last year for a Girlfriends Christmas Party. Simple but fun.

I used some white cards that were already cut and scored, ran them through the printer and printed all the info I wanted on the inside. Found some fun patterned paper, used red velvet ribbon from Michael's and then the snowflake stamp was embossed with some glittery blue embossing powder. I know these aren't very specific instructions, but I figure with cards it's kind of a look at it and adapt it the way you want. Feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments and I'll answer them.

submitted by Emily(www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Christmas Countdown

2007-10-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

I made this last year when I had to come up with a quick extra craft for our
Super Saturday craft day at church. It's a little chalkboard countdown to
Christmas. It would be a fun gift for someone before Christmas so they
could use it during December.

It's just a 12x12 artist canvas (it cost around $5). I painted it black
with craft paint. You need to use several coats because the canvas really
absorbs the paint. Then I glued a scalloped edge piece of Bazzill cardstock
on top of that, and then topped that with the red holly patterned paper.

I printed off "Days Until Christmas" on my computer, and mounted that on
green cardstock. I put pewter brads through the corners of the cardstock,
before I attached it to the canvas. It would be very hard to get those tiny
brads through all that paper and the canvas.

I punched a hole in each upper corner of a square of chipboard, and then
used several coats (you must use several coats) of chalkboard spray paint to
turn it into a little chalkboard. I put a large decorative brad (this one
was through the canvas) in to make a picture hanger type effect, and then
put ribbon through the holes of the little chalkboard. I did attach the
chalkboard to the canvas with adhesive, though, because it would not stay
without that. So, it just looks like it's hanging there.

As an added touch, I stapled a loop of ribbon to the top for a chalk holder.
You can staple it to the wooden frame on the back of the canvas.

My kids loved erasing and writing in the new number each day as we counted
down toward Christmas.

You could hang it on the wall, but I don't have much wall space, so I put it
in a decorative plate holder and keep it on a table.

Submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Altered Photo Tiles

2007-10-19T16:06:00.001-07:00

Here is an idea, not mine originally, but it is super cute and inexpensive. Simply purchase some tiles, any size, color and texture you'd like; pick up some Mod Podge, and some clear glaze. Choose some pictures from your stash or have a few of your favorites printed up. Crop the photo to the size you think would look best on the tile. Play around first before you start mod podging! I put some rubons on the picture. You could also put some on the tile before you start mod podging. You can also use some things from your scrapbooking stash, such as rubons, stickers, or cardstock to back the photo with.

These are the directions:
1. Clean and dry the tile. Decide how you want the photos placed on the tile, and put any rub ons or stickers on before starting Step 2.
2. Dip your paint brush (the sponge kind works well) in the Mod Podge, and brush on tile gently but quickly, working from center out in long strokes. You can keep strokes all in the same direction or not, depending on the look you want. Once tile is well coated move on to step 3.
3. Get your photo and put a small amount of mod podge on the back, especially the edges.
4. Place the photo where you want it on the tile, gently pressing down, especially the edges. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, get more mod podge on the brush, working from center of photo outward again, covering the entire photo and tile. Once it is well covered, you can decide to make it a clean look or a cross hatch look, or gently go over with a sponge for a textured look. Then using a toothpick, pop any little bubbles that you see, and go back over that area to clean it up.
6. Let tile dry for at least 24 hours
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6.
8.Go outdoors or in a well ventilated area and spray the tile evenly with the gloss.
9. Let dry at least 24-48 hours.

These are the supplies:
Mod Podge matte (I found mine at Michaels)
Triple Thick Clear Glaze (Crafts Etc!) or any clear glaze you can find (I found mine at Michaels)
tiles (I got mine at Lowe's or Home Depot for under a $1 depending on size)
sponge paint brush (Michaels)
Small easel to stand the tile on (I purchased mine at AC Moore, but I am sure you can find them in any frame department.)

I believe the entire cost of one tile was $5 or less depending on the kind of tile you purchase and the kind of easel you buy!

Submitted by Liz
(www.brownsarebloggin.blogspot.com)

Trunk of Treats

2007-10-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Trunk of Treats

I saw something very similar to this on Hobby Lobby’s website, but changed it. All of my supplies were bought at Michael’s craft store.

The boxes are $4, I used a dark brown acrylic paint to paint the box, the orange paper is 59 cents, and the green paper underneath has a sheen to it so it is 99cents. The ribbons were each $1.99 and you can get 2 boxes worth from each spool. I also cut out the flower on the orange paper and stacked them for the raised look. You can put what ever saying you like on the box, I just happened to choose this one. I also made boxes with blue accents instead of green and they are really cute. You can then fill the boxes with whatever you like. These are great for visiting teaching, neighbors, etc.

Total cost: about $7-8 (this includes the candy)

submitted by Megan(www.tiltonfamily.blogspot.com)

Mayflower Kid Craft

2007-10-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Let’s just clarify – this is a kid craft! But, my daughter brought it home from first grade last year, and I thought it was so cute. It’s the Mayflower!

Supplies:

1 (clean) half gallon milk carton (cardboard kind, not the plastic bottle kind)
2 apples
2 skewers
Brown paper for covering the milk carton
White paper to make sails
Tissue Paper

Cut off one side of the milk carton (see photo to make sure you cut the right side). Cover outside with brown paper. Cut four sails from white paper. Poke the skewer through them. Put one skewer in each apple. Put the apples in the carton, and cover with tissue paper to hide the apples.

submitted by Kelly(www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Christmas Card

2007-10-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

This was my Christmas card last year. I love square, but it is extra postage, just fyi. They are just a 6 x 12 piece of cardstock, folded in half to make a 6x6 square. Then I had a strip of striped paper topped with lime rick-rack. I found a bunch of "merry christmas" rubons on clearance somewhere, but you could also do something on the computer. Then I cut it out with a scalloped oval punch and fastened with lime brads.

submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Halloween Treat Boxes

2007-10-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

Here's a Halloween gift I made last year for my girls at Church. I bought the little take out boxes from OrientalTrading.com and filled them candy, halloween jelly bracelets and other little halloween trinkets that I bought from OreintalTrading.com.

The take out boxes were around $3-4 (maybe less??) for a dozen and then I just filled it. I'm guessing each box including candy and stuff was around 75 cents. I made cards out of my scraps and I called it a day.

submitted by MaryRuth (www.thefrancks.typepad.com)

Pampering Kit

2007-10-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

This gift is not unique but its fairly easy to put together... I just got paint cans, covered them with scrapbook paper and filled them with spa stuff... lotions, candles, bath salts, etc. The cans weren't expensive to make and you can keep the cost down depending on what you put in it. These are the gifts that I gave to the YW presidency that I work with and my close girlfriends.

submitted by MaryRuth (www.thefrancks.typepad.com)

Coasters

2007-10-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

These are "coasters" that I made. We have a group of friends that we got together with weekly to play games and such. One of the couples had a really nice table and she made everybody use coasters all the time... it became an inside joke and we would use coasters at each persons house when we played games... so I made each couple a set of coasters.

Each "coaster" was a tile that I bought from Home Depot and I got adhesive felt from Michael's cut it down to size and stuck it on the back. I stamped the names with my scrapbook stamps and used a Stayzon ink pad... I think any ink pad would work.

Each coaster had the couples name stamped on it and then the rest of the four coasters were stamped with "Friend #1", "Friend #2", "Friend #3", Friend #4"... They were a hit and everybody loved them. Depending on whose house we would go to everybody would fight over who got to be "Friend #1" :) It was super cheap. I don't remember exactly how much the coasters were but I think the whole set of six coasters was less than $5.

submitted by MaryRuth (www.thefrancks.typepad.com)

Hot Chocolate Buckets

2007-10-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

This one is a "Hot Chocolate" Bucket. I got the buckets from Target in their Dollar Spot. I filled it with hot chocolate packets, peppermints, baggies of marshmallows, baggies of chocolate chips, and peppermint Hershey kisses... tied them up with a card and gave them to ward members and my VT sisters.... the cost was pretty inexpensive... I'm guessing around $2.00 if that much?

submitted by MaryRuth (thefrancks.typepad.com)

Peppermint Truffle Cake

2007-10-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

For the last few years my friend and neighbor gifts have been these Peppermint Truffle Cakes. I usually decide on one day where it’s cake day, and then all I do is make these cakes. I usually do between 15 and 20. That sounds insane, but I have it down to a science. I do have a few bundt pans, which helps. It’s a chocolate cake with a peppermint fudge filling, and a cream cheese icing drizzled on, and topped with crushed peppermints. So tasty!

I don’t know exactly how much they cost, but you can find the cake mixes on sale for really cheap, and while cream cheese is pricey, you only use 1 ½ ounce per cake. I usually get some big round festive trays at a party store (but last year we could only find clear, so I dressed them up with some printed tissue paper), to put the cakes on. You will need something bigger than the average paper plate. Then I wrap them with clear cellophane and tie with a ribbon (preferably red and white to go with the peppermint theme). Polka dots or stripes are super cute.

Here’s the recipe:

Filling
1 (6-oz.) package (or 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips.
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk – you want the sweet, sticky stuff)
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Cake
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1 (8-oz.) container nonfat sour cream (you can use the fat kind, too)
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Icing
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
6 hard peppermint candies, finely crushed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (or bundt pan). (Pam with Flour makes this sooo easy.) In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 to 20 seconds. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat with electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Spoon into greased and floured pan. Drop spoonfuls of filling over batter, keeping filling away from sides of pan.

3. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted ner center comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. (Center of cake may sink slightly during cooling.)

4. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the milk; beat with wire whisk until smooth, adding additional milk until of desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Store in refrigerator.

HIGH ALTITUDE (ABOVE 3500 FT): For cake, add 2 tablespoons flour to dry cake mix. Decrease oil to 2 tablespoons and increase eggs to 4. Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes.

submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Simmering Scent Jars

2007-10-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

I'm really sorry I don't have a picture for this idea but it is a great one. We did these for several years for neighbor/ward member gifts and they were always a huge hit.

Simmering Scent Jar
Cost: $2 or $3 (depending on what supplies you already have at home)

To be written on tag and attached to jar:
Pour contents into saucepan on stovetop and simmer
on low heat, add water as needed.
Refrigerate to keep fresh.

Items needed: 1 pint jar, 2 lemon wedges, 1 lime slice, 2 orange slices, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2-3 Tbsp. whole cloves, 3 bay leaves, small fabric scrap, small piece of twine/jute/ribbon.

Directions: Place ingredients in pint jar and fill with water. Top with small piece of fabric secured by tying ribbon or twine around lid. Attach tag.

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Family Movie Night Gift

2007-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

We did this as a Christmas gift for several families in our ward that we were close to as well as some good neighbor friends.

I bought these cute popcorn bowls at Tai Pan Trading (in UT) and then filled them with supplies from the Dollar Store for a family movie night. I loved the idea of a gift that this gift let the family spend time together during such a busy time of year.

Supplies:
Large bowl/container
2 boxes of movie candy
box of microwave popcorn
old classic type movie (or you could do a Blockbuster Gift Card)
cellophane
ribbon
tags with personal message
newspaper to stuff the bottom of the bowl with so that the goodies stand out

Total cost: Approx $10 (can be done for considerably less with a different container)

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Creative Holiday Gift Ideas

LDS General Conference Packets

CALLING ALL MOM'S OF SCHOOL AGE KIDS

JOETE'S PLAYGROUND MOTHER'S DAY AUCTION

HALLOWEEN PARTY

GIRLFRIENDS CHRISTMAS PARTY 2009

RECIPES

BIG Cupcake Recipe

General Conference Galore

Cute Aprons Ideas

Thanks & Father's Day Ideas

Teacher Gift - Apple Stationary

Teacher Gift - Supply Pail

More teacher gifts...

Teacher Gift - Lemonade & Gift Card

Teacher Gift - Wordle

Not your ordinary lanyard

Personalized Notepads for dads, teachers, etc.

Fathers Day Book

Teacher Stitching

Teacher Gift-Framed Crayon Letters

Post It Note Holders for Teachers

Calling All Creative Minds

Recipe Requests

French Breakfast Puffs

Ham, Mushroom, and Spinach Strata

Orange Rolls

Lego Party Ideas

Halloween Carmel Apples

Tall Cupcakes

HELP!

Crafty Halloween Decor

French Toast Recipe

Kids General Conference Baskets

Visiting Teaching Brunch

"BOO" sign

Photo Book Gift

We're Back & Nativity Blocks

Fresh Ideas Needed

Fruit Kabob Centerpiece

EASTER BUNNY S'MORES

Kid Friendly Sushi

Cute Anytime Gift Idea

Baby Shower Accessory Jar (Girl)

Valentine Flower Pots

Happy New Year & Thank YOU!

Another Girlfriends Christmas Party

Packaging Idea

A Few Fun Ideas

Christmas Potpourri

Girlfriends Christmas Party Invite

Christmas Pineapples

Christmas Card/Sucker idea

Help

Pilgrim Hats

Sparkling Cider Gift

Link

More Online Tutorials

AWESOME ONLINE RESOURCE!

Tote Bag

Don't Forget & Helpful Info

Holiday Frames

Nativity Blocks

Halloween Treat "Hand" bags

Decorative Glass Blocks

Gumball Can

Halloween Bears

Cookie Dough Jars

Snowmen Donuts

Home Tiles

More Ideas PLEASE!

Halloween Treat Baskets

Halloween Frames

Thanksgiving Cards

Neighbor Taco Soup

Card/Gift Making Gathering

Girlfriends Christmas Party

Christmas Card

Christmas Party Invite

Christmas Countdown