Z. Daisy Blog

We are notorious for losing mittens...but this year I used the Z. Daisy Blankie Bungees and we have been through the first 2 months of winter AND ski school with the same pairs of mittens for my 6 and 8 year olds! It is a Christmas miracle! http://zdaisy.com/boutique/index.php?cPath=19&osCsid=c43bd63002c47d84643641aad10b7d9f

Please be sure and place your order on www.zdaisy.com before midnight on Friday, December 18, 2009 to have it arrive for Christmas! Don't forget about our large stroller blankets on www.amazon.com !

Check out this site! Free shipping from over 500 online stores next Thursday...including Z. Daisy! http://www.freeshippingday.com/

Merry Christmas!

Advent Calendar - with cute boxes! Easy!

My husband's wonderfully creative cousin posted a picture of her advent calendar idea this morning and I wanted to share it with you all as this is the first day of advent! This is something anyone can do and super cheap! Instead of me trying to tell you how to do this on your own...I am going to just paste the blog post and she can tell you herself! Be sure and check out all of her creations because she is very talented...and funny. Love you Laura! http://goodmotherlizard.blogspot.com/

In a scene from some other family's life, the boys boy slept past 6 am this morning... they didn't get up until nearly 8! This gave me some unexpected free time to finish up the advent calendar. I originally saw this idea in the [now defunct] Martha Stewart Kids magazine. The idea is to count down the days until Christmas. You need twenty-four small gift or jewelry boxes. About half of mine are recycled (big thanks to everyone who contributed boxes: Jess, Mom, Em), and the other half came from the craft store. I painted them with acrylic paint, embellished some with festive paper, and gave them all number stickers.
Next I had to plan out what to put inside. This took some thought and creativity. The boxes are pretty small, so there aren't a lot of objects that will fit. Also, I didn't want to spent too much money. This post on Uncommon Grace has a huge list of ideas for filling advent calendars, and I found it extremely helpful. About half of the boxes have objects: little chocolates, socks, chapstick, tiny toys, origami animals. The other half have sheets of paper on which I have written out jokes or special activities that will happen that day. I had to consult the calendar to be sure I put the activities in the proper box (the "movie and popcorn night" box should be opened on a Saturday, not a Tuesday).
Finally I was ready to hang our calendar. I used poster putty to stick the boxes to the wall in a configuration that was pleasing to my eye. No need to put them in order... part of the fun is hunting for the right number.
I'm really excited to start this new tradition. I think the boys will love it. I have a notion to post each box and its contents as we move through December. Would that be mind-numbingly boring for you guys? That sure would be an easy way to post every day. We'll see...

Candy anyone?

I just returned from a great Colorado vacation with my kids and parents.  My parents live in the Dever area so stayed with them and did lots of fun things during the day.  There were so many fun and FREE things to do there and the kids had an absolute blast.  One of the places that was recommended to us by a friend was the Hammond Candy Factory.  What kid is going to say no to a candy facotry!!??!  They make the prettiest, shiniest candy canes and lollipops you've ever seen.  So, if you're ever in the Denver area stop by for a free tour and some sweet treats.  In the meantime, you can also order from them online through the link above.  These yummies would make great stocking stuffers!

 

Lorri
 

Don't forget to stock up on baby and birthday gifts from www.zdaisy.com ! ONE DAY ONLY BLACK FRIDAY SALE 40% OFF EVERYTHING with coupon code BF2009. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping!

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Halloween Recap

Just wanted to share with you about our Halloween. We were able to spend it in California with friends and let me tell you...trick-or-treating in CA is great because you don't have to worry about the weather! Illinois is always questionable as to if your costume will actually show or if you will have a ski parka over it!

So this year, since we were traveling, I told my kids that they needed "packable" outfits. My son wanted to be "Calvin" from Calvin and Hobbes and my daughter wanted to be "Alex" from Wizard's of Waverly Place. Easy enough, right? We had fun putting the costumes together and I love that both costumes consisted of normal clothing that we can wear again! Yea! So with a little electrical tape for stripes, yellow hair coloring and a stuffed "Hobbes", we had a costume for my son. "Alex" just needed a funky outfit, wig and a wand and we were good to go!

Here is how they turned out...

(Our cute friends were "Max" from Where the Wild Things Are and "The Mad Hatter".)

 
 

Easy Baby Shower Decorations!

I had the privileged to host a baby shower for a dear friend and I was in charge of decorations. We knew she was having a girl...so the decor had to be pink. I don't like to spend a lot of $$ on decorations that are just going to be thrown away...so I got creative. I made the banner and filled it with actual baby items that the mom could take home with her. The centerpiece had to fit a long and narrow table, so I decided to use 2" pails and make the letters that spelled out "Baby Baxa" (their last name) from both sides of the table. I had the help of one of those awesome Cricut machines (www.cricut.com) that has transformed the world of scrapbooking...and made this project very easy.

Another hostess recommended tissue paper "puff balls" on the walls and hanging from the ceiling but we could not quite figure out how to make that work...so we turned the chandeliers into giant puff balls! It turned out really cute and it was a great (and cheap) way to make the room look ready for celebrating. So - if you are looking for quick and easy...here it is. (My camera did not take great pictures but you will get the idea.)