Valentine's day cards

 Ethan and Madie love to make their Valentine's for their classes...and of course I have just as much fun.  I have been searching Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/  To look for new ideas that they can create.  I found this one...   http://www.makeandtakes.com/recycled-chunky-crayons  and decided that I have always wanted to do this with my left over crayons...and so Ethan being in 3rd decided to go for it.  Here is what it turned out like.....(in pictures)


Here are the crayons we started with

We peeled of the crayons....may was that a pain

Smashing the crayons....E's Favorite part

We placed them in the heart shaped tin.

And here are the final Heart Crayons....

We did little cards that said......"for Crayon out loud Happy Valentine's Day"  Love E

They are so cute.  I loved watching him get excited as they melted and turned into the shape that they are.  For sure a must do again project.

As for My M she is making fortune cookies for her class....out of felt or form....still a work in progress.  BUT she is doing them so it is fun to watch them come to be.  She is old enough now that Really her creativity stands out.  I can't wait to see how they turn out.  Will post soon.  Here is the link to the pinterest idea I first found...it is of course Martha Stewart.... http://www.marthastewart.com/273591/felt-fortune-cookies?backto=true

Getting down to business

Over the last month I have made lots of different changes or done things that I have been wanting to do.  I have applied different things to my life physically or spiritually.  I have made things or got rid of things that have been taking up space.  Here is one of the things that have been fun to do and have made life around our house a bit more fun or easier. 

OUR Chore Chart.  Our pastor that married Travis and I gave me this idea while we were in our pre-marital classes years ago.  He told me how he worked chores into a positive thing with his kids.  They chose a bunch of activities that need to be done all over the house and divided them so every one could pick an even amount.  SO we did that.  We sat down one day and talked about all the things that needed to be done and how to do them....we picked about 15 things so that would be about 5 things each per week.  Then we picked out of a hat who would choose first.  Once that person chose the 5 things that they wanted then the next person would chose 5 and the last would get the 5 left overs....it has worked out well so Far.  I am excited that the kids are doing the chores that they chose and I am not yelling at them to do things around the house.  Now it is a work in progress so we have eliminated some items and the one the gets to pick first gets the reward of less chores.  It was also interesting to see how the kids really enjoyed doing the chore and were asking others to clean up after themselves to make it easier on them or to not have to feel that they JUST CLEANED it....I thing all this have been a great lesson...let's hope we can keep it going through all the different changes in the year to come.

Here is the start of the board...decided to use the Magnetic board idea that Sheila my Stamping up friend showed me how to make with the calendar thing.  It was easy and done by the time the kids got home.  The Board is a great success to getting the house much cleaner than I could have ever gotten it.

Decluttering

It really is a nasty word.  I find the word makes me feel dirty and sad.  SO instead of de-cluttering all the things I have accumulated over the last 38 years of life....I am going to let go and let move on to bless someone else.  It really is a hard process but with a few different websites I think that I am off to a good start.  I think that I will make real progress this year....why different from other years you ask?  well I think because I am ready.  One has to have  a mind set that you are not hurting yourself to get rid of things that take up space that really you don't use or truly love anymore.  I am realizing that I am not in need of some of these things and life is much easier and calm without the CHAOS that I have placed around myself. 
I have started with my scrapbooks.  I will move on from mostly traditional ones to digital ones this year.  I very scary thing for me but I am also excited all the same.  I plan to pare down the paper and other things that I have had for years that I just don't love anymore.  I will be using the help of  Tammy Morales
http://www.ScrapbookersInnerCircle.com

And a few other sites like http://www.ecokaren.com/    and   http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2012/01/i-challenge-you-you-challenge-me.html  I am hoping that with the help and inspiration of these blogs I will get through this year a lighter and happier person.  I am stuck in a rut that I just can't brake....so here is hoping that something will budge. 

A Year of Project Life complete

So the year has come to a close.  2011 has come and gone......and I have 365 pictures to show for it....( well a little more than that)  BUT all the same I have a pictures a day for 365 days in 2011. I started off with a bang and really kept it up till about end of June with printing out pictures and journaling.  As the months got busy with going back to school and the holidays I did not get to the journaling but I kept up printing once a month.  I think that really was the key.  I look back and wish I kept the journaling up.  I now plan to send the rest of this week catching up.  If I spend just 15 min a day I should be done really soon. 
Here is what my journey started like
http://thecoylegoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-project-life-journey2011.html

The other fun thing about this project was the fact that I inspired others to do the same....of course in many different ways.  I have friends that are taking this journey this year for the first time.  Or others who were inspired to finish and hopefully will this year. 

I am not sure what my plan is this year.  I just know that my outlook on scrapbooking has once again changed.  I am glad it has.  I may even try my hand at more blogging and digital scrapbooking.  I am excited for 2012 and what pictures and memories I will capture this year....anything from the day to day journey through my crazy life to the more stand out events like birthday, holidays and a 5th grade graduation......
I also looked at my new years resolutions from last year.  I did not do too bad.  I accomplished about half of them.  The one that I really want to accomplish this year is fitting in my workout.  SO I am only making one resolution so that I can focus on it and it alone.  Join me and let's get healthy together......signing off and getting ready to surf pinterest.....

Favorite Things Party

 I know I have said how much I love Pinterest.....but this place really has some great ideas.  The second thing I pinned on there was a Favorite Thing party.  I loved the idea and was so excited ....I just had to do it...SO here it is. 

First the invite

Then the set up....

I gathered favorites of mine (homemade) and put them together - Bath salts, peppermint bark, and a Dollar find from my favorite section at Micheal's

I put them each in a gift back (Christmas ones) for each guest to collect their favorite things





I decorated the table with my favorite plates and table runner and centerpieces during the holidays





The party....

Thanks Robin for telling me I had to do this....it was all worth it.....such laughs and stories and fun.  We Started off first having to see why we had one name left over....

Directions: Everyone brings their favorite things (5 of them).

            Write your name of 5 slips of paper

                     Go around and tell about your favorite thing

                     Give your favorite thing to the five names  you have

                     Make sure you don't have the same names or your own.....

I added the twist....bring your favorite food to share...boy did we have a great spread....nothing the same.....everything just right.

Once we figured out that Penny had written her name twice.....heee hee Love you Penny I had the chance to tell everyone how I know each one of them and that they were my favorite people.
We each told a story why our thing was our favorite and passed it out.  We all got so excited each time and I know that I got some really new favorite things.
 Here are the ones I received:

Fuzzy Sock ~ Coffee Creamer ~ Dark Chocolate Mint Creams ~ Naked Bee lotion ~ Silicone Cupcake cups

We drank some of our favorite wines too.....

And added a few favorites to the drink menu.....I severed Cranberry Christmas Champagne...Yummy

All in all it was a great way to celebrate the holidays and get us in the spirit of giving...I can't wait to do it again!

Looking back

Now that I am officially 38 (for 4 days now)  I can say I feel older.  It may be the frame of mind I am in.  The place where God is bringing me.  I am not sure but one thing I know is that the 38 days leading up to my birthday, it made me reflect and look back on life and the steps I have taken on this crazy journey of mine.  I have been blessed 100 times over.  I have wonderful parents. A loving husband.  Two beautiful children.  Wonderful family.  Precious friends. And most of all an amazing Savior that gives me these things.  Being kind is sometimes a hard thing for people to do.  I don't find it hard but I do find myself during the hustle and bustle of life not always focusing on being that way.  I am glad I had the chance to make the focused effort to randomly do an act of kindness for those I love and those I don't even know.  The last 17 days leading up to my BIG 38th birthday was filled with acts that allowed me to just do something for someone to make their life easier or full of joy.  And what I learned most looking back......I am truly BLESSED!!!  Here's to being 38 !!!

My sweet boy

My hubby and I

My Sweet girl

UPdate #2 (written November 9th)

So one a day is not working since sometimes the world doesn't present it self with an opportunity. So I have just made a list...some days I do a few and others I pass.  BUT what I am realizing is that no matter what it is that I do, doing it with out being asked is the key...and is what makes the process so much better.  I love the look on peoples faces when I hold the door extra long or let a stranger go in front of me....I strike up a conversation with that person and get to also tell them about what I am doing and that God is the ultimate Act of Kindness, of course He was far from Random.  So here is my list so far.....21 days in and 21 things done.  Feels good. 
1. Treat for a friend
2. Treats for teachers
2. Tea made for my Honey
3. Help in E's Class
4. Help in M's Class
5.  Let a girl go ahead of me in line
6. Hold the door for the parents at church
7. Text nice works of encouragement to someone
8.  Finish out a job for someone
9. Give a memento to someone
10. Clean up Lost and Found
11. Bring coffee to some people
12. help a friend when they did not ask
13. 2nd grade pumpkins with note
14. put the cart back in the store instead of in the parking lot stalls on a windy cold day
15. send a friend a treat with no name
16. compliment a mom in the store when she is with her kids
17. write a thank you note to my parents
18. Hand someone an item they were looking for
19.  Overheard a woman looking for something in the store...asked the clerk and got it for her
20.  Roll in the garbage cans for a stranger
21.  Bring a random amount of coffees to school...give to the first 4 people I see.
Just 17 more days to go....This is so much fun.