Meaningful Gift

Conversation starters are the perfect gift for a busy family. A simple jar filled with questions on paper will spark conversation and liven up a week night family meal. A friend sent the following link of conversation starters to me, so now I'll share them with you! (Thanks Lee!) Here are a few samples:

• If you could only eat 3 foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?
• What would you do with your time if electronics were taken away?
• What super powers would you like to have?

http://beautyandbedlam.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/conversation-starters-beauty-and-bedlam-custom-2.pdf

*Link is from www.beautyandbedlam.com

Candy Disposal

After bemoaning the plethora of candy left over from the local parade, a friend gave me the best idea: build a gingerbread house! We used graham crackers because let's face it, I don't have time to bake gingerbread, but it turned out great and used up all of the parade candy. No more begging for candy and we have a pretty little house to show for it!

Kid's Gift Idea

What kid wouldn't want to be a super hero for Christmas? For about $6, you can outfit your little one with a cape and mask. Here's one that we made for a friend:

For a small 4 year old, I cut a 24" X 26" rectangle and hemmed it.
Thread cording through the hem on one end to tie the cape around the neck.
Cut out and sew a design on the back.

For the mask, I traced a sleeping mask and used binding around the edges.
Sew on an elastic cord and you're done!

*Hint: you can also use a satin pillowcase for the same effect...and it's already hemmed!

Feeling sappy?

First of all, my apologies to all of you for going dark last week! Well, I'm back so here's a great tip that works like a charm:
Suffering from sappy hands after wrestling your tree into the house? Try peanut butter! Simply rub onto your hands and rinse. Dan tried this over the weekend and it worked perfectly- not a trace of sap!