Wednesday Randoms before we all get stuffed <3

Happy early Thanksgiving! 

Can you feel it in the air as you run errands this week? The holidays are rolling in. So take a deep breath and enjoy some randoms while you are waiting to switch batches of cookies in the oven or the potatoes to boil. I decided to share some things that have worked for me and maybe they will be helpful to someone. 

Random #1

If you have read this for some past holidays, you know that making gingerbread houses with little kids is not my jam. 

Oh, I love them and I love the idea of them. My problem is, I am not a control freak and yet I am. Let’s examine this paradox. 

I want the gingerbread houses to look like the ones on the box. But I also want to allow freedom of expression and creativity in the children. 

The result is waaaaaayyyyyy too much icing, not enough structure and a lot of candy being consumed rather than used productively in the construction of said house. 

It all came to a head one year when three boys were being so ridiculous I suggested they just demolish the house. They enthusiastically began destroying it, at which point I believe I got the kitchen garbage can out and swooped the whole mess in as they scrambled to grab any candy pieces cascading off of it. 

This was not one of my finer moments, as I said we would never be doing another gingerbread house which seemed to suit them fine. Turns out the whole experience was liberating as I can walk past the shelves of these knowing I don’t need to purchase one, nor plan time for making it with them. I leave it others who enjoy it. God bless them. 

Which leads me to…

Random #2

I did purchase a gingerbread cookie mix, a tube of decorator vanilla frosting and a bag of M & M’s this week at Target. Luckily I decided to grab a gingerbread man cookie cutter for $1 off the holiday home shelf since ours seems to have run away. 

Yesterday I made the mix and defied the instructions by using a hand mixer. It was easy and worked fine. 

We rolled out the dough, finding it much more friendly to work with than sugar cookie mix. All the kids had turns cutting some men out and putting on the backing sheet. We passed the tube around and had a bowl of M & M’s ready to embellish the little fellows. 

I looked the other way when I realized they were ignoring the sample on the bag. Bless their little creative, candy loving hearts. The cookies were delicious and made a small enough amount that we won’t be sick of them and throw stale ones out. 

Win. Win.

Random #3

Hobby Lobby has all their Christmas crafts 50% off. 

I put an old plastic table cloth out and spread out the options yesterday for anyone who wanted to get crafty. It kept them occupied off and on through the day. After a first big work session, they would drift back to do something different.

 The wooden ornaments were not touched, so we will be using those sometime over the next few weeks to keep busy when school work is not an issue. I use the acrylic craft pants and squeeze out small portions on paper plates for little ones. In our craft supplies, I keep a collection of brushes in a bag along with Q-tips.

The sun catchers were a huge hit, though I would recommend having a little more paint on hand than what is provided in the box. Because, as mentioned….creatives need plenty of supplies…

Random #4

This little cute thing was an idea in Caroline’s Highlights magazine. 

You spray paint the lid of a jar (I guess you could hand paint, but the spray paint was awesome and comes in a small can also at Hobby Lobby). 

She used my acrylic paints to apply the face. I had pompoms and pipe cleaners from some old projects that we glued with craft glue. We used ribbon for the scarf. 

The filling is shredded iridescent strips from the gift bag area of Hobby Lobby. I bought a strand of battery operated lights from Target and thanked the good Lord you could screw the top on with the little wire sticking out. 

She can turn the batter off and on at will. And believe me, she figured that out quickly. It can even stand on the batter box to give the scarf some height. She may have painted the face a little farther down than we should have, but I didn’t instruct her well. We think it is perfect. 

Random #5

I am going to say this to you and I repeat it to myself often. 

There will be great and frequent temptations to want everything to be “perfect.” 

Whenever you find yourself agitated because that impossible standard is not being met, promise me …and I will promise you…to do this. 

Take a deep breath. 

Remember the reason behind what it is you are trying to do. Most likely it is to bless someone. Whether it is how you decorate your home, bake your holiday treats, open your home to guests, purchase gifts for loved ones…you started out wanting to bless them. 

You being upset and anxious and disappointed in how it turned out is not a blessing. To you or to them. 

So breathe. 

Breathe again. 

Find the humor and accept that there ain’t nothing perfect except the Christ child who started this whole party called Christmas and lighten up as you … journey onward <3