Busy Bee, Busy ME!!....

We got our first snow of the season yesterday-about 3 inches. Wyatt has a GREAT sense of style, Here he is in his tank top, shorts and John Deere boots gazing out at the snow. WHAT COULD BE SWEETER? We do not make a big deal out of clothing in our house, we are LUCKY to get the little stinkers dressed at all. Clothing is optional for those 4 and under in our house for sanity's sake (there Beth, I admitted it :). It's been just TOO brutally cold to take the 6 littles outside so our last few days have been filled with stress, I mean psycho mom, OH, I mean beautiful memories crafting and cooking with my 6 lovely youngest children.

When I think of Christmas THE FIRST COOKIE that comes to mind is the all famous Candy Cane Cookie, made famous by my sweet mother, my also sweet Aunt Christy & Betty Crocker. The cookies however are not the sweetest. That's what's SO GOOD about them!

I forgot how much work it was to roll out each little candy cane and put it together-Tori gave it the good ol' college try and finally got it right! Aunt Christy, I did make an "adjustment" in the recipe and switched out the white flour for whole wheat-I figure if they are gonna' eat 400 cookies each they may as well be as healthy as possible right? It did make the white in the cane a "TINGE" tan but the kids were clueless!

The CONS of making cookies with a massively large family are simple...THEY EAT ALL THE COOKIES! Those little boogers chowed those canes down faster than I could roll em'! Plus they are so excited they HANG right by the stove and make mommy a nervous wreck. AND they all want to get their germy little hands in the dough.

The Pros.... A GORGEOUS husband who does the dishes! AHHHHHH that makes it all okay doesn't it? Nothings more attractive than a man with a dish towel huh? Oh, and they did save me 2 cookies so that was nice too.

On to crafting. I decided to make most of my family gifts this year, I have given up trying to give many friends gifts (at least for a few years)since I have had this commune of children. I can BARELY keep afloat trying to keep the 7 of them equal. I used to be a really good, thoughtful, caring, "always there for ya'" kind of friend. The children have made me slip.......sorry friends. I will make it up to you one day. On to crafting again....

First I bought flour sacks from Wal-Mart and Target and a few bamboo dish towels. Also some acrylic paint & sponge brushes. Then I had one of my sweet children hold the stencils in place with a towel placed under the dishtowel to soak up the paint so it wouldn't bleed.

Then I added a sweet flower or other stencil and VOILA!! I MADE SOMETHING PEEPS!

I made these for all of my family so if you are a woman in my IMMEDIATE family......ACT SURPRISED, I'm sorry I had to share this because it was so easy and sweet and I thought others may want to make some in time for Christmas!

All that being said, we are all exhausted and anticipating an ice storm tonight! Thank you Lord for all the bautiful gifts you have given me. Gotta go snuggle up with all these precious ones by the fire! Night Night!