Projects from the Holidays

We have worked on many projects in the last few weeks.  I thought I would share our accomplishments.

Girls' Night In: 
My friends and I got together for some holiday fun and made gingerbread houses.  The friend that threw the party went all out and made homemade frosting and provided the graham crackers.  We just had to bring a box to use as our base and tons of candies.

My gingerbread house towered over the rest.  It looked a bit silly in comparison to the other houses, but it was the only box I had.

Having a Gingerbread House making party was alot of fun.  This is an idea I will definitely keep to use again.

Worry Jar: 

Not sure if I have posted about our worry jar before, but it has been used alot lately.  Any clean jar you have handy will work for this project.  You do not need to embellish the jar, but you can if you would like.  I just tied raffia around the rim.

The purpose of the jar is simple.  If you have a worry, write it down.  Fold the paper and place it in the jar.  Once the paper (worry) is in the jar you cannot think about the worry any longer.

I allow my boys to draw or write words.  I also encourage them to incorporate colors that represent their feelings onto the slip of paper. 

Since I implemented the worry jar tattling has cut down tremendously.  If it is not hurting someone physically or emotionally, it is probably a worry and does not need mommy's attention.

Worry, worry go away.

You make me sad

on this happy day.

Teacher Gifts: 
Being tight on money this year I made teacher gifts.  The rice pillows were super easy and very economical.  The jar is filled with an organic sugar scrub... a bit pricier, but mainly due to the essential oils.

I made one of each of these items for myself as well.  The scrub is amazing on my feet.  I think I might add peppermint oil next time though.  The rice pad can be used either warmed in the microwave or chilled in the freezer depending on the use.

Dream Pillows: 

I wanted to make my boys something special for the Solstice.  When I stumbled upon these dream pillows, I knew I had found what I was looking for.

The boys love making a wish and squeezing their pillows before bedtime.  They also truly believe the pillows will help them to have peaceful dreams.  It's really sweet.

I was so proud of my accomplishments.  I am teaching myself to sew which is not always easy when you are doing it alone.  I think I need to find me some crafting buddies.

So...
What did you work on for the holidays?

Any special homemade ideas you are quite proud of?