Thankful Tree. A New Tradition

We don't celebrate Thanks Giving here in Ireland.

We don't have a history with the holiday.

But I've decided this year we're going to have our own kind of Thanks giving in our house.

{Sorry about the bad photos, I really need to get my big girl camera out} 

It's very easy to get lost in the every day run of things and forget what we have.

To forget that we have a lot to be thankful for.

We forget the small things, like family, friends, our health.

These are all things that I am very thankful for.

I collected some branches before Halloween last year and I've been using them all year on my seasonal table for different holidays.

I'm going to use these branches to make our "Thankful Tree".

What you'll need:

Branches

Coloured paper (to make leaves)

String/ribbon

Hole punch

Get your coloured paper, I used autumn colours, and cut out leaf shapes.

Use the hole punch and make a hole in the leaf.

Take a piece of string or ribbon and tie a loop on each leaf.

Get a sharpie or pen and write what you're thankful for on each leaf.

I'm going to try and write something on one everyday and see at the how much I have to be thankful for. The kids will get involved too but I'm sure most of there leaves will have toys written on them. Ha!

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 I've got an exciting new link up/ photo challenge starting wednesday called #30thankfuldays2014. All the details will be up on the blog tomorrow. If you don't follow me  on Instagram or Facebook be sure and do it this now. The more people that take part, the more fun it is. The link up/photo challenge will be happening on my social media over the next 30 days.  At the end of the 30 days I will have a link up where you can put a post together with everything you've shared. It's a great way to remember. 

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Grow a surprise with Magic beans

Easter is this weekend.

That means it's a long weekend and we get to eat our weight in chocolate.

Woo hoo!

I might not eat my weight in chocolate, that would be a lot but I'm gonna enjoy my little egg so much.

I also means that we get to celebrate Easter with the old and new traditions.

Our old ones are to have an egg hunt, Easter bags and a family dinner at my parents house.

Dinner will be all the trimmings just like Christmas but just a little more chocolate.

The kids will open there Easter bags to see what goodies I have in there for them.

I filled them up with crafts, toys and of course chocolates and sweets.

The newest tradition that I'm starting this year involves "Magic Beans".

I saw this idea all over pinterest last year and didn't have enough time to get it pulled together. But I got my act together this year and I'm sharing it with all you lovely people.

 The thought of a lolliepop growing over night gets me so excited that the kids will probably burst. I would have loved to wake up Easter morning to something like this.

I went to Tesco and got a pack of Jellybeans for little more than a euro. Bargain!

I put them in a sandwich bag with the top cut off and tied it with some ribbon I got in the florists. Attached the free printable below and there you have it. I can't remember where I got the giant lollie pops but if you can't find them, you could always stick a few small lollies in the ground instead.

Plant your magic jellybeans in the ground, on the night before Easter and cover them with dirt. And in the morning the magic of Easter will have grown a surprise for you.

And by the "Magic of Easter" I mean Mom or Dad have to get up early and go outside and stick the lolliepops in the ground. How magical! 

All printables on the blog are for you personal use. Feel free to print as many as you want and if you share it on your blog, let me know. I'd like to say thanks.

I honestly can't wait to see the look on the kids faces when they see the magic lollie pops.

What are your Easter traditions? Do you do anything to make it extra special for your kids. I'd love to hear them. Let me know in the comments. Maybe I'll try them out next year.

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Christmas Traditions

We all have traditions that make Christmas special for our family.

When I had my kids I started thinking about traditions I wanted to start with my family.

Today I'm sharing some of our old and new traditions that we love doing every year.

School Holidays means pancakes in our house.

Chocolate chip Christmas shaped pancakes.

They love these.

Every year I sit down with a big mug of hot chocolate, the Christmas TV guide and a highlighter and mark off all the movies that we're going to watch over the holidays.

It's not Christmas until you've seen the big man in the red suit.

Little Man was in LOVE with Ho ho ho.

That's what he calls him.

One of my faviourite places to go every year is Listowel Garden Center. 

They have, hands down, the best Christmas display I have ever seen.

They transform the entire shop into a winter wonderland with every kind of decoration you can imagine.

Christmas Bliss!!

This is a new tradition.

I made up nice list certificates and letters from Santa for the kids.

Jasmin was over the moon to hear from Santa and to see she was on the Nice list.

I whipped up a little chocolate bar wrapper too just for the heck of it.

I found these adorable printab;le Santa letters on Pinterest.

Where else, right!?

They were so much fun for the kids to use.

You can read all about them here.

Christmas Cards for her school friends is a very important tradition for Jasmin.

Even though they are very time consuming, she would be devastated if we didn't do them.

What's Christmas without 30 plus hand written cards?

For the past two years we've gone to Jasmins Christmas show and It was the highlight of my Christmas so for this year.

She was an Angel.

But no ordinary Angel.

She put her heart of soul into every move and shake and sang her heart out.

She even  scolded me for not clapping enough all the way from the stage.

(apparently, trying to hold her brother up to see was NOT an good enough excuse)

The last tradition I love doing is my Christmas Eve box.

I fill a big box with new pj's for everyone, sweets, popcorn, hot chocolate, Christmas movies, and anything else that takes my fancy.

I'll be doing a post in that when I've got it made up, so keep an eye out for it.

Do you have any traditions that I missed out that I just have to do.

Share them with me.

I'm always wanting to add some more.

Thanks for reading.

Hop to it Challenge

 Today I'm linking up with AP for the final day of The Dog Days {of winter} are over link-up.

I have planned on doing some decorating for Easter but we have to celebrate St Patrick's day here first.

So instead of my Easter decorations I will share what I've planned for Easter for the kids.

We have a Egg hunt every year and Jasmin invited her friends over and It's great Fun.

We also have a treasure hunt.The kids follow the clues and find different colour balloons that lead to the treasure.

I'm also sharing some of the pin that I'm going to be using of Easter.

I'll be making this for my entryway table. Looks cute and easy.

Source

I can't wait to see Jasmins face when the "magic jelly beans turn into a giant lolliepop.

Source

We will also be playing "Pin the tail on the Bunny". I'm just going to print out this picture and get the kids to pin the tail on the bunny with some cotton balls and double sided tape.

Hop you have a very Hoppy Easter when it gets here.

New Years Eve jar : Hey, That's Pin-tastic!

It's Monday again which could only mean another round of Hey, That's Pin-tastic! over at

 I love you more than carrots.

I have seen these jars all over pinterest and some Mom blogs so I decided to jump on the band wagon and do one too.

It is very easy to get stuck in a rut and only remember the bad things that happened in the past year. It's not so easy to remember to good, funny or even goofy things that happened.

So that is why I'm doing it. So on New Years Eve I can sit down with the hubs and look back on how awesome our year was.

So all you need is:

A Jar

Paper 

Pin

Ribbon

Card.

Fun memories

Decorate the jar what ever way you want.
I just tied a ribbon around the top with a label.

I'm going to post a picture of the jar on December 31 to show you all how good our year was.

Have fun filling it up.

Christmas bucket list

It's here!! CHRISTMAS!!! I love Christmas! I always have. I blame my Dad for this. I start thinking about it in July normally. Mad, I know.

I just love everything about it. The decorations, the smell of the tree, cooking, baking, open fires, the cold weather, drinking hot chocolate, Christmas movies, family time together, driving around to see the lights, Christmas music. Everything. Oh and crafting. How could I forget.

I love the way everyone just slows down at this time of year and enjoys time with their family.
I try to make Christmas as special as possible. Not only to make it good for my kids but so that they will pass on the traditions that we made together to their kids in years to come.

Here is my 'Christmas Bucket List'. I haven't ticked everything off the list but I'm working on it.

1. Make a CD or iPod playlist with your favorite Christmas songs. Have it ready as background music for all the other fun stuff you're going to do! 
2. Start a new tradition of making Christmas ornaments. Imagine decorating your tree when your kids are teenagers and looking back at those little ornaments you made so long ago!
3. Movie night with favorite Christmas treats. Actually, Christmas movies all month long!! 
4. Some of our favorite Christmas movies:
   The Santa Claus 1,2 and 3.
   The Muppet Christmas Carol
   Miracle on 34th street
5. Take your little kids to the pound shop to pick out gifts for their brothers and sisters.
6. Have a cookie decorating party. 
7. Get family pictures taken.
8. Go out for a cheap dinner. Keep it the same every year (for tradition's sake!), and then drive around and look at lights.
9. Visit a Live Crib.
10. Decorate a gingerbread house.
11. Have a Car Express! Watch Polar Express, or another Christmas train movie. Then, after putting kids to bed early (but before they fall asleep!), gather them up and present them with their golden ticket while the conductor (dad) whisks them off to the car for more lights and Christmas music.
12. Decorate your Christmas tree while sipping hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music.
13. Let Nana take the kids shopping for Mom and Dad.
14. Bake a Christmas treat and visit an elderly relative, godparent or neighbor,
15. If you make New Year's resolutions, write them on a slip of paper and put them in your stocking. Next year you can see how you did!
16. This one is just for the girls -- have sparkling cider and give each other pedicures! Or Mom gets to do them all if your girls are too small. Christmas music and/or a movie is a must!
17. Go shopping for Christmas ornaments. Each person can pick out a favorite ornament, or one that represents a special interest or event that year.
18. Make Christmas cards for friends and families.
19. Let the kids open a present on Christmas Eve -- new pajamas! Not only is this a fun tradition, but it ensures they will be dressed in cute pjs for Christmas morning pictures. 
20. Visit your town square if they decorate for Christmas.
21. Read "The night before Christmas" story on Christmas Eve.
22. Have a special Christmas breakfast, like pancakes or chocolate muffins.
23. Have a "sleepover" around the Christmas tree. Lay out blankets on the floor, watch Christmas movies, and eat special treats. Then carry the kids to their beds as they nod off.
24. For Christmas, ask Santa to bring the family a new game. Then play it that afternoon! 
25. Make Christmas crafts and homemade decorations.
26. Attend a local Christmas concert 
27. Attend a candlelight service with your family
28. Give each child a new ornament that represents something important they did that year.
29. Have a Christmas party full of fun, minute-to-win-it games. The games are simple enough that kids can do it. 
30. Set up candles (or use glow sticks) in your bathroom, and give the kids a candlelight bubble bath. Or take one yourself!

I hope, if you haven't got a Christmas bucket list already, that you make one to pass on the your kids. and they can pass on to their's in years to come. After all Christmas is all about family and making traditions.

Special Christmas Delivery!

I want make this Christmas extra special for the kids. Jasmin is older now and is really getting into the magic of Christmas and the whole gift giving thing.

Were going to be getting a few special deliveries in the door this year and I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees them.

We sent our letter off to the north pole this week so one of these will be arriving any day now.

I also found this on Pinterest and I love it. I think every child would love a letter from Santa. I know I would have.

The other think we've done for thew past 3 years is get a video message from Santa. She loves it. You can get these from this website. The PNP - Portable North Pole Console.

It's important to embrace the magic while we can. These years go so fast and I want to hang on the the magic of Christmas for a long as possible.