Happy New Years Eve!

Happy New Year! 

Well, Happy New Year's eve at least! 

I don't have anything fabulous, funny, or awe inspiring to say about this night and day. 

I'm not a big party person so it will be family and close friends.

Probably no fireworks as there are quite a few small children in our home. (Okay, like 2 but they are quick!) 

Growing up in Hawaii, fire works are a big big big deal. Kinda fun but the smoke can be nuts! Little bit of a bummer our house isn't in a good spot to see any big shows.

photo via google images 

That is on my bucket list. 

One day, I want to be in New York either in Time Square or somewhere I can see if and feel apart of it for New Years Eve. 

I think it would be so fun. 

I know, I know....crowded and crazy but it's still on my list! 

Hmm....maybe cause I watched the movie New Years Eve last month....probably not but it helped it stick in my mind at least! 

Haaaappy Neeew Year! 

(throws hands up in the air!) 

Quote of the Day

I am totally making this part of my 2012 plan! I want to do things! I want to be active, explore, have fun, and NOT feel like I'm at home all the time. Oh, I have a plan coming!!! 

I've been thinking about plans a lot lately. Not just for New Years resolutions but in general. How often do our so called plans never actually happen?  If you're like me they fall through quite a bit. I've found, for me, one of the biggest problems is the doing doesn't happen. It's all plan, talk, strategize, and organize while we completely and utterly miss the most important part! 

THE DOING!!!! 

See the bold, all caps, the underline. That means it's important. 

So now I challenge you, with your next plan to not only just plan but to do things. Make your plan happen and surprise everyone! 

Re-Use Old Gift Cards #2

Some may remember my other post from earlier this month about re-using gift cards. If you didn't catch it go here. 

In that post I told you I had specifically making things with Starbucks cards due to a good friend collecting them. Before I found the notebook idea while brainstorming with my sister the idea came around to frame the cards somehow. 

You should already know by now that I always forget the before pictures but I took the stack of starbucks gift cards I had been collecting for months and decided I could mat a 8x10 frame. I got the frame and then made a pattern as best I could with the cards I had. 

As you can see I had some of the same card and similar colors so I tried to make it fun. And do you love that I take pictures of everyone using my duvet as the background to try and cancel out the lighting and weird brown in the rest of my room? 

No? I do. :) 

If you can't already see the flaws with this project let me point them out to you. I had to cut some of the cards to make it fit inside the frame. I can't cut straight to save my life so there's that. Then I put the wrong green card on the end so I had to trim it as it was already stuck. Then my spacing on the left is weird. Just so you know spray glue is really sticky, you cannot make mistakes using it. 

The ends I trimmed. 

See that green card in the corner, that was supposed to be on the other end. Oops! 

But once it was in the frame you totally couldn't tell! 

Well you can if you get close but even that it's not glaringly obvious. And I will admit I took this last picture right before the frame went in the box to get shipped. The other pictures I had definitely showed the weird browns and lighting in my room a bit much. 

I kinda want one of there for myself now. Maybe on a smaller scale just to add some interest in my room. I'll just have to start grabbing even more Starbucks cards!!! 

This really is a simple easy gift to make with any type of card. I think Starbucks cards are the most versatile since people already use coffee themes! Now you have another thing to try next year for Christmas! Yay! 

Linked at Show and Tell with Romantic Home

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

There are going to be some changes coming up at the exit of this year into the new year! Some exciting things that I hope will be fabulous! 

It's really just like one major change but I'm excited and have been planning it for quite a bit! 

So make sure you check out the blog a couple days after the new year to see! 

Christmas Weekend Fun

Here are a few highlights from Christmas weekend well plus a few days before! 

My pile of jingling fun. I wore it all to work every day last week. 

This is my "I still be jinglin" face. (and I got a haircut that I love)

This was my exciting coffee on Friday? Maybe Thursday...I added chocolate chunks and whipped cream. (I had to eat bad since I gotta be good starting tomorrow.)

These are most of my presents all wrapped and pretty. Well pretty from far away. I'm lacking wrapping skills. 

My sister's Christmas wreath. 

It's the Eve of Christmas Eve excitement! 

The snow we woke up to on Christmas Eve that we weren't supposed to get. Sadly it melted by the afternoon. 

Jimmy on Christmas eve. Isn't he adorable with cookie crumbs on his face! 

Santa came during nap time! 

It was a good Christmas! 

Dixie Lou Christmas night. I think she was sad santa didn't bring her anything.

Jay-man and I on our way to dinner at Outback tonight! 

So that was my Christmas fun. Well, what I photographed on my phone! I will admit I'm kinda sad it's over though.... All the fuss, shopping, craziness, and business for it to be done so fast. I think Christmas should become a mandatory 2 day holiday. 

Don't you agree? 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

I don't have a big post but I wanted to share a blessing with you. A blessing from the sermon series at my church this month.

May the love, joy, and hope of this season fill your hearts and home this season! 

In all the eating, present opening, traveling, and family don't forget to be thankful and to praise God for his blessings all around. 

Mele Kalikimaka! 

P.S.  Just so you know.....blogger has this awesome thing where you can write a post in advance and have it pop up when you choose. That is what this is but the message is all the same! 

Christmas Blog Share Day 25

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

25 Days of Christmas

Featured Blog - Parga's Junkyard

Christmas Morning and all the packages have been opened! What did you get? The question on everybody's tongue.....

I asked some family and friends what the craziest, dumbest, silliest and/or most stupid and/or annoying gift they ever got was! Here are the answers!

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

Christmas Blog Share Day 24

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

December 24, 2011

Featured Blog - My Crazy Bliss

There are so many fun things to make for the holidays. I wanted to think of something unique and fun to put in my windows this year. This craft is great because it can be used all winter long, not just at Christmas time. I'm happy that we don't get snow here too often, but snowflakes go along with the cold weather!

Continue reading post at My Crazy Bliss

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

Christmas Blog Share Day 23

25 Days of Christmas

December 23, 2011 

Features Lee, Me, and the Girls 

Well, hello there!

I'm McCall from Lee, Me, and the Girls,

and I fully believe that no part of the year carries more traditions than Christmas.

From the food to the family, we all want the holiday season to be special and fun.

On December 23rd, I'll be posting about some of my  favorite traditions

 as well as some I wish were my traditions.

And most importantly, I'll be talking about the traditions that help us keep in mind the true meaning of this wonderful time of year.

I hope you'll join me, and I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

Christmas Love via Pinterest

I know it's now even Christmas in 2011 yet but I have things that I know I want to try for Christmas next year! Does that make me bad? Over obsessed with Christmas? Or anything crazy like that? Hmm? I didn't think so.

Photo via thediaryofdaveswife.com 

Okay, so this isn't a project but I LOVE it! Doesn't this make you want to get a Christmas present from under the tree and shake it! 

From flikr.com, go to my Christmas on board on pinterest for direct link.

I want to print these old pieces of sheet music out, stain them with coffee, and somehow hang them. I haven't thought it completely through yet but I'm gonna be figure something fabulous out. 

Photo via secretsofasupermommy.blogspot.com

Ok, I'm not a mommy. But I'm an Auntie and I'm a darn cool Auntie! Plus I live with my nephews and next year they should both be old enough to really enjoy this! I just gotta clear it by the mommy first!

Photo via somedaycrafts.blogspot.com 

I think these would be fun Christmas gifts next year. With a couple of my own twists! 

So now you have some things to put in a folder and plan for next year already! I just saved you half the battle! 

Yaay me! 

No seriously, this is good! 

Merry Christmas!!! 

Only 2 more days!! (Depending on how you count!)

Christmas Blog Share Day 22

25 Days of Christmas

December 22, 2011 

Features La Familia Aissa 

Christmas is just right around the corner and normally the last thing that everyone is shopping for are those small gifts and stocking stuffers. All those little things you kept saying to yourself that you'd pick up later..... Well 'later' is NOW! Here is a great list of OVER 100 small and inexpensive gift ideas! I don't know about you, but I hate filling stockings and buying small 'filler' presents only to be throwing away those things within weeks, because they were junk! This year I've decided that instead of wasting money, I'm buying things that are either needed, useful or consumable!

Another great idea for coworkers, friends or family is to group some of these items together for a "theme basket". I tried to group the items together as best I could! Here are a few suggestions... Baking, coffee, makeup, nails, art, golf, spa, electronics, car care, etc. Also, considering that most of these items are $5.00 or less this would be a wonderful way to bless a family in need! We will be filling a stocking to send to our World Vision child, but you could also drop off with a charity, a church or a specific family that you know! What a wonderful blessing to someone you could be! And what a lesson it would be for your children!

To read more go here 

Favorite Christmas Children's Book

Join Parga's Junkyard as we share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers! 

25 Days of Christmas

December 21, 2011 Features It's Not Over til You Quit 

Do you have a favorite Christmas book? Has it changed since you were little? The books I read at Christmas have changed but I still love the idea of have specific books for Christmas. Right now my favorite Christmas book to read with my nephews is the Hawaiian version of the night before Christmas. It's nice to bring that piece of my childhood alive when I live so far away and remember reading books about snowy Christmas' on Christmas eve wishing I could experience that! 

So come with me and experience Wuz da Nite Befo' A Pidgin Christmas Story in Hawaii, written by Margaret Steele and illustrated by Roy Chang.

The story starts out at a house on the beach on Christmas eve. 

This year, Jayden doesn't like to sit still to read anything! (He had to be bribed to take these pictures) I think part of the reason he won't sit to read this is cause I pulled it out beginning of November....and we read it quite a few times then...but he's 3, who knows! 

I started reading the book 3 times before we even got to turn a page. All in all I think it took us 20 minutes to read through this rather short book. I'll show you why...

First they had to switch places

Then I'm not sure what happened...

Pulling Jayden back from crawling away...

I couldn't just snap a couple pictures pretending to read the book, we HAD to read the whole book. 

Jimmy liked this part....

Finally done! Really, it's a great book! 

Santa leaves all the gifts under the coconut tree. And in the corner is dad with a musibi (delish Hawaii snack) watching in awe.

And as Santa flies away on his surf board pulled by his 8 tiny sea horses he yells "Merry Christmas da kine, Aloha Hawa'i"!" (And this Santa has a little bit of an oriental look) 

And that is my absolute favorite children's Christmas book! I laugh to myself when I read this book, thinking about how many times I heard growing up from people that it isn't Christmas without snow. I must tell you though I always knew when it was Christmas even though there wasn't a chill in the air or even a chance of snow! 

So often I think we, especially as adults, forget what Christmas is all about. That it's not about snow, what kind of cookies you make, where you go, what you get, or even what you give. Christmas is a time to celebrate the love, hope, and joy of Jesus birth. Bask in it. Because without that you wouldn't be getting your fabulous holiday time. 

Make sure this year when you're reading Christmas books, baking cookies, and running around like crazy since there are only 3 days until Christmas, that you don't forget to stop and share the love of this holiday with someone around you. If you aren't where it normally feels like Christmas, overcome it. Find that peace and hope for a beautiful day no matter what. And always always remember that there is someone suffering a less perfect holiday than you. Be it that they have a loved one in a war zone, a family member in the hospital, or no where to live at all. 

Mele Kalikimaka! 

Merry Christmas to you! 

And may the joy of this season surround you to the fullest.