I usually try and put lots of pink and red foods in my girl’s lunches on Valentine’s day. Some ideas I’ve used in the past include: pink yogurt, strawberries or red peppers (with pink ‘ranch’ dip), red juice or strawberry milk, pink marshmallows, and apples!  But as you can see from the ideas below, apparently there are a lot more creative people out there than me! I hope the ideas below inspire you to add a few smiles to meal time on Valentine’s Day!

I actually tried this one last month with a star shape. So simple…cut out bread with cookie cutter and add sprinkles to the peanut butter!

Fun little stickers for fruit, for sale at etsy.

Speaking of apples (you could also do this with watermelon)…

How about some heart-shaped hard-boiled eggs? A bit of work, but creative…

Or for your sweet tooth…look at this oh so creative way to make heart-shaped cupcakes!

{source: Muses of Megret}

Start the day with a smile, with some heart-shaped pancakes (add some red food coloring for extra fun) or how about these cute heart-shaped cinnamon rolls…

{source: Poppies At Play}

And have some hot cocoa with your breakfast. To make your cool-whip heart-shaped, freeze it so it’s flat, then cut it out with a cookie cutter.

Strawberry milk (or can just use red food coloring in white milk) frozen in heart-shaped ice-cube trays.

{source: Kidzui}

A twist on the popular cake-pops right now, pie-pops. Step by step directions for both apple granola and raspberry chocolate pies at Our Best Bites.

And finally, here’s a cute idea for dinner. Hot dogs and cheese…

{source: Family Fun}

A lot of the ideas above require a simple heart cookie cutter, which this time of year you can pick up almost anywhere.  I’ve also discovered I really like the mini cookie cutters. Pampered chef has a cute set (which you could also use for some of these same ideas for other holidays). I also saw a similar set walking through our local Hobby Lobby last week.

So, will any of these ideas make it to your table this Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, probably because it’s also my birthday too! Over the years, I’ve always made my husband a Valentine’s Day card – I just think there is something sweet about that! Here some fun gift ideas for your sweetie this year!

I think this is just the cutest necklace ever! I’d really LOVE one of these. Both your thumbprints made into a heart pendant. (awww!) I found it on etsy.

I really think I’m going to make these for my husband this year. I think we can have a lot of fun with the secret messages in them.  There’s even a free template  at Design.Wash.Rinse.Repeat blog! I’m going to try and find a Chinese take-out box to put them in!

I simply adore these cookies I found on pinterest. I will most likely be making them at some point in my future. ..

This will take a bit of time, but I think it will be a treasured gift for years to come. Found on the blog Papervine.

Check out this gift that is also an investment into your marriage…12 months of pre-planned dates! Found it at Find Joy in the Journey blog.

This one you can actually purchase on Etsy. I’d love to hang this in our bedroom. Such a cute idea for your ‘love song’! I would just have trouble choosing which song to use, but it’s a toss up between these three!

Look at this cute, simple personalized print from etsy…the tiny words at the bottom say…the dates our lives were forever changed.

What is the most amazing Valentine’s Day gift you’ve ever given or received?

So, if you are like me, I never want to just throw away all those beautiful Christmas cards that some thoughtful people in my life took the time to send me…but there’s always the dilemma…what to do with all those cards?!?! Well never fear, here are 10 ideas to ‘upcycle’ your Christmas cards! Psst – these ideas would also work for birthday cards!

1.  For years I have made gift tags out of the cards. I simply cut out square/rectangle tags, then tuck them away with my Christmas stuff for the following year. You can also make them a bit more ‘fancy’ by adding a ribbon to the tag, like these below. This idea inspired by my husband’s amazing (almost) 94 year old Gram!

2. Make placemats. (similar to these Thanksgiving ones).  Super simple to make! 1. Tape two pieces of paper together. 2. Lay out your cards (don’t forget to do both sides) and tack them down with a bit of glue.  3. Cover with clear contact paper. Viola, Placemats! I made these with my daughter’s 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year birthday cards. I pull out the placemats from time to time and even though they are now 8 and 10 and still enjoy reading all the messages on their cards. This idea inspired by my childhood friend Linda’s mom…who had these on her table when I would visit.

3. Make a wreath. I think this would look cute hanging on a bedroom/bathroom door. Inspired by Better Homes & Garden.

4. Make garland for your Christmas tree, or some Christmas ornaments. Simple circles attached to string. My tree has needed garland for years, and I am so going to make this garland with my girls one afternoon this winter! This idea inspired by none other than Martha Stewart.

5. For several years, I had made a photo collage on my refrigerator so I could see all those smiling faces from my photo Christmas cards year round.  Simple to do with the purchase various sized clear acrylic magnetic frames, like these.

6. Turn them into notepads.This idea inspired by Home Studios blog.

7. Make a book. Punch holes in the side of the cards or photos, and clip them together with a simple metal ring. I can so see my girls enjoying flipping through these books…and me too as I pull them out each year with my Christmas stuff!  Here’s one example I found at Close to my Heart Art Blog.

8. How about these cute blocks? Simple wooden cubes, cut out squares, buy pre-cut letter stickers (or use a cricut machine to cut out letters) and a little decopauge – and look at these cute blocks you have to display!  Inspired by Better Homes & Garden.

9. I made so many of these cute lil’ gift boxes when I was a kid, I still remember how to make them now 25 years laters! I was glad to find this tutorial to share with you. They really are quite simple to make. I think I might need to introduce my girls to this craft! Tutorial found on Atomic Shrimp blog.

10. And lastly, in case you are feeling really creative, how about these lovely branches? Isn’t this simply a beautiful way to upcycle your Christmas cards? Idea inspired by Everyday Mom Idea’s Blog.

Love these ideas!  Thanks Cathy!

Team Farmer is vacationing in Florida this week until the middle of next.  Aahhhh, it’s been as relaxing as running between beach and pool and back to the beach and off to restaurants can be.

But the best part is all the family we have congregated here: the 4 Team Farmers, The Running Man’s mom and brother, my mom and her husband, my sister and her husband and their 2 adorables AND her husband’s parents.  That’s 14 people – we should win a prize from the Florida Department of Tourism or something.  Maybe more importantly – some help finding a dinner place (and time!) that suits everyone.  It’s a troop movement, friends.

But the very best part is the time spent with the cousins: swimming, digging and playing.

What are your holiday plans?

And we’ll be back to normal soon!  Enjoy your New Years!!

With Christmas just days away – here are a few websites that can add a little bit of ‘merry’ to your day!

Elf Yourself

Just add pictures and your family members can become dancing elves! My girls look forward to this every year and I never hear the end of “when are we going to elf ourselves?” until we do it. I love their giggles most of all. If only I really could dance like my elf-self! Also, it’s fun if you upload pictures of grandparents or cousins – and send them the clip of them as dancing elves – which is sure to bring laughter and smiles.  This is FREE and they also have some you can purchase, as well.

Norad

They are currently keeping track of Santa’s busy week ahead before the big night! Your kids can visit countdown village for some online fun.  However, the very best part of this site is that they actually track Santa’s Sleigh Ride on Christmas Eve and you can see where Santa is in the world all evening long!  They also have a FB page and last year they were really great about providing regular updates on Santa’s whereabouts!  Also, did you know that Norad has been tracking Santa for over 50 years?

Capture the Magic

Upload a picture of your living room. Add Santa’s picture. And then you can prove Santa has been at your house!  I have not yet tried this site, as I just found it this year, and must wait til Christmas Eve – but I think it would be good for those doubting children (umm, mine!)! I wonder if the $9.95 for the photo will keep my kids believing for one more year?! It may just be worth every penny if it does!

Do you have any online Christmas websites that help your family ‘jingle all the way’ through the holidays?

I was introduced to this wonderful publication at my Granny’s house and I now end up reading all of her recent issues whenever I visit.   Never heard of it before?  Here’s a synopsis from www.reminisce.com:

“Reminisce, North America’s top-selling nostalgia magazine, ‘brings back the good times’ of the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s, ‘60s and early ’70s. A variety of true, heart-felt stories are mainly written by the readers, not professional writers, which makes our magazine-and website-unique.

Each issue is packed with fascinating vintage black and white photographs and early color slides. Most photos are sent in by readers who’ve searched through family albums or attics to share the best from their past. Fun-to-read short and feature-length memories bring smiles, laughter and even poignant tears to readers of all ages. Memories span every subject…from the corner store and soda fountain, outhouses and old-time remedies, Model Ts to fifties Fords with fins, early radio and TV, surviving the Depression, World War II, fashion fads and prices from the past. The real thrill of reminiscing comes when someone reads a memory or sees a long-forgotten item and realizes: ‘Hey! I remember that!’”

Reminisce magazine is part of the Home & Garden division of Reader’s Digest Association and publishes the stories, photos and memories of its more than 1.5 million subscribers every month.  This magazine ”provides a unique blend of nostalgia and celebration of what is great about America.”

What I think Reminisce does so well is capture the essence of the ‘good old days.’  If you are searching for a gift your parents or grandparents can treasure throughout the year, a subscription to Reminisce is it!   I didn’t even live through these times and I become completely absorbed in an issue of this magazine in a matter of minutes.  These were the glory days of my grandparents and their generation and the descriptive, funny and touching memories shared paint a picture for me of the way life was that no history book can convey.  I have learned more about my Granny’s life and lifestyle through the decades from discussions that started with this magazine than I have any other way and that is the most wonderful gift of all.

The website, www.reminisce.com, is just as fun to explore, check it out!  Take this link to read memories cherished by Jimmy Hawkins, who played the youngest Bailey child in the now classic holiday movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, in the December 2012 issue of Reminisce.

(It made me cry, happy tears.)

I’m such a fan of the flash mob idea, bringing cheer to unsuspecting passers-by.

Enjoy!
And since I just love the idea of people self-combusting into song, here are more…

I am repeatedly amazed at how some families are able to find inspiration and motivation out of challenges, suffering and sometimes loss.  It is so admirable to me that they find the resources and will within themselves to reach out and help other families.

Here are just a few examples of the power of love:

Lobes of Love

“Karen Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer the day after Thanksgiving 2006.  For the next four and a half years she faced cancer with courage, strength and amazing tenacity.

In the Fall of 2010, Lobes of Love™ began as a project when Karen’s daughter, Tammy, decided to  honor her mother, by collecting and then distributing earrings to breast cancer patients at their doctor’s offices during the month of October.  The project was such a success with both donors and recipients that she immediately surpassed her initial goal of 200 pairs and ultimately, at her mother’s urging, reset her goal for 2000 pairs.  Earring donations continued to arrive, and with the new goal easily met, the project took on an exciting new dimension.  Now year-round, Lobes of Love facilitates thousands of simple individual acts of kindness, making an uplifting impact in the lives of many.

Lobes of Love™ is an organization devoted to providing free earrings to breast cancer patients. New or gently used earrings are collected, disinfected, repackaged and then distributed to oncologists and other caregivers of cancer patients. Women can choose for themselves a pair that we hope will provide a ray of sunshine during an office visit or challenging time.”

New and gently used earrings can be mailed to:
Lobes of Love
PO Box 4387
Lawrence, Kansas 66046

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Kaps for Kendall

Kendall Atkinson tragically died following a bone marrow transplant for Fanconi anemia on March 14, 2004 at the age of 20.

Her sisters, Allison and Whitney, started Kaps for Kendall in her honor:

Our goal is to raise money to fight Fanconi Anemia, the disease that took the life our sister, and to provide special hats for kids and adults, who have lost their hair from chemotherapy and radiation.

How you can help:

1. Make a tax deductible donation to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund (FARF), Kaps for Kendall project through the donate link on our website.  For every $25.00 you donate, a hat will be given to a person undergoing medical treatments that cause the loss of their hair.

2. Donate a hat.  Knit, crochet and fabric hats are all welcome.

Kaps For Kendall
7051 Palisade Drive
Littleton, CO 80130

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Cooper’s Cause

When Cooper was born with multiple heart defects that demanded countless open heart surgeries, his family faced an immense amount of medical expenses during the most difficult time in their lives. Many of the family’s friends stepped forward to organize various fundraising events to help the family manage the financial burden of their unexpected journey. Graciously, Cooper’s family could not help but “pay it forward” and begin setting up a trust fund that would help other families in similar situations. Everyone involved in Cooper’s Cause Foundation has a passion for helping and their time is donated to this cause. The foundation operates with little expenses and no compensated employees.

When you support Cooper’s Cause Foundation, you are helping families that have health insurance but do not qualify for many of the programs designed to aid in the unexpected and substantial financial burden related to pediatric heart conditions even after the insurance payments. You will be supporting the average American family who desperately needs a hand up in ensuring their little fighters receive the medical care they so desperately deserve.

Cooper’s Cause Foundation
PO Box 303
Lawrence, KS 66044

www.cooperscause.com

And you know what???

She was absolutely right.  No truer words have been spoken.

Meet the Elf on the Shelf, a set which comes with a book and this little elf doll (mine doesn’t have a skirt, but I thought she was cute).

Here’s how it works: The Elf comes to your house around Christmastime and he or she flies home to Santa every night to report if your adorable has been good or bad.  My adorables can tell that Jack (our elf) has left, because he changes locations every morning.  Whenever my adorables get in trouble, I just put my face in my hands and utter: “Oh no!  I bet the Elf saw you/heard you”, you know, like we’re in this together.  They immediately stiffen and my younger adorable will actually run over and explain himself to Jack and beg forgiveness.

I’m just delighted with the whole arrangement.

Now if they could just invent something for the rest of the year.

Oh wait, that’s my job.

But a break is certainly welcome!

Here’s a list of 101 Elf on the Shelf Ideas from Blossom Bunkhouse to give you some inspiration.

Holidays come and go and the endless to do list of gifts to buy keeps most of us running around throughout December.  Does it feel like a chore or do you feel excited by the things you are finding?  Well, this year I have stumbled on an amazing nonprofit and one that I highly recommend for your gift giving needs.  Check out the beautiful baskets and jewelry from Trading for Treasures.  This Denver based nonprofit’s mission is to empower women through trade. This is my Fair Trade Christmas and I am challenging you to do the same.  I already feel a great sense of peace in the things that I am buying.  Not only are my friends and family getting beautiful jewelry and baskets but 100% of the profits go straight back to the communities in Rwanda.  These women are helping to heal a country torn apart in the 1994 genocide.  Because of this, 70% of the country are women who are now in charge of supporting their families.  The purchase of one medium sized basket will pay for a year of healthcare for these women and their families!  That fact alone made me want to share this with you.

Here are some of the women making the baskets.

The large and medium sized baskets are both perfect for the center of your table to hold fruit or for decoration.  I actually bought a large one for my dining room and a medium one for my kitchen.  They also have loops on the back for easy hanging.   I could seriously decorate my whole house with these they are so beautiful! Check out www.trading4treasures.org and start shopping for a cause.

Here is an example of the basket in use.  Gorgeous!

Looking at these pieces of art I feel connected to the women who made them.  It’s a reminder every time I look at them that these baskets are special.  So join us in spreading the word . . . any bit helps.  Please forward this to your friends and family.  But shhhh, not my mom…she hasn’t opened her gift yet.

This is one of my favorite photos.  Love seeing these smiling faces!  To learn more about this nonprofit and what you can do to help visit www.tradingfortreasures.com.