Handmade Gift Exchange

"Craftaholics Anonymous" is having a

"Handmade Gift Exchange".

Anyone interested in swapping, go to her site and sign up http://diaryofacraftaholic.blogspot.com/2010/11/dont-forget.html. Today's the last day, so hurry.

I've done several of these types of swaps or exchanges via the internet. They are SO much fun! Try it... you might like it. :)

Heart Break

Taking a little break from all the birthday posts (yes, there are more!), to bring you heart happenings.... Valentine's Day stuff.

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FHE

For FHE we talked about kindness, by word and action. We challenged our family to treat each other with kindness and to notice when others treated us with kindness. --As we did kind things or had kindness given to us, we wrote it down on slips of paper and put it in our "Love Bucket". Our goal was to fill the bucket before the week ended. We reached our goal and the "Love Bucket" overflowed with kindness. The next week, we read all the kind acts and shared a treat too.

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Pre-school Valentine's Day Party

The plan:

Heart worksheet

Lacing hearts

Heart leis

Dancing

"Candyland" game

Cookie decorating

and a Valentine exchange.

Abree concentrates on getting her heart lei just right.

Andi models the finished product.

The girls actually really enjoyed lacing these hearts, but were not that interested in learning how to tie. Too hard and frustrating for right now.

Yum?

Emylie says YES!

The girls decorated these little mailboxes the day before. Toward the end of our party, they delivered their Valentines to each friend's mailbox. They were SO excited! Our mailboxes were so full of LOVE the lids wouldn't fit, so we put them in bags and they took them home to open.

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School Classmate Valentines

Most of my kids are satisfied with store-bought Valentines.......

except for Taylee.

Taylee prefers to make Valentines for her school classmates from scratch. (She's not demanding, just very excited about it each year, so I indulge her and we come up with something original... or more likely, something I've seen in a magazine or blog. )

Here is what we came up with this year.

"Valentine You & I Are A Perfect Match"

And for the teachers, we made bigger ones, with the candy cane hearts I melted a few weeks back.

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Valentine's Day Swap

I participated in another swap. This time with a Valentine's Day theme.

"I'm FORTUNATE to have you Valentine" -Chocolate-dipped and sprinkled fortune cookies

"We make a great PAIR Valentine" -Cute knee-high Valentine socks

"Valentine STICK with me" -Homemade pin cushion with Shrinky Dink pins

"Valentine you're SWEET" -Box of chocolates

"Valentine we're a perfect MATCH" -Homemade match book with candy cane heart

"Valentine you're the BOMB" -Bath bomb

"I hope U-NO how much I like you Valentine" -Mini Uno game cards

I also sent a "Love Pillow". A "Love Pillow" is a simple tradition of family service. When you find the pillow on your bed, a service has been done for you. Next, it's your turn to do a service for a family member. (You have 24 hours or less to do it in.) As the pillow makes it's way from one bed to the next, hopefully love abounds and service is done with a smile. :)

Hope you had a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Favorite Things Swap

Dear Swap Buddy,

If you have not received my package in the mail, please stop reading immediately. Contents contained in this post may spoil your surprise...




I just finished participating in a, "Favorite Things Swap".

Rules to the swap:

1. Choose at least 3 objects (or more) that are YOUR favorite things.
2. Be creative
3. Have fun!

Here are the things I sent to my swap buddy...

Post-it note holder- I LOVE to craft.

A magnetic grocery list pad and coupon file -I like to make lists. I have lists of list. I also love a bargain. Couponing is my newest form of getting a great bargain.

"The Office" mouse pad and word magnets -I am a recently admitted t.v. lover. I love to watch t.v. It's my way to wind down after a long day or just be entertained. "The Office" is one of the many t.v. shows Jason and I enjoy.

Cute kitty brads -I love to scrapbook. (The kitty part was for my swap buddy. She loves cats.)

Quick and easy recipes -I don't love to cook, but it's a fact of life. When I do cook, I like recipes with few ingredients and that are quick and easy.

Fabulous paper shoe -Again, I love to craft. I also added "Snickers" candybars because they are my favorite. (The high heel and zebra print, which is hiding under the candy, is for my swap buddy too. She LOVES fabulous high heels.)

Exploding photo cube - Again with the crafting and scrapbooking love.

I hope my buddy enjoys all of MY favorite things. Can't wait to see what comes in the mail to me.

PS- If you were at my Ison Family Reunion, many of these things may look familiar. Just trying to double my efforts and "kill two birds with one stone".