December 2014Occasionally Crafty: December 2014

Wednesday, December 31

Top 10 posts from 2014!

After Christmas it's all about the countdowns! Today we have our top 10 posts from 2014!
10. Chevron Stenciled Monogram
9. Fall Pumpkin Printable
8. Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
7. Easy Cheesy Buns
6. DIY Door Post
5. "Nacho" Ordinary Neighbor Gift
4. St. Patrick's/Best Friends Printable
3. Ultimate Summer Round-up
2. Handmade Christmas Ornaments
drumroll please...
1. How to Create Printables Using Silhouette Studio
We've had such a fun year creating and sharing things with you. We can't wait to craft with you all the way through 2015!!
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Tuesday, December 30

Read the Four Gospels in 90 days- 3 different reading plans!

I'm really excited to share this with you today. Many of you know that Valerie and I are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and in our stake (large congregation) we've been challenged to read the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in 90 days! 
I've come up with three different reading plans, and hopefully one will fit your style of study!
First is the easiest. Since there are 89 chapters in the Four Gospels, simply read one chapter a day.
Click here for a PDF version.
The next plan helps you read about the same amount of verses every day. Granted this may stop you in the middle of a paragraph or idea, but you can plan for the same amount of study time each day. 
Click here for a PDF version.
And lastly is a 90 day reading plan for the Harmony of the Gospels, which takes the Four Gospels and puts them in chronological order. Yes, you will be skipping around the books a lot, but it moves from one complete idea to the next. This is how we're planning on reading! (I referred to this reading plan, and adjusted it for 90 days instead of 60. It's still helpful to look at since it tells you what topic you're reading about with each section of verses)
Click here for a PDF version. 
If we complete the challenge, it will all be read in time for Easter. This is a goal to help us all develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I hope you find these helpful in doing so!
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Monday, December 29

2015 Printable Planner Review from Sweet Anne Designs

Well, Christmas is over, and it's time to start thinking of the New Year.
One of my major goals is definitely to improve my organization.  
I'm an old-fashioned gal.  Even though I have an iPhone and spend a lot of time connected, I still like to keep track of dates and things in a paper planner.  I like being able to flip through the pages and see exactly what I need to do each week.
Kayla of Say Not Sweet Anne has designed a series of modular printable planners for everyone's use.  There is a Student Planner, a Regular Monthly Planner, a Meal Planning Planner, and a Lesson Planning planner.  There are also add-ons you can purchase for any planner, such as Blog Tracking, Class Schedule, Meal Plans, Important Dates, and Activity/Extra-Curricular Tracking.
Printable 2015 Modular Planner. Download and print! Choose between several variations, including some with meal or lesson planning! Available in two sizes, 4 colors and with several add-ons to make your planner suit you! | saynotsweetanne.com | #etsy #planner #printable #organize
They also come in full-size (notebook size) or Junior size- (half page, easy to fit in a purse!)
I tried out the Junior Size Monthly Planner with the Blog Tracking Add-On, in the Blue Wave design.
When you buy your planner, Kayla will customize it for you.  I printed out my planner and had it bound at Staples with a clear front cover and a blue back cover.  So a complete planner cost about $20 plus any printing costs.  Not bad for a beautiful custom blog planner!
My favorite thing about this planner, and a must-have in my opinion, is the weekly view design.  I like being able to see my whole month at a glance,
but I must know exactly what is going on each week.  
This planner has plenty of room to write, even though I could not get my planner to print full-size.  (Don't get me started on my finicky printer- I barely even got it to print the planner at all!)
I love the size, too- it is perfect to fit in my purse and bring with me wherever I go.
I am thrilled to have a place where I can keep track of my blog stats and post ideas.  I always say I'm going to do this, but I never do.  Now I pretty much have no excuse!
If you'd like to buy one for you or to help someone in your life get more organized, visit Say Not Sweet Anne  and use coupon EARLYBIRDPLANNER for $3 off your purchase (good just until 12/31/14)
Tell me- are you a planner person or do you use your phone/computer/tablet to stay organized?
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Thursday, December 25

Merry Christmas!!


Just taking a moment to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas! Have a great day enjoying friends and family!




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Wednesday, December 24

Knit Stocking!

Happy Christmas Eve! This is just a quick post to show you the knit stocking I finally finished {just in time}! I did one for my oldest son last year, and now the one for my youngest is done! Once I do my husband's all four of us will have matching stockings!




Like I mentioned with my Knit Christmas Trees, I enjoy knitting, but I'm not very fast or putting out a lot of projects, just a few things here and there! I hope my boys will love these stockings as much as I love the one that was made for me :)
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Monday, December 22

Holiday Travel Activities for Kids with Disney Planes

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PlanesToTheRescue #CollectiveBias



I just spent 26  hours in the car.  Straight.  Yes, you heard me right.  26 hours!  With kids!  We don't usually travel over Christmas (and never that far!), but when the chance came up to spend some time with my dad and my best friend, we knew we had to hit the road.

I'm so glad my kids are a bit older and can (mostly) entertain themselves.  I give them a few tools, and they keep themselves busy for hours!

Since Planes and Planes: Fire and Rescue are big hits with my kids, I knew that having some activities based around these favorite movies would be a great idea.  If you will be traveling and have a Planes fan, keep reading for some FUN and EASY printable activities you can whip up really quick before you go.

Luckily, Walmart has their Planes toys and videos on Rollback just in time for the holidays!  


We headed over to Walmart (for the third time that week- anyone else?)  and picked up this awesome die-cast 3-pack. (It was on "Rollback" for only $14.97!)

 These are perfect for traveling because they don't take up too much space, but they are a great tool for imaginative play.  There are two different sets available.
Other items on Rollback would make awesome last-minute gifts, including the Flight to the Finish Speedway ($24.97)
                            
The Fire and Rescue Deluxe Talking Vehicle Assortment ($19.97/each)
and the Planes Character Assortment and Planes: Fire and Rescue Character Assortment ($4.97/each).
First, let's make this awesome travel runway.  Every Dusty (or friend) needs a runway!  


You will need the following:
  • Cereal box or other thin cardboard
  • Adhesive ( I love my Scotch roller!)

1.  I created this printable runway rather than take the time to make one (I'm lazy.)  You can download yours here , then print it out.  
Laminate it if desired so you can use it over and over again.  
Cut your cereal box or cardboard to fit a standard sheet of paper.
  
Then,  use your adhesive to attach your printable to the cereal box.
(Optional)  Attach magnets to the back.  We use cheap cookie sheets as travel desks when we go on road trips.  If you use magnets, you can keep your runway in place for easier "takeoffs" and "landings"!
Don't you love that drawing of me and my son?  
That's it!  My kids loved playing with their travel runway- and I have a hunch they'll keep using it here at Grandpa's house!
Bonus!  I love how Disney made Cars and Planes Characters into "people"!  I thought it was perfect from the first time I saw the trailer for the original Cars.  It got me thinking- what kind of Plane would I be?  A sleek jet?  A clunky old duster?  
Kids will love turning themselves into Planes with this printable coloring page.  I printed out several of these and let the kids go wild.
I have to show you my favorite- my 5 year old turned himself into this:


Download yours here and see what your kids create!

Are you traveling for the holidays this week?  What are your tips for traveling with kids?  Share them in the comments below!
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Thursday, December 18

DIY Glitter and Washi Tape Gift Tags!

We're getting down to the wire here, Christmas is one week away! As I was putting together different neighbor gifts and teacher gifts, I needed something to not only let them know who the gift was from, but to add that last little holiday touch: gift tags!
You can make these easy and fun gift tags with the following supplies:

  • Glitter (i used only red, but you could really go to town with this!)
  • Washi tape
  • Glue Pen- man do I love this really fine tipped glue pen, it's great for small items!
  • Tags! I cut them out with my Silhouette.
There are lots of ways to spruce up a tag, but I wanted something quick and simple, so no layers or cuts involved. I took one wrap around of washi tape, drew my design with the glue pen and poured glitter on top! 

My kids even joined in and made tags for their teachers. It was surprisingly fun to come up with a new design for each one! Now just picture if you wanted more than one color that you could start with one color of glitter, let dry and then draw another part with your glue pen and do your second color! 



What's left on your list to do before Christmas? Today I'm baking 4 dozen cookies for class parties tomorrow! :)
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