christmas 2014

Christmas Pictures Post!!!

December 29, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a WONDERFUL Christmas if you celebrate and a wonderful holiday season no matter what you celebrate!! I lovelovelove Christmas and our tree will be up until the Epiphany on January 6th…even though this year that is making me a *little* nervous since baby boy is due January 9th! We saw Stephan’s parents on Christmas Eve, spent Christmas Day with just our little family, saw Stephan’s extended family on the 26th, and finally on the 27th we celebrated with my parents! We also had a small co-ed “Sprinkle of Love” for our baby boy over the weekend and that was such a great time! We are blessed!! Today I want to share some pictures and send love from my family to yours!! On Wednesday be ready for some of my favorite gifts of Christmas 2014!!

*Note: My Christmas Eve Outfit (pictured in the first photo at the very top of this post) is from Preppy Pink Shop! I did an entire blog post gushing on about her skirts, which you can find here, because she absolutely deserves it! She is fabulous, her work is fabulous, and I can’t wait to wear more of her skirts once I’m back in non-maternity clothes!!

Thank you for being a part of my life! Please subscribe and share! I am so excited for 2015!!! I want to take leahtackles places…starting with Etsy and Youtube!! MUUUUUAH!

LAST MINUTE STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS VIDEO!!!!

December 22, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a great weekend!! There are still a couple of shopping days before Christmas and I want to share some last minute stocking stuffer ideas for those of you who may not quiiiiite be done yet. As I said awhile back, I am going to be launching both an Etsy store AND a YouTube channel in 2015….eeep! I am very excited, but also nervous! Today I decided to film a quick video on my phone showing you what I have in the stockings for Connor, who just turned 2, and Hailey, who is 3 1/2.

*Note: I almost did not upload this! I am a perfectionist and I apologize for the low quality of this video! Just after filming it today I’ve already discovered a few things to do for next time, but I think that by putting this up I will force myself to research, practice, and learn to make what I hope to be very high quality and enjoyable videos. I have been researching and learning as much as I can, and there is so much to learn, but I know by posting this first video I will be eager to get my channel set up, and start filming NON-iPHONE videos in the future : ) So, watch this quickly because I’m sure I’ll eventually put this craptastic video on private ; ) Thank you SO much for all of the support, and please please please go watch and subscribe (if you have a gmail email, you have a YouTube! Just click the red subscribe button)!!

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS 2014:

FIRST YOUTUBE VIDEO-LAST MINUTE STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS

Connor-2 Years Old:

Hailey-3 1/2 Years Old:

Phew! A video up before 2015!! That was my brave thing for the day ; ) What will yours be?! I hope you have a fantastic Monday and good luck with any Christmas prep you have left to do! I have lots of baking and wrapping to do still…annnnd I really need to get on packing for the hospital since baby could be here any day now!! Talk to you Wednesday!! XOXO

DIY SNOWMEN HANDPRINT ORNAMENTS!

December 10, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!! I hope that you enjoy this post and will stay awhile : ) Last year for Christmas my kids, Hailey and Connor, made some of our friends and family some DIY ornaments, and they turned out so well that we decided to make a fun ornament this year as well. I haven’t decided if this will be our gift from them this year, but we did have fun making some for our house!

DIY SNOWMEN ORNAMENTS:

What You’ll Need:

Large Clear Plastic Ornaments (*Tip: I found mine at Dollar Tree and Meijer, but most big box stores or craft stores will have these!)

Soft Snow Shimmer Flakes or whatever you choose to put inside your ornament (blue ribbon, glitter, or confetti would all be fun options!)

White Acrylic Paint

Assorted Acrylic Paint Colors

Paint Brushes (I used one medium sized one and one very small pointed one)

Step 1:

Paint your childs hand with the white paint and have them make a hand print on the bulb. For my 3 1/2 year old I just showed her how to put her fingers on the bulb and not wiggle them around, but for my almost 2 year old I found it easier to just hold his hand steady while pushing the ornament into his palm myself.

*TIP: If the fingers wiggle or the hand print doesn’t turn out I was able to quickly wash off the bulb, dry it, and redo the print!

Step 2:

Let the ornaments dry completely. I found that using small cups worked great for this so they wouldn’t roll.

Step 3:

Paint the details onto your snowmen! If you have an older child, they can do this part, or you can do it yourself. I had a lot of fun adding top hats, holly, earmuffs, scarfs, and of course that carrot nose! You could also use paint markers or permanent markers instead of paint to do this part if you prefer.

Step 4:

Let your ornaments dry completely!

Step 5:

Open the top of the ornament and put the snow flakes into the ornament. I found the using a funnel and a pen to shove the stubborn flakes down worked really well. You can put as much or as little in as you want, but I only filled mine up about 1/4 of the way.

Step 6:

Wrap to give away or hang on your tree!

TOOT TOOT! Seriously sorry for tooting my own horn, really it’s just a proud mommy moment, but how cute are these?! I know this is a SUPER popular craft on Pinterest right now (speaking of, “pin” mine if you like it!) but I thought it would be nice to show a simple step-by-step that was not intimidating. This *won’t* be a “Pinterest fail”, promise : )

Again, thank you for reading and have a great weekend!! XO

Holiday Sparkles!

December 8, 2014 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!!

I hope that you had a FAB weekend!! Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read this blog! Some days I just want to look at beautiful things and that’s even more fun at Christmas! I hope that you enjoy a little holiday sparkle from me to you and that it brightens up your Monday : )

<3 Christmas Trees, Makeup, Christmas Skirts, Target Hauls, Nail Polish, Starbucks, Baubles, Snowmen, and iPhones OHHHH MY!! <3

I hope that you’re having a beauuuutiful start to your week and don’t forget to check back Wednesday for another post!! Please subscribe and share!! And to all of you who have subscribed and who share, thank you!! I love you!

Meet My Newest Obsession: Preppy Pink Shop and See My Christmas Eve Outfit!

December 3, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!!

Last Christmas I wore a skirt from Preppy Pink Shop and I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to wear another one this year. I had a whole year to swoon over the skirts on the Preppy Pink Shop Instagram and resisted ordering skirts all summer long since I was pregnant. As most of you know, I’m still pregnant, and now I’m VERY pregnant, but I decided to email Justice, the owner of Preppy Pink Shop, and ask about a custom maternity skirt for Christmas. Justice responded quickly, was super friendly and wonderful to work with! Her custom service was fab and I will be ordering from her often in the future! I am obsessed!

ABOUT PREPPY PINK SHOP:

Justice makes beautiful handmade skirts, but also has headbands, bows, scarves, keyfobs, belts, clutches, and jewelry. Everything on the website is ADORABLE, and I think the price range is awesome because it’s all reasonable and there are budget-friendly options. You can order both on the Preppy Pink Shop Etsy Store or off the Preppy Pink Shop site. And if you aren’t following her Instagram, do so immediately! You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook...seriously, who wants to limit themselves when it comes to this eye candy?!

THE SKIRT:

A gold brocade with a removable red bow custom made fully lined skirt to fit over the basketball I’m smuggling!

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Skirt: Preppy Pink Shop, of course! ; )

Sweater: Express

Tights: Target (maternity)

Booties: Express

Earrings: Boutique

Bracelet: Express

Lipstick: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69

As always, thank you SO much for reading!! And please share (check out the easy click and share buttons at the bottom of all my posts!!!) and make sure you’re subscribed!!! It’s free, easy, and you’ll get emails only when I post something new!! Have a great weekend!!!

Easy Reindeer Candy Cane DIY and Elf On the Shelf Ideas!

November 26, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! And Happy Thanksgiving Eve (that is SO a thing! promise) : )

My 3 year old, Hailey, and I have so much fun making crafts together, and during the holidays it seems extra special. Today I want to share a very simple and very fun craft that we did last week together on one of her snow days home from school.

Because Thanksgiving is TOMORROW (already!!!), I know a lot of homes will have their Elf on the Shelf returning to visit on Friday or soon after, so I have enough Elf-y ideas for Black Friday through Christmas Eve to get you ready! Our elf, McJingle Toes, was VERY popular in our house last year, and now that our oldest is really into it, we have to up our game this year ; )

EASY REINDEER CANDY CANE DIY:

What You’ll Need:

Candy Canes

Pipe Cleaners

Tiny Googly Eyes

Small Red Pom Pom

Glue

Step 1:

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane and shape into antlers.

Step 2:

Glue on the googly eyes and red nose.

Step 3:

Enjoy your cute little craft! These make great add-ons for holiday gifts or baked goods, and you can really make them your own! I think next year we will add some ribbon, brown noses for some of the reindeer…who knows what else!

ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS:

1) “I’m Back” sign with door decorated like a present or balloons and if it’s your first year doing it have your Elf ask for name!

2) Elf head first into a holiday M&M bag

3) Googly eyes on fruit with “I’m watching you” sign that Elf is holding

4) New toothbrushes as gift with a note or smile written in toothpaste by Elf

5) Red noses drawn on picture frames with dry erase markers or small pom poms

6) Mustache on frame with dry erase marker and paper mustache on Elf

7) Elf hanging off Keurig or coffee pot to help make mom or dads coffee

8) Elf in a rocket ship made out of toliet paper tubes

9) Elf making a micro marshmallow (in hot cocoa section of grocery stores) or mini marshmallow snow angel

10) Make “Elf Milk” with green food coloring in fridge

11) Sled going down the coffee table

12) Elf playing Candy Land or similar game with “friends” like Barbie or stuffed animals

13) Make “Super Elf” with cape and badge

14) Elf inside a “snowglobe” made from Pyrex bowl and mini marshmallows

15) Elf hanging from a slinky

16) Elf with supplies to make Jesus a birthday cake or birthday party

17) Elf with directions for a shoebox donation or similar charity project for kids

18) Elf making a snowman scene out of marshmallows, frosting, tooth picks, etc

19) Elf being a pointsettia in a flower pot with construction paper around face to make him the flower

20) Elf setting up a fun craft project for kids like a gingerbread house kit

21) Elf making a pancake breakfast! This one is great for weekends. Make snowmen pancakes with bacon scarf, blueberry eyes, marshmallow snow, etc

22) Elf on a sleigh made out of 2 DVDs and 2 plastic candy canes filled with candy

23) Elf sitting on canned goods and a note to take them to a food bank or collection center

24) Elf with paper to write a letter to Santa

25) Elf laying on the beach with sunglasses, sun, and water made out of paper and sand made out of brown sugar

26) Elf in sink with water dyed blue with food coloring and aluminum foil boat or fishing in the sink for Goldfish Crackers

27) *Note: If you started the day after Thanksgiving and did it everyday this day #27 would be Christmas Eve

Put Christmas Eve PJs into a box with candy, popcorn, and Christmas DVDs to watch as a family that night and a goodnight note or sign from your Elf.

As always, if you have found this post helpful, interesting, or liked it PLEASE share it and “pin” it to your Pinterest account! All the buttons you need are at the bottom of every post!! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones! Please travel safely! Oh, and be kind to people on Black Friday, especially the retail workers!!

MUAH!

Leah Tackles CHRISTMAS! Series Intro!!

October 8, 2014 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Okay, I know, it’s only October, but I want to introduce my Christmas series now so that if things I share interest you, you’ll have plenty of time to do them before the holiday season really creeps up on us!! I want to share gift guides, how I plan, DIY projects, how I budget, how I put aside extra money for the holidays, Elf On the Shelf ideas, holiday fashion, holiday traditions…the list goes on! If there are things you are interested in or would like to suggest that I post on, please let me know! I want to do what you want to read : )

Today I want to share where I start every year with my holiday planning: lists!

#1 iPhone Notes (or similar phone app)

I use the notes feature on my iPhone all year long and if I see things that the kids love, if they mention toys to me, or if I randomly think of something it goes onto a note on my phone. I don’t do anything fancy with these notes, but they a good basic that I start with every year as I begin to shop.

#2 Paper Lists for EVERYTHING

*Note: These pages are EXAMPLES and I have not included all of my lists or my lists in their entirety.

I use a large legal pad or notebook to write out a list the old fashioned way for EVERYTHING Chirstmas you could imagine. Here are some of the things I like to make lists for:

-Gift ideas

-Who we need gifts for

-DIY projects I want to do

-Recipes I want to do

-Elf On the Shelf ideas

-Decoration ideas

-“To-Buy” list for Christmas items we need that are not presents (ie: lights, decor, cookie cutters, etc)

#3 Buying Timeline List

I know some people buy a year in advance, some do it ALL on Black Friday, and some people do it the last shopping days before Christmas…and none of those are wrong! There is no wrong way to shop, you just have to figure out what works for you, your budget, and your family. For me, I like to slowly pick things up as I go but do the majority closer to the holiday. I also will store gifts that the kids may have recieved for birthdays or the Christmas before but weren’t quite ready for, because those make great gifts as well.

#4 Christmas Outfits List

I like to begin planning our Christmas outfits in fall so that I have plenty of time to gather what we need and it doesn’t break the piggy bank. I may do a seperate post on Christmas fashion, but for the most part in our family we do this:

-Christmas Eve Outfits (these are our dressy outfits)

-Christmas Outfits for Santa and other holiday events

-Christmas Jammies…oh yes, we are those people!

And just for fun, here are some pictures of some of our projects AND memories from Christmas 2013 : )

I hope that you don’t think I’m *too* crazy for titling a post about Chirstmas already and that you enjoyed this : ) Please don’t forget to let me know what you’d like to see for Christmas or holiday posts by commenting (click the link by the title of this post!).