What's going on?

Last week I was a little shaken up. For the first time since I've been active online, I let someone or I guess something change who I am. Not a good thing. So I took a step back and immersed myself in who I am. I love to create, so that's what I've been doing.

We have a Thanksgiving tree. I loved this idea I saw on Beauty that Moves. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I hate that it's stomped over to get to Christmas. Hubby and I have really emphasized being thankful for all of our blessings and we try to verbalize it as much as possible. To write it is different.

Here are a few of Allie's contributions.

I finished my Advent calendar. I made the envelopes with scrapbook paper and inside each envelope is an activity we'll do to celebrate the season of Christmas. Here's where I got the idea and here's our list of activities. I LOVE the idea of really celebrating and not feeling like I was drugged the whole month of December and then wondering what happened on December 26th.

1. Decorate tree.

2. Set up nativity and act it out as we set it up.

3. Make an Advent wreath.

4. Holiday in the Park (local festivities).

5. Read St. Nicholas book (still looking for a good one) and set out our shoes.

6. Celebrate St. Nicholas Day - this is one of Hubby's traditions since his family is from Belgium. I'm going to try and hunt down a few recipes from his BonMama's recipe book.

7. Museum of Fine Arts - free today and they have an exhibit on how different cultures celebrate around the world.

8. Make ornaments - This will be with our playgroup and I'm deciding between the clove oranges and cinnamon ornaments.

9. Write a letter to Santa.

10. Make wreaths and candy canes for the tree. M and A can both do this AND I made them when I was a kid!!!

11. Hang mistletoe and start kissing.

12. Heritage Society's Candlelight tour (local tour of Christmas lights).

13. Visit Santa and watch the ice skaters in the mall.

14. Pick a star off the Be an Angel tree, buy gifts and wrap.

15. Make gift tags for presents using potato stamps.

16. Make gingerbread men.

17. Watch a Christmas movie (maybe Charlie Brown?).

18. Call grandparents and sing Christmas carol (We Wish You a Merry Christmas - gotta start working on it now).

19. Drive around and see Christmas lights.

20. Read Christmas books and drink hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows.

21. Make tamales with my family.

22. Cookie baking party. Friends come over and we all bake, eat and listen to Christmas music.

23. Discovery Green (local) watch ice skaters and try hot apple cider.

24. Bake and decorate a cake for baby Jesus.

A Christmas gift for my new niece. Baby legs and baby shoes. The baby legs are super easy and I've made tons for both of my kids. I bought women's knee hi's for $2 and I think they look adorable with the shoes. The shoes were really easy too, once I learned what interfacing was.

Ok I think that's enough for today. I'm kinda cheating on next month's challenge, but if I didn't start until December, I wouldn't get it done. I'll elaborate more, but for the sake of recruiting I'll post some of my ideas on a homemade Christmas this year. Think about it. Maybe all of your gifts can't be handmade, but how about 5?2? maybe just one to start with this year.

Pass the award on down...

Poison control - check
ER visit - check, check

Good Lord I'm going to lose my mind. Last weekend, we had to rush M to the ER when his finger was smashed between the wagon and bumper of the truck. Daddy panicked, A sobbed, M took it like a champ, and I swore that this little one was going to be the death of me. I know I have years, YEARS of broken bones, bloody parts, gross oozing things and ER visits in my future with my very active kids, but really??? so soon??? Before they ER could even file M's paper work away, we showed up at their doors again last night. I think some of the nurses even remembered us. I could tell by their heads shaking and slight eye rolls. This time it was my fault. So pass me the damn Mom of the Year award!!

After I gave A some Tylenol for a fever, I put her down for a nap and then went to the kitchen to start dinner. About an hour later, I heard the water going in the bathroom and went to check it out. I lost my mind. A was playing with the Tylenol bottle, which was now full of water and no medicine in sight. I should have known better than to leave it on the counter. It was closed, but obviously NOT child proof. A has the opposite reaction to Tylenol and it makes her hyper so I should have anticipated she wouldn't sleep. Damn.

Poison control. Call Daddy. Go to ER. A cookie, pack of Skittles, peanut butter crackers and five hours later, she's fine. Her levels were a little elevated which says she did drink a little, but not all of it. They just monitored her, took blood and put that gawd awful IV in her and then let us go when her levels were back to normal.

There, now my shame is out there for the world to judge. I'm just so thankful that my baby is ok. Lesson learned and Daddy is now putting the rest of the locks on our cabinets. I'm on the hunt for Tylenol that tastes like ass so my kids don't want to chug it like juice.

How did you do this week?

I know I've been missing, but I'm in a creating mood. Not only is my body sick and exhausted from all the million things it's doing to give baby a good start, but all the time I'm not sick or sleeping, I'm creating. I love it. So I'll get back here in a bit and share the head start I've gotten on next month's challenge.

Back to this this month's challenge... I think I did ok this week. My mom turned 35 ::wink,wink:: this past week and I found a beautiful jewelry set for her NOT in the mall! In Rice village, a wonderful store, Ten Thousand Villages , has beautifully handcrafted gifts from villages around the world. Really beautiful gifts at a reasonable price and all fair trade. You can't beat that. Right next door in the village, there is a shop called The Village Firefly, which specializes in art, and gifts from local Texas artists. I loved it!! I don't think I've had such good time shopping in awhile. The Village Firefly had these wonderfully unique ornaments that I'm hoping my earth loving friends will love just as much. Happy shopping.

Not much else this week. We hit the market again and then Belden's. I can honestly say that I'll keep the market after this month, but I might be headed back to either HEB or Whole Foods. Here are a few pictures from the market and of the yummy bakery across the street.

Yeah, this one's blurry, but A was headed out the door and M was gonna grab a box of cookies to go!!

Just a glance

We've been busy.

Planted a new tree. The city was giving out oak trees and we decided this beauty would be perfect in our yard.

First ER visit. Shortly after planting our tree M had an accident and had to get his finger glued shut. He was true to his name and hardly cried.

A puzzle for A. It has 5 other nature pictures too.

Our nature table. Today we made pine cone turkeys with our friends and the kids LOVED them. A had to see hers again before she took a nap.

Challenge: ok spill it!

So ladies and gents, how did the challenge go last week? It's Monday, so spill it. Post a comment or give us a link to your blog and tell us how you did this week and what you found!!

We did ok here. I caved and went to JoAnn's after only finding upholstery fabric stores. I really needed to get started on some of my holiday projects. Plus I talked to one of the ladies and she said that a few of their stores have shut down, so I'm glad I could give them some business. I also made it to a yarn store for a few projects. Nancy's knits was great. A and M were horrible and she was so nice to ignore their squeals and my mommy monster voice as I asked a gajillion beginner questions!!

Grocery shopping when MUCH better this week. Last Sunday, we hit Canino's off, 610 and Airline and it was great!! Lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I even found flour, spices and eggs. Then I picked up my odds and ends at Beldens. This weekend, I hit the Urban Harvest market with a friend. They have all local produce and lots of yummy things like cheese and chocolate, but I don't think that I could "make groceries" as some of us southerners say, from this market. Overall, I'd say I'm really happy with the Canino's and Belden's combo and I'll stick with it.

If you guessed our surprise from my last post you might get why I'd rather throw my family under the train that is eating out, rather than cook. I feel like my stomach is on a constant food strike. Really it's ridiculous and my hubby thinks it's calculated, but my nausea attacks in full force starting around 3:30pm and lasts all night! Can't cook, can't bathe the kids, can't finish chores so basically I'm worthless and throw in a little grouchy, emotional and crazy lady then you can call her Crisa!! All that to say, we ate out a lot.

Mexican - great breakfast (Don Carlos),
Pizza - good and cheap (Firehouse Pizza),
Coffee - My new favorite coffee house and hubby liked it too!! (Fioza),
Burgers- good burgers and Greek food (Roadsters),
Sandwiches - I think this one is too new for reviews, but it's on the corner of Bissonet and Hillcroft (Hoagies) **Great Vietnamese sandwiches!!**

So yeah, that is a lot of eating out. Buuuuut we did eat lots of yummy fruits and veggies in between. Two full drawers

Oh and I did manage to cook ONE meal this past week. Fried rice with LOTS of veggies.

A new life... and God willing one more.

I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living. ~John D. Rockefeller

Our Christmas outfits!!! After a coupon and store credit these only cost me $6!!! I love Young and Restless.

Can you guess our news??

That's a wrap!

I'm calling it a day...