pretty much all set. sorta.

Okay, well the crafting stars have aligned this week. We got some baking done. These small loaves of cardamom orange coffee cake (from this month's issue of cooking light) are being given out. But, I have to keep that red one. These flippin adorable little ceramic loaf pans are on sale at Kitchen Kaboodle for you Portland folks.

Cookie bags were packed this morning. 5 kinds of cookies this year with some fudge. Some have already been mailed. I still can't believe I got these done. It was pushing it this year. Not the year for baking. It's the babe in arms + hot oven thing. Not so good. Bar cookies would have been a much better idea. But, they are done and they are tasty, so it all worked out.

And here are some small holiday gifties for our wee friends. Each year, for the holidays, I try to make something super fast, very inexpensive, and not totally lame. I love this challenge. I have dyed silk scarfs in the past, and last year I made these crackers (not the eating kind.) The year before we gave out these music wands. This year we have personalized picture hangers. Enclosed are little wooden clothespins with stars glued to them. I used these way cool transfers to spell out each child's name on the star and then added some baking twine as the line.

The girls love hanging up photos around the house, especially of their friends, so I though this would be fun for other kids, too. I included a printed photo of them (sized to look like a small Polaroid) to start the photo collection for each kid. Okay, this was the most fun I have had making a project in a long time. It took about 1/2 hour and rubbing the transfer letters on was so thrilling. It makes me feel like I am 10. The clothespins and stars are at Michaels, along with the twine.

Okay, whew! The list of things I haven't gotten to is long, but I am so over it. I am really looking forward to being on cruise control from now until the holidays and hopefully a bit after that. Grammie and I might try homemade marshmallows next week, and I might (big might) have a little sewing/paper cutting left in me, but I have back up gifts so there will be no pressure. Plan B, that's what I am about. I have a ton to wrap and a few gifts left to make/buy, but other than that we are lookin' good.

Christmas music is on heavy rotation around here and The McKenzie Brother's 12 days of Christmas song still makes me laugh. I love the old timey Christmas songs, but nothing says Christmas to me as much as stuff I heard between 4th-6th grade. Like Band-Aid's, Feed the World. Remember how bad everyone looked in that video!? Wow, Bananarama looked horrible! That was awesome.

Comments

[Amy]

Ok you must go see a post on my blog from Sept... http://myzoebug.blogspot.com/search/label/Inspiration
scroll down a bit...yep there it is...my daughters art hanging thingy...oh yes I do believe it is string and ...ummm yp that would be clothespins with stars glued on! Great minds I tell ya!!!
Check this out for a future gift for little ones...
http://melissagoodsell.typepad.com/day_to_day/2007/11/day-2---glitter.html
Great idea!

[Deanna]

Love your posts!
keep the great ideas coming!

[littlemissmeshell]

Oh those pans are ca-UTE! And the cake looks scrumptious. As does your lovely packaging and gift ideas! I can't get enough of brown paper and bakers twine, yum.

[amyehodge]

Sounds to me like you've gotten tons done! I haven't managed to find any time for baking yet myself, but those loaves in the pretty ceramic dishes are really enticing me!

[Victoria E]

What great packages - this is exactly what I want to do for the holidays next year (though I'll probably make cinnamon muffins or something like that). :)

[Jack]

Ok, that made me hungry.

[Grammie]

I'm going to need to have a copy of that photo of the girls! It looks just darling with the clothespin stars.

[erika]

We (me and the kids) also make cookies and little presents each year, it's a lot of fun, but also a lot of work but people always appriciate it so much. I love the little stars with the letters and twine, super idea..!!

[Mette]

Great. I love Christmas, December is too short.. The cakes looks yummy. I guess the receipe is not available online....?! Merry Christmas.

[maryse]

you are quite amazing. and so clever. i haven't even put up a decoration yet.

[martha]

ok, you need your own magazine too -maybe you and sally could start it together:)
a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

[Heather - Speckled Egg]

I love how you packaged your cookies!!! I have been trying to come up with some easy packaging and this would be perfect! Thank you SO much for sharing!

The bread pans are adorable too! :)

[June]

What lovely Christmas projects; I'm loving all of the ideas and the results.

[liz]

wow - i am impressed. everything looks great.
and accomplishing so much with a baby in your arms? doubly impressive.

love those little clotheslines.

also, i just have to say, after months of lusting, i finally bought your book and i just love it! i must have been through it a dozen times already and i love it more each time!
now the hard part... deciding which project to make first!

[Alicia G.]

Band-Aid's, Feed the World.

Favorite.Christmas.Song.Ever.

[Suzanne]

All your projects are turning out great! I haven't baked at all yet, now I feel guilty:-) I guess I know what I am doing today!!!

[joanie]

Wow, i'm so impressed with the amount of making/baking you get done. I only seem to manage it on having a 1 am or later (earlier?) bedtime - which can sometimes mean a cranky mummy which of course takes the fun out of the making/baking. Any tips for success? Love the photo string - wish Michael's was in the UK!

[Kris]

You amaze me! You got sooooooooo much done! I'm usually lurking around the place, but just had to tell you today how awesome I think you are. I run my life on plan B! Your plan B is like my plan A. Keep up the good work!

[Amy]

Wow! I'm in awe of you having done all these things. I noticed the mini loaves at Flickr and had to see what they were. Those are adorable! And I'm gonna have to check for that recipe. Love the start picture hanger gifts, too!

[Emma]

I love this little gift ideas! I might have to make very similiar picture-hanger presents for my neices - today!! :)

[Wendy]

Oh, I love that picture idea. I wonder if I have time to get some done before Christmas. I'll be sure to hit up your archives next year in November! So many fantastic ideas.

And, if you want something relatively easy for paper cutting, I've got a pattern for 3-D trees over on my site.
http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2007/12/paper-forest.html

One last thing, I've made the homemade marshmallows before (Martha's recipe) and they are so simple. Especially if you've got a standing mixer. We did the kind with peppermint extract and red swirls. So pretty and fun.

[Karen]

Those little pans are adorable! I must try to find them... :)

[klothandbolt]

The picture holders are fantastic! Great idea! -kb

[Stacy]

Thanks for sharing all your marvelous ideas! :)
Very cute little gifts for the "wee ones".

~Stacy

[Amy]

At our house full of donut eating Canucks, you just have to say "McKenzie Brothers" and someone will start laughing, eh. Oh ho ho, I sooo have to rent Strange Brew this week!!!

[melissa f.]

this is making me a little sick-- you know, like oh crap she's done all this!?

[Lisa thedomesticdiva]

Those little cakes look YUMMY!

I, too, am working on Plan B...I gave up Plan A about a week ago when I realized there once again was not enough hours in the day for my crafty dreams...LOL!

Wishing you a Happy Holiday!

With friendship,
Lisa

[Pat]

I love your cookie bags! Very simple but creative. You said you mailed these. How do the cookies hold up? I usually mail in cookie tins but this would be so much cuter and much less expensive.

[meg]

Oh my gosh! You totally spoke straight to my heart with the Christmas music flashback. The mix cd I made this year begins with Band Aid and ends with the McKenzie Brothers. (My son loves the former, but not so much the latter.) I just can remember so clearly watching the BandAid video and trying to pick out all the different people. Um, some of them would definitely have benefited from a later call that day....

[Realmarce]

Hermosos reagalos! Lovely presents!

[Anne]

Those little loaf pans are cute and I love your clothespin creation. I am now accepting plan B as well.

[Cyndi]

I searched all over the place at CookingLight.com for that coffee cake recipe and could not find it. Would you mind posting it? It sounds so nummy!

[Joanna]

Ok, like you are my hero! I swear I don't know how you do it! I have a 17 month old.(and a 7 yr. old) and I am barely eeking out 1/2 the stuff I planned. The Christmas cards still aren't out, packages are set to go tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers they'll get there on time; but everything is homemade. I guess you need to start earlier than Halloween! You so rock!
p.s. how did you get such a cute photo of 3 kids? I could only get one at a time to sit halfway still and even those sucked! Oh well, next year...

[sarah n.]

dude. cake in jars and now cakes in tiny pans?! those are so ridiculously cute. must find them online and the star photo string bit is so cool with the rub on letters. i never knew what to do with mine but now i know.

[Euphoria]

You are so crafty it drives me nuts!! Everything is so darn cute! LOVE the picture hangers!!!

[Amy]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful inexpensive gift ideas. I have to try and make some of those jingle sticks!!!!

[Marta Mourão]

Congratulations! This is very creative!

[emily]

Oh! Thanks for the Kitchen Kaboodle tip! I'm totally going to pick up some of those loaf pans. They really make the coffee cake look (even more) gorgeous! And all your other ideas are so clever, too!

[lynne]

Wow! What an awesome idea!!!

[TracyKM]

I've only just started reading your blog, but as for the 'babes in arms and a hot stove' comment...wearing your babe on your back in a wrap or a MT would solve that problem. Depending on their age and 'reachability' a pouch or ring sling or MT on the front works too, you've just got to allow for the extra space you take up, LOL.

[em.s]

you are like a wonder-human! how do you manage to fit it all in? be very very proud - you've out done yourself!

[mari]

you slay me. how doooooo youuuuu do it?
unbelievable. fantastic. thanks!
mari

[Kristin]

I love the star, clothespin craft ... may I ask if you did anything spesial to the ends of the string to allow for ease of hanging? Just curious!

[kimberly/tippytoes]

Whoa! Amazing. I want to move to Portland to become your friend.

[annlarie]

Everything you do is so cute! Thanks for so many ideas (and I love the gift tags).
You can buy the bakeware online at Kitchen Kaboodle's website btw - fun!
www.kitchenkaboodle.com

[Raisin'Cookies]

You've got some great ideas here! I will be keeping an eye on this blog for the future. Keep 'em coming!

[alecia grimm]

Great Ideas for gifts! Love your blog.

[coastalgirl]

Love your site and was quite pleased to see reference to the Mckenzie brothers. Canadian content is hard to come by in the US.
Have a wonderful holiday.

[Alisa]

Free beer and sausages eh??
I thought I was the only one who remembered the Mackenzie brothers at Christmas-my husband thought I was nuts!!

[rhonda]

I lurk a lot...haven't commented in a while. But I just had to tell you how much I love visiting here. I get the best ideas and feel so inspired.

Thank you =]
XOXOOX