Family Bike Riding

We have recently found a FLAT place to ride our bikes!  Our neighborhood is killer when it comes to bike riding… too many hills!  This past weekend was gorgeous outside so we did about a 10-mile ride on Saturday and an 8-mile ride on Sunday.

Pinterest Inspired Project–“Good Fortune” Box

My name is Jennifer and I like to save weird things… cards, ticket stubs, etc.  Some would call me a hoarder, but I don’t have a big enough Target bag collection yet (only Dave will get that, sorry!).  I’m weird about saving my fortunes from fortune cookies.  I have GOBS of them.  I carry them around with me in my wallet.  Weird, I know.  Then I saw this on Pinterest…

A shadowbox for all of my fortunes??  Perfect.  I found a cheap shadowbox at Michaels and cut out an Asian symbol (I think it means “love”) with my Silhouette.  This is how it turned out…

A “Good Fortune” box for our family.  Of course we had to test it out with a yummy Chinese dinner, complete with 4 new fortunes for display.

Mother & Daughter Cookie Exchange

Kelsie and I hosted a Mother & Daughter Cookie Exchange before Christmas.  We had a BIG turnout!  We had girls from 2nd grade to college and even a couple grandmothers came.  We had over 30 kinds of cookies!  And, I’m not talking your everyday sugar and chocolate chip cookies… we had quite a variety.

I was too busy hosting and didn’t get great pictures of the cookies before they were eaten!

Kelsie and I provided everyone with cute take-home containers for their cookies.  Everyone got to take home at least 3 dozen cookies.

Some of the younger girls played a game called “Reindeer Antlers”.  You have to stuff stockings with balloons and put it on your head.  This is what you get…

The girls had more fun with that than anything else!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & HELLO 2013!

Yes, I realize we’ve been in 2013 for two weeks now.  It’s taken me two weeks to get used to being in 2013.  After hosting two parties, back to back, with 80 guests at each party, I was EXHAUSTED!  I seriously didn’t do anything for one week.  I barely made the kids dinner (which, some of those meals wouldn’t have been considered dinner.)

We had an awesome Christmas this year.  The kids got everything they wanted and more, of course.  They both got new bikes, but they were delivered to NC.

Santa left them a card, with pictures of the bikes, for them in VA.

I love capturing their expressions each time they’d open a gift…

We spent New Year’s back in NC.  We went to Brasa (Kyle’s favorite restaurant), with our neighbors, for dinner.  It was delish, as usual.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! 

Our 3rd “Ugly Christmas Sweater” Party

This past Saturday, we hosted our 3rd “Ugly Christmas Sweater” Party.  We always have so much fun and love seeing everyone’s sweaters.  They get more creative each year.

I can’t tell you how many people told me that my sweater WASN’T ugly!  Really people?!  It came complete with a fur collar.  It was horrible.

Steve, the guy in the skirt, won the contest.  He won a gift card to Cracker Barrel, where all ugly sweaters are accepted.

Advent House & “Twist” Update

Every November 30, “Twist” comes to the house, with candy in hand, to fill up Kelsie and Kyle’s Advent House.  They try to sweet talk me every morning into letting them have the candy with their breakfast!

What has “Twist” been up to lately??

Pinterest Christmas Craft

When I saw this on Pinterest, I knew I had to make one…

I couldn’t find the exact supplies they used (Tulip brand glue and glitter), so I used Martha Stewart Glitter Glue and Fine Glitter (color – Bronze).  I found a black canvas at Michaels, which saved me lots of time since I didn’t have to paint the canvas.  Here’s how mine turned out…


I just love how it turned out!