Christmas Centre Pieces

I need your help! I am trying to come up with an inexpensive DIY centre piece for my church christmas party. I am borrowing these great vintage canning jars from a friend and trying to come up with a filler for the inside. I did the christmas party last year, so i am reusing the green branches and bought new berries this year. The centre piece last year wasn't see through and a tad smaller, so i am stuck on ideas. I have also tried, ornaments inside, but those either don't look nice or they don't fit. I also have thought about popcorn, but Boston isn't fully sleeping yet and i don't want to wake him.


What is everyones pick? Or take your favourite and make adjustments. Or trust tell me to scratch these and start all over again!

The one that looks like ice is water and saran wrap. Thanks Liam for the idea!


And also what should i put the jar on? The stripes in the first few pictures were from last year and the red dots are a napkin. But open to any cheap idea.


I should mention the party is Saturday and i am busy doing a lot of other things for the party plus going to work every day. Please suggest nothing time consuming ;)

A Service Exchange

I organized a service exchange for our Relief Society activity last night. As many of you ladies know, when you organize an event you want people to actually show up! At 5 minutes to 7, there was no one at the church but me. At 4 minutes to 7, one lady showed up and then about 10 minutes after 7, 17 more ladies showed up! I even got a thumb up from the Relief Society President regarding the turn out. I personally am just happy at least one person showed up!

I know many of you know what a service exchange is, but for those of you who don’t know, here is what the invite said.

You are invited to a service exchange party

Wednesday, November 23, 7:00 pm at the church

Think of a service, any service, whether it is baking a pie, sewing, knitting a scarf,

cleaning, babysitting or organizing a kitchen.  Next write your service, your name and

phone number on a piece of paper and place into an envelope.

Finally, bring your envelope to our Relief Society party!

We then played Chinese gift exchange (or white elephant) to exchange the services. We had tons of different services offered from; fudge, knitting a scarf, gift wrapping, cookies, cinnamon buns, canned peaches & jams, decorating consultant, 3 hours of cleaning, hair cuts for the whole family (a lady with 3 boys and 2 girls happily got this), homemade cards, pies, canvas picture craft, and the list goes on! And what did I exchange; well I gave away the 2 hours of organizing service and received, a night of babysitting! I’m so excited! I really want to go see the new Twilight movie or maybe i should use it for the night my work has its christmas party.

Our ward was having a fast for a lady in the ward last night, so the RS presidency didn’t want to offer refreshments. Instead they asked me to make take home refreshments. I had no time to bake or really do anything huge, so simple store bought caramel popcorn it was.

I found the cute printable here.

We also did an optional cookie exchange at the end of the service exchange. As of Sunday we had 12 ladies signed up. But by yesterday only 8 ladies participated. But that is fine with me considering I am trying to lose weight, not gain it!

I made these yummy cookies. Honestly, yummy!

And on a side note, if you can tell by my picture of the popcorn, my laundry room has become my little do it room. Since our kitchen has no counter space and my desk is in the living room and Boston can climb up on it, I had to find another space for me.  My laundry room has become this space.  I cool cookies, do crafts, store items, take pictures, etc, on the washer and dryer! I even moved most of my little craft items and stationary into the laundry room. Oh how I cant wait for a day when I can have a “office” with a door!

Invitations

My second attempt (first attempt here) at Photoshop. They are invitations for our ward relief society bbq. 
Idea found here.

Conference

Watching Conference on the iPad

Sick Day

Staying home from church to watch some march madness (kidding mom, boston and I took a sick day)

A Busy Life

It has been a while since i last posted anything. Life has been busy and a huge adjustment. Baby takes up most of my time which i love but at the same time, i have so much i need to be doing right now!

I have had 2 baby showers and am very thankful for Scott's mom and sister who did my one in Calgary and for Breanne who did my one in Edmonton. Boston got tons of great clothes and books! I also got a bunch of money to buy him the stroller he wanted (okay maybe i wanted it, but he will be happy with my decision i am sure).

Boston had his first photo shoot a few weeks ago, click below for a preview of how great he looked!

http://anonadamsphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-boston-calgary-newborn.html

Boston had his baby blessing on May long weekend. We (My mom, Scott's mom and me) looked everywhere for a outfit for the blessing that would fit him and in the end found a funny outfit that barely did, but i loved it. My brother and sister-in-law sent Boston a tie from Ontario and even though it went to his knees I put it on him.

Picture of Boston and Daddy sleeping.

I spent the last week at my parents house in Sherwood Park. I loved being home for that long of time. We went shopping, went to a yummy cupcake store, eat great Italian pizza at a yummy restaurant, saw tons of friends, hung out with family and enjoyed Boston and all the attention he got.

Boston and I had our 6 week check up at my actual doctor on Thursday. I have to say i really like my doctor and glad to be away from the maternity clinic doctors (they were not too friendly or helpful). Boston weighed a massive 9 lbs 1 oz! I told myself after the 6 week check up, I will start eating healthy and working out. SO Monday is going to be the first day of healthy Tara and also healthy Scott. Scott recently expressed the idea of starting to run and i have always wanted him to run with me! We are going to have to wait maybe another month before we take Boston. I have a running stroller but have heard you are not to run with little babies... anyone know for sure???

Today was a great day and it was also a first for a lot of things!

1. Boston fit into his first pair of jeans and cute shirt!

2. We used my new stroller for the first time!

3. We went to the zoo!

Aunt Alyssa


Daddy


Boston being eaten by a bear and mommy trying to save him...

4. First time i walked for more than 20 minutes and i had no pain! We walked around the zoo for hours and i feel great!

5. Boston experienced mommy's favourite restaurant, Open Sesame. Scott and I went with our friends (the lady who did his baby photos) and their baby who is less than 2 weeks older than Boston.

AND last but not least... we are officially moving to Regina! I am fine with the idea, only for 12 months for Scott to do his Masters but when i look at my condo and all the work i need to do to get it ready to put on the market i get overwhelmed!! Scott and i started to look at places online to rent and i got overwhelmed! Basically i am overwhelmed but fine with the idea of being in Regina, just getting there is stressful!

Temple!

I am so excited that Calgary is getting a temple! I will admit that I was still sleeping on Saturday morning when conference started. My mom called to wake me up and told me.

I can't wait to start going monthly and making it like a Friday night date or Wednesday night.

I hope the temple looks like this one... San Diego! I have never seen this temple only pictures, but i have always loved it!

BUT because there is a temple 2 hours away and another one 3 hours away... it might end up looking like this... Edmonton Temple. BUT i love this one too, this is the one that i got married in and this is the one that i go to (well i went to Cardston once). I love the temple and the blessing it gives us!