Tag Archives: x-mas

A pretty cool last minute gift we gave at xmas time…

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Have you heard of Legos?

You can’t possibly live in this house, and not have heard (or stepped on) Lego’s.

They’ve been requested for birthdays, x-mas, & every single trip to Target it seems.

I like Legos.  I like them because the are a great use of your mind, and time.  They challenge you.

So, when my mom agreed to give us her old TV armiore, I was thrilled, and moved it right in.

In doing this, I realized I had yet another piece of furniture I didn’t need. A coffee table that I’d gotten off Craigslist for about $6.00 with a set of other furniture.  It was in semi decent shape, but I’m trying hard to eliminate the extra in our house, so I planned to ask around & see if anyone wanted it.  That’s when I remembered this post from my lovely friend Jen.  She rules.  I remembered reading it, and thinking that my kiddos would love something like that too.  In fact, I almost wish I’d copied her….oh well.

I decided to take this table (In black) and the one behind it and make the kids (and my nephew … ) and make them into lego tables.

I’ve seen lego tables on the internet and on craigslist for $50-200.  Some were cool, but the ones in my price range were too small, or had little storage etc..

One is a coffee table, the other an end table.  Since my sister lives in a 2 bedroom apt. I thought the end table would be better for my nephew.

As you can see, the coffee table is a bit beat up, but still sturdy.

Then I looked up how much a lego base plate is.  They come in a few sizes and range in price from $5.00 to $30 depending on what you want. Because of the sizes of tables we were using, we opted for the smaller bricks.  This way we wouldn’t need to cut any of them.

I pitched the idea to Joe, and then did some more internet research on how to get them to glue to the top of the table.  Most I’d found used some form of cement that sounded really toxic & probably had a lovely odor to them.  I decided to go with silicone caulk, because if it’s good enough to bind my counter tops, it should work for a lil ol’ lego table.

Here are all the supplies we needed (and we didn’t use nearly all of it).

Plus this handsome guy to help make sure it’s all done correctly :)

Total cost broke down like this:

12 “bricks” from the Lego store @ 4.99 each is $70.00

2 pkgs of sand paper with 3 pieces per pack) (only 2 of the 6 used) $1.50

2 tubes of silicone caulk (only one used) 4.00

2 tables. The end table I’ve had 4 10 years, and the other I paid 6 for 3 months ago.

Total cost ( I subtracted a bit for the crap I can return)

$73.00 for 2 Lego tables.  Not that bad.  You could even save more if you decided not to cover every inch of the surfaces, like we did on the larger table.

Priming the table with sandpaper

Gluing them down

From start to finish this took us 20 min tops, and we have let it set for 2 days with some totes and boxes on top.

All done!

UPDATE: The caulk didn’t stick very well.  I think we needed to use more.  We haven’t tried yet, due to life throwing some curve balls our way.  Will update once we try it.  :)

Also, we gave it, and the reaction wasn’t as enthused as I’d hoped…. instead Jack freaked out about Santa giving him boxer br :)

 

 

 

Traditions

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We have been really enjoying some of our family traditions lately.

A new and wonderful one was doing this…..

I’ve always wanted 2 of the things in the photo above.  The stockings to be personalized, and a fireplace to hang them….. Just love it.

There’s also been loads of x-mas music playing all day and night.  I almost cry when I hear Jack singing the songs, or see Luke dancing to them.  Remind me to tell you about Luke and a certian song later.

Then there’s the tradition that we look forward to from the time Halloween is over and we know x-mas is on it’s way.

The Tree going up… We had lots of help this year and the placement of our ornaments reflect little boys taste :)

The making of cookies at home to share with our family…….

Then there’s the crem’ de’ la’ crem (sp?) The annual V family cookie day.

I kid you not (and if you’ve been a reader long enough you know that we make 29 different kinds of cookies, bars, and yummy treats. AND, most aren’t just a batch, but up to 6X of a batch.

To go even further, I thought I heard something like 15 lbs of butter and I know that for one kind of cookie, each family (there are 5) took home 60 of just that kind.

Here’s some of our haul today….

It’s fun, it’s yummy, and a tradition we enjoy every year.

**The spelling here may suck, but I’m having internet issues.  So, please excuse me. 

Where Do I Begin?

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I’m been MIA. 

Not for reals, but in my blog.

I want to post, but there are things….

Life things,

unsaid things,

Just things.

I feel just horrible because I have a ton to say about Joe’s 33rd brithday, and how much I adore the man.

Or, how Luke turned 2 last Friday, and how much I adore him too.

Or, How Jack’s only really been skating for 2 months, and he’s doing SO great. 

Or how sassy he has been, and how much it’s made me really want to teach him a lesson, and not give him a single gift for x-mas (horrible, I know)

I am here.  Lurking on other blogs, lacking comment for sheer laziness, or trying to but failing.

My days are filled with stuff, and things.

Last week, I went through a peroid of  days where I cried for no apparent reason. (Poor Joe)

I cried for the year we’ve had, for the stress of the commitments I’d made (and felt like I was failing to keep).

Hell, I even cried because Becca sent me the most amazing gift, and I will fail miserably at sending something, in any good amount of time, to her.

Have you ever noticed, as a Mom, that you expect youself to juggle 3 million balls in the air, have great hair, makeup, a great figure, and make it look effortless?  I feel like that.  I do that to myself though.

I want to get out of debt, get my x-mas cards sent, have my kids behave more then be naughty (they really do… just venting), have a house that is just a tad larger, cleaner, more organized, and I could go on……………….

Really, what I really want for X-mas this year though….

Is to have health.

Health for my little family

our extended family

our friends

Health and a better year then 2010. 

2010 had highlights for us, but too many lows.

I’m boring right now friends. 

If I were you I’d go read about the musings of living in MN when we get 15+ in of snow from Jenny.

Or check out this giveaway from Becca

This had me laughing out loud from Denise

This post from Chels makes me feel better that my shoppings almost done (Sorry Chels)

And Finally, I go here Every.Single.Day (almost) because the site, By Jen, is like my crack and I wish my house was this organized. :)

There are more, but for now, I hope you enjoy these, because lately I’m just a little lacking in the writing and boring to read. :)

*I didn’t spell check or go back and re-read this…. due to laziness and lack of care..thanks for understanding and not judging……

How to (un)successfully make a ginger bread train…

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First, wear something horrible….. like your hubbys blaze orange, long sleeved t-shirt (sans bra) and sweats.

Why?

You are then exempt from being in the photos looking as bad as you feel. 

Second, tell the kids there is candy involved.

You’ll get a face like this in return.

But some may not be as interested

Then again, you’ll have help from Daddy to wrangle them in.

So, here’s your kit

it even comes with an “Easy” tray….that should have been your first clue.

And, this guy’s still fairly happy.

Even if you have now shown him candy, and told him he can’t have any.

But you pacify him, and his brother, with the kneading of the frosting.

Back to smiles all around.

At this point, you think (while you are waiting for the kneading) that you should have just one photo of yourself.  This will prove that you were, in fact there, and show off your awesome red nose from all that blowing.

Then you will look up after the photo is taken and see you hubby, making fun of you, by imitating your faces to the camera (because you ended up taking 3-4 pictures of yourself & not liking any of them).

So, you will catch him and snap this one.

And this one.

At this point, however, you will realize that your 4 yr old has now acquired a pair of fiskars scissors.  VERY SHARP.  See.

Also, that your dog, can now easliy reach the table just by being near it, and she’s drooling at the smell of the kit.

So, you will attempt to regain control, and get going.

You will begin breaking apart pieces to get them ready.  And, you will mess up slightly.

However, because you’re a bit of a control freak, you will try to over compensate for the mistake, and instead, make it worse.

Hubby will remark that frosting will make it better. (because you are pouting)

The kiddo’s are now un-interested, and so hubby tries to fix this with a little surprise kool-aid to help keep them in their seats.  Since you really aren’t letting them eat the candy. (you mean old mom, you)

However, when your sister picked up said kool-aid at the store, she got the sugar FILLED kind, instead of the FREE kind.

See, here for a moment.

Drained like a frat boy’s first beer.

(literally 2 min later)

This let’s you know that you now have 10 min max to get the train out.

But, Alas, 10 min isn’t enough.  The sugar has kicked in, and instead of finishing, you are doing this (plus marsh mellows), or lastly this.

Train, un-successfully made. The night however, was a blast.