With the new year comes all the New Year's Resolutions for a variety of things. It seems like every year I find my New Year's resolution going strong for about 2-3 weeks then slowing dying. This year I have pledged to do a couple things different starting with no New Year's resolutions! This year instead of New Year's resolutions we are celebrating memories. So in the vast array of Blogs, Pinterest pins, shared projects, and emails I started searching for ways to celebrate memories. One of my very favorite was one that I found on the DIY Cozy Home Blog. Below are these lovely luminaries that she had created out of pictures printed on vellum. Check out this link for all the instructions on this project.

Glowing Photo Luminaries

I over the next week we will be creating these as we decorate our house for Valentines with pictures from our wedding, the birth of our kids, vacations, special moments, graduations, and so much more. Best of all we are celebrating memories and when all our family gathers for a Valentine's dinner we will be able to use these to share those great memories.

The other way we have decided to celebrate the New Year besides resolutions is by dreams (Goals). On the 31st right before midnight everyone put 10 dreams (goals) in our Family Dream Catcher (an old mason jar with a lid that I printed a label for) and sealed it. We also wrote these dreams on a piece of paper that was folded and put in our sock drawer. On New Year's Eve 2014 we will be opening our Dream Catcher Jar and remembering the dreams for the new year and finding out how many we actually made come true. I have to say I was amazed at the thought and careful thinking that went into our list, but in the end it is a great way to teach your kids how to set goals and work to achieve them.

The last thing I personally vowed to do in the coming year was to share my thoughts, fears, love, accomplishments, and failures with our family and friends. So many times people do not share about themselves, but about the kids, husband, things that make them mad, or things they are doing, but we leave out true feelings.This is one things I have struggled with all my life, so this year there will be different. Starting today. Sometimes as a mom we seem to get caught up in the kids, work, husband, activities, and the daily chores of those God gifted rolls we have been given that we tend to forget who we are. Ever since one of my biggest dreams died a hard and painful death in 2013 I have been trying to find the means to cope and move on past what was lost and what is to come, instead of what I wanted to happen. Don't get me wrong The Copper Cottage is everything I love and is growing and making my new dreams come true, but there is steal a morning for the old dream. One of the things that I realized is that to achieve the old dream I had to be someone besides me. I had to act a certain way, do things a certain way, make decisions based on everyone's approvals and not on my own instincts and morals, and most of all set everything I love on a shelf to collect dust while I chased a dream of impossibilities. As I reflect on the past year I found that I never want to travel that road again, I fear the day that I lose me to satisfy everyone else, I fear losing my family to follow a want, and I most of all hate that I failed myself. I also realised that my failure taught our children not to be afraid of chasing dreams and don't be scared of failing so much that they are only dreams, that when things fall apart you find out who your real friends and true family (not always blood) are, but most of all you find the courage to dream something else and start over. So for 2014 my dream is to build The Copper Cottage into the family business that my husband and I dreamed it to be where all of our kids can find a place in when they are ready. To find peace with the past and forgive those that hurt me, but most of all find joy and peace for me!

Valentine Cards

Valentine Card Fun

Every year I try and come up with some unique and fun way to create Valentine cards for Gracie's classmates. We have done everything from melting old crayons to make a colorful crayon heart to folding Valentine fortune tellers. This year I have been on the hunt for this years treasured Valentine Card Craft and thought I would share with you some of the amazing ideas I have found that all the family can enjoy putting together.

This is the one we have chosen to do for this year! I found each of these bottles of juice (not real juice unfortunately) in a pack of 6 for a $1.00, a bag of Hershey's Kisses with coupon cost me about $2.00, and I bought several spools of different red, white, and pink curling ribbon on clearance for a little bit of nothing.  The labels are something I buy in bulk so we already had them. So for less than $10.00 we will be able to create these amazing valentines for Gracie's class of 21 kids and have a few left over for the teacher, teacher's aid, and bus driver!

idea from pinterest.com

I've been "minion" to wish you a Happy Valentines is one that many people love. This is an easy craft to do and is great for kids. This idea came from http://crabbyfam.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentines.html. To create these wonderful valentines I first gather all the items needed and set them out before I call the kids to help. The first thing I do is use a paper punch to cut out the white circle and light brown circle from scrapbooking paper. I then use another paper punch to create the heart and then wrote on each heart. Next I cut out of the grey and black strips of ribbon to fit around the twinkie. Now time to call in the kids. I gave each of them a small dixie cup that contained glue and a small paint brush. first we glued the ribbon strips around the twinkie package (be careful not to squeeze it). While that glue was drying we put together each of the eyes. First we glued the plastic eye to the white circle then glued this piece to the lt brown circle. Once all these were complete we then glued the eye to the grey ribbon . Next we glued the heart to the back of the twinkie. Let all glue dry for 24 hours. This will be a big hit at any Valentines Party.

For all those little soldiers out there, this Valentine is just for you. This is another Valentine that can be created for less than $10.00 and fun for everyone. I found the toy soldiers at our local dollar store and they came in a pack of 10 for $1.00. We actually looked at the local craft supply store and found some cardstock that had different types of camo in different colors to print our cards on. Don't worry made some just for the girls with pink and purple camo card stock. Then I printed each of the cards on the card stock in black ink and cut them out. We punched two holes in each card and tied the army guy to each card. For more detailed instructions and free card printable please visit  http://www.armelleblog.com/2013/02/army-valentines-free-printable.html,

http://camillestyles.com/valentines-day/10-best-printable-love-notes/?slide=6 is where I found this adorable idea.That can also be fun and exciting for your lil one to give to all their friends! There are several templates online for the printable jar tags and you can add your own personal saying to each one or use the one displayed. The kids will have more fun choosing who gets what bug from the package of bugs you can buy at Walmart or even the dollar store and using a glue dot to attach to the card. 

These are just a few amazing ideas to make those Valentines card fun and exciting.

Warm Drinks and Treats for Friends!

With the winter and the holidays fast approaching comes many days off from school and if your house is like mine I always seem to have extra kids hanging out. So I have decided to share two of my favorite recipes that are always a hit on those cold days when our kids fill our house with their friends.

The first one is a cookie recipe.

 Cookie  Candy Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
Hershey’s Kisses or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or Favorite Small Candy

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift dry ingredients together with a wire whisk and set aside.
3. Beat butter and peanut butter together with mixer on medium speed.
4. Add sugar to butter and peanut butter mixture, beating until fluffy.
5. Add egg and vanilla to mixture .
6. Add dry ingredient mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well.
7. Roll dough into 1 to 1 1/2" balls, then roll in sugar coating well.
8. Press ball into mini muffin pan leaving hole in middle ( should look like a pie crust in each hole)
9. Fill holes with favorite candy such as Peanut Butter Cups, Kisses, Snickers Bits, Peppermint Pattie Bites... 
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
11. Can drizzle top with melted chocolate if desired. 

Some ideas for these cookies: Substitute the peanut butter cookie dough for your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Also fill centers of cupcakes with favorite preserves. 

This recipe is from one of our favorite websites www.bakerella.com and is a no fail hit in our house ever year!

What is the best and easiest way to make hot chocolate for a crowd?

In the crock-pot!

Crockpot Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups of chocolate chips (milk chocolate OR semi-sweet depending on how sweet you like it. I have a heck of a sweet tooth, and I love the milk chocolate, but others prefer the semi-sweet)

Instructions

1. Stir together the whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips in a crock pot.
2. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and chocolate chips are melted. 
3. Stir again before serving.
4. Top with some whip topping or marshmallows for an amazing treat that will make you the best mom ever!