Wordless Wednesday

14 inches of snow on Monday, 60 degrees by Friday. They say if you don't like the weather in Hampton Roads, stick around for a day or two.

For more Wednesday fun, be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday HQ
Thanks for stopping by :)

Free Printable Calendars

This is so cool! I was looking at my calendar to make a doctor's appointment and realized that I am in dire need of a new 2011 wall calendar. Fortunately for me, I subscribe to Skip to My Lou and just found a great post on free printable calendars. Check it out!

I'm an owl lover, so I couldn't resist this one.


It's customizable and the artwork is beautiful. Very cool.

Got Snow? Here are some learning links for frosty fun.

We've had a record snowfall here. The third largest in our area in the last 100 years. And snow on Christmas day? That's never happened before here, at least not in the 37+ years that I've been here. It's been so beautiful to see and loads of fun playing and watching the kids sled. How about you? Were you effected by the recent storm?

Just for fun, here are some links to learn more about snow:

Why are snowflakes shaped like that?
http://chemistry.about.com/od/moleculescompounds/a/snowflake.htm

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceArtCategorizingSnowflakes2.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/3876/scienceofsnow.html

Why is snow white?
http://weather.about.com/od/winterweather/a/snow_white.htm

Other questions and answers about snow:
http://nsidc.org/snow/faq.html

Why do we put salt on the roads?
http://www.gryphonhouse.com/activities/activityDetail.asp?bookid=18325&page=557

http://www.gryphonhouse.com/activities/activityDetail.asp?bookid=10015&page=111

Snowflake cutouts
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/kids/kids.htm

Enjoy, and stay warm!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a safe and joyful 2011!

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wednesday fun, be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday HQ
Thanks for stopping by :)

Happy Holidays! Recipes and More

I know I said I'd be getting back in the swing of blogging, then have been silent here for a few days. I am trying to get it together, really.

I have been searching for and planning some projects for gift making with the kids. We are on a fixed budget, which is small this year and I think it is a great lesson for the kids to create handmade gifts for the family. Here are a few ideas I have come across that I thought would be fun and worth while.
Love these cookie recipes from Good Housekeeping...the basic dough is a great base for making several kinds to share with friends. Incidentally, if you have the Joy of Cooking, their basic recipe for 13 cookies (variations on a basic dough) is one I have used in the past with much success.
I also like these ideas for decorating with pine cones. We have a stash to paint along with acorns and walnuts. We'll be painting them silver, adding a little glitter and filling a lined basket for an easy centerpiece (it's on my list anyway.) Find more simple decorating ideas here (more cookie recipes as well...one can never have too many cookies, I say.)

For Christmas crafts and printables for kids, try Kaboose. And the Countdown to Christmas Advent calendar from about.com is an easy fix for filling a lull in your day. Find lots of fun ideas at your fingertips each day. For more easy fun, check out holidaycrafts4kids where you'll find crafts, word puzzles, hidden pictures, color by numbers and more for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Wishing you all many blessings and happy moments.
~Melissa