job chart.

The girls are currently interested in helping with dishes, laundry and a few other small cleaning tasks. I'm thinking it may be time to start a job chart. I thought this one looked like a good one, but would love to hear advice, what has worked for you, what hasn't, when you started, how you like it and any other tips you have.

last minute gift ideas from kids.

My girls are working on these to give to their grandparents for Christmas. I am having them color pictures at the top. The calendar is a free download that you can print at home, mount on cardstock and use a jewel tone cd case turned inside out as a stand. The perfect desk calendar. Pattern found here.

I love this version of the handprint. Perfect for grandparents, aunts and uncles or yourself to document where they are this year. Instructions found here.

Or make your own custom silhouette. They are timeless and I can't think of anyone who wouldn't fall in love with these. Directions found here.

All these ideas and a great list of others found on the lovely craftpad blog.

Happy gift giving...

help save handmade.

doll available at persimmonandpink.com

This may sound like an exaggeration, but due to the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, in just two short months all small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters will be shut down and out of business, period. This represents a huge portion of companies that are featured here on T+T.

We are begging for your help, there is a very comprehensive article on Cool Mom Picks that explains the entire situation in great detail and will keep you updated on things you can do to help save handmade. Please do what you can. We greatly appreciate your time and your help!

cookie extravaganza.

Every year during the first weekend of December you can find me up to my eyeballs in cookies. It's an annual event, it's exciting, competitive, creative, the perfect way to start the season.

 

The decorations are festive and add just the right ambiance.

The presentations of the cookies incredible.

The categories you can win? Best tasting chocolate cookie, best tasting non-chocolate cookie, the best presentation and the best recipe card.

The prizes, worth every hour spent planning, baking and executing.

We eat, and visit, vote and celebrate the holiday season

With Family and friends (some old, some new)

and in the end we go home with a box of the best Christmas cookies around!

It's one of my favorite holiday traditions, what are some of yours??

photo credits: Modern Day Photography

event credits: Laurie, Chelsea and Sis... You're amazing!

a couple things.

First of all, please join me in giving Carrian a huge Thank You!! I hope you were able to pick up a few tips and tricks to save you money on your groceries, I know I sure did.

Second, the Keen giveaway is still in full swing. Be sure to enter by Thursday at midnight to win an item of your choice up to $140!! 

and Finally, make sure to check back tomorrow for another amazing giveaway you're sure to want to enter.

Happy Wednesday.

image via marthastewart.com

office space.

My husband received a very sudden and unexpected job transfer back to Portland, so we are in the process of moving on essentially no notice. Lucky for us we had no renters in our house at the time of the news, and so we are moving back to our old house. The only small problem is that our old house is on the smaller side, so I have been scrambling trying to come up with efficient ways to save space, especially with baby number 3 on the way. I am thinking we might have to cook up something similar to this pottery barn office space. Plenty of storage, not a lot of wasted space. Yay or Nay?

a halloween invite.

Every year we like to throw a Halloween party. It's one of my favorite gatherings of the year! I've been looking for the perfect invitation idea and am thinking Martha may have the this years winner. Do you love it or hate it?