gettin' crafty: {diy} advent calendar

I have been searching for just the right advent calendar for the last few years to no avail. But this year pinterest gave me the confidence and inspiration to make my own. And I am so happy I did! My inspiration came from this photo:

                                                                 Source: sundayinbed.tumblr.com via Carina on Pinterest

There was no tutorial to go with it, though it seemed easy enough. So, I set to work!

It came together in an hour or two - so you still have plenty of time to get it together before December arrives! And if you're a few days late... well, who really cares?
Ok, now gather your supplies:

24 clothespins, spray paint, paintbrushes, glue or mod podge, patterned ribbon, a stencil, white paint, hot glue (not pictured) and wood.
A few notes: you can use a 2x4 and paint it any color you'd like. I used some pieces of our old fence - love the rustic look and I love repurposing.
Seriously, use whatever white paint you have. Craft paint, ceiling paint, acrylic, whatev.
I used three different patterns of ribbon. You can also use fabric, washi tape, or just leave your clothespins painted. Make it your own!

The first step is spray painting your clothespins.

I used colonial red, which was the perfect Christmas color for me.

Spray one side. Let them dry for a bit, flip them and spray again.

If you're covering the front with ribbon, you really just need to make sure the sides are well covered. Once you think they are good enough, leave them to dry for about 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime, cut 24 strips of ribbon or fabric. Just use your clothespin as a guide.

 The ribbon I chose already had adhesive on the back. Super handy and so quick!

Apply your ribbon to each clothespin. If yours doesn't have adhesive, or you're using fabric, you can use a little school glue or some mod podge. 

quick tip: did you know that mod podge is just diluted glue? Just add a little water, swirl, and voila! You've just saved yourself bundles of crafting cash!

Next up is stenciling your numbers. I positioned my clothespins about where I wanted them and then stenciled on each number just above.

Now fire up that hot glue gun. A thin line of glue on the back should be all you need to attach your pins to the wood.

Presto! You're done! So easy, and you've got yourself a lovely little Christmas keepsake.
What you decide to hang from your clothespins is up to you, but I've decided to have a fun little variety for the kids to get us into the Christmas spirit.

I found these free printable gift tags:

                                                                 Source: jonesdesigncompany.com via Carina on Pinterest

I am going to print out fun activities on some of them for several days... things like:
watching A Charlie Brown Christmas
going out to look at lights
baking cookies
fun Christmas crafts
singing carols and drinking hot chocolate
reading Christmas stories
sharing treats with our neighbors

We'll also have days where we say a prayer together for someone special
and read parts of the Christmas story from Scripture.

And no advent calendar is complete with out candy, amiright?
So most days will also include some of these:

                                                                       Source: peppermintplum.blogspot.com via Carina on Pinterest

How cute are those?!
That's the final touch, which I will attempt to whip up tomorrow.

I am so excited - this is the best time of year. And as my kids get older, I LOVE making every day magical. Happy advent, one and all!
What fun and crafty Christmas projects are you working on?

two more ladies i love

Let me introduce to two more fantastic ladies. Grab a warm bev, snuggle up with a cozy blanket and read on... 

ashley at sugar mama bakeshop

Hey there! I'm Ashley. I love to create delicious gluten free & vegan desserts and recipes. You can buy mixes at Sugar Mama Bakeshop and they make perfectly sweet little gifts for anyone on your list! (Have you thought about teacher gifts? Best friend? Your grandma? The mailman?)

Baked goods make such a lovely gift and especially if you know anyone with a restricted diet (no gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, etc) I can promise you they will be thrilled to have holiday sweets they can actually enjoy :)

I am so thankful for so much right now it's crazy, but here's my top 3:

*A safe, warm place to call home. It isn't our first choice of a place to call home but I'm incredibly thankful for it. You can read more about that here if you're interested.

*Community. I have found such a wonderful, encouraging and supportive community through blogging and I'm extremely thankful for it!

*My sweet wonderful little family. This is Lily's first trip to the zoo... She's clearly not nearly as excited about it as mom & dad.

Oh yeah, because I love Carina's blog and you obviously do too... I'm offering 25% off your order with the code MERRYCHRISTMAS. Woo! OR get free shipping when you order 8 or more mixes! Just enter OVER8 at checkout! Also message me if you need them individually gift wrapped and I'll hook you up :)

shop . blog . twitter . facebook


esther at lovingly thrown together

Hi there Punk, Pumpkin, Peanut readers! How much do you love Carina and her little guys? I just love being a sponsor over here. It makes my heart happy to see my little button over yonder.

My name is Esther and I blog over at Lovingly Thrown Together. I’m a 23-year-old wife to sizzling hot dude who is the kindest soul on the planet and the mama of one little guy we call Jake-the-Snake who is 14-months-old and keeps me on my toes.

My blog is where I share the good, the bad, and the ugly about being an amateur at this whole housewife thing. I cook, I clean, and I craft… but mostly I play because it’s all my little stinker likes to do. I just try to keep it real.

This Thanksgiving, I am praising God for:

1. My son's feet. Why? So many reasons. Three of them are: he laughs when I bite them and I love his laugh. He uses them to walk to me to give me an open mouth, wet kiss. He kicks them when he's happy.

2. My husband's faith in God.  I'm so grateful to have a guy by my side who considers God before he considers me. Coming from a background where spirituality is for women, I consider myself blessed to be married to a man who isn't afraid to lift his hands to the Lord. 

3. My refrigerator. Every time I open it I remember how fortunate I am to not have to fear that my family will go hungry. 

I hope you’ll hop on over to my corner in blog-land and check out the story of a girl discovering motherhood and domesticity. Oh and, just for good measure, you can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. 

sponsor love! (and a giveaway)

These lovelies are not only sponsors, but wonderful friends. I have SO enjoyed each one and I know you will too. Read on and be blessed!

hello! i'm hannah singer.

i enjoy each day as wifey to patrick, and mama to elijah grey.

what a treat to sponsor carina and her sweet blog!

isn't she the greatest?

carina asked what i'm thankful for.

e v e r y t h i n g

thanksgiving is one of my most favorite times of the year!

this season makes me reflect on the little things,

like cozy quilts and extra marshmallows in my hot cocoa.

a bigger thing i'm thankful for is being able to stay home with our little guy

being his mother is one of my dearest blessings.

i'm most grateful for the relentless grace of jesus.

what a journey this life is! just over two years ago,

we moved from maryland to north dakota.

through the many changes we've experienced as a family, 

we have become more closely knit to each other and the lord. 

i blog at happy days. there you'll find the eclectic mix that is my life. 

i'm passionate about adoption, paper goods, homemaking, cupcakes, 

coffee and encouraging others. stop by and say hello! 

blog :: twitter :: pinterest

I'm Vivian. I'm a Colombian and a Mormon living in Utah. A Housewife, all things pretty lover, party planner, avid decorator, crafty, world traveler, healthy food fanatic, but above all a MOTHER. I can dance in my dreams as I try to make the world a better place. P.S: And who says Colombians can't have babies with BLUE EYES?

I'm grateful for my eyes that I can see beauty all around me 

I'm grateful for my ears that I can hear the music that keeps my heart beating

I'm grateful for two feet that keep me dancing through life.

blog ::facebook

I'm Alyx, and my blog is Every Day is a New Adventure. The hubs and I are currently living it up in the middle of nowhere, Germany, while I teach English to a bunch of high schoolers out here. I got pretty into blogging a couple of months ago, and this here blog is where I share all sorts of stuff - recipes, random thoughts, funny [to me] little anecdotes, things my students say [there can be some funny ones], sometimes tutorials, sometimes fashion stuff, always a new adventure. Come on over and stay a while!

 I'm thankful for: 

1. My health

2. My family

3. The opportunities in life that I've been given

Hi!  I'm Cara - Carina and I went to undergrad together, and ever since then, I've been trying to make this cool girl be my friend.  [I now boastfully  claim the title of being Carina's Pinterest BFF, and let's be honest: I wouldn't have it any other way.]  A former high school English teacher, I enjoy all things wordy, even though spend my days working full-time for a ministry organization called Young Life.   As per my blog, it's a place for me to write about faith and the funnies alike, life with my very own HBH (hot black husband), James, and our neurotic border collie, Mr. Darcy, while also gettin' my craft on.  Come and visit - let's be friends!

Not that I normally do giveaways, but as I'm making several of these for an upcoming craft fair to support Young Life, we'll throw in an extra one for the lucky subscribers of the blog - so subscribe now, will ya?  On it you can be guaranteed that the English teacher formerly known as myself will have some obscure, yet beautifully meaningful quote inscribed.  (The idea is coming from this Pinterest link, and will look something like this picture, below)

Want to win that fantastic scarf? Hop on over to Cara's blog, subscribe and comment.

She'll pick a winner on Wednesday, best of luck!

want to sponsor?

email me!

punkpumpkinpeanut {at} gmail {dot} com

details are all new this month

ad swaps available!

black friday love

At this moment, I am experiencing my first official Black Friday outing. Actually, a few years ago I attempted going downtown with my friends for the parade with baby Lute in tow and it was a little cah-razy. One man even reprimanded me for bringing a stroller into Starbucks on Black Friday. What now? That's the holiday spirit!


But tonight is my first ever attempt at getting to a store when it opens. I am not an early morning girl, so when Target decided to open their doors at midnight, I was all over it. I mean, I am kind of a night owl, and it's Target. And it's really just for fun because the day after Thanksgiving is way too early for my procrastinating ways, you know?


But, this is my happy Black Friday to you! I have been working on a few little goodies for the shop and today through Monday I am offering 20% off with the code: blackfriday. 
And on top of that, I am going to send a sweet little surprise to the first 4 people who make a purchase!

Want more uhhhmazing deals?

Check out all the Black Friday love over at Much Love, Illy!

Shop on!

thankful

(credit)

{happy thanksgiving, friends! i am thankful for you.}

64,000

That number up there is how many additional meals the Union Gospel Mission in my city prepared last year. Additional meals. The numbers are growing all the time and it breaks my heart. There are 8,900 homeless people here. That is mind blowing to me. 

That was the gospel reading at church this week. The week of Thanksgiving. The week that I have been bemoaning my station as wife and mother and purveyor of all things laundry. 
It's cold outside, it's been raining around the clock, and there are over 8,900 people in my city that are without shelter, food, love.


That is daunting. What can I do? One mom with three little boys in tow?
Not much. But we aren't called to do much, we're just called to do something.
So that's what I have to do.
I bought handwarmers this week. They are only a dollar a piece at Target right now, so I could manage. I am also going to make some egg muffins (thanks again, pinterest!) and deliver them this week with my family, along with a note of love and a prayer.
It doesn't seem like much, but...

I watched this short video today. It touched me, hurt my heart, and gave me hope. 

One Meal / One Hope 2011 from Seattle's Union Gospel Mission on Vimeo.

I feel a nudge of hope every time I hear a story of people giving what they can.

Like our cousin, who took his students out on the streets of DC last week to share meals with the homeless, a friend who gave her comforter to a man she passes every day on the street, another friend who organizes collecting Christmas gifts for families in her town.

There is so much need, but I am absolutely sure that there is more love.

We just have to figure out how to share it.

Do you have a story to share?

(if you want to give to the Union Gospel Mission, here's the link.)

reality check.

Last night my husband asked me if I thought my blog was an accurate picture of my life.

The short of it: yes and no.

My hope is that this little space is a place of gratitude for all things. For hardships, triumphs, tiny blessings and completely undeserved graces.

But do I share every detail? No.

There are days I could go on an on about the things that just kind of suck. Days when I feel blue, disheartened, discouraged, drained.

I definitely have those days. 

This last week was kind of a blur of those kind of days all mashed together.

I can get my feelings hurt easily, I care about what people think more than I’d ever like to admit, I don’t like getting up early, I hate cleaning the floor, laundry is the bane of my existence, I wallow selfishly in dreams of what I would do with more me time.

I get tired.

Other people tell me that those feelings are normal, and I say the same thing to other tired moms. Burnt out, worn out, ready for a break moms.

But last night as I was driving to a much needed night with my sister to drink wine and snuggle my new niece, I turned on the radio.

(Confession: I am a secret closet listener of cheesy Christian music. I love it and it feeds my soul, so.)

Have you heard the song Do Everything? Every single time I hear it, I have to turn it up, because it’s about me. It’s probably about you, too.

Is it normal to feel burnt out? For sure. 
But what do I do with that?

What do I do when the last thing I want to do is fix another meal or play another round of Candy Land, or repeat for the 412th time that, no actually, we don’t color the windowsills?

For me, I know the only thing I can do is pray. Pray for strength and joy and the ability to delight in my children. I want to do all things to His glory, and most of all, that means being a mother that is exuding the love of Christ.

Most of the time, it isn’t easy. But that means it’s worth something... that means that I have the opportunity to give sacrificially, to grow in love and be changed for the better by giving it up. 

Or I could wallow, but then I would be miserable and everyone else would definitely be miserable.

The truth is, lately, the good days far outnumber the bad.

Like exponentially. 

But the bad ones still exist. And it’s more than ok to feel like you’re just over it.

This weekend, I felt over it.

And then the cutest 4 year old on the planet told me he loves me more than anything in the world, asked me if he could snuggle me,

and all the rest just kind of melted away.

I want this to be my happy space. Is it an accurate picture of every mundane detail, every scrap of discouragement? Heck no. 

But it's genuine. I am not sugar coating anything or faking my way through my portrayal of our lives.

I really am grateful. SO grateful. Because every dirty dish, every spilled cup of milk, every piece of furniture rebelliously colored with crayolas, means my life is full of little people to love. I wouldn't trade it for endless hours of shopping or coffee drinking or sitting in a quiet movie theater. (though those things are all very, very appealing.) I wouldn't trade it for anything.

So today I’m thankful for the crappy days that make the good days seem all the better, and for music that reminds me that things really aren't all that complicated.

And I am thankful for wine nights with my sister because those kind of help, too. 

not completely useless

I am reposting this room redo I did a few months back because it is being featured on one of my most favorite blogs - Better After. I found it a month or so ago and to say I love it is an understatement. Thanks, Lindsey!

I have big dreams. They usually involve stunning the world with my creativity and natural giftedness with all things artistic. As I may have mentioned in the past, my REAL natural giftedness is the art of procrastination. Yep, got that one nailed. 

I love redecorating projects. I love photography. I love painting and drawing, knitting... creating. But as reality would have it, my spare moments are spent in a tired heap on the couch, rather than in fits of productivity. Case in point, I was looking at a page in Real Simple this month presenting the best dusters on the market, depending on which job you're trying to accomplish - dusting under furniture, on top of shelves or artwork, etc. All I could think is, When was the last time I dusted? And I couldn't remember. 

BUT, this weekend was different. I shipped the oldest off to my mom and dad's, and they did an awesome job of keeping him totally entertained (so much so that he had an extremely hard time readjusting to the presence of the little two come Monday morning), and my gracious husband completely took over all baby duties. Why? Well, it had something to do with my guilt over my four year old boy sleeping in a room completely covered floor to ceiling in floral print. 

So, I formed a game plan, bought the supplies and set to work. Stripping wallpaper is no joke. It took about eight tedious hours, but it got done. And now I feel like I can do anything!

I'm sure I was not the most efficient wallpaper stripper in all the land, but I got it done, and the room was downright scary at that point. I gathered my primer and paint and went to work. I spray painted his dresser and letters to go above his bed. I repurposed an old bookshelf, bought a few new frames and a fun new rug with roads and tracks (my not so secret hope is that it will keep him occupied in the first hours of morning light. Maybe he can invite his brothers in?). And in two days, this was the result:

He could not believe his new digs and I couldn't believe how much I could get done when someone else took over kid duties. I am on a roll, folks - watch out! Now, who's takin' them next week?

be still my heart

I love this boy with all my heart. 
He has more personality than I thought was possible for such a little peanut.
He started laughing like he knew some secret joke practically from birth... and it has brought more joy and laughter into my life than I could ever have hoped for.
He is a snuggler, a nestler, and knows just which crook of my neck to rest his head in.

He just turned two.
And if I think about it too long my heart gets a little achy and my eyes get a little teary.
But then he'll do something, say something, crack himself up... and everything is just as it should be.
I am smitten with this kid... I might be in trouble.


George, you're still my baby. Sorry, it's just the way it's gonna be. 
I'll love you forever, you little punk.