Christmas Parties and Teacher Gifts

To say that today has been exhausting would be an understatement. Sometimes I think about going back to teaching full time and then having a day like today, makes me reconsider the idea. I volunteered to help host Hannah's class Christmas party today. I had to pick Emma up at 10:45 from preschool to get there and set up. So, my morning was cut short by preparing for the party and then picking Emma up early from school. We went to her school, set up the party and then ate lunch with her. After lunch we hosted the party with one of the other moms. The kids made edible snowmen with marshmallows, icing, pretzel sticks, mini chocolate chips, red licorice, and mini m & m's. They were really cute but when they put a miniature peanut butter cup on top for the hat, they kept falling over! After that we played Christmas Bingo. The kids loved the prizes Hannah picked out for that and then they had a snack which Hannah helped me shop for too. We had Christmas tree cookies, red and green apple slices and chex party mix. Hannah was so sweet, she kept thanking me for volunteering. The first words out of her mouth this morning where, "Mommy, thank you for volunteering for my party. I'm so glad you're coming!" That makes this long, tiresome day worth it. We were at her school until 2:00 this afternoon. Then we came home and I printed the tags I wanted to use for their teacher gifts and got all of the teacher gift stuff packed up to take to dance with me. While Hannah danced I put together their gifts at the studio. We came home and ate dinner with Catherine and Rodney. She invited us for dinner which is always such a treat on dance nights when we don't have to rush home to fix something. After dinner we came home and played Hannah's new Advent game, Battleship! The girls were getting pretty good by the end at reading the grid and making guesses as to where the ships were on the opposing board. With time, they will be pros. They got to stay up a little past 8:00 to finish the game and then they both passed out pretty quickly tonight after such a fun, yet long day! Here are pictures of the teacher gifts and one from P.F. Chang's Tuesday night. You never know what to expect when Hannah, Emma and Auntie Catherine get together!


We picked up Borders gift cards over the past few months when we would go to the book store to pick up books for the business. We found these cute snowmen cards and got those for each of the girls' teachers and assistants.

I got these cute take out boxes last year at Target after Christmas. They had been $1.00 and I got them for 50 cents. I had the snowball ribbon in my gift wrap tub that I had gotten at Hallmark two Christmas' ago 1/2 price. I made the tag using tags and elements from parts of the Jolly Holiday Kit from this site. So cute! I thought it turned out pretty cute to be piece milled from so many different places! I told Joe how proud I was that even the gift card inside matched the packaging. I think my cuteness was lost on him. He wasn't that impressed! :(

I found this free template for giant candy bar wrappers here at another favorite scrapbook store and I wrapped giant hershey candy bars for each teacher with the wrappers I printed on cardstock.



For the director and assistant director at Emma's preschool, we got these Yankee candles and a candy bar. Catherine found these Yankee Candles at our local salvage store that sells overstocks and discontinued items. I don't know if this is a discontinued scent from Yankee Candle but I do know I like the price. This size jar candle is usually $20.00. She found them for $6.95! And they have snowmen to match our theme! Love it!


We wrapped them in felt bags from our half price shopping last year and made a matching tag!





Chopstick fun at P.F. Changs



I am exhausted from not being home all day and coming home to a messy house. I don't know if I could teach all day, go to dance, come home to cook and then clean up the house. I am amazed at how my mother did it and so many other working single moms. If I had to do it all by myself, I might have a melt down. I am going to go to bed early and thank the Lord in my prayers for a business where I can stay at home. (And ask him to send in some more orders so I can continue to do so!)