December Daily - Day 20

The kids got emails from Santa. I'm telling you, Santa rocks. He thinks of everything. With technology the way it is and all, of course Santa has email. It's such a great confirmation that he knows who you are, and what it is you've asked for. And since Madelyn has asked for a 'tiger' this year. That's right, a real. Live. Tiger. I'm kind of interested to see how Santa is going to handle that...

Products used in this layout:

Sahlin Studio - Project Mouse Christmas
Sahlin Studio - Making Spirits Bright - Number Cards and Bits. 

December Daily - Day 19

We have an Elf. An Elf on the Shelf. His name is Calvin. He's been with us a few years now. Keeps coming back to our family, and we're grateful. He kindly takes the kids letters to Santa for us. And then he brings them back to me, because he knows how much I like to scrapbook. To include these little momentos. So today is just these letters to Santa, in a page protector.

Day 19:

I apologize for the terrible scan, but I just couldn't seem to get it work properly.

Products used:

Sahlin Studio portion of MPM - December - Joy [alphabet tiles]
Add ons for MPM Decmeber Kit - Joy

December Daily - Days 17 & 18

Can you believe that my kids were off school yesterday and I'm already caught up. Way to go! So happy with myself!

Here is Day 17:

Every year we make ginger snaps. We make cookies to give to teachers, and we were running out of time. So, we made cookies on the 17th. Every year Madelyn gets a little bit more interested. This year she actually helped roll all the dough into balls. And as usual, they are delicious. One always tastes like another.

Day 18:

So, The Hobbit was released on the 17th. There has been a ridiculous amount of build up, waiting for the release of this movie. One of Mason's friends from the hockey team was going to see it, and invited Mace to go along. He was so eager, he even snubbed his Scout Christmas party. His Dad however, wasn't able to. As a Scout leader, he had to go to Scouts. [Even though I know he wanted to go to the movie] Any way, because I wasn't there, I didn't get a ticket stub, or a picture, but I intend to get a photo of the boys together and add it in here.

Products Used in these pages:

Day 17

Sahlin Studio - Making Spirits Bright Number Bits and Cards
Sahlin Studio - Photo Overlays - Christmas No. 1
Sahlin Studio portion of December's MPM Kit - Joy

Day 18

Add ons - December MPM kit - Joy
Sahlin Studio - Making Spirits Bright Number Bits and Cards

December Daily - Days 15 & 16

I started to put together an advent calendar for the kids this year. I got envelopes ready. I numbered them 1 - 24. Then I grabbed my calendar to see which nights we had available, to do the odd fun thing. Outings like: go look at lights, go for hot chocolate, in lieu of being in a blizzard, go for one at DQ.  Imagine my surprise, when we didn't have a single night without something going on. Between hockey, ringette, Scouts and Guides, we have the 23rd of December available. Yeah. That's right. It's our first free night... Needless to say, I didn't do the advent calendar, but was pleased that one night after a hockey practice, the kids were able to watch the Grinch.

Day 15: 

  
Day 16:

We, or at least I, considered Barry's Christmas Party, date night... It was a night out. And to be honest, the first 45 minutes, when we went to the lounge, just the 2 of us, for a drink, before everyone got there, was the best.

Products used in these layouts:

Day 15

Sahlin Studio - Making Spirits Bright

Sahlin Studio - Making Spirits Bright Number bits and cards

Add on's for December MPM - Joy

Day 16

Sahlin Studio - Counting down Number Tags

Add on's from the December MPM - Joy.

December Daily - Days 11, 12, 13 and 14

Last weekend was hectic.

Like ridiculously busy.

Both kids were in tournaments. Mason was in a hockey tournament that we were hosting. And let me just say, hosting a tournament is a LOT OF WORK. Don't be fooled. Your weekend will be a blur. So much time volunteering. The worst part of it is, you don't even get to see your kid play a game. Because you're doing stuff. Hence the reason I do not have a single picture of Mason all weekend long. But it's okay. It's over now. I lived to tell the tale.

Madelyn was in a ringette tourney in a nearby town. We were not hosting. I got to see all of her games. Hence the pictures of her.

But first, before the tournaments began, my walking girls had a brunch/coffee get together. It was delightful. 

Day 11:

Then, onto the weekend...

Day 12:

Madelyn played goalie, for the first time ever. And she found out about it when we arrived at the rink. Which was the perfect way for her to find out about it. Had she known beforehand, she would have fret about it all night long.

In ringette, you play tourneys DURING THE DAY on the Friday. Unusual, but we went with the flow.  She had her first game at 8:15 am, so she played, and then we took her back to school.

The back of day 12, is a full page of the first 12 days of Calvin. He is still a rascal. 

Day 13:

Journaling explains the story. We had a ringette game, which was around the same time as one of Mason's hockey games. All Madelyn's grandparents came to watch her play. Then we went to my in-laws for dinner. The boys came out and met us.

Day 14:

I was able to watch Mason's last game. It was a close game, and the teams were evenly matched, but sadly the other team won. I did get a few photos of the medals being handed out.

Products used in these layouts:

Day 11

 Add on's for the MPM - December Joy collection

Day 12

Add on's for the MPM - December Joy collection
Sahlin Studio -  Making Spirits Bright - number bits and cards
Sahlin Studio - MPM - Joy Add on - Photo Overlays - Christmas No. 1


Day 13

Add on's for the MPM - December Joy collection. 
Sahlin Studio - Project Mouse Christmas [2013]


Day 14

Add on's for the MPM - December Joy collection.

December Daily - Day 9 and 10

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Product Used in these layouts:

Day 9:

MPM - December - Joy - Words Spoken Challenge, this one is a free download. Check it out here.
Sahlin Studio - Counting Down number tags.

Day 10: 

More add-ons from this months MPM - Joy.

December Daily 2014 - Day 8

I've done it! I've caught up!!  So, I'm going to post them. I'm going to post them in small bunches. Be patient.

This page uses some of the add-ons for the December MPM, Joy. Find out all about it here at the Lilypad.

PL2014 - Weeks 39 through 42

Here are a few project life weeks bunched together. Between project life and December Daily, I have indeed come to a screeching halt. For project life pages, I have as far up to week 43... So a ways to go.

For my December Daily, I'm mostly caught up to December 14th. Last Sunday. Just have to plug slowly away. The kids are now finished school for a couple of weeks [whoot-whoot] so there will indeed be a few late nights in the mix, trying to catch up. Looking forward to a quiet couple of weeks. Our calendar had/has been booked with something, in the evening, every single day. As of the 23rd, our calendar is open. Thankful for that. I need a rest. We all need a rest. 

Week 39:
 

This week was unseasonably warm, which was awesome for our walking ladies. We met for brunch and a walk this week. We even ate brunch outside! We celebrated Barry's bday this week. Mason read a book from an author we know! So exciting! Then the it got cold. Really cold, in time for Madelyn to have her very first Girl Guide Camp. In tents... Mace went to his first movie. By himself. With a friend. They saw the Maze Runner.  


Week 40: 

This week back to nicer temps again. Managed to get out with the doggie a few times. Volunteered for a Grade 4 field trip to the science center. Had a lunch date with my girl. Captured some every day things. 

Week 41:

This week I made my first apple crumble of the season. Yummy! Went for ringette photos, found out who our team was. Had thanksgiving at M&D's place. I came down with a wicked cold, that knocked the wind out of me. Scouts had a wiener roast at Edworthy Park, that Miss Madelyn, Libby and I tagged along for. 

Week 42:



This week started off, by attending the Board of Trustees meeting, where Madelyn had been asked to speak at! So exciting and so super proud of her! Both houses, on either side of our old little house sold, and were torn down. So sad. A hockey exhibition game. Little reader girl, totally immersed in Percy Jackson. A walk to split rock. And a banner party for the 'Lil' Devils' ringette team.

Sahlin Studio Products Used:

Week 39:

Currently Journal Cards
Gather washi Tape [MPM - Add on]
Magical Photo Overlays 


Week 40:

Documentary Kit

Magical Photo Overlays 


Week 41:

Gratitude - Sahlin Studio portion of the Memory Pocket Monthly
Wood Veneers - thankful 
Gratitude Word Art
Gather washi Tape [MPM - Add on]


Week 42:

Chesterfield Kit
Chesterfield Journal Cards

December Daily - Day 7

There hasn't been any 2 page spreads yet. Our trip to the Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday definitely warranted 2 pages. It's been about 5 years since the last time we got to the Teddy Bear Toss. It's such a highly anticipated afternoon out. It's awesome to watch all the people coming to the Saddledome with their arms full of stuffed animals.

We won the tickets at a silent auction, for Mason's hockey team. We had no idea that it was a suite. It was such a fun experience. We ended up having 6 tickets, so asked my Mum and Dad to join us. It's the only way to watch a game, that's for sure!!

The following products used in this layout:

Sahlin Studio portion of the Memory Pocket Monthly, for the month of December, JOY. 

Sahlin Studio - joy, number add on.

Also, I used Stolen Momen Design - joyful paper - available add on

Sara Gleason, - joy - available add on

December Daily - Day 6

This is the first year, in all the years I've done this, that I finally feel comfortable in my own skin. That I finally feel comfortable with my style. With my way of capturing stories. Don't get me wrong, I see other ideas, and think, LOVE IT. But this year is the first time, that I've sat down at my computer, and simply created.

And I have to say, I'm loving it.

I'm a few days behind, but not sweating the small stuff. I know falling behind is going to happen. It's okay. I'm taking it one day at a time.

Sahlin Studio Product used: 

Making Spirits Bright

Also used Stolen Moment Design, Joyful Elements Add-on for Memory Pocket Monthly - JOY kit.
Sara Gleason - Arboretum Elements - Add-on for Memory Pocket Monthly - JOY kit.

December Daily - Day 5

Here is day 5.

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Sahlin Studio - Memory Pocket Monthly - Joy - Number add ons

Also used on this page: 

Sara Gleason - Arboretum JOY - Memory Pocket Monthly add on.

December Daily - Day 4

Still managing to keep up! Last night Mason's scout group went sledding. We're a couple of days away from a full moon. [I think it's full this Saturday] I dropped him off and took a few photos with my iphone, which were terrible. I brought my Nikon with me to pick him up and took a few photos. Love sledding at night, it adds just a little bit more excitement to the adventure. Mace even let me take a few photos quite willingly. They didn't turn out super. I had to crank the ISO way up. But I captured the cluster of kids, some of them sledding, a house with it's Christmas lights on, and the nearly full moon. I'm pretty happy with the photo. It's kind of dark and moody, and was very similar to the actual conditions.

What you don't see in the picture though, is my chattering teeth. Although we were very lucky, I think it was only -5° Celsius. Almost balmy after last weeks freezing temps.

For this page I used the Making Spirits Bright collection, from Sahlin Studio.

December Daily - Day 3

If memory serves me correct, it seems that last year I did awesome keeping up with my DD album until about day 5 or 6. And then the craziness sets in. But day 3, and still hanging in there!

Sahlin Studio Memory Pocket Monthly - JOY - Counting Down,  Numbers Add on.

Sahlin Studio Making Spirits Bright bundle. 

Sara Gleason - Arboretum - Joy - Add on

Stolen Moment Designs - Memory Pocket Monthly - Joy - Joyful Paper Add on.

PL2014 - Week 38

Just quickly updating my project life stuff. Here is week 38. I have a few more weeks to catch up on, but I'm holding in there!

Week 38:

This week included a much needed coffee break. And sadly, that was the LAST time we had coffee together, though we did manage a dinner together in November. Trying to learn how to walk on a leash. Working on a headboard for Mason's room. A trip to the ultrasound technician for miss thing. [Everything is just fine] A boy and his dog. A trip to the groomer, before and after. [She is in desperate need to get there again right now] An anniversary celebration.

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Autumn Frost 

December Daily - Dec 2

Here is my page for day 2. I'm trying to focus on capturing one story a day, to add to my album. This story is about Mason's Christmas Concert at school. We thought that we were through with them, this year Madelyn is in division 2, and they don't have a Christmas concert, rather they have a spring concert. [The division 1 kids have the Xmas concert] We were glad to get to see Mace perform in choir. They did a great job, and sounded really lovely. Of course, kids voices always sound lovely.

I used the number card from Sahlin Studio Making Spirits Bright bundle.

The other elements/cards are from several different designers, and are add on kits that coordinate with this months Memory Pocket Monthly Kit, JOY, at The LilyPad. The designers are: Sara Gleason and Stolen Moment Design.

December Daily 2014

I. Can't. even.

Right now, I'm behind.  So far behind I think I'm first. I've got so many different things on the go, and all of them are suffering. I need to think long and hard about how my January is going to start off. And I sincerely hope it starts off on the right foot.

This is my 6th year of following along with Ali Edwards idea of the December Daily. And this year I'm completely winging it. I have always put my album together before hand, so that I just have to add pictures or journaling. I feel like I've already set myself up for failure. Because today, I have a title page, an intro page, and day one...

But darn it. I'm going to do my best to keep it up.

We decorated our place this past weekend. And I brought out all my past albums. I sat and read through them. The kids sat and read through them. And they used to be so little. My kids that is. And I'm so glad I captured bits and pieces of those past years. So I'm going to do my very best, to capture bits and pieces of this year too. Because one day I'll look back and say, "Oh my goodness... They were 12 and 9"

Here's my title page:




Here is my intro page:



Here is day

So cheers to December! Cheers to the stories of our lives!

Sahlin Studio Products used:

Sahlin Studio Portion of the Memory Pockets Monthly - JOY 

Christmas Photo Overlays - Memory Pocket Monthly - JOY - Add-On

Making Spirits Bright

 

PL2014 - Week 37

I still haven't managed to get my week in the life stuff sent off to be printed. It's ready to go at least. At this time of year, my head begins to fill with all the things I want to do and accomplish...I have so many project on the go it seems. I need a few all-nighters. But right now, that is the farthest thing from my mind. By 10:30 pm these days, I can hardly keep my eyes open. I kind of hope that isn't the new normal...

Here is week 37 of my project life:

This week: As school got into full swing again, so did my job as volunteer coordinator for the school, thankfully I have a counterpart. But it's a huge job with a school of nearly 700 kids. We had a freak storm. Got to have my first lunch with a grade 7 boy. Miss Madelyn in her timed ringette evaluations. The kids and the dog at Nose Hill.


Sahlin Studio Products used:

Flashback

PL2014 - Week 36

I have some bad news. Winter has arrived. Just like that. One day it's 17° Celsius and we were marveling about the temperatures, and the next its snowing like crazy. And snowing. And snowing. Sadly with the snowing comes the dropping of the temperature.

We went out on Saturday night, and came home to wet snow. The wet snow, then turned to ice, as it often does when temperatures plummet. I retreated into the house for 2 days. Not to emerge. At all. Poor Libby. And poor us with Libby. Having a dog that needs to go out, certainly changes things up a bit. Not to mention that she LOVES the snow, and could care less about the significant dip in temperature... It will only be a matter of time, until I need to trudge out into the yard to do a puppy rescue. She doesn't know what her limitations are. I hope this won't last all winter. Here she is, crying at the back door. Wanting out. And don't get me wrong. We let her out. A lot. But it's the drying off thing that is most challenging. Because the back door is also in our kitchen. My next house will for sure have a mudroom.

Any way, I did sort through my week in the life pictures and create pages. That's what cocooning yourself inside will do. I have to send them off to be printed, which I intend to do at good old Costco. I went with a 6x8 size, and will have a mixture of 6x8, 4x6 and even some 3x2's.

I have used Persnickety prints in the past, for all my scrapping stuff, and the shipping to Canada, though very reasonable at first, got silly. Therefore, I'm looking once again for other options.

Here is my week 36 layout, for project life:

Week 36 saw the Labour Day Parade in Cochrane. Crazy cousins sticking spoons to their noses. The first day of school. Ringette evaluations beginning. A certain grade 7 boy, getting cell phone. A girl guide bottle drive, and a bewildered puppy. [Where does everyone go all day long?]

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Flashback

PL2014 - Week 35

I can't believe that it's already November. I keep saying it, and I keep meaning it, I don't know where the time goes.

I participated in Ali Edwards a Week in the Life last week. Love that project, on top of Project Life, to really take a closer look into our days. I need to download and sort through pictures, and then I will be able to share that.

For now, here is week 35:

This was the last week before school went back. A trip to the zoo with the kids and Ama. Hosting my clothing club girls. [What I didn't get a photo of was the awesome Sangria I made and served that night] Tunnel shot. Miss Libby in puppy class. [She wasn't overly happy about being there] A day trip to Banff.

This page is kind of photo heavy. I wanted to include multiple photos of our outings, with out adding more pages. Since I did a collage in the upper left corner of our zoo trip, I thought the collage in the bottom right corner, of our Banff trip, kind of evened things out. I'm happy with how it turned out.

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Retro Mod

PL2014 - Week 34

I love how this week turned out. The colours of this kit, were very soft and subtle.

This week included a trip to the doctors office, for a yearly check up. A trip to the wave pool. An exhausted, crabby boy. Kids dressed up fancy to attend a wedding reception. A shot of the married couple. [Which I took while their photographer was taking pictures] A trip to the asthma specialist for my boy, and a trip to the dentist for a check up.

Right now, as I'm posting this, I'm more than halfway through Ali Edwards, A Week in the Life. This is my 6th year doing this. And I love it. But I can honestly say, there are not enough hours in the day, to keep track and do all the things I want to do. I'm failing miserably. But I'm still trying...

The following Sahlin Studio Product was used:

Drift Away Bundle

PL2014 - Week 33

We have been having the most amazing fall. Aside from the freak snow storm we had in September, it's been awesome.

I love the colours of fall. My only complaint is that fall doesn't last long enough. Once the leaves change colour, one good wind, and sadly, they're gone. Scattered all over. It's just not quite as lovely with a bunch of bare naked trees...

And surprisingly enough, my sweet peas did come back after our snow storm. And they gave us a pretty impressive show. Loved that I could cut them and bring them inside, enjoying their scent for most of September and part of October.

Here is week 33 of my project life album:

This week included planning a backyard movie night [which sadly got moved to the living room because of rain, but was still fun!] Mason picking out school supplies for the first time. Working in the garden. Crazy kids in my kitchen. Mace and I taking a selfie during Madelyn's swim lesson. A little dog that finally got brave enough to go up and down the stairs on her own.

Sahlin Studio Products used:

Documentary

Reminiscing

We made a trip to Disneyland 3 years ago. We went at the end of September, just after school had started. Mason was in grade 4, and Madelyn had just started grade 1. The trip was awesome. We were  a little bit hesitant on whether or not we'd go, and it ended up being one of our most memorable trips with our little family of four.

When I came back home, I created a small 8x8 album of our trip. It was an idea I had gotten from a Simple Scrapbooks 'Short Cut Albums' magazine. Do you remember Simple Scrapbooks? Man, it was a sad day once that magazine went out of publication.

Any way, it was this mag [and shockingly, yes, I must have paid $23.25 for it...] Though, there was a time at Micheal's that you could use a 40% off coupon on books and magazines... And I put my name on it, because there was a time we used to get together, a group of us, and scrapbook. But I digress.

Here is the album layout idea I copied, from Rebecca Cooper. I absolutely loved the simplicity of the pages, with lots of photos, and just a tiny bit of journaling on each page, to keep the reader up with what was happening. 

And here is the album I bought. In Seattle, at Target in 2005, with my clothing club gals. I knew ONE DAY, we would take our kids to Disneyland. I adored this embossed Mickey 8x8 album. [Miss Madelyn was a mere 4 months old when this was purchased]

So I created a very simple album, to capture some of my favourite photos and moments.

It was super simple. Just a collage of pictures, and a few sentences to jog our memories.



Since then, I have become a creative team member for Sahlin Studio. If you don't already know, Sahlin Studio and Britt Design have collaborated together to create a bunch of different digital Disney themes. Check out all the Disney themes out by clicking here:

It has been so much fun to work with these bundles, and every time she releases something new, I go through my photos and select pictures, and reminisce again about our trip. Here are some of the layouts I've created with the latest kits:

 Project Mouse: Frontier

 Project Mouse: Frontier

Project Mouse: Tomorrow

 Project Mouse: Tomorrow

 Project Mouse: Villain

Project Mouse: Villain

What I know, Disneyland was awesome. We had a fabulous time. At 6 and 9 the kids were the perfect age, to be on the move, all day long. With every release from Sahlin Studio, of new Disney themes, my album gets more and more full. I simply can't wait to go back another time. Imagine all the layouts I can create from another trip. Dreaming of Disney...

Following Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Project Mouse: Frontier
Project Mouse: Tomorrow
Project Mouse: Villains

PL2014 - Week 32

Week 32 takes us right back to August. That seems like a lifetime ago... Since then we've had a ginormous snow storm, and fall...

Love to look back at these summer pictures. I wish summer were longer. It comes so late and leaves so early, and that seems so unfair...

This week we made a Menchie's run.  Did some bike riding. We finally got an exercise pen for the dog, so we can leave her a little bit more. The kids went to Lake Louise with my Mum & Dad for the weekend. That gave Barry and I TWO back-to-back date nights!! Love it!  We also walked up Nose Hill to check out the full moon.

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Documentary Kit

PL2014 - Weeks 30 & 31

I used to use my blog as a space to capture moments. Now that I've been doing project life for a number of years, this space has fallen behind. Now I do capture those moments, weekly. And we look through them on a pretty regular basis. This isn't where I try to remember and reflect as much anymore.

Having said that, i still want to keep this space going. I have to figure out how to incorporate it into my week. Now that school is back and all of our extra curricular stuff is in full swing, I'm dead tired by 9:30. And so many times at 9:30, I'm still attempting to get Miss Madelyn to stay in her bed... It's a constant struggle. And truthfully, sucks my will sometimes. I have always been a night owl, but that has gone by the wayside. Lately I've just been so darn tired in the evenings...

Any way, with that said, here are weeks 30 & 31 of project life:

Week 30

Still getting into the routine of having a dog around. We've spent more time in the kitchen than ever. Enjoying the great weather. [Yes... sadly I made a spelling error...]

Week 31


This week the kids were in summer camp. [pool picture] I went and watched their swim lessons. Mad got to go to the farm with her uncle. Loving our city. Celebrating my Dad's birthday.



The following Sahlin Studio products were used:

Weeks 30 & 31 

Documentary Kit