Christmas Eve Elf -shirts

One of our traditions is that the kids get to open 1 present on Christmas Eve.  Coincidentally it's always new pajamas.  

When they were little, I would find some gender neutral set (usually in the boys section) and buy 3 pairs.  As they've gotten older, this has gotten more difficult.  3 Years ago, I started making them freezer paper stenciled shirts to wear with pajama pants.  

Instead of spending all day in the kitchen, our Christmas Eve tradition involves eating really good snacks and watching the movie, Elf.  So I usually do something "Elf" themed. Here are last year's shirts:

Here are our some awful pics of our 2010 shirts.  They say:
1.Elves 4 Main Food Groups (Candy, Candy Cane, Candy Corn and Syrup
2. "Buddy the Elf, What's your favorite color"
3. Smiling is my favorite
4. That's Shocking (not pictured)

I've got something really fun planned for this years's pj's, but I can't blog about it until after Christmas.

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

My New Craft Room

Craft Room 

One of my 40 by 40 goals was to create a functional and fabulous craft room.  It's about 99% done, but it's Christmas time and it is just not in a state that I want to photograph and post on the web.  Here's a round-up of all the projects that have gone into the craft room:

 Craft room Curtains 

Giant Spool of Thread 

Giant Pincushion  (free  PDF pattern)

Giant Buttons 

 $1 Giant Scissors  

Thread Storage 

How to cover your ironing board

How to paint a plaid wall  

DIY Shelf Tutorial 

 Storage #1  

Storage #2 

Organizing Books 

  

How to cover your ironing board

             

  Crafty Ceiling Fan

Dollar Store Decor   

My desk

Bobbin Storage

Let's Talk about Eczema

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NEOSPORIN® ESSENTIALS™ for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


In the cold dry months, most of our skin is a little drier and itchier than normal.  However, 35 million Americans suffer from the chronic skin condition called Eczema.  Eczema sufferers’ skin lacks the ability to properly hold in moisture. This leaves skin dry and unprotected to things like irritants and allergens and more susceptible to uncomfortable dry itchy flare-ups and red inflamed skin.
Common Eczema triggers:
• Irritants like soaps and fragrances
• Wool
• Rough textures
• Cold and dry weather
• Heat and sweating
Besides being uncomfortable, eczema is unsightly and no one wants red itchy patches. Children will typically have eczema on face, area around the eyes, inside of elbows and back of knees. Adults tend to have problems on the neck, elbows and back of knees.
Here are some seasonal eczema tips from Dr. Peter Lio:
Fall:
Many people suffer from seasonal allergies in the fall, and these can trigger eczema flares. Going back to school can be a stressor which also triggers eczema in some, while the change to drier, cooler weather can also provoke the eczema.
• If seasonal allergies are active, talk to your doctor about keeping them in check with medications such as antihistamines
• If school stress is a trigger, try to meet with teachers early in the year to keep on top of school work and avoid last minute stress
• Focus on a regular skincare routine with regular bathing and moisturizing, as well as using topical medications when needed
Winter:
Cold and dry weather outside and forced hot air inside can put the skin at high risk for flare ups. The lack of sunlight may result in lower levels of vitamin D which may be related to eczema flare ups in the winter as well.
• Keep the skin warm and protected when outside
• Try a thick, protective moisturizer on the exposed skin to prevent windburn
• Consider talking to your doctor about supplementing vitamin D during the winter months as many people are deficient and this may play a role in eczema
• Consider getting a humidifier for bedrooms to help add moisture to the dry air
• Continue your regular skincare routine with regular bathing and moisturizing, as well as using topical medications when needed

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Clinically shown to relieve itchy skin on contact and restore visibly healthier skin in 3 days.  Fragrance-free, steroid-free and does not contain antibiotics.

MOISTURE ESSENTIALS™ Daily Body Wash
Effectively cleanses even the most dry, sensitive skin  and gentle enough for the entire family.

ECZEMA ESSENTIALS™ Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream
It contains a dual-action formula clinically proven to provide fast relief of itch flare-ups due to eczema and moisturize skin.

I hope this will help some of you that suffer from eczema.

How to become a contestant on Let's Make A Deal

My husband had a conference in LA in September, so I went online to get tickets to Let's Make A Deal (website here). The website is pretty vague as to what to expect, so here's our experience.

You can watch our episode here. ( if you want to fast forward we show up about 8:20)
UPDATE: the episode is no longer available.

We got there about 8:30 am for a 10:00 am session and we were the 13th and 14th in line. There is no place to change, so come in costume.  This also allows you the added benefit of  walking past 3 schools and getting mocking glances from all students. Good times.

 Leave your weapons, cell phones, and cameras in the car. You can bring food, drink, a book etc.  Don't forget your photo ID.  

We checked in and were assigned a number and then we sat in a holding area.  About 10:30, the producers came in and had the first line stand up.  We were each given about 10 seconds to tell our age, occupation, and a interesting fact about ourselves.  I said something like: "I am a 39-year-old trophy wife from San Antonio, TX and I came here to win a car, because last night my mini-van was destroyed by a 550 pound feral hog" (true story-here).  My husband said something about being in the Air Force and being married to me for 16 years.  I don't know how amazing we were-honestly, I think we were just the first married couple in line. 

After our little audition, we went into yet another holding area. They sold some over-priced food and drinks.  You could also get your photo taken against a green screen, that looks like you are in the audience for $20. Totally worth it-see ours above.

The producers came out a few times and told us what to do and not do.  They warned us that women's IQ will drop about 100 points on camera.  I thought she was exaggerating-sadly she was not.

Finally about noon, they led us into the studio.  They had loud music playing and they told us to dance and have high energy or we wouldn't get picked.  The producers were lined up on stage checking us out, and moving people around in their seats.  We wanted to get picked, so we danced in such a way that is usually reserved for the privacy of our living room. I think at one point we actually even "tootsie-rolled".

Finally, the show started.  The first contestant was the first guy in line,- it pays to get there early.  Then, they asked for a couple and they picked the birdwatcher and the peacock!  Even though they had explained about 85 times how to walk down to the stage, I still walked down the wrong way (thank goodness for editing so you don't have to watch it).  I didn't feel smart. My brain was just so completely overloaded, it stopped working.  My husband was much cooler under pressure, and made it correctly to the stage. 

Then they opened up the curtain to reveal a car!!!!  I thought this would be a perfect ending to the mini-van versus pig story. Nope. 

We made "Let's Make A Deal" history, by doing the worst ever on our particular game.  There were 8 boxes and we had to get pick 3 gold without picking the 2 dynamite.  Of course, we only picked the dynamite.  When we fail, we fail big. 

 It was fun to watch all the contestants, since we had spent the morning talking to most of them.  Texas Santa sat right next to me all morning and we were thrilled that he won. The track star and I bonded over our ginormous eyelashes.

After the taping, we found out that all contestants that lost, would still get $100 for appearing on stage!  We had to sign confidentiality agreements and we were told we'd get our check after our episode aired. 

It was a fun way to spend the day, and the sting of losing so bad has faded. Honestly, I am just happy, I didn't end up doing something really stupid that went viral.

Here's some tips if you ever want to be a contestant:

1.  Dress up.  The website says that there are a small number of costumes to rent, but that is no longer the case. They also seemed to pick people wearing weird stuff on their faces or heads.
2. Don't dress skanky.  The producers want you jumping up and down and don't want any of your parts falling out on stage. 
3. Be early-6 of the top 20 people made it on stage
4. Do not dress up like any actual person or any licensed character. They will cover you in "let's make a deal" stickers and they will not pick you.  This includes sports teams.  
5. You have about 10 seconds to impress the producers, so be memorable.  Have a funny joke, a dance, or a even a cheer. Texas Santa sealed his spot on stage when he spent some of his 10 seconds break-dancing.
6.  You are going to be there along time, so bring a book and some snacks. We were there from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm
7. Large fake blue eyelashes shouldn't be worn longer than 3 hours. My eyes were pink for 3 days.

#22 Prepare a 4 Course Meal

For the most part, I cook fairly simple stuff and I did not even own cloth napkins until Friday. I thought it would be fun to throw a grown-up dinner party.  I invited my good friends Kirstin and Patrice along with their husbands to be my guinea pigs.

Before I start talking about the food, check-out my newly acquired fancy napkin folding skills. (tutorial here).

My daughter helped me make menus and place cards.  

Course 1

Feta and Tomato Tart (recipe here)

Course 2

Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries and Candied Almonds (recipe here)

Course 3

Pork Wellington (recipe here) with roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables and rotkohl (recipe here)

Course 4

Key Lime Pie

(recipe here)

Look out Top Chef-here I come!

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

How to take Ghost Pictures

I have been taking a photography class and learned a fun trick.  If you want to take a ghost picture here's what you need to do:

1. Set your ISO at 100

2. Set your shutter speed really slow 2''-5"' (the brighter it is, the faster you need to set it).

3. Set your camera on a tri-pod or other stable surface

4. Take the picture

5. A second later tell your subject to move.

If you want to make sure that your kids are never able to sleep again,  dress up like zombies and do this while they are sleeping.

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

#21 Bake A Souffle

#21 on my 40 by 40 list was to bake a chocolate souffle.  I made some last Friday night while we were putting up the tree and followed this recipe here.  I think my family would all agree that this was their favorite of all my challenges.  

Totally yummy and well worth the 40 year wait.

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.