Upcycling

Decking The Halls

As I mentioned in a recent post, we are all decked out for Christmas at the Zottola Zoo! Sadie and I spent a recent morning listening to Christmas music while hanging wreaths, stockings, and putting up decor.

Jimmy came home from work to our little surprise and Sadie was so excited to show him the little tree and stocking in her bedroom! It’s a memory I want to cherish forever 🙂

Here’s a look at all of our hall-decking, plus a vlog of the process. 

Merry Christmas garland and lantern

Knit red Christmas stocking with wood burned name tag and decorated corner shelf

Wooden Christmas sign

Christmas wreath on red door and lantern decorated for Christmas

Mini Christmas tree and stocking in kid's room

Christmas throw pillows, garland, and flameless LED candle

Silent night Christmas sign

Along with the decorations we had in storage, I also did some crafting!

I made a few wreaths for our bedroom doors and mantle, up-cycled a mini Christmas tree I found at Goodwill, and made a pom-pom garland (<– probably my favorite decoration, lol). 

DIY Christmas wreath supplies

Homemade Christmas wreaths

DIY mini Christmas wreath

Christmas Tree before and after craft and DIY

We didn’t put up a big tree because a small house + toddler + husky + crazy cat = chaos without a Christmas tree to mess around with. Can you imagine the craziness that would ensue if we did put one up, lol! Some day we will be brave enough 😉

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

When do you decorate for Christmas?

Do you have a favorite Christmas decoration?

More Rainy Day Fun + A Few Favorites in Threes

We had another rainy day here in the ‘Burgh, so we decided to get outside and have some fun. We pulled on our rain boots and rain jackets and hung out outside for a bit!

Mother and daughter rain boots

Mom and daughter walking in rain

I’ve been working on teaching Sadie the colors of the rainbow, so we collected leaves for a little project.

She was so excited to show Jimmy her craft when he got home from work! The second he walked in the door, she took his hand and dragged him to the fridge and signed leaf. So sweet!

Toddler leaf craft for fall

Onto some of my recent favorites in lists of threes because I love a good list!

Favorite Moments Lately

  1. Playing Elefun with Sadie and Jimmy. Did anyone play this game growing up?!
  2. Working on Christmas crafts. I’ve been making wreaths and upcycled a mini Christmas tree this week.
  3. Hanging out with our church family. I love spending time after services just watching all the kids play and catching up with everyone!

Recipes I’ve Been Cooking and Baking

  1. Chickpea Soup
  2. Apple Cider Pork Chops
  3. Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cookies

Cookbooks I’ve Been Using Nonstop

  1. The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
  2. Artisan Sourdough Made Simple 
  3. Modern Jewish Baker

Things I’m Excited For

  1. Jimmy and I are doing a staycation this weekend!
  2. Thanksgiving–I have no clue what we’re doing but I’m pumped.
  3. Decorating for and celebrating Christmas.

Pet Products We’ve Been Using On Repeat

  1. Waterless Shampoo. This has been a lifesaver with the rainy weather we’ve been having and Niva smells amazing after I put this on her. 
  2. Car Harness. It’s perfect for keeping Niva secure when we drive her to and from doggy daycare.
  3. Cat Toothbrush Toy. That’s right… a cat toothbrush, haha. 

Cat toothbrush

Tell me some of your favorites!