Merry Christmas!

Hola!

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  May peace and joy fill your hearts today and every day.

Peace and healthy days!

On Christmas Vacation

Hola!

I have so much to share with you this Christmas!  But it won't be until the beginning of January, as we are taking a little Christmas Vacation this year.

So, Merry Christmas to all!!

Peace and healthy days!

Operation Christmas Child

Hola everyone!

For the first time, last week we were honored to be part of Operation Christmas Child.  We just found out about this beautiful effort of Samaritan's Purse and inmediately joined Operation Christmas Child Puerto Rico and began filling out our shoe boxes.

For those of you that don't know what this is, it is an effort that sends thousands of shoe boxes filled with gifts to children all over the world who don't get to have Christmas.  You get to pick a girl or a boy from different age ranges, and fill out you box with gifts according to their age.  This year, our first year, we selected 2 girls and 1 boy ages 10-14.  

Along with your box, you should enclose $7 to cover shipping expenses.  Where else can you fill a child with happiness for $7?  I can't even get lunch for that amount!  

After my initial excitement, I inmediately began researching what I should place in my boxes.  I found out that each box should contain the following:  something to wear, something for school, something to hug, something for hygene and something to play.  So, I brought out my sewing machine and came up with these for the "something to hug" for the girls boxes:

Handmade felt owls

I then filled the boxes with flashlights, soaps, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, t-shirts, school supplies (pencils, crayons, sharpeners, erasers), washcloths, toys (dolls, cars, balls), stickers, puzzles... And most of them had 2 of each, so they could share or save them for later. 

Our boxes

It was not expensive nor complicated to fill out the boxes.  I basically hit my dollar store and my stash of school supplies and hotel mini toiletries.  Next year, I plan to use plastic shoeboxes, as I just found out the family can use it to carry water or to store food.  

Unfortunately the collection period has finished, but... you can build a shoebox online!  Just click here to begin creating your box and fill a child with joy this Christmas!  

Check out this story about how a shoebox changes lives:

Peace and healthy days for you all!







Linking to:

2 Sisters Challenges
Suzie Bee's Blooming Challenge Blog
4 Crafty Girlz
Crafty Ribbons Challenge
7 Kids College Fund

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

Hola everyone!

Happy belated Thanksgiving!!!  I've been so busy getting ready for Thanksgiving, that I've had no time to sit on the computer at all!  This year, for the first time, Thanksgiving was at my house, and I wanted everything to be perfect.  

I gave thanks for all the wonderful things that have happened this past year, as well as for another holiday to spend with my family.  Yes, I kicked cancer's butt, and I am thankful, grateful and humbled.

I have so much to share with you!!!  Let's start with some of the decorations I used for this special day.  

I decided to place some sunflowers as centerpieces, along with some vases filled with corn and candles.  I got the inspiration for the corn filled wine glasses from the Pinterest board of Amanda Jane Brown.  I must confess I really don't like to decorate with food, but I figured that popcorn kernels were safe, as we can later just pop and eat them.  (And we did last night...)  

I had no small vases for the flowers, so I improvised by using some cleaned out Tostito's jars which I covered in jute.  Great way to recycle those!  

I also had flower bouquets and candles all over the house, which gave an intimate and relaxing atmosphere to the place.  The sunflowers I then gave away to my mother, my mother in law, my husband's aunt and a long time family friend that also joined us for Thanksgiving. 

And here I am with the turkey!  Yes, I made it all by myself!

Me and my turkey!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  Remember to give thanks each and every day, for everything is a gift: life, love, family... Everyday is Thanksgiving Day.

Peace and healthy days!