it’s beginning to look a lot like christmas!

December 5, 2013 by mama lola Leave a Comment

counting down to christmas.. three weeks to go! woohoo!!

we’ve already crossed several items off of our x-mas bucket list. see the list HERE.

last weekend, my lion and i were still sick, coughing and basically feeling sorry for ourselves. blargh. so, to change the vibe and energy at our house we decided to get our christmas tree. we went to a local tree farm, found the most delightful tree and chopped down our own piece of christmas heaven! although the weather was freezing, drizzly and raw, the kids had fun! at home, we turned on some festive tunes and started to unpack the decorations.

now that, i think, we have taken a turn with our health, i am hoping to get back to my holiday crafts and projects!

is your tree up?

are you ready for the holidays?

make your own pom poms!

December 3, 2013 by mama lola 2 Comments

look at these adorable pom poms i made. i will be using them as part of my gift wrapping this year, that’s why there are strings coming out of them. i bought cheap, acrylic yarn, deciding lovely wool wasn’t worth it in the long run.

then i picked through pinterest and discovered several different ways of making pom poms. i tried out three.

FIRST METHOD: this is by far the fastest and most efficient way, in my opinion.

it’s from DIY queens

SECOND METHOD: this one is best for tiny pom poms and is not my fave. but, it’s fun nonetheless.

get yer forks out! found this tutorial from small good things.

THIRD METHOD: this is the way my mum taught years and years ago. tried, tested and true, but more time consuming than the first method.

this tutorial comes from lark & linen.

i didn’t find that one method made better pom poms over another. the key to a pretty pom pom is using lotsa yarn and making sure you trim it evenly at the end.

do you have a favourite method of making pom poms?

december, the christmas month.

December 1, 2013 by mama lola Leave a Comment

in finnish december is joulukuu, which when translated means christmas month.

and, at our house it sure is.

TERVETULOA JOULUKUU. WELCOME DECEMBER.

the advent calender has been hung up in our living room with great anticipation to see whether or not joulutonttu, the christmas elf, will leave any little surprises for the boys. joulutonttu is very discreet and the kids have never seen him. but, joulutonttu peeks in through the windows and from around corners to see how we’re all behaving, reporting back to his boss, joulupukki. speaking of him, the kids wrote letters to joulupukki with random wishes; bear asked for a hamster (as if) and 3 surprises (that’s easy). and, lion asked for a doll (again, easy).

dear hubby loves to bake during the holidays and after scouring pinterest he has bookmarked several yummy cookie recipes. this weekend he has been busy in the kitchen making lists, checking ingredients and just being darn cute.

we have been enjoying christmas music, as well. thanks to sirius radio, with it’s variety of different channels of holiday music.

and, then today joulu radio started in finland. i have been sitting, listening, feeling incredibly nostalgic for a finnish christmas.

it’ hard to sing along with this big ol’ lump in my throat.

christmas is a very special time in finland. it is not as commercial or based in consumerism, the way it is here in north america. there are traditions that are deep rooted in many families and i will write more about those later this month.

are you excited for december?

what are some of your holiday traditions this time of year?

fancy festive bow ties!

November 19, 2013 by mama lola 2 Comments

my boys have their own sense of style and love to look fancy.

they love to look handsome for birthday parties, weddings and christmas festivities are no different. so, this season i am again sewing new bow ties for my wee trend setters, which they will discover one december morning in their advent calender! see previous tutorial HERE.

this is such a quick n’ easy sewing project.

SUPPLIES:

* festive fabric of your choice

* scissors

* thread, needle

* iron

* elastic

INSTRUCTIONS:

* cut two rectangles, one bigger than the other.

* fold fabric in half with the patterns sides facing each other, sew around the edges, leaving an unstiched opening at the end.

* sew all the way around your rectangle, except for a small opening at the end. you need this opening to get your fabric right side out.

* cut the corners and then turn the rectangles right side out. mine look wrinkly, because it’s a tight squeeze through the small opening! a quick iron will that!

* sew up the openings by hand.

* this time i used a small scrap piece to cinch up the two rectangles to create the bow tie shape. before, i’ve sewn specific pieces for the centre for cinching. you can find those instructions HERE.

* cut and measure elastic band. loop through the back of the bow tie and then sew the wends together.

here are some examples of other bow ties i have sewn for the boys. the top one is from bear’s 4th birthday. instead of making loot bags all the guests received a bow tie! the one on the middles is another x-mas bow tie and the purple one at the bottom is from a wedding the kids were in. now, my kids wear bow ties all the time; school pictures, just because or for looking fancy!

and don’t forget, bow ties are not just for boys!

christmas bucket list!

November 18, 2013 by mama lola 7 Comments

christmas is a very fun n’ busy time of year. the boys, especially bear, keeps asking when december will get here, because that is when we start our holiday festivities at our house.

we hang up the large advent calender i made a couple of years ago, DH battles with the lights outside and gets them up on our front porch, and within the first week of december we get our christmas tree purchased and decorated.

to make sure we get everything done this season, i made this bucket list. i couldn’t fit everything on there that happens, as christmas is a very busy season!

what’s on your christmas bucket list this year? anything new?

what are your x-mas traditions?

festive felt crafts!

November 16, 2013 by mama lola 3 Comments

felt is such a wonderful material to work with.
here is a festive felt collection of crafts, which will add a colourful touch of colour and warmth to any holiday home.

felt ornaments from fantastic toys

christmas trees from natural suburbia

twisted felt garland from purl bee

another holly garland from megan nielsen

felt pinecone, felt good from honeysuckle

make your own mistletoe from stay-at-home artist

half eaten gingerbread man from elsie marley

i must say that half eaten gingerbread man is hilarious and such a good idea!

christmas crafts for kids!

November 12, 2013 by mama lola 9 Comments

christmas crafts, kids christmas crafts, paper crafts, reindeer crafts, santa claus crafts

tis the season again to make all sorts of adorable christmas crafts with the kids. i know my kids are ready to get their x-mas craft ON!!! they have both chosen their favourite crafts from this collection! There is a craft that has been recommended to me by other parents and that’s hand casting! They’ve had their children put their hands together in a casting pot and had a 3D (realistic) model of their hands come out, I think that sounds amazing, plus not only is it a craft, it’s also a great gift for a parent or grandparent, before you start though you’ve got to check out some casting tips first to make sure it goes off without a hitch, safety first! I’m seriously considering getting it done as a surpise for the other half.

kids christmas crafts, christmas tree crafts

paper christmas trees from ikat bag

christmas tree craft from our crafts n’ things

christmas crafts, kids crafts, santa claus crafts, paper plate crafts

kids craft paperplate santa from family ever after blog

santa mask, santa claus craft, kids christmas craft

santa mask from education.com

reindeer craft, reindeer crown craft, christmas crown

handprint reindeer hat from putti’s world

kids christmas craft, christmas toilet paper roll craft, reindeer craft

toilet roll reindeer from happy hooligans

winter craft, snowflake craft, christmas craft

button snowflakes from handmade beginnings

candy cane craft, christmas craft, button craft

button candy canes from ramblings of a crazy woman

time to go gather up some buttons, brown construction paper and cotton balls!

HAPPY CRAFTING!

holiday garlands!

November 10, 2013 by mama lola 1 Comment

i {LOVE} garlands.
i love how you can make them out of everything and anything. you can decorate a plain wall, a festive table, a banister or a window. i love the combinations of textures, colours and patterns garlands can hold, and i love the simplicity of the garlands included in this collection.

felt ball garland from oh happy day

snowflake garland from nifty thrifty things

christmas tree garland from crafted

red and green DIY paper garland from so i don’t forget

recycled paper origami garland from home workshop.com

DIY vintage christmas garland from bueno vida

holiday holly garland from library of thoughts

felt christmas light garland from oh brady

i love all of these garlands so much!

they are simple, but eye catching and fun to make!
which one is your favourite?

CANADA DAY crafts!

June 19, 2013 by mama lola 10 Comments

[ sources: moose and mounties & mountie skating ]

school is almost out for our kids here in the land of the moose, beaver and bear, which means it’s almost july 1st, which means it’s almost time to PARTY!!!! us canadians have a reserved, conservative reputation, but we should also be known for throwing a great party and bringing people together. as a land

here’s a wee round-up of canada day crafts to get the spirits up for this festive celebration.

:: SOURCES ::

1. table hockey

2. canada day party favour

3. canada day mason jar cups

4. canada day wind tube

5. canada day pinwheels

6. canada flag banner

what are your plans for canada day?

will you be wearing a red toque, drinking canadian and eating beaver tails? haha!

bark. the kind you can eat.

January 3, 2013 by mama lola Leave a Comment

i didn’t get around to posting any of the holiday treats and crafts we got up to this season. but, i have a few easy things i want to share, that aren’t necessarily x-mas related. i will start with this highly addictive (you’ve now been warned) bark. i’ve never made bark before and i was looking on pinterest and came across THIS super easy, super delish recipe at bakers royale.

INGREDIENTS:

15 oreo cookies
10-30 oz white chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. line your pan with parchment or wax paper, leaving lots of overhang for easy removal at the end.

2. place chocolate in a double boiler over low heat and stir continuously, until chocolate is completely melted. i chopped and shaved the chocolate first, to help speed the melting process. then, transfer the chocolate to a heat proof bowl and cool for 5 minutes.

3. add chopped oreos and stir to combine. Pour mixture into pan. use a spatula to smooth out top. sprinkle more oreos on top if desired.

4. let the bark solidify in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. remove from pan, cut up and ENJOY!

i’m salivating just looking at these pics. holy mama, this was easy and yummy!
i made one batch with chopped candy canes sprinkled on top, but that was a bit too sweet (even for me!)

bear & lion

here's a peek into the highs and woes of our life