Christmas Tags from Old Christmas Cards

Over the last month I have certainly enjoyed all of the wonderful Christmas cards we have received in the mail from our friends and family.  It's so nice to see what everyone has been up to and how the little ones have grown.  But now that Christmas is over, what do we do with ALL of those holiday cards? Well, you could recycle them, that would be one option.  Lately I have really been into repurposing items, so rather than get rid of your cards, why not turn them into something useful?  Why not turn them into gift tags for next year?!  That's what I did!My … continue reading

Community Supported Agriculture – CSA Programs

One of my top New Year's resolutions this year is to incorporate more organic food into my family's diet.  I feel like I have fallen off the wagon lately when it comes to what we are putting into our bodies.  The more I hear about what the effects of pesticides and growth hormones are having on us, I feel it is my responsibility as a mother, and as the main cook in our household, to take charge of what my family is putting into their bodies.Are you familiar with the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in your area?  Or have you heard of CSA?  I have … continue reading

The Snowy Cottage Home

We got almost a foot of snow here yesterday at The Cottage Home!  I guess this is what you would call a white Christmas.  I just had to post this picture of our house all snowy and white.  I usually prefer our home in the Summer months with all the greenery growing up the side of the house, but as I was outside taking this picture, I was in awe of what beauty the snow has brought us.I love old homes - our cottage home was built in 1934.  I cannot foresee my family and I ever living in a newer home, my husband and I feel that the older the better.  There is … continue reading

Olive Cheese Bread

I feel the need to shout this from the roof-top - I LOVE OLIVE CHEESE BREAD!  This recipe is out of my Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook that I got about a month or so ago.  I've been dying to try this recipe and I decided Christmas Eve would be the perfect opportunity.  And, oh my gosh, was it good!Now this is definitely not a figure-friendly recipe, but when you are looking to indulge a little bit (such as around the holidays), you cannot go wrong with this bread.  I served this with our Christmas Eve meal - we had a barbequed turkey, potatoes gratin, cornbread … continue reading

Tutorials Featured – Someday Crafts

My giant stuffed fleece fish and cloth baby doll diaper tutorials are being featured on Someday Crafts.  Head over to Michelle's awesome blog and check it out (www.somedaycrafts.blogspot.com )!!Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! … continue reading

Christmas Stockings

I have always loved my Christmas stocking.  My Mom had a beautiful velveteen stocking that her Grandmother (my Great-Grandmother) made for her.  It was beautiful - with all the hand-sewn bead work - you could definitely tell a lot of time, effort and love went into making that stocking. When I was a young child, my Mom decided to make my brother, Dad, and I a version of her stocking.  It was SO exciting to have our beautiful stockings with all the special ornaments sewn onto the Christmas trees.  And even to this day, there is something so comforting to me about … continue reading

Handmade Christmas Gifts

Ok, there's still time!  We have four full days until Christmas, so if you don't have all your Christmas shopping done - why not go handmade?  Handmade gifts are a wonderful way to show people how much you care about them.  I love handmade because as I am working on a gift, I am constantly thinking about the person I am creating for, imagining how they will enjoy the gift and often reflecting on my relationship with the person.While there is nothing wrong with purchasing a gift, by all means, I have purchased some gifts this holiday season, but if you have the … continue reading

Prime Rib

My Mom, Allen, and brother (Ben) were visiting this past weekend to celebrate an early Christmas.  As my Mom says, "Christmas is not about the day, it's about the season."  And yes, this has already been a magnificent holiday season for us and there still is lots more fun yet to come!  We had a wonderful time during my family's visit - we ate, drank, and had lots of laughs.  For our "Christmas" day dinner we decided to make my Mom's recipe for Prime Rib.Many people find prime rib to be an intimidating dish to prepare; however, my Mom's recipe is fool-proof and is … continue reading

He Makes Me……..

.............want to be a better person.Now that I am a mother, it is so important for myself and my husband to set a good example for our two little girls.  They may be small, but our oldest picks up on EVERYTHING.  She does the things I do, she says the things I say, she dances the way I dance........so I mean everything.As I go about my day to day life I quite often end up in certain situations where there ends up being two paths: the high-road or the low-road.  It would be so easy to take the low road sometimes, but I find myself saying......."What would my … continue reading

Fabric Covered Button Magnet Tutorial

Recently I have been accumulating large bags of fabric scraps since I have been sewing my little heart out over the last several months.  Some of the fabric is just gorgeous, but what to do with the little scraps?  So I decided, what better way to enjoy the fabric that I love so dearly then to make fabric covered button magnets and have these little gems on my fridge year-round.I've seen these for sale on etsy.com, so I thought I would give it a go at making my own.  There are many tutorials out there on the web for making these, but I thought I would show you how … continue reading