Gingerbread Village

I always feel like my mind is at war with itself...keep garbage or throw it away? That's the big question! haha.  But really, before I throw something away I am always thinking of a 2nd use for it. I'm so Ukrainian that way. I have such a desire to create new things with it with my kids. But alas, I also hate clutter with a passion so most things get tossed. 

But these boxes. These I had a plan for.  I knew I wanted to make a gingerbread village with the kids. 

We painted them all brown (like gingerbread), but in hindsight I wished we painted them several different colors. Oh well. Next year.  

The kids worked hard on painting. I spent the evening, after they were in bed, decorating them with some of the random art supplies M(5) and I rounded up earlier that day. 

I left some houses for my 2 oldest to decorate the next morning.  They loved it!

One house featured a pinecone tree, white bean roof, window (from lasagna box), bell door knob and toilet paper roll chimney. Another featured a snowman made of cotton balls with a fruit loop hat, lentil eyes, wild rice nose, and ribbon scarf.  It also had a bell to ring.  Another was surrounded by snow and a picket fence. My daughter added stars, mini-pinecone trim, and tongue depressor window sills.

Their little people had quite a nice time playing in their new homes

Creations at Home

Just a few of the girls' creations from this past month, made at home

A Mask

My youngest learned how to sew

My oldest has already learned how to sew a little bit so she of course had to step it up...she drew and cut out an M and then sewed the "M" onto her hoop. Creative little girl thought the idea up on her own.

 The kids are obsessed with brave knights, kings, queens, etc. The kids really wanted to make crowns so I taught them how. M then made several for everyone!

 M is a little entrepreneur. She's always wanting to go sell things to the neighbors (sage from our garden, bike wash, etc. etc.) She really wanted to go sell these tickets she made. I told her she could not go sell them and so being the MAJOR negotiator that she is, asked if she could pretend to be walking down the street and stop by our house to sell tickets. I said sure. So she went outside, down the street to walk to our house to pretend she was a salesman. She happily sold me her tickets. 

 I have made the girls dozens of these sewn-bound books. I just fold white paper and put a sheet of construction paper as the cover. Open it up, sew, and voila, little books. They use them for their art work a lot and create stories too. This day in particular C was watercolor painting. This picture doesn't do her artwork justice. The colors were vibrant and beautiful. 

JOSH & MONIQUE | NORTHERN UTAH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER