Tuesday Music Video

photo by SMW

Putsing around today.  Turned on some Christmas music, made this card, and viola! Good thing it's too hot outside for hot chocolate, otherwise I'd really be pining for more Christmas music.

Enjoy this day and if you're starting to think about Christmas, the song below is one of my favorites.

In harmony,

Leslie

Moss Gingerbread house

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We've had a gingerbread house party for years, possible 20 years.  In the early years I slaved for days with kids in tow to make about 10 houses for guests.

After all these years, I've decided to give up making the houses, and just go buy them.  Depending on how stressed I am, my houses don't always work out- roofs cave in because the gingerbread is too soft (but yummy to eat) or some gingerbread burn easy so I have to start over.

Plus, my family hasn't gained designing expertise over the years as you can see above.  They throw the candy on and then eat it promptly.  I should have taken a picture the next morning after we made this one- it looked like a church ruin in Ireland.  

From now on, I give in and buy the over-priced kits.I'll take my bow for weakening and giving in.  

Merry Christmas everyone! Fill this week with memories!

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The Friday before Christmas we had a surprise at our house!  Surprises don't come easy at our house, hehe.  But Eden managed to slip under the radar and come home from Florida without us knowing it.  Love that my girl is home!  Wouldn't be the same without her!

We've spent so much time playing, visiting family and friends, ok, and eating that I haven't been on the computer until today.

At Christmas time we love to visit the Sheraton, downtown Seattle.  The Chefs there pull out all the stops making gingerbread houses.  This year's theme was "Nursery Rhymes".  The ship from the rhyme "I saw a ship a-sailing" (which is a lesser known, but adorable rhyme) won our hearts and eyes!  The details are amazing.  EVERYTHING is out of candy or food!

The Hiddle Diddle house was not even a close 2nd, it came in with a 1st and a half for me!  The imagination and skills put into this one lit up my brain!

Come back tomorrow to our version of a gingerbread house!  I know you can't wait!

Monday Music Moment

Elder David Archuleta singing at the Chile L.D.S. temple Christmas program. (it's an outdoor program- remember it's summer down there!)

I 

Pretty cool!  Madison would die to see this but she is about 1000 miles away or more.  Just a treat to see other people around the world celebrating Christ and his birth!

In harmony,

Leslie

Music Garland!

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This is how a garland starts.  People feel drawn to give me old music.  I don't think I'll ever play these opera arias- even though I truly love opera!  Really!  I went through an opera phase in college, another story, another time!

So.....I found this old music the other day and said to myself, "This needs a new purpose".

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I decided to fold a page and it became a fan.  

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Then I whipped out the hot glue gun to make them stay put!  (that gray blob is the glue gun).

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Voila!  My fans turned into a music garland.  Pretty nifty and musical! 

In harmony,

Leslie

Elf on the Shelf

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This is Boss Moss's Elf on the Shelf from the 1960's when he grew up.  My children and I claim that it is 'scary'.  Hence, we've never displayed it before.  You may thing that is scroogish- but if you were to walk through your house at 2 a.m. and see that face, what would you do?  I would probably scream!

If you've seen the popular book Elf on the Shelf, it can be a fun tradition.  This version even includes a skirt if you want to make your elf a 'she'!  Very appropriate for a house full of girls!

Now, if you are an elf-lover, you might get an elf costume to use on those special occasions- like a white elephant party at your mother-in-law's house.

Do you have an elf on the shelf tradition?  My mom always had us put our shoes by our door and put oranges in them in the morning.  She called it the good fairy, but we were never fooled.

One week Away!

We are 1 week away from the Arlington Nativity Festival.  This is a tradition that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Arlington, WA area started 3 days ago.  There are similar festivals in other cities in WA and states around the country.

There is the live nativity, a children's room with cute activities- like dressing up as shepherds or angles, a Life of Christ room, and an amazing choir concert!

This year it starts Dec. 12 in the evening and goes through the 15th.  Please come and share with your family this event.

Also like the Nativity festival on facebook to share.

Tuesday Music Video

Mannheim Steamroller was in town at the Paramount theater this past Sunday.  I didn't get to go, wish I had been there.

But, I thought you'd like to get in the mood for more M.S. by watching this video.

Enjoy, in harmony,

Leslie

Monday Music Moment

I hope you don't find this too premature....because over here at the Moss house we are CHOMPING at the bit to get into Christmas.  Even Pierce asked me to put on Christmas music yesterday!

This is the real story of how the Christmas carol "Silent Night" was made, trust me,  this will become a favorite of yours!  It's got all the right elements: a moral to the story, heart felt children, singing, a man who has a purpose against the odds.  If you dare watch it before Thanksgiving, welcome to the Club!  

In harmony,

Leslie

Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!

photo credit

I'm usually done with Christmas shopping by now.  But things have been skewed here with missions, Africa, new jobs, etc.  For peace of mind, I like to be done with Christmas shopping so I can enjoy the holidays- that means Thanksgiving.  Sorry, friends, I am not a black friday shopper!

If you know me well, I find good deals.  Maybe not always rock bottom prices, but fairly close.  In the past, I've found that shopping online, or finding deals in September (granted that means you have to know what you are getting by then) equals the same prices as Black Friday.  These affords me sleeping in and more pajama time.  Love it!

The last 2 years we've used Amazon Prime.  This means we get FREE 2 day shipping (whoa! this is a life saver).  Instant streaming of movies (saves on movies!).  And free kindle books to borrow! (oh, yeah, reading is awesome!).  This membership is worth $79 a year.  If you use it instead of Netflicks, it's cheaper by about $2 a month AND you get free shipping when you buy online!



Since I'm late for Christmas shopping this year, I'm SO GLAD we have 2 day shopping at Amazon.

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Aromatherapy for Christmas (or anytime)

Here are the cast of characters:

Reed sticks ( mine were from an old aromatherapy set I had, but 

                      I've seen these at Michael's)

Cute jar       (again mine was an old one)

Fractionated coconut oil

Essential oil (I used Wild Orange)

This is how you make Christmas gifts that take minutes:

pour fract. coconut oil in container of your choice, add about 5-7 drops of essential oil.  Voila!  You are done.  

If you are interested in Doterra Oils, call me, or message me.  I order for myself before the beginning of every month.  Or, look to the right of this post, on the side bar, and you can click and order some all by yourself.  I love learning about the ways to heal with natural oils and use them everyday with my family.  They work!

In harmony,

Leslie

Saving for Christmas- Family Style





Since it's drizzly out and all the kids under 16 are at school, I'm thinking about Christmas.  Should I break out the music yet?  Reagan did a few weeks ago.  I'm going to wait.  But, what I am NOT going to wait on is saving for Christmas.  We don't go over board on Christmas- we do a little new, a little homemade, a little giving, a little receiving.  But, to do that there needs to be cash.  No debts here for Christmas- not our style.

Awhile ago, Boss Moss and I each set up an online account to save for Christmas.  We put in spare money here and there each month and wow! by December we always have enough and usually then some.  Now, mind you, I buy when I see a deal, so sometimes we take money out of that account to buy something in September (if we know what a certain child wants/needs by then).  Other times, we are up to the last minute, doing a 2 day Fedex rush package.

We like Capitol One 360 savings.  They have features for your savings goals that are cool- like email alerts that you've made your goal(yipee!) or how much more you need to make your go
(Go gettum!).  There is teen checking also, which is a big topic around here with all our teens and young adults- money and how to get it is dinner fodder for conversation!Pleasant.

What do you do to save money for Christmas?  How do you get your kids to save money?  It's always nice to get a fresh, real, perspective.

In harmony

Christmas for the Connisseur



While we are on the subject of Christmas, I'd like to brag about my nephew-in-law.  He has made these lovely and timeless Scrabble sets- which would make perfect Christmas gifts for the 'hard to buy for' crowd.

I'm picturing curled up by the gas fireplace, with my plaid flannel jammies playing hardcore Scrabble with my kids, using the online dictionary to stump everyone- then when I get 83 points from one word, taking a long drink of my extra dark hot cocoa, with satisfaction.  Living the dream!

These are limited edition sets, made with quality walnut wood.  Go here to see all the specifics.  Enjoy!