Little Boy has more "Friends" than he thinks-Happy Birthday Colin

Meet Colin. He is turning 11 on March 9th. When his mother asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday he said he didn't want to have a party because he did not have any friends to invite to the party.

Eating alone in the office during lunch this story definitely pulls at your heart strings. Such a cute little boy and to feel that way….

Mom's response? She set up a secret Facebook page for her son hoping to get some replies from family and close friends of the family on the page so that she could show him just how many friends he had. Little did she know that the page would explode with "Likes". At the time of this posting The Happy Birthday Colin Page is at over 701 thousand likes. I love this mom for doing this for her son and I love this little boy for doing his thing everyday even though it may not be easy. Wish him the best!

If you find the page on Facebook you'll be greeted by hundreds of comments and notes to young Colin for his birthday. The story has been featured on the Ellen show and the news. 

Mom is still trying to keep it a secret until his birthday when she can surprise him with his new friends. 
If you have a minute you can find the Facebook page here...https://www.facebook.com/Coliniseleven
 Or simply log in to your account and type Happy Birthday Colin in the search bar and you'll find it.

Leave a Happy Birthday message to Colin before March 9th. Let this little boy know how much he is loved!

Article printed in the UK follows:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2556321/Little-boy-13-000-new-friends-mom-created-Facebook-page-told-no-friends-invite-birthday-party.html

Happy Birthday

Adults enjoy birthdays just as much as kids do. And it is nice to make them special for adults because they can become quite boring once you are out of the child and teenage years. 

What to do…. stuff their car with streamers, balloons, and candy. Don't forget the birthday banner! 

Over 25 Valentine Ideas For Men

It seems Holidays get bigger and better every year. When I was a child Valentines was mainly for kids it seemed, with class parties at school and Valentines handed out to kids in the class. Over the past few years Valentines along with all of the other holidays have turned into holidays for everyone no matter your age or gender rather than just being for kids. Some go all out which is fun while others like to stay simple. Here are some ideas for both. Get creative and have fun with the holiday of love!

Get Cheesy with Pick Up Lines

"Is your daddy a Baker? Because you've got a nice set of buns!"
-Cinnammon rolls with breakfast in bed or breakfast on the go.

"Hershey's makes millions of kisses a day...all I'm asking for is one from you."
-Bag of Hershey Kisses

"I'm not a photographer, but I can picture me and you together."

-Make a photo book and make it as elaborate or simple as you'd like. One of your favorite dates, or your engagement story, or the reasons you love them. Photobooks are available from Costco, Shutterfly, York Photo, Walmart, and many others.

Cupid Kit

Make your own "Cupid Kit". Again you can be as elaborate or as simple as you'd like. Fill it will favorite candies, chocolates, little notes with reasons you love and appreciate them. Make the sack bigger and add a gift if you'd like. Add movie tickets, a favorite book, the sky is the limit.

 Visit caseybaudoin.blogspot.com  

The Man Can

I love the name of this one… the Man Can. Either order this can which is full of men "beauty" products OR go to home depot and pick up a bucket and make your own Man Can. Similar to the Cupid Kit above you can fill it with whatever you would like. Have the kids help you and fill it with home made valentines, treats, and dollar store funny finds. Or make your own and fill it with whatever your husband likes. 

 http://www.plumislandsoap.com/the-man-can/

Make A Man-Quet as in Bouquet

Start with is favorite drink, wrap with his favorite magazine, and fill the insides with his favorite treats and what do you have a man bouquet. 

                               

For the Sports Lover 
Real Baseball Heart from the Shabby Works on Etsy.com. This heart is made from a real baseball and can be done with the red stitching on or off. A cool keepsake that is definitely a little different. Turn it into a Christmas ornament, let him hang it in his car from the mirror, put it in the house or man cave somewhere. Definitely a cute Valentine!

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShabbyWorks?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Classic Cards
The classic Valentine card is always a safe bet. Look around and find a funny one that fits your situation. Most men are not about the mush of the holiday but prefer to keep it lighthearted! Find a funny saying you like and add it to your own card that you make on your own! Use funny pick up lines or a saying that they two of you use often.

Small Packages or Date in a Tube
Fill toilet paper rolls with small treats and gifts and wrap them in Valentine themed paper. Small packages are fun for anyone to unwrap. Think of a fun date night and include all the items needed in the tube. Movie tickets, tickets to a sporting event or something you've been wanting to see. A menu from a favorite restaurant. Just a little note saying what the date will be. If you are extra ambitious do 12 so you have one for each month until next Valentines rolls around.

 stunningpicz.blogspot.ca

Heart Art
Follow the link to Karenogen.blogspot.com and make a piece of Heart Art with the words of your choosing. Have it framed or turn it into a one of a kind Valentine card.

Visit karenogen.blogspot.com

52 Reasons I love you 
Find a pack of cards and make a book of 52 reasons you love them.

Visit visualheart.wordpress.com

Message IN a Bottle
Create a message in a bottle. You decide what goes inside. Fill with m&m's or whatever you choose if the opening will allow it. Decorate the outside with fun Valentine paper and ribbons.

Visit apumpkinandaprincess.com

Message ON a Bottle

Make a message on his favorite bottled drink. Find a six pack of drinks or simply use a 2 liter. 

"Dew you want to be my Valentine?" -Mountain Dew

"My Dr. says I'm lacking Vitamin U!"- Dr Pepper

Valentine Pretzel Buttons
Surprise your Valentine with these chocolate treats that are both salty and sweet!

Visit griffithsrated.blogspot.com

Heart Shaped Treats

Nothing says Valentines Day like the classic heart. Use these ideas for inspiration to make some of your favorite treats heart shaped!

Heart Shaped Cupcakes

Heart Shaped Cookies

bakerella.com

Heart Shaped Rice Crispies

cookingontheside.com

Heart Shaped Cake

Visit 0.tqn.com

xoxo cupcakes

goddamnyourebeautiful.tumblr.com

Send A Heart Attack
For the Valentine away… in the military, traveling for work, or whatever the case may be, get creative and send your Valentine a heart attack. Use a large manilla envelope or a box and stuff it with hearts. Include your valentine somewhere in the middle. Your Valentine will be pleasantly surprised when they open their package and are greeted by hearts galore. Write memories or reasons you love them on each of the hearts if you are feeling like going the extra mile. 

thehousethatlarsbuilt.blogspot.com

Write Your Own Love Story
Visit Love book online to write the story of your choosing. Books will come bound and illustrated with stick people.

http://www.lovebookonline.com/OurStory.php

Customized Picture Names
For $45 dollars you can have a personalized name or set of names made for your Valentine. More of a Do It Yourself type person? Pick out your favorite pictures and cut them into letters. Find a frame that fits and you are done!

http://www.personalizationmall.com/Picture-Frames-Glass-c9.lp?fitemid=25214&did=14278&utm_source=gifts_com&utm_medium=cpc

Personalized Where We Met Puzzle
Turn a favorite photo or a map of where you met into a puzzle. It  comes in a box with a heart and ready to go for Valentines Day! $39.95 at Red Envelope.

http://gifts.redenvelope.com/

Classic Cards
The classic Valentine card is always a safe bet. Look around and find a funny one that fits your situation. Most men are not about the mush of the holiday but prefer to keep it lighthearted!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/175553278/funny-valentines-day-card-couples-card?ref=listing-shop-header-3

Memory Frame

Make a memory frame from either a favorite memory the two of you share or something that he did earlier in the year. A hike, a race, a vacation, the big hunt, anything. Include a picture, and then words or your choosing all around the picture. Frame as you'd like.

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/valentines-day/cards/valentines-day-gift-ideas-for-him/#page=4

Memory Frame from a hike/race/ride/trip

DIY Meat Rub 

Make your own meat rub for his favorite meats on the grill and put it in a container with Valentine decor. Recipe available at Better Homes and Gardens.

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/valentines-day/cards/valentines-day-gift-ideas-for-him/#page=9

Post It Heart

Use post it notes to write the reasons you love them. Stick them all together in a heart as pictured or just do the outline of a heart. Stick the notes on the wall, bathroom mirror, on the car windshield or other window, in his office, etc. anywhere that is not expected.

Visit thedatingdivas.com

Cute Candy Bar Phrases

Use favorite candy bars and treats to make a personalized valentine. Get creative and you can turn most things into a play on words of some kind.

Glad we can SNICKER together. -Snickers

YOR(K) the best. -York Peppermint Patties

Love you to PIECES. -Reeses Pieces

You are quite the catch. -Swedish Fish

There would be a hole in my heart without you. -Doughnuts

Balloons Say it Best

This would definitely require a bit of work but would be very festive for your Valentine. Do dozens as seen in the picture or simply do a dozen and attach a heart on each balloon. Put them in the house somewhere they will make an impact when seen. 

 Visit burlapandbutterknives.wordpress.com

Just Feed One

If you can't feed one hundred people, then just feed ONE. 

- Mother Teresa

Made some cupcakes for a neighbors birthday today. Hope she liked them. :)

Mason Gift in a Jar

Simplicity. Isn't that what makes life a little bit easier. A DIY mason jar gift is the way to go when you want something that looks nice. Once you have made your jar it can be stuffed with sweets, hot chocolate mix, cookie dough mix, or anything that you'd like. I stuffed mine with letter writing supplies. 

Kids will love decorating the outside of a jar and placing their gifts inside. Simply find a jar that you'd like to use. Clean it out.  Add shapes to the outside with a bit of modge  podge or elmers glue. Add your gifts to the inside and a tag around the top and you are ready to go!

DIY Holiday Mugs

I love DIY projects that are somewhat easy, don't require a large mess, and work for the most part. I made these and gave them to a good friend but kids could do them for Grandparents, or cousins, or a parent. They are fairly easy and even with little hands making "mistakes" that is what makes DIY gifts the best are the kid touches that you can't get from a store bought gift. 

Directions:

Simply find the mug you would like to use. Find some stickers. Use letters for initials, or use any type of sticker that will leave an interesting outline. Place the stickers on the mug and color around them or use a pattern. Peel the stickers off. Bake your mugs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to set the ink. And you are done.

As you can see my markers bled a little bit under the stickers but I still liked the way they turned out. 

The Man-quet!

Yes you read that right. The man-quet. Similar to the bouquet for women. In all seriousness, men don't like to receive flowers. At least none I know do so instead make them a man-quet with things that interest them. I thought I had a better picture of this but I don't so you'll have to use the ole imagination. A 2 Liter of Pop makes up the center of this with a hunting magazine wrapped around the outside. Random candy bars and trail mix are stuffed down behind the magazine and the whole thing is tied off with some rope.

You can obviously customize this for any man to their interests and use it for many occasions. Birthday, Valentines, Anniversary, or just because. You may want to just give it to them and not refer to it as a man-quet. You know how men are........

Be My Valentine Candy Sundae

Valentine Birthday or Valentine 

Valentines is a fun Holiday. I know that it was/is a Holiday made by the card and candy companies. I know some say it is silly to spend one day saying I Love Yous when they should be said every day. But pish posh I say. Have fun with Valentines Day. You don't need to do some huge extravagant thing but have fun with it. I really enjoy showing those around me that I care.... even in just a small way. Valentines is a great way to do that for friends, family, coworkers, neighbors etc. Small things that make someones day. 

So I'm going to try this again as it gets closer to Valentines but I made it tonight for a little girls birthday present. Tell me a little girl will not adore this. I'll post more pictures when I make it again to see if I have improved upon anything or if this was the best way to make it. 

Needed Items

• Straw
• Paper Heart
• Hot Glue
• Candy Hearts
• Taffy
• Glass/Container of some kind (Got mine at the dollar store)
• Ribbon (Optional)

Directions

• Wash Glass
• Place straw in the center of the glass
• Fill to the top with candy hearts
• Start with two pieces of taffy and glue the ends together.
• Continue to add a piece of taffy to an end until it will wrap around the top of the glass and look like foam coming out of a float.
• My top to tiers fit nicely on top of the glass and candy. The bottom layer I had to glue to the glass.

You are done. Enjoy!

Give A LIttle Love Star

A few years ago my little sister gave me a paper star similar to this one that was attached to a birthday present. I loved the saying so much that I put it on my bulletin board and have kept it for years. I love having it there because it is so nice to see when you are having a down day and need a little cheering up.

This year I decided to pass on the love. :) I made one of these paper stars for my Grandma and gave it to her with a star dish for Christmas. Hopefully it means as much to Grandma as it means to me. So if you know someone that could use a little pick me up whip up a quick star or print one on the computer and pass it on. 

12 Days of Christmas Giving

 12 Days of Christmas Nativity

As I've been in and out of stores the last 6 weeks or so I found it odd that all things Christmas were up on the shelves before I had a chance to but my Halloween candy. As Thanksgiving got closer I noticed that many/most of the decor and merchandise I was seeing in stores was Santa Claus, Snowmen, Reindeer etc. And while I love Christmas and everything about it I thought for a minute of how commercial Christmas has become. People waiting in line to shop and get the best deals on Black Friday missing out on precious time that could be had with family. I thought this year I would make a real effort to put the Christ back in Christmas for my family and to look outside my circle for those that need a little help. As a result of my musings I've invited a guest blogger to talk about the 12 Days of Christmas Nativity style. I know the 12 Days of Christmas is popular here and there but this is a different take on it. I hope you enjoy. You'll be seeing more ideas like this over the next month. 

(Rachel is currently a Junior in College studying General Studies.) 

Rachel J.- Guest Blogger

Once upon a Christmas time my family began the tradition of surprising a family in need with the twelve days of Christmas nativity. Every night we would secretly deliver a single piece from a nativity set. Connected with a scripture that described the piece. We would wrap it up to make it look festive and deliver treats with it. As children we would deliver it to the door, ring the doorbell and run. We would start with the Christmas star and then on Christmas Eve end with baby Jesus. As a child it reminded me of what Christmas was all about, giving to others and that Christ was what Christmas was all about. It is easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. This idea was to emphasize Christ in Christmas. This idea can be done for friends, grandparents, co-workers, siblings living near or far, moms with LDS missionaries currently serving, and shhh Moms plug your ears, missionary girlfriends too; or even your next door neighbor. Moms you can even do this for your children or spouse. 

Items you will need: 

• A 12 piece nativity set. It may be hard to find a 12 piece nativity set so if it is less than 12 you can always improvise with treats and small gifts to give you 12 days of items. 

• Wrapping, I found small clear party bags at Wal-Mart for a dollar then got festive tissue paper and gold ribbon. With a tag on it for the date. If you are hand delivering it during the 12 nights of Christmas then you don’t need a tag with the date but if you are sending it through the mail you need to so they know which one to open that day. I found my Christmas tags at Hobby Lobby for a dollar.

• Red paper, or any Christmassy paper for the scripture. My family would roll it up like a scroll and put gold ribbon around it. Or you can put them in envelopes. I put them in brown long envelopes I found at Hobby Lobby then decorated them with Christmas stamps. If you are sending them to loved ones faraway then you can add notes and letters to go with the scripture. 

• If you are sending it to someone in the mail, then you will need to add a note giving directions on the twelve days of Christmas and how it works. 

• Then you can add anything to the 12 days of Christmas nativity pieces such as Christmas candy or chocolates and even a Christmas present for the last day. 

• For the scriptures I found these links to be helpful. 

http://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/christmas-bible-verses/

http://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/12/small-and-simple-things?lang=eng&query=christmas+story+scriptures

• The Christmas Story

  Many people are familiar with the Nativity story as told in Luke 1–2. But there are many other places in the scriptures that talk about the miraculous birth of the Savior Jesus Christ. Consider including these verses in your personal scripture study this month:

  Old Testament	New Testament	Book of Mormon	Doctrine and Covenants	Pearl of Great Price
  Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7	Matthew 1–2	1 Nephi 10:4–6;11:13–21	D&C 76:41	Moses 5:57
  Micah 5:2	John 1:1–14	Alma 7:9–13	D&C 93:1–4
  		Helaman 14:1–9
  		3 Nephi 1

• It has scriptures that are great to use, or you can always do your own. I saw that on the LDS website they have a 12 days of Christmas that is just service which is also a great idea. 

Good luck! You can always adjust and make things your own depending on the person. I hope you found this idea useful. It’s hard to find things that are fun for Christmas and are still centered on Christ. This helped me as a child know what Christmas was all about, and hope it will start a Christmas tradition for your family!