Have a Magical Christmas!

This Christmas Eve is just going perfectly! We have our shopping finished, our presents wrapped, our kiddos are napping, and we are gearing up for my favorite traditions! Every Christmas Eve, we put on our matching jammies, eat our "Favorite Things" dinner, bake Santa some cookies, and enjoy a Christmas movie while we sip hot chocolate. Don't worry....I'll document and blog that fun! But for now, I leave you with our very first "themed" Christmas Card...we may or may not be completely obsessed with Harry Potter...

Why yes, those are Weasley jumpers and we are reading the novels! 

But don't forget our year in review insert...

We hope you enjoy these as much as we enjoyed designing them!

May you and yours have a fabulous Christmas!!! Can't wait to blog all the fun that the Henrys have over the next few days!

Much Love from the Henry Burrow! ;)

2014 UMPEA Holiday Program

So we get an email from Lily's class parent representative asking for a very random list of items for the Holiday Program. This list included a nutria costume, a Mr. Bingle costume, a robe/slippers...in addition to an assortment of other items. My interest was peaked! Since I'm not sure a nutria costume exists and I have no clue who Mr. Bingle is...we volunteered the robe/slippers and Lily was set to play a "little ol lady" in their "Night Before Christmas in the land of Who Dat!" 

To our surprise, she was also doing the welcome! Yay!

Just in case you don't speak whispered gibberish, they said, "Welcome to our Christmas Program! Sit back, relax, and pass a good time!"

When we get to her class presentation, I could hardly contain my excitement! Her teacher worked SO hard and it was adorable! The video was around 10 minutes long so we cut it down to her part:

I mean...of course she gets on stage and picks her nose! 

This was the finale with all the kiddos on stage...you'll see a Santa with a Popeye's fried chicken leg, a sleigh pulled by brown pelicans, a little boy with visions of beignets, an adorable "mutt", a po-boy, Mr. Bingle, a pot of gumbo, and a hurricane...along with the old lady! ;)

Once the program was over, she ran straight to Daddy and was just SO proud of herself! 

Love that girl!!!

At-Home Hair Cut

When one is growing their hair out, they typically get to a point of "I'm going to shave my head". Well, I didn't get quite there the other evening...but I got close. I had this "awesome" ducktail/mullet in the back that was driving me batsh*t bananas. Chris jokingly asked if I wanted him to cut it...and to everyone's shock, I said yes. I just couldn't handle it anymore. So out came the scissors...

It was like a crazy trust exercise...thank goodness it worked out!

Thanks Chris!

DIY Dog Shampoo

With a toddler and a 9 month old, our poor furbabies get the very last of our attention. Well, when Oliver, our cocker spaniel,  jumped in my lap this afternoon and I really took a second to love on him...my heart just broke. His poor ears are a mess and I noticed a couple little spots on his skin that have been itching him...funky allergies. So, I decided it was time for a puppy spa day!

Oliver got a good smellin' bath, an ear cleaning, a manicure and pedicure, with a mini massage. He is once again a happy and good smelling boy!

I'm not a big fan of how dog shampoos smell so I decided it was time for a DIY option. He needed something that would deodorize but also moisturize his skin. So I did a bit of research and this is what I came up with...enjoy!

1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

5 tablespoons of castile soap

10 drops of essential oil

2 cups of warm water

I put all the ingredients into an old shampoo bottle and mixed well.

Since my Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap was lavender scented, I also used my Young Living Lavender Essential Oil. Not only does it smell fantastic, but it's also a calming and soothing on his skin. I'm a big fan of how smooth and shiny his coat is and he hasn't been scratching since the bath...which is huge for our sweet Oliver!

My only complaint is that it didn't lather very well. I'm going to keep an eye on his ears and little hot spots, but so far so good! He smells delicious, looks fantastic, and seems to be a happy boy! We will definitely be trying again next bath time!

Next on our list is a DIY ear cleaner...stay tuned!

Fun & Easy Christmas Card Display

Our Christmas decor is getting a bit of a facelift this year...with a bunch of DIY projects that I can't wait to share! Starting with this fun and easy way to display Christmas Cards.

Your family and friends work too hard on their Christmas Cards each year to just be tossed aside! Show off their beautiful work with a fun garland on a doorway or, in our case, a china buffet! I spray painted a bunch of clothes pins and as the cards come in, we clip them on!

For the sign, I just grabbed a blank piece of wood from my local craft store and painted away! I mean..."Merry Mail"...adorable, right!?! Thanks Pinterest! ;)

Can't wait to see what this looks like full! Stay tuned for an update a little closer to Christmas!

DIY All Purpose Spray

After several stomach bugs and a nasty ear infection hit the Henry House...in the same month...I lost my mind calmly reevaluated our operations and decided to toss the chemical cleaners. Clearly something was running a muck in our home and I was desperate to kick that sh*t to the curb! I started with an All-Purpose Spray...and one month later I'm still loving it! I feel healthier and it smells AMAZING...oh yummy lavender! Check out this easy peasy recipe!

DIY All-Purpose Spray

Empty and Clean Spray Bottle

3 tablespoons of vinegar

1 teaspoon castile soap 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

15-20 drops of lavender essential oil

2 cups of hot water

Mix well and get to cleaning! 

There will be a fuzzy reaction when you mix the baking soda and vinegar so just be warned. I used Dr. Bronner's  Lavender Castile Soap...because it's amazing. I also used Young Living Essential Oils...because they too are amazing. 

I've used this spray on a myriad of surfaces with no regrets! Enjoy!

Lily and Mommy's (Sick) Day

Poor pitiful Pea Pie...

She woke up on Wednesday with a low-grade fever and nasty gunk flowing from her eyes, ears, and nose. Just nasty. When this happens, we know immediately that an ear infection is in hot pursuit. She stayed home with Daddy for some much needed rest and relaxation. When she woke up worse on Thursday, it was Mommy's turn to stay home and love on Lily. Now, I am fully aware that this was not a vacation day or a Mommy-Daughter Day...but whilst sick her spirits were still rather high so I wanted to make the day as fun as possible for her. So, while we waited for her doctor's appointment...I broke out the paints and canvas...

There are a few art projects that have been on the back burner...so I decided to knock one out! Lily's big girl room still has some bare walls and my late night Pinterest searches led me to a quote that just defines our Pea Pie and just NEEDED to be painted on a canvas and hung on her wall! As I got the canvas prepped, Lily wanted to jump in...so I said YES!

Stage one of our projects was complete so off to the doctor we went.

Yes, Lily makes herself at home just about anywhere! Once the doctor confirmed that she did have a nasty ear infection...I thought some lunch would help! So, we ran to McAlister's for some sweet tea and a cheese pita pizza!

Outside of the ear infection, our lunch date was so much fun! 

We headed home, rested for a bit, and then finished our projects!

While my lettering is a bit rusty, I'm generally pleased with home these turned out! It was so much fun working on a project with Lily and she was SO proud! It was adorable! 

Although this was a "sick" day, we had so much fun! She is growing up WAY too fast so it's our goal to take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy life with our funny, beautiful kiddos! 

Now, on that note, please excuse me...I'm being beckoned to attend a tea party with a little princess! ;)