Pams Party & Practical Tips

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Last minute Stocking Stuffers

Christmas is coming, and it is coming very quickly. Christmas Eve is just over a week away. Are you ready? I am for the most part. The last gift that I was waiting for finally arrived today. I ordered it at the end of November. I probably will pick up a couple more gifts for my son who has refused to give me ideas this weekend. I plan on sending my oldest a care package of Christmas/birthday gifts after Christmas. (her birthday is in January, and hopefully shipping will be easier and quicker then.

As you know from my posts, I love the Dollar Tree and this year the Christmas stock has been amazing. It has been so good that I got all of my stocking stuffers, and even things for themed gift baskets there this year.

Since the people I bought these stocking stuffers for do not read my blog, I can share with you pictures of some of the great finds, in case you still need ideas.

These items I plan on putting in my daughter's stocking who loves make up and beauty items. In the first picture is a foot sugar file, a diamond nail file, a silicone make up blender, cucumber eye compresses, Botanico eye compresses, and two lip balms. In the bottom picture are lip glosses I found for 90% off after Halloween at Meijer. (the only non Dollar Tree product)

My boyfriend's 16 yr old son loves playing games. While I plan on making him a themed gift with these some of these games, they are perfect stocking stuffers for a teen, older child, or someone who loves games. In the top photo are table top darts, cornhole, and a generic Jenga game. Also included is a block puzzle, Sloth Rummy, an Escape Room Challenge, Left Center Right dice game, and finger Robots. In the bottom picture is card versions of the game shows Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Deal or No Deal, and Jeopardy.

His daughter who is the same age as my daughter, loves fun quirky things. These are some of the items I bought for her. Notebooks with pictures of bacon and donuts, a donut zipper purse, scratch art kits in two colors, and a flamingo tape dispenser.

I love the themed socks DT has available. Some of my fun finds have been a llama flying an airplane, gnomes, a sloth hugging a donut, and pretzels.

These items are for my boyfriend. He loves German food, and served in Germany for a few years so I know he will will the pretzel socks and beer mask. Other things in this pic are a small tool set, camper sock and a Hot Wheels ID muscle car. What is really cool about the ID cars if you can find them, is you can play/race them on an app on your phone.

If you like squishy toys they have this Christmas set. All are adorable, but I think I like the snowman the best.

These are going in MY stocking. Flavored lip balms in the flavors are some of my favorite cereals and pop.

There are a lot of unicorn themed items available. Unicorn sticker books, a rainbow calendar, an unicorn marque light, an unicorn glitter banner, several different types of stuff unicorn, and a cute unicorn light up desk light.

You can find many kinds of Disney items like these cute Tsum Tsums. Not pictured but also available are Mickey, Minnie and Goofy.

You can find fun and silly items like a fart machine and glow art maker.

I found a lot of great candy stocking stuffers are well. In the top pic are Rudolph themed items. A chocolate Rudolph and lip pops in Rudolph Bumble. There are lot of different types of boxed candy as well, gummy blocks, peppermint bark, and peppermint crunch Junior Mints. (I can tell you that they are good, I may or may not have already eaten a box of them.)

Check back tomorrow. I will be posting some gift basket ideas for teens and young adults.

Dare to Share #447

It is Friday night, and you know what that means...

It is time to Dare to Share!

We are now halfway through December. Christmas is two weeks from tonight. My tree is up now, and it's been a crazy week. We have one more week of school before Christmas break. Today I had yet another close call and almost needed to quarantine, but was just far enough away not to be considered close contact. Tomorrow was also supposed to be the annual Ohio State-University of Michigan game. It is a game we look forward to all year, but this year for the first time in 103 years it will not be played. While I understand why it had to be canceled, it is still seems weird that we will not play.

Do you have any fun Christmas plans for this weekend? We are going to make a gingerbread house and then go see Christmas lights. While this year is definitely not normal, hopefully doing some of our annual traditions will make it feel a little bit close to normal.

Well it looks to be that time, so let's get this party started.

Link up and HAVE FUN!

Dare to Share #446

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

We are one week in December. How are you doing with your Christmas shopping? This is the first year I did not go out at all on Black Friday. I have done most of my shopping online this year taking advantage of the stores great virtual deals. Thankfully I am mostly done. I still did not get anything for my son, because he has not given me any ideas. My tree is up, but not decorated yet. I hope to change that this week. The first thing I need to do is find where I put my Christmas ornaments. I am one of those people who puts things in a place where I think I will easily find the next year, only to forgot where that place is. Anyone else here do that?

One thing I did get accomplished this week was finally finishing some of my red truck Christmas crafts. I made this 3D tree truck and some ornaments for my bedroom red truck Christmas tree.

Well it looks to be about that time again. Time to get this week's party started. Link up and HAVE FUN!

Red Truck Christmas Crafts

I have been wanting to work on this craft for several weeks, but I have been so busy with school, that I did not have a chance until this past weekend. As you may know from my blog and Instagram posts, I love anything red truck. When I was able to find a few of the wooden trucks at the Dollar Tree, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

I started this project with two DIY wooden Christmas Trucks , a piece of pallet wood from the Crafter Square aisle, and a package of the Christmas trees from the Cobblestone Christmas Village. I forgot to take a picture of the pallet before I painted it. As you can see I painted it dark brown.

Added: New in 2021 Dollar Tree has added a few new trucks to their inventory a paintable MDF truck, and this wooden truck with Christmas tree and trailer

An alternative to the pallet wood, is the wooden rectangular crate, which is available online in small quantities.

Since I wanted to make a double sided 3D truck and the wooden trucks had doors on the same side, I had to remove the extra pieces and glue them on the opposite side of one of the trucks. The pieces are glued on pretty well with wood glue, so they were not super easy to remove. I did slightly damage the door, but it gives the truck some charm and will be on the back side of the truck. I painted both of the truck pieces the same on both sides and added details. You will see in one of my later pics how I added extra details like shading and snow, but I don't have a picture of it at this step.

Using a bit of hot glue, I glued the pallet to the back side of one of the trucks. This will be the truck bed where you will place the Christmas trees.

To make my truck stand up, I added hot glue to the second side of the pallet and then attached the second truck while holding them upright. I wanted to make sure they were lined up evenly.

After deciding where to place on the pallet, I decided to glue them down. This step is completely optional. I am considering picking up another package of the trees and adding a few more. I really loved how the truck turned out but I thought it was missing a little something.

I remembered that I had found these mini ornaments for only $1.88. I believe they are from Walmart. The Farm Fresh Trees ornament was the perfect size for the door of the truck.

I hot glued the ornament to the truck, and it finished the look. I love how this turned out. I think it will look cool on a white snow blanket with a few other trees around it. I am still in the process of getting out my Christmas decorations. Hopefully once I get everything out, I will add it to Instagram.

Another red truck craft I made were these wooden ornaments for my red truck themed Christmas tree. I found them in the Christmas craft aisle at the Dollar tree. As with the large wooden truck. I painted them all the same, and then added the details on the truck and snow on the tree. I painted them on both sides, so they could face in either direction when on the tree.

I used jute twine to make the loop to hang them on the tree, but I wanted to add just a little more. I bought this amazing Christmas ribbon tower from Walmart for only $4.88. (only .82 per roll!) I love all the ribbon that is included in this set. I decided on the buffalo check trees to make little bows to tie on the jute twine.

Here are what the final ornaments look like. I just love them and how they look on the tree.

Added: If you prefer not to paint red trucks, DollarTree.com has this version of the red truck ornament available online in small quantities.

I just love my red truck tree. I seriously can not stop looking at it. It is in the corner of my bedroom, and makes me smile every time I see it. You can see one of the ornaments in the bottom picture. I added a camper ornament behind it that I also found at the dollar tree.

I have a few more red truck crafts to complete that I will be adding soon!

Dare to Share #445

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

Happy Thanksgiving! Did you have a nice one? I am a little late to start the party tonight, because I was prepping for my second Thanksgiving which we are having tomorrow. My first Thanksgiving was with my boyfriend, his kids, and his mom. It was small with just the 6 of us. It was their first Thanksgiving without their dad/grandpa since he died last month. We have all been in the same bubble since we are together every weekend. I still tried to distance just in case. Today we came back to my house to have Thanksgiving dinner with at least one of my kids. Tonight, I made the pumpkin pie, my make ahead stuffed french toast for breakfast tomorrow, and planned the table settings for tomorrow. It should be a fun day. After dinner, we plan to put up my Christmas tree, and possibly see the Christmas lights downtown.

I am curious, have you already put up your Christmas tree?

Since I hope to get up early in the morning to start the turkey, lets get this party started.

Link up and HAVE FUN!!

Dare to Share #444

It's Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

We are in the final few days before Thanksgiving. Is it just me, or did November feel like only a few days long? I think part of that is because so many people are decorating early for Christmas after the crazy year we had. Have you decorated yet? My daughter and I got our tree out of storage, but it is still in the box. We will probably put it up this week. I am also working on ornaments for my mini tree in my room which will have a red truck theme. I was hoping to have it all done already, but I have just been way too busy with school.

This week on the blog, I shared an older Thanksgiving post with a fun idea for the kids. Thanksgiving "Turkey" Sandwiches are easy to make, and the kids love them.

Well it is getting to be that time. It's time to get this party started, because I need to get some rest after a long week.

Link up and HAVE FUN!

Thanksgiving "Turkey" Sandwiches

When my kids were younger I made these adorable turkey themed snack size sandwiches to get them excited about the Thanksgiving holiday. While going through old blog posts recently, I saw these pictures again which made me think it would be a good time to re-share my "Turkey" sandwiches.

What is kind of fun about making these, is you don't actually need to use turkey. You can fill it with any other kind of sandwich you would like. However, if you want to use peanut butter and jelly, you may want to use something other than sweet peppers for the tail feathers

I cut the crust off the bread. We used wheat bread to have a light brown turkey. I used a circle cookie cutter for the head. Looking at the picture, this might have been a pumpkin cookie cutter. As long as you have a roundish shape head, either works. Fill the bread pieces with your ingredients of choice. Some good ones to use could be chicken salad, tuna, lunch meat etc..

Slice colorful red, orange, and yellow sweet peppers for the feathers. I also cut a little bit of yellow for the beak, and a smaller piece of red for snood. Attach the peppers by placing an end inside the sandwich.

To make the eyes, I cut cranberries in half (you can also use grapes or raisins), and attached it to the bread with a small amount of cream cheese.

These Thanksgiving turkey themed sandwiches are super easy and fun! Serve and enjoy.

Dare to Share #443

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

We had another busy week at school this week. As of right now we are still in session face to face several days a week, but there is talk that we may be going virtual very soon with the Covid numbers currently at a record high. Are your schools in person or online where you live?

I am starting to think a lot more about Thanksgiving. It's hard to believe it is less than two weeks away. I know our celebration will be very small with just a few people. I did just share an article with 3 tips for a close-knit Thanksgiving on the blog. I will also be crafting some Christmas DIYs this weekend so stayed tuned for those.

Well it looks like it is time to get this week's party started. Link up and HAVE FUN!

3 Tips to Planning a Close-Knit Thanksgiving on a Budget

If you are feeling like me, you are wondering what the holidays are going to look like this year. This pandemic has changed so many things about our everyday lives, including the holidays. This year is the year we are not having huge parties, or large family get togethers. In many states including mine, it is suggested that we celebrate Thanksgiving with only those in our immediate households. With all the changes in mind, I am sharing this article with tips on how to plan a small family Thanksgiving

3 Tips to Planning a Close-Knit Thanksgiving on a Budget

The holidays are my favorite time of the year. Between the famous family recipes, spending time with loved ones and reflecting on everything I am so thankful for, it’s easy to love the holiday season. Last week, I shared a few of my favorite Thanksgiving turkey crafts which offer my family and I some added time together, but the options for bonding time are endless.

As I sit here thinking about the next several holiday weeks ahead, I can’t escape the thought that this year will be quite different than past holiday celebrations due to COVID-19. Fewer people at the table and tighter budgets than normal mean people, including myself, must get creative in celebrating the holidays. With that being said, here are a few ideas of mine to help you enjoy the holiday season on a budget and in a close-knit group!

Relax Together

The holidays are meant to be spent with family and close friends, and that’s no different in my house. Whenever I host a holiday, my biggest worry is that there won’t be ample seating space for guests to all be together. While the kids can play in their rooms or the basement, I always make sure the adults get first pick in seats, and try to ensure that I have the comfiest sofa furniture for them to choose from. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than enjoying a meal, then relaxing and sharing stories with those I’m closest to.

Plan Games

After the meal is finished, a long-standing tradition in my family is for us to all gather around and play games together. With a smaller gathering this year, the games will mean that much more to my family. Board games from Monopoly to Apples to Apples and even Charades allow us to spend quality time together and include everyone. If you are inviting a small group of friends and family over for Thanksgiving, ask each family coming to bring their favorite game to share. Not only are games a fun way to spend time laughing, but odds are you have a few lying around the house already and won’t have to go out and buy anything new!

Prep the House

Possibly the best part of the calendar switching from October to November is the general feeling of the upcoming holiday season. For me, this means decorating and Christmas music accompanied by holiday movies. Plan a weekend before the holidays to spend time with those you’re closest with and put up the decorations while listening to music to get into the holiday spirit. After a day of prepping and decorating the house with garland, sitting down to watch the 25 Days of Christmas movies has always been a holiday favorite at my house.

Take Time For Yourself

At the end of the day, the holidays are a time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Between the shopping, party planning, cooking and everything in between, sometimes you may feel overwhelmed and swept up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Considering the craziness of what’s been going on in the world this year, the holidays should be your escape. Make sure to take time for yourself and enjoy the moments with those you love most in your home.

Dare to Share #442

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

Wow, what a week. When I posted last Friday, I posted about my boyfriend's dad. My boyfriend and I had the chance to celebrate our birthdays on Halloween, but about 9 pm, we got the call. His dad had passed. I quickly packed a bag and we made the almost 3 hour trip to his moms house. We spent the next couple of days with his family helping his mom take care of everything. I was off work on Tuesday because in my state many of the schools are polling places, so we did not have the school that day. The last few days of school has been very busy. We were actually short a few subs, and had to call in a few from other schools. This weekend we plan on having a small family birthday party with his kids to celebrate out birthdays with them.

While I did not have the chance to do any crafting this week, I did share some of my most recent holiday and clearance finds on Instagram.

I also had a chance to share some past Thanksgiving turkey crafts from past Thanksgivings. If you are looking for quick and easy crafts be sure to check them out.

It looks like it is time to get the party started. Link up and HAVE FUN!

Thanksgiving Turkey Crafts

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to re-share some of my favorite Thanksgiving crafts. There are too many for just one post, so I am breaking it up into two posts. Today you will see all things turkey.

In the picture above, I made adorable turkey napkin rings, out of a paper towel tube and craft paper.

Another favorite is my turkey place card, made from craft foam and pipe cleaners. They were fun, colorful, and a huge hit with my family.

Turkey treat cups were a colorful and sweet addition to our Thanksgiving table a few years back. They were filled with candy corn pumpkins which you can find out clearance at many stores right now.

Do you have any leftover dollar tree craft pumpkins? Turn one into a Thanksgiving centerpiece with this turkey pumpkin.

Using a dollar tree candy dish and some craft supplies I had on hand, I made this Thanksgiving turkey candy dish.

This cute guy was a Kara original during her Crafting with Kara series. You can see how to make him with this turkey craft tutorial.

What types of crafts are you making for Thanksgiving this year?

Dare to Share #441

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

Wow, this week seemed to fly by, and but so much has happened. Last Saturday we celebrated by boyfriend's birthday at a restaurant he wanted to go to in Columbus, and visited my cousin who I had not seen in about 10 years. My boyfriend's dad has been fighting cancer for awhile, and it had been discussed recently about putting him in hospice. Well Saturday night we found out that he declined rapidly, and it was time. On Wednesday, I ended up working an extra day, and then on Thursday it was my actual birthday. With everything going on, I did not have much computer time to write a post this week. After Halloween tomorrow, I will definitely be in the Thanksgiving/Christmas craft mood, and really hope I have time to do some new projects. With our Covid numbers spiking right now in my state, we may switch to virtual school for a time. I will keep you posted on that.

I hope that no matter how you are celebrating this weekend, I hope you have a Happy and safe Halloween.

Now let's get this party started! Link up and HAVE FUN!

Dare to Share #440

It is Saturday, and you know what that means..

It is time to Dare to Share!

Hope you are having a good weekend. This weekend a couple of exciting things are happening with me. Last night I had my annual birthday dinner with my kids at Red Robin. (with my free meal coupon!) I look forward to it every year because my kids will actually pose for pictures with me. My son is not fond of taking pictures and it usually takes some work to get him to smile. My daughter on the other hand loves pictures but is usually making goofy faces. Today I will be celebrating with a close friend. I am not completely sure what we will be doing yet, but both of our birthday are this week. Another exciting thing is Big Ten football is back this weekend. GO BUCkS! One thing you will know if you have followed me for awhile, you know I love my Buckeyes and football.

This past week on my day off I had to spend it at the tire place and the Secretary of State office so I did not have time to finish a craft that I am excited about. I did though post that second to last post about our big vacation. This time it was about our trip to the Upper Peninsula.

I have also been finding a lot more amazing Christmas red truck items that I will be posting about in the next few days. If you love red trucks they are EVERYWHERE this year.

Well it is time to get this party started. Link up and HAVE FUN!

Pams Party & Practical Tips

Pages

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Last minute Stocking Stuffers

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Dare to Share #447

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Dare to Share #446

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Red Truck Christmas Crafts

Saturday, November 28, 2020

Dare to Share #445

Friday, November 20, 2020

Dare to Share #444

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Thanksgiving "Turkey" Sandwiches

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Dare to Share #443

Friday, November 13, 2020

3 Tips to Planning a Close-Knit Thanksgiving on a Budget

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Dare to Share #442

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Thanksgiving Turkey Crafts

Friday, October 30, 2020

Dare to Share #441

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Dare to Share #440