I Need Minions > DIY Christmas Gift Calendar

Today we are showing you another great DIY Christmas gift idea that everyone will love: personalized calendars. I know you're thinking, why would I want to make someone a calendar when there are 1000's of cool calendars out there at a reasonable price?  This gift combines a cool calendar with a bit of you and your family and their "unique" style. (we all know what and who I'm talking about, right?!)


I'm not talking about just any calendar but a calendar that you personalize with those millions of pics just sitting around that no one ever sees or appreciates, the pics that you want someone to see.  Even better, if you are giving this to a loved one who lives in a different state, they will get to see what really goes on in your life.  Hmmmm, this could be either a good thing or bad thing.  

Let's get to the meat of the project.  Did you know that there are "holidays" for almost every day of the year - or maybe there is one for every day of the year.  I don't know how these were designated as holidays but there are plenty of sites out there that list them.  I searched around and I like Gone-ta-Pott because it has silly holidays like "Cuddle Up Day" or "Talk Like a Pirate Day" or "Holy Batman! Day" (sadly the last two fall on the same day, so you just have to pick one.)   The holidays listed in the pic above are: Step In A Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day,  Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day, International Skeptics Day, and National Hat Day.  Yes, it's true, we are a silly family and I have pictures that can be used for these holidays, and so do you!


How to make your personalized calendar:
Pick calendar - I like the desk top ones with the spiral bound edge.  TJ Maxx has a selection of calendars at a reasonable price or any bookstore or Amazon has many.  Be sure to pick a calendar that they will love!  Check these out:

Start by writing everyone's birthday and anniversary on the calendar.  Find pictures for all those events, it doesn't have to be taken on their birthday or even taken recently (use some of those old pics), just put in a flattering picture of everyone.  I can't stress the word flattering enough as I have seen people given photo gifts with unflattering pictures of them or loved ones and it was not a gift they cherished.


Start to fill in the rest of the pages with pics that fit the "Holiday."  Start with the standard holidays like 4th of July, Christmas, etc, and then start reading the list of the other obscure holidays.  There is a "Hug Day", "Best Friend's Day", "Go Fishing Day", and "Chaos Never Dies Day" to name a few.  Once you get started you will see ways to work quite a few of your pics in.  Here is some inspiration:

Measure the area that is open on your calendar for each date and crop pictures that size.   I cropped photos in Photoshop Elements (PE). Open photo and set crop size.  This will open a crop box on the picture that you can move around and resize, but will still keep it the set size ratio.  Crop, save, print, cut out and paste to calendar.

I can't tell you how much people love these.  I mean really, puppy of the month in a basket is cute, but not as adorable as your grand kids in a mud puddle! After you finish up your amazing personalized gift calendars, wrap them up, and then wait for the rush of orders next Christmas, when everyone wants another one.


-Laurie  

I Need Minions > DIY Christmas Cookbook Gift

Okay, all of you amazing cooks with "secret" delicious recipes - now is the time to share the bounty with your family and friends.  A couple of years ago I made cookbooks for all my kids with all my recipes that I cooked while they were growing up, plus all the new things that I have added through the years.  This was appreciated by all - at least I think it was.  If you don't already have a cookbook for yourself this will help you out because while you're making everyone else's cookbook you can also make one for yourself.  Two gifts in one, woohoo!

This is a fairly easy project.

Supplies:
Lots of Paper and Printer Ink
Few sheets of Cardstock
All your recipes
3" 9X8 Binder - it's one of those smaller binders
2 Clear Project Files from Office Depot

I printed all my recipes out 2 to a page and cut paper in half so each recipe page is 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  Then 3 hole punch each page to fit in binder.


Organize by category and put in binder.


Make divider sheet with tab for each category.   This one was made in Photoshop but you can make dividers in any program or you could cut scrapbook paper to the proper size and use that.

Leave the original cover or make a cute cover like the one above.

I also put 2 of these handy protectors in each cookbook so that they have a splatter free cover for easy use when they pull out a recipe.  I cut down a clear project file from Office Depot to 6" X 9" size and used my handy corner rounder to round the top right front corner.


As an extra bonus I am giving you this wonderful recipe for Pecan Tarts - I have been making these for about 30 years and they are the best tarts ever.  

PECAN TARTS

Shells:

½ c. butter                                1 tsp. almond extract

½ c. sugar                                 2 c. flour

2 egg yolks

Cream sugar & butter.  Stir in egg yolks, almond extract and flour.  Press evenly into tiny tart shells.  Bake in 400⁰ oven for 8 minutes. 

Filling:

½ c. butter                                1 c. chopped pecans

1/3 c. Karo dark corn syrup           1 c. powdered sugar

Bring butter, corn syrup and powdered sugar to boil.  Stir in pecans.  Spoon into baked shells.  Top with a pecan half.  Bake in 350⁰ oven for 5 minutes.

Note:  I don't usually top them with a pecan half before cooking.


Start printing & baking!
-Laurie

I Need Minions > DIY Refrigerator Magnets & Bookmarks

This post was supposed to be for all you Moms and Grandmas who have a cache of great recipes, and sharing the bounty.... but I have been sidetracked by something that happened yesterday.  

What happened yesterday - GRANDKIDS, and the wonderfulness (is that a word?) of having them!  

I was supposed to pick up my oldest grandson at the dentist and drop him off at basketball camp.  Here's my facebook post:  Wait for Grandson at Dentist and drop off at basketball camp - 25 miles, 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Grandson turning around and running back to give me a hug, saying "Grandma, I love you" - PRICELESS!!!!  If you've been to the dentist or doctor you know they are never on time.  So after waiting 45 minutes (in the wrong parking lot, that's another story) he was finally finished, I drove him to the church (turned into wrong church), walked him into gym foyer and checked him in.  He was running into gym, when he turned around and said, "Oh, Grandma," ran back to me, hugged me and said "I love you."  I'm tearing up now just thinking about it.  Grandkids are great!  

Okay, that's my post - no not really but it made me think about gifts grandkids or kids can make for moms or grandmas because we are all sentimental (dare I say it) fools.  

Check out this magnet that's been on my refrigerator for years.  It's a little "Velveteen Rabbit" around the edges.  Mr. 2Wicked made this eons ago and yup, it's still on my refrigerator!  It's a great way to recycle all those magnets you get from businesses (sometimes they are attached to your phone book), save the dates, some charities, etc. and fairly simple to make.  

• Pick picture or artwork and decide whether to laminate or not.  I use my nifty Xyron to laminate top but I have also used clear Contact paper - which works great.  Xyron also makes a laminate/magnet cartridge.
• Rough cut around picture or artwork.
• Glue artwork or picture to magnet.  
• Cut around artwork or picture and YOU'RE DONE!  Note:  The cheaper the magnet the thinner it will be and the easier to cut.

Doesn't get much easier than that - except doing this:  
Don't want to go to all that trouble - how about buying some of those 4X6 acrylic frames with the magnets on the back and putting photos in them.  My mom has her refrigerator covered with them, it's a photo essay into our lives - pics of my kids when they were six and nine next to pics of my grandkids at six and nine.  Every year someone gives her a couple of new pics for her refrigerator.  

Is your mom a reader?  That's a reader of books, not kindle (I'm old school) - how about making some photos into bookmarks?  Just made this bookmark -

 from this photo -----------------
and it took about 5 minutes,  too bad taking the picture and getting it on blog took 25 minutes! 





Print photo. I like to use glossy photo paper because I like the stiffness and gloss of the paper.

• Rough cut out photo.
• Laminate.
• Cut out photo and you have this very, very cute bookmark.  This photo would also make a cute refrigerator magnet.

I also have this up on my message board.  I don't like clutter, but this has been up for quite a while because it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I wrote on the back: "Aiden 4/11."  





How about making a magnet from a signed and dated statement from your kids to their Grandma so they can feel all warm and fuzzy too!

Secret Note to Grandmas:  Have your grandkids over and help them make some personalized gifts for Mom!

Get out your paper, glue, scissors and start crafting!
-Laurie (AKA "Sentimental Grandma")