What She's Wearing Wednesday ~ Santa's littlest Elf ~ Helping Raise Money for Christmas Gifts

Teaching kids how to participate and help other with Community Service Projects.

This past Saturday, we attended a Craft Fair and Rummage Sale to raise money for Santa's Elves of Indy. A friend organizes the event and often has more families in need than incoming donations.

The organization is young and struggling. Last year, I didn't feel we could take on a family or even a child, so we donated gift bags, tape, and wrapping paper.  

Every little bit helps.

This year, things are a little better for us.  We have "adopted" a family. That's what it is always been called, adopt a child or family for Christmas. When I posted this on another website, someone sent an angry message. It seems, they found the phrase "adopt a child for Christmas" offensive. Organizations have been collecting wish lists for needy children for years and using this terminology. We certainly don't want to offend families who are adopting children forever into their homes. 

We are in no way adopting a child or even meeting a child. To be clear, each volunteer takes a child's wish list which includes clothing and shoe sizes and shops for items for the child. Then, Santa's Elf volunteers wrap the gifts and deliver them to the children's parents or caregivers prior to Christmas Eve so no children miss out on a visit from Santa.

The craft fair wasn't bustling as we'd hoped. It is difficult to spread the word. Even for such a good cause, people have little money to spare. Donations are used to purchase gifts for families that haven't been "adopted" by a volunteer.

We manned the booth for Santa's Elves matching volunteer shoppers with families in need. We were also offering deep discount gift cards for Incredible Pizza, but no one was buying. For just $10 you could/can purchase a gift card valued at $20.

Here's your sign.

Mayhem asked if she could wear the sign and walk around the vendor area selling the gift cards. I agreed. She went from person to person and received many a no thank you. The little elf came back with a sad face and a great idea.

"Can I take the cookies and offer a bag of cookies with every card sold?"

What a great idea!

She sold 3 (the fair was almost over) and had a blast.

If you'd like to donate or purchase a gift card visit the Santa's Elves of Indy Facebook Page. There is still time to ADOPT a child's Wish List and play Santa for a family needing a little extra help this season.

Happy Holidays!

I am so Thankful for this magical little Mayhem.

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Kitchen Kids ~ Kids Creative Chaos Cooks ~ Holiday Treats Available on Amazon.com and Createspace ~ Kid's Mix and Make Cookbook

Edible art and crafts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas for Kid's to make.

I am excited to announce our first Kitchen Kid's Series Cookbook is available for purchase. Starting today, you can purchase a print version at Createspace for under $3. 

Now available at Amazon.com, so be sure to include it in your wishlist.

Holiday Treats is full of simple mix and make recipes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve with easy to follow instructions for kids of all ages. We've also added a few games to keep the kiddos busy while Mama or Daddy cooks in the kitchen. The perfect gift for budding bakers. 

Do you remember your first cookbook? Tell us about your favorite holiday recipe in the comment section below. We love to hear from you.


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Recycled Snowman "Potato Head" Craft for Kids from Christmas Ornaments

Build a Snowman Toy Craft

Make a Potato Head style Snowman toy from recycled Christmas Decorations and Ornaments. This is Snow Much Fun for kids to craft their own homemade toys. Enjoy!



Recycled Snowman Craft Toy to make with kids.

Make a Snowman Potato Head Toy

You will need: 

White or Satin Ball Christmas Ornaments that are unravelling

(white Styrofoam balls work too)

                                                                                         
Sticky Back Velcro

                                                                                              
Craft scraps: Felt, Foam, Buttons, Fabric, Googly Eyes

                                                                                             
Marker Lids

                                                                                             
Cardboard Toilet Tube Roll for Stands

Cut velcro into small pieces, attach to back of items.

Place velcro on balls where arms, eyes, hair should go.

Make your own Potato Head Snowman and Accessories.

We placed the small parts in a baggie and the rest in a plastic container. Now Mayhem has her very own Mr. Snowman which she prefers to dress-up as Mrs. Snowman.

Mayhem simply adored this project. We can always add new parts! Note the Kitty ears headband and blonde wig.


Years ago, I learned to save old marker lids to use as game pieces. These make perfect arms in interchangeable colors. The possibilities are endless. More Snowman Activities for Preschoolers.


Recommended Reading:

Indoor Activities for Kids*

Homemade Christmas Ornaments

Hibernation Station*








ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Holiday Treat Jar Candy Trifle Gifts to Make

5 Gifts in a Jar: Easy Holiday Gifts that Kids can Make.

Make these 5 assorted treats in a jar. The kids can have fun filling jars with yummy holiday treats and passing them out to grandparents as Christmas gifts. No recipes necessary, just layer the different edibles from bottom to top in your jar- just like you would with sand art (our sand art project is edible). Enjoy!

Popcorn, Whoppers, Pretzels, and Chocolate Chips.
Just add a piece of holiday fabric and raffia ribbon.
This jar is from recycled alfredo sauce.

Gift in a jar ideas to make at home.

From Run With Glitter

From Rockabye Butterfly.

Snowman in a jar = Grandma gift.

Recommended:

Holiday Party Games

Gifts in Jars*

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What I did for Christmas: Nativity Play and Easy No Sew Costumes

How to Make Easy, No Sew Nativity Costumes

We made our no sew costumes from the choir robes for our production of the Nativity play at church. Mary, Joseph, three Wise Men, the angels, and the burrow all wore easy, no sew costumes that are easy to make. Enjoy!

Nativity Scene with no sew choir robes for Mary and Joseph.
Little burrow is wearing brown hoodie with ears and tail attached with hot glue.

We made the costumes with what we had on hand,so we used choir robes, altar gowns, hoodies, and pillow cases.

Easy no sew Joseph and Mary costumes from choir robes.

Head coverings are made by wrapping pillow cases (no sew).

The setting was magical. Mayhem wore her fanciest dress.

Nativity Angels no sew choir robe costumes with Christmas garland accents.

The miracle of Jesus must have played a hand. The kids did a fantastic job acting out the nativity play, despite only one performance with the entire cast. The little angels are wearing altar gowns adorned with Christmas garland. Poster board wings are also decorated with gold garland and attached with white ribbon arm straps looped thru two slits in the wing like a backpack strap.

What we do in real life: Outreach to Senior Citizen's Homes. Kids join our Drama Club or take a class and then we present it to real-life audiences spreading a message of  'Good Cheer' all thru the year.

Recommended:

Princess Pirate Costume

Perry the Platypus Costume

How to Make a Gingerbread House

Stained Glass Cookie Ornaments

The Donkey in the Living Room Nativity Set: A Tradition that 
Celebrates the True Meaning of Christmas*

Christmas Is... by Gail Gibbons*











ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What's for Christmas? Teen Heartbreak-Part One

Teen Heartbreak and Advice for Girls: Beware of Holidays

Teen Holiday Heartbreak.

A big-fat break-up wrapped with a puke-colored bow and sprinkled with salty tear-sparkles, that's what.

Boys suck.  You know they do- even if you have one of your own. It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Try telling that to a heartbroken teenage-girl after her first boyfriend breaks up with her thru a text message three days before Christmas.

She thinks I have ESP. Perhaps I do, whatever you call it I have an Extraordinary Mother's Instinct. I saw it coming.  In fact, I've been there more than once. Although, I must confess, I am happy with the end result; I cannot bare the pain I see in her eyes.

At the beginning of the semester her Honor's English teacher called to say she is failing English (the fifth English Teacher in a row).  We discussed options and made the tough decision that extra-curricular Jazz Band would have to go. Said boy = Jazz Band.

One tiny paragraph stood in her way between passing class and extra-curricular activity bliss. Three weeks ago her Honor's English teacher called to say she is still failing English. One tiny paragraph stands in her way blocking her from passing with a D-!  The same paper.  Teacher loves her, "I cannot comprehend this."

"Me too", I lie.

I struggled with what to do -with what to take away.  The teacher says she is an excellent student. Teacher has no explanation for the outcome. She's tried everything. So have we. Band is all consuming...

Well, at least I thought it was band, but of course it was said boy.  Did I mention that boy's suck?

So, we grounded her until second semester and exiled her from band for the rest of the year.  You cannot go anywhere but 'Sucky Boy' can come to our house.  He can go to Thanksgiving, to the Family Office Party, he can come hang and watch movies, go to lunch, go sledding- you get the drill.

He couldn't find the time.  He didn't want to come over to our house.  He kept asking her to do things that he knew she couldn't do- frustrating her beyond words. Elevating her anger with her evil parents. "Why does he keep asking me to do stuff he knows I can't do?"  I knew the answer but I kept my mouth shut.

I wanted to say, "Because he knows you can't and this way he can keep stringing you along.  He gets to keep you on a rope and still have his fun."  Instead, I said, "What are we going to buy 'Sucky Boy' for Christmas?"  Wait remove the quotes I didn't say that exactly.  I politely used his name and smiled sweetly waiting for ideas to throw my hard-earned money away- on a boy who can't even use the telephone to speak words.

That's right- there aren't any late night 'I love yous' or 'Sweet Dreams' no 'I just needed to hear your voice'- Just some crappy text that say things like,  "What Up?" or "Okay Then".  Is this modern love and I'm just an old-fashioned old lady at forty-one?

My instincts were correct as usual.  Apparently, 'Sucky Boy' had his eye on someone else.  In my daughter's absence he's been spending time with 'the other woman'. I remember holidays with my boyfriend.  He went everywhere with me.  I didn't find out he was a 'Sucky boy' for years!

Her 'Sucky Boy' says, "I can't wait until January when you aren't grounded."

Excuse me? Wait for what?  Good riddance, fair weather friend.  
Merry Christmas 'Other Woman'.

And then technology hit the fan-  He changed his Facebook status and seconds later an influx of text messages filled her inbox. "OMG!" and "What's going on?" "Are you okay?"  Every time the phone vibrated she cried.

We did what any awesome parents would do; we took the phone away. But I'm a sucker and I let her use mine to text her best-friend.  Minutes later it zinged to remind me I had a unread message.  Sucky Boy was texting her back.  "Y wut?"

I'm angry at myself for giving her my phone.  Angry at her for texting him "Y?"  And angry at him for sucking so much. Really? "Y wut?"  He's such a lame.

So, I'm thinking, 'Thank you for ruining our holiday stupid boy and a true, heartfelt Thank you for ending it now rather than after the holidays which would make you look even more sucky in my eyes. And a GREAT BIG THANK YOU for saving me the money of purchasing an awesome gift for an unworthy recipient.'

What do you think? Is it better to break-up before the holidays or try to be 'polite' and do it after to save feelings? I had a boyfriend who would break up with me before my birthday or Christmas so he didn't have to buy me a gift. "For Reals."

I dedicate this post to all the texting teenagers out there.  Write a letter.  Use your voice. Even if your 'Sexting'   it is still a detachable relationship.  IT'S NOT REAL. It's too easy to type, "It's over."  Why not try saying that eye to eye?  Man up now before it is too late because many men never do.

Look for Part Two next week, "Why Sucky Boys Make Me Cry"