Last Minute Project

I just realized today that we had no calendar for next year. Oops! So I decided to start a last minute project and make one. I didn't want to start a new year without a calendar! :)

I used some white 8 1/2x11 cardstock and page protectors I had on hand. I copied a blank calendar template on to white cardstock, then used number and letter stamps to fill it in. I used pink embroidery floss to tie the page protectors together. I punched a hole through the top page and protector so I could hang it up.

I used my Selphy printer (which is my all-time favorite printer!) to print out some recent pictures from my memory card. I love that you can print 2 (or more) pictures with borders on one 4x6 sheet. I needed to print several pictures because I wanted to make sure I included everyone in the family.

Next I grabbed my neglected Studio Calico September Kit. (I am hoping to use up my past kits at our upcoming scrapbook retreat.) I adhered a few strips of patterned paper, added the numbers border sticker and the Basic Grey Yo-Yo's. Then I stuck on the pictures. That's it. I kept it really simple. I will probably go back and sew on it. I worked on it during Violet's naptime and my sewing machine was in her room.

And here is the (almost) finished product...

Happy New Year's Eve!

Project Life inspired- free printables

I wanted to share some of my favorite free printable journaling cards, tags and labels courtesy of Creativity Prompt...


Outnumbered journaling cards These printed out small (I can fit two side by side in my PL journal card pocket) but I really like the designs.

More Outnumbered journaling cards (numbers 21-30)

Even more Outnumbered journaling cards (numbers 11-20)

Last Outnumbered journaling cards (numbers 1-10)

Days of the week gird journaling cards

Old book journaling cards

Confetti journaling cards

So thankful journaling cards

Say thanks journaling cards

Speech bubbles journaling cards

Postage journaling labels

Journaling essentials journaling cards

I *heart* lists journaling cards

Colorful I *heart* lists journaling cards

Just tags journaling tags

Fancy schmancy pink journaling cards

December daily labels



I also love these library, graph, and note cards,

and List and calendar journaling cards

from The Creative Place


There are many more free printables out there. If you do a search for "free printables" on pinterest you will find a bunch! Happy printing and journaling! :)

The Best Goal

After my post yesterday I've been pondering more goals and prioritizing...

After breakfast and Bible reading this morning the girls and I moved on to our scripture memory. We have been working our way through Philippians chapter one and are on verse 20. As we were reading and discussing the verse it struck me as the most perfect goal you could set for yourself- that Christ be exalted in your body.

The New Living Translation puts it, "that my life will bring honor to Christ".

What a great goal for 2012! What a great daily goal- with every daily choice considering what would magnify/exalt/glorify/bring honor to Christ...

what I choose to eat
what I choose to say
what I choose to buy
what I choose to wear
what I choose to read, watch, or listen to
how I choose to spend my time

That in each of these Christ be exalted in my body! I really think this is the best goal.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20 (NIV)

And because no post should be without a picture, here are some random cute pictures of Elsie playing Grandma's piano. :)

Looking Ahead

It's hard to believe in just a few short days it will be 2012. I love New Years. It's always nice to have a fresh start, a brand new year. I like to make New Years resolutions too. It's good to set goals. Even if I don't meet them 100% I find I accomplish more than if I didn't set any at all.

One of my goals this year is to begin again to read through the Bible in a year.


I found a good Bible reading plan online. You can find the pdf here. I printed out a copy for myself and a few extra copies to share with my women's Bible study group. I like how they break the readings up into different categories for each day of the week (Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels).


One of my scrapbooking goals this year is to tackle Project Life. It's a way to document daily life in a simple scrapbook format. Becky Higgins sells kits to simplify the process. The kit I ordered from Amazon came yesterday. I was excited to open it up! Lisa Truesdell has an awesome post on her blog that will get you started if you're interested doing Project Life this year.



I have other resolutions too- to play more with the girls, rework and stick to our MOTH schedule, and the typical diet and exercise goals. In thinking about these I don't feel pressured or stressed, just a happy anticipation. What are you looking forward to tackling in the upcoming year? Whatever your goals may be, I would like to leave you with a verse.

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. -Proverbs 16:3

To all of our family and friends we wish a very Merry Christmas!

with love,
The Anderberg family

Caroling with Keepers

Today we did our annual Christmas caroling at the Care Center with our Keepers club. The girls passed out ornaments and candy canes to the residents and sang through the halls. It was wonderful to share the joy and love of Christ with these residents and bring smiles to their faces.


Merry Christmas!!!

Little House Book Club

Our homeschool group (Homeschooling In Christ) started a book club, one for girls and one for boys. This time the girls have been reading Little House in the Big Woods. Today we all met at Jennifer's house to discuss our books. Chloe led the girls' discussion and had a fun activity for them. She showed them all how to make a simple toy with a button and string. Emma loves it and says it is her new favorite toy! :)

We had such a nice time at the meeting we decided to top it off with cocoas from Starbucks. I cannot resist their holiday cups. They are just so cheerful! :)

When we got home the girls wanted me to read some more Little House while they sipped their cocoa. When we came to the part in the book that talked about clove apples we decided to try it ourselves! I showed the girls how to poke a hole in the apple with a toothpick and stick the clove in. I told them they could make neat rows, or pretty patterns, or just stick them in wherever. They had a lot of fun with it!






When they got done with their apples they wanted to do more. We decided to try out oranges. Emma and I agreed the oranges smell even better! They would have kept on going but we ran out of cloves. They have asked me to please put more whole cloves on the shopping list! :)

The Ingalls used their clove apples to scent the room. We talked about how things have changed and how most people now use scented candles, or plug-ins, or sprays for air fresheners. We really like the clove apples and oranges. We put one in each room to make the house smell nice!

Holiday Baking

This is how my kitchen counter has looked the past few days- cluttered with baking items and dusty with flour. We have entered our peak baking season. The girls and I like to make cookies for Seth's work Christmas party. We need MANY dozens of cookies for that. We also like to have homemade cookies for Christmas get togethers, our tree decorating day, and hopefully some for gifts too. I really enjoy baking, and I love the wonderful smell of cookies fresh from the oven. But by the end of the week I'm thinking it would be just fine if I never saw a cookie again. ;)

The Nutcracker

Today we saw the Olympic Ballet's Nutcracker with our homeschool group. I love watching ballet, and especially enjoy watching the Nutcracker. It was so much fun to experience it with my girls, and see it through their eyes.



After the performance Carrie took a picture of the girls and me. Thank you Carrie!


Saying goodbye to friends...


Once we got home the girls started playing with their nutcrackers (and being silly of course).




Then they posed for one last picture for me.


And here are the nutcrackers, royal defenders of the tree, standing guard while all the house is fast asleep. :)

Finding our tree

When deciding where to get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, all the girls voted to go to the same place in town where we have got our tree for several years (factoring in that we get a real tree only every other year it's been 7 years, but only 4 times :).

I really wanted to try someplace new and milk the experience a little bit. I find it fun to tromp around hunting for the perfect tree (for an hour if need be) and then saw it down ourselves.

My sweet family agreed to indulge me so we headed out to a tree farm recommended by a friend. We ran into a snag however after driving out there when we discovered they didn't accept debit cards and we hadn't thought to bring cash. Oops.

Back into town we drove with the girls cheering from the backseats. Oh well, there's always next year, I mean the year after next. I'm glad the girls got their wish, and we did have a lot of fun.

Thanksgiving Part 2

On Friday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. We had a desserts and game night and it was so much fun! The girls decorated gingerbread houses while the grown ups played canasta. It was a wonderful time of laughing and having fun with family! (these are just my two phone photos, I will update with more pics when I make it on to the computer)