Happy New Year and a Calendar Makeover

I have been too busy with this cute little one to blog lately.

I have enjoyed watching him do this and this and this

but, alas, He got into his suitcase and flew home.

 

So, on to the new year now.

 

 I have my new calendar and am ready for the new year. My favorite calendar is a month on two-pages variety.  It opens flat on my desk and the best part about it is that it comes from the Dollar Store! (Horray for Dollar stores!)

  When I bought it, it was pretty generic and honestly, it was ugly!  So, I took off the black plastic cover

 

then adhered some pretty scrapbook paper to the front and back and voila!  Now it is a nice looking calendar to work with every day. ( I need to stamp the year on the front I guess.)

The first thing I did was to put in everyone's birthdays.  I have a little cupcake stamp to mark these special days.  Then I colored the "frosting" for each person in that person's favorite color.  Now I am ready...Let the new year begin!

What is your favorite kind of calendar and why?

Chinese Birthday Party

Because I not only couldn't find the right coat Sunday, I also left my camera at my daughter's so I couldn't post any pictures yesterday.  So, I am showing pictures of Ella's Chinese 5th Birthday party today. For those of you with December birthday you know that they sometimes take a backseat to all the other festivities this month.  For this reason I want to give equal time to all December birthdays today by posting these pictures of Ella's birthday.  (I don't know why she is obsessed with the whole Chinese theme but she is.)  When asked what she wanted for her party food she said Belgian waffles so that is what we had--Chinese Belgian Waffles (probably a first!)

The birthday girl

 We began with stacks of these.

And added lots of toppings

 Ella's version of Chinese Waffles

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 There was lots of singing and dancing.

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There were many smiles and laughter.

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I gave Ella a pink and purple tutu which she put on immediately right over her party dress

 

 Following all the present-opening the big reveal of her new Chinese Bedroom was shown.  You can see it here. @ Tatertots and Jello.

For those of you that share December with Christmas and other holidays and yet squeeze your birthday in it too I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday!

 Thanks for coming by today and tomorrow I will share pictures of the Festival of Trees, a wonderful fundraiser for the Children's Hospital here.