We celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving in one big party mid-Novemeber with Aaron’s Dad’s side of the family because his grandparents galavant off to Florida for the winter. I was actually gone in Pittsburgh this year so I missed the party and watching the kids open their first gifts of the year but made sure we had something special to give Grandma-Great before she left.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Printable mini-poster “Keep calm and snap on”
2 Wooden plaques (grabbed ours from WalMart) or scrap wood or fancy paper
Paint and brushes
Willing kids who want to get dirty
Note card

I decided to go with the “plaque” so Grandma-Great would have something to hang if she wanted. I could have had them do this on paper and framed it but I was running out of time.

First I spray painted the wooden plaques an off white so we could have a blank canvas to start with then had my daughter write her name and her brothers name on the bottom of each the plaques.

She got a little carried away so I ended up redoing our boy’s name.

(Our kids’ names aren’t a secret either – she’s Jessica and he’s Oliver – I’ve just decided not to make them main characters here.)

I had to leave after this so I let them dry and instructed Aaron with what to do next: Have the kids make a hand print on the plaque with their name on it – then wrap with the note card and give to Grandma-Great at the party. Forgot to ask him for photos – so Grandma sent them to me 🙂

The note card said I promised to send her photos every month she was away in Florida. I’ve gotten pretty bad at sending photos to extended family to chart the kids’ growth or adorableness … so I’m trying to be better at it for those family members who don’t see us often for long periods of time.

What have you guys done for Christmas gifts this year? DIY? Shopped off a list?