DIY Fix for Moth Holes

I am very fond of DIY projects, so this new year I want to incorporate some of the projects that I come up with usually to salvage or repurpose items.  This weekend’s project involved the cutest leopard sweater that had been a snacking ground for moths, those little critters left my sweater with holes throughout the wool.  While the severity of the holes might motivate people to discard a similar item, I just adore this sweater.  When I started working on it even I had thoughts that perhaps it was beyond repair, but with a little creativity I have a garment that will continue in rotation in my wardrobe.

Step One: Assess the Damage. I went through the entire surface looking for the holes that would need fixing.  

Step Two:After I was aware of the areas that needed fixing, I went through my thread collection looking for the perfect color match. 

Step Three: I sewed each hole carefully, with small stitches that reconnected the knit pattern of the sweater.

Step Four: Since the majority of the damage was concentrated in a couple of areas, I decided to cover my sewing with felt hearts.

I really like my finished product, just in time for Valentines Day (smile).  This is one of many ways to repair a holey knit garment.  I actually repaired three over the weekend, but this one was the one that required the most creativity since the damage was so extensive.  With this project, I am also doing good on my resolution of finding ways to extend the life of my clothing (smile). Hope it helps you too.

Giana’s Club Encouraging Women in Our Walk with God

In 2005, I made a decision to seek God.  After leaving the church as a teenager and dabbling between atheism and agnosticism I made a promise that I would follow God as long as He led the way because I had no idea the path that I was to follow.  I didn’t have any Christian friends to turn to for guidance and at the time I was even more reluctant to ask for help.  Yet, without meaning to sound cliché, God provided.  I was working as a preschool teacher and I was having a conversation with a coworker about how I had just started going to mass again and I remember telling her- “I feel like I need evidence to continue, some facts to kill this cynic in me.” She recommended a book that changed my life.  As I continued seeking God, He continued placing women in my life that furthered me on my spiritual quest.  I went from not knowing a single Christian person to slowly building my sisterhood.   Some of these sisters were transitory they only came into my life for a brief moment and others have remained with me throughout watching me learn to crawl and taking my first faith steps.  The thing is, that in matters of faith it’s also a matter of relationship: relationship with God, relationship with self, relationship with others.  “No man is an island” and this is the most-true in Christianity.  There’s many lonely, depressed people in the world (even so in church circles) that’s why developing same-sex friendships is of high importance in the Christian life.   

Most parishes usually have different activities and groups that serve as great avenues to meet and make friends.  Today, I like to promote a group that I have been an avid attendee for almost a year now, Giana’s Club.  It’s a women’s group that doesn’t discriminate in age, all are welcomed. I find that having the ability to interact with both younger and older women than I, is such a blessing because I can learn so much from both perspectives.  In addition, to no age limits it’s also for both single and married women.  So again, there’s depth in perspective.  Once a month we meet usually around six PM and start with a potluck dinner, drinks and mingling amongst each other.  It’s very relaxed and low key; but, what I love most is that it really feels like family.  I don’t have to be at my top game I can relax and usually the conversation is about real topics not the uncomfortable networking scheme.  I guess because the objective is to foster friendships and grow together in virtue the pressure is nonexistent.  Sometimes we don’t even have a speaker, like last night when it was just a blind wine tasting party.  A nice social night to catch-up with one another and begin our new year.

The club is part of a small, but very activite community at Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic Church in Irvine.  I am normally quite lazy when it comes to driving, but the twenty-five minute drive doesn’t keep me away because I know that it will be a fulfilling time.  Though I had to miss this month's meeting due to the flu, my first time attending was also a blind wine tasting party and it was truly delightful, sipping on wine and making friends while we explored which drink we liked best.  If you are in the area try to make it in February, I would love to meet you.

I have attached the link to the club with a bit more details: Gianna Club Link

My Three Biggest Spiritual Distractions & How I Try To Overcome Them

I have been very sick these past few days, mostly sleeping trying to help my white blood cells defeat the flu.  I have very little energy to leave my bed and so I have been confined underneath blankets and pillows with my doggy companion beside me… Yesterday, I managed to read a chapter in a book about Saint Teresa of Avila where it mentions her being ill and using the forced time of rest to nurture her spirituality.  In fact, many bedridden saints have had the greatest conversions during moments of illness.  So, I thought as I had to cancel my events yesterday to repose – what are my distractions?  What keeps me from living my Catholic faith more authentically?  I asked these questions because I realized that as Christians we need to constantly evaluate our relationship with God.  It’s time for me to go to confession and as I started to do my examination of conscience in my bed I realized that the Sacrament of Reconciliation helps us to (at least once a year) look at our lives and think: "how can living our faith improve?"  For me it begins by naming my distractions.  

Too Much Activity.  Getting involved in attending event after event or dedicating too much time to my eBay store.  Lately, I have become selective when it comes to the events that I attend, but I have been spending a lot of time in a hobby that is becoming a part time job.  Between the thrift shopping, the restoration process, taking good pictures, creating clear listings and mailing the merchandise out it’s a time consuming, energy sucking hobby.   Don’t get me wrong, I love the entire process- but I do get caught up dedicating a lot of time and talent.

Laziness.  Working a regular 9-5 is exhausting and as an introvert there’s only so many hours that I can tolerate being around other people without losing my mind.  This leads me to sometimes just crash when I get home.  After my employment hours I don’t want to work anymore and I get lazy thinking I deserve to rest after a full day's work. Which leads me to the next distraction…

Netflix.  Sometimes my days at the office can be so stressful that all I want to do when I get home is get under the blankets and watch a show on television.  Without regulation this can become a huge time waster.  Especially, if I find a good BBC miniseries, get addicted and have to watch all the episodes in one sitting.  This doesn’t sound so bad- unless it’s a television series with more than one season.  Then I might as well say goodbye to the world.

The above distractions are not bad in themselves the problem is balance.  When I look at how I am spending my time and I notice that I am diminishing my prayer life I realize that I suffer because when I talk to God daily and am in constant connection I notice a huge difference than when I try to fill my needs with a show or a hobby.  I struggle with keeping a balanced life and fall into the cycle of most Americans by spending too much time in front of my TV.   However, I try not to beat myself up or set unrealistic standards.  These past couple of months I have been on a bit of a holiday, so my schedule has been disrupted, but today I start my classes at the Diocese again.  Which means that homework will help me center on matters of faith.  I also make small goals like reading a book a month on some spiritual subject or person.  And no matter how tired or lazy going to Sunday Mass, serving at RCIA and my Franciscan formation are non-negotiables I must always attend (unless I am super sick).  In matters of distraction is good to identify the distraction, understand the cause to work on a solution. 

Too Much Activity.  Laziness.  Netflix.  

I notice that for me "to-do" lists work magic.  I love writing a list and get so much satisfaction crossing items out as I accomplish them.  Or even writing important dates or meetings on a planner; thus, if I make it a goal once a week to spend some time in Chapel visiting Jesus, I know I will do it if it’s on my planner because I look at it regularly.  In terms of laziness, I also give myself a day of the week to be lazy which usually means watch Netflix.  By allowing myself to have downtime I am more productive the rest of the time.  I have a long journey, but I have learned that making the time to be aware of the distractions is half the battle.     

Take Time to Ponder God's Word

On Sunday, I had a really busy day… I started with my regular session of RCIA, it was the Rite of Welcome and spirits were a bit tense trying to get everything done in time for Mass.  Instruction checked.  Pre-meeting with godparents checked.  Mass getting all people involved organized checked.  After a successful morning, I headed to my monthly Franciscan meeting gift and dish in hand for our Epiphany party.  We had many great activities that made the time fly and at the end we were presented with a surprise bible verse to meditate in the coming days.  I had just finished writing my prayer intention and placed it in the prayer box when I was handed a basket with small pieces of paper each holding a different scripture.  I was asked to randomly pick one.  I chose the one that the Holy Spirit “inspired” and on opening to reveal the message I wanted to roll my eyes because it’s a very popular scripture – one that I have often heard so much that I know it by heart.  It’s a verse made popular at graduations, one overused in Lifeteen – not one that I thought I needed as a mature adult.  I realized that I was reading a verse that has become a cliché to me and upon pondering the familiarity of the words and the temporal disappointment I realized that I was being a snob- even worse a prideful snob.  Jerimiah 29:11 is often engraved on graduation frames because completing a degree is supposed to be a time of hope in the future to come, but why did I need to hear these words now? 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “ plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Lately, I haven’t wasted time with fears of the future, I am actually pretty content with my life at the moment, but aren’t God’s word eternal in wisdom? I folded the paper and placed it in my wallet to ponder during the week until I came to the revelation deeply rooted in the familiar words.  “Do not worry about the future, God is in control” is the obvious literal translation, but in the context of my life (of Penny) what is God saying to me?  I’m a little slow in getting the message sometimes and after several days I realized that while Hallmark might have made the verse popular- they are God’s ceaseless words constant in power and wisdom… It’s the beginning of a new year and God wants me to know that He has a plan.  A few posts back I wrote about my New Year resolutions and while it’s great to make plans to have goals – after we make them we have to hand them to God trusting that His plans might not be my plans and if my desires conflict with His – then I need to let go and trust in Him.

I do have a fear that I believe God is trying to heal me with this message… I have heard of single women who get depressed with weddings.  It’s hard for them to go because it shines a light on their singleness and illuminates their desire for marriage.  I don’t have that problem, I can go to weddings and truly enjoy them, but I do have a problem with baby showers.  For most of my agnostic life I thought I didn’t want to have children and then my nephew came and motherhood started growing in me.  I LOVE the relationship I have with my nephew and while I am an influential figure in his life - I am still just his aunt.  As my fertile years go by the fear of childlessness intensifies - baby showers have become torture chambers, not because I don’t share in the joy of my loved ones having babies, but because I get a glimpse at an uncertain future that scares me.  Yet, God is telling me that He has a plan and I have to trust Him.  My trust in Him has to be stronger than my fears.  Timing is funny- I had just made a resolution to live in the present and through Jeremiah 29:11 God is saying just that, do not worry about the future I got that taken care of- live joyfully each moment right now.  He has “plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.”  Life is a miracle, a gift and we have no knowledge of when we will be called home so why waste the now worried and scared about tomorrow.  I thought that the verse I got was for encouraging only during specific moments of one’s lives, now I know that God’s words are never clichés – but always relevant truth for the journey.  

Style Lessons I learned From My Momma

I love stories… Growing up we had to take public transportation everywhere and usually I was the only one that would accompany my mom.  During these journeys where it took long periods waiting for a bus to take us to and from, mom would tell me stories of her youth.  Stories about falling in love, of heartbreak, of friend troubles- tales that took me back in to her history and taught me great lessons.  Mom has such a great memory that she would even tell me what she wore.  The type and pattern of the fabric, the shoes and accessories… It seemed to me like these objects served as little vessels that transported us together back in time.  I saw her the first time she wore a pair of jeans in my mind so vividly that at times I fooled myself thinking I had actually been there.   Or when she celebrated her First Communion and her white shoes started flaking chunks revealing the true magenta and poor dyeing job.  I was there when her peers told her she was a sharp dresser and when other women in the pueblo asked to copy the patterns of the clothes she made.  My momma the fashionista, who made great art with her modest means.  Her only regret not owning a camera or having a little extra to pay to for photos, perhaps this lack of photographs is what encourages her to paint such vivid pictures with words of those days gone.

I think this love of stories and nostalgia of decades past is what inspires my thrifting escapades.  I go to find stories and when I find good ones I must carry them home; sometimes to keep at others to pass on.  I did a bit of cleaning over the weekend and I came across some of the few surviving photos of my mom and all these memories came flooding of those days of yesterday when our lack of a vehicle gave us the time to deepen our relationship.  So, for you this morning style lessons I learned from my mom.

Women Wear Pants Too.  In Christian circles I have come across many men and women that think that women should only wear skirts or dresses to both celebrate their femininity and to serve as role models for others... I don't have anything against that, but I do love the comfortable factor of pants.  I think with the proper styling women can still look tres chic in pants.  One of my favorite stories of mom, is the day she met one of her true loves, Levis jeans, and after saving her earnings she bought herself a pair.  It's been her go to piece since.

 Mom in her Levis.

Rocking bell-bottoms!

Femininity Is Beautiful!  Whether in pants or in dresses, women are beautiful and should celebrate this god-given beauty by taking pride in both their softness and strength.  Mom loves all the pretty things that make a girl swoon, but she is also the strongest person I know and this dichotomy has taught me that the differences between men and women is not a weakness.

Accessories are a fun.  Heels, purses, jewelry or a nice scarf can make an outfit pop with style.  I love how she fuses elements of our culture by wearing a scarf to Mass the way Mexican women of  her time styled them.  Taking pride in our roots is definitely a classic staple. 

 Mom rocking a head scarf with her sister and daughter.

Mom taking pride in the style of her culture.

Modesty is important.  One doesn't have to sacrifice modesty to remain stylish.  Our clothes send a message of who we are and if I want to be taken serious then I need to dress in a way that reminds others of that.

Mom and I around the same age.

Those simple days riding the bus with mom were years of great formation and many lessons in style.  Cheers to yesterday (smile)! 

On New Years Resolutions

In 2018:

-Buy less, buy quality.

-Learn to prolong the life of goods.

-Curate my closet & develop my personal style.

-Learn to let go of the unnecessary.

-Work on me: physically, intimately and spiritually.

-Learn to cook like my momma.

-Travel in both story and place.

-Live in the present.

After my last post, I thought a lot about what I want to accomplish this new year and this overwhelming feeling kept intruding with my ability to write down a list because I didn’t want to set myself up for failure.  Yet, when I developed my last post I realized that the moments that made my year so special were the moments that highlighted my strengths.  There’s this new movement of working on one’s strengths instead of focusing on our weaknesses.  I like the optimism of this new growth technique because it aligns with my way of thinking…

Last week I was out thrifting when I came across an object that I had been wanting for years.  I knew that it was just a waiting game before these wellies would be mine for a steal.  Before I describe my score, I want to remark that one of my fashion crushes is the Duchess of Cambridge.  A few years ago I saw her in a magazine wearing the most exquisite wellies and I knew that I had to own a pair just like them.  I live in Southern California where our raining season is usually less than a couple of weeks, so the purchase of a pair of high-end rubber boots was just unreasonable.  I decided to wait, while I did scour eBay and was almost tempted to buy them for half the price, I waited.  Then last Saturday, as I arrived to Goodwill the salesperson was pulling out a cart of new inventory and on top were a pair of the classic Hunter boots I had been wanting since seeing that image of Princess Kate.  I ran and grabbed them thinking they weren’t my size, but I looked and the number confirmed that they were indeed for me!  Still distrustful, I thought the calf probably won’t fit because boots are a tricky item for plus size women.  Conquering my fears of disappointment I tried them on and as if I were Cinderella and the wellies my glass slipper they fit perfectly!  I was as ecstatic as if I had found my prince charming, but they weren’t priced.  I looked all over for a tag and nothing, no mark with permanent marker on the sole, no sticker on the inside.  This is too good to be true I thought, because usually if it’s a quality item they don’t sale it without a price tag they’ll just send it back for repricing.  Preparing for a possible broken heart I went to pay for them.  To the sales lady they were nothing, but a black pair of rubber boots and she said the nicest number I have ever heard in my life $9.99.  I got them for less than ten percent of the actual going prize and it rained this week so I have already wore them twice!

I got home and I cleaned them still smiling with delight and that’s when a little wisdom fell in my brain.  I am really good at thrifting!  To which the next must also be said- hoarding runs in my family.  Two of my aunts have this illness and no matter how much we’ve tried to help them they live buried in stuff.  I do have an eBay store that I do as a side green-hobby so I do visit the thrift at least once a week and I have begun accumulating things that are in the process of getting flipped or sold.  Yet, as I polished my boots I thought hoarding could become my problem because I have a weakness for things with history and for scoring deals.  Sometimes the things I buy are like little inanimate objects with souls, “save me from the landfill,” they keep repeating and I succumb to their power like a sailor to the sounds of a mermaid.  I realized when I held my Hunters that I must tie myself to the mast like Odysseus and only bring home the items that make me as crazy happy as finding my perfect wellies did.  And that’s when I was able to come up with the perfect goals for 2018.  The list of eight (above) combines my strengths and pushes me to be better.  I am already trying to live by my octave, but I need a lot of progress to perfect each of them and the fact that these areas don’t expire on January 2019 means that I won’t fail.  I just need to focus on a little progress and for a woman with a fulltime job and busy schedule this sounds doable.  I am tired of making resolutions for the sake of making resolutions, I want to fill my life both outwardly and innerly with quality.  I am passionate of decreasing my carbon footprint of living mostly on second hand items, of not succumbing to the commercialized culture, but I have a long way to go.  Just like I have a long way to go on other areas of my life that equally mean something to me and this new year I want to continue trying to be better at looking at my passions and putting them to work.  I think that’s what resolutions are about, they are not ways of making us feel like failures because we couldn’t accomplish them in a span of a year.  They are new beginnings that help us to never give up on ourselves, but to strive each day to be just a little better than we were yesterday.  

Looking Back 2017 Was a Good Year

It’s good to have goals and dreams.  This month is actually a very popular time for renewal and change.  I have yet, to spend some time reflecting on what I want to accomplish this 2018.  I ended the year quite busy and started the new one with this migraine that I think might be the beginning of the flu.  Thus, the periods that I’ve had of downtime have been spent resting and not yet looking at the future and the possibilities of beginning a brand new year.  In order to look ahead, it’s always nice to look back, so today here I am looking back.

January- I began my year with a visit from my buddy Lud, he’s a friend that even though we are separated by great distance we manage to keep in touch and help each other out.  He and I both have mental disabilities and really lean on one another during periods of difficulty managing our symptoms.  This year he stopped by my hometown and I got to give him a quick tour of my county.  

February- For Galantines Day a few of my friends and I had the pleasure of attending Father Leo’s cooking class.   Who knew that you could mix Catholic teaching with superb culinary skills!  It was such a fun night with a fresh delicious pasta dinner- cooked by our very own Priest Chef.  

Evangelization took a whole new meaning for me that night.

March- “Beauty and the Beast” movie premiere.  All girls love a good fairy tale, especially about a princess in a gorgeous gown!  This month I got many of my beauties to come and watch the movie with me- it was such a treat.

April- Another year and another class of souls for Jesus.  This month concluded my fourth year coordinating the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at my parish along my close friends.  As usual coming to the end of our period of instruction and watching my students receive their Sacraments fortified my faith.  It’s so awesome to journey with new Christians!    

May- Took my yearly trip, this time to Poland and surrounding countries.  I had the best spiritual experience inside the home of Saint John Paul II.  He holds a very special place in my heart and through learning about his life and walking in his footsteps I found God in the most beautiful way.  I highly recommend visiting his childhood home (now a museum), truly one of the best experiences of my life.  

June - Dollar turned fourteen, one more and we are having a Quince!  This year he went ninety-percent deaf, had a health scare and I found myself needing to make quite a few changes for my aging dog.  He can no longer jump on our bed and didn’t like doggy stairs so now he stares at me when he wants to be lifted onto the bed.  This means that I get to hold him more (smile).  Yes, our time together is getting shorter, but I don’t like to think of that and rather enjoy each moment just the two of us.

July- After many years of wanting to join the Secular Franciscan Order, I finally made the effort and time to pursue my dream.  It’s been such a great step in my religious life!  I have met many men and women that encourage me to walk with the Lord and peeling layers of Saint Francis has been such a gift!  I feel like I belong to a community, to a religious family and that is such a blessing.

August- Continued my green shopping by making ninety percent of my shopping from second hand sources.  I also began purse flipping.  That is finding leather (quality) purses at thrift stores and fixing them up to sale in my eBay store.  My way of encouraging reusing items that were destined for the landfill.

September- Took a road trip with my mom, sister and nephew down to Ensenada to visit my aunt.  I hadn’t seen any of my Ensenada relatives in many years so it was such a treat to spend a few days together.  We toured the area and had some of the best ceviche ever, yum!

October- My mom turned seventy this year- such a milestone and while you might think she’s getting mature in age, she happens to have the biggest kid heart.  Yep, she is one funny lady that makes every day a celebration!  And Halloween saint edition happened with I, as Saint Rita and Dollar could have passed as doggy Juan Diego.

November- This month was full of blessings! I went on my annual weekend retreat which fortified me to bear the loss of my job.  I closed celebrating my birthday –skating edition.  It was quite a fun experience, but I am no longer as agile nor as good on skates as I remember (smile).  My friends amaze me with the dedication to my wacky birthday celebrations, the kids were super on wheels too!

December- Came with the traditional Advent activities and Christmas festivities.  On the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve Father gave a great homily and then had us singing songs to baby Jesus after the service.  Many had brought their baby Jesus statues to get blessed and Father had them all go up to the front as we had an impromptu concert for the babe that changed history and our lives.  It was a moment so beautiful and intimate as we worshipped God in community… I also got a permanent position with my previous company after only a month of forced vacation. 

Goodness after looking back, my 2017 looks so full!  I did have some challenges – like the scare we had with mom possibly having cancer.  Yet, it was during those difficult moments that I realized that as long as I have God my faith will stand firm.  He continues to teach me endurance and hope at the darkest moments- because the night doesn’t last forever. 

Epiphany: Dia de Los Reyes Magos

In countries where the commercialized Santa Claus has not yet inhabited, children excitedly await the coming of the Magi.  In Mexico, I remember putting my shoes nicely lined on the side of my bed in hopes of receiving the gift they had carried especially for me.  Some years when things were tight I would only get candy goodies that were greeted with the same enthusiasm as the year that I must have been extra good and got a doll with stroller...  I once read that people that are the happiest usually don’t have a whole lot of material possessions.  Judging by how times have changed and now my family has adopted the Christmas present giving tradition, I reminisce on those simpler days sometimes wishing I could travel back in time.  Back then any gift would suffice because kids like me didn’t have a whole lot so receiving a little extra no matter how simple - always delighted our hearts.  This year, my nephew received tons of stuff and he was still not completely satisfied; yet, I have heard of people that I know (grown-adults) who cry after opening a gift that disappointed.  These feelings of dissatisfaction speak so clearly of the effects of our commercialized culture, where we look at things to bring us happiness and it seems that every year instead of celebrating the birth of Christ we are more concerned with the perfect gift.  And one thing I have learned in years of therapy is that perfection outside of God doesn’t exist.

I myself haven’t left my shoes on the side of my bed since I moved to California thirty years ago.  Slowly as my siblings and I have grown-up, we have forgotten this tradition.  Am not sure if it was in an attempt to enculturate that we gave up the simple joy of shinning our shoes the night before the Epiphany and placing them neatly on the side of our beds.  Maybe it’s the fact that we live in a mostly Anglo neighborhood and we are no longer motivated by the excitement of our old town’s spirit.  Goodness, how I remember the animated anticipation for “El Dia de Los Reyes Magos” as I walked the streets of mi pueblo en Michoacán.  The days leading to it were always full of murmurs, whispers of the fun that laid ahead.  In the center of the celebration, just as it was located in our pueblo was the church.  These gifts weren’t brought by a chubby, old man with a beard (the one Coca-Cola made famous with its fifties advertisements) these came from a day as old as history, and from a team of Wise Men that worshipped the King of Kings by bringing gifts to the newborn King that first Christmas.  Sure they gave us yummy treats and maybe even toys, but there was something deeper that when we woke up that morning on January Sixth only warmness and gratefulness filled our hearts.  Then as we made our way to Mass to celebrate in community, we would share our gifts popping a sweet Colación in our mouths.

This year, I found two Magi ornaments in my thrifting and as I hung them up on the tree all these fond memories invaded my mind.  It was then that I realized that starting this year, I would incorporate this celebration into my Christmas time again.  Yes, it’s still Christmas for us Catholics.  This, Friday I am going to set a cute pair of shoes as I haven’t done since I was a wee kid and in the morning I know they will be filled with more than a bag of goodies or toys- they will have the same spirit of esperanza (hope) and love that the Wise Men brought and continue to bring in that Old Country of mine.  Happy Epiphany in advance.

New Year Balloon Countdown Party

Happy New Year!  Goodness it has been a busy end of the year here in Penny Land, but not without its fun.  This is our second year having a family countdown party and it really is becoming a must do tradition.  On New Year’s Eve, after 5PM Mass, we gathered together for dinner before beginning our countdown promptly at 7PM.  Earlier in the day I setup six confetti balloons to be popped at every hour revealing the activity to perform at the assigned time.  The element of surprise along with the popping of a balloon proved to be a BIG hit with one eleven-year-old kid! 

Here's what our countdown looked like, beginning at seven at night taking us through midnight.  Every hour a balloon hides an activity to do together as a family.  While last year I used bags, popping a balloon proved to be more fun with my nephew.    

I found these confetti filled balloons at the Dollar Tree and before blowing I inserted a folded piece of paper with the activity to be performed at that hour, then I printed clocks with the assigned hour to be taped onto the balloon.

This kid couldn't keep his excitement for the countdown to begin and here he is at seven ready to pop the first balloon.  He went through several ways of balloon rupture, even using his bow and arrow once.

We played Loteria, watched a movie, played a Harry Potter board game...

Crafted or my sneaky way of teaching him to sew.  He made one bear on New Year's Eve and a smaller one the following day. At first he wasn't convinced about sewing...

But enjoyed it after he saw the finished product.

Then we had a Silly String, poppers fight (outside of course to minimize the mess).

As usual the adults gave up after the movie and left us kids to bring in the New Year just the three of us... Yep, Dollar made it to midnight (well taking a few naps in-between)!

A few minutes before midnight the last balloon was obliterated...

Revealing the last activity midnight kisses (in the ornament) and toasting time.

 Cheers!

Happy 2018!

Here's a link to our last year Countdown Party 2017!