It is Christmas time and me and Isabelle will be taking a short blog break over the holidays. Isabelle just had her Beppe and my baby boy Frank is expected on Jan 4th. A busy time a head for us both, in other words.

We want to thank all of you readers for visiting us and hope you will be back in 2010!

Also we would like  to take this opportunity to thank all of the sweet bloggers who have contributed to our December blog tour.

Below is the completed Dos Family Christmas calendar. Click the images to go to that days post.

Thank you so much!

Today’s guest blogger: Elsie
Blog:A Beautiful Mess

“Hi! I’m Elsie from A Beautiful Mess . I love Dos Family and am happy to be here today.
I love handmade Holiday gifts. I did quite a few Holiday DIY projects on my blog this season. Here is something new that I’ve been saving. I crocheted this little bib for my newborn niece, Penelope. I didn’t use a pattern for this one. I crocheted the base shape of the bib and the the tie and hand stitched the features on the owl’s face with a tapestry needle. It was a fun one evening project!

I hope you are all having a lovely Holiday season. It’s almost over (*tear), but here are a few more cute seasonal decor ideas from my home to yours.
XO. Elsie”

Today’s guest blogger: Rachel Denbow
Blog: Smile And Wave  - http://racheldenbow.blogspot.com/

Hi, I’m Rachel Denbow from SmileAndWave.  I spend my days with a 3 year old and six week old making messes and having fun.  I’m a part of the art collective, Red Velvet Art, and find so much satisfaction in making and sharing things with the online community.  Seeing as Isabelle has just had a baby and Jenny is about to, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite things to do with those old maternity shirts that none of us want to keep in the closet, although sometimes they are still the only thing that fit!

Once you’re ready to say goodbye, find a cotton baby hat and take it apart to use as a basic pattern.  If you don’t have one available mine measured about 14″ x 7″ when laid flat. You’ll need a little V-shape notch at both ends that measures in about 1″. Place your pattern on top of your shirt and cut out your shape so that you have two pieces.
Fold each notch in half with right sides facing each other and stitch them together.  This will help form the rounded top of your hat.  Continue until all four notches have been stitched.
Lay your two pieces with right sides facing together and notches matching up and pin.  Starting a little above the middle of one side, stitch all the way around making sure to leave about 2″ open.
Turn your hat right side out and stitch your opening shut.
Fold the half that has the visible stitching from your opening into the other half.  This doubles up your hat for better shape and extra warmth.  Decide if your hat needs to be folded up to make a little brim or not depending on the size of your baby’s head.  If you’ve got a boy, you’re done!
If you’ve got a girl cut a strip of jersey cotton from another shirt or scrap piece that measures about 1″ x 10″ and decided where you’d like to place it on the brim.  Start sewing it on, ruffling it while you go.

Congratulations to you both and a Merry Christmas and holiday season to everyone!

xoxo,
Rachel

Hello everybody.

As you might have noticed we are having some technical difficulties with todays “no. 22″ We are hoping to be back with it shortly. Maybe any of you great readers can help us?

If you have anything from your own blog that you would like to share with us, please do comment below and link to your post. It can be whatever you like: a Christmas-project or just something on your blog that you are especially proud of.

The one we like the best will be published here.

Thank you in advance, I really hope you can help.

/Jenny

Today’ s Guest Blogger: Jaime Morrison Curtis LA, USA

Blog: prudentbaby.blogspot.com

prudentadviceformybabydaughter.blogspot.com

Hello!

Nice to meet you. I`m Jaime. I live in Los Angeles with my skateboarder husband Carleton and daughter Scarlet Jane, who is 20 months old, freakishly tall and fabulously carefree. We also live with our dog (Puck) , a cat (Hammy) and a turtle (Pickle). I love to drink champagne and blog about crafting at Prudent Baby, and I always welcome unsolicited advice.

Jaime´s blog will be published next fall (congrats!!!) and here are some advice, that will be in the book. We both thought they fit perfectly around Christmas.

#303: Re-gifting is tacky.

If you get a gift you don’t like it might be tempting to gift it to someone else. This is fraught with complications. There’s a high chance that the giver or giftee will discover what you’ve done and be offended. But more importantly, if you didn’t like the gift to begin with it’s just rude to give it to someone else; gifts are supposed to be thoughtful.

#314: Use the good stuff.

There’s no reason to hoard your possessions in anticipation of life’s big events. Whip out your grandmother’s jewelry, the fragile dishes, or your sexy lingerie to create little special occasions whenever you can.

#395: You don’t have as much time as you think.

It all goes by so quickly daughter. You can’t fathom it. If you could, you would collapse from the weight of it - the unbearable comprehension of the brevity of your time on earth. You will sadly discover that lives end in inconceivable ways and at puzzling times. At moments you will grasp the delicateness of your life; let them weigh on you; let them change you.

#497: Every time you rescue someone else, you rescue yourself a little bit.

You will have occasion to save people: to throw a life preserver, to present an opportunity, to alter a destiny for the better. Seize these chances. Reflect your best, most giving characteristics. Rescue yourself from tedious inward focus: these are your opportunities too.
Merry Christmas

/Jaime