Chicken Tails...

What a great week in the coop. Believe it or not my girls are increasing their egg production! Not what I expected. Usually egg production decreases as the sunlight decreases. My girlfriend and I were chatting and she admitted she has "egg envy" & I confessed I had "egg basket envy". I am adding an egg basket to my cart, but not getting it until after Christmas just in case...you know...Santa may bring me one. I really am enjoying my chicken journey. Truth be told I am fighting becoming that crazy chicken lady. I have started looking at chicken paraphernalia, but thankfully I am still picky about what stuff I like. 

DIY Cute "Hennie" Gifts - Plus Canned Chicken

There isn't a crafty bone in my body, so this DIY Cute "Hennie" chicken gifts is probably skill level zero.
First what is a "Hennie"? "Hennies are sweet chickens with gentle dispositions, fresh from the brooder, and eagerly awaiting you to adopt" & they were hatched (created) by a wonderfully creative mom from Born Imaginative. She hand makes these cuties and sells them on etsy. I've been watching and thinking about these little peeps.
One of my biggest dreams is to have my grandbabies become excited about farm life with us. Passing on skills for their future; having them revel in the good life.

There are two types of Hennies and several different characters, plus she does other really cute handmade toys to spark the imagination. 
On the left is an original Hennie. Each comes with one hen (approx. Height 3 in, Width 1 3/4 in Depth 4 in.), an upcycled origami nesting box (from paper bags), wool hay and a wooden egg. They also come with a birth certificate detailing their date of birth, their breed and the unique and special details specific to their breed. All for $10 They are SUPER cute!

Then on the right is the Hennie Ornament. She doesn't have the extra stuff, so she runs $7.50.

 

For Easter I made super simple DIY little chicken coops or as I like to say "canned chicken" for my grandchildren. You could easily adapt this to a Christmas or holiday project.

For Christmas I am going to give each of the grandbabies the Hennie ornament. I got little wooden craft crates at Michael's for $1, raffia and small wooden eggs. I just looped the raffia through the crate to create a hanger and look how cute they turned out.

If you are a little craftier, you could get an original Hennie and use the paper nest to create a patterns for folding your own nest in holiday paper.

                   

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DIY Cute Little Chicken Coops or "Canning Chicken"

This is "Spirit" & she is a "Hennie"
"Hennies are sweet chickens with gentle dispositions, fresh from the brooder, and eagerly awaiting you to adopt" & they were hatched (created) by a wonderfully creative mom from Born Imaginative. She hand makes these cuties and sells them on etsy. I've been watching and thinking about these little peeps.
One of my biggest dreams is to have my grandbabies become excited about farm life with us. Passing on skills for their future; having them revel in the good life. So, I hatched this little gift idea to present to them on Easter. This could easily be adapted for Christmas and any holiday.

I got three little hennies, which come with "origami nesting box (from paper bags), wool hay and a wooden egg. They also come with a birth certificate detailing their date of birth, their breed and the unique and special details specific to their breed. " from Jackie's Esty site.

I picked up some edible grass & jelly bellies from Target. But for Christmas I am making some with raffia.

I made a little nest from the edible grass, tucked in some jelly beans, the wooden egg & their birth certificates into a canning jar. Then I nested each little hennie inside and added a lid and ring to finish off their new coop.

On Easter each child will receive their hennie & coop, plus the original origami nesting box and an additional certificate that will entitled them to each name one of the chickens on gramma's farm!

I did have to adjust the peeps to face the other way. Here are "Spunk & Cheer".

                             

Very Important Tip: Make sure you don't put the lids on too tightly, because the hennies need to be able to breathe. It would even be advisable to poke few air holes in the lid. (1127)

I participate in the Amazon Associate program, where I receive a small % commission for linking products that I recommend. I only recommend products I personally used and like. Your support is very appreciated, anything you choose to purchase through my link, is helping me to be able to share more things that I do with you. Perky Gramma Teaches Amazon link.

12 Days of Christmas for Singles and other single like people...

Now for my single friends out there please note that you don't need a significant other to "complete" yourself - you are awesome with or without a partner. My strangest Christmas was when I was single and serving in the military. I had to work on Christmas day and I missed the meal at the mess hall. At the end of my shift I went to the only place open (Panama Canal Zone) which was a bar and had a hotdog.

That was years ago, I only wish someone had given me suggestions to help celebrate as a single person.

1. Buy yourself flowers or a box of ammo

According to a survey from eBates, 4 percent of people plan to send themselves flowers this year. Trust me you don't have to have a significant other to buy flowers. Get what you like and have fun making an arrangement.
If you get a box of ammo, go to the range and shoot the whole box. Or you could do both and shoot the flower arrangement when it croaks.

2. Keep your eyes open I noticed at Thanksgiving @LC Culpeper someone offered to host anyone to their home to share in the meal. Maybe this will happen again at Christmas (hint, hint to the married peeps). Take them up on the offer. They mean it, they want you to come and visit.

3. Play your favorite Christmas song on a loop all dayNo one can be annoyed. You could even dance...

4. Serve

Get involved in one of LC's outreach projects. Be a ding-a-ling and ring-a-ling the bell for the Salvation Army at Walmart. There is still time to sign up.

5. Write yourself a message on the bathroom mirror

Seriously, tell yourself you are beautiful/handsome, you are special, talented...

6. Pick out an ornament for yourself

I love the vast array of ornaments at Walmart.

7. Pizza

Buy the pizza you like and you don't have to share! In the words of the honorable Bill Murray, "Every pizza is a personal pizza if you try hard and believe in yourself."

8. Send a note to another single friend

9. Do something silly

Wear a clown nose in public, carry a green balloon (TWD reference) and if someone asks why you have a balloon, hand it to them and say “It's for you!”

10. Friend me on FacebookPersonally I like having single friends, since my hubbie isn't Christian I like to connect with singles, and other single/married people. For me I hang out with females only. We along with single parents have a unique place in the community.

11. Find another single friend, get together and wrap presents.
This works especially well if you are a single parent.

12. Whatever the Heck You Want

Hello, you're a single adult and don't have anyone to answer to for how you spend your money or your time! Even though overspending is the top quality people don't want in a romantic partner, right now that's not your problem. So go ahead, and treat yourself with a little extra somethin' somethin' this Christmas.