Holidays

Dec
07

advent calendar (in a bag)

I wanted to do an advent calendar with the kids last year, but I forgot until it was too late. Big shocker. This year, I remembered....on the very last day of November.

A zillion other tasks were calling for my attention, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my kids are only young once, while dusty furniture and dirty dishes will always be around. Instead of giving up on the idea again (very tempting), I decided to throw a little something together.

It was so worth it.

The kids have had a great time opening their simple gift each day, which is why I wanted to go ahead and share how I put the "calendars" together. It's a little late to do one for the entire month of December, but why not do a "two weeks until Christmas" calendar? Or maybe twelve days? One last week?

I have a strong feeling that my kiddos are going to be asking for this again next year. Memories are being made. Traditions are being started. Those are priceless gifts worth creating.

For this project I used:
Candy (for two kids I used two bags of Hershey's Kisses and a box of candy canes)
Fabric
String
Number tags
Gift bag

I started by roughly cutting some leftover fabric into squares. Actually, mine were rectangles that measured about 7-inches by 8-inches. You could also use tissue paper (I didn't happen to have any on hand.)



I randomly put three or four pieces of candy on each fabric square. Half the fun is seeing how many pieces they get each day.



Then, I tied them with the string. It is much easier to tie the packs closed with a knot before trying to attach the numbers. Unless, of course, you happen to be coordinated. I am not.



I printed out some numbers in a cool font, cut them into little tags, and punched a hole near the top of each one. Then I tied them onto each pack or candy cane.



After using all my brain power to think of a cute box or basket to hold the packets, I finally grabbed two matching gift bags and tossed the goodies inside. Easy.

I hope you have a fun time making memories with your kids this year. There's just eighteen more candies....I mean days....until Christmas!

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.

Do you enjoy Gospel Homemaking? You may want to consider subscribing to get free updates, tips, and The Daily Plan-It right in your email inbox or in your feed reader. How cool is that?

Nov
30

unfinished beauty

I began cross stitching this throw sixteen years ago. I know exactly when it was because I was pregnant with my first child. And I was nesting. For some odd reason, I became obsessed with cross stitch. But cross stitch art doesn't exactly fit my personal style,
so I only made Christmas stuff.



I stitched tree ornaments that we still use, a picture that needs framed, and this cute little afghan that I never finished. I labored over this throw. I actually tea-dyed the fabric to get just the right color (told you I was obsessed). I spent hours and hours stitching while my husband was at work. It was a huge project, but I was determined to do it.



Then, as often happens near the end of a pregnancy, I had a baby. Suddenly, I didn't have any time for things like cross stitching (or eating....or sleeping....or laundry....). The almost-finished Santa got packed away with all my thread, needles, and embroidery hoops. I figured I'd get back to him "some day."

Fast forward bunches of years and two more kids later.
I still don't have time for cross stitching (or eating....or sleeping....or laundry....), and I've lost the obsession, too. Every time I've come across this afghan over the years, I've told myself that I really should finish it off. And then I've zipped it back into the plastic bag, put it at the bottom of my sewing supplies, and forgotten about it.
For sixteen years. Crazy.



When I found it the other day, I decided to go ahead and pull it out of hiding storage. I decided that it doesn't matter if some holly and berries are missing. It's alright if the back-stitching isn't done. It's fine that you can't quite tell where the face stops and the eyes begin or see the outline of the various toys in Santa's bag. It's okay. I guess.

The funniest part is that my kids think it's great. They were quite impressed when they saw it. They didn't noticed the missing colors or question the brown blob sticking out of the sack (it's supposed to be a teddy bear, in case you're wondering). I wish I hadn't waited sixteen years to let poor Santa see the light of Christmas.

It reminds me of what Nester always says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." It's a good thing, because this throw is far from perfect.....but just maybe it's beautiful.

Do you have any holiday imperfections you're enjoying this year?

Nov
21

let the festivities begin

It's an unusual Thanksgiving week for us this year. For the first time in forever, Thanksgiving will be a quiet day with just the five of us.
I'm so excited!

One thing that won't be any different is the day after Thanksgiving.
That day always marks the beginning of the Christmas season, and I can't wait. I want to put up the tree, the wreaths, the garlands. And I want to play Christmas music. As a matter of fact, we just might get an early start on all those carols.

It will be a pleasant change from my gloomy mood last year.

Last Christmas season was a rough one for me. All that holiday cheer felt like a burden.
I was still mourning the loss of my Dad, and Christmas time wasn't fun. It hurt.
I procrastinated putting up the tree until the kids threatened to mutiny, and I didn't send out a single card. I waited until the very last minute to plan our Christmas dinner, and then my loving husband had to wrap every single gift while I went grocery shopping.
On Christmas Eve. Yes, it really was that bad.

But in spite of all my sadness and tears (so many tears), the Christmas season came and went.....and I survived. The grief didn't destroy me. The loneliness didn't overwhelm me.

The grace of God sustained me.

His grace has carried me through countless milestones this past year. I think this week will be yet another one. This week I will eat Thanksgiving dinner without crying over the empty seat at the table. I will pull out the decorations without escaping to my bedroom to weep in anticipation of Christmas day. I will rejoice in the birth of Christ without agonizing over the death of one of His children.

I still miss my dad, and I don't think any holiday will ever be the same.
BUT....
Joy really does come in the morning.
God's mercies are new each day, each year, each Christmas.

Joy to the world!

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

Jul
04

Freedom

It's a beautiful thing.
It's celebrated.
It's sacrificed for.
It's sought after.

It's underestimated.
It's unappreciated.
It's undervalued.
It's costly.

It's the right to practice religion.
It's the right to speak freely.
It's the right to bear arms.
It's the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It's even more.
It's being set free from sin.
It's being released from oppression.
It's an act of grace.

It's a gift. Always.
It's free. Never.
It's stained with blood.
It's priceless.

It's mine.

Mar
16

Cooking Cabbage

When I was in high school, our history teacher gave us an assignment to encourage us to learn about our family's heritage. We were to talk to relatives who could tell us where our ancestors came from and when they arrived in America. If we couldn't come up with enough information to write a paper on that topic, we were stuck writing about a famous inventor. I definitely wanted option number one.

That evening, I called my grandma to ask her some questions. If anyone would know who we were and where we were from, she was the one. Her answer was not what I was hoping for. She said, "Well, your great-great-grandpappy came over the hill from Virginia and said he was Irish." That's all she had. Ummm.....Thanks?

I wrote a lovely (and boring) report on Thomas Edison.

Although I wasn't able to write a paper on my family, I've laughed about that phone conversation countless times. And even though I don't have any documentation, I'm pretty certain Grandma was right about our Irish roots. She had the red hair to prove it. That's enough for me.

Maybe it's my great-great-grandpappy's blood that makes me a sucker for Irish food. One Irish food that I really love is cooked cabbage. It's one of my all-time favorite foods. Crazy, right?

I fix cabbage with a variety of meals. Amittedly, most of them wouldn't count as Irish fare. I regularly fix it with anything barbecue. It often ends up on the menu when we have some sort of smoked or spicy sausage. And sometimes I'll make a big pan of it when I'm hungry and can't think of anything else to eat. Yep, I like it that much.

It's very easy to prepare. Here's how I fix it:

Slice cabbage very thin. I use my food processor with the slicing blade attached. You can easily cut it by hand, too. I always cut a full food processor bowl because my family likes it so much. You may want to use about a quarter to half a head of cabbage. Keep in mind that the volume will decrease greatly as it cooks.

Wash cabbage and allow to drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, heat one to two tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat. You want enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is shimmering, add the cabbage (be careful that no oil splashes up if the cabbage is still wet). Cook, stirring and turning often, until it is beginning to turn translucent and brown slightly in some places.

Reduce heat and cover. If the pan seems dry, add a small amount of water, approximately a quarter of a cup. Be careful because cabbage often releases a lot of water as it cooks, and you don't want to to be soggy.

Continue to cook, stirring often, until all of the cabbage has just wilted and turned slightly translucent. It cooks very quickly. Do not overcook! Remove lid and continue to cook for a couple more minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.

Salt and pepper to taste. I think that a key to great cooked cabbage is plenty of salt, so be sure to taste it and add more if needed.


If you've never fixed cooked cabbage, maybe this St. Patrick's Day is the time to try it. It's yummy!

What's your favorite Irish food? Tell us about it in the comments!

This post is linked to Life As Mom.

Dec
28

Wrapping Up Traditions


When I was a kid, we spent every Christmas out-of-state with my grandparents and extended family. The six of us would pile into the station wagon, with me (the baby of the family) sandwiched between Mom and Dad in the front seat for hours on end. Even the countless Christmas carols that my dad so kindly endured couldn’t make me enjoy that trip. But the agonizing highway boredom and carsickness was (almost) forgotten the minute we walked into my grandparent’s little house.

As soon as the luggage and wrapped packages were unloaded from the car, my big brother and I would head straight for the tiny Christmas tree that stood on top of Grandma’s huge console television. All of the presents were stacked on either side of the TV, and we would look at the name on each tag, taking special notice of the ones belonging to us. We’d tease each other about what gift was hiding inside the wrapped boxes. My brother always assured me that each and every box with my name on it contained a rock. I think I might have preferred a rock instead of the mint green sweater with little ducks on it that my Grandma gave me when I was about twelve years old. It was…um…cute. Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?

But what was in the boxes didn’t really matter to us. Even after my older siblings graduated to driving their own cars and I was able to stretch out in the back seat, my big brother and I always started our Christmas trip by reading gift tags and shaking boxes. As I look back, that’s one of my favorite Christmas memories. My favorite tradition.

When my kids were little, you would think I would want them to experience the same box shaking fun that I had enjoyed so much myself. Not quite. When my kiddos were younger, most of the gifts under the tree were things like Cabbage Patch Kids or Lego kits. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that the odd shaped box with my daughter’s name on it was holding the baby doll she’d asked for. And what little boy couldn’t guess that the rattling package with his name tag was hiding Legos? So, I came up with a little gift wrapped fun of my own. A new tradition.

To eliminate the gifts being figured out before they’re opened on Christmas morning, I don’t allow the kids to shake the boxes and I don’t put any names on the gifts. That’s right, no gift tags and no names. Just paper and bows. Instead of writing their names, I wrap each kid’s presents in different paper, and I’m the only one who knows which paper belongs to which kid. It’s a hoot to watch them looking at the boxes, trying to figure out which ones belong to him or her. Who’s is that big one? Is mine the red paper…the paper with the candy canes…oh, which one was mine last year? Does that box over there look like it would hold Legos? Do you think Mom would actually use the purple paper on a boy’s gifts? Is she that crazy? Maybe.

It really is a fun way to add to the mystery and magic of Christmas day. And as an added bonus, I’ve also found that it cuts down on some of the “ME” attitude that so easily fills the days leading up to Christmas morning. Since they don’t know which presents belong to them, there’s no comparing who has more or bigger or better gifts waiting for them. The kids almost seem to enjoy trying to figure out which paper is hiding their sibling’s gifts as much as they enjoy trying to discover their own. Will they guess right? Only Mom knows, and she’s not telling!

Check out more great ideas over on Works for Me Wednesday.

Photo credit: Rabbit and the Duck