Merry Christmas!

Wishing you the very best Christmas!

OXOXOXO

Christmas Around the World Ideas

It's Here! Christmas eve eve. This post is coming rather late for the season, but I thought I would show you just a few of the things we have done this month (these are from preschool-and you could easily adapt any of these to do with your own children.) Please know, I am not an expert in any of these countries, cultures, or religious celebrations. I am simply sharing things I have done to help my children understand the world around them.

1. Ice Cream Cone Christmas Trees-{ice cream cones, frosting, candies} -Germany

2. Circle Christmas Trees- {circles of various sizes; hole punch dots; clothespin, star sticker}- Germany

3. Hanukkah-{dreidels, menorahs, and latkes-potato pancakes} OBVIOUSLY- Hanukkah is not a country, or a Christmas celebration. These are things I have done with preschoolers, and we are learning about other people and how they celebrate at this time of year.

4. The Gingerbread Man -bread dough gingerbread boy-{Rhodes roll, raisins}-also can go w/ Germany

5. Gingerbread Man- {foam gingerbread man, google eyes, glitter glue, stickers}

6. Pinatas shaped like Christmas Trees {brown lunch sack stuffed w/ newspaper &candy, covered in tissue paper strips that are cut up, and wire ribbon at the top}-Mexico

7. Poinsettias- {shapes cut with construction paper, yellow hole punch dots, glue}-Mexico

8. St. Lucia Crowns- {construction paper, glue, stapler}-Sweden (we also had homemade cinnamon rolls brought by St. Lucia and put our shoes out for a treat-several countries do this)

9. Jingle Bells {for lots of fun Christmas singing- pipe cleaner, jingle bells}

There are so many fun  Traditions and Cultures to teach your children about! I hardly touched the surface this year! Next year I will be doing a lot more :)  

Hope you are having a fabulous Holiday Season!

A Baby Changes Everything

Crafting posts in December...are just not happening. :) Too much stuff to do and enjoy ! This is one of my absolute favorite songs. {Such a beautiful message about the reason for the season.} ☻ I hope you are having a wonderful time and enjoying the beauty, peace, and love of the season!
**Click here to see one crafty mama who has really done a beautiful job teaching her children about the nativity. **

"Keep Christmas With You"

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Some might find it cheesy. Picture about 125 second graders singing this, and doing sign language. (That is how I remember it, from when I taught second grade for many years.) It has a beautiful message, about remembering Christmas the whole year through.

You're a Mean One... Mr. Grinch...

If you have been reading for a while, you know sometimes I detour from crafting to post on motherhood, life, etc....well...this is one of those posts. ☻

It is that time of year. Around Thanksgiving, I encountered a few "Grinches". It got me thinking. What makes a person a "Grinch"? They do exist-- unfortunately. As the song goes, "You're a MEAN ONE, Mr. Grinch..."

And that is just what a Grinch is: A mean person. For some reason, this "mean" side seems to come out more during the holidays. I have enjoyed watching the different versions of the Grinch, the movies, and a few T.V. shows....and found several similiar things about what makes up a Grinch.

So I thought I would share a little bit about what makes a Grinch. ☻ {please know these are my opinions based on my observations)

1. A Grinch Is NOT A HAPPY PERSON. A Grinch wants everyone to be miserable, because they are miserable. So instead of building people up, they enjoy cutting people down- whether it is sarcasm, rude comments, saying mean things, criticism, etc. You get the idea. Remember how the Grinch takes all the presents, decorations, and tries to steal Christmas? He can't bear the fact that someone else might be happy, and have joy in what they are doing/celebrating.  Have you ever heard the parable of the bucket and the dipper? Well A Grinch, gets their joy from dipping into other people's buckets, which is just a way of saying- being mean, rude, and nasty to others.

2. A Grinch is a HURT PERSON. Mean people are usually hurt. Something has happened to them to make them feel like they need to be mean. Sometimes because they have been hurt, hurting others is the only thing they know how to do. They are jealous, envious, bitter, and unforgiving, and so on. They are really good at holding grudges- and they can hold them for a really really long time. 

3. A Grinch will find another Grinch and become BFF's. In other words, mean people feed off of each other. Misery loves company. A Grinch will find another Grinch and bond over being "grinchy".

4. A Grinch CAN change. Just as the Grinch does in the movie and story, they can change. What makes them change?  Being Kind. Being Nice. Being Thoughtful. Not being mean. In the story, the townspeople are still happy it is Christmas. They don't let the Grinch ruin it for them. And his heart is softened.


HERE is a great article on Grinches/Mean People. (from an expert)

This holiday season, if you spot a Grinch in your midst, there is a quote that comes to mind-that has really helped me in my life :)

"This year, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and the speak it again."



— Howard W. Hunter

That is the perfect quote. For me, that is the way to be happy-- and never be grinchy.
Please know, that I myself have been a grinch at one time or another. I try really hard to be a nice person and understand. I am not an expert, nor have I mastered the art of not being grinchy. ☻ But I certainly try hard to be nice :)
I've got a big huge craft project in the works.... that I'll reveal in the future....thanks for reading!! Happy Holidays!

{Easy, Easy, Yummy in my Tummy} Saltine Toffee

This is one of my ♥FAVORITE♥ things to make during the holidays! This is a recipe from my sister-- I posted 2 years ago...well...I made it again today- and it is delicious. ☻ Seriously the easiest thing to make! I love toffee...and this recipe could not be simpler.
HERE is the recipe! 

Thank you for all the advice on my blogger storage issue! I am working it out- so that is why there is no photo- but the above link has detailed photos if you want to make this!!

Happy Holidays!!

Etsy Shop & Discount Code

So...you are probably done Christmas Shopping by now. ☻ I am pretty much done myself.

I sewed up a small storm a few months ago...and would you believe I am just getting around to posting some of it in my etsy shop. Yep....procrastinating....not good at Christmas when there is too much to do....

So if you need a little Christmas gift still...take a look. :)  - It is right over there on the right------ or at the bottom of this post...


As you know- it is mostly car cozies- and you can make you own -using my tute- or you can save yourself some time, and just buy one. :)

AND...since I have procrastinated...HERE is a COUPON CODE- if you are still in need of a Christmas gift- (not that you have procrastinated- you still have time - wink wink...) 

Enter code CHRISTMAS2010 at checkout, and get 10% off any purchase!

(This only applies to my shop)

Happy Holidays!! (and BTW- I will ship items right away!!:) -no procrastinating in that department....)

What?

Happy Holidays! Apparently, I can't upload any of my photos to blogger unless I pay them money. What? This is silly.
Does anyone else have this problem? I guess I have used all my "free storage" space and now they want me to pay money to put photos on my blog.
Being that I do not use my blog to make money- just to share- I find it interesting that now I have to pay money to continue blogging....hhmmm- not sure how I feel about this.

So stay tuned.... while I figure this out....

Homemade Christmas Pillow {with burlap}

 Happy December! It is hard to believe that Christmas is around the corner! It always sneaks up on me way too quickly! I made this little pillow a few weeks ago. I stamped words on cream colored burlap using acrylic paint.

I sewed some fabric strips, and ric-rac, and then backed it with  some muslin, since burlap has lots of nice holes in it :)

It isn't perfect....but it adds a nice little interest to the couch. ☻

Over the years I have made lots of Christmas pillows. It is funny how my taste and styles change over the years. I still have my old pillows- the ones I made using primitive stitching and tea-dying....:) remember those?  They are still cute in their own way....but...  I think I like this look a little better this year :)

Hope you are enjoying the wonderful Christmas Season!! {love it!}