Solstice celebration and Christmas preparations

Decorating cookies.

 Candlemaking, beeswax tapers.

 Compiling various homemade gifts, soap, candles, lotion, lip balm and felted purses and other creations.

I have never worked much with wool until this winter. The easiest quickest things to make ended up being purses. I wet felted sheets during the day and after the kids went to bed, I would needle felt, sew the sides and add a clasp or button. 

We celebrated solstice with a bonfire, marshmallows,  a few fireworks, glow rings and night sledding.

Happy late Solstice, Merry Christmas and best wishes for your Holiday Season!

Christmas Fun

Noah and Avery on Christmas Eve, opening gifts

 

Christmas morning at my folks

 

 The kids waiting to get into their second set of stockings for the day.

 

Christmas Dinner, which in addition to the previously mentioned menu, included shitake mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic (they were fabulous!, made by Adam). We also had roasted broccoli with lemon juice and parmesan.

 

Finishing off the wonderful meal we had home made caramels followed by these gingerbread trifles.

After I finished the last post, I realized that I had never really gotten to the heart of the issue or made the point I was trying to make, which in essence was this: what better way to celebrate life, family and the holidays than by going above and beyond to do something special whether it is cooking, decorating or other holiday traditions. My utmost purpose in sharing our special menus is to encourage you to take the extra step, try something new or be extra nice to yourself, not only during the holdidays but on ordinary days as well. For after all, what is living if we can't do it up, right?