A Christmas devotional ~ "The Most Wonderful Time"?

I thought it would be nice, on the Sundays in July, to share some Christmas devotionals I've written over the years.  This is the first one I wrote, probably 20 years ago.  I hope it is a blessing to someone.

The Most Wonderful Time?

I love Christmas! I don't know about you, but ever since I was a child I have loved this special time of year. I guess maybe our childhood memories of the holiday have a lot to do with how we view it as adults. Even if our childhood Christmases were disappointing, we decide our grownup Christmases will be perfect.

My own memories are wonderful! We hadn't yet grasped the full meaning of the Christmas story, but it was a special time anyway. My father built a small wooden stable, and we set up our manger scene every year. My mother baked for days: cookies and candies and holiday breads. Christmas Eve was spent delivering goodies to neighbors and loved ones. We just loved seeing everyone else's decorations and putting up our own.

So it's no wonder, with memories like these, that I still love Christmas and want it to be just as wonderful for my own family. Along about October, I get out my Christmas magazines and craft books and begin planning for the holiday. By the way, that's not early enough! Invariably I run out of time and energy, and sometimes out of money, too. And invariably the Lord brings me back down to earth by reminding me what this is really, actually all about. One of my craft books is "Scrap Savers Christmas Stitchery" by Sandra Lounsbury Foose. In the introduction she offers some very wise words:

"How quickly the Christmas season is upon us... At Christmas time, I always need more Christmas TIME! There's not even a moment to open one of those magazines that promise 'The Very Best Christmas Ever.'

"Then, in the midst of all this busyness, I remember that the miracle and the memories of Christmas are the true gifts of the season. So even if my own preparations aren't complete, Christmas is complete."

Isn't that true? In our quest for the perfect Christmas, we forget that the perfect Christmas has already occurred.

She goes on to say, "As you begin your holiday plans, think about the miracle of that first Christmas, which really was 'The Best Christmas Ever."

And that is so true. That is what we need to be focusing on. That's one reason I always look forward to our Ladies' Christmas Fellowship at church. It never fails to help me get my plans into the right perspective. But we should be doing that anyway. How?

I'm as guilty as anyone else of trying to cram too much into December. Church and school activities, decorating, sewing, baking, shopping, wrapping, sending cards -- it all takes time! How can we choose what and what not to do so that we don't lose sight of what it's really all about?

Here is a Scripture to help us with our choices. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) This has long been a favorite verse of mine, and it has helped me with making decisions about other things. The Phillips translation says it this way: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold." A paraphrase of this verse says: "Don't copy the behaviors and customs of the world."

All believers should be nonconformists to the world's thinking. There are many facets of the way the world looks at Christmas that many not be harmful, but distract us from its real meaning. For example, it's wonderful to decorate your house for the holiday, but not if it keeps you from coming to church. It's fine to get all your craft projects, shopping, and wrapping done early, but not if you neglect your devotions in the process.

Have you noticed that in addition to those articles that promise the very best Christmas ever, there's another kind of article, usually in the same magazine? These have titles like this:

1) "The Holidays -- Heavenly or Hectic?"
2) "In Pursuit of Tranquility"
3) "Fending Off the Holiday Blues"
4) "95 Holiday Survival Tips"
5) "150 Ways to Conquer Christmas Chaos"
And my personal favorite,
6) "'Twas the Night Before Christmas -- and Nothing was Done!"

As I read over one of these articles, I found myself translating its advice into terms that will help me as a Christian to keep a right perspective on Christmas. It was helpful to me, and I hope it will be to you also.  The numbered points came from the article I read, but the paragraph beneath each point is my own thoughts along with scripture verses.

1)The first point: Maintain your focus on what is important to you.

As Christians, our first priority is to please the Lord. So any activities need to be considered in light of His Word. We've already looked at Romans 12:2 and the fact that we shouldn't conform to this world. Another priority at Christmastime -- and all the time -- is to spend time with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 encourages us: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." We are to be out for church services and spending time encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ. In years when Christmas falls on a Sunday, this can be especially challenging. And yet, what better place is there to be on the day we celebrate Christ's birth?

2) Practice calm.

The best way for a believer to remain calm is to depend upon the Lord moment by moment. Spend much time in prayer and in meditating on God's Word. Luke 18:1 reminds us, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The word "faint" here means "to lose heart." When do we lose heart? When we don't keep praying about a matter, but try to take things into our own hands and solve the problem with our own efforts. It doesn't work. No wonder we lose heart! 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us, "Pray without ceasing." Let's also consider Philippians 4:6-7: "Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That word "careful" means "anxious". So we are to be anxious for nothing, but to pray and trust the Lord for the outcome.

3) Look beyond the trimmings.

This really should be #1. What is the reason we are celebrating? We are all familiar with John 3:16. Yes, God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die to save sinners like you and me. Galatians 4:4-5 says, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." The words of the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:10-11 are a good reminder to us: "Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

4) Evaluate your expectations.

We shouldn't expect our holiday to live up to our childhood memories or to the world's idea of a perfect Christmas. Make sure our activities and choices line up with God's Word. Psalm 32:8 reminds us that God will help us with our choices: "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 119:105 tells us, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

5) Curb the holiday splurge.

Don't spend money you can't afford to spend. Remember Acts 20:35 -- it is more blessed to give than to receive. Even with your children, try to keep the emphasis on what they will be giving -- not what they will be getting. Some practical suggestions that worked for me: Have children make gifts or buy small gifts for everyone on their list. At present-opening time, have each one hand out a present, then everyone watches the recipient open the gift before going on to another.

6) Reach out to someone else.

In particular, reach out to them with friendship and with the Gospel. At this time of year, people are often more receptive to spiritual things. For years, we've baked cookies and made up plates of them for our neighbors, tying them up with a pretty ribbon and adding a lovely Christmas tract. During this season, many of us will put tracts in our Christmas cards or find the opportunity to speak a word of witness to family and friends. 1 Peter 3:15 instructs, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man of the hope that is in you.. ."

7) Be kind to yourself.

The best way to do this is to do the things which please God. An important biblical principle is that obedience is always followed by blessing. John 13:17 encourages us: "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

8) Create "white" spaces.

The article I was reading defined "white" spaces as "restful, uncrowded margins of time." Doesn't that sound wonderful? For the Christian, these times are best spent communing with the Lord. Take that time at the beginning of every day to read your Bible and pray. Commit your day into His hands, and He will give you strength for all you need to do. "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5)

I'd like to close with a thought from my friend Karyl Bannister, from her essay in the December 1989 issue of Cook & Tell. She wrote: "Traditions bring comforting predictability to holiday observances and thus seem to simplify this busy time, to make it somewhat easier to do all the things we think we must do for this grand occasion... But what are we celebrating -- the traditions themselves, or that humblest and most hallowed happening of ages ago, that occasioned the traditions in the first place? Just what is it that we observe, in the midst of the merriment? Are the bits of business that fidget around the edges of this truly momentous event, too busy?" She adds, "As life unfolds its seasons and its lessons, it offers choices at every turn."

May our choices this Christmas season be those that glorify God, point our friends and neighbors to Him, encourage our fellow believers, and bless our own lives with His joy. It truly can be "the most wonderful time of the year"!

Absolutely adorable ornaments ... from paint sticks!

Photo and design by Today's Fabulous Finds

So my plan for today was to share a simple tutorial on putting together cross-stitch ornaments.  I've made many over the years, some finished very simply and others made stuffed with a music box inside.  There are a few that we put on our tree every year.  But do you think I can find pictures of them?  Nope.  Most of them predated digital cameras, and I just haven't thought to get pictures of them on this camera.  And I really, really don't want to venture into our extremely hot attic to try and figure out what box of ornaments they might be in.  Maybe I can whip up an ornament to use as an example here, but it won't be until later in the month.

My plan B was to look at Tipnut's Homemade Ornaments and see if I could find some good ideas.  This one caught my eye because the ornaments look similar to some little unpainted wooden signs I have.  But no -- these are made from paint sticks (or paint stirrers) and they are so sweet!  Go here for the tutorial:  printable paint stick ornaments.  I definitely need to make some of these.  Maybe you do also!  Have fun!

Super-duper resource for Christmas crafting!!

Time to share a favorite, fabulous resource for Christmas crafting!    If you are not familiar with Tipnut (or even if you are, but have never checked out her Christmas pages, you need to go here immediately: Tipnut's Crafty Christmas!  You will find page after page of great ideas.  This link takes you to the {Crafts & DIY} page, featuring Printables, Advent Calendars, Christmas Stockings, and Holiday Goodies.  Each page has well over two dozen pictures/links of projects.  Mouse over the picture and it rolls up like a little shade to  tell you the name of the project.  Click on it and it takes you to the site where the tutorial or instructions are featured.

I warn you, a person could get lost in these pages.  A fantastic resource.  Enjoy!

[Edited to add:  My apologies to everyone who has tried to check out this link.  The page has disappeared and I have no idea what has happened to it.  I have made some inquiries and will fix the link if and when it is possible.  I am so sorry!]

Sweet stocking stuffer -- a handmade mini journal

Today I thought I would share an idea for a stocking stuffer.  I made a little quote journal as a gift for a friend whose child was undergoing a kidney transplant.  It is small and easily kept in a purse or pocket.

I have a journal like this but mine is made in a small 2-ring binder, the type that is made to hold index cards.  I filled it with encouraging quotes and Bible verses, and over the years it has been easy to take along when waiting at a hospital or doctor's office.

When my friend mentioned that she hadn't brought her own Bible to the hospital with her, the wheels started turning and  I knew a mini quote journal would make a great gift for her.   At first I thought I would make her the binder type like mine.  But I couldn't find the small binders locally, so I went looking for a substitute.

What I found was a little spiral bound notebook of 50 3x5 index cards.  This is actually much better for the purpose because it is small and flat and easy to keep handy.  And it was so easy to decorate!

I adhered scrapbook paper to both the front and back covers with rubber cement, but use whatever adhesive you prefer.  Printed self-adhesive paper or shelf liner would work too if you found a small enough print. 

When the covers were dry, I bound the three edges on each cover (skipping the spiral edge, of course) with washi tape.  I also put a strip of contrasting washi tape across the top part of the cover below the spiral binding because my scrapbook paper wasn't quite straight.  I apologize that the pictures are a bit blurry, but you get the idea, I'm sure.

Then I simply added a large sticker to the front to complete the embellishment, but of course you could add a title or just embellish the cover in any way you would like.

I wrote inspiring quotes and Bible verses on the pages and trimmed each one with a sticker.

The mini journal was finished!  I can see this being used in many different ways.  You could make a mini cookbook, maybe a Christmas cookie book or one of simple, easy menus to keep in a purse and pull out for ideas at the supermarket.  A little book of themed tips or household hints might be nice, too.  Endless ideas for this one -- and they would make wonderful stocking stuffers!

A treasured family recipe -- Maple Fudge

Today I thought I'd share a family heirloom recipe.  However, it's a recipe I can't exactly recommend that you try -- unless you are the sort who loves a challenge and doesn't mind wasting some expensive ingredients.

My mother was locally famous for this creamy maple fudge. All during my growing-up years, she made batch after batch of it at Christmas time. When she first perfected the recipe, she often made pounds of this fudge for the Methodist church's Christmas fair, where it was in great demand.   In later years the fudge production was for the benefit of family and friends, some of whom expected to receive maple fudge every year and would have been cruelly disappointed not to receive it.  It has a true maple flavor and a creamy texture and should be cut in tiny pieces around an inch square because it is very rich. 

My mother had been given the recipe by a neighbor lady.
 
Over the years, many people asked my mother for the recipe, and she happily shared it. However, it was a very tricky recipe and no matter how good a cook she gave the recipe to, the fudge would seldom come out right. Boiling, candy thermometers, cooling to the exact right point and then what seemed to be hours of beating were all involved in the proper preparation of this delicacy. Yes, it was delicious, and it certainly was a triumph to be able to produce something so difficult that no other living woman (other than the neighbor lady who gave her the recipe) had been able to do. But it always looked like a lot of trouble to me! My siblings and I used to enjoy scraping the fudge kettle, but none of us had much interest in learning to make the candy ourselves.

My mother has passed on now, and the secret of the maple fudge has gone with her. Even though I have the recipe, I can't imagine going to that much trouble. I will share it here, just for old time's sake. But I make no guarantees!

MAPLE FUDGE

2 cups dark maple syrup
5 cups white sugar
2 cups cream

Mix together in heavy pan. Cook (keeping a steady boil) to 238º on candy thermometer. Cool to lukewarm. Beat until mixture loses gloss. Add (coarsely chopped) walnuts and pour quickly into a buttered roasting pan (13x9-inch pan works fine). Cut immediately into small squares.

If you try this fudge and it comes out well, pat yourself on the back. You've achieved something very few cooks have been able to do. If you try it and it doesn't work, don't blame me -- I did warn you! (Incidentally, failed fudge may work well as a sauce over ice cream.)

Book review -- CHRISTMAS COOKIE JAR

For today, I thought I would share a book review of a favorite new cookbook, Christmas Cookie Jar.  This Gooseberry Patch cookbook has been available for awhile, but I obtained a copy just this spring -- so, although this is not a new book, it is new to me.

The cover on this book is so gorgeous that I had to dip into its pages right away.  Here's the listing of chapters in the table of contents:

Simply Divine Drop Cookies
Clever Cut-Outs
Best-Ever Bar Cookies
Old-Fashioned Cookies
Treats in a Twinkle
Mmm ... Chocolate.

Each chapter contains many fabulous-sounding recipes.  It's worth noting that the drop cookie chapter also contains many molded cookies -- the type you roll into a ball or other shape before placing on the cookie sheets.  I'm mentioning this because I personally dislike making drop cookies.  I will try and roll drop cookie dough into balls whenever possible.  I just think they look neater, prettier and more uniform.  A cookie scoop does help some with making drop cookies, but I tend to avoid them.  So if you are that way too, don't skip over the drop cookie chapter.  It contains plenty of recipes you will want to use.

I must also say that, just like Grandma's kitchen, this book contains many sweet surprises.  There are bonus recipes in each chapter for snacks, candies and beverages

For each chapter, I will mention one of my favorite recipes plus one that I want to try.  Here we go:
Simply Divine Drop Cookies
 A favorite recipe from here that I have made countless times is the Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints.  These cookies are absolutely beautiful and taste incredible.  I have never served these without someone asking for the recipe.  A recipe I would love to try is the Lemon Delights -- a cream cheese cookie with chopped pecans and a lemon cheese filling.

Clever Cut-Outs
I have not tried any of the recipes from this chapter so they are all new to me.  But I want to try the Chocolate Mint Stars, the Jolly Cinna-Men and the delicious-sounding Brown Sugar Hot Tea.

Best-Ever Bar Cookies
A favorite recipe from this chapter that I've made many times is Teresa's Tasty Apricot Bars.  These bars are great made with raspberry or strawberry jam as well.  One I would love to try is the Scandinavian Almond Bars, which are made sort of like biscotti, baked, then sliced. 

Old-Fashioned Cookies
Many (but not all, by any means)  of the recipes from this chapter are heirloom type recipes from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.  I have made the Polish Cookie Balls (also known as Russian Tea Cakes) countless times, and they are always one of the big favorites on my cookie trays.  A recipe I would love to try is the Almond Cream Spritz, made with cream cheese in the dough and topped with almonds.  It sounds very different and delicious.

Treats in a Twinkle
These are quick and easy recipes, with many of them being no-bake, made with mixes, and so on.  The Oatmeal Drop Cookies, pretty much a classic no-bake recipe, are excellent.  The Club Cracker Goodie Bars are fantastic and taste a lot like Kit-Kat candy bars.  A recipe I'd like to try from this chapter is the Marbled Cheesecake Bars, made with a German chocolate cake mix and milk chocolate chips.

Mmm ... Chocolate
The title says it all!  The Cool Mint Chocolate Swirls, fudgy cookies topped with a melted, swirled mint wafer, are fantastic.  The Tex-Mex Chocolate Snappers are very good too.  I hope to try the Rocky Road Fudge and the Cookies & Vanilla Cream Fudge.

In addition, this cookbook contains dozens of helpful hints and tips for baking, packaging, and gifting cookies and it shares many sweet and simple craft and decorating ideas. 

I'll share just one of these hints:  "Give a cookie sampler!  Place several yummy cookies in each cup of a shiny new muffin tin."  Sounds like a sweet idea!

I was so pleased with this book.  If I could own only one cookie cookbook, I think I would pick this one.  There is great variety among the recipes and many of them are quite different and unusual.  A great resource for Christmas baking!

** Note: This post contains affiliate links.**

Vintage Christmas cards and sentiments ...

A card from my personal collection ... love its patriotic look!

Happy July!

If all works out according to plan (and it's always possible that it won't!), I'll be posting here daily during the month of July, for Christmas in July.  A number of bloggers do this and it's always fun and interesting to see what they post.  Inspiring, too.  We can all use a good dose of Christmas spirit mid-year and some good ideas for gifts, decorating, and so on. 

I'm planning some book reviews, some recipes, some craft and decorating ideas, some devotional thoughts, and some shared inspiration from my Pinterest boards. 

To start, I thought I'd share one of my newer Pinterest boards, Christmas Cards and Sentiments.  This board contains a lot of pins from my own blogs, as well as some from other folks on Pinterest.

As many of my readers know, years ago I acquired a lot of vintage Christmas cards, simply because people knew I used them in crafting with children in Sunday School and in a kids' art class I was teaching.  People gave me cards by the bagful.  Many of them I did use with the kids.  Others were too old, fragile, and just plain beautiful to use in crafting with children, so I saved those to display and have scanned many of them to share with my readers.  A couple of years ago I noticed that many of these little cards had messages using interesting fonts, and sweet little vignettes inside the cards, so I scanned some of those as well.  That's why I titled this board Christmas Cards and Sentiments -- because the sentiments are often as interesting as the pictures.

I hope others will have as much fun checking out this board as I have had adding to it.  Enjoy!

Cranberry-Orange Pork Chops

Photo from Taste of Home

I found a good price on boneless pork chops this week and made this meal to share with my dad last evening.  The recipe, Cranberry Orange Pork Chops, was from an older issue of Simple & Delicious magazine.

It was actually from a December issue, for which the cranberry-orange flavors were especially appropriate, but it sure tasted good in June!  It occurred to me that this might be a good recipe to file away for use during the holiday season, when quick and tasty recipes are even more of a necessity than usual.  Your family would probably enjoy these chops, too!  I served them with mashed potatoes (instant; we love the Idahoan Baby Reds) and mixed vegetables.  A good easy meal for any time of the year!

Little chocolate pizzas ~ a fun gift from the kitchen

(Photo by Taste of Home -- full size pizza is pictured.)

I hadn't thought of these for a long time, but the other day, they came to mind.  Years ago, these were a popular item I included in college care packages.  I thought it would be helpful to put the link here on my Christmas blog, so I can make them again this Christmas.  Maybe some of you would like to try making these treats as well.  Here's the link for the basic recipe: Chocolate Pizza.

If you happen to have, as I do, some miniature round pans, you can use these to make individual pizzas.  If not, you can use muffin cups. 

I have never made these using the maraschino cherries, although I am sure that would be delicious.  Instead, I use red and green M&M candies.  To me, they make the pizza look a little bit more realistic -- plus, the red and green are fun for Christmas.

This would be a very fun recipe to make with kids -- just make sure that an adult or an older child handles the chocolate melting part of the recipe.

Enjoy!

Fantabulous Felt Food!

Kids love felt food!

 For many weeks and months (maybe years)  now, I have been wanting to put all of my links to various felt food projects in one place.  Here on my Christmas blog, I'm posting today with all of the links I can find.  These are all felt foods I have made over the past three or four years or so.  I have other links and projects saved, but only want to share links for the items I have actually made.

If you think you might like to make some felt food for children in your life for Christmas, birthdays, or just for fun, now is a great time to get started.  Felt food is easy, small, and portable, making it an ideal craft to work on during a road trip, at the beach, etc. 

So let the linkage begin!

I think that these Felt Cheez-It® Crackers were the first felt food I attempted.  Very, very easy.

You can see the cheese crackers toward the right back of the table.  We recycled a cracker box to present them in.

Unfortunately, I can no longer access the blog where I got the pattern for bacon and eggs; it has become a private blog.  This  pattern looks like a good one: Felt Fried Eggs and Bacon.  The bacon I made has a wavy, realistic look because one stitches along the edges using a wired floss in a tan color.

Bacon and Eggs

 These Felt Cinnamon Rolls are probably the easiest felt food I've ever made, but they sure do look delicious!

Cinnamon Rolls

These Felt popsicles are also very easy to make.

Grape, lime, and orange popsicles

Orange, cherry and lime popsicles

Felt Toaster Pastries might be a great starter project.  They are so quick and easy!  If your grandchildren are very little or if there are babies in the house, you might prefer to make colorful french knot "sprinkles" rather than attaching beads. 

Pop-tarts®

Pop-tarts® in packaging

 I think I failed to take pictures of the Felt Coffee & Mini Donut set I made for these two.  (Maybe because I was somewhat disappointed in how the coffee cups came out.)  Their uncle owns a coffee shop, which is why I made these.  They are drinking from the coffee cups, which have sleeves from their uncle's shop.  The large donuts in the picture are the crocheted ones.  I think the pink and chocolate frosted mini donuts from this tutorial are in between the valentine cookies and the cheese crackers, in front of Emily.  (You can actually see these mini donuts better in the very top photo, where they are in the foreground.)

This pattern for Felt sandwiches and bags of chips has directions for potato chips, bags, and two kinds of sandwiches.

Sandwiches -- ham, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes on burger buns

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Bags of chips

Another look at the potato chips

I tried several tutorials for felt strawberries, but one came out as big as tomatoes!  I salvaged them by putting them in a tomato box and calling them tomatoes, but they weren't all that easy to make, so I've scrapped that pattern.  These Felt strawberries are the best pattern I've found.  I like to package them in plastic berry boxes.

A basket of strawberries

This Felt pumpkin pie with whipped cream is truly amazing.  I've made lemon, chocolate, and cheesecake pie slices as well.  A good bit of the sewing on this is done by machine, so it's not as complicated as it looks.

Pumpkin pie

Lemon pie

Chocolate cream pie

Strawberry cheesecake

Pumpkin, lemon and chocolate pie

And here is the link for pancakes:Felt Pancakes.  Again, very easy.  Partly sewed by machine.

Pancakes with butter pat

And here is one for Christmas cookies -- these are also very easy!  Christmas Cookies.  Obviously, you can make these into plain sugar cookies or into Valentine cookies -- or just cut-out cookies for any occasion!

Christmas cookies

Christmas cookies in their packaging

Frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles

Valentine cookies

More Valentine cookies

This Fabric Bow-Tie Pasta is not made of felt, but is still very easy.

Fabric bow tie pasta

A package of pasta

Not all play food is made of fabric.  Here are a couple of links for foods I've crocheted:  Crochet Sandwich Cookies

Crocheted chocolate sandwich cookies

and Crocheted Donut, which I've made in varying "flavors".  Again, if you suspect these or the felt cookies (really, any play food with "sprinkles") will go into a tiny child's mouth, then please use french knots rather than beads.

A pink-frosted doughnut

Chocolate frosted donut

A packaged chocolate donut

So there are all my links! 

My grandkids are always happy to get more felt food!

Have fun cooking up some felt food!  A word of warning, though -- it's addictive!

Lego® Sacks -- a fun and practical gift for kids

I'm posting these here on my Christmas blog for a couple of reasons:
1) They are a great and very easy handmade gift for  kids;
2) I plan on making these for my Nevada grandkids for Christmas and they will be much less likely to see them here than on my regular blog, which they occasionally look at.

So -- I had seen this Lego Sack tutorial some time ago and put it on my list to make for the kids.  I have several Lego-loving grandchildren, and this would make a useful gift for them. 

Very simply, it's a large lined fabric circle which the kids can use as a playing surface for Legos or, actually, any toy with a multitude of small pieces.

Opened up as playing surface

Then, when they are done playing for the day, they simply gather up the drawstrings and voila! the pieces are all contained within one neat sack, which can then be hung from a peg or hook, a doorknob or even a bedpost.

Closed up for storage

I made this orange one for one of my grandsons, and his brother admired it so much that he wanted one for his birthday, too.  So I made his in the same print, only a teal color.  I failed to get pictures of that one.

I thought this sort of geometric print would look nice for Legos.  I found it at a Walmart that still carries fabric.  It was on clearance -- between $1 and $2 a yard, I forget which.  I bought it in orange, teal, and yellow.  I can't remember if there were other colors or not, but there may have been.  I will find out, though, as I need to go back and get more fabric for making more sacks for Christmas gifts.

For the lining, I lined the first one with part of an old sheet, and that worked fine.  For the second one, I lined it with a sturdier fabric -- think it may have been osnaburg -- which I had originally bought for lining tote bags.  I'll plan to use that for the remaining 3 or 4 Lego sacks, since I have plenty of it.

These go together almost unbelievably fast.  The hardest part, literally, is measuring and cutting the circle.  I used a 1-yard square to cut the circle from, and panicked at first because I thought it was going to be too small.  But it was just fine.  Actually, if you are using just regular fabric, you won't be able to cut anything larger than a 45-inch square anyway.  And you would have to purchase more than a yard to do that.  So for me, I think I'll continue using the 36-inch square.

For the drawstrings, I used wide ribbon.  Wide bias tape would work well too, and so would rope or a thick cord.  The instructions call for making one's own bias tape but I didn't have time or interest in doing that.

Hope this info is helpful to someone.  These certainly have been a hit with my grandkids so far!

A nice possibility for Christmas Eve supper

(Photo by Taste of Home)

I realize that many families already have their own traditions for Christmas Eve supper.  Some like to have a meatless meal; others favor seafood, and so on.  At our house, it's Christmas Eve Soup, served very simply with corn muffins, biscuits or rolls (or sometimes with cheese pizza), with either ambrosia or ice cream and Christmas cookies for dessert.  This year, it was so special when my 11-year-old granddaughter arrived for the Christmas Eve meal bearing a foil-covered plate of holiday rice crispy treats she had made herself, to share for dessert.  I love seeing traditions carried on!

When I was a child, our family's traditional meal for Christmas Eve was macaroni and cheese.  My mother made hers with a rich cheese sauce, loaded with sharp or maybe extra-sharp cheddar.  She always topped her macaroni and cheese with crushed saltines sauteed briefly in butter (a much-coveted treat for us children) and then topped the whole with paprika before heating it through in the oven.  It was delicious.  We often had grilled hot dogs alongside the macaroni and cheese and usually a green salad of some sort. 

My mother always made an extra casserole dish full of macaroni and cheese, and took it to a neighbor couple we dearly loved, for their Christmas Eve supper.  On New Year's Day, Mrs. F always made a gelatin dessert called pumpkin snow, and sent it back to us in the clean casserole dish, along with a jar of custard sauce to serve with the dessert.  It was a sweet tradition between neighbors.

Recently, I tried this recipe for Saturday night supper with baked beans and salad: Ham and Broccoli Mac'n'Cheese.  It was very good; the only thing I changed (other than to use, in my case, gluten-free pasta and flour) was to add a little salt.  There were some lively flavors in the sauce, but the flavor seemed to fall a little flat so I added a bit of salt and that solved the problem. 

It occurred to me as I prepared the dish that it might be a very nice one for Christmas Eve, as it includes the lively colors of red (sweet peppers) and green (broccoli florets).  If your family prefers a meatless meal, the ham could easily be omitted. What are your family's Christmas Eve food traditions?

Inspiration for your handmade gifts

Graphic by Little Birdie Blessings

I don't know about you, but I simply love giving (as well as receiving) handmade gifts.  Two bloggers have inspired me even further to make handcrafted gifts for this coming Christmas -- and for as many birthdays as possible between now and then.

When I read Myra's post, The Legacy of Handmade, my heart was touched, because her words about handmade gifts she had received just summed up how I feel about handmade gifts for family, especially grandchildren.  Sure, not everything I make for them is heirloom quality -- felt food is a case in point -- but some of the things I've made, like the birthday banners, are already heirlooms. 
 
And sometimes I want to make things, like the felt food and superhero capes, that they can just plain have fun with!  I just want them all to know they have a Grammy who loves them enough to make them special things with her own hands.  (And I do recognize that not all grandmothers can do that.  There are many other special ways to show love to grandchildren -- probably as many ways as there are grandmothers.  This just happens to be something I can do and that I love doing.)

Abby's post, A Handmade Christmas, was even more of a blessing because Abby shares a list of wonderful, "think-outside-the box" ideas for handmade gifts. 

Abby's post reminded me of a neighbor lady when I was growing up.  She made many small, handmade gifts with an old treadle sewing machine -- little felt stockings with a child's name on them, into which she tucked a dollar bill; little sachets made from interesting fabric scraps and filled with balsam needles to give off a lovely fragrance of the forest; and many more things.  I had a great-aunt who pieced pot holders from scraps of flannel in crazy-quilt fashion.  Sets of her flannel pot holders were a hoped-for gift on many occasions.  My grandmother made many doll blankets and baby blankets for gifts.  Making handmade gifts is a dear old tradition I will continue for as long as I possibly can!