Tag: celebrations

Advent “Wreath” in a Box

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Mama

advent wreath

I was born and raised a Southern Baptist girl and for whatever reason we never observed Advent. Why you wonder? Well I really don’t have a clue, but I can tell you that within the last fifteen years or so the Baptist Churches I’ve attended have started emphasizing the holy days and events on a more regular basis. I like this shift in spiritual focus and since I’m married to a Catholic boy, he appreciates it too.

One of my favorite observances this time of year is the Advent wreath and the weekly candle lighting that leads up to Christmas. This year I decided to incorporate this idea into our home and created an Advent “wreath” in a box. I know there is some significance to the round, unending shape of a wreath, but I figured a line of candles was better than no candles at all.

To make my advent box, I purchased some rough finished shiplap at Sutherland’s and asked my husband cut it down to size. We assembled it with our nail gun and added a bottom of plain pine. I then added five candles (four for each week of Advent and one for Christmas day), fresh-cut evergreen bows and pinecones. Other than the size (about three feet long), it’s a very understated display. It’s also a great way to keep the proper focus of the season every time we sit down to dinner.

If you are interested in learning more about Advent, you might want to give it a good search or visit Lifeway’s great Advent resource online. In addition to some basic information, this site also supplies a complimentary Advent worship guide and children’s sermons.

Setting the Scene for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2016November 23, 2016 by Mama

thanksgivebanner

For most Americans, tomorrow is a special day of gratitude, family dynamics and loads of delicious food. My sister-in-law is hosting the holiday gathering at her home this year, but in years past (and hopefully many years to come) we have embraced the craziness that comes along with a houseful of family, way too many cooks in the kitchen and too little space.

Even with the chaos, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays (no, it’s not the food), because I love to have loads of family around without the hyperactive exchange of brightly colored gifts, the shreds of wrapping paper floating all about and the over extravagance of way too many gifts (with way too many parts and pieces to keep track of) that accompanies our next big gathering at Christmas.

To me, Thanksgiving is pretty low key. If there is family, tasty food, a warm place to sit and a cozy place to watch the parade and football, I count it good. With that being said, if you’re hosting your own family gathering tomorrow, here are a few inspirational ideas that might help you set the mood, welcome your guests, embrace the chaos and come out the other side feeling. . . well, “thankful.”

Create a warm and inviting room (literally and figuratively).

Consider turning down the heater for your gathering and light a fire instead. Everyone loves the warm glow of crackling logs, but if your weather is too warm try lighting a few candles instead. Add some warm throws, even if no one plans to use them — they simply say “stay awhile.” Also add some fall color and simple rustic décor to quickly make a room more inviting.

Create seating that is conducive to conversation.

Arrange your seating so that people can have a direct line of sight with one another. This makes conversation so much easier and more natural. If you don’t own a sectional, try creating a sectional-type arrangement for a popular seating option.

Create a table that screams or even just whispers something special.

Thanksgiving table settings can be extravagant or simple, but they should make folks want to sit, stay and eat for a while. Make sure your display is short enough for guests to easily see over so they will hopefully want to linger long after the dessert is done.

Give your guests an opportunity to be thankful.

Set aside some time for guests to express their blessings either verbally or with the written word. Consider your family and how each member is comfortable sharing. You can even play some fun Thanksgiving games to lighten the mood.

Encourage guests to take it home.

Save some cleanup, refrigerator space and calories by stocking up on boxes, bags or plastic tubs your guests can load up and take home. Dress up the carryouts so that people will remember to take them along and provide a marker or pen for labeling.

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a blessed gathering!

Mother and Son Autumn Swag

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Mama

My son and I enjoyed yesterday’s wonderful fall afternoon walking in the woods, gathering leaves and creating a beautiful autumn swag with our bounty. This was just a little project I dreamed up that I knew my little guy would enjoy and it was a good excuse to tromp through the woods together on a beautiful day.

If you have a hole punch and a little patience, this is a perfect family craft project. We simply picked up lots of colorful, and some not so much, leaves throughout our walk and then used a hole punch to poke holes near the stem of each leaf (unless nature had already provided one), sorting them into small, medium and large leaf piles as we went. My six year old loved punching the holes!

After everything was punched and sorted, we started stringing. We simply loaded a long piece of baker’s twine with a variety of leaf colors and sizes and tied a bow at both ends. After I hung the sway, I evenly spread out the leaves until it was pleasing to the eye and you could see several different colors and leaf sizes. Of course the leaves will continue to dry out and lose lots of color over time, but that’s part of the charm. Also, this cute little swag is highly flammable, so maybe the fireplace isn’t the best place to hang such a thing.

I loved how this autumn swag turned out and had a great time making it with my son; unfortunately this is probably one of those one-event-only projects that will go in the trash before the forth coming Christmas décor explosion. Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to make another one next year.

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