Advent Calendar 2012

Two years ago, with Granny B’s help I made a fabric advent calendar for Little B. Mainly to help him track the time until Christmas (and his birthday which is not long after) and not only was it fun to make but an absolute hit with Little B. It’s always been part home-made, part craft, part cooking and part experiences.

And it's these things the he remembers and talks about when thinking about Christmas. Inadvertently these have now become family traditions :-)

But this year I’ve taken a leaf (excuse the pun) out of Tricia’s book over at Little Eco Footprints and made a leaf advent calendar. For three reasons, 1) it takes up minimal space, 2) I like the notion of using things we have in the yard and 3) Little B was very attracted to the novelty of the whole thing. Our normal advent calendar has just stayed packed away and we will probably use it again next year.

But as with all traditions, my little boy has gotten bigger and some activities have lost their gloss.

So this our list for this year (taking into account one very science-y, outdoor, active type of boy – read less cooking):

1. His Christmas Book (we started this from his 1st year)

2. Decorate the tree

3. Paint with Feathers

4. Make a natural sistrum

5. Make a foaming monster

6. Draw on the trampoline

7. Create an ice world

8. A canoe trip up the Yarra River

9. See the Myer Christmas Windows

10. Put a gift under our local charity tree

11. Make your own bath paints

12. Make a snowglobe (for presents)

13. Blow up balloons science style

14. Paint with Mud

15. Climb a tree

16. Camp overnight in the backyard (in our trampoline tent)

17. Paint rock monsters and setting some free

18. Make a home-made lava lamp

19. Make a nature paint brush

20. Make some seed bombs

21. Make a gingerbread house

22. Go for bike-ride along part of the Warburton Rail Trail

23. Make fireworks in a jar

24. Sprinkle reindeer food and put out milk for Santa

Christmas Wreath

This year will be our first Christmas in our new house as well as our first Christmas with our own Christmassy things. After losing everything from the old house, we celebrated the last two Christmases at Granny B’s and decorated/celebrated with things we either made or decorations Granny B already owned.

Luckily for us, last year we were gifted a handful of decorations from family members. These things were given with our green beliefs in mind (one of these angels, and some handmade gnomes on reindeer). But this year I wanted a wreath to hang on the door.

In an old (2008) Burke’s Backyard magazine, I found a simple how to guide to making your own wreath. Then I spent 20 minutes picking up a variety of sticks from our backyard before sitting down with an old coat hanger and a hot glue gun. And voila, we have our own Christmas wreath to hang on the door.

I love the front cover of Country Style magazine at the moment with their feather wreath (not the bird though), so we think we may weave a few feathers from Little B’s nature collection into our wreath before we hang it up. I also want to cover the hanger in white wool, so it blends in a bit more with our white door.

And what has surprised me is that I really feel a unexplainable happiness that I made this wreath from simple things already in our backyard. I guess sometimes it’s the simple things that give us the greatest pleasure?? :-)

Happy Holidays

I love looking at life through the eyes of an almost 5 year old and the lead up to this Christmas has been a fun filled joyful one. My family makes me feel truly blessed this year and I could just eat them all up :-)

So I would like to wish all you lovely people a truly magnificent holiday season. May it be full of fun, sparkles, love and laughter.  xx

Where does the time go?

Due to a small technical glitch, we've been without internet for the last week. Funnily enough it actually feels like weeks have gone by?? Crazy - especially at this time of year. So in my solitude, we have been

* making piles of metal and wood :-)

* making gift tags and message stones

* painting chairs

* baking and icing gingerbread biscuits (to eat and to give...hmm a lot have been eaten LOL)

* making crunchy cereal toppers as christmas gifts

* trawling a few secondhand shops for last minute goodies for me and Mr B

* making jam

* playing in parks with friends

And what can I say we have been having great fun. The stress of settling on the house is abating even in the face of our ongoing renovations. The sun is shining, christmas is coming and I'm happy :-)

Countdown to Christmas

In amongst our renovating madness, we are also getting ready for Christmas. This year Little B's advent calendar is part home-made, part craft, part cooking and part experiences.

We went to the local carols by candelight weekend before last because the advent calendar promised Little B fireworks. Didnt hurt that it was free, that Jay Laga'aia was the kids entertainment, that it was close to home and that we bumped into friends and shared our picnic rug. Little B adored the firework display even more snuggled up with his bestfriends.

I pop a little note in each day with a drawing of what we will do that day. Today we painted pine cones we collected at Phillip Island to look like Christmas trees.

We've also donated a gift under a local gift tree for disadvantaged children, bought a goat for kindy, and had hand made dominoes. This weekend past we made clay gift tags to go with our fabric gift bags (Little B just loves any excuse to work with clay). I have to say I'm really enjoying Little B's excitement and enthusiasm as well as this little snippets of family time away from the new house.

For me the importance of his advent calendar is threefold: he gets to countdown to Christmas; he gets to create, take part in and enjoy family traditions; and finally he learns that Christmas is about giving and being kind rather than about getting and wanting goodies only.

Peace, love & happiness

Dancing be the heart within us,
Open be our souls to bliss,
Courage vanquish every shadow,
Greet Midsummer with a kiss.

- from Celtic Devotional - Daily Prayers & Blessings 

Wishing you all lots of peace, love and happiness at this special time of year. May you be merry, full of joy and playfulness during this Christmas holiday time in whatever form you celebrate.

  A kindy Xmas gift from Little B to us

Puddings anyone?

 Picture courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com **

One of my favourite things about Christmas Day is our family tradition of ice cream puddings. Granny B used to make them but for the last 9 years, it has been my contribution. In the week before Christmas, I make our own ice cream with my trusty Krups ice cream maker. I then tailor make the pudding to the individual...my brother loves home-made honeycomb and chocolate, Mr B loves traditional pudding (which I crumble and fold through), Granny B loves berries and the list goes on.

When we have extended family or friends for Christmas Day, I cater to what they like (if I know) or I like to make something light and fresh. I love making fresh cherry and dark chocolate...yummo :-)

Before Little B was born we used store bought ice cream, and for the last 3 years I've made rice milk ice cream puddings. This year I'm using Rhonda's recipe for simple vanilla ice cream. Not only was it simple but it is so creamy and absolutely divine!! Bonus is we trialled the ice cream on Little B and no allergic reaction - yay!!!! :-)

** I would love to show a pic of ours put they are in the freezer getting ready for Christmas Day LOL

A Handmade Christmas

I’ve spent the last few weeks working through my list of hand made presents. We are having an early Christmas with Mr B’s family the week before Christmas day and then the actual day with my side of the family.

So I’ve been getting our gifts ready for the first occasion as a priority. Last week I made a batch of mango butter, as well as passionfruit shortbread and pfeffernusse (iced gingerbread cookies). I’ve sewed some shopping bags out of our fabric stash and sourced some gorgeous vintage reference books for other family members.

I’ve got some patterns for make up purses and scarves that I still need to make, plus some little eco kitchen cleaning kits to make up (home-made washing powder, knitted cotton & jute cloths, plus some little wooden pegs that Little B is going to decorate).

I said it last year and I’ll say it again, Christmas feels more meaningful to me these days because we try to make our gifts. Yes it’s frugal and yes it’s green but I like giving these gifts of love to family and friends. It also helps that I love sewing, knitting and baking LOL. And where it’s not possible for me to do so, I love buying hand made items from other people to give as gifts. I feel like I’m supporting a little grass roots business and it makes my purchase feel more useful.

** No pictures for this post as I have family members who read my blog :-) They’ll just have to wait for Christmas to see what they are getting *giggle*

Advent Calendar #2: Paper Chains

 Today's advent calendar goodie was a little note, "Today we will be building christmas paper chains to decorate Granny B's house". It was so gorgeous watching Little B do a happy dance when we read it out :-)

So this morning we crafted! Granny B's work gets hand me down magazines for their waiting room and in the last lot there was a series of magazines that had different kind of double sided decorated paper for craft. She saved them all and brought them home for us.

We cut them up this morning (which Little B loves to do) and glued our chains all together. We also made a few paper lanterns. I then finger knitted some cords to hang the lanterns. This was from thrifted wool from the op shop (I love that you can often find wool in baby colours like white, pale pink and pale blue). I then used some thrifted ribbon to make little handles for them.

And then we got to decorate the house.....

Xmas Presents

After reading many blogs (namely One Green Generation), I decided to try and make this year’s Christmas one of home-made, ethical and / or locally made gifts. If I cant make it myself, then I have bartered skills with friends to get the same result, or as a last resort bought beautiful home-made products from local women and men.

I’ve been knitting, growing, baking and putting together some interesting gifts for loved ones. And I feel like it has more meaning for me this year. That’s partly because Little B is old enough now to participate but also because my gifts are well thought out and from the heart.

So far, I’ve potted basil plants in recycled terracotta pots, baked favourite biscuits and sweets, knitted dish cloths, raised seedlings and there’s more to come. I’ve also been bartering my child caring skills with a friend to help with a crafty present I want to give. Some I cant say as the recipients read my blog and I don’t want to spoil the surprise ;-)

My only downfall has been Little B’s present from Santa. In this case, I bought new but next year I hope to be able to make some more goodies for him from the jolly red man.

Christmas tree o Christmas tree

We haven’t had a Christmas tree since Little B has been born. In the early days, Mr B and I had a tree but one of our lovely furbabies decided her first Xmas to eat the tinsel, some Christmas decorations and a Christmas light. She spent Christmas at the vet, having her insides cleaned out and being resewn together. Very expensive Christmas that year ;-)

But this year we have decided that Little B needs a Christmas tree (mind you I reeeeally want one too). And since our previous Christmas decorations were too tasty, we are looking at having an eco-friendly decoration bonanza.

We started early by making bakers clay and letting Little B cut out Xmas shapes, baking them and painting them. He had an absolute ball doing this and it was fun for us as well. We made some extras so that he can give them to his grandparents as Xmas pressies.

We then moved onto making crafty gods eyes in jazzy colours. And with each week leading up to Xmas we have planned one Christmas decoration craft project per week to do together. Now I know at the end we wont have the designer magazine Christmas tree, but what we will have is:
• eco-friendly decorations
• lots of quality time spent with Little B
• lovely memories of Little B’s ecstatic joy at creating his “masterpieces”
• the joy in perhaps creating a new tradition for our family
• and last but not least, the House of B’s first family Christmas tree.