~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
In more Advent musings, I'd like to suggest that instead of spending a lot of time doing activities that attempt to explain Advent to the children, how about channeling their making towards actual gifts?
Since candles are important to our daily life here, we like to have pretty boxes for the matches (this was Habou's idea). All you need are those craft boxes you find at JoAnn's or Michaels (they are made of cardboard) or any nice small box with a lid. You need acrylic craft paint, fine brushes, and matches and the strike plate off the original matchbox (just cut it off with scissors). You need a way to attach the latter to the former (glue). Ours started out with very primitive designs back in the day and ended up this way.
You can put the strike plate under the lid or under the box itself (necessitating covering the box with its lid, probably safer). You can see that every so often we replace the strike plate — these boxes have lasted! They can give their match box with a little decorated votive candle or lantern.
My kids made tremendous amounts of gifts, mainly due to Habou's crafting drive. She always made sure that they had paper, pencils, glue, and really every possible tool necessary to produce anything that might come to mind.
Thus, we've always had a craft shelf/cupboard/closet (depending on where we lived) that was full of creative possibilities. Like, every woodburning, stamping, stenciling, painting, drawing, gluing, puttying, etc. etc. possibility!
I admit that this drives me a bit batty. I personally love to make things. I'm not so big on getting small children who also need to be clothed, bathed, and fed to make things as an activity for its own sake. But I am willing to overcome my impatience to facilitate and direct (that bit is key — teach them — while maybe learning in the process) their urge to arrive at the final product. I'm definitely willing to let someone else gather them together and craft with them (which is what she did when I couldn't, which was often and awesome — see if you can find someone like that!).
It takes forethought (until it just takes a [hopefully well organized] closet full of stuff). It takes setting aside the afternoon while the baby is napping — not always easy to do!
To that end, I've put together a Pinterest board of crafts that actually make sense. I won't steer you wrong by pinning junky stuff to make for its own sake. Anything on there is useful and/or genuinely pretty. They will need some collecting and possibly purchasing of materials and tools by you beforehand, but can be done in an afternoon once they've gotten the directions. We'll add to it as time goes on — and do look at my other boards while you're at it — you may find other inspiration there as well, depending on the ages of the children we're talking about.
Today's {pretty, happy, funny, real} is a peek at my past week's fun with grandchildren.
Rosie came with her family for Capt. P's sister's wedding. As you will recall, the family of Capt. P are our good friends and live in the next town over (as we say here). So it was a big event for all of us. Deirdre did the bride's hair…
Maybe we will come up with more actual shots of Ellen's beautiful and fun wedding (good thing we weren't in charge of the photos!) — you can see a glimpse on my Instagram and also on Rosie's.
For now, just a few shots of these darlings having a great time together. (As you will also remember, Rosie and Deirdre have had “cousin twins” twice in a row now. Nora and “Peabody” are 3 weeks apart, and Molly and “Finnabee” are 2 weeks apart!)
We loved having them together!
My little Advent series so far:
Premature or Overwhelming Christmas Parties
Celebrate All Twelve Days of Christmas!
Today begin the O Antiphons. Jennifer Gregory Miller has a good post on Catholic Culture about these last days leading up to Christmas, with their beautiful expression in the Liturgy.
Share your Advent makings with us this week if you can!
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anothermom says
Dear “Auntie Leila”, I always enjoy your posts, but none more so than when you share the times your growing family are able to share with one another! Your grandchildren are all so precious and growing so fast! We’re preparing for a Christmas stay with our only daughter, her dear husband and their seven children, who live out of state and are counting the days until their arrival. Juggling work schedules and daily life for dh and three sons still at home, while also trying to fit in extended family Christmas celebrating (and juggling their schedules) can be challenging, but truly a joy all at the same time! I’m always inspired by your calm, peaceful, organized approach to life and appreciate the delightful ideas (and pictures) you and your lovely daughters share on LMLD! Please tell Habou that this Baba really appreciates her clever and pretty matchbox idea! Thank you ALL for giving us delightful glimpses into your family lives and for helping us remain focused on our beloved Faith! May your entire family have a truly Blessed and Grace-filled Christmas and Year of Mercy!
Jamie says
Amen and amen.
Leila says
Aw, thank you, anothermom! (and Jamie). I feel like things are not super calm and organized, what with everyone coming and going and me not having boxed up any gifts yet or made my plum pudding… but I am grateful for my darling family and for you lovely readers. I truly am.
I will be sure to get Habou to read the comments here 🙂 The boxes are really an addition to our daily lives and just a great idea. The ones pictured are made by Deirdre when she was a young teen… probably painted over more “rustic” little-girl efforts from the even deeper past!
Laura says
I love when you post photos of your dining room because those curtains are just so gorgeous!
I’m excited to check out that Pinterest board .
Cousin twins must be so fun – especially two sets of them. What a joy it is to have a big family.
Your daughter did a lovely job on the bride’s hair. And what a glowing bride she is!
Jennifer Hoots says
Advent is for making is truly a fantastic way to look at things. I have teens at home who have just finished finals. I am putting them to work making cookies and on their own they have been crafting up a storm to give to others. We have always spent these last days before Christmas in preparation mode. It is a labor of love. Merry Christmas to you and thank you for all you do here.
Jennie Cooper says
Those matchboxes are really pretty! Now I feel compelled to drive to the craft store and pick up a few boxes to paint. 🙂
Annie says
I love the boxes. And yes, I might be more inclined to endure the tiny shards of cardboard and marker on the walls and bits of dried clay on the floor if there were such a lovely object at the end. Off to check to your pinterest board now…
Mrs. B. says
I love the 3D paper ornaments in the Pinterest board! We can make some – whimsical enough to please my daughter, and geometrical enough to please my son 🙂
I have a bread question, Leila, sorry to go off topic… In your experience, what effect do different types of bread pans have on the dough? I like crusty loaves, not soft ones, so I wonder if choosing glass vs metal (or vs the foil disposable ones!) might make a difference for the final product. Any thoughts? Of course I could skip the pan entirely, but I’m afraid of being left with a too flat loaf… Thank you!
Leila says
Mrs. B — I favor pyrex over metal pans, just for even baking. For a crusty loaf, try using a shallow pyrex dish, like a smallish casserole type one with sides about 2″ high. That will support your dough but still give you exposure. I often do that for more rustic (as opposed to sandwich) type loaves. The key to crusty is getting moist air to circulate around your bread. Try baking some loaves when you are also doing a chicken or some other moist food in there… or put a pan of water on the lower shelf.
Mrs. B. says
Thank you for your reply! I only have one tiny metal pan (tiny means the usual 9×5 more or less, I wish they made them a bit bigger!), and I wanted to get at least another, when I started wondering which kind would be best. I had a hunch that high sides might not be good for a crunchy crust… Does this mean it’s impossible to have crusty sandwich loaves? I was re-reading your post about braiding (and the post from last year around Thanksgiving, with the recipe of the cinnamon raisin braided bread), and your loaves look very nice to me, not as crusty as a rustic loaf, but not nearly as soft as store-bought bread.
I guess I only have to try and taste! 🙂
Leila says
Oh, yes, those loaves are not like store-bought. The crust is satisfying. I do like the pyrex and switched over to them, although they are a little small.
If you got a pan like this one http://amzn.to/1PbHwr9
you could make your loaves bigger. I often use two of mine (with the lower sides as described in my previous comment) for larger loaves. Because the dough is braided, the loaves still stay upright and don’t spread, but in the bigger pan the slices are more “hearty-sized.”
Lisa G. says
Don’t underestimate yourself, Leila – that b&w photo is very cool, I thought.
Leila says
Lisa, the two bridal pictures — plus the trampoline ones — are from Rosie! I thought the B&W one is so fabulous… I’m just sitting here thinking surely we could have gotten a more church-y and wedding-y picture somehow! It was a lovely wedding.
Mary @ Better Than Eden says
LOVE the matchbox idea! I am so on the same page with you. I try to only make gifts with the children that I’d actually want to get myself 🙂
Katie says
The thought of making things (or, especially, the memory of being a child intently concentrated on making something) reminds me of the “head space” that comes while hands are busy: time for listening and thinking and imagining. I like the notion of aligning that busy-reflective state of mind with the reflection and preparation of Advent. We know it from our own experience, but perhaps that’s another reason to take the time and effort to arrange for children’s crafting, to teach (enable) them to be lost in thought in the pursuit of a pleasant task.
Which also reminds me of another comment I’d meant to add to the Advent discussion, back on the topic of music. We have a very favorite album called Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson, which bills itself as “the true tall tale of the coming of Christ.” https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/behold-lamb-god-10th-anniversary/id343446118 It’s a story cycle that follows scripture through the Hebrews, the prophets, and the arrival of Jesus– not unlike Handel’s <Messiah in structure, then, but a lovely, folksy lyrical musical storytelling. It has much the same style and timbre as Elizabeth Mitchell’s albums, another very favorite around here. I mention it now because it might be just the thing for a family to have on in the background, for children (and grown-ups too) to ponder and reabsorb the salvation story while making lovely Advent things. =) Suddenly one finds oneself singing full passages from Isaiah and Matthew without realizing one had learned the words! AP includes a few carol melodies too, so it has a familiar feel even upon first listen.
Stephanie says
Amen! And thank you (from a fellow reader) for such a wise and thoughtful comment. I often feel like there is little value placed by our modern society on reflection, on the type of thinking and imagining that you describe in such a lovely way, on the process of doing, on slowing down and devoting oneself to a task! Everything seems so intensely hasty and focused on so-called efficiency so often! But what you describe is so necessary to child development (and often welcome and healthy in adulthood, and not incompatible with productivity to boot)! I really appreciated reading this – and will check out that album you recommend, with which I wasn’t familiar! God bless!
Stephanie says
Deirdre does hair too?!?! I keep thinking…I need to really have my littles acquiring these skills as they grow older…I love so much how your family seems to have someone ready to use their talent for celebrations or gifts…music, baking, sewing, it is truly inspiring! The bride looks so happy and beautiful! The kiddos look so happy and beautiful! God Bless!
Rosemary says
I love this idea! And I am glad to hear you say you don’t enjoy crafting with small children for its own sake. I too love to make things, but it is difficult for me to craft with my 3 year old, who has quite a voracious appetite for it. I will be following that Pinterest board for sure!
Katherine says
Thank you for the craft suggestions on Pinterest (none involve macaroni and glue. Yeah!). My youngest two get frustrated at Christmas because they want to give all their older siblings gifts, but lack the funds their working siblings have. I think your board will help us make some good crafting choices this weekend.
Jennifer says
Thank you for practical craft ideas. I really don’t appreciate having crafts that just hang around just so you can say you made a craft, either. I have a preschool arts and crafts class at our co-op and always feel guilty when I send them home with a cute something that I know at some point the mom with think, what am I going to do with this. Great board!
MT says
I can sooooo relate to the crafting. I cringe at the idea. Although today I let the boys decorate brown paper wrapped gifts with their own designs.
If someone else offered to do crafts, I’d be all about it! Instead, I have a relative who likes to buy craft items then tell the kids, “here, go ask your mom!”
Woman of the House says
Everything is so lovely~ your dining room, the boxes, the wedding, the children! Thank you for sharing glimpses into your life!