#5Fav: Cheap Books!!!

It's that time of year when I start planning for next school year and begin hunting for books for Christmas gifts.  I have hit on some tremendous deals and am so excited, although I keep telling myself that I must pace myself because there are months and months until the new school year and even more until Christmas and I always end up with too many books!  Are there really ever too many books?  There are never too many children, that is for sure, Mother Teresa reminds us of that.  I think books would come in second behind children, there are always more to read and explore!  I'm linking up with Ashley to bring you my Fave Five places to find good books, cheap!

1

Have you heard of Thriftbook ?(affiliate link)  Oh, you are in for a treat. I discovered it a couple weeks ago and it is now my number one pick.  Oh, the books!!!!  A mother on the Mater Amabilis Facebook group recommended the site and I am so happy she did.  I purchased fourteen high quality, beautiful books for only $52.  Shipping is free on all orders over $10 and for every $50 you spend, you earn a $5 off coupon.  I know, it just keeps getting better!  When it is time to shop for books, definitely hit them first.   The only down side that I can see with the site is that browsing is not as easy as on Amazon or other large book sellers.  However, that hasn't stopped me from buying a bunch of books and compliling a long wishlist.  Two of the new books arrived today and they are in fantastic shape, even though they were listed as "good condition."  Thriftbook is a keeper.

2

Christian Book Distributors (affiliate link) is not a discount book store, however they have fantastic sales.  There is always a homeschool sale over the summer, that is when I purchase my consumables like handwriting along with Christmas gifts.  Their regularly priced books are often discounted from the list price.  Be sure to sign up for the coupon alerts, there are some great ones that come along each year. I purchased some Adventures in Odyssey Cd's last summer to use as Christmas gifts, between their discounted prices and the 30% homeschool sale coupon, I got them for about half off the list price.

3

If you can get to a homeschool conference with a used book sale, you have hit pay dirt.  Honestly, you cannot believe what can be found and how much can be saved until you try it.  Since that isn't always possible, there are online mom to mom sales that are just as amazing.  Cathswap, Homeschool Market, and Mater B/S/T are three of my favorites.  These groups seem to be gaining popularity and new ones are always popping up. I like that I not only get a deal but get to help out another mom.

4

Speaking of buying online, this one deserves its own listing.  The Facebook group Operation Adoption has absolutely incredible books, most new or like new, for highly discounted prices.  Not only do your dollars go further, they help bring a child to a forever home.  I could not help but support the latest sale wholeheartedly.  I planned on buying two books and ended up with a whole stack, but I am so excited about them.  I can't wait to give them as gifts.  I really had to restrain myself, the books were that good.  Now, I must add that while I think there are never too many books, I also think that books need to be well written and good quality.  My favorite are beautiful picture books, the kind that don't even need words, the prints are so captivatig.  We are a book collecting family, but we are also discerning readers.  The books on Operation Adoption may be low in price, but they are all high in literary value.  Please check them out and help bring a waiting child home!

5

There is no link for this, you will need to search yourself.  The hands down best places for books are library sales and thrift stores.  Seriously, I spent $2 at the last library sale and walked away with ten books, most of which were like new.  There are lots of people who don't appreciate a good book, and children that outgrow books more quickly than expected.  These barely used treasures are often donated to thrift stores and libraries.  Your money helps with mission trips, charity works, and purchasing new books for a town library.  If you don't know where any thrift stores are, check out The Thrift Shopper for a nationwide directory.  There is also Book Sale Finder, although I have never actually used this site, so I cannot speak to their reliability for information.

Where do you like to book shop?

Healthy Breakfast Ideas in 7QT

Linktoberfest continues. Last week, I shared my menu planning strategies to eat healthy on a tight budget. This week I am featuring my breakfast plans, since I have taken on that meal as a project to better plan and ensure the kids are getting better nutrition first thing in the morning.

1

First, I make sure to purchase the following items to have on hand to round out breakfast and fill gaps between when I get to actually make something. We always buy boxes of raisins, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, organic mini shredded wheat (plain), organic vanilla yogurt, and oatmeal. A couple times a month I cook up an egg for each child.  Having easy nutritious items on hand really helps during busy weeks.

2

A favorite 're pie of ours is "breakfast cookies."  Perfect to make with overrule bananas.  If I end up with an over ripe banana or two, I stick it in the freezer, once I have about six, I make cookies.  I base the cookies on this recipe.  However, I alter it based on what I have on hand.  Instead of the applesauce, I put in two tablespoons of flax meal soaked in one cup of water. I also cut down the dried fruit and add in some sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

3

New this month are these paleo pancakes that I can't wait to try.  I plan on adding flax seeds, cinnamon, and some unsweetened coconut flakes. I am going to make a big batch on the weekend, then we can just heat up as needed.  I have six large plantains waiting for yumminess!

4

Another experiment is Chia pudding.  I'm not sure what extras I will put in this, depends on what's still available when we get there.  We have a steady stream of Autumn Berries right now, so they may make an appearance.

5

My children really like muffins, but I rarely buy them.  Now that the weather is cooler, it's time for some baking.  I am going to make these muffins, but sub in garbanzo flour for half the coconut to up the nutrition.  So, I will be using two eggs, plus two tablespoons of flax meal soaked in a cup of water.  Also, we are adding Autumn Berries to these, so I am cutting the maple syrup down to 2 Tablespoons, since the super tart berries become super sweet when baked.  I am so looking forward to these, making a double batch for sure.

6

Kelly wants to know my favorite blogger that I discovered on 7QT. Well, pretty lady, that would be you!  I first came across Kelly's blog when she guest hosted 7QT for Jennifer.  It is a blog I kept coming back to, and the one that I follow the most regularly.  Thanks, Kelly, for a great blog and hosting all of us blogging ladies each Friday.

7

Speaking of Kelly, I joined her accountability group on Facebook.  I set a goal of two posts this week and reading five chapters of the book I reviewed.  This is post #1 and it's Friday....gotta come up with something else, and quick!  :)

Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget in 7QT

Linking up with Kelly again for Linktoberfest.  This is my two millionth somewhere around thirteenth post of Seven Quick Takes, although I sometimes forget to tag posts, so it is probably more!

I am prepping my shopping list for our monthly grocery stockup.  My boys are bottomless pits and I am trying hard to come up with nutritious snack ideas and still stay within budget.  What's my budget, you ask.  Well, it's about $150 for the month, but since we need meat also, I am going to eek it up to $200.  In addition to the food I purchase tomorrow, we received a good amount of vegetable and a dozen eggs every week through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which cost us about $25 a week.  It's tight, but we are used to it at this point.  What I'm not used to yet is the volume of food my sons are able to consume on a daily basis.

I have always tried to feed my family well, but I am on a mission to up the ante and improve their nutritional intake even more--with no extra funds!  This is my challenge and I am taking you along for the ride.  I will be posting recipes that we make and how we stretch our meat to keep everyone satisfied.  Today I will start with how I am planning my meals for the month.

1

I have found that giving each day a theme really helps in planning.  I only do themes for weekdays and try to make at least one day over the weekend a smorgasboard of leftovers, although, we seem to have less and less of them.  Here are my themes:

Monday- One Pot Meal/Something Easy

Tuesday- Beans

Wednesday- Slow Cooker Meal

Thursday- Eggs

Friday- Meatless  

2

Once I have my themes, I fill in a dinner for each night on the calendar.  If there is something planned that we won't be home, I plan a packable dinner.  If we have an event that also will feed us, I do the happy dance!

Having a meal on the calendar makes getting dinner on the table so much easier. None of that 5:30 frantically searching the cabinets for an idea. This also saves me a lot of money because I can plan out ingredients so that they don't get wasted.  For instance, if I have two recipes that each call for half an avocado, I will plan them in the same week.  Less waste, less cost.

3

I recycle leftovers into a new meal when planning.  This saves loads of money and makes cooking so  much easier.  For instance, if I plan to make a large pot of chili on Tuesday, I will plan a Mexican casserole for Saturday, then freeze whatever is left over and turn that into Chili Mac later in the month.  Likewise, when I make a chicken, we eat the roasted chicken the first night, use the left overs for something like Chicken Fried Rice another night, and freeze the stock made by the cooking chicken to make soup later in the month.  I have already taken one chicken and created four dinners from it.  This allows me to purchase meat straight from the farm.  The extra that I spend for natural, pastured raised meat, is made up by using the meat multiple times. 

4

We eat much less meat than the average family.  If I make a large steak for instance, that is the meat for the entire meal for five of us.  This definitely stretches our meat and allows me to get quality meat for my family.  We purchased an 1/8 of a steer in January (we split a 1/4 steer with a friend) and still have a little bit left.  We have eaten primarily the beef, with the exception of about 20 pounds of chicken that I purchased from the farm while they were having a sale.  We spent $320 on the beef, and another $65 on chicken.  That has been our source of meat for over 9 months!

Another thing to consider when purchasing meat, is that farm raised meat includes much less waste.  When I would purchase split chicken breasts from the grocery store it always had very thick skin and large deposits of fat attached to it.  Not only did this mean I was getting less meat for my money, but it also cost me time trimming the meat so that I could cook it. 

5

So now, you have your plan and are spacing out the meat.  It also helps to stretch the meat.  We do this by adding wholesome ingredients that not only add bulk, but nutrition.  If I am making Dirty Rice--a family favorite--I will add an array of vegetables to create a more filling meal.  Last week when I made Dirty Rice, I added a turnip cut into small cubes, two sliced carrots, half a cut of pepper grass diced, and the corn cut from one cob. These were all random leftovers from our CSA pick up over the weekend.  One cob of corn is not much use for a family of five.  However, with those veggies added, I was able to turn one pound of chop meat and one cup of dry rice into a full meal that even allowed a bit of leftovers.  This also allows me to sneak in items that my picky Buddy would never eat on his own.  

Another great way to stretch meat is to add some beans, mushrooms, cooked quinoa, and brown rice.  These will bulk up a casserole or stretch a soup, can even extend a pan of taco filling.   

6

Shop from a list and stick to it.  Once your menu is set, make a list of ingredients that you need to make all of the meals listed.  My lunches are loosely planned and adjustable based on leftovers available and how much running around we need to do that day.  This month I am beginning to plan breakfast to up the nutrition and make mornings easier to organize.  Instead of cooking breakfast everyday, which I really do not want to do, I am planning a weekly breakfast treat that I can spend a little time on Saturday preparing for the school mornings the following week.  This way the kids will start the day off well, be less likely to be searching for snacks as soon as I begin read alouds, and have no reason to whine at me that there is nothing to eat despite a kitchen full of food. (I will post my breakfast recipes next week.)

Make sure that you have every ingredient on the list of in your kitchen, and that every item on your list has a purpose.  We monitor and plan every item.  This not only allows us to stay on budget but reduces the random snacking and over indulging that happens every time anything extra is in the house.  So, the list is your friend in more ways than one.  If you are not used to being on a budget or shopping by a list, I encourage you to carry a calculator so that you can see what you are spending BEFORE reaching the check out. 

7

Make the most of what you have around you.  A well stocked pantry helps in so many ways, but that isn't the only resource you can tap into.  Foraging can provide a wide array of delectables and also keep you on budget.  Right now, in our area, there are blankets of black walnuts covering the lawns, many wild greens sprouting around, and my family's new personal favorite, Autumn Olives, to pick by the gallon full.  Not only are these items free for the picking, but they are highly nutritious.  Autumn Olives have seventeen times the lycopene of a tomato. Make the most of what you have at your disposable, but please pick and forage responsibly.  Unless the item is invasive, only harvest a portion and leave plenty for the plant to continue to thrive and spread.  Also, do not harvest from areas near heavy traffic or where pesticides are used.  Lastly, make absolutely sure you know what you are eating!!  There are plenty of great books and websites to help with identifying friend and foe.

With a little bit of work and planning, it is possible to feed a growing family, healthy foods, even on a tight budget.  In the next few weeks I will share some of my favorite "go to" recipes that are healthy and inexpensive.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Homeschool Conference Five Favs

As I mentioned, I attended a wonderful homeschooling conference on Saturday. I have more to share about it, including a fabulous giveaway on Friday, but today I thought I would focus on my five favorite reasons to attend a conference.

1

Books, books, books, books, and more books!  There are so many resources out there and honestly, everything looks and sounds good in those beautiful curriculum catalogs. It is so nice to get to see and experience books before buying them.  Then, there is the used book sale--book lover's paradise.  It's a win-win, homeschool mom A makes a few bucks, homeschool mom B saves a bundle!  I found the entire Land of Our Lady history texts for $24, each book retails for that much!

2

Inspiring speakers encourage you to press on. By late spring, I am completely depleted and unsure of what I am doing or if I'm succeeding. Hearing encouragement, strategies, inspirational ideas, and validation that homeschooling really is a valuable choice helps immensely. Even if none of the information is new, experiencing it anew is so edifying.

Visit the CHAPLET channel on YouTube for more inspiring talks.

3

"Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came."  So, they don't all know my name, but it is gratifying to be surrounded by people just like you. Even the most well connected homeschooler can feel isolated. Going against the tide continually is tiring. It makes me think of the first time we took the kids to a homeschooling conference. The first vendor asked Cowgirl how school was going, she immediately felt compelled to explain, "I'm not missing school, I'm homeschool. I did my homework in the car on the way down."  I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Honey, it's a homeschooling conference, everyone here is homeschool."  Sigh...being just one of the crowd feels good.

4

Meeting the superstars of the homeschool world rocks!  You see their books, read their blogs, use their planner...build up in your mind images of homeschooling perfection and rocket scientist children who graduate at ten with three degrees, impeccable manners, and the first chair violin in the Philharmonic.  Then..gasp..they are standing right in front of you. While it is so wonderful to meet "celebrities," it's even better to realize they are normal homeschooling moms just like you.  

5

Did I mention the book sale?  Hello, my name is Jennifer and I'm a book-aholic

Actually, aside from all mentioned above, my favorite part of conferences is experiencing new entrepreneur who have such great and diverse ideas to share. Many of our favorite homeschool resources Have come from small, family businesses with big ideas and big hearts. On Friday, I will be featuring one such vendor and offering her absolutely stupendous product as a giveaway!  Please visit and enter.

Linking up with Rachel.

My Million Dollar Plan

I don't have a bucket list, per se. Sure, there are things I'd like to do, but I won't feel my life a failure if I don't get to do them.  However, I have formulated what I call my "Million Dollar Plan."  These are the things I would do, if I ever were handed a million dollars.

1. Pay off our current home, find some useful purpose for it like a home for those in need, a vacation home for needy families who couldn't otherwise afford to get away, or a homeschool resource center...haven't decided the particulars.
2. Purchase a home, cash that had some more room and a couple extra bedrooms. I set my limit for spending for this item at $300,000, but really, I think I could do it for much less. 
3. Purchase new cars for Hubby and me--real new cars, not just "New to you" so that we would have dependable vehicles for a long, long time. 
4. Fund a month of programming for our local Christian raison station.
5. Go on a mission trip with Show Hope to minister to orphans in China.
6. Adopt at least two orphans--maybe more, hey, I'm a millionaire, now!
7. Spend a month delivering shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.
8. Create 2,000 shoeboxes for OCC
9. Pay off our church's mortgage.
10. Save the remaining for a rainy day.

So, there you have it, a dream and a plan. All I need is the cash.  Sometimes, I pray pretty fiercely over this plan. I ask God to bless me so that I can bless others. Seems silly with so much else to pray for, but I honestly ask for this million dollar plan.  You should have seen my plan for when Hubby bought a powerball ticket worth 189 million dollars!  

Recently, with my mother's passing, I have inherited a bit of money. It's no where near a million dollars, but still much more than I would normally be able to accumulate on my own.  So, I've been praying and thinking an awful lot about what to do with it.  I began to realize that while my million dollar plan is still just wishful thinking, there are a number of things I could do now.  Instead of a month, perhaps, I could fund a day of radio. Instead of creating 2,000 shoeboxes, I could do ten or even twenty.  I think adoption is still beyond my grasp, but I have been praying for God to stretch my funds and open that door.  I cannot pay off the Church mortgage, but I can pay for something that is very badly needed or the new Marian shrine our priest hopes to build.  

I realized that it isn't dreaming so big that makes the difference. I don't need a million dollars to do something significant for those charities that I love and support.  I can also make a little difference in the life of my family by accomplishing some much needed but long delayed tasks.  Prayers are still flowing, I want to spend very wisely!

Do you have a dream? What would you do with a million dollars? 

Easter Baskets: A Practical Catholic's Guide

I am still working on my post about "giving up" for Lent.  (I can't believe how long it is taking me!)  However, Ash Wednesday is just over a week away, and since I try very hard not to shop during Lent, I have been collecting small items for the children's baskets.  I thought I would share how we do Easter baskets at our home.

Now, I am not one for chocolate and candy--dark chocolate, yes--sweet, Easter candies, no.  What I usually do is come up with a theme and then fill the baskets with items I have to buy for the children anyway.  You know, those ordinary items that cost a pretty penny, but are also pretty ho-hum! But, put them in an Easter basket, and now they are exciting.

Source

Here are some themes from the past:

A Day At The Spa

Shampoo and conditioner

Nail file

Shower cap

New face cloth

A hair brush

Lip balm

Hand cream

A Day At The Beach

Bathing suit

Sunscreen

Lip balm

Sunglasses

Blow-up tube (small)

Flip flops

First Communion Days (Cowgirl)

Bracelet with chalice charm

Tights

Scapular

Small white pocketbook

Missal

White Rosary

Rosary case

Banner kit

As you can see, this baskets are not cheap to fill. Even the shampoo was expensive because my children have skin allergies and at the time could only handle the most expensive stuff out there.  However, let's be honest, I'd have to buy these things anyway. Why spend $40+ on a bathing suit, then another $10 on little random items for the basket?

Their baskets always include at least one book because being book-lovers, we need little excuse to buy more!  If you are looking for ideas for books, Jessica always finds the best books!

Here is what the children are getting this year, my theme is "Faith, Fragrance, and Fun"

Cowgirl

Rosa Mystics Soap

Soap case

Joan of Arc book

Paper chalk (She needs it for portfolio work.)

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" audio book

Buddy

Caramel Chipotle soap

Soap case

Heroes of God book

A small Lego set

"We've Been Wronged" DVD ( For Penance preparation)

Little Man

Lemon Cake soap

Toddler silverware

"My Golden Book of Saints"

Earth's Best snacks

 "Sunday with Seurat"

The baskets started with the soap this year.  Around Christmas, I won an assortment of handmade soaps from Blossoming Joy. I used most as little gifts for family and friends.  The older two, claimed the samples that Soul Sanctified Soaps had set along. They also used some as tiny gifts for friends, and kept a couple to try themselves. Let's just say the soaps were a big hit for them. Those tiny samples are almost gone, so I know they will be happy to get more.

I then found a faith-based book for each of them and considered if there was anything needed for school time/assignments.  For Little Man, that meant snacks and a new book, because feeding him and having a pile of picture books is the only way we make it through morning meeting each day!

My last consideration was something just for fun with some educational value. Cowgirl had requested that I keep an eye out for Narnia audiobooks, so when I found one on sale, I picked it up.  Lego building helps keep Buddy's hands busy so he can sit still during read aloud.  Little Man wants to be so independent, but somehow most of our toddler silverware has gone missing recently....hmmmm. I decided, a set of his own would make him happy and give me a little break from constantly washing his spoon. 

Nativity Birthday Cake for Jesus in Seven Quick Takes

I started collecting my nativity pieces when I was 18. Every year I added one or more. Most are just from Wal-Mart, there are a couple of special ones like my olive wood camel from Bethlehem, and the Angel Buddy bought me. It isn't really worth much, but for my family it is a treasure. I decided this year instead of buying a new piece, I would craft one with Cowgirl's help. Here's our tutorial in 7 Quick Takes. 

1

Using a Tupperware tumbler and a piece of 1/4 inch foam board, I traced and cut out four small circles (about 2 inches) and one large one (about 3 inches). I can say that the easiest way to do this is cut squares, then trace a circle on each and cut out. It is very difficult to maneuver scissors in a big piece of foam board. An exacto knife is probably the ideal solution for this, but I don't own one.

2

Using a glue gun pipe glue around the edge of one small circle, stack the next circle on top and repeat until you have a four layer "cake"

3

Glue 7/8 in white satin ribbon around the edge of the cake. I finished the end with a flame to seal the ribbon, but you could also just tuck it under. See this tutorial for explanation of finished ribbons with a flame.

4

Cut a circle of white felt the same size as the cake top and glue on with hot glue.

5

Color the large circle your choice of colors(Cowgirl chose purple for one and yellow for a second).  Then Glue a 4 inch doilie to the top. Be sure to center the cookie. This is your cake plate.

Glue your cake to the center of the plate.

6

Decorate your cake with ribbons, lace, Rick rack, beads, whatever you like. We used some scraps of matching hem tape and plastic strings of craft pearls.

To make a candle, cut a one inch piece of white pipe cleaner. Put a large dot of hot glue in the center of the cake. Stand the candle straight up in the glue and hold for a few seconds so the glue can set. We glued a ring of plastic pearls around the candle for decoration, but you can skip this if you want. If you use enough glue the candle will stay on its own.

Lastly, cut a flame from scraps of felt and glue to the top of the candle.

7

Wish Jesus a happy birthday come Christmas morning.

O come, O come Emmanuel!! 

I'm linking up with Catholic Bloggers, click over there for more information and inspiration.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Statue Tutorial in Seven Quick Takes

It's Seven Quick Takes Friday!

When I was a little girl, I loved dolls--actually I still do. When my mom finished a bottle of dish soap, we would craft homemade rag dolls using the bottle as a form. I have not made one in over 25 years, but as I was finishing up my last bottle of dish soap, I had a yearning to do it once more. Perhaps it was a wish to reconnect with my memories of my mom. Either way, I wanted Cowgirl to have a taste of my childhood. So, I put the empty bottle aside and took it out today for a special Our Lady of Guadalupe craft.

1

Assemble your materials.

We raided the scrap pile and also took out a Styrofoam ball, floral wire, two cotton balls, glue gun, gold glitter glue, ribbon roses, and a couple pieces of ribbon. Please note, in the photo is a pipe cleaner, I know my mom used to use this for the arms but it didn't seem long enough so we switched to floral wire. You will also notice the knee high, that is needed for our first step, and thankfully I had a stray in the laundry area just the right color.

2

Attach the head.

Take the Styrofoam ball and place it in the toe of the knee high. Tie a knot at the base of the ball and cut off the remainder. Save this for later. Glue the ball to the top of the bottle. Make sure to run a bead of glue around the edge for stabilization.

3

Add arms and hands.

Cut a 16 inch piece of floral wire. Find the center and place it at the back of the "neck", then twist the end around and over each other twice. Secure with a little glue.

Bend the two ends up in loops to form hands. Glue a small cotton ball over each hand.then cut a two 1" lengths of knee high. Cut one side of each tube to make a flat rectangle. Cover the cotton balls with the knee high rectangle and glue around the "wrist." Adjust arms to fall naturally.

4

Add hair.

We used a scrap of black felt, but black yarn works well, too. Cut strips of black felt and glue to either side of head. We also cut and attached half moon shaped pieces to form bangs. Hair is only needed in the front because of the mantle.

5

Put on the gown.

I folded the pink fabric in half. I then cut a rectangle that was about 11.5 inches wide and 9.5 inches high, with the crease at the top so that the total rectangle is about 19 inches high.  Keep crease at top and cut a small neckline about 1.5 inches wide in the center. Also, cut a one inch slit down from the center point of the back neck hole. This will help to get the robe over the head.

Slip on the robe.Glue around neck to secure. Then with a 1/4 inch wide ribbon or scrap of fabric, make collar to cover top bottle as well as edges of fabric.

6

Tie waist band and add roses.

Us a a ribbon about 8 inches long to tie the waist band. Adjust gown to form arms and secure with glue around wrists. Glue roses to front hem of gown.

7

Add Mantle.
Hold blue sheet of felt in a diamond shape. (I realized after we were finished that her mantle should have been green. However, we didn't have any green felt. Once I get to the craft store, I am going to put on a green mantle over the blue one and make new stars.)  Fold over top corner and glue to top of head. Secure around head and in lower back to keep from it popping up. Then decorate with dots of gold glitter glue for stars.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

Linking up with Catholic Bloggers, hop over there for more inspiration.

A St Lucy Crown Tutorial

We began celebrating St Lucy's Day about four or five years ago when Cowgirl and I first read the American Girl Kirsten series, which is about a Swedish American Girl on the plains.  Since, I thought this would be a one time event, I made a simple crown out of a fake evergreen wreath that I had and a pack of battery operated votive candles that I picked up at the dollar store.  It was cute enough but nothing special. Once, St Lucy's Day became a fixture, I began to wish I could buy one of the beautiful metal crowns from Sweden. Alas, they were always more than I could afford and although I promised myself every year that I would save money and buy it next year, it never happened. Fast forward to this year when Cowgirl is now over a foot taller than the first year and I began to realize that the years of her serving us coffee and buns all dressed up are rapidly dwindling. Add to that, the little dress up robe I bought for $5 is now at least four sizes too small. I knew something had to be done, but I still couldn't afford what I was seeing online.

I found a beautiful white nightgown on eBay for $15 with plenty of room to grow.  Then I turned my attention to the crown. I returned to Dollar Tree and found just what I was looking for. Here is a tutorial for the crown I made that cost only $5, not counting the ribbon I already had. I purchased a package of artificial pine garland, two 2-packs of battery operated tapers, a sprig of berries, and floral wire (not pictured). We also used two inch wide red ribbon, about a foot of curling ribbon, and a glue gun.

First, I measured the garland around Cowgirl's head making sure to leave a little space for growth. I then wound the rest of the garland around my "head mold."  I secured the new wreath with two pieces of curling ribbon approximately six inches long each. I tied each tightly, then clipped the tails of the knot.

Then came adding the candles.  I took one candle and pushing up from the bottom pulled it between the "branches" of pine until the bottom of the brass holder was flush with the bottom of the wreath.

To secure the candles, I cut a sixteen inch piece of floral wire. Now, this part was difficult to photograph, so bear with me as I attempt to explain. I took the first six inches of the wire and wove it over and under a few branches to the right of the candle. I then pulled this piece around the back of the candle and had it meet the long section of wire in front of the candle. I then twisted the short end onto the long end to resemble the neck of a wire hanger.

After that, I threaded the wire through three branches to the left of the candle and finally, wound the remaining wire tightly around the brass base of the candle until all was used up.  I then put a small amount of hot glue around each of the bases to add security.

The hardest part was over and it took less than twenty minutes. Cowgirl then cut the lingonberries off the stem. (Disclaimer: My entire knowledge of lingpnberries consists of the facts that they make good jam and grow in Sweden. These may look nothing like a lingonberry should, but they cost a dollar, close enough.)  We arranged the berries around the wreath, then secured each with a little more hot glue.

Cowgirl had a little bit of holly  left over from making her clips, and decoded to add it to the wreath. We glue one piece to the base of each candle.

The last part to make was the bow. For those of you who do not know how to make your own bows, here is a tutorial to check out.  I first cut a five foot length of ribbon that we folded in half and attached to the back of the wreath for the tails.

Then I wrapped a DVD case seven times and made the large bow, this brought back so many memories of crafting with my mom who had taught me how to make bow many years ago. I attached the bow via floral wire, then reinforced with hot glue.

Voila, a St Lucy Day crown. We were both happy with how it turned out.  I will be posting more about our plans later this week. God bless.

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Preparing for St Nicholas Day

There are mere days between today and our family's favorite feast day of the year--St Nicholas Day! To say the children are excited is an extreme understatement.  I have been planning and picking up little bits and pieces here and there. So, I thought I would share my plans, and the handful of photos I took last year, and encourage you to embrace this beautiful tradition.

First, I need to put forth a disclaimer that this feast has grown and evolved in our family over a decade of time. We did not jump in with both feet the first year. Our celebration traditions began with simple gifts left in shoes. We still cling to the idea of truly simple gifts. One of the sweetest parts of this holiday is how excited the children are for tiny treats and how it helps us to turn our sights to Jesus, not to wants and desire for more.

Here is what the children are receiving this year:
Each child will receive a pomegranate lollipop (because I cannot bring pomegranates any where near this house with being found out!), a candy cane, a small bag of dried fruit (their request), and a Clementine. I also picked up a small ornament from the thrift shop for 12¢ each. The boys will each get a small car. For Buddy, I picked up a Hot Wheel that looks like a shark, and Little Man is getting a mini Viking race car.  Cowgirl will receive clip-on earrings from the thrift shop, because we have a $2 limit for gifts.   As a joint gift, because I always like to give a gift to share, I picked up a second hand copy of CCC video of "St Nicholas: The Boy who became Santa."  Not very impressive of a list, in fact as I write it out, it seems even less  impressive. But that is the beauty of it, in a culture that always wants more and encourages chasing big, better, best, these simple gifts ground us and make us thankful for all the rich blessings we have.  The last gift the children will receive is $50 in cash to donate as they choose.

Next on my planning list is food. Typically, I plan three special meals. Since the older children are working at a craft fair this Saturday, I am only planning dinner. However, here is a sample menu for a typical St Nicholas Day in our home.

Breakfast: Hot Chocolate and treats from the shoes, along with a candy cane Danish inspired by Jessica's. We use a roll of recipe crescent rolls, a package of softened cream cheese, and a can of cherry pie filling. Open and unroll the pastry sheet. Spread cream cheese on half of it, then top with cherry filling. Now, beginning on the edge with cream cheese and cherries begin to roll the pastry into a log.  Form the log into a crook shape and cut slits about every inch down the outside of the crook. Bake on 350° for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Lunch: This is the simplest idea. I discovered it at the St Nicholas Center years ago. Purchase a frozen pizza and some orange colored cheese slices ( we like to use large cheddar slices). Cut the cheese into the shape of a miter and place in the center of the pizza. Bake according to directions.

Dinner: We always fill a bowl with clementines and candy canes for the blessing. The clementines represent the bags of gold that St Nick tossed into the girls' stockings, and the canes his shepherd' s crook. This theme continues through our side dishes, glazed carrot "coins", baked sweet potato "sacks", and fruit salad to represent the sweetness of giving. Normally, we have fruited pork as our main dish. However, this year, we are trying chicken with spiced apples. Spices and sweets are the theme of the day. Of course, we drink more hot chocolate, as well.

Dessert: What? More Sugar? Well, yes and no. For dessert we build gingerbread houses and sometimes, happen to sample pieces of candy decorations or nibble  broken pieces. (And sometimes, Grammy who doesn't believe in too much sugar, shows up with an ice cream cake!) The past couple years we have made graham cracker houses because they are much easier to construct and who really needs that many gingerbread houses.

Last up on planning is activities. We will definitely watch our new movie. We typically watch Veggie Tales St Nicholas. We read books about St Nicholas. (Below are some of our favorites, available here.) We also craft gifts for friends and family. Many years I bought craft kits, but then we amassed so many left over kits, that we began using those and supplementing with a project or two that I found online. The older children have been making plans for projects of their own. We are doing extra crafting on St Lucy's Day this year. Pinterest is a great place to find easy, inexpensive projects, too. I am adding a St Nicholas board there, today.

St Nicholas Day is about spending time as a family, giving to others, and setting our eyes on Jesus as we quickly approach Christmas.  If you have any St Nick traditions, please share below. God bless!

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