Friday, December 30, 2011

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

Here are my favourites for the week:

1.  Christmas Eve is always my favourite day of the year.  We had a busy day with my three stepsons and their families over .  It was fun to get together and see the grandkids.  But I really enjoyed the evening when it was just my husband and I alone for a quiet Christmas Eve.  The tree lights were on and many candles lit.  We watched my favourite Christmas movie of all time, "The Homecoming" , which is the movie that inspired the Walton series in the 1970's.  I watch this movie every Christmas Eve.

2.  Christmas Day, is , of course, another fave from this past week.  This was the first Christmas of my life that I didn't spend it with my parents and siblings.  I had decided earlier this fall that I wanted to spend Christmas Day in my own home for once.  It was a lovely day.  I thought of my family, but knew that they were well and happy, and really not that far away.  All my family is within an hour and a half from me.  I will be seeing them all this weekend.  So that makes for an extended Christmas!  It was wonderful to stay at home on Christmas Day.  We had a nice quiet Christmas.

3.  My husband and I both had the day after Christmas off.  We spent a lazy day at home.  I stayed in my pajamas the entire day.  Don't know when I have ever done that!  And we watched another all-time favourite Christmas movie:  "White Christmas."

4.  This next fave has nothing to do with Christmas.  Our hen's egg production has been way down due to the fact that they have been molting.  We were down from 9 eggs a day to one, two, and sometimes no eggs.  Well, this week we have finally seen an increase again.  And our new hens that were born last spring have started laying.  We are up to 5, 6, and 7 eggs a day. 

5.  This week a braided rug that I ordered came in.  It gives my kitchen a nice , cozy, warm feeling.  I am loving it!
                                

Friday, December 23, 2011

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

Here are my faves from this week:

1.  Sunday was my husband's and my anniversary.  We had a great church service that morning and thought what a great way to spend an anniversary - worshipping God!  We went out for lunch after church, and it was such an enjoyable afternoon.

2.  I worked a few night shifts this week to help out a coworker.  Not too many people are willing to cover for her because of the hours. One morning I came home to crawl into bed after working all night.  My two dogs both hopped up on the bed and slept with me the entire morning.  When I woke up and saw them still on the bed with me, it was such a warm and cozy feeling!   

3.  I spent a good part of Wednesday and today cooking and baking.  Am getting ready for a dinner party here tonight with friends of ours, and then a get-together with my stepsons and their families tomorrow.  I love preparing food for people I care about.

4.  I've been listening to Christmas music quite a bit this week.  It's been so wonderful listening to familiar songs that we don't hear the rest of the year.  Listening to the words has reminded me of the true meaning of the season.  For this I am so greatful. 

5.  My husband and I decorated our Christmas tree a couple nights ago.  That is always fun.  So relaxing to enjoy the lights in the evening.

Christmas in the Country

Gather  your friends and family together and go caroling at a nursing home.  It will be such a blessing!



                                                                                   

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Don't forget our feathered friends at Christmas!  Decorate an outdoor tree with suet blocks, birdseed bells, and hollowed-out orange halves filled with birdseed.  The squirrels and chipmunks will love them, too!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Do you have a tea lover on your Christmas gift list?  Tuck some bags of herbal and flavored tea inside a pretty little teapot or a delicate teacup.  Add a muffin mix as a special bonus.




                                                                                     

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas in the Country


      There's nothing like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day.  To make a simple gourmet cocoa, add a few drops of mint, cinnamon, or orange extract and stir well.  Yummy!!                                                                 

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Give the gift of .....SOUP!  Fill an enamel soup pot with all the fixings for a cozy supper.  Add soup mixes, hot roll mixes, crackers.  Don't forget to add some soup spoons or some country soup bowls or a vintage soup ladle!  What a wonderful gift for a cold , wintry evening.
                          


                                                                                                                                 

Friday, December 16, 2011

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story


       Here are my 5 favorites from the past week:

1.  Over the weekend we picked out our Christmas tree.  Our little granddaughter came with us.  She
      picked her own out!


         2.  On Monday I had lunch with a long-time friend.  We spent the afternoon browsing in some local specialty shops.  What a wonderful , relaxing time we had.  It was a great day.  Already looking forward to the next time!

3.  This same friend gave me a huge bag of sweaters.  I kept all but two.  They are beautiful!  It was like getting a brand new wardrobe for free!  Some of them were colors I was needing to go with certain skirts.  It was like a special Christmas present from God.

4.  Received a refund check in the mail from our car insurance company.  They had overcharged us.  How often does that happen?!!  Another Christmas gift from the Lord!

5.  Last evening as I was driving home from work after doing errands, I drove through a nearby small city and saw a  nativity scene right in the middle of the park on Main Street.  So glad Christ is still in Christmas in our smaller towns and cities!                                                        

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Cookies in a jar or soups in a jar make great gifts that are inexpensive and fun and easy to assemble.  Here are some that I did this week for some of the girls I work with.  Most of them work full-time and will appreciate a gift they can use that will save them time in the kitchen.  I added a pretty checked cloth and a ribbon that says "Merry Christmas" for a touch of country!
  


                                                                                

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Fill a pail with cocoa mixes, microwave popcorn, cheese and crackers, and a holiday video.  What a great gift for someone who needs to relax during the holiday rush!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Line a vintage tin pail with a pretty tea towel and tuck in some fudge.  What a lovely gift!




                                                                                  

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Toasted nuts give cookies a better flavour.  Spread nuts on a cookie sheet or baking pan and bake for 5 - 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Fill a mason jar with some hot soup, wrap with a woolly scarf, and give to your mailman.  What a wonderful surprise on a frosty day.

Friday's Favorite Fives hosted by Living to Tell The Story

1.  My husband and I had a movie night in bed this week.  It was so warm and cozy.  We watched an old
     World War II classic, "Mrs. Miniver."  We hadn't ever seen it before.  It was very good.  And it was
     quite fitting with the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor upon us this week.

2.  I have been having a very bad flare-up of my Acid Reflux this week.  No, that isn't one of my faves.
     What is a favorite, is that my husband came into the room where I was resting and laid his hands on
     me to pray for my healing.  I love that I have a godly husband.  I am so blessed!

3.  My kitchen window has never looked too good.  Yesterday I came home from work to find that my
     husband surprised me with a new look for my window.  He built this wood frame and shelf arount
     it.  I absolutely love it!  He got the wood right off our property that he cut and sanded himself.
     
     4.  After coming home from work yesterday I was very tired and still not feeling
          well.  I didn't have to worry about supper though.  I had some homemade soup
          in the freezer so just pulled that out and heated it up with some garlic bread.  I
          love keeping my freezer stocked.

5.    Tonight we are having a movie night with good friends of ours.  We are looking 
       forward to his homemade pizzas and a relaxing time.  We are also having a
       prayer time together before the movie.                              

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas in the Country

           

Take time out for yourself during this busy time.  Sit with a favourite cup of tea or coffee in a pretty cup and read a Christmas poem.  Or read the story of Jesus's birth from the Bible.  Or just sit quietly and look at your Christmas tree lights and remember past Christmases.  Lay your stresses aside and renew yourself.                                                                             

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Here's a great little idea for a refreshing tabletop.  Cut a grapefruit or orange in half and scoop out the fruit.  Tuck a votive candle inside and surround with cranberries.  What a nice fresh scent!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Christmas in the Country

     Stockings aren't just for the mantle.  Well, we don't have a fireplace, so I have to create a different spot.  But, I like to hang other stockings around in various places.  I hang them on doors.  You can also put them on bedposts, doorknobs , or on the backs of chairs.  They are a nice splash of Christmas color !  Have fun hanging!


Bathroom door    




And on the bedroom door        


                                                                   
                                                                             

Monday, December 5, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Here is a recipe for a flavored creamer for coffee or cocoa.  Fill a vintage milk bottle with it, and it makes a neat little gift or stocking stuffer!

Pepperminty Creamer Mix

1/4 cup non-dairy coffee creamer
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
2 T baking cocoa
2 hard peppermint candies, crushed

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Process until well blended.  Store in an airtight container. 

This recipe came from a wonderful book I have called "Christmas in the Country", by Gooseberry Patch.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Place some candy canes in a Mason jar and tie with a pretty bow.  What a simple, country touch of Christmas!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christmas in the Country


Place silverware inside pretty winter mittens for a whimsical look.  Add a scarf as a table runner.  What a cozy tablesetting for  breakfast on a frosty morning.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Want to create a fun, simple tabletop decoration?  Place a vintage ornament atop  a candlestick. 




                                                                            

Friday's Fave Five hosted by Living to Tell the Story

Every Friday I will be posting my five favourite things about the current week.  This is a fun thing hosted by the blog "Living to Tell the Story."  Here are my five faves from this week:

1.  I learned how to can apples and canned 12 quarts.  What a great feeling of accomplishment and
     security!

2.  We had some wonderfully warm weather on Tuesday, and I spent a great deal of time outside.  I
     raked   some leaves to put in the chicken coop later this winter.  The chickens will love digging
     through that this winter when there's nothing but snow outside.

3.  I decorated the house for Christmas!  I LOVE my Christmas village even more than having a tree. 
     And pulling all those decorations out is like meeting old friends again every year.

4.  I also got out my Christmas music and started playing it.  I often wonder why we only listen to it
     this time of year.

5.  Along the same lines, I baked Christmas cookies yesterday.  My husband enjoyed those last night.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Christmas in the Country

Today is December 1st and the Christmas season is upon us.  What a wonderful time of year.  We try to keep Christmas simple so that we can remember the true meaning of the season.  We thank God for sending His Son Jesus to us.  When I decorate, I tell the Lord that this is for His birthday.  It helps keep the focus on Him.  Every day from now until Christmas I will read a passage of Scripture from the Christmas Story, or sing a Christmas carol, or read a poem having to do with His birth.  Remember the Christmas Ideals books?  I have several, and they are a wonderful source of Christian inspiration. 

 In this post I am going to give simple Christmas tips/ideas for making the season special.  Choose whichever ones you think you'd enjoy.  Post your own ideas to share.  I am going to do this daily right up until Christmas Day.  Enjoy your holiday season!!

I keep all of my Christmas books and movies in a wicker basket by a cozy chair.   Set aside one night a week, or however many nights you have time for, to read or watch a favourite.