Christmas in the Dining Room

Christmas, Decorating



One room, at least, is ready for Christmas.  I enjoy decorating the dining room for holidays because it’s the room that stays most like I left it.  My children cheerfully redecorate everything else they see but for some reason they generally leave the dining room alone.


I placed a vintage Christmas tablecloth across the table and replaced the large mirrored tray I’ve been using in there.   While unpacking boxes in the basement I remembered the ceramic lamb I always use at Easter and decided to bring it up.  We are, after all, celebrating the birth of the Lamb of God.


So using the lamb as a starting point, I then pulled a nativity scene from another room and used it as well.


I placed Mary, Joseph and the baby on a cake platter with more lambs to continue the theme.  I love the simplicity of it.

For height I borrowed a large trophy vase from my family room mantel and filled it with picks I had on hand; some inexpensive berries, beaded leaves purchased last year from Ballard Designs, and green flocked pinecones around the edge.


The wise men are placed around the other side of the tray to add visual interest from all three of the openings to the room.


A few ornaments were added to the dining room cabinet.  I still love the blue in that cabinet.  I’m so glad I painted it earlier in the year!


My favorite vintage bust just makes me happy perched up there.


I love walking through this room.  In fact, I realized that many members of our family walk through this room countless times a day.  Perhaps displaying a nativity scene in here was a good move because it will be so often seen by all of us.

I’ve been a total stress case this week, calm on the outside but nerves humming on the inside.  The little ones are still so needy and emotional.  In the past two days we’ve had only a couple of waking hours when one or both of them weren’t crying.  Seriously, my almost four year old cried for over 2.5 hours on Monday night, just to make sure we all knew she wasn’t happy with us.  It’s been wearing on me, I think.  I wonder if they’re just not feeling better yet or what?  Either way, I’ve got to calm down.  Maybe I should pull up a chair at the dining room table and make myself sit there until I’m quiet inside.


I hope your Christmas preparations are in full swing and on schedule!  More importantly, I hope you make time to be still and ponder the reason why we’re doing all this in the first place.


Please excuse me while I attempt to go follow my own advice.

Jennifer

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Candy Cane Almonds

Happy Finds

I’m here to do some free advertising today, advertising based entirely upon the response I got at Saturday’s baby shower when I put a little bowl of cute pink speckled something on my kitchen counter.


What are they?  Everyone wanted to know.  Candy cane almonds.  The package says, “Roasted Almonds in Dark & White Chocolate with Real Crushed Peppermint.”

I found them at Walmart on their big seasonal candy aisle.  I was walking down that aisle recently to purchase some Gatorade for my Gatorade-guzzling husband and these caught my eye.  They were expensive enough ($10 for 36 ounces, or just under $5/pound) that I passed them up, but when I was doing some last minute scrambling to pull together the shower I remembered them and splurged.

I know they say you’re only supposed to serve tried and true food to guests, but sometimes it’s nice to try something new when you have a lot of opinions to consult.  Plus, sharing with a large group guarantees that all you’ll do is taste them, which is what we’re all trying to do at this time of year, right?


Here’s what happened.  A few people tasted them,  then told the person they were next to.   A couple of the ladies came back for second helpings of soup or vegetables, but I think all of them came back for more candy cane almonds.  When several of them came to get a hand full to stuff in their pocket before leaving I had to hide my smile.  The more it happened, the funnier it was.  People really liked them!

So I’m doing you a favor and telling you about these delicious little treats so that you can grab a container to have on hand for the holidays.  Maybe you’ll need it at an event you’re hosting.  Maybe you’ll have an unexpected group of hungry teenagers crash at your house for an evening.  Maybe you’re supposed to bring something to share to a Christmas party but you’re running ragged already and have no time to cook or bake.  Maybe you’d like to add something new to your Christmas goodie bags.  Whatever the reason, do yourself a favor and buy one.

This is what the container looks like.  They had eggnog flavor, too, but eggnog happens to kind of gross me out.  So I’ll let you try them if that’s one of your favorite flavors and let me know if they’re good, too.


After the shower was over my sister and I went to the store and we each bought some to use during the holidays.  I’m having company for a week and I’m sure there will be a perfect night to get them out.

Enjoy!

HH

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A Year of Habits, no. 48

Helpfulness of Habit



Well, the week is over and I suppose there’s not much to say about it after Thursday night’s dump.  If I had to sum up my feelings in one word I’d choose “relief.”   With another child sick today we have just one family member left who apparently has an iron stomach.  At this point I’d say he has a good chance of missing it entirely, which would be nice.  I’d love to be finished with this virus.

The baby shower came and went and I feel so relieved that we pulled it off.  The best part of the entire thing was doing it with my sister, who I got to spend several hours with.  She is so much fun to be around and does a good job of everything.  The shower was for our sister-in-law and it was fun.  Somehow I managed to get some Christmas decorating taken care of on Friday so the house looked festive and clean when people arrived.   The food worked out and even tasted good, and when it was all over I could hardly believe that it went so smoothly.  I feel so grateful.

I also managed to get the bulk food order divided and sorted and almost everyone has come to pick up their order.  It will be nice to be finished with it as well.   All week long I was so worried about getting through the baby shower and distributing this order.   When both responsibilities had been taken care of  my brain was stuck, unable to remember what I should be doing next.  I knew I had a long list of things to be working on for Christmas but I wasn’t processing any of it.   My head has cleared today as the day progressed and I’m back to my usual state of having a to-do list for tomorrow that is much longer than the day will hold.  Cleaning, laundry, and we still have lots of homework to make up. {I’m a little worried about the homework part. Deep breath.}

Tonight as a family we watched a Christmas message that was very uplifting and which helped set the tone in my heart for the coming week.  However it works out, whatever I do or don’t get done, I hope I can keep this feeling with me and really enjoy the Christmas season.  I am so grateful for the Christmas season and want my children to feel both reverence and excitement.  We’ll see how that blends with make-up work.

Life is good.  I am so fortunate.
Have a great week!

Jennifer

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