Hooray, we made it to the last month of the year!
When the holidays come around, I hang a wreath on our front door. Every year, I give it a new look using ornaments that I already have on hand such as capiz parols from the Philippines, winterberries, foraged pinecones, a silver ribbon, and a butterfly. In the past, I've decorated it with a candy-theme and an all-red theme. I encourage you to tweak the look of your plain wreath and turn it from blah to TADA!
If you have some vacation days that you need to use, visit a new town to check out their holiday decorations. The National Christmas Tree is located in Washington, DC., right across The White House and the Washington Monument. You can't see it in this photo but it's surrounded by smaller Christmas trees representing each of the United States. Some places I would love to visit are Bethlehem, Pennsylvania known as "Christmas City" or any of the cities on this list that are filled with Christmas charm.
The holidays are also an opportunity to learn about celebrations that we didn't grow up with. For me, it's Hannukah (Jewish Festival of Lights). Books like this one can be read to the young ones in the family and it would be fun to try out the recipes, too...TADA!
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| NVC Artisans of Hope |
These Christmas tree ornaments are made of 126 discarded coffee capsules...TADA! They are crafted by a non-profit organization in the Philippines and the proceeds of their shop are used to fight hunger and poverty. May these inspire us to make our own ornaments using recycled materials or to consider charitable giving this season.
My very thoughtful cousin gave me this vintage cookbook that she found at Argosy Books. Cookbooks like this give me a glimpse of the past. I am now considering making retro dishes and cocktails for Christmas and New Year's Eve!
I know December is hectic for many of us -- here's wishing you lots of energy and a little "me" time to relish the holidays!