Making

I have a hard time with Christmas. I can't pinpoint the year I started to feel this way but I know each year I find it increasingly challenging to stomach. Stepping into the eye opening experience of our current journey made a significant impact for sure. The feelings of unrest, however, were birthed long before that.

The birth of Christ and celebration thereof: glorious, miraculous, breathtaking.

The consumption by us regular folks: (slightly) sickening.

Truly, the highlights for me include enjoying the blessings of seeing others with less - receive!, family time, turkey, a time to slow down and just be.

I was given the gift of time to myself yesterday and again today for several hours and it was truly was lovely, productive, energizing.

I do genuinely find joy in giving, however. Receiving? Certainly not something I can't wait for. I find pleasure in abundance when receiving gifts that are usable and "needed" (a seriously relative word on this continent), than when accepting frivolous offerings. (This rarely happens around here.) But homemade goodness is just lovely to me and items of use are on the roll call.

Our stockings this year will take on the theme of consumable and usable. Because, who really wants more little things kicking around right? And treasures made from the heart, hands (little ones and bigger ones), and with time spent in care of creation - those, in my biased opinion are awesome.

My few hours alone this morning were spent on lip balm, laundry* powder**, and peppermint bark. (All found via this Mama. I love her.) Um, yum. Productivity is very high when there are two hands instead of six. And start to finish all this was done while two small boys played with the most wonderful of Nanas far far away from this kitchen in our home.

(turtles made two or three days ago...how there are any left is beyond me)

(yeah, trader joe's baby...eat your heart out...i did)

(i truly never anticipated christening the mortar and pestle on candy cane crushing)

This will be a merry, consumable, homemade, simply lovely Christmas.

{*lola, i missed you while shopping for these items at the garage yesterday. i took a moment and thought of you. i miss you my friend.}

{**tracy, our efforts were not in vain - there was seriously only one place to find all that was on our list that crazy sunday in october!...i am all the wiser now.}