This morning I got up early to steal a few quiet moments on the beach before the rest of the word woke up. I was fortunate to some incredible sights. The sunrise, of course, my main reason for stealing away at such an hour. Then, to my surprise, I saw a fox on the sand dune! Soon another followed behind. A pair of foxes right there in the middle of everything. I realized that there is magic all around me and life will find a way to show you if you are willing and open to looking.
Please feel free to down load and print my zine. Print front and back, then fold it in half and then half again (quarters) for the full effect. Enjoy!
My family and I spent some quality time together over the last week making Christmas cookies for a family cookie exchange that took place over weekend. This is our first annual family cookie exchange and hopefully not the last. I wanted to create a new tradition we can share as our children grow.
My daughter is 5 and she enjoys helping, and this time that involved applying flour to her face like makeup. It can, at times, be difficult to allow a child to help in baking or preparing meals. That being said, I think it is important to let go of perfection and allow them to get in on the action. As we prepare these cookies together I am transported back to moments in my own childhood where we worked together to prepare our Christmas cookies. I hope that I can provide similar fond memories for my daughter.
There are special things that you can do to enhance your traditions to make them feel even more special. Designing an invitation for our little party made it feel more official (even though it was really just a little addition to our normal Sunday dinner get together). I also placed my cookies in an inexpensive jar that I found at Tuesday Morning with a twine bow. This jar can be used by my family members during the year to come and hopefully they will think of me when they use it.
Holiday preparations are time consuming and I find that I can easily fall in to Grinch mode. Checking boxes as I complete tasks becomes more important than enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. Having a child is an important reminder that this is a magical time for everyone. Take a moment and enjoy the holiday. Speak nicely to yourself and recognize the good things taking place around you.
Traditions are important – you are not just making cookies, you are making memories and creating your own legacy.
Happy Holidays,
Graciously, G.
Links below are for the Christmas cookies I made this year, do you have any good cookie recipes to share?
It is December, I am busy (we all are) and this is my 4th blog location for 2nd Hand Spirited. I have had difficulty finding a forever home but I really feel that this is it. I need 2nd Hand Spirited to find its place, this is very important for me as it is a part of my heart and soul. I feel an unrest about this part of me and I need to settle it in – for my own peace of mind.
I have spent a long time looking for the perfect pen, perfect desk, perfect journal, etc…the list goes on. The best advice that I have learned is that there is no ‘perfect’ anything. Perfect is an illusion that allows you to craft excuses. If my ink flowed more easily, then I would write more often. I have seriously said this to myself. I decided to stop creating that exit window for myself. I have learned that it is better to do something with what I have than nothing at all. It is not fun to look for memories in a blank journal. The items I have used in my planners and journals do not take anything away from the memories, looking back at pencil drawings and skipping pen is just as interesting as a finely crafted watercolor drawing.
The lesson is to start now with what you have. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or your blank notebooks will remain that way. There is no such thing as perfection and when you look back at your writings in the years to come the items you were using probably won’t even cross your mind. I have procured a web address and now I must get it filled with content. Time for action!
Graciously,
G
Welcome to the 4th and final (hopefully) version of the 2nd Hand Spirited blog. I have made the commitment to nurture 2nd Hand Spirited as it continuosly pulls at me. I have given it an Instagram, YouTube and Tumblr but it demands more. I will explore the more as I develop this blog. Looking forward to chatting with you.
Graciously,
G
2nd Hand Spirited 