O Night Divine

Gifts 'n Stuff

After my annual pre-Christmas toy purging, I indulged in my annual pre-Christmas rant regarding our excess of Stuff.  My mother is the long-suffering recipient of my rants.  I shared with her how all of our Stuff cannot be good for our souls.  I went on about the children’s lack of appreciation and organization as a result of our Stuff.  I voiced frustration over storing our Stuff.  I expounded on my fear of new Stuff coming into our home at Christmas.

My mother patiently mentioned that when her ten children were young she could remember about twenty things we had for toys.  That was it.  Stuff was not a problem for her because we didn’t have Stuff.

“But Mom!  What about all the Stuff that came in for Christmas?!”  I wailed, desperate for an answer to the dilemma.

“Oh, there wasn’t much money for gifts, so they were simple things that added to something you already played with.  I always made skirts for you girls or new doll clothes.  I made pajamas for everyone. The boys got another model car or dinosaur for their collection.  Everyone always got a book. That was it.  Three simple gifts.”

I was stunned.  I remember Christmas having all the magic of childhood.  I remember great excitement Christmas morning and wrapping paper flying everywhere.  I remember our happiness with our gifts.

There was never any question back then, or now in my own family, that the incarnation, Jesus Christ, is the central focus of this holy season.  But do you mean to tell me it can be celebrated with minimal Stuff?!

Apparently so. 

For many years my parents did not have a fancy nativity set.  They made one out of cardboard and paint.  We loved that little set!  Most of the tree ornaments were homemade.  With little money for extra baking, there was one kind of cookie we children always made and mom baked sweet breads for friends and neighbors.  Only one kind of cookie!  We thought they were the most beautiful, delicious cookies in the world.

Christmas dinner was a feast and there was always company around the table.  Now I know how hard my mother worked, carefully planning and purchasing over the month of December to make it all work out.  Everything from scratch, Dad even made the wine.

After that conversation and the flood of memories, I am resolved once again to limit Stuff.  Not just limit, but change our attitudes a little.  More joy, less Stuff.  More people, less Stuff.  More holiness, less Stuff.

The Holy Family surely did not have Stuff.  No family could have more joy than they did.  The way to follow them is straight and simple, and it’s not littered with Stuff.

Christmas Cards

No, no, no you scream when you see the title. Not yet!

Yes, now. 

Now is the time to start thinking of the Christmas card.  If you are going to send out greetings this year it would be very helpful to you to at least have the plan in place now so that when you are ready you can just gather everything together and get it done.

For example, lots of people include photos in their cards. Is there a vacation photo you love?  Have it printed now.  Avoid the rush.  If you prefer a portrait type photo make the appointment now when the studios are not busy. If you have a larger family these photos can take a long time and it is so much more pleasant when there isn't a line of impatient people waiting their turn behind you as your toddler refuses to cooperate. You can even bring Christmas outfits or seasonal clothing for the children to change into at the studio. Who has to know it was taken in August?  I received a cute studio photo once of a family of children in adorable Christmas pjs.  All different. Turns out smart momma purchased then for a song on E-bay in July and had the photo taken in August. Genius.

Begin gathering your addresses and updating your list now.  I have mine saved in a file that is already to print on labels.  While you are out buying school supplies buy the labels.  Have one of the older children type in the names and addresses (great typing practice - counts as school!).

If you are making your cards, and I encourage you to do that, the various school supply and craft store sales that happen at this time of year could be helpful.  Involve the whole family in the design.

If you write a newsletter, get going now. Have each child write a paragraph. There is still plenty of time without anyone feeling pressured.

Please check out these posts from last year to help get your cards started;

Alice's Family Christmas Card Post

Mary's Homemade Christmas Card Ideas

If you have any ideas for photos and cards please leave a comment or email them. I would love to share them.

Welcome Back!

As you can see O Night Divine has had a facelift.  Don't for one moment suppose I had anything to do with it. It is entirely due to the talents of the lovely lady at CHS Webmaster .  She is talented and artistic and I am not.

As you can see by the nifty little counter on my sidebar we have a mere 168 days to prepare for Christmas.  This may seem like a long time but if you consider the fact that you probably have about 500 things to do and plan to get ready, the time seems quite short.

Don't panic.  We are going to do this together.  Together, we at O Night Divine, are going to help each other have a blessed, holy, happy and peaceful Christmas season.

In the next few weeks I will be posting a new liturgical calendar with all of the Advent feast days listed. We will talk about gifts we can make and prepare for now so that there is less to do in December and we will post about getting our Christmas binders ready for the coming season.

I am so delighted to be posting here again. It means that soon we will be immersed in the most joyful of all seasons.

God bless you all!

From Your Heart and Hands - Homemade Christmas Card Ideas

Sending greetings to friends and family by means of Christmas cards has been part of the Christmas tradition for over 150 years, with the first printed cards commissioned in England in 1843.  There are many card options available for purchase, but one fun and creative approach to sending out your yearly Christmas greeting is to make your own cards. 

Now, I know many of you are thinking, with all there is to do during Advent and in preparation for Christmas, "Why would I want to make my own cards?"  Please know this is just an option for anyone interested, but it really can be a wonderful family tradition.  There are many great reasons for making your own cards. If you enjoy paper type crafts and want to have a very tangible product to share with others this is it. It's a great outlet for creativity. It is something that the kids can be involved with and contribute to the Christmas preparation.  You can also customize your Christmas greetings in a way that commercial cards can't. You can pick the exact theme and sentiment that you want your cards to have.  It puts a very personal touch on the card sending tradition.  For example you can:

• Decorate to tell the legend of the Poinsettia, of Twelve Days of Christmas, or Candy Canes
• Highlight a favorite aspect of Christmas
• Make them Advent focused
• Incorporate a family photo
• Incorporate a child's art

We have made our own cards for many years and in that time used a variety of techniques.  Following are some basic approaches to making a couple different cards.  All samples utilize 8 1/2 X 11 inch card stock as the base.  Cut the card stock in half so you have 2 pieces each 5 1/2 X 8 inches.  A paper cutter is a big help in doing all the cutting quickly but is not necessary. Fold those in half and you have cards that fit size A-2 envelopes. You can make your cards so they open either vertical or horizontal.

Rubber Stamped Card

Rubber stamping can range from very simple to quite involved, but it is an excellent technique to use for anyone who doesn't think she is artistic.  The rubber stamp does all the drawing for you.  You will need to purchase a rubber stamp with an image you want to use.  The big craft stores have a section for rubber stamps and there are also specialty rubber stamp stores that offer a wide variety of Christmas stamps.  The type of card in the sample is very simple but produces a striking image.  Use a white or cream card for the base.  Cut out a piece of dark colored card stock slightly smaller than the front of the card so a border of the white color surrounds it and adhere to card.  Using a rubber stamp you have purchased (the one in the sample is from Stampin Up) and an ink pad that is similar in color to the dark background, ink the stamp and stamp it on another piece of white card stock.

Tear away the paper around the image at an angle to produce a deckled edge (you could also choose to cut around it with decorative scissors). 

Dab the torn edge with the ink pad to lightly color the edge of the paper.  Attach image to center of card.  I prefer either rubber cement, double sided tape, or photo mounts to adhere parts of cards. You can add a highlight to the card in some way.  For example on the sample card the star is glittered with ultra fine clear glitter.

There are literally hundreds of rubber stamp companies, but a couple I really like for finding religious themed Christmas stamps are:

• Catholic Rubber Stamps
• Saint Nicholas Center
• The Stampin Place

Layered Card

Layering is another easy-to-do technique that can produce a card that says "elegant simplicity." In this sample I started with a dark colored card stock for the card.  Then cut a light card stock so that is was smaller than the card by 1/4 inch around sides.  Choose a smallish image that you would like to use as the focal point for your card.  In this sample I used a canceled Madonna and Child postage stamp.  It is layered on gold paper that is slightly larger.  That in turn is layered on card stock and card.  A Christmas greeting is stamped in gold ink below (but it could be hand written or printed on the card stock ahead of time.)  Your focal point can be any shape (circle, oval diamond, star). Nesting templates are a great way to cut different size shapes for layering. The image you use as your focal point can come from a variety of sources:

• a piece of old Christmas card
• a child's small drawing
• a holy card
• a magazine
• photo

Printed Card

Another technique that is great for displaying your children's art work on a card is linoleum printing.  Technically this is done with linoleum blocks available at art supply stores, but can also be done using a styrofoam tray as the print block surface for children.   First a design is drawn on the linoleum block then using a  linoleum cutter the design is carved out of the linoleum. Children do need supervision with this step as the tools are sharp.  In our case the youngest children only drew their design and I did the carving.  The older one carved his own.  Once the design has been carved, the brayer is rolled in paint until is has a thin coat of paint all around it.  The brayer is then rolled over the linoleum block design to entirely cover block.  The block is pressed face down onto the blank card and removed. You end up with a printed reverse image of your block print.

For the inside sentiment you can hand write it, stamp it with one of the many Christmas saying stamps, or pre-print it by computer/printer before cutting and folding the cards.  If you are only making a few cards completing the cards one at at time is probably fine, but for large numbers I recommend the "production line" approach.  Complete each step for the total number of cards you are making before going on to the next step.  For example cut out all the base cards first.  Then cut all the layering pieces. Then stamp all the images.  Then tear out the images. Until the final step where you assemble each card.

Family Fun magazine's website has lots of ideas for cards to make.  As do many of the rubber stamp sites, like Impress Rubber Stamps and Rubber Stamp Club. The possibilities are endless and the satisfaction of creating a greeting from your heart and hand is immense.

Advent Log

Back in early November Alice directed you to Rebecca's wonderful Advent log project (and part two).  Now Alice and her husband have created their own Advent log and in doing so, created a new and beautiful family tradition. 

Giving the Organized Christmas

I've been busy the last couple of weeks printing many of the forms Mary Ellen recommended from the Organized Christmas site.  Toward the end of last week, I found an inexpensive white binder that allows inserts in both front and back cover and the spine.   As I pondered the creative possibilities for cover, pages and content I was reminded of another Christmas book I received, as well as many types of books I'd like to give.  Years ago I received a little cookbook that was so lovingly prepared for me by my brother and his (then) new bride.  When I open this book I first see a photo of the couple in their kitchen.  Since it is a wire bound journal they did not simply print up pages and insert them later.  No, each recipe from my sister-in-law's native Argentina is handwritten and added to the Table of Contents.   I love this book and I love the thoughts and attention that were spent on my behalf in creating it.

Mary Ellen mentioned that a friend was going to receive a gift of one of the Christmas Organizers.  Many years I have a theme gift for birthdays throughout the year and I'm considering this idea for my sisters and sister-in-law and daughter-in-law during 2007.  While I know I will never be able to carefully handprint each recipe (and I do want to include recipes), I believe I will ask my mom to write a couple of her most popular favorites on recipe cards for duplication and insertion in the notebooks.  And now that I have the idea, there's time to get a few photos of mom and dad during the Christmas season: baking; making Thanksgiving gravy; serving Christmas Eve Wassail; presenting the homemade Caramel Corn.   If my sister hosts the Christmas Cookie Exchange she keeps promising, I’ll include all the aunts’ and cousins’ cookie recipes and some photos.  So the organic Christmas Organizer will be something between a scrapbook and a cookbook, with all the blank forms recommended by Mary Ellen included for the women to add the information that will personalize it for them.

 

Now that I'm considering recipe gifts, I should try to work on another project that was abandoned last year for lack of inspiration.  I think I'm on to something this time (which is unique considering I get my greatest ideas when there is less than 24 hours left before the event and a mountain of chores to finish).  While my 10 year old son isn't an arts crafty type, he does love to cook and has amassed his own recipe collection in a folder.  He would love to share these recipes with a cousin of a similar age, perhaps in a baking kit or smoothie basket.  Like the ladies' books, his might feature photos of his cooking adventures and 4H ribbons.  Since we got stuck on making the actual book last year, perhaps this 3-ring binder or a store bought journal will be just the thing to get us started on assembling the important things; the recipes!

By the way, thank you Mary Ellen for inviting me to be a part of your blog!

Calendar Days

Several years ago, new to digital cameras I was excited to make a calendar for all of the gradnparents. Each month's picture featured the children in some seasonal pose.  It was a HUGE hit.

This year for Christmas I was thinking of making a new calendar featuring the children but with a Liturgical theme.  Since we are going to be wearing Saint costumes tomorrow (well they are - I'm not) I was thinking it might be nice to pose the children in costumes featuring a saint or liturgical theme for each month and then have a calendar made.  This could be a lot of fun and a really meaningful gift.  I intend to invlove the children by giving them a list of the feast days for each month and having them narrow it down to something we can reasonable pull off.  After I snap the twelve pictures I will use Shutterfly to have the calendar printed. Shutterfly allows you personalize the calendar so I can put in all of the family's special days as well as holy days and feast days. This is a lot of bang for your buck for less than $20 per gift.

Some other photo sites that could be helpful:
Dotphoto
Photosite - no calendars but lots of other cute things
Discount Photo Gifts
iPrint

This might also be a lovely and personal way to help draw someone you love closer to Holy Mother Church. A beautiful gift with an eternal benefit.

Advent

So where is your advent wreath?  Do you have candles? I had the experience one year of getting the wreath out of the box and finding a bunch of broken candles.  Would not have been a big deal but for the fact that I had the whole family gathered around the table waiting to pray and light the candles.  Yup, I waited until after dinner on the first Sunday to get the wreath out. 

Don't make that mistake. 

Order candles from Candles 4 Less or The Catholic Company. Or go to your local religous goods store in the next week or so.

Advent calendars are also something that can sneak up on you. I have had to settle for an ugly one from the dollar store on December 2nd more than once.  It is really important to me to have an Advent calendar with a religous image.  The secular ones are cute and very festive and I don't think there is anything wrong with having one in the house but I don't think it should be the only one in the house.  I myself have used the candy countdown method to encourage good behavior (yes, I do occasionally bribe my children - it's a family tradition).

    This is the one I have. It was a little more money but it does last forever.  Catholic Child carries it along with a bunch of other cool things for Advent.

Whatever you decide - get going on it soon there are only 89 days left.

While thinking about Advent calendars why not give some thought to the really nice tradition of setting up a nativity scene and having the kings and shepherds traveling around the room toward the creche. As each day unfolds everyone gets a little closer to the stable in Bethlehem. It is a wonderful visual for children.  Older children can read aloud Old Testament verses telling of the coming of the Messiah.

Just an idea....let me know your ideas.

A Christmas Blog

Why a Christmas blog??  What is it all about??  I envision this to be a place where I share thoughts and ideas about preparing for Christmas.  I will include gift ideas, with a focus on the handmade, liturgical celebrations and feast days of the season.  Decorating, recipes and general joy spreading will also happen here at O Night Divine.  I have a few people in mind to ask to be guest bloggers because they are just too creative to leave out and I hope that any readers who have great ideas and traditions step up and share. 

I want everyone's celebration of the the coming of Our Lord to be filled with all the joy He intended for us.  This includes keeping the reason for the celebration in the forefront of all that we do. It also means some secular fun is encouraged. 

I love Christmas, I always have. I love the hope and promise that the Saviour brings. I love the gentleness that comes with the season, the spririt of kindness that the envelopes most of the world.  I love the magic that happens in my house as my children learn to love their faith and enjoy the season.

I invite you all to join me in my love of all things Christmas. Let us welcome the Light of the World together.