How to Make an Advent Blob

Every year when the kids were growing up we had an advent calendar and often we had more than one on the go at a time.  The Playmobil advent calendar was popular for many years as were the chocolate ones, of course.  However, when all your children are teenagers or young adults you have to do things a little different than when they were young.  Malcolm is married and living away from home, but they are still poor students, and Kate is away (a looong way away) from home at University, and only William is at home.  Even though they are growing up I still wanted to do give them each an advent calendar.  The time just before Christmas is very stressful and tiring for students so they need all the care they can get.

Last year I used envelopes to wrap their presents in and packaged them all in a gift-wrapped box (which you can read about here), but I wanted to do something a bit different this year.  I decided to make an Advent Blob!  Do you remember when you played Pass-the-Parcel with your kiddos - well the Advent Blob is based on that concept.

Here is how I made it.   I laid out all the presents and numbered them from 1 - 24.  

Then we started wrapping the presents using crepe paper streamers leftover from when the kids were young and we had birthday parties (sniff sniff).  Fortunately, Christie's sister was visiting for the weekend and she helped me with the rolling as this project is much easier with two sets of hands.  Just be sure and start with 24 and work backwards as the last present to be opened is the one at the centre of the blob.

We used a new colour of streamer after every present.  

The blob gradually grew as we added presents and layers of streamers.

Thanks for your help Valerie.

When we had added the last present (or is that the first since it is #1 ???) we completely covered the blob in several wraps of teal streamers to make it look rounder and well - more blob-like.  Then we tied some white wool around it for a fancy touch.  


William went down to visit Kate over Thanksgiving weekend and took hers to her.  All her friends thought she should open it right away, but she (being the good girl that she is) said that she was going to wait so she could enjoy it in December.   She did marvel at how lovely her Advent Blob looks on her bookshelf.  It's  not everyone who has one of these in their dorm room waiting to be opened.

Anyone else make advent calendars?

Linked to Thrifty Thursdays at Inspired by Charm,
Show and Share at Just a Girl,
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

WISH Wednesday #4

I recently found the blog Everyday Lovely and fell in love with this gorgeous bedroom.  Cailan graciously gave me permission to use her photo in the WISH Wednesday series.  If you haven't been over to her blog, you should stop by.  Not only is her home lovely and her children adorable, but her photography is out of this world.

Everyday Lovely

About the room...  I love the golden yellow bed frame contrasting with the round teal pillow - who could ask for anything more than yellow and teal together.   The vignette is made complete by having the yellow and teal echoed in the vase with mums in it.  The stack of suitcases beside the bed are a lovely homey touch and I'm always game for lots and lots of beadboard.  


While this bedroom isn't specifically fall, the golden yellow colour and the mums in the vase give it an autumn feel.  You can see more photos of this room at Everyday Lovely.

Three Sisters Soup

I have always liked the First Nations myth of the Three Sisters.  If you haven't read it before you really should skip to the end of the post and take a few minutes to read it as it is well worth it.  The three sisters are Corn, Bean, and Squash and the story tells how they worked together and used their individual strengths to help each other.   

I remember hearing it for the first time many years ago and thinking the story had such nice balance and symmetry.  Not only does it teach about the virtues of cooperation, but the story encourages companion planting, which scientists have now shown to be one of the most effective ways to grow healthy productive plants.

In addition, when corn and beans are eaten together they provide a complete protein.  So not only does the Three Sisters myth promote good village cooperation and advantageous agricultural practices, but it provides beneficial dietary information.  How many stories do you know that can do all that! 

I was reminded of the myth when we recently took our friend who was visiting from France to see Crawford Lake, a 15th Century reconstructed Huron village near where we live.  Crawford Lake has a couple of long houses, a fenced palisade around the village, small plots of land growing corn, beans, and squash, and signs explaining how people lived including the Three Sisters myth (please note that most of the crops are finished for the year so many of the photos I have put on this post were taken last summer).

I was inspired to see if I could make some Three Sisters Soup.  When I got home I Googled some recipes.  I found a lot of variety in the recipes.  The recipes called for anything from kidney beans, to black beans, to pinto beans, to green beans and from corn to hominy.  I chose a recipe that used black beans and corn niblets since those were the ingredients I had at home.

The recipe I chose (you can see the original here) was from the Moosewood Restaurant Soups and Stews Deck.  I adapted it to suit my taste and ingredients so I'll post the recipe below with the changes I made.  

THREE SISTERS SOUP
Ingredients:
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2  onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oil
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (I used about 2/3 of a butternut squash)
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1 teaspoon cider vinegar 
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Method:
1.  In a soup pot on low heat, saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute until cooked.  Add sage and thyme and stir until fragrant.  
2.  Add squash, pepper, and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the squash is tender.
3.  Add corn and beans. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
4.  Stir in cornmeal until broth thickens slightly.

Serve with some tea biscuits or crusty bread.

It was so yummy and seemed like it would keep you full and satisfied all winter long.  Have you ever made this soup?  


Here's the myth of the Three Sisters (with many thanks to the Crawford Lake Interpretive Centre).  It is written as if it is being told to a young child in the village.

THE THREE SISTERS
After the men clear the trees, the women spend much time planting corn, beans, and squash.  We call these plants the "Three Sisters" because they work together to help each other grow.  I remember when one of the village elders shared a legend to help me understand how the plants taught my people how to cooperate, be strong, and live in harmony.

Many moons ago, the people were very hungry.  The creator sent the Three Sisters to come and live in the fields around the village.   

The oldest sister, Corn, grew tall and straight in the field around the village, but the hot sun dried her feet and made her suffer.  In addition, the earth grew less nourishing each year that she stood there.  Here sister, Squash, laid herself at Corn's feet and protected her by keeping the soil moist and cool.  However, it was difficult for Squash to receive any moisture.  Corn's straight leaves caught the rain and funnelled the rainwater to the centre for her to drink.  To help her sister, Corn relaxed the ends of her leaves to allow some of the rain to fall to the ground and nourish her sister.  

The third sister, Bean, was so weak and thin that she could not support herself at all.  However, she could do something very special.  Bean could make her own nourishment in the soil, and this food became very valuable for all three of the sisters.  Corn grew tall and allowed Bean to grow up towards the sun.  Soon all three of the sisters were growing strong.  The people of the village saw how these three sisters worked together to live in harmony.

Linked to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,
Fall into Fall - It's a Party at DIY by Design

The 12 Invitations of Christmas

A dear friend of mine went through a very tough time last year when she separated from her husband.  When Christmas time neared she was looking for ways to make it fun for her four teenage daughters, but she also had to do it on a significantly reduced budget.  Over a few weeks in October I helped her brainstorm what she could do to make this a memorable, but frugal Christmas.  


One of the ideas I suggested was to think of twelve different activities that she could do with her daughters in the period leading up to Christmas so the emphasis wasn't only on Christmas Day.  Well let me tell you she took the idea and ran with it.  


We Googled different activities in the Toronto area that were free or low cost and she had some ideas of her own.  She then texted each of her daughters with details about the twelve fun activities that they were invited to.  The texts were sent out to each of her daughters letting them know that these were invitations not expectations.  It was her hope that all four of her daughters would join her for at least one of the events and that she would have some time alone with each of them as well and that is just what happened.  


I recently asked her to remind me what they had done as I thought others might be in the same position that she is in and may want some suggestions, or some families may just want ideas of ways to spend some fun frugal family time together.  I also asked her if there was anything she would do differently and she told me that she wouldn't change a thing and hopes to do a repeat again this year.   Her daughters have fond memories of their outings from last year.   While most of my readers do not live in the Toronto area, you might still get ideas of things to do in your area this Christmas. 


Here are the 12 Invitations of Christmas (I've put details in italics about when these activities are being held this year):


1. Santa Claus parade.  The Toronto Santa Claus parade, which started in 1905, is a fun way to get your family into the spirit of Christmas.   Sitting outside for several hours definitly involves a good supply of sandwiches and thermoses of warm soup and coffee.   This year the parade is Sunday, November 20th, 2011 (you can see more details here).

Santa Claus Parade, Toronto

2. Swedish Christmas at Harbourfront.  The Swedish Christmas market includes food, crafts, and dancing.   Since Kensington market is only a short distance away, my friend and her daughter went there afterward for a warm drink and a little window shopping.  The Swedish Christmas will be on November 19-20th, 2011 this year.  You can read more about it here.

Elle Dub's Strawberry Social

3. Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Philips Square.  The Cavalcade of Lights is a free show including live bands and a grand display of fire works leading up to the lighting of the Christmas tree in Nathan Phillips Square.  This year the Cavalcade of Lights is on Saturday, November 26th. (you can find more information here).

Calvacade of Lights, Nathan Phillips Square

4. Attend the Salvation Army Christmas Concert.  Try checking out Christmas concerts outside of the downtown area for less expensive options.  For example the Salvation Army Concert at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga is free (donations only).  It will be held on Sunday, November 27, 2011 and you can find more out about it here.

source

5. The Christmas Story at The Church of the Holy Trinity.  This live nativity play has been produced every year since 1937.  While the church suggests a donation amount, you can pay whatever you are able.  Since Chinatown is fairly close it is a great place to get a bite to eat afterward.  The Christmas Story is being performed this year on the weekends of December 9th, 16th, and 22 (you can read more about it and order tickets here).  

The Christmas Story at Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto

6.  Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District.  This is a free event that has entertainment, treats, and handcrafted goods for sale.  The market is being held from December 2-18, 2011 and you can find more information out about it here.

7.  Drive around Toronto in pajamas admiring the Christmas lights.  It is a good idea to Google where the best light displays are (search "best Christmas lights in ---") as it changes year to year.  I did find this blog that has done a post on the best lights in Toronto for the past few years.  This outing definitely involves travel mugs of hot chocolate and treats to nibble on in the car.

Christmas Lights in Toronto 

8. A drive through Downsview Park's Trail of Lights. The Downsview Park's Trail of Lights is a 2 km trail through a forest with hundreds of light displays.  The cost is $10-12 per person depending on the day you go and it runs from late November to early January (you can read more here). 

Downsview Park Trail of Lights

9.  Have an at-home spa night and watch videos of when the girls were young.  Try looking on-line for ideas - check out this link for ideas on how to make your own face masks and scrubs.

source

10.  Watch Christmas movies and eat homemade comfort food - like chocolate dipped strawberries and drinking spicy tea.  If you are in need of some ideas of Christmas movies have a look at this list on Amazon.

IMDB

11.  Go caroling with your neighbours.  You could end up at home with a warm drink and snacks to finish the evening.

source

12.  Go tobogganing and have a hot picnic in the snow.   You can Google to find out where the best toboggan hills are in your area (well that's presuming you live in an area that gets snow - otherwise you will have to go for a walk together).  Here is a list of good toboggan hills in the Toronto area.

source

It is always worth Googling and asking around for ideas in your area so you too can have 12 fun Christmas outings.

WISH Wednesday #3

It's time for WISH Wednesday again (Weekly Inspiration for a Seasonally-decorated Home) and I've found the prettiest fall living room.  It is just the kind of space where I could curl up by the fire and enjoy a good book with a steaming cup of tea.  


I'm not usually a huge fan of the colour orange, but the shade they have chosen in this living room is a perfect fall colour.  I love that the decorations could be so easily changed for other seasons by removing the orange throw and cushion and the mini pumpkins and adding different colours and decorations.  I have to say that one of the other reasons I love this living room is the sweet little painting on the mantel.  

Country Living

What kind of living room decorations do you like best in the fall?