snow day #2

It's a snow day today. If once certain child doesn't change his behaviour soon, this might be in his stocking next week. (Any tips for keeping one brother from smothering another?) In related news, I came across this post yesterday and really appreciated it. It's supposed to be hard.

I made some bread for my Dad on the weekend, and it was delicious. I may have started to doze off shortly after I took this picture, though, and the bread may have exploded over the sides of the pans in the oven. Just maybe. Regardless, it was delicious. I do love the light when there's snow - it's my favourite for taking pictures.

Yesterday when I arrived home from work, there was this lovely fluffy, light snow falling gently. It was perfect.

So on today's snow day plan, there's a bit of rescheduling due to the weather that I have to work out. I'm making my first tourtière, which we'll have on Christmas Eve, as I type. If you've never had it, it's a spiced meat pie traditionally served on Christmas Eve in many parts of French-speaking Canada, and it is delicious. Cinnamon and cloves, ground pork (and beef, in some recipes) all in a pie crust. I've eaten it before, but never made my own, and the house smells lovely. There's an excellent recipe and tutorial, including make-ahead instructions over here at Simple Bites.

I hope that you enjoy a lovely wintry Wednesday!

snow day!

It's a snow day! We're snuggled up inside (the boys went out to shovel and play this morning) and are happy to not need to travel anywhere. I made eggnog waffles for breakfast, and hot vanilla when they came in with bright red cheeks.

I looooove this Christmas post card, mailed from Estelle in Boston to 'friend Gus' on December 19, but I'm not sure of the year. The card design was copyrighted in 1912. 1912! The year the Titanic sank (and the setting for the beginning of Downton Abbey). Isn't that wild? There are embossed icicles on the top edge of the front of the card, and I just love that holly.

I mentioned the gingerbread house tutorial that Adam and the boys did last week - I took a few pictures one day as they worked away at the last step.

Thomas actually made a separate one using graham crackers, and, well, I really did most of it. He ate candy.

And yes, this boy with the graham cracker residue on his face will indeed be asking for those two front teeth for Christmas. He's inadvertently whistled a couple of times, and it is so very cute.

Happy Friday!

stars

Rather than focusing on how stressful the setting up and decorating the tree can be with kids (let's just say that we did cut our tree yesterday and it is lovely), I'll choose to dwell on these sweet little stars instead. (And make plans to have everyone else out of the house for a good portion of it next year.)

I'm sure that you've probably seen the little star garland made with clementine peels that's been making the rounds on Pinterest; I used one of the cutters from a Linzer cookie cutter set I picked up at Bulk Barn, and just used a needle and thread to string them together. They dry out pretty quickly, and are just so darn cute.

The other stars are beeswax ones that I made a couple of years ago; I posted a tutorial here. Finding the beeswax sheets might be the trickiest part.

One of the boys has his concert today, which should be just about the cutest thing ever (he's shown us his part a few times), and I think that a gingerbread house might be decorated. And if we can avoid any more broken ornaments and/or epic tantrums, I'll consider it a successful day.

Well, since I shared pictures from last week's non-Christmas-tree expedition, here a a couple I took on my phone yesterday.

the non-christmas-tree expedition

We had grand plans on Sunday to go into the woods on our new property and cut our Christmas tree. We have it picked out, the weather wasn't too wild, it was December, and the weekend. However, from minute one on Sunday, the boys were arguing, whining, complaining, and generally being disagreeable. Just one of those days, you know? So we made it all of the way in to get the tree and then due to specifically prohibited uncooperation decided that that was it. We left without our tree, and we're waiting until next weekend. (When, if needed, I'll go in on my own, cut it down, and carry it home slung over my shoulder.) So here are some pictures from the un-Christmas tree expedition of 2013.

 Anyone know what these are?

The little tree in the wheelbarrow is one we cut to put outside by the back door, with some fun lights on it. The lights part hasn't exactly happened yet. Adam cut some lovely birch for me, which is also in that wheelbarrow! I was going to make an advent calendar from one of them. I can't find a picture, but you just stand the log vertically, write the numbers down the length of it, and slide a beaded bracelet to the right day. But when I set them up by the back door and considered the kind of weapon they could become inside the house, decided to leave them just as they were.

A few other fun things I've seen lately:

I loved this list of 18 things everyone should start making time for again.

We've been burning an advent candle each evening at supper again this year, similar to this one. I found a lovely beeswax one on Etsy last year and am sure you could make your own. The boys love it. Candlelight is definitely an upside to the many dark evening hours at this time of year.

Adam's been working on making a gingerbread house with the boys, following this tutorial on Simple Bites, which spaces the project out over several days, and makes it manageable for after school hours over the course of a week. I love when projects are fun, not overwhelming, and kid-friendly. (And when Adam takes charge and does the work of it all, which happens a lot around here.)

Happy Wednesday!