My Favorite Advent and Nativity Sets

Confession. I have been coveting one of my best friend's advent wall hangings now for several years. I know it's a sin, and I'm so thankful for the blood of Jesus, or I'd be a goner.

Anyway, I asked her to leave it to me in her will.  Isn't that morbid? The fact is...That advent was made for ME.  It matches my house and Christmas decor, and Pottery Barn doesn't make it anymore.  I scoured ALL the Internet sources for one to no avail. I had given up hope.

(Queue the radiant beams from heaven, and "Hallelujah Chorus" music)

Then, one Sunday, out of the blue, I received a gift. A very special gift.  It was my coveted quilt.  My friend gave it to me sacrificially, and ordered a different one.

(Queue Whitney Houston's "That's What Friends are For")

I feel blessed beyond words!

Here's what it looks like:

It has 25 pockets with a number sewn on each one.

Each morning the kids race out to open the next pocket and see what's inside.

The wall hanging has grommets across the top, and I made the board to hang it on.

I took a piece of wood and routered the edges.  Then I spray painted it barn red.

Next, I sanded the edges to give it that "aged look", and put on a coat of Ralph Lauren Smoke glaze to age it even more. (Love that stuff!)

I used my Cricut cutter to cut out the vinyl letters, and applied them to the board.

Finally, I measured the distance between the grommets, and drilled holes in my board.

I bought some inexpensive drawer knobs and attached the quilt with them so that I could easily unscrew the knobs and remove the quilt for storage purposes.

I think it gives the quilt a polished look.  I love it to pieces!

It matches my tree skirt, and....

our Wrangler stockings!

Alright, enough about my new favorite treasure.  Here are some of my beloved Nativity sets.  Remember, I've got a rustic, cowboy country house so nothing elegant would look right.

Here is one that I painted on wooden blocks when my son was still a toddler.  He could play with them to his heart's content and carry them around the house.  They are indestructible!

Next, I gave birth to my girls, and they like playing with stuffed animals, so I sewed them this nativity set.  I found the Nativity material online, and ordered a panel.  Then I cut the pieces out, sewed, stuffed, and voila!  A stuffed nativity set for the kids to enjoy!  Again, this is pretty indestructible. I put this one under our Christmas tree, and the kids love to play with it under the twinkly lights of the tree.

Here is a nativity wall hanging that was given to me.

Here's one that I keep in the guest bathroom.  It lights up, so I use it as a nightlight in there on the counter.

Here's another one given to me as a gift.  I just love its country cuteness!

I'm always on the lookout for new crafty looking Nativity sets!

Good Snackin' Food

Do you ever just need a bowl of something festive to sit out for guests to snack on?

Here's a quick yummy solution that you can make with your kiddos.

They're pretzels with cinnamon sugar and chocolate glazed over the tops.

Here's the "Tasty Kitchen" Link for the recipe...you won't be disappointed!

I also found another keeper at "Tasty Kitchen".  Our little town has the best Cinnamon glazed almonds at our movie theater.  The amazing aroma just about knocks you over with hunger pains when you walk in the door.  I tried this recipe for Burnt Sugar Almonds, and it was the REAL DEAL!  I'd make a double batch if I were you.  Mine were gone so quick, I don't even have a picture of the finished product. The bonus: They are SUPER easy to make.

I think the pretzels and the almonds would both make great Christmas gifts wrapped in cute little baggies.

Try some soon!

Part II: A Christmas Tree Tour

Welcome to your official guided tour of Nell's Christmas Tree!

Alright, as you know, when you get "real" trees, they are not groomed beautifully like trees from a tree lot, but I think their bushiness and asymmetry adds character, and fits in nicely with my homemade country tree look.  Some people have gorgeous, sparkly trees that have class, elegance, and the WOW factor.  You won't find that here.  Nope.  There's nothing shiny on my tree. 

Every ornament on my tree was either hand made, or represents a memory that we wanted to cherish forever.  Hanging the ornaments on my tree is like a walk down memory lane.  I love it!

When friends come over to my house, they linger in front of the tree forever.  There are so many ornaments, that you've just got to sit and take it all in, carefully looking at each one.

(Sorry for the bad picture...I wish I was a better photographer!)

There are strings of pine cones, red wooden beads, wooden spools, and fake barbed wire strung around the tree. There are also strips of homespun and bandanna material tied in knots on the edges of the branches.

Many of my ornaments are made of rusty metal.

These are some of the first ornaments I ever made for my very first Christmas tree.  They are all made of some type of dough...salt dough that we painted, gingerbread dough, and cinnamon dough that smells heavenly on the tree!

 Do you see that gingerbread man ornament up above? I originally made about 20 of them, but only have a handful left because late one night, back in the day when my old cow dog was just a pup, he snuck out to the tree, and ate every freshly made gingerbread ornament he could reach...and then he spit out the metal hooks.  I learned quickly to hang them up high so he wouldn't have the opportunity for midnight snacking!

This is my absolute FAVORITE ornament.  I will cherish it FOREVER.  My husband and I had been dating for less than 3 months when I invited him over to my tiny little kitchen to make Christmas ornaments with me and my mom.  This was his only contribution that day.  Now, 10+ years of marriage, and 3 kids later, it means so much more to me!  It has a special place of honor at the top of the tree, just below the angel.

Of course, our tree wouldn't be complete without LOTS of cow ornaments.  Although we raise beef cattle now, I worked on a large dairy through-out my college years.  I just love my cow ornaments.

Do you see "Shotgun shell Santa"? He's very popular on our tree.  Every redneck needs an ornament made from ammunition.  Also, I love my old spoon ornament.  It's amazing what you can do with old stuff!

Here are some more of my favorites.  My mom made the sheep ornament the one year that we had sheep.  My husband sold them for a handsome profit 8 months after we got married because he said that he was a cattleman, not a sheep farmer.  I loved those sheep, though.  Their lambs were so precious!

Do you see the fake barbed wire next to the bandanna star?  I bought rolls of it at the dollar store in the Halloween section a few years back, and paid $0.50 for it!  I think it adds a little something to my western tree.

Hidden deep in the branches of our tree, is my childrens' favorite ornament.  Do you see why?

I also have three little fake trees in the corner of my kitchen to hang my kitchen themed ornaments on.

I just love my little antique replicas!

I know that most people wouldn't like, or even care about any of my ornaments, but they are priceless to me.  My family will often point to an ornament, and then tell a 10 minute story that goes along with it.  It's like preserving the important events in our lives with little keepsake ornaments.  The entire Christmas season, we reflect back on warm memories of days gone by.

A Christmas Tree Hunt

Because we are blessed to live high up in the mountains, and because we love adventure, and because it costs a mere $15.00 for a permit, we cut our own Christmas tree each year.

Our pursuit starts in the fall.  While we are in the woods cutting firewood, we keep our eyes open for the perfect tree cutting areas.  Places that:

1. Are off the beaten path. (These are easy to find because the forest is gargantuan in size.)
2. get lots of sunshine...(Not deep in the woods).
3. have many of the type of tree we are looking for.

After we have selected the area, we cross our fingers and hope that the snow isn't too deep, and the roads are not closed so that we can actually get to the area.

 Here are the serious tree hunters...keeping their eyes open wide so they don't miss the perfect tree.

We decided to cross this little valley to see what was on the other side. 

Note to self: Trees that look small from across the meadow, are really giant sized when you get closer.

While I was nearly dying and out of breath from hiking over hills and through the snow with my five year old, my son was "frolicking" through the stuff.  Show off.

My baby said her legs were getting tired, so Daddy got suckered into carrying her on his shoulders.

That's much better. Look at her little smile.

From this vantage point, she can use her eagle eye to spot the good trees.

She's saying, "Go that way Daddy, I think I see one!"

 

I spotted "the one", and called in the troops.  Do you see how it's glowing, like a sign from heaven?  That's how you know. 

With careful instruction from dad, my boy started sawing at the base of the tree.

The troops are inspecting the job.

Now comes the hard part.  My poor lover has to drag it back to the truck.  We walked a long way!

Still walking. (Isn't that a beautiful looking tree?)

Now we load up the tree and put a tag on it.  We cut some extra greens to use throughout the house as well.

Stay tuned for part II: The finished product!

The Pomade Incident

Last night, Lover and I had a Christmas party to attend, so we hired a sitter to watch the kids. 

I was in the bathroom, curling my hair, when my 9 year old son stood right beside me and started to comb his hair.

me- " What are you doing?"

him-" I'm doing my hair before I go with Dad to pick up the babysitter."

me- "What?"

him- "Does this look OK? I want it to be combed up in the front."

I felt him to make sure he wasn't feverish.

Who was this kid, and where did my son go? My son has a ball cap on his head so often, that at times I wonder if it is going to need to be surgically removed from his scalp. It's his alternative to hair combing. He wears hats. Always. Period.

The only time he combs his hair is for:
a. church
b. weddings
c. funerals

So when he voluntarily went into the bathroom to "do" his hair all by himself, I nearly fainted.  Not only did he comb it, but he put pomade in it too!!!!

All I could think of was, "What's gotten into this kid?"

me- "Who the heck are you trying to impress?"

This was my fatal mistake.  He suddenly got all red in the face and gave me "the look."  I knew not to press him any further or he might regress back to his old ways.  I shut up immediately, but my mind was whirling with curiosity.

Was he trying to impress our 14 year old babysitter?

Was he suddenly caring about his "looks"?

Why does he want to be "cool" all of the sudden?

This one little hair incident might not seem like much, but I think I'm on to something here.  I think I sense a change in this boy.  I think....quite possibly...that he may be...growing up??!!

I think I need a tissue.

Feeling not ready for changes,

Nell

A Special Family Evening to Remember

Last night we loaded up the kids and had a very special date night with Grandma and Pop Pop.  They treated us to an extraordinary "experience" that  we would never be able to afford, and won't soon forget.

The night started off with a buffet style dinner at a fabulous restaurant and lodge in a nearby town. The food was Incredible!  Prime Rib, pork loin, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and the most amazing beef tenderloin that I have EVER experienced.  And I know my beef! It melted in your mouth and pulled apart with a fork.  I'm still dreaming about it. I would have paid a large sum of money for the recipe. I tried it all!  It was a feast like none other!

Then came the desserts:

little Petit fours, cakes, and pies...all for the grabbing.
And it was all in a lodge setting with roaring fireplaces, and beautiful Christmas decorations.  The night could have ended there, and I would have been utterly satisfied.  But wait...there was more!

Next, a trolley came and picked us up to take us to "The North Pole".

Once we arrived, we toured a bit of a toy "Hall of fame" where there was a showcasing of classic toys. They were displayed in the most exquisite way. Beautiful. 

Here was my favorite:

Every girl dreams of an Easy bake oven!

Next, we entered "Santa's Workshop" where the kids made toys for homeless children.  Pictures just don't do it justice. 

Here are the bears the girls made.

Next, the kids had Christmas cookies and snowman soup (hot chocolate).

Isn't this tree over the top?  It totally wouldn't go in my cowboy/ country Christmas house, but I was enamored with it, and wanted to take it home immediately!  It was a true work of art!

There was no detail left undone.  Entering the doors was like stepping into a fairytale!

Aren't these elf shoes cute?

After attending an elf class, and touring Santa's office, the kids got to have a chat with "the man" himself.

Side note:

Santa said, "What would you like for Christmas?" Do you know what my kids asked for? Virtually nothing.  Finally after some serious prompting, my son said, "winter socks".  The girls said they didn't need anything. Santa didn't know what to say.  I got the feeling that these weren't his usual customers.

You see, my kids know that Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, and they also know all about the real St. Nicholas.  He was an amazing Christian who gave most of his inherited wealth away to those less fortunate than he was.  St. Nicholas gave to others at Christmas time in the spirit of the one who gave his life for our sins. Jesus gave us the very best gift! (I know I just got "preachy" on ya! I just couldn't help it! LOL!!) My babies made their momma smile.  They know that it's not about the "stuff". They are truly little "givers"!

(I could have left that part out, but my blog is my journal, and I want to remember this stuff!  Besides, I've got to keep it real.)

OK...back to the story.

After we saw Santa, we went outside next to a roaring fire, and even got a glimpse at the reindeer stables while we waited for the trolley to take us back to the lodge.

Even though the rest of the stables were dark, we could tell where Rudolph slept.  His red nose lit up his stall, and gave him away!

After the trolley took us back, Mrs. Claus read the kids a story about Gingerbread pirates, and they got to color pictures.

The whole experience lasted until after 10pm, and it was quite entertaining!  The kids fell asleep in the truck on the way home...and I'm sure they dreamed of that magical place.

What a special gift for our family, and a special night!  The kids will cherish that night for years to come, and I know we'll all think of it often.