Homemade: Sweater Weather

Back in October I finally finished my first adult-size sweater (my last personal project before the big Christmas push!).  I started it in a sweater class at my local yarn store and then found some lovely handmade glass buttons to finish it off.  It was relatively easy to knit, and though I'm actually not a big fan of the yarn (I felt pressure to choose it from a limited selection on the day of the class) and I made a few mistakes (like switching to the wrong side halfway through the sweater) I like my final project, overall.  And better yet, I feel more confident about taking on bigger projects. 

The deets:

Yarn: Karabella Windy 100% cotton

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda

Kind of like a Christmas gift to myself!

Homemade: Ruffle Socks

 Even if you're not that crafty, this is an easy project... you just need a needle, some thread, a pair of socks and a length of cute ribbon.  Like my knitting, I try to find small moments to do this handsewing: sitting at church, watching a movie, chatting with friends, sitting with Mayumi as she colors, etc.  A nice little stocking stuffer, don't you think?

Our Advent: Week One

I've been meaning to post this, but things have been busy!  We've been loving our Advent Calendar this year.  Inspired by my friend, Ginger, I added fun little outings, crafts, and service activities, along with some scriptures and songs to our daily devotionals.  Unfortunately I am not so on the ball as to have made our calendar... ours are courtesy of my generous in-laws. 

So far, some of our activities:

 Day 1: Painting pottery for gift-giving at a local studio

 Day 2: Working on our winter lapbook with our homeschool group

 Day 3: Visiting the Garden Railway exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden

  Day 4: Attending the baptism of one of my Sunday School students, Daquan.

Day 5: Attending a concert to hear my friend, Tony Award-winning, 2010 Grammy Nominee Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller sing!  Also, to see the lights and nativity at the Washington DC temple.

Day 6: Donating money to the Salvation Army and thanking the bell ringer. 

Day 7: Attending the Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony (brr, it was cold!)

Reminder: Last Day to Enter Furoshiki Giveaway!

Tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway contest to win a set of Japanese furoshiki.  To enter, leave a comment on the original post.  Don't miss the chance to score these lovely alternative wrapping options!

The Magic of Storytelling

Here is my (I hope gentle) response to M's post yesterday about the Santa Claus lie.

I understand the dilemma; I think I probably once felt the way you did.  But now I have a three year-old and everything is a bit different.  I'm starting (trying?) to see the world through her eyes.  And there is something magical about that world, about childhood.  It is a time of exploration, discovery and imagination, where everything is wonderful and anything is possible.

Santa Claus isn't a lie.  He is a legend!  He isn't about consumerism and commercialism.  He is about magic.  And love.  And hope.  Really.

There are historical origins of the mythical man - a folk legend but has roots in several different personalities through Europe.  But more than that, he is an important part of the ritual and tradition of Christmas.  Yes, to many he has come to symbolize the greed and materialism that pervades our culture and extractive exonomy.  But in truth he is no more commercial than the Christmas tree, Christmas lights, and Christmas presents.  Just as you can find Christian symbolism in those temporal things, you can find it in the figure of Santa Claus as well; a loving old man who is mindful of the poor and rewards people for their goodness?  Who performs a miracle (of visiting millions of homes on one evening and fits down everyone's chimney) and is filled with love and goodwill towards all people?  Santa is a good man, and embodies many Christ-like qualities - the perfect role model at Christmas time!

The thing is, Santa Claus is a great story, along with stories about fairies and little pigs and easter bunnies.  I think if you play your cards right, you can make Santa Claus reflect the values that are important to you and you can navigate away from Christmas being all about presents and greed.  Make it about faith.

So you know where I stand.  I don't advocate making Santa the center of the season, but he is a wonderful addition to the magic and mystery and joy that should be inherent at this time, no matter what your faith and religious beliefs are.  I know you want Christ to be the center of the holiday, but remember that Jesus understood the power of a good story and often taught in parables.  Perhaps Santa's story could be one of those parables, no?

In our case, Mayumi is love with the idea of Santa but the actual person is a different matter... notice the look of concern on her face?  Big jolly bearded man in a red suit?  Might be better left to the imagination!  (But after she received some candy from Mrs. Claus she changed her tune...)

Bah Humbug

Some are going to call me a Scrooge for what I'm about to write, but I'm writing it anyways because I'd like to know your honest thoughts.

I don't want to lie to my kid(s) about Santa Claus.

I don't want to tell them this jolly old man will bring them presents if they're nice, but not if they're naughty. I don't want to bribe them. I don't want to make the focus on presents when it should be on Christ.

Besides the fact that lying is wrong and that Christmas is completely over-commercialized, I don't want teach my kids about Santa because I really and truly think he shouldn't be a part of Christmas. When we give gifts, we are following the example of the wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. When we volunteer at the soup kitchen or participate in a Sub-for-Santa, we are following the example of the Savior, who served the poor and needy. Where and why does Santa come in?

Instead of teaching children to have good behavior so they can get lots of presents, we should be teaching them that their charity and love towards others is the gift they can give in honor of Jesus's birth day.

I told my husband that if he wants to lie to our children, he can, but I'm having nothing to do with it. He thinks I am cruel and will ruin my daughter's childhood, along with the childhoods of many other kids when Olive breaks the news to them that Santa isn't real. She'll only be 11 months old this Christmas, so I really won't have to deal with this issue for at least another year, but I guess it's not too early to start thinking about it.

How do you handle this issue with your children?

(*stay tuned tomorrow for MamaQ's response!)

{this moment}

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama).

a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember.

if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

Have a lovely weekend!

Don't forget to enter the furoshiki giveaway HERE.  You have until December 8th to enter and win a lovely set of Japanese furoshiki!

Deal of the Day! $5 Off Your $5 Purchase at Hallmark!!

I just sent off our Wabisabi Mama to the airport a couple of hours ago so she can enjoy the Christmas holiday with MamaQ & family. A few tears were shed on the car ride home - we'll miss her so much!! When are we going to get the family compound together?



Anyway, I thought I would soften the sadness with a fun deal. If you are heading out shopping in the next few days, check out if you have a Hallmark Gold Crown retailer in the area. If you do, print out this coupon for $5 off your total purchase. You may want to call ahead to your store to see if they are participating in this promotion. I wouldn't waste a trip just for this but if you are doing some shopping anyway, you may be able to score something free or close to free with this coupon like wrapping paper or an ornament. Check out the deal HERE! I was so disappointed that I missed this deal last year so I hope I can score something fun this weekend!!

Happy Shopping!!

Note: You may have to be signed up as a rewards member to do this which I am guessing you can do in the store or HERE online.

The Family Compound

The past few months have been a whirlwind of various members of the family coming for a visit.  And it has been wonderful! 

Mom was here from Japan (for two whole weeks!):

Nana, a retired elementary school principal, was visiting from Boston:

Not only did I benefit from having an extra set of hands around (the lawn got reseeded, clothes got sewn, dishes got washed, meals got cooked) but Mayumi flourished under their attention and loving care.  Every night I would get into bed and feel so thankful and I would ask Mr. Q "Why do we move away from our families?"

Seriously, why do we?  Why do my best friends (aka my sisters) live on the other side of the country and my mom on the other side of the world?  Why does it take us 9 hours to drive to see my in-laws? 

I don't think we were intended to live all by ourselves in our little family units.  Yes, we have found a wonderful community here full of loving, supportive friends and neighbors, but nothing compares to the helping, kind hands of a grandparent, or the bedtime stories told by a favorite Auntie, or playing with your cousins.  Am I the only one who wants to live next-door to my entire family on some sort of farm compound? 

I used to be a bit critical of those high school friends of mine who never left the town they grew up in and lived down the street from their parents (sorry, so sorry!).  I was destined for cosmopolitan adventures.  And apparently a lot of loneliness and frustration, I suppose.  I envy those of you whose parents are a regular part of your children's lives.  If we can make it happen one of these days, we will.

In the meantime, Baba come back!  We miss you!

Giveaway: Furoshiki

Our December Giveaway is a set of furoshiki.

Wait, you don't know about furoshiki?  That's okay, but once you know, we expect you to help spread the word!  Furoshiki is the Japanese art of wrapping gifts with cloth.  It is beautiful, super eco-friendly and a perfect answer to all your holiday wrapping needs.

Below are several ways to fold a furoshiki around an object (courtesy of infomapJAPAN).  For more folding ideas, check out this site.

For our giveaway this month we are giving away two sets of furoshiki folding cloths.  To enter, simply leave a comment by 8pm EST on December 8th.  We'll select two winners and send your goods to you ASAP so you can be prepared for the holidays!