Review

WEEK 1 - Gift Giving From the Heart
The book: The Littlest Angel
The craft: Wool roving angels (natural wool roving)
The recipe: Angel wings
The applique: An angel

Children are constantly learning whether we are aware of it or not. Think about this. How many times between now and December 25 do you think someone will ask your child, "And what do YOU want for Christmas?" A very innocent question, and one that is sure to get a response from even the shyest child. But if the conversation stops there, we are teaching our children that Christmas is all about receiving.

Many years ago, I was in a Community Bible Study, and one day the speaker made this statement... "Children are born selfish, we have to teach them to be giving." My first reaction was, "NO! Children are innocent. They learn selfishness." But the more I thought about it, the more I began to agree with her. Of course, babies are innocent, but they are also self serving... they have to be to survive. As parents we teach our children to care, to love and to share by our actions. Christmas is a perfect time to help children discover the joy of giving to others and what it means to give from the heart.

The lovely story The Littlest Angel, by Charles Tazewell is a wonderful way to share this concept with children.   It was first published in 1946 and has been in print ever since. It is a small wonder that so many of us grew up with this story! I remember the story from Christmas time when I was a little girl, and it was one of my children's favorites. Over the years there have been many different illustrators but the story has remained the same. Our well loved copy is from the late 1970s, and although dated, I love the illustrations.The version that is in print today is beautiful, though, and I've been tempted to order this updated copy!

The story is about how the Littlest Angel is having trouble adjusting to Heaven. An Understanding Angel retrieves the Littlest Angel's Earthly treasure box for him to help in his transition. Just as he receives it, the Christ child is born. In an act of pure selflessness, he decides to give his most prized possessions to the Baby Jesus. Almost immediately he regrets his decision because he thinks his gift looks so ugly next to the beautiful gifts the other angels are giving. But before he can become too distressed, God speaks. He proclaims the Littlest Angel's gift the best, because Jesus has taken a human form, and will be a human boy, and he will value the same treasures as The Littlest Angel. For the first time he feels like he belongs in Heaven!

I know in our family, we used this story to help spark discussions of selfless giving. I also love this story because when speaking about Jesus, we often talk about the babe in the manger or the grown man. We tend to forget the time in between. But Jesus was a little boy, too! It's a concept children enjoy thinking about!

BTW... To share the concept of giving from the heart with older children, share O'Henry's story of the Gift of the Magi. A young couple learns about the joys of giving when they both give up their most prized possessions to by gifts for each other.

Tomorrow... Wool Roving Angels 

Several weeks ago we added a new sponsor to our site... just in time for the holiday season, although you don't need a reason to visit her shop! The shop is Nicole's Homemade Treats, with Nicole being the candy maker extraordinaire. In her own words:

Nicole's Homemade Treats is an LLC operating out of NY. Everything is prepared in my fully licensed kitchen. My treats are prepared in small batches, to preserve the taste and quality of the product, and to ensure that there is no waste. I make only all natural, preservative free products, and use as many organic ingredients as possible. My products may not have the shelf life of store bought products, no worries! They won't last very long!

We waited to introduce Nicole's Homemade Treats because we first wanted to sample her candy. (Oh, the things we endure for our readers.)

A few days ago we received one of Nicole's samplers. All I can say is, oh Yum! Actually, that's not all I can say. I can also say mmmmm, and delicious, and WOW. Every nibble we took was wonderful. The ingredients all tasted so fresh, especially the nuts. The caramel was smooth and creamy and the chocolates were perfect. The real moment of truth, however, was when I tried her Pecan Cluster pictured above. Pecan Clusters are one of my favorite candies and when tasting hers, it was going up against years of collective sampling!

I am pleased to say, it was wonderful! Nicole claims they are large enough to share with others, and that is true. Each one is a full quarter pound! I would like to say I shared it... my thighs would like to say I shared it, but I didn't. Through the course of the day I consumed the whole thing!

Anyway... with a clear conscience and a resolution to share my next Pecan Cluster with a friend, we highly encourage everyone to bop on over to Nicole's shop and take a look around. Honestly, no calories are consumed by just looking! The candies are perfect for gift giving or hording :) Welcome, Nicole. You truly are a wonderful candy maker! 

Curiosity prompts me to ask... which candies look the absolutely yummiest to you?

Just received this month's copy of Living Crafts. If you haven't seen this lovely magazine, we highly suggest you check it out! This month includes wonderful blocks for knit farm mats, some lovely felted ornaments, incredible candles from nature AND a hobby horse, using a sock. Wee Folk Arts December's craft of the month is a hobby horse made of felt and a smattering of embroidery. It's fun to see how different people's patterns and interpretations can look. I should have ours completed by next week to give you a sneak peak of the pattern for you to compare. If your little ones do not already have a hobby horse, I think every youngin' ought to have his own stabled in the barn! Enjoy the mag if you get a chance to see one!