traditions | All Things Gwen

Posts Tagged ‘traditions’

Holiday How To: Baked Christmas Ornaments

December 27, 2010

This Christmas, my goal was to make homemade ornaments — for myself and for friends and family. The main reason was that this was our first married Christmas, and I wanted to do it up and have “stuff” to remember it years from now. That, and I wanted to give thoughtful, economically-friendly gifts that people could use.

Here’s the recipe for salt/dough baked ornaments. It’s a fun thing to do by yourself and with kids. You’ll need:
• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Rolling pin
• Cookie sheets
• Toothpick
• Acrylic paint – I used the $1 sets that have about five little multi-colored mini pots
• Paint brushes
• Puffy paint
• Glitter glue
• Ribbon or string
• Jewels, sequins
• Craft glue
• Triple shine spray

Place flour and salt in a bowl, add the water and oil, then stir until blended. Once the dough
holds together, make it into a ball and knead it with your hands to make a smooth texture.

Sprinkle some flour on the countertop and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Cut out
the ornaments with cookie cutters, design your own using a blunt knife, or shape dough with
your fingers. Use a toothpick to carve a hole into the top of the ornament to thread a string through to hang the decoration.

Bake at 250 degrees until hard — one to two hours.

Once cooled, paint and decorate. Thread a string or ribbon through the hole and hang the decoration on the tree or elsewhere in your home. Spray with triple shine spray, and you’re done!

These ornaments can be reused year after year. They are great for all holidays, just use different colors, shapes and designs.

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Creating Moments That Last Forever

December 2, 2010

The best things in life are so simple — to me, it’s moments and memories with family and friends. No one can take them away. They keep us forever tied to those who mean the most to us.

Family first
Some of the closest people to me are my cousins. Although half of us are in NJ, and the other half is in Canada, we are like brothers and sisters. My aunts and uncles are like parents to me as well. We spent weeks together in the summers and over holidays — travelling to Virginia, the Jersey shore, camping — and used to stay up all night playing cards, coloring and laughing. We’re the only ones that can laugh about how I flew off the see-saw, into the air and pretty much knocked myself out … how we found some of Uncle Paul’s (real) Easter eggs the following year … and how Sarah used to wear bright red lipstick.

Now that we are older, our time together has shaped how we want to raise our own children. I want my (future) children to have what I had … what I have. A close-knit family is something that my husband and I can always provide — no matter what the economy looks like or whatever else is going on in our lives. It’s a gift that’s free and lasts a lifetime.

Saying goodbye and moving on
A few weeks ago, we buried one of our youngest “sisters” — Margaret. It was a sad, sad day. So unbelievable, especially since we had just been together a few weeks before. She read at my wedding and was glowing — so beautiful, wise and grown up. It was something so unexpected, but the opportunity for me to grow and be strong. In my saddest moments, Margaret helped me do the things I was afraid of … and I did things for her that I am proud of. I spoke at her viewing, touched her hand, shoveled dirt on her grave and visited the place where she passed away.

Margaret’s death taught me to live life with no regrets, to be thankful for family, memories and moments. It reminded me how precious and short life is, and to live it to the fullest. During that time, I also learned how to let go and forgive.

I’m so thankful that shared moments together that will stay with me forever.

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Big Love

February 1, 2010

Over the weekend, Billy and I went to the annual “Meise Family Christmas.” Yup! It was January 30. A little late for a tree, Santa, stockings, all that — but that’s what makes it awesome. I love family traditions, and I love that I’m marrying into a family as crazy, fun and big as mine!

So this is what the Meise family looks like … Billy’s dad is one of nine, so Billy has 25+ first cousins. Add in significant others and kids, it’s kinda overwhelming. I don’t feel bad though, because my dad is one of eight and I have no idea how many first cousins I have. I think it’s harder for Billy around my family sometimes since everyone’s speaking another language, and there’s a lot of funky food. Sometimes he has no idea what he’s eating.

Anyway, I really love that we come from big families. And, I love that Billy values family as much as I do. It’s things like this that makes me love him more and more.

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