Let the Holiday season begin

How did you spend this year's first advent? we started preparing the house for the holidays. Pulled out some favourite decorations, made the outside look pretty, planned Christmas activities all the while listening to the Vienna Boy's Choir create a festive mood. I also managed to put the finishing touches on this year's Advent Calendar, and just in time. This year's version features a mix of hockey cards and of course chocolate.

The Details? This IKEA fabric caught my eye last year, and I had to have it, as I knew it would be the perfect backdrop for an Advent Calendar. Add in some hockey cards, every 8-year old boy's favourite, and some chocolate, and voila, our 2015  calendar.

Giving Back

My Local yarn shop is the best. Really. Robyn, the owner, always puts a ton of thought into her window displays. Every season is welcomed with an imaginative, fantastic idea. There was the Valtentine’s display with sheep wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and chocolate boxes filled with little yarn-balls, the yarn-bombed bike, the Christmas tree made of yarn. It’s always a lot of fun to see what she comes up with next, and more often then not the knit-night group is also involved in the planning and creating of the necessary pieces. It’s so much fun to let your imagination fly and to see it all come together.

For this year’s winter display, Robyn is starting this wonderfully thoughtful campaign. She has asked her customers and friends to knit up a collection of Polar Bears. She provides the pattern and the yarn, you simply pick them up at the shop and knit it up. It’s a very easy quick knit. This collection of bears will grace her Holiday window display, after which she will donate them all to a children’s charity.

I find it is a great idea. It rallies this wonderful community of knitters, because ultimately we all knit for the love of the craft, but at the same time we always want our pieces to bring joy to someone. And in this case, they certainly will. I cannot wait to see the finished window display.

Christmas Abroad

As promised, I am back to tell you about our amazing trip to Austria. We spend three glorious weeks with my family. It had been more then 20 years since we celebrated the holidays with them last. It was a picture-perfect experience. The house, filled with laughter and chatter, the smell of the most delicious home cooking wafting through the air at all times. We feasted on traditional dishes and gorged on the most incredible cookies.

I was glad that Aidan got to experience a different kind of Christmas traditions. It was refreshing for us grownups as well. A celebration away from the hustle and bustle of shoppers and malls, from the pressure to find the latest, trendy gift. 

We instead were able to focus on family and togetherness.

I have always lived in a big city. I am used to being one among many, incognito if you will. Even living in the suburbs there is a certain anonimity that can be reassuring. But experiencing the holidays in such a close-knit community as the one of my family lives in, was refreshing. 

They live in a small village about 50km outside of Vienna. Everybody knows each other, helps each other. Every day, a new neighbour would call at our door with home-made goodies. (I suspect that we were also a curiosity to check out... the far off relatives, you know. ) My uncle, the beekeeper, shared his bounty with villagers as well. On Christmas eve we all joined in a little church ceremony during which our Christmas tree magically appeared at home, to the children's delight. They were in awe, their belief in the magic of the holidays renewed.

This Christmas will remain a cherished memory for our little family. I can only hope that we will have others like this in the future!

via Instagram

via Instagram

Happy 1st Advent

For our little family, first advent has always marked the beginning of the holiday season. This weekend we pulled out our Christmas decorations, started playing Christmas carols, and even managed to make salt-dough ornaments.

And, as I have done every years since Aidan was born, I made an advent calendar. This year's I am especially pleased with.

As I have found out, first graders are especially fond of Pokemon trading cards, so I decided to use those as my advent calendar fillers. Cheery wrapping paper and pretty tags helped complete the project. And finally my new chalkboard wall turned out to be the perfect backdrop. 

Aidan is already itching to rip open his first envelope.

Happy Advent!

Christmas is around the corner

Want to hear something scary? There are only 6 weeks left till Christmas! I know! It's almost here! Have you started knitting up your Christmas gifts yet? What's on your list?
I am hoping for a stress-free experience this year (HA! I know...), so I've made my choices, ordered yarn, and started.

My first choice? Foxy and Wolfie. The two girls I am knitting this for will look adorable in this hat. They certainly have the right personality to wear something like this.

Next on the list is a little lady that deserves something elegant yet playful, You have to agree that Ropes n Pearls qualifies. 

And last but not least a baby bonnet, for a brand new baby that I cannot wait to meet! 

All in all not a lot of things to make and easily accomplished in 6 weeks, were it not for a barely sleeping baby, homework, and other projects I have committed to!
Wish me luck...I can do it, right?

via Instagram

Advent Countdown

It's that time of the year again! The holidays have snuck up on us, the first snowfall has already happened, and the countdown to Christmas begins. 

Now that I have made an Advent Calendar for 3 years in a row, the expectation has been set, and my son started asking days ago when this years' will be ready.

I just finished setting it up yesterday, and I find that it makes the house look festive. We're slowly setting up our Christmas decorations and we have a few cookie baking days set aside, these also having been requested by my son. I have to say, I am pleased to see that the little traditions I started a few years ago seem to already be ingrained and looked forward to. To me it means that he will have happy memories as an adult and that is exactly what I was hoping for.

On a more practical note, I am starting to run out of ideas as to what to fill the calendar with! I started with a puzzle, went on to a Playmobil one, last year's was filled with activities, and this year, every day he will get to unveil a Lego piece. 
What about next year?

Ideas? Suggestions? I realize I have another year to come up with something....still....help!

Tell me about your Christmas traditions. Anything that makes the countdown special? Something the kids can't get enough of? I am open to ideas, so go ahead, share!

And A Happy Advent-time to everyone.

Snow day

Happy 2013! I may be a little late to the New Year bandwagon, but my family and I really tried to take advantage of every free minute we had during this break, and really disconnect.

As of tomorrow morning, we are back to our regular routine, daddy traveling, Aidan is back with his little daycare group, and I am off to my 9 to 5 job, and starting on a new KAL. I have once again joined in one of Shannon's KAL's. This one, being inspired by Downton Abbey. Anyone else a fan? I absolutely love it. My yarn has not yet arrived, and even though we are set to start tonight, I am hoping I will be able to catch up quickly. I have chosen to knit Imogen Cowl, by the talented Carrie Bostick Hoge using Quince & Co Tern yarn in seagrass. I cannot wait to get started.

In the meantime I have some pictures taken during our snowstorm last week. We were stuck in the house for a day and a half, and had to be creative to pass the time. Here's what we did.

Once the snow finally stopped, we bundled up, took the sled and camera, and headed out for some real fun. Here's what our neighborhood looks like now.

I have not forgotten about posting pictures of my Christmas gifts, I will get around too that soon. Until then, a Happy Healthy New year to everyone!

'Twas the night before Christmas

I am quickly checking in tonight, to wish everyone a "Merry Christmas", a most joyous of holidays alongside your loved ones.

The past few weeks have been a blur of planning, shopping and cooking.

We did manage to make our yearly visit to the Montreal Christmas Market, and I snapped a few photographs. It was a typical Montreal winter day. Freezing cold with a crystal clear, blue sky. We warmed up by huddling together on the train ride for little ones, with a glass of spiced wine (recipe here), and around the fire-pits that were strewn around the market.

Santa made his appearance and for the first time ever, Aidan was fearless, sat in his lap, and spoke to him.
We enjoyed lunch at a little french cafe around the corner, and headed back home. One of my favorite winter traditions we've started.

Perhaps, if I find some time during the holidays I will post about my knitted Christmas gifts. Now, I will go enjoy Santa's cookies and milk, but to be honest, I am thinking Santa deserves a glass of wine. Perhaps, this is a tradition that I will start next year!

Advent Calendar and accepting imperfection

There are only 10 days left till Christmas, as I have realized with horror, and not much has happened in way of preparation. Not nearly enough. I am hauling out decorations and feverishly writing lists of things still to do before the holidays. I will never get everything done in time!

I did manage to stick to one tradition I started 2 years ago (see here and here), I made and Advent calendar for Aidan. And that, at the last minute, by that I mean the night before the first of December.

I have been meaning to photograph it , however the weather has been so overcast on weekends, that I barely get any light. This is the best I could do:

  My favorite crafty blogs are full on ingenious ideas, and so is Pinterest, but due to the time constraint, I chose to go with a simple idea. Each envelope contains an activity for us to do each day. We have crafts, coloring, baking, singing. There are outdoor activities too, such as a visit to the Christmas market (another yearly tradition) and a trip downtown to admire the decorations.

Aidan has really thrown himself into the Christmas spirit this year, making sure the activities are followed and done the way he believes Santa would like them done.

Seeing him so happy and filled with anticipation, I stress a little less, as I realize that it does not all have to be perfect. He does not care if the decorations match, or the wrapping is "professional", or there are three types of cookies instead of ten, or the house is immaculate. He is perfectly content making his Christmas crafts, while humming carols, and correcting me, when I incorrectly sing along in french!

So tonight, even though my list is still long, I will pour a glass of wine for my husband and I, and we will curl up on the couch to watch a Christmas movie, and glance occasionally at the slightly lop-sided Christmas tree in our living room.

The list will still be there tomorrow morning!

Compassion

A few weeks ago, something my son did, gave me pause. His cousin had hurt herself, and was crying, but he was completely unimpressed, concerned with continuing the game he was playing.

It made me wonder. Is compassion something you are born with? Is it something that can be taught? To be honest I was bothered by the fact that he did not go up to her to check if she was all right, to try and comfort her.  

In speaking to my friends that also have kids the same age, I was given examples of children reacting the same way, but also of children that are very concerned with the well-being of others. I probably over-analyzed the situation, but I could not let it go.

So my husband and I spoke about this subject at length, and decided that even tough some people may be more sensitive to the needs of others, this sort of attitude is certainly something that can be taught. But how to approach this subject with a 5-year old child?

The perfect opportunity presented itself to us, when my husband was approached by a work-colleague who is a spokesperson for "Samaritan's Purse". It is a wonderful organization with multiple initiatives. One of which focuses on providing kids all around the world with some joy around the holidays.

We chose to fill 2 boxes  one for a boy, and another for a girl. We explained to Aidan that not all kids are as fortunate as he is, that oftentimes parents are unable to give their children everything they need, no matter how hard they try.

Then, this weekend we went shopping and involved him in the choices, and I was glad to see that he was into it, asking questions and maybe even pondering this newly learned information.
I have always talked about how important family traditions are to me, and I think we have found a new one. We plan on packing these boxes each year, to make Aidan a part of the process and make sure that he learns to be loving, considerate and compassionate.

How about you? Any such traditions in your family? Have you ever had your child react in a way that has made you wonder about values and how to teach them? I would be curious to know!

Christmas is coming

I am not a winter person. Not even a little bit. Countless times I've said that come November I could barricade myself inside the house and not leave again until April. With one exception, Christmas.

I find the time starting with the first Advent enchanting. It's the first snow, the decorations, the smell of freshly baked cookies, the hot chocolate, spiced wine, roasted chestnuts and all the anticipation. Granted, it's hard to avoid the commercialization of the holidays, but it's ultimately up to each and every one of us to set limits, to make them special, to remind ourselves of what it's all about.

So I'm starting my own family Christmas traditions.

Because one of my most cherished treasures from childhood is an Advent calendar my grandmother had, I've decided to make one for A. myself.

He's only three years old, so my choices were somewhat limited. I thought for the first year I'll keep it simple. So I bought a 25 piece puzzle (I realize 24 would be the correct number, but it's not that easy to find), with a theme we're currently fascinated with (pirates), envelopes, foam snowflakes, string, clothespins, threw in some chocolate, and....voila!

I cannot wait to start building memories with my own little family, and can only hope that when my son is an adult he’ll have fond recollections of these times.