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Another Giving Christmas

My friend Karly from Paisley Roots has a series called A Giving Christmas in which I participated last year.  I was really excited to hear she was doing it again this year and quickly jumped on board.  This is a good time of year to remind our kids (and ourselves) about the spirit of giving.

Since Bean is three and a half and still into animals, I thought we’d tackle another easy bird feeder.  Last year’s was a big hit and she really seemed to get that we were doing something kind for the birds.  There’s a lot of talk about being kind this year (it’s tough being three years old) so I thought it’d be a great way to emphasize the point.  She has teachers this year so I thought it’d also be a gift that she could make to give to her teachers.  We used most of the recipe found here from Salt Water Kids.  **Spoiler Alert**

It did not end well for the birds, hehe.  After letting the bird feeders dry overnight they just sort of crumbled when we took them out of the molds.  I cannot blame the original recipe at all…

…because of course I switched up some of the ingredients and I’m certain that was the issue.  I didn’t use flour or corn syrup and used peanut butter instead.  Looking back I think the flour and corn syrup must act like a glue.  I was hoping the peanut butter and gelatin would be enough to hold them together, but alas.

Now, I could have just posted a few cute pics of Bean making these ornaments and then pretended everything went off without a hitch, but that would probably be the opposite of what this series is intended to be, hehe.

This was the first time I’ve let Bean make something where she got to put in all the ingredients and stir and do it all herself.  I am a bit of a control freak about our kitchen, but we did these outside in our not-quite-finished-but-completely-sealed-in-so-a-couple-of-space-heaters-do-the-trick-new sunroom so I let her take control.

And she LOVED it.  She did a great job with all of the steps and was really careful about keeping each ingredient in the bowl.

It’s easy to miss these moments when we’re rushing through life and don’t take the time to stand back and watch.

It’s easier for me to just do things quickly myself rather than have Bean help out, but I can see it’s important to her that I let her participate sometimes.

In the coming year I’m sure I’ll need reminders to stop, slow down, and let her help but for sure this was a teaching moment for me.  Just watching how excited she was (mixed with a sort of disbelief) that I was letting her do it all was really fun.

Even though we’ll have to regroup and try a different approach to the bird feeder recipe (cause again, it’s more fun to try to make up your own recipe), this wasn’t really a fail at all.  I gave Bean the reigns and she gave me a bit of perspective.  So in the spirit of giving we sort of hit the mark, right?  Do you guys have traditions at your house that help keep you grounded this time of year?  I’d love to hear them!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jaime Johnson

    December 8, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    I am the same way – I try to let them help but it's a lesson I need reminding of often. She's adorable and fails are good lessons too. You just gotta keep trying. ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. J W

    December 8, 2014 at 10:28 pm

    yep the corn syrup must be much stronger than peanut butter could ever be. she looks so excited!!

    Reply
  3. Donna Wucherer

    December 8, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    Savor these moments, Ajaire. You will never get them back. A little mess once in a while will pay big dividends in the future. Looks like she had a great time!

    Reply

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I made some new step outs for the Larry the Lion c I made some new step outs for the Larry the Lion class Iโ€™m teaching at @sewspecialinc this week, so I thought Iโ€™d finish up this girl who was made up of my previous ones. Sheโ€™s perfect for Valentines Day ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•

#funkyfriendsfactory #shannonfabrics #shannonfabricscuddle
Instagram post 17881763630739525 Instagram post 17881763630739525
What she lacks in skills, she more than makes up f What she lacks in skills, she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€
Best nine pics of the year ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’• Best nine pics of the year ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•
Some great reads in 2022! This year I listened to Some great reads in 2022!  This year I listened to a few (maybe four or five?), but still primarily read them with my eyeballs. ๐Ÿ‘€

(I have too many podcasts I enjoy to actually find the time for listening to great novels ๐Ÿ˜†)
If youโ€™re going to get a chili relleno on cape c If youโ€™re going to get a chili relleno on cape cod it might as well be in a quahog ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•

Great experience @anejomexican tonight.
It looks cold, but was actually quite warm on my w It looks cold, but was actually quite warm on my walk this morning ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•

#parellosoncape
This girl doesnโ€™t hesitate to jump in (literally This girl doesnโ€™t hesitate to jump in (literally) with both feet. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•

#parellosgotoma
Merry Christmas ๐ŸŽ„๐Ÿ’• Merry Christmas ๐ŸŽ„๐Ÿ’•
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I've always loved making. At an early age I started cross stitching and sewing and I taught myself to knit and crochet during college. When our seven year old daughter Bean was born I was filled with all sorts of inspiration, so now I find ways to manage my crafty time and treasure those moments. Though sewing is what I'm most passionate about these days, there's something about the portability of yarn crafts and embroidery that keeps drawing me back in. Read Moreโ€ฆ

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