Party “Crackers”

Party Crackers:

These are the tissue wrapped paper tubes stuffed with treats and little random prizes and always a paper crown. In several of the Harry Potter movies where there is a Christmas celebration–you’ll see a “Christmas Cracker” sitting by each dinner plate. You can buy them if you like, but they are simple to make so don’t be afraid.

Supplies needed:

Empty paper towel or tissue rolls

Colored tissue

Glue Stick

Small prizes like puzzles, stickers, tiny toys

Small treats like suckers, taffy or gum

Tissue paper crown–rolled and folded up

Curly Ribbon

Instructions

Wrap the prizes and treats if you want. Stuff them carefully in the cardboard tube.

Roll the tube in colored wrapping tissue. I used two different colors and left 3 or 4 inches on both ends. When you get to the end of the rolling, use a streak from a glue stick to keep it in place.

Tie each end with curly ribbon. Decorate the tube with more ribbon or stickers–or strips of tissue.

That’s it!

January 6, 2009June 28, 2020

King’s Cake

Kings Cake:

This can really be anything from a fancy bread, coffee cake, jelly roll or a filled cake. Traditionally, a dried bean or tiny toy baby was hidden in the batter or dough and whoever got the piece with the bean or trinket became “king” for the day. The King could expect to be waited on (within reason) and could make silly requests of his friends and family–such as–singing a song, doing a trick, dancing or making animal sounds.

I’m never that excited to have someone chip a tooth on a surprise in the dessert–so we put little charms on the glaze of the cake, that say things like “live, believe, laugh, hope, wish, love”—and I can’t stand for anyone to be left out–so everybody gets one.

Some people add color to the cake or frosting to make it more festive. One year, we made a steamed chocolate cake in a plum pudding pan. This year it will likely be spice cake in a Bundt pan decorated with gum drops. We’ll see…

January 6, 2009June 28, 2020

Tissue Paper Crowns

You will need a sheet of tissue paper–any color, a pair of scissors and a glue stick.

Fold the tissue over on itself until it is about 3-4 inches wide. Cut a point shape about 3 inches up.

Unfold it and glue the two ends together with a glue stick.

Ta-Da!

January 5, 2009June 28, 2020

New Year’s Goals

According to legend, a young man while roaming the world came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”

The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of living-kindness and nothing could be sweeter.”

Self-motivation without gratitude is impossible. Our energy is “sapped” when our entire focus is on what’s wrong instead of what is right with our lives. One of our greatest challenges is to live and love in spite of pain and disappointment…to find gratitude in the midst of it all.

Reflect for a moment on this beautiful quote from Melody Beattie:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”