The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Raffia Bows
Inside: Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. Like trimming the tree with raffia bows.
Raffia Bows
I admit it–sometimes my creative juices have all dried up, and I’m hard-pressed to come up with something clever, original, beautiful, compelling, etc. . . For a lot of reasons, this accurately describes this year. (More on that later.) But as I’ve been playing around with crafty materials, I kept thinking, “simple raffia bows on the tree.” So, for lack of a better idea, I tried it.
And I kind of liked it.
Enough to use it for a simple Christmas craft post.
So here it is, plain and simple:
Take long wispy strands of raffia, and create a bow with long tails. Place these at various places on your tree, or for that matter, other areas of Christmas decor. Notice how the bow streams down, like a natural tinsel.
Pretty cool. Pretty easy. Something anybody can do.
Give your tree a natural look with raffia bows!
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Tortilla Cinnamon Rolls 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: My Ragtag Collection of Ornaments 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Nutballs 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Christmas Morning Casserole 2020
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Christmas Towns
Inside: We’re eight days into our 12 Posts of Christmas, sharing a few fun facts about Christmas towns from around the country. A future destination, perhaps?
Christmas Towns Abound
It’s likely you’ve heard of North Pole, Alaska, (pictured above), but have you heard of North Pole, NY? Or would you believe there is not only a Santa, Idaho, but also Santa Claus, Indiana, as well as Santa Clause, Georgia, and yet another town with the same moniker in Arizona?
And not only that, but we’ve got towns named after Rudolph and Dasher. (That would be Rudolph, Wisconsin, and Dasher, Georgia, respectively.)
On a more spiritual note, you can find two namesakes for that ancient little town Bethlehem: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Bethlehem, North Carolina. In my own home state, I discovered today, we have a town by the name of Noel, Missouri!
And how about the actual name of the holiday? There are several contenders: Christmas Valley, Oregon, and Christmas Cove, Maine, as well as Christmas, Michigan, and Christmas, Florida.
For those who love the symbols of the season, we have Eggnog, Utah, and Mistletoe, Kentucky, and also Evergreen, Alabama, and Holly Springs, Mississippi.
But regardless of these names both fun and fanciful, perhaps the best Christmas town of all is the place where you call home. And I hope wherever that is, you have the most wonderful, blessed, peaceful Christmas ever!
For more information on these and other Christmas towns, go here.
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Spending Christmas with Charlie 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Maple Walnut Fudge 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: A Couple of Misfits 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: The Write Gift 2020
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Holiday Scents
Inside: The Christmas season is the perfect time for holiday scents from these wonderful essential oil blends. Try one of these today!
Holiday Scents
Winter is the perfect time to diffuse essential oils, and what better time than the holidays with these festive blends to lend a cozy atmosphere to your home!
With the house shut tight against the cold and the furnace running so much of the time, I like to keep my diffuser going. Here are some of my favorite blends to celebrate the Christmas season.
Sweet Dreams
This is so nice to diffuse at bedtime with the sweet orange and lavender scents mingled together. Really nice!
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 3 drops lavender oil
Lemon boost
For lemonade fans. Lemon always makes me think “clean,” and the peppermint adds a hint of coolness to the blend.
- 3 drops lemon oil
- 2 drops peppermint oil
Winter Joy
I have diffused this a lot around Christmas. Frankincense has that ancient, healing quality, as the wise men obviously knew! Add in the sweet orange factor and the peppermint cool, and it’s a wonderful, uplifting blend to diffuse even after Christmas!
- 3 drops frankincense oil
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 2 drops peppermint oil
These festive blends are just a sampling of my favorites. While I’ve highlighted the aromatic qualities, essential oils are known for their healing properties, too. It’s a fun hobby to take up, and I enjoy experimenting to find my favorite scents. A good blend can go a long way in elevating your mood as well, something to be mindful of as we head into the post holiday season!
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Cutest. Sleigh. Ever. 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Christmas Literature 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: My Top Five Favorite Christmas Posts
Inside: Five years ago we started The 12 Posts of Christmas feature, so to celebrate, we’ve gathered together my top five favorite Christmas posts.
My Top Five Favorite Christmas Posts
After putting together the 12 Posts of Christmas feature for the last five years, I thought the time was right for a roundup of my favorite Christmas posts. Not an easy task by any means because I’ve enjoyed so many of them, and for different reasons. What follows is my short list of favorites, the ones that have just a bit more sparkle than the rest. Let’s countdown from five.
5. In Pursuit of Perfect Pines
Excerpt: Every year it’s the same–the search for the perfect pine. And in my mind’s eye, on the best will do.
Something without a bare spot. No missing branches. A vibrant green color. No dead spots or brown needles. Our assignment is pretty clear. We’re not some first-timers.
Why I love this post: There was something special about that day, even magical, out at our favorite tree farm. The sky was clear and blue, the air still, carrying the sounds of children running from pine to pine as their parents followed behind, deliberating. Which tree to choose? When I came home to write the post, it simply wrote itself.
4. Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments
Excerpt: So this year when it came time to decide our Christmas DIY project, Mom and I had something else entirely in mind. We had set out to make a garland with strips of cloth, but it seemed like the parts of the project weren’t falling into place, and we were running into time issues–that last-minute thing again. Fortunately she’d seen some homespun Christmas ball ornaments and thought we should maybe try that.
Why I love this post: I really like the way these ornaments turned out, and I thought they photographed well. I also like that even though we were doing this post on the fly, it all came together beautifully in the end.
3. Tortilla Cinnamon Rolls
Excerpt: Okay here is my disclaimer. These don’t taste “exactly like cinnamon rolls.” But they taste a lot like them. What’s missing is the soft yeasty bread quality of the real McCoy. But the buttery-cinnamon-nut flavor is all there.
I can honestly say that when I eat these, I don’t feel deprived!
Why I love this post: Emily (my daughter) took these pics, and I love how they turned out. I make this recipe a lot because it’s so quick, easy, and good. And I’m not the only one . This post is one of the top 3 viewed on this website year around.
2. Reflections
Excerpt: The Christmas season swoops down upon us each year, dominating our lives for a short while, and with it come memories, like snapshots. Here’s a glimpse at some of mine.
Why I love this post: The picture! A little background. . . This was our first Christmas without Dad, and some friends of the family decided to surprise Mom by dressing up and grabbing a surprise picture. It brought a lot of joy to us! Also, just the random hodge podge of reflections from that Christmas and how God can bring joy even in a difficult situation.
1. The Story of the Hillbilly Christmas Wreath
Excerpt: He [Dad] always wanted to do something big for Christmas, like put a star on top of the forty-foot silo, and I remember talking to him about decorating the huge pine in the yard of the two-story farmhouse where he grew up–“We could raise the loader bucket and someone could stand in there and . . .”
But we never did.
Dad was a dreamer. The doing part? Not so much. He had a dairy farm to run, after all, and between that and helping people, there wasn’t much left of him.
Why I love this post: The story is special to Mom and me, and the rest of the family. People snap pictures of the tire and pose in front of it, and over the last five years, our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath has brought so much joy to people. And this is the story of how it all started!
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So there you have it–my top five favorite Christmas posts! Grab a hot beverage and enjoy some holiday reading!
Merry Christmas!
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: My Top Ten Christmas Movie Picks 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Simple Wreath Ornaments 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Of Hair Combs and Watch Chains 2019