Sweet thoughts for friends and family…

Growing up in the south hand made gifts at Christmas were the most valued.  One neighbors cookies, another’s ornament, and another’s spiced cider.  Receiving of these gifts was an act of acceptance of kindness and love that the giver had toiled over with thoughtfulness and care.  Hand made was the way we expressed our gratitude for each other.  Filling our home with unique goodies to share and enjoy was a big part of the Christmas spirit in our home. It isn’t the expense, or the niceties; rather the thought and the gift of sharing.

Do you have a specialty to share with your friends and neighbors?  Being in constant transition over the last decade, I admittedly have been inconsistent in my hand made gifts.  However, I do love to take a weekend to create something meaningful and special to me to share.  I almost always create a homemade simple syrup that is perfect for that special baked good, cocktail or mocktail, or coffee.  Wrapped up tight with a recipe of delight, this is my favorite gift of the season.  Often I find a sugary body scrub and a bath salt to be just what my friends and family long for or a jar of our chocolate bites - a special treat just for them to enjoy.  So this is my year, my year to get back in the saddle.  Will you join me? I know you have something your family has always enjoyed that you could share with your friends and neighbors.  What is it?

Not going to get to the “hand-made” part this year?  I get it, been there more than I care to admit.  Young living is one of my favorite companies to snag bath bombs, scrubs, and pampering product from.  Packaged up in a special bag with a little note, every friend will love it.  Here are some favorite combos…

Fireside snuggle:

• Hot Tea bag (Slique)
• Lavender oil or sample (for a foot or hand rub)
• Gift card to book store/kindle

Home Spa:

• Sugar or foot scrub
• Lavender or Stress Away Bath bomb or shower steamer
• Lavender lotion

Comfort your spirits:

• Dark chocolate & Hot tea bag
• Peppermint Lip Balm
• Stress Away or Peace & Calming sample sleeve

PS…

I am still not sending Christmas cards, but gifts of love - I am on it!  You will have tune into my social media to capture our Christmas card picture and life updates lol!

Capture the essence of the season by sharing a simple hand made goody!  Go on, you can do it (in one afternoon of pure joy).  For ideas log into our hub and scroll through our recipes! Try typing “gift” into the search engine.  Each of the items listed above are logged in our library for you to customize, share, and enjoy!

PSS…

One of my favorite ways to capture the essence of the season and not get caught up in the chaos is something called the “giving manger”.  I have no relation with them, but I highly recommend it.  We love unboxing ours every year and filling that manger with hay sticks as we keep our eyes open for good we do for others.

Pro Tip:

Give from the heart.  Make your creation time (whether DIY something special, or creating that special packaging for something you ordered) fun and share it with a friend or family member.  Create together, experiencing the joy of the season throughout the process.  Ordering any of the above or snagging your favorites in bulk and then creating special packaging makes your receiver feel special too!