Finding my Christmas Spirit

There are people who live and breath Christmas and get all wrapped up in the excitement of Christmas every single year, and then there are people like me who usually struggle to find their Christmas spirit most years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-Christmas, but I think I am anti-stuff. I know that the giving and receiving of gifts isn't what Christmas is all about but I think it is what has been holding me back from really getting excited about Christmas for years now. I found this saying online, which sums up how I've been feeling about Christmas:

This year I approached Christmas differently and in the past couple of days, with the completion of some Christmas projects I've been working on, I've come to an epiphany. My Christmas spirit is not synonymous with hours in a mall struggling to find the perfect gift, but instead it is in spending the time to create things and carry on traditions. One of my favorite family traditions came from my Gramma Hunter who I miss dearly and who I have been thinking of a lot lately.

From the time we were kids, all the way up to our late teens, my Gramma Hunter made her 5 grandchildren pajamas. She would take the time to pick out a flannel pattern that she thought suited each of us individually and then went on to get our measurements and away she went, sewing her little heart out to make 5 sets of pj's every year. I know many people receive new pj's for Christmas, but I honestly think ours were the best. Of everything I received on Christmas morning, I always looked forward to my pj's from Gramma. She even sewed a tag in the top of each set that read, "Made with Love from Gramma." The last year my Gramma made us pj's, she struggled to figure out which pattern to give to each grandchild so instead of making a decision, she mixed and matched all five patterns in each of our pajamas. These mismatched pj's with one arm in one pattern, the other arm in another, the front different from the back and each of the legs also different, were by far my favorite set. I wore them well into my twenties and WAY past when I should have given them up. A word to the wise - once the entire crotch area rips in your pj's, it really is best for everyone that you finally give them up.

I am by no means as talented with all things needle work as my Gramma but I have found that making things for those I love to give to them for Christmas not only brings me joy, but it brings about my Christmas spirit. This year, along with finally making the burlap Christmas wreath that I had planned to make last year, I made my three beautiful nieces their gifts, and just as I did last year, I will be making the Christmas crackers that will adorn our Christmas table. The Christmas crackers I made last year were a hit, and I have to send out a huge thank you to my friend Katherine for giving me the directions on how to make them! Making Christmas crackers for my Christmas dinner table is a tradition that I plan to carry on for years to come. It's easy, they're fun to make and they are so much more fun for everyone at Christmas dinner when they're personal.

As promised (though a little late), here are the instructions and supply list for the Christmas crackers that I made last year and am preparing to make again this year:

Supplies:
1 - toilet paper roll per cracker (& two extras to help form the cracker ends)
1 - snap per cracker (available in packs of 12 at Michael's)
1 - small gift per cracker
1 - lotto ticket or small sheets of stickers per cracker
1 - joke or trivia question per cracker
wrapping paper
ribbon
tape
labels

I've allowed the toys which will be in my nieces crackers into this photo as they won't be reading this blog so I won't be spoiling the surprise. I will be removing them from their packaging to fit them into the crackers.


Instructions:
1) Cut a piece of wrapping paper which will span the length of two toilet paper rolls and will wrap around the roll, overlapping slightly
2) Place the following items inside your toilet paper roll: snap, small gift, lotto ticket or sheet of stickers, and a joke or trivia question
3) Place your stuffed toilet paper roll in the middle of the length of wrapping paper and tape the wrapping paper to the toilet paper roll
4) Place the two extra toilet paper rolls on either side of the stuffed roll and roll the wrapping paper around the toilet paper roll to cover it. Secure the wrapping paper to the stuffed toilet paper roll with tape.
5) Pull the two extra toilet paper rolls away from the main stuffed roll slightly. Take your ribbon and tie a knot around the wrapping paper in the space between the stuffed roll and the roll you've pulled slightly away from the stuffed roll. Make sure this knot is tight enough to secure the goodies inside your main stuffed roll. Repeat the knot on the other side of the stuffed roll. Remove the extra rolls, the ends of your Christmas cracker should have kept the roll shape much like the store bought variety thanks to the extra rolls on each side while you were tying your ribbon! I curl the ribbon to clean up the cracker.
6) Use a label to personalize the cracker with a name. And... voila! You have made your first personalized Christmas cracker!

No, they are not perfectly symmetrical like the store bought variety but they are made with love and humor.

We all have our Christmas traditions and ways of finding our Christmas spirit. As I embark on my new life as a soon to be wife, we will be starting our own Christmas traditions as a family. I look forward to creating those traditions together and taking part in them year after year. One my favorite Fenyedi family traditions that I hope to continue on in my new family is the mandarin orange and quarter found at the bottom of our stocking. Santa was apparently feeling rich last year and replaced our quarters with loonies and twonies, there was a revolt regarding the breaking of tradition. Poor Santa!

Here's hoping all of our friends and family near and far find their Christmas spirit this year and continue to spread Christmas cheer by passing on their favorite traditions. I would love to hear them!

Wishing you love, happiness and Christmas Spirit!
Lisa