Every year at work (Christian Book Distributors), a fellow workmate of mine asks for help to stuff stockings that she will then donate to the American Red Cross. I have never done this before (this is my second holiday season with the company, but looking to stay permanently). Anyway, I asked for two stockings so that matt could stuff them for a community service project. Need to prove to our new Superintendent in town that we actually do things outside the house.

We hit our local dollar store and the dollar section at Target to getthe stuffing stuff. Matt had a blast picking out the stuff for the boys stocking, while I picked out the stuff for the girls stocking. He had no clue (or interest) in getting the stuff for the girls.

The stockings

The stuff for inside

Stuffing the boys stocking

Stuffing the girls stocking

Posing with the stockings. (don't mind the mess of paint cans and canning jars. LOL)

Every year, we try to think of some way to count down the days to Christmas. We have done paper chains, marking on a calender, to even getting these cardboard countdowns that have a piece of chocolate behind the 24 doors.

Well, this year I planned on trying something different. Originally it was going to be a wreath (and it still may be one later on) but I haven't had the time (or the nerve) to hit the craft store. So, we are putting these on our Christmas (Yule) tree instead.

I took Christmas themed card board photo matting and an ornament shape and created  "ornaments".

There are 24 ornaments total, one for each day for the Holiday countdown. On the back of each orament, is an activity to do. Some are as simple as watching a holiday movie, but others require more work such as making a gingerbread house. Here is our activit list:

1, Decorate the house and listen to holiday music

2. Take a holiday picture in front of the tree (we do this every year and put this photo in our Christmas cards)

3. Read a holiday story

4. Make gingerbread men cutout ornaments (made from craft foam)

5. Learn and sing holiday songs

6. Watch a holiday movie

7. Make out cards and mail them

8. Make a gingerbread house or tree

9. Make wooden snowflake ornaments

10. Read a holiday story

11. Build a snowman

12. Bake cookies

13. Make a gift for Papa

14. Watch a holiday movie

15. Make toys for Gracie (our cat)

16. Make a gift for Grumma (my mom)

17. Make salt dough ornaments

18. Make Hot Cocoa Mix

19. Make popcorn garland (first day of our Yule celebrations)

20. Read about the Winter Solstice

21. Make suet forthe birds

22. Watch a holiday movie

23. Bake cookies

24. Drive around and look at lights. Come home open one gift (always jammies for that night) and listen to "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

We have duplicated some activities ebcause we enjoy those. I always love adding a holiday movie to our growing collection every year.  Some other activities you could do would be donating used winter coats to a charity, donating toys to Toys for Tots (I haven't seen any of these bins around at all yet this year). Matt helped the workers at our local Build-A-Bear stuff animals to give to Toys for Tots. He was actually happy to not bring them home. So nice seeing as we have like 20 already. LOL.

So what kinds of things are you doing to make this month more meaning full instead of material?

I know I am a bit late posting this. Between homeschooling, working, fixing up the house and having tendonitis (which hurts big time) in my right elbow, I haven't had time to get on and do anything. I have to save my arm for work.

So anyway, here is my Halloween (Samhain as we call it) post.

This year I made Matt's costume. Mostly because I was short on cash and didn't feel like spending a ton of something that will be worn once. Matt wanted to be an "Army Man" so I bought some camo polar fleece and using a pajama pattern I already had, I made him his costume. He actually wore it all week long and to bed last night. Did I mention that it was nice and warm out so Matt was starting to sweat a little.

Note the camo socks. He said he had to be all camo. Like anyone would see those under his work boots. hehe

He stretched the neck out a little to much it seems. I borrowed the hat from a friend as I couldn't find an army hat anywhere. I did find one last night however. LOL

As tradition, we carve pumpkins every year. Normally we have them already done by this time, but I have been super busy, so we didn't get any until last night. Steve grabbed this huge one for Matt to carve (with his help of course) but as soon as they pulled the top off, they saw it was all rotted and nasty inside. So much for roasted pumpkin seeds this year. So Matt drew a face on it instead.

Love those "angry eyes" hehe

So, I head off to work as I "thought" I couldn't get it off. I fight traffic all the way there (did I mention I live near Salem, MA and that this is the one night a year the city shuts down and traffic is horrid it makes mall traffic during Christmas time look like a Sunday drive?)

So anyway, I get into work with 10 min to spare and I am walking over to my desk while my super is giving me this odd look. I look at her and go "what's up?". She was like "I thought you had tonight off?". I was like "No, I requested it off, but I was put on a waiting list.". She goes "I could have swore you had tonight off". She looks up my schedule (which is on a pain in the ass to access computer program) and said "Yup you have it off. You used blah blah for your time off." (I forget the acronym but it is for these special hours that everyone was allowed to use to take some time off because the company has so many people right now). So I was like "oh cool." She goes "Do you want to work tonight?" and I go "Not really." So she goes "Get out of here then with a chuckle." I love my super hehe.

So, getting home was easier as I was driving away from Salem traffic and I get home (after stopping at McDonalds first) with about 15 minutes to spare before the sun fully set. Steve was involved in some battle against skellys on his Puzzle Pirates game, so I started trick or treating without him. Matt and  I did most of the route before Steve finished his fight (or 15 fights as it took forever for the people to beat these 50 skellys).

Around 8pm or so, Matt was getting tired. He said his foot hurt (it probably did) but when he said "This is the last house" when we were three streets away from our house, I knew he was tired. So we get home, and like always, I sorft through his candy, with his help, to find any opened or homemade (which I haven't seen in years) or any recalled candy. There was only one piece that needed to be thrown out.

So while I finished watching "Ghost Hunters Live", Matt went into bed and watched the "Goosebumps" marathon that was on Cartoon Network. He loved them and said they were kind of scary (nothing scares this kid I swear).

Earlier in the day, Matt and I set up our "Remberance Table". Nothing like your 8 year old telling his friends we have an altar set up in the house. I didn't put anything on it except candles and the photos of our lost loved ones. As Halloween (Or Samhain) is all about remembering and honoring those we have lost, we looked through old photo albums and watched my passed inlaws on dvd. As we remembered each one, we lite a candle that would stay lite until midnight (although we did blow them out when Steve came out trick or treating. Don't need to burn the house down while we aren't there.

If you wish to learn the truth behind this sacred holiday, please check out this website: The History of Halloween. It was written by a pastor who actually took the time and did his research and found out what this holiday is all about and where it originated.

It is not about devil worship, we do not sacrifice animals or virgins, there is no "Dread Lord Samhain". Samhain comes from Celtic meaning summer's end. That is all Halloween is. It is the last harvest festival of the year. It is the end (or death) of one year. It is also known as the Witch's New Year for that very reason. It is also said that the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest. It is at this time when we are able to contact our loved ones.