Last night, Martin and I packed up some homemade chili and hot cornbread and drove to the neighbors’ house for dinner.  It was so much fun – like we were going out for dinner!  Well sort of.  Our neighbors are elderly and so full of spirit.  They always leave me feeling energized.

We would be those really nutty people huddled around the fireplace with freezing temperatures outside.  I say nutty because, well, we all had big bowls of ice cream balanced in our hands as we stood there.

They gave us this:

As you know, we got snowed out of our house.  We got home really late at night, and it was so dark and cold.  Martin shoveled; I shivered.  That can that now lives in the tire house with us holds 2.5 pounds (over a kilo) of oatmeal!  It’s actually created and sold as survival food.

I still can’t quite decide… was this gift a joke or were they serious?

Some fun new personal journals are at Gadanke.  I had so much fun making these because I was thinking about our neighbors’ stories, my grandma’s stories that inspired Gadanke, and all the stories deep in our hearts, waiting to be heard.  Waiting to be loved.

These journals are {She} journals – the 1.1 style, and now they’re filled with all kinds of yummy extras.

They have their own name now:

{She:  Me, My Heart, My World}

I always wonder about the stories going into these little books.  Could someone else be journaling about survival food?

What do you think?  Have a beautiful weekend.

Around here?  I don’t know.  Maybe we’ll be having oatmeal…

I forgot what this time of year is like for college students.  I think Martin did, too.  He’s just about finished with some final projects this week.  We’re ready to emerge from this craziness!

At the same time, I’m making journals just as fast as I can.  (Thank you guys!)  My hole puncher makes an enormous KA-THUNK noise.  It serves as an incredibly haunting alarm clock if Martin is in bed while I’m working in the early morning.  Do you do that?  Wake up waaaaay too early sometimes?

Then my hole puncher makes his studies impossible in the living room during the day.  KA-THUNK!  KA-THUNK!  I guess that’s how it goes in a tire house (the rooms don’t actually have a fourth wall).  I’m making my schedule match his out-of-the-house schedule.

Last night we paused.  Just a little.  I wanted to capture it in my Christmas journal.

You know what I love about this tire house?  The fireplace.  That glowing square is the perfect little fireplace for heating up a little corner of the house.  Now we’re adding mugs of hot chocolate, and next, I hope to be writing to you with some of our favorite European cookie recipes.  Don’t those seem like the perfect addition on a cozy night?

I can’t wait!  Martin really wants to start with this one that’s been passed down in his family and translated just for me to keep passing down…. and passing on!

In the meantime, KA-THUNK.  Yep.  Martin is out of the house.

What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?  Will you drop the to do list for it?

This Christmas, I’m noticing the details.  Sometimes the holidays can become this big rush to create joyful moments.  Yet it’s the little moments that are captivating me, and I’m pretty sure that my Christmas journal from Gadanke has a lot to do with it.  Here’s a page from Sunday:

I’m trying to journal a little bit each day.  This entry is all about the moments… like getting snowed OUT of the house.  I’m one of those people who dreams and dreams her whole life of being snowed in one day.  My dream could have come true – if I’d only been home for the weekend!  Drats.

Left journal page:

I cut off the bottom of a red envelope to serve as a pocket.  I added some white stamped lace for a little texture and added the word “Brr….”.  Then I tucked in an article about  winter storms.

Right journal page:

This page is just about the little moments from our Sunday: first eggnog, wrapping gifts, holiday planning.  I drew a red box around some words that really captured the day.  I’m also writing down the location of the events.  Because we live in a rural community, we’re often in different towns for errands or celebrations.  And since who knows where we’ll be next Christmas, simply stating the date and “tire house” immediately places the memory.

What’s a simple moment you’re enjoying today?  Anyone else going crazy for that first cool glass of eggnog or mug of hot chocolate?

I wrapped Christmas presents yesterday.  This holiday marks our third year of wrapping gifts with greener materials.  So many products already contain such an excess of packaging.  I just can’t get over the idea of wrapping excess packaging with more packaging that’s all just one-time use stuff.

My goal with wrapping is pretty simple:  create no new trash. (Yes – I’m one of those people who saves pretty bows and all the gift bags we receive.  Then I repurpose them.)  It’s so frustrating to see the piles of trash cans waiting for the garbage man the day after Christmas.

Those of you who have A Greener Christmas ebook know the slew of techniques I love.

It’s amazing what types of materials you find in your house when you start thinking in terms of wrapping gifts.  Like the cardboard inserts that come with a package of undershirts?  My favorite!

The owner of our little tire house here left an abundant supply of brown paper bags in the kitchen.  I think the pile’s just grown from various shopping trips over the years.  Since we’re a canvas shopping bag kind of family, I attacked the stash for gift wrapping.

A pile of thick ribbons from family members’ craft room decluttering projects added the perfect pop of color.  We’ll be adding some {No Snooping!} gift tags once I get this picture snapped.  We have a world famous snoop who will not be getting any sneak peeks of who’s gifts are for who via Making This Home photographs this year!

Do you repurpose with your gift wrapping?

We’re chomping at the bit to discover…

will St. Nicholas visit the United States on December 6th?

Last year in Germany, we set our shoes by the door.  If kids have chimneys, they put their shoes there.  They sing songs and put a carrot or hay in their shoes for St. Nicholas to give to his horse.  It sounds so fun… unless (like is with a lot of old European traditions) if you are a naughty child.  You don’t get a bag of gifts.  You get put in a sack!

Last year, we found this in our bags:

Phew!  No going in sacks for us.

So what do you think?  Will St. Nicholas be stopping at your house on the 6th?  (That’s Monday morning.)  Sources tell me that the jolly Saint does indeed visit the US.  We’re on best behavior!

I just finished updating the About page here.

I’d say it’s a safe bet to no longer say that I am an expat in Germany… at least not always.  We’re more of a live-in-two-places kind of family now.  We have been since September.  It’s so exciting!

My next need-to-update is the Frequently Asked Questions page.  It’s ready for a lovely facelift.  But first – I wanted to ask for any suggestions.  Anything you’re curious about?  Anything you think others might be curious about?  Please leave your suggestions in the comments or send a tweet @makingthishome.  Hugs and handshakes all around!