Felt Christmas Stockings

The Christmas stocking is a holiday staple for families with children.  Kids love to get up on Christmas morning and see what kinds of goodies Santa has left them!  Small stockings are also great for decoration, and they're ideal for holding small gifts to give to your friends and family.
Making felt stockings is very easy, and it's a great family project.  Here's how to do it:
What You Need

* Felt
* Cardboard or card stock
* Marker
* Scissors
* Straight pins
* Needle and thread
* White faux fur and other embellishments

Instructions

1.  Draw a stocking shape of the desired size on a piece of cardboard or card stock.  Cut out.
2.  Place the cardboard shape on the felt, trace around it, and cut out.  Make two pieces for each stocking.
3.  If you want to sew buttons, fabric or other embellishments on the stocking, it will be much easier to do so before you sew it together.  Just make sure to sew them onto the side that will be facing outward.
4.  Pin the pieces of felt together, wrong sides facing out, and sew around the edges with a sewing machine or by hand.  Be sure not to sew the top closed.
5.  Turn the stocking inside out so that the seams are now on the inside.  Decorate the outside using fabric paint, glitter, beads, or anything else you like.  Sew a strip of faux fur to the top if desired.
6.  Cut a strip of felt an inch or so wide and 3 or 4 inches long.  Fold it in half to make a loop and sew it to the top left corner of the stocking.

Letting the kids decorate their own stockings gives them an opportunity to express themselves.  They could add charms that reflect their interests and hobbies, make pictures with beads, or use finger paint to add handprints.  Tubes of fabric paint or glitter glue make it easy for them to write messages to Santa and add their names.

Scraps of holiday fabric are great for adding a decorative touch to stockings.  You could cut out shapes such as Christmas trees, angels, or reindeer and sew or glue them to the front of the stocking.  If you want a different look, you could even use a sturdy fabric such as canvas instead of felt to make the body of the stocking.

Making and decorating your own Christmas stockings is lots of fun, and it's very inexpensive.  Whether you're making them to hang on the tree, fill with gifts for friends, or place on the mantle for Santa to stuff, it's a wonderful way to get the family creative together during the holidays.

Christian Topic Of The Day

Topic for Today: Joy
Christ is not only a remedy for your weariness and trouble, but he will give you an abundance of the contrary, joy and delight. ~ Jonathan Edwards

Fall Comfort Foods with a Healthy Twist

Cooler weather is the perfect time for snuggling under the covers with a good book or your loved ones. It’s also the time most people think about comfort foods. Unfortunately, foods that taste good and provide a feeling of warmth or security may not be so good for you. This fall, try these comfort foods with a healthy twist.

• One comfort food men want is Meatloaf. While delicious, it can be full of saturated fat when you prepare it using ground beef, veal and pork. You can make this dish much healthier if you choose ground turkey instead. Don’t be afraid to try something new with this favored food. Salsa and Mexican seasoning can give your meal a whole new flavor. Rather than use bread crumbs to bind the meatloaf, use shredded zucchini or another vegetable which also increases the “health” quotient a little more.

• What better to serve with meatloaf than Mashed Potatoes? In some homes, a big bowl of mashed potatoes is a staple with many meals. Instead of using potatoes, give pureed parsnips a try. Parsnips have a similar consistency to potatoes but an entirely different taste as well as being a healthy alternative. You could also serve mashed sweet potatoes and ensure your family gets the extra vitamins offered by these root vegetables.

• Macaroni and cheese is another comfort food people turn to when the weather begins to cool. Using whole-grain pasta instead of white pasta will enable you to provide fewer carbs without greatly affecting the taste. You could also add steamed vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower or spinach – to the macaroni which will provide additional fiber and nutrients.

• Chicken noodle soup has been served to families for hundreds of years and for good reason. Scientists have proven that chicken noodle soup is a natural healer. Not only does the warmth help clear congestion, it has components which can be found in common cold medicines. You can make it even healthier by adding carrots, broccoli, onions and other vegetables your family enjoys.

• Fruit Crumbles are a wonderful dessert that is comforting. Choose in-season fruits such as apples, figs and pears. Use brown sugar, cinnamon and fiber-rich oats to provide the topping. Watch the amount of sugar you use and it can be a terrific dessert for cooler weather.

• Spiced cider is a soothing beverage to round out the day. Rather than drinking coffee after dinner, have a hot, steaming cup of spiced cider instead. Not only will the warmth of the apple cider comfort you, the scent from cinnamon and other spices will warm you on a different level.

Comfort food is important as it provides a sense of safety and warmth on a cool autumn day. Even if they are normally laden with extra fat or calories, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy them. Simply make some changes to the ingredients so reduce the fat content and make them fall comfort foods with a healthy twist.

Fall Picking: A Healthy Activity to Bond as a Family

Are you looking for a healthy activity to bond as family this fall? There are many choices available to you – tag football, bicycle riding, horseback riding and others. While some activities are great for the whole family, others may not be right for everyone. What if you could find something that everyone could do with the exception of the smallest babies? Keep reading to find out more.

One thing that everyone in the family has to do, no matter how old they are, is eat. If you are able to find local orchards, a fun and healthy activity you can use to bond as a family is to pick fruit. In many areas of the country you can find a variety of fruit orchards. If you don’t know of any orchards or are new to your location, head over to the pickyourown.org website. They offer a big list of places throughout the United States where you can pick your own fruit.

Many varieties of apples are ready to be picked in the fall months. After you’ve checked out the pickyourown.org website, or if you already know of some apple orchards, give them a call to learn their hours of operation, if they still have apples available and directions on how to get there.

Pears are another fruit that can be found in abundance during the autumn, depending upon where you live. If you’ve only ever eaten fresh or canned pears, you are missing out. Pears can be used in much the same way as apples. You can cook with them, make pear butter or bake with them and they make great a great jam. If you can’t find any recipes you like in a cookbook, take a look online. You’ll be surprised what you can do with a pear!

Persimmons are not available in all areas, but if you’re lucky enough to have them grow in your region, you should give them a try. Persimmons are a wonderful fruit that can be used in a variety of ways. Try persimmon soup – it’s delicious! Use them in donuts, cookies and salads or simply eat them like an apple. Remember, persimmons must be picked after the entire fruit has turned orange, otherwise you should be prepared to pucker up.

Pumpkins may be starting to appear in your local grocery store and you can certainly buy one from there. However, there’s nothing quite like searching a pumpkin patch for the perfect one. Small children especially enjoy this activity. Some farms offer other activities besides pumpkin picking, so you may want to check out several farms if they are available in your area.

No matter which fruit you choose to pick, make sure everyone dresses in lightweight layers so they can keep warm should there be a nip in the air. They will also want to be able to shed layers in case they get too warm. Comfortable shoes, a brimmed hat and gloves will also make for a better experience. If you plan to be out for several hours, don’t forget the sunscreen. Even though the temperatures are cooler, you still can’t get sunburned.

Once your family has spent the day picking out the perfect fruit, you may be wondering what to do with all this produce. Sit down with your family and decide how you want to use the fruit and then have everyone pitch in to prepare it. Not only is the picking a great activity to use to bond as a family, preparing the fruits and cooking them are also great bonding experiences. In addition, your family will appreciate the food more since they were part of the experience.

Christian Topic of the Day - Pride

The more godly a man is, and the more graces and blessings of God are upon him, the more need he hath to pray, because Satan is busiest against him, and because he is readiest to be puffed up with a conceited holiness. Author Richard Greenham

Love of God

Christian Topic of the Day

Incomprehensible and immutable is the love of God. For it was not after we were reconciled to Him by the blood of His Son that He began to love us, but He loved us before the foundation of the world, that with His only begotten Son we too might be sons of God before we were anything at all.

Stay Focused

 

This is quite a busy week for you, making it crucial to focus on the tasks you need to finish. But even if you try to keep your blinders on until you have made a dent in your list of things to do, other more disruptive forces are at work now. Accepting the distractions with a sense of humor reduces the stress. Nevertheless, extra concentration is needed today to keep you on track.

Country Churches Beauty

The beauty of old country churches.

Disappointments

Disappointments are just God's way of saying:
"I have got something better in store for you!" Be Patient! Live Life! Love one another and Keep the Faith!

Accept The New

Thursday, August 16, 2012 - Someone may step into your world unexpectedly today with an intense emotional outburst that doesn't fit into your idea of appropriate behavior. Fortunately, you are magnanimous enough to incorporate this unsettling experience, but you need to make a conscious decision to be compassionate rather than critical. A great adventure can be yours if you accept the fact that you cannot control all the facets of your life all the time.

Christian Work AT Home Grandparents  and Moms

Accept The New

Passion and Desires

Wednesday, August 15, 2012 - You may be uncomfortable with the intense passion you're feeling today. Logically, you know you should suppress your wild desires because you're already stretched to the maximum. Although fulfilling your responsibilities might slow you down now, they won't hold you back for long. Set your sights high and don't be afraid to work hard toward a special goal.

CWAH Grandparents and Moms

Passion and Desires  

Do What Is Required

Tuesday, August 14 2012 - You're usually willing to explore pleasurable distractions, but it's not that easy today. Other people have their expectations, but you might be disinterested in their goals now. If you do go along with someone's unusual request, you'll likely regret it later. Nevertheless, you don't want to let down a friend or associate. Do what is required, but don't be surprised if you get restless during the day and just want to walk away from it all.

Christian Work t Home Moms and GrandMothers

Do What Is Required  

Moses Fishing.... Stop It

Happiness

Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.

Friendships

Friends put your feelings first, they are always on your side right or wrong. They hold your head up when you cant, they stand up for you when you are not there.

Angels

We each have angels in our lives that help us and some don't even know how much they help.  So be thankful for those in your life, and be sure to let them know.

Our Daily Bread

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10

Waves

Remember when the waves are over your head they are under God's feet!

Love

When you love someone, it doesn't matter what's in their past; just as long as you believe you have a place in their future and are there for the present.

New Day!

Good Morning.  Today is a new day, don't let anything stand in your way! Make it all it can be!