Giving of Ourselves: Nena

There is SO much about this story that I love- women working side by side, women lifting each other up, recycling, repurposing, and their beautiful handiwork puts the icing on the cake!

Let me introduce you to an inspiring woman named Nena. Nena is a reader of this blog who lovingly shared her story with me and now I want her to share it with you.  Here she is....

I was born and raised in Greece, graduating from Katerini High School. I moved to Boston, Massachusetts where I graduated from Emmanuel College with B.A in French Literature. I also attended Boston College where I did graduate studies in French Literature and University of Massachusetts, Boston where I completed a masters degree in ESL. I was a Boston Public School teacher for twenty one years and traveled in the United States which I love so much. 

Nena and her husband

Thirty years after living in Boston I moved back to Greece with my husband to help the area where we were born and raised. We got involved with economic and educational development projects. 

Living here I noticed how high the unemployment rate is for women and I decided to help single moms and unemployed women to create products they love to make and market them so they can help their families financially.My goal is to empower these women to feel confident about themselves and their products.

Nena's lovely sister

One of these women happens to be my unemployed sister. She had a very difficult time accepting her new condition and she was so stressed out that she became ill for some time. Through the company of some other women, getting together with them, she decided to use her creativity in a new way and began producing rugs and small bags out of discarded fabric and old clothes.The more her creativity increased the better she felt and her health improved tremendously. Her products became gifts for friends and their friends. When I saw the interest for her creations I developed a website where people can browse and enjoy her work as well as getting products for themselves. Creative people who like to hand make their own rugs are welcomed to follow the video where they can reproduce step by step the whole process.  I also include a blog where I post the latest news from Katerini. Greece.

Okay, friends.  Jane here again.  I can't wait for you to see more of what these women create.  AND, before the idea of purchasing items from Greece scares you off because of potential shipping costs, know that the prices on their website INCLUDE shipping to the U.S. and are beyond reasonable.  Click here to go visit.

Nena graciously sent me a few samples of their work as a gift.  I was so thrilled with their products that I placed an order of items to give away as gifts and I was equally pleased with the quality of what I purchased.  Below are some of these items and others are on their website.

Being the amazing readers that you are, I welcome you to shop from these beautiful women and leave them words of blessing and encouragement in the comments below.

Thank you, Nena, for introducing us to yourself, your friends and your beautiful products!

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Made by Pade Giveaway!

Hello, friends!  It's been quite a while since I've hosted a giveaway.  I am so excited to host this one for a dear friend who I worked with many years ago.  I'll let her introduce herself and tell you a little bit about her craft.  See below for details on how to enter to win one of her awesome crossbody bags!

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Hi! My name is Patty Reali, and I have an Etsy shop named "Made by Pade." The name comes from a nickname I accrued in college - one of my roommates had a younger sister who was in first grade and wrote her a really cute letter. It read, "Howdy dude Torri (My roommate)! Hows life at the aprtmt (apartment) and how is it with Vike (Vicki - other roommate) and Pade (me!)?" To my college friends, I have been "Pade" ever since. So, when I started my Etsy site, this seemed the perfect name!

I have loved creating things for as long as I can remember. My parents taught me to sew when I was very young, and I spent some time making counted cross-stitch and other hand-stitched items. My crafting went dormant for a while in high school, but in college I took up knitting and also hand-sewed my first quilt! (Still have it - it's a bit of a mess, but has lots of sentimental value.)

In more recent years, I have made clothes for my children, sewn baby carriers (a life-saver! Any of you with young children who have never used a carrier of any kind should look into it), and made purses for myself and as gifts for friends and family. I have also recently taught myself to crochet, which is great fun, since I can do it any time and any place!

On my site, you will find a collection of purses, zipper pouches, hand crocheted shawls and scarves as well as several other hand-crafted items. I hope you enjoy checking them out, and one lucky winner will get to choose his or her favorite crossbody bag! 

How to Enter:

Jane here.  Usually when I host giveaways you are only allowed to enter once.  This time, you can enter twice...

one entry if you you check out her Etsy store here and come back to tell us in the comments which is your favorite item...

and

one entry if you like her facebook page here (and tell us in the comments that you did)

or

you can just choose one of these for one entry:-).

I (Jane) will randomly choose one winner sometime this coming Friday and announce it here.  Make sure to leave your first name or initials so I can identify you as winner.  If you win, you will need to email me so I can pass your contact information and crossbody bag choice to Patty.  Happy entering!

Best of luck to all!
Jane Pin It

Birdseed Ornaments

I love birds.  They're my favorite animals.  We've been thinking a lot more about birds than usual in our house because the girls and I are studying Flying Creatures for science this year.  In order to study them better, we've been putting out bird treats to entice the many birds that live in and around our yard to come a bit closer- suet feeders, bird baths, etc.  So it just seemed natural to make birdseed ornaments as gifts for some of our loved ones this Christmas.

This is also a great winter craft to do with children that helps feed the birds once the ground is covered with snow.

There are many recipes out there, I was soon to discover, and I tried several before finding my favorite.  I like this recipe best because...

1) it only calls for two ingredients,
2) the "glue" holding the seed together dries clear and
3) the ornaments dry very hard so they do not easily crumble.

Please note some of my tips below- they will help make your birdseed-ornament-making go smoothly.

Birdseed Ornaments (to hang outside for the birds, recipe found here)
* This recipe makes six medium-sized ornaments.
* Even if you want to make more than that, do not double/triple the recipe- it will become too sticky to handle towards the end.  Make one batch at a time.
* Be very generous with the cooking spray.
* Allow several days for drying before packing up and gifting.

2 tbsp. unflavored gelatin
2 cups birdseed

2/3 cups water
1 plastic drinking straw, snipped into 1 1/2-inch lengths
waxed paper, to cover cookie sheets and for packing
cooking spray
baker's twine or very thin ribbon

Place wax paper on a cookie sheet with your cookie cutters on top.  Generously spray the cookie cutters (and underneath them) with cooking spray.  Place two cups of birdseed in a large bowl and set aside.  Boil 2/3 cups water in a glass bowl in the microwave and then add the 2 tbsp. gelatin.  Stir until dissolved.  Pour the gelatin mixture over the bird seed and stir for just about a minute, allowing the birdseed to absorb the liquid but don't stir much longer than a minute- it's okay if some liquid is still at the bottom of the bowl.  Quickly fill the ornaments using a small spoon- pressing the birdseed into the corners and packing it in tightly with the spoon back.  Move fairly quickly and stir the seed each time before filling the next cookie cutter.  If some liquid seeps out the bottom- no worries.  It will gel and can easily be removed once dry.

Once the cutters are full, use a small piece of wax paper laid on top to pack it down further.  Insert a straw piece into each ornament not too close to an edge and press down to the cookie sheet.  Set the ornaments aside to dry for about 2-3 hours and then flip them over or onto their side.  A couple hours later, gently press the ornaments out of the cookie cutters and let them dry overnight on a wire rack if you have one.  Let them continue to dry until they are nice and hard.  Then, using baker's twine or ribbon, tie on long loops for hanging on branches.  Feeding the twine through the straw, then removing the straw before tying off, makes for an easier time.  Pack or wrap gently in wax paper and tie with more twine.

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Polish and German Stars

Our family spent much of the two weeks before Christmas crowded around our school table folding and gluing paper.  It wasn't a planned craft or gift.  We just kind of fell into creating.  And we couldn't stop.

It all started with these Polish Stars (video tutorial here).  Before long, Sadie (almost 10) was making them on her own and Miriam (age 6) was too, with only the slightest bit of help.

Then, wanting to be true to our heritage, we learned how to fold German Stars (video tutorial here). They come together faster but there are more steps involved.  It wasn't long and we were all contributing to a jar full.  We hope to make enough to string them into a garland for our Christmas tree next year.

As if that wasn't enough, we started making these stars below, too (video tutorial here). These are the simplest of all.  Aren't they pretty?  Midway through these projects we found ourselves running out of old scrap-booking paper I used to make cards with.  I was overjoyed to find that our local craft store was already running a 70% off Christmas craft paper sale five days before Christmas!  It was full steam ahead.

Soon, we were overrun with stars- making for pretty decorations everywhere.

Who knew folding paper could be so much fun?  Maybe you'll find your family crowded around a table full of paper snippets, glitter and sticky fingers sometime this winter, too. :-)

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Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

I recently suggested that amaryllis bulbs and hand print ornaments might be nice Christmas gifts if you're looking for some ideas.  It reminded me that over the years I've posted about a number of different crafts that could also make really nice Christmas gifts.  Here they are in case you're needing some homemade Christmas gift ideas right about now.

Recycled Ski and Pallet Sled  The sleds are very cheap to make but they go fast.  Gift them to older kids or pull your little ones around on it.  For them, you could even add a back and sides.

Quilt Potholders Love to quilt and need a little project that can be finished quickly?  These might be just what you need and they're a great way to use smaller bits of fabric that you love.  I gave these as gifts to siblings and a few friends last year.  They were so fun to make.

Homemade Fire Starters  Need a gift idea for a man (or woman) who loves burning wood?  Make them some fire starters using small Christmas cookie cutters and package them up in a brown sandwich bag (or a jar) with some red ribbon.

Marshmallow Shooter  Do you need a gift for someone who enjoys target practice and has a sweet tooth? You could even enlist your own kids to help make them.

Fabric Bulletin Board  Help decorate a room and give your loved one a place to keep their special pictures and cards.

Keepsake Name Sign  Craft stores have everything you need to put these name signs together and they're very sweet, don't you think?

Simple Knotted Fleece Blankets  My sister gave our kids these blankets for Christmas a few years ago. I couldn't believe how easy the instructions sound.  Our kids still use these nightly during the colder weather, often bringing them downstairs with them in the mornings.

Homemade Stilts  Jamey made these for our kids many years ago.  They still use them and he's raised the foot holds as they grow and are able to maneuver higher off the ground.

Pumpkin Streusel Bread  I couldn't put this post together without mentioning a baked gift, could I? This is my most-often baked gift and I hope to make some mini loaves of it this year for gifts and to have on hand to take to potlucks and get-togethers.

Do you have any homemade gift ideas for this year?  I have another one but if I share it won't be a surprise so you'll just have to wait :-).

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Handprint (or Footprint) Ornament Gift Idea

Last year at this time we had a little foster toddler with us.  It seems so long ago and just yesterday all at the same time.  I wanted him to give his mother a Christmas gift and so we made these ornaments. They turned out really sweet and she appreciated them very much.  In fact, she just messaged me the other day and asked for the recipe because she wants to make another set for this Christmas.

I thought you all might enjoy them, too.  They would make great gifts for grandparents (or parents, if you watch/babysit your grandchild) or to commemorate little hands and feet on your own tree- especially if this is baby's first Christmas.

The creases across the foot were my own fault.  There were little, hair-lined cracks in the foot so I filled them in with some Elmer's glue.  I just should have waited a bit longer before glittering the edges- some stuck to the creases.  Oh, well.  You can learn from my mistake.  Thankfully, they're cheap enough to make so if you do make a mistake, you can try again.  I used the recipe and instructions found here.

Thankfully, I made two hand prints and kept one for us.  I will always treasure it...and him...and his family.

Happy Giving, friends.

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Planning a Big Meal?

I shared this a few years ago but was reminded of it once again as I think about hosting Thanksgiving this Thursday.  Below you will find the words written by Mary Emma Showalter that can be found in the back of the Mennonite Community Cookbook (copyright 1950).

May you feel encouraged.  Unless it makes you feel more overwhelmed...oh, dear.  I hope I didn't make things worse.


"This bit of information was found in a quaint, old handwritten recipe book from my Great-grandmother's day. It is included here mainly for the purpose of giving us a peep into the past. As many of us know, a "barn raising" was quite an event during those early years. When a new barn was built, all the friends and neighbors came on the specified day to help put up the framework of the barn. This policy is still carried out in some communities where neighbors are neighborly. Homemakers of our day will no doubt be astounded at all the food consumed in one day. What is more difficult to believe is that it was all made in Great-grandmother's kitchen.

Here is the list I found:

115 lemon pies
500 fat cakes (doughnuts)
15 large cakes
3 gallons applesauce
3 gallons rice pudding
3 gallons cornstarch pudding
16 chickens
3 hams
50 pounds roast beef
300 light rolls
16 loaves of bread
Red beet pickle and pickled eggs
Cucumber pickle
6 pounds dried prunes, stewed
1 large crock stewed raisins
5 gallon stone jar white potatoes and the same amount sweet potatoes

Enough food for 175 men."

And in case this makes you feel a little underwhelmed with your responsibilities this week, you could make these little cuties.

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Need New Shoes? Make 'em.

At first it didn't occur to me to post about this but after mentioning them to some friends, they insisted I do so.

I think I mentioned before that Jamey is a runner.  He hasn't raced in a few years but still feels best when he runs regularly.  He's a long distance runner- preferring ultra-marathons over shorter distances that focus on speed.  This is why he recently picked up the book Born to Run.  The book highlights the Tarahumara, an indigineous Mexican tribe who have become well known for their physical endurance- specifically in long distance running.  In recent years the book has inspired interest in running barefoot or with minimal footwear.  The idea is that modern running shoes coddle our feet and cause a running form that makes us more prone to injuries. The book inspired him to try a different type of minimalist running shoe called 'huaraches.'  He was particularly interested in trying them because he could make them himself.  And, you know, we like to save money.

Not only has he made himself a pair (and has been running and doing yard work in them) but he also made pairs for all three of our kids.  On warmer days, the kids prefer to slip these on (they don't need tying each time) to go out and play. Jamey is impressed with how comfortable they are and how well they stay on his feet.  I have fussy feet that crave all kinds of support so I haven't accepted his offer to make a pair for me.  He thinks my fussy (and wimpy) feet would benefit from these and while I think he's probably right (please don't tell him I said so) I'm not sure I'm ready.  I mean, they're tire walls for heaven's sake.

I think all this is very amusing especially when a friend pointed out that they sell something very much like them online for quite a bit more than what Jamey paid to make his (which is nothing except for a few dollars worth of bungee-cord for the kids version and paracord for his - the old tire was free).

So, friends, there you have it!  Are they all you imagined? ;-) Pin It

Pallet Trailer for Lawn Mower/Tractor

Jamey wanted something to haul things around the property.  Things like firewood, produce, brush, etc.  There's often room for kids as well.  Working with some used pallets, some old (and new boards) and a couple bicycle wheels, he built this and it works great.

sweet potatoes

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The Button Jar

A couple years after getting married, my Grammie learned that I was without a button jar.  She couldn't have this and proceeded to give me one of hers.

I treasured it because it came from her but rarely used it- only occasionally searching for a button to match one that was lost.

Babies came along and the jar needed to stay out of sight and reach for safety reasons.  But as the children grew and could be trusted, it started making appearances.

I remember being enamored with my Grammie's button jar when I was young so it didn't come as a surprise when I discovered that it provided hours of intrigue and fun for my own children.

You can dig out your favorites, group them by color or size, find matches, dump them from dump trucks, make button slides, pretend they are jewels, string them into necklaces, or actually use them for sewing projects.

They also come in handy during school when learning how to break large numbers of items into groups for counting...making multiplication not so scary and possibly even a little bit fun.

It's yet another example of how the simple things shine brighter than the complicated and expensive.

Please DO NOT let young children play with or around buttons as they are choking hazard.  Require that older children play with them in a pan or tray (to decrease spillage to the floor) while the littles are napping. Ensure that every last one is picked up by crawling around on the floor like a toddler to find any that may have strayed, make sure the lid is secure and store them out of reach before letting younger children back into the room.

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Homemade Sled, On the Cheap

On his way home from work yesterday, before the snow started falling, Jamey stopped a thrift store and bought two pairs of old skis for $1 a pair.  He and the girls used scrap wood to fashion sleds after dinner, as the snow began to fall.  Their test run last night was successful but right now the snow is too deep and fluffy to make them go.  They are waiting patiently to be run again.

Today is and will be full of shoveling, making houses in the snow (it's deep enough already to dig out paths and rooms), hot chocolate, board games with neighbor children, and grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch.  I love snow.  We have drifts of three feet and a good foot and a half everywhere else.  And the fact that it's still falling, makes me one happy girl.

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