Me in Melange

Giving Thanks for Kid-Friendly Activities

We would like to take a minute to give a hearty thank you to all the parents who came before us and who understand. They have been through the mill of the holidays, they have faced the challenges and met the demands and succeeded, or failed miserably, but win or lose they've been through it and their advice is GOLDEN.

Believe me, heeding your elders has never been so important as when the holidays are bearing down and there will soon be a houseful of young children looking for something FUN to do.The elders know all about it, and when they shake their heads sagely and hand you that glass of wine, take it, and give thanks.

I gratefully took the wine and listened to their advice and now I have some fantastic ideas to share with you that will keep even the youngest entertained, off the computer or television, and best of all...creates beautiful artwork you can treasure forever! 

These ideas are easy-peasy and require no previous artistic experience. In fact they are so easy and yield such great results, you might be surprised how many adults want to try it too! 

1. Fingerpainted Autumn Trees. These beautiful paintings are made with fingers. All you need is paper and a plate of acrylic paint with your favorite colors. It's self-explanatory really, just dip those little fingers in the paint (oooooh!!!) and dot away, creating any kind or size of leaves you prefer. We love the two different examples here, and you can get as creative as you choose!

(the tree on the right was done with Q-tips!)

2. The Thankful Tree. It is a time for gratitude after all, and the kids really benefit from being asked to focus on what they are grateful for. Writing it down and presenting it in a form of art really cements that awareness in their brains, leaving them with a warm memory of feeling grateful and sharing it with others. there are many kinds of Thankful Trees you can make, but we loved these examples best. 

The large one on the wall is simply made with a newspaper trunk, lightly taped to the wall and easy to remove later. You can also use this idea to create a Thankful Wreath (top) which adds a great pop of color to your wall! 

 

 

 

3. Painted Leaves. We love this idea because it uses a simple, natural leaf that the kids can have fun collecting outside, and then totally transforms it into a little friend! Or anything else they can imagine. We love the owls and the bugs, but leaves look gorgeous painted with designs and patterns too. Once again, the imagination can go as far as it wants to and results in a gorgeous, practically-free array of beautiful, one-of-a-kind decorations.

So while you're getting ready for the big meal and doing those thousand one things you've got to do to pull it off, have one person delegated to the crafts table and see what a difference it makes! With the kids totally occupied and overseen by one adult, there will be far less chaos in the kitchen. Now you can relax a little, nod your own head wisely and pour someone else that glass of wine, giving your own hearty thanks for kid-friendly activities! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! xoxoxoxo DR

Holiday Song

We love it when a holiday tune is sweet, but not too sweet, charming, but not sappy. This sweet little tune sung by Zoe Deschanel and Gordon Levitt Smith is played with a light touch, unpretentious and disarmingly adorable. And, it's a good question, we have no idea what we're doing New Year's Eve, but we'll keep you posted! xoxoxo 

The Cozy before the Storm

 I love this particular part of the holiday season, before the madness, when I still have enough time and perspective to take a minute to breathe and feel that delicious feeling of anticipation I remember from being a kid. I am making it my mission this year to reclaim this cozy feeling at any point during the holidays. I will make time for it, I will prioritize it, and by golly I will feel serene. period!

 I just keep telling myself that.

It may sound impossible, but I'm going to help myself accomplish this by keeping things simple. This year I'm not going to rush around like that proverbial chicken, heart pounding, blood rushing to my head, circling parking lots, standing in lines at the craft store or the department store or the mall. No, this year I am going to change a few things. Tweaks that are easy to make that will really take the pressure off!

For example: this year I am not going to buy a wreath or shop for new outdoor decorations. I'm going to use fresh greenery this year from my own back yard and make my own. I will use simple, inexpensive white xmas lights and I will pick pine cones up from the sidewalk. I have already looked through the xmas bins and pulled out things I haven't usee in a few years that I will breathe new life into instead of hitting the stores to buy anything new. 

I love to cook, especially during the holidays. I love making the kitchen smell wonderful and having something delicious to offer my family when they get home. But let's face it, cooking means shopping and cleaning and a lot of eating, too, which means rich food which means bloating and weight gain. This year I'm going to keep myself feeling amazing and still be able to cook all I want by keeping the menu very flavorful but simple. I still want to cook food that fills the kitchen with the scent of sage, rosemary, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin and cloves, I just want to do it without sacrificing my body. I found some amazing recipes, perfect for the season that are healthy AND delicious! Delicious recipes for easy roasted vegetables and soups, fruit smoothies and lots of my new favorite easy snack: baked spiced pumpkin oatmeal bites. 

These hearty, rustic warming foods bring in the rich and festive flavors of the season, without all the sugar and salt and additives (and dishes to wash!) that more prepared, complicated meals deliver. Save the treats for the actual holidays themselves, with a little taste here and there along the way. This makes cooking from now to January easy, simple, and even relaxing! A miracle!

I find that if I can avoid eating a lot of sugar and white flour before the holidays then I feel great the whole way through! (and don't gain that pesky holiday ten, either!) Making these healthy, flavorfull foods keeps my cravings down and rejuvinates my body at a time when I need it most.

Another way to keep the holidays simple and dare-I-say, even fun?

I do a LOT of my holiday shopping online. This really changed my life when I started it a few years ago, taking so much pressure off. What could be easier? Click click, done. Right to my door. This way I save any shopping I might want to do for sheer fun...when I feel like going out to look for maybe one or two specific items, and I can take my time, and stroll through the pretty shops, get myself a coffee, turn it into a treat, the way it ought to be! Ahhhh, thank you internet.

As for gift wrapping, I'm keeping that au naturel this year, too. More greenery from the backyard and a roll of brown paper and a ball of twine will suffice. So pretty, so simple, so easy!!!

So merry holidays to you all, may your season go easily, serenely and peacefully, and may you feel as comfy and cozy as can be! xoxoxo DR

 

Favorite Things

This year I have a special crush on combo-gifts. I love the idea of giving someone a treasure that is sure to please, sure to fit, and has a little go-along gift with it, just to add extra fun and fashionable function to the gift as a whole. It is so fun to watch your loved one open a gift to find an extra add-on inside. The delighted noises they make will delight you too! 

The perfect combo-gift this year is accessories. A beautiful, voluminous scarf in a favorite color or print is certain to be a hit, and even more certain to fit, and can easily be combined with a matching bracelet or necklace. Layered looks are red-hot this season and pairing different layers of color, print, pattern and all kinds of sparkle is something you just can't get wrong. 

One of the best things about accessories as a choice of gift is that she can wear them immediately. No worries about fit or extra parts or batteries or making sure to get the right disc...it's all there, all the luxurious softness, stunning color and beautiful shine you could ask for. No uploading necessary.

The idea of two gifts-in-one is also versatile -- it appeals to every woman of every age. From teens to great grannies, from artists to stock brokers, from students to old family friends I don't know a woman who wouldn't love to recieve a beautiful, wearable collection of accessories. Certain to be a major holiday hit! 

New Rules: Combine Any Print or Pattern

We fashionistas live in a wonderful world. What other decade could have experienced the fashion freedom that we do today? No longer hampered by social convention (women wear pants!), seasonal limitations (faux fur in the summer! Lace in the winter!) or even age-designated limits (teens in vintage! Vintage ladies in mini skirts!) we lucky people of the 21st century have it all. We can mix and match from any decade any season, any fabric. And wonderfully...from any combination of patterns and prints! 

We love the pop of color and visual texture a great combination of print and pattern creates. Who knew how cool a garden of bright blossoms look right next to a crisp ladder of black and white stripes? How modern and edgy and even, dare we say...polished a printed suit looks with a totally contrasting blouse underneath? Wow! 

The stripe and floral combo seems like a go-to look for this trend. Universally flattering, the stripes on top look great on everyone and the floral skirt adds that easy, fun, whimsical edge that makes people smile. We love any chance to get creative with our looks, and combining different patterns and prints into one look is a perfect way to do it! If you don't want to go head to toe print and floral try a striped top with a voluminous floral scarf!

These looks are great for your year-round wardrobe. Florals aren't just for summer anymore! We love how colorful blooms bring fresh life into our holiday season. So mix and match to your heart's content! Some of this year's cashmere is such gorgeous color we can't wait to try it out with some fresh stripes and a floral scarf or two! xoxo DR