HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Drying oranges with cloves is a must!  They make the house smell divine and are sooo easy!  The twins even "helped" this year.  Here's how:

• Use a toothpick to pierce the oranges and stick in the cloves.  Any pattern will do.  You can even completely cover the oranges with cloves!
• Use a paring knife to create designs on the surface.  (I slice right through the skin into the fruit.  I try not to connect or intersect lines when cutting because as the oranges dry, the lines open up and you don't want the rinds to weaken or break off.)
• Place the decorated oranges on a cookie sheet and dry them in the oven at 200 degrees.  (I use an old cookie pan to catch any juice that runs out.  I usually leave mine in the oven for at least 12 hours and turn them over from time to time.  If needed, I let the fruit air dry the rest of the way.)  

Here are some ornaments I've made in the past.  They still even smell delicious!  You can create a variety of designs, too.  The sky is the limit!

Of course we had to write letters to Santa Claus!  Here is Finnie's sweet note.

This is Faye's last ditch attempt to get in good with the big guy!

We made cinnamon and applesauce ornaments too!  The twins helped me sort through the tub of cookie cutters and poked holes through the ornaments with a straw so we could hang them with cording.  I love how you can look through the wreath in this picture and see one of my quilts hanging on the wall indoors.

We made hearts, bells, and Raggedy Ann (for Faye) and Andy (for Finn)!  Very sweet!

I didn't go all out with holiday decorating this year because I didn't imagine it would be too enjoyable wrangling the twins away from it all season.  But I did decorate the chandelier above our dining room table. 

Cool, huh?