04Dec 2023 by catbird No Comments
The Best Winter Solstice Party Ideas

The Best Winter Solstice Party Ideas

Craft Project, Nature Collection, Play, Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
We love to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the longest night! Looking for some fun and easy ways to celebrate with friends and family? Check out some of our favorite parties and celebrations! Fun for all ages! Winter Solstice Bonfire Party A warm bonfire is always welcome on a cold winter day and the perfect way to have fun with friends outside for the Winter Solstice. Ancient people traditionally burned huge bonfires on the Solstice to welcome back the sun. So invite some friends over to welcome back the sun and keep toasty warm while celebrating! Make sure you have plenty of chairs and warm blankets to keep everyone cozy. Hot chocolate is always a good choice this time of year, you can even make it over the…
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29Oct 2023 by catbird 5 Comments
Solstice Simmer Pots & a Gift Idea

Solstice Simmer Pots & a Gift Idea

Craft Project, Folklore, Winter, Winter Solstice
One of the easiest things to do around the winter holidays is to make a simmer pot. A simmer pot is basically a homemade air freshener made by simmering fragrant pieces of fruits, herbs, and other spices in water. You throw some nice smelling things into a pot and let it just simmer on the stove all day. It makes the house smell amazing and cozy and like the holidays. There are three other important facets to this tradition beyond the lovely scent for me: 1) I use up discarded things like orange peels and fallen evergreen branches. It kills me when I see recipes that tell you to cut up 3 fresh oranges or apples. There is no reason. Eat the food. Lots of people don't have enough food and…
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29Oct 2023 by catbird 5 Comments
Spice Mosaic Ornaments

Spice Mosaic Ornaments

Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Winter, Winter Solstice
This easy project was meant for kids, although it’s fun for grownups too! The finished ornaments are deceptively elegant and smell amazing. They’d be beautiful as a tree decoration or make a lovely gift. You can use any spice you like, but choose plenty that have a nice smell. You can easily cut cinnamon sticks into little curlicues with scissors after they’ve been soaking in water for a few hours– throw some into a simmer pot on the stove for a few hours for double duty. Younger friends can experiment with spices and playdough if the ornament is too much for them.    Materials: Assorted whole spices (star anise, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, hawthorn berries, cardamom seeds, mustard seed, coriander, multi color peppercorns)  Air dry clay (white and/or terra cotta) Cookie cutters…
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29Oct 2023 by catbird 3 Comments
Winter Walk Gingerbread Cookies

Winter Walk Gingerbread Cookies

Foraging, Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
Replace the spices in your favorite gingerbread recipe with the following herbal blend for a spicy and woodsy take on a traditional winter sweet. Decorate the cookies with royal icing, rose petals, juniper berries*, poppy seeds, rosemary sugar and rose sugar. Ingredients: 2 tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp ginger 1 ½ tsp cardamom 1 tsp ground rosemary ¾ tsp ground juniper berry To decorate:  Rose sugar Rosemary sugar Whole juniper berries* Whole poppy seeds Small dried rosebuds Dried rose petals To make the sugars: Mix ground rose and sugar until you reach desired color and flavor.   Mix ground rosemary and sugar until you reach desired color and flavor.  To make royal icing: Method: Mix and bake your cookies according to the recipe instructions.  Allow them to cool and then…
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29Oct 2023 by catbird 5 Comments
Winter Solstice Craftbrunch

Winter Solstice Craftbrunch

Craft Project, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Play, Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
The winter holidays often feel like a blur, one minute it’s Halloween and then suddenly it’s January and while every moment has felt busy, you aren’t quite sure what you even accomplished. I started hosting “craftbrunches” years ago to slow down and connect with friends and family. The premise is simple,  everyone brings a simple dish and works on a seasonal craft together while laughing and gossiping. It’s a daytime event which feels easier to schedule when every evening is packed with holiday parties and pageants. Including a simple kids craft keeps the littles occupied while the moms catch up. A Winter Solstice craftbrunch is a perfect respite from the chaos of the season, connecting us with nature and with friends.  The Winter Solstice is the day that the earth…
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12Dec 2022 by catbird No Comments
Festive Mushroom Ornaments

Festive Mushroom Ornaments

Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Winter, Winter Solstice
I don't think its any secret that I love mushrooms, foraging and eating them, making art with them and generally just finding and observing them. They seem to me having a moment right now too. At the same time I am slowly becoming one of those crazy old ladies who has a tree in every room of her house with a different theme. I’m at three now. (Is there a threshold for when it becomes crazy? Like cats?) The family tree is in the living room and has all of our special ornaments, there is a sunny solstice tree and last is this tree. I live in an old Victorian house with a tower… so it clearly needed a tree. And obviously that tree needed to be a mushroom tree.…
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