Naturally Scented Cinnamon Pine Cones

Naturally Scented Cinnamon Pine Cones

Craft Project, Winter, Winter Solstice
I always look forward to those cinnamon pine cones that find their way to grocery store checkouts and craft stores this time of year. Even though they are extremely artificial, I kind of love them. So I decided to make my own with natural essential oils and ground cinnamon. They smell even better and are simple to make. Use teh recipe below to make a big batch or just sprinkle some essential oil on a few! I actually used to sell these back in the day. Materials: pinecones cinnamon essential oil clove essential oil cheap ground cinnamon water freezer bag Method: Place your pinecones in a freezer bag and pour in just enough water to cover/ soak them. Start sprinkling in the essential oils-- I don't measure, just enough that…
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Snow or Mud Faces

Snow or Mud Faces

Craft Project, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Play, Winter, Winter Solstice
Here is an easy activity for a winter day-- make snow or mud faces on trees! Collect some natural materials: sticks, pinecones, berries, leaves etc, and find a tree to make a face on! Pack your mud or snow on first and then use your nature finds to embellish the face. Easy and fun! Wet snowball type snow will work best, and if there isn't any snow where you live live will do the job too! You can think about what the spirit of the tree might look like or just make a funny face,
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Raspberry Rose Moons

Raspberry Rose Moons

Recipes, Winter Solstice
Those cookies are so, so good and I love their bright natural color. They'd also be amazing cut into heart shapes for Valentine's Day. Ingredients: I cup unsalted butter 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tsp vanilla 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 200 g almond flour 140 g sorghum flour 60 g tapioca starch 34 g powdered freeze dried raspberries* ½ tsp xanthan gum ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp gray salt 5 oz dark chocolate couverture  Rose petals Method: Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until creamy and lighter, about two minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat again until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.  Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. (Including the…
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Winter Nature Table

Winter Nature Table

Craft Project, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Nature Table, Play, Seasonal Nature Table, Winter, Winter Solstice
Nature tables are the perfect place to store and display all those nature finds that we "just had to bring home." Honestly I am almost as bad as the kids about this... Ours is on our porch so that things can be easily added and subtracted at will and we change it out for each season. (And it substantially reduces the stray sticks in the house..) In winter, we add obvious things like holly and evergreens, but also sticks covered in lichen, crystal-y rocks, found bits of nuts, pinecones and a prized deer antler. Log slices and old shelves and add some height and you can use vases to hold the greens. The kids are always tinkering with the arrangement and moving things around which is great. This is actually…
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Yule Tea– Guest Blogger!

Yule Tea– Guest Blogger!

Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
A huge thank you to Anna Reisz for today's guest post!! Check out her beautiful site The Herbology Faerie and her IG feed here. She is sharing her recipe for Winter Solstice Tea with us-- take it away Anna! The last festival on the wheel of the year, Yule, takes place on the winter solstice. This marks what is also called the Longest Night, when the hours of darkness exceed the light. We feel drawn to twinkle lights, candles, cozy fires, and warming festive spices to help keep the darkness at bay and remind ourselves that the warmth of the sun will cycle back as it does each turn of the Earth. Celebrate this occasion with Yule Tea, a cozy and warming mix of rooibos, cacao nibs, orange peel, cinnamon,…
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Hand Rolled Herbal Beeswax Candles– Guest Blogger!

Hand Rolled Herbal Beeswax Candles– Guest Blogger!

Craft Project, Winter, Winter Solstice
A huge thank you to Harmonie O'Loughlin for today's guest post!! Check out her beautiful sites Flora's Feast Botanicals and Plant Wonder Collective and her IG feed here. She is sharing her hand rolled herbal beeswax candles with us-- take it away Harmonie! Making DIY rolled beeswax candles is astonishingly simple and has both a functional and beautiful outcome. It is a satisfying craft project for adults and kids alike. Keep your hands busy while enjoying teatime with friends. Encourage fine motor skills in children. Savor the honey sweet scent of the beeswax and the aromatic notes of crushed herbs. What are rolled beeswax candles? Rather than melting beeswax and pouring it in a vessel, you roll sheets of beeswax to make tapers. The sheets look similar to the beeswax…
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Risgrøt: A Yule Tradition That Warms the Soul– Guest Blogger!

Risgrøt: A Yule Tradition That Warms the Soul– Guest Blogger!

Folklore, Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
A huge thank you to Jenn Campus for today's guest post!! Check out her beautiful site Old Ways for Modern Days and her IG feed here. She is sharing her recipe for Risgrøt with us-- take it away Jenn! Ah, Risgrøt – creamy, comforting, and wonderfully traditional! This Norwegian rice porridge has become a staple in our family's Yule celebrations ever since my first snowy winter in Norway. Back then, as an exchange student, I had no idea this dish would burrow its way into my heart (and stomach), becoming a must-have every year when the days are shortest. Whether you're in for some ancestral vibes or simply craving something hearty with a hint of sweetness, this recipe will surely please. A Little History About Risgrøt Risgrøt is a dish with deep roots…
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Brown Butter Fennel Cookies– Guest Blogger!

Brown Butter Fennel Cookies– Guest Blogger!

Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
A huge thank you to Summer Crosby Hennessy for today's guest post!! Check out her beautiful shop Acorn Moon Mercantile and her IG feed here. She is sharing her recipe for Brown Butter Fennel Cookies with us-- take it away Summer! These are dense, chewy, decadent, not even kidding around, brown buttery avalanche of yum in your mouth, with just a slight holiday spice vibe. Fennel is a favorite of mine, but truthfully, I consistently forget about it until it’s put in front of my face and then I just gobble it all up and think about it for a week. Fennel is traditionally used in banishing spells and rituals. It keeps away negativity and ill will. I read that sprinkling Fennel seeds in doorways and windowsills will protect the home…
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