The Soggy Lettuce Conundrum (and How to Stop It)

Sometimes I lose produce before I can use it.

Well, it actually happens less often since I stuck this nifty sticky whiteboard to my fridge. Now I write down all our produce and perishable leftovers so I remember what's going on in my kitchen (both in and out of the fridge).

I took this photo back in January (probably after a CSA box 

or a trip to the Farmer's Market since there's so much on there).

I have always hated losing produce. It's such a waste, not only of the food itself, but of everything it took to grow that food.

I recently watched this TED talk by Leyla Acaroglu called Paper beats plastic? How to rethink environmental folklore. I think all 18 minutes are worthwhile. I've watched it twice.

Toward the beginning of the talk, Acaroglu points out that biodegradability is "a material property, not a definition of environmental benefit." That got me slowly nodding my head. She went on:

When something natural [like food waste or paper] ends up in the natural environment, it degrades normally. Its little carbon molecules that it's stored up as it was growing are naturally released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. But this is a net situation. Most natural things don't actually end up in nature. Most of the waste that we produce ends up in landfill. Landfill is a different environment. In landfill, those same carbon molecules degrade in a different way because a landfill is anaerobic. It's got no oxygen. It's tightly compacted and hot. Those same molecules, they become methane, and methane is a 25x more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. So our old lettuces and products that we have thrown out that are made out of biodegradable materials, if they end up in landfill, contribute to climate change.

Whoa, what? When I throw the soggy lettuce in the trash, it's destiny is methane? When I toss a piece of paper in the trash, it's destiny is probably methane?? Why did this never occur to me?

Realizing this actually made me glad about two things.

First, that we compost, which means that this:

turns into this:

We use it to enrich the soil and feed the earthworms. :)

However, when the compost tumbler is a-tumbling, I don't add anything to it for several weeks (which is why having two would be awesome). So, second, when I can't add my biodegradables to the composter, I typically toss them behind these lovely bushes in the front yard. 

Here's a close-up:

When I started doing this over a year ago, I figured that even though I couldn't use the compost how I'd like, I was still feeding the earth. Something beautiful will grow there some day.

I'm happy to have another way to care for the earth in my arsenal, and a good reason for doing so!

If composting isn't an option for you at the moment, is there somewhere else you can toss those kitchen scraps so they don't wind up in a landfill? If you don't have a yard, you could always add your scraps to broth or soups to get more life out of them. I bought an eBook bundle once that included one called Don't Compost It, Cook It. I haven't read it thoroughly, but the the author has some good ideas for getting as much mileage as possible out of your food.

How do you avoid losing produce? How do you make use of any peelings and trimmings?

Seize the Moment

I can't get it all done. There is always more to do than I can do. There are always things left undone at the end of the day.

Familiar story?

Even when I manage to stay on top of the bare basics, there are plenty of undone extras: things I want or need to do, but can't find enough time.

Enough time. That's my hang-up. I actually have bunches of tiny windows of time (10 minutes here, 20 minutes there), but sometimes I don't even try to start something because I know I won't have time to finish it before I leave the house, before naptime, before my student comes, before I have to start dinner, before.....

Usually, these are non-essentials (i.e. not necessary for survival). Things like:

• Plant winter crops (including the seed garlic that's been in my fridge for two months)
• Tackle the piles on the desks and in the corners
• Plan a lesson on Mexico for the our little homeschooling co-op
• Writing time (journal, thank you notes, letters)
• Practice my violin
• Pick a bagful of avocados
• Cut the boys' hair
• Take inventory of our 72-hour kits and food storage
• Make sauerkraut and kimchi before I lose those cabbages
• Record songs and poems for a bedtime playlist for my boys
• Learn a song on my guitar
• Write regular blog posts! 

You know what happens when I wait for a big enough window of time? They usually remain undone. I miss my chance to plant the garlic, piles become household fixtures, I lose the cabbages, etc. etc.

source

I have decided to forget about enough time. Instead, I break it down and seize the moment! I do something instead of putting it off "until I have time." Seizing the moment often has a lovely domino effect. For example:

The Garden
I went outside to call the boys inside, then decided to give them a few extra playtime minutes and readied two garden boxes for new seeds. Feeling motivated a few hours later, I took a loose 15 minutes and planted that garlic! When I had a student cancel in the afternoon, still feeling extra happy about having that garlic underground, I also planted parsley, cilantro, carrots, beets, and sugar snaps! I happily admired the dirt under my nails all day. :)

The Messy Studio Corner
When I had only a handful of minutes before a student arrived, I plunged in and filed the music that had been piling on and around my filing cabinet. When I finished teaching that day, I stayed in the studio an extra ten minutes, sorted a few more papers, and left the top of the file cabinet looking respectable. My mind is so much clearer in there now!

Writing Time
I can do this while the boys do their schoolwork. Or maybe nab ten minutes after I brush my teeth at night. Or just write it when I think of it! That only takes a couple minutes, and then (in the case of a journal) I don't forget what I wanted to document. A few journal lines is better than nothing, right?? Keeping journals out in the open inspires regularity.

Practicing
This is the hardest one to face without a real block of time. Just when I feel warmed up, I have to stop. But I learned this week that a well-used 20 minutes here and there still builds on itself. It is very satisfying.

Blogging
Well, look at me go. :) Started this one last night, finished this morning during the boys' free time. On my iPad, I keep a running list of possible topics with notes under each one so I have a ready outline when a window of time and computer access happily coincide.

Sometimes I use a few minutes to do things half-way, such as pulling the emergency gear from the garage, ready to look over. The danger here is creating more mess with no concrete plan to finish. To avoid this trouble, I jot down the main things I would like to accomplish in any leftover time during the day (I have my weekly calendar scrawled on a whiteboard in the dining area). This prioritizing helps me feel okay about not having time to finish once I start.

source

SIDE NOTE: Seizing the moment is twice as hard if I don't sleep enough at night. As I feel accomplished seeing my extras get done, I am highly motivated to go to bed at a decent hour.  It's a nice cycle to get stuck in.

How do you seize the moment? Share your secrets!

Morning is Tops

Can I read to you one of my favorite stories?  It comes from Arnold Lobel's "Grasshopper on the Road." (warning: it does say the s-t-u-p-i-d word.  Sorry)

Grasshopper walked quickly along the road.

He saw a sign on the side of a tree.

The sign said MORNING IS BEST.

Soon Grasshopper saw another sign.

It said THREE CHEERS FOR MORNING.

Grasshopper saw a group of beetles.

They were singing and dancing.

They were carrying more signs.

“Good morning,” said Grasshopper.

“Yes,” said one of the beetles.

“It is a good morning. Every morning is a good morning!”

The beetle carried a sign.

It said MAKE MINE MORNING.

“This is a meeting of the We Love Morning Club,” said the beetle. “Every day we get together to celebrate another bright, fresh morning. Grasshopper, do you love morning?” asked the beetle.

“Oh yes,” said Grasshopper.

“Hooray!” shouted all the beetles.

“Grasshopper loves morning!”

“I knew it,” said the beetle. “I could tell by your kind face. You are a morning lover.”

The beetles made Grasshopper a wreath of flowers.

They gave him a sign that said MORNING IS TOPS.

“Now,” they said, “Grasshopper is in our club.”

“When does the clover sparkle with dew?” asked a beetle.

“In the morning!” cried all the other beetles.

“When is the sunshine yellow and new?” asked the beetle.

In the morning!” cried all the other beetles.

They turned somersaults and stood on their heads.

They danced and sang.

“M-O-R-N-I-N-G spells morning!”

“I love afternoon too,” said Grasshopper.

The beetles stopped singing and dancing.

“What did you say?” they asked.

“I said that I loved afternoon,” said Grasshopper.

All the beetles were quiet.

“And night is very nice,” said Grasshopper.

“Stupid,” said a beetle.

He grabbed the wreath of flowers.

“Dummy,” said another beetle.

He snatched the sign from Grasshopper.

“Anyone who loves afternoon and night can never, never be in our club!” said a third beetle.

“UP WITH MORNING!” shouted all the beetles.

They waved their signs and marched away.

Grasshopper was alone.

He saw the yellow sunshine.

He saw the dew sparkling on the clover.

And he went on down the road.

– Arnold Lobel, ‘The Club’ in Grasshopper on the Road (New York: HarperCollins, 1978), 8–16.

I love mornings.  At least, I think I do. I think I could make cuts for the Beetles' club--but it would have to be after 10:30 if I'm bringing the kids.

In theory, morning is the best time to get stuff done, meditation is best in the morning, scriptures and everything else is best done in the morning.  Abraham's school starts pretty late in the morning, so morning is also a great time to spend with the kids, when they're at their best.

Then (and you know the story) we stayed up late last night because of abc, and then we didn't have a great night because of xyz.  We thought we had a lot of time this morning, but where did it go?  Somehow we're in a rush again.  I also like my children, as early as possible, to take responsibility for their own things.  That meant that every morning was a big nag-a-thon, with me begging my boys to stay focused and please get your backpack/breakfast/shoes, etc. I could foresee a lifetime of morning madness without some order brought to it.  

So, I finally sat down and made a list.  

I framed the list and put it in the kitchen, where it's easy to see and remember.  I was surprised to see that there was quite a bit for the little guys to remember every morning. The list has helped a lot.  It's much easier to just say, "Finish the list, then you can play!" than get after them for each little thing. We still haven't tapped morning's potential, but we've begun to see it!

What has helped your morning or get-out-the-door routine go more smoothly while not doing too much for your children?

Summer Schedule

Happy Summer!  Abe's school just finished, so we made our big summer plans!  I have always really loved summer, and I get excited about it every year.  In order to make sure we took full advantage of our time, for Family Home Evening, we made a weekly schedule, a daily schedule and a checklist!  

I had to cut the checklist off there, we could have kept going on forever! What's on your Summer Checklist? What are you including in your Daily Schedule?

Well, it Ain't Pretty

Source

I feel like I've spent way too much time sorting little tiny shorts/shirts/socks/shoes/underwear/jackets/hats/etc around in storage bins.  Every time a child grows or the seasons change (so... about once a month), I felt like I was somehow getting out all my bins, and sorting and re-sorting.

And, I'm happy to say: I finally found a solution that works really well for me!  I mentioned a while ago that I was going to share it here, but I hesitated for a long time because, well, it ain't pretty.  So if you're looking for the prettiest solution, you've come to the wrong place.  If you want something really easy and functional, read on!

Thank you, Vanna.

I found these awesome storage bags at the Dollar Tree.

They also come in XL and L.  I always buy XXL when it's available.

Here is why I use them (starting with the most awesome reason of all):

• No more finding a place for clothes every time they need to be put away!  Leave the label inside and tuck it in my closet when it's not in use; it doesn't take any space!
• They're cheap
• Easy to label
• Easy to see what's inside
• When filled, they only take up as much space as the clothes
• They're more air-tight than storage bins
• Easy to stock up on so I don't have to go re-invent storage solutions every time my kids grow

If you wanted to pretty them up, I'm sure you could find some nice printable labels.  I have a big attic to toss things in when I'm all done, buy you could easily put these inside storage bins if you need something stackable.  Or if you have closet space, they have a handle you could hang them by!

Thanks, Vanny.
XXL, XL, L sized bags

As for our clothes when they're in use, as soon as my kiddos are three, they are responsible for putting all their clothes away after use.  The shirts are hung, and the pants are folded and put into drawers.  They put their underwear and socks away after they are washed.  They take their dirty laundry downstairs.  I hang the clean clothes up after they're washed.  Maybe when he's five, my oldest will do that too.

Clothes hung where my kids can hang them themselves.

Dinner Prep Tip: Veggis

We eat lots of vegetables in our house, though, we could always do better. And you know what usually takes the longest for me at dinner prep? Cutting up those veggis...

So in an effort to have dinner ready at a more reasonable hour, I have started cutting veggis during nap time.

Because naps are over at 3, usually, cutting the veggis at around 2:30 doesn't leave them cut, but uncooked, long enough for them to dry into grossness.

I find when there are a lot of steps to a given dinner, taking time to do as many steps as I can here and there throughout the day, makes the actual cooking time less stressful.

Being in the "prep" mindset allows me to make meals that are more digestible, and nutritious for my family, in a more time economical way -- time economical = less stress. For me. Sometimes prep work is done the day of a given meal, sometimes a few days in advance i.e. soaking grains, or flour; sprouting nuts, seeds, and beans; fermenting a side veggi, etc.

What have you found to save you time in the kitchen, while not letting nutrition fall to the wayside?

And here's a bonus:

The clothes are a little big for him, so they make him look super skinny. He is on the leaner side than George was at this age, for sure -- though, he is super long...

Toy Rotation

We've had a "one toy out at a time" rule for some time (stifle that laugh, please). With two well-meaning but highly imaginative, active boys to keep up with, we mostly find ourselves nagging, "Uh-oh! Looks like we have more than one toy out right now." "You can get that one out after these are put away." "How many toys are out right now?" "What's the toy rule, boys??" We generally do a toy sweep before nap and before bed, but it often takes so long that we lose out on precious story time. A true tragedy, we all agree.

We don't have too many toys (we like it that way), but the kids don't tend to stick with one plaything for long, so they can go through them fairly quickly. And more often than not, we find all sorts of non-toys made toys scattered among the true toys (you know: sticks, buckets, jars, hangers, stolen items from various places, etc. etc.), which makes clean-up even more daunting. Ask any child, it's much more fun to get them out than put them back!

The "one toy" rule just hasn't worked, so we're trying something new. The toy rotation.

They set themselves up for it, really. After they shamelessly gutted every toy from the closet last Monday, we seized the opportunity to have them look everything over and choose three toys to play with for the upcoming week. They chose the magnet trains and tracks, the shape cube, and the big blocks (as we call them). Everything else went in the blue tub or on a closet shelf, not to be touched. All the books and the easel also remained out. And that little tent.

Their closet looks neater and clean-up has been easier on everyone. If they wanted to play with something they didn't choose, they could keep it in mind for the next rotation (which we'll do during Monday Family Night). When they did get the designated toys out, they played with them more thoroughly than before. For now, it's a good solution. More fun, more organization, and best of all, more peace.

How do you organize and clean up your toys at home?

Weekly Planning

As we get ready for our third baby and simultaneously send our oldest off to preschool, we have realized that our lives are suddenly getting more complicated and probably won't get less complicated again until we're empty-nesters.  Sad prospect, I know.  We realized we can "get by" by hanging on and being surprised as each day comes, or we can grab this bull by the horns and stay on top of it (you know--tell our life and schedule what to do instead of it telling us what to do--act and not be acted upon).

To this end, I made a template that Andrew and I use every Sunday night as a reference during our new Weekly Planning Meeting.  Sounds exciting, right?  It really has been great for us. We address everything on the list weekly, unless otherwise noted.  We re-save the template with the date in our files and take notes on what we talk about for our records.

Here's the basic outline:

Weekly Planning Meeting

VMV

Once a month we review our Vision, Mission, Values Statement

Family Assessment

Here we talk about our family as a whole, our relationship as a couple, and each individual.  We talk about the family as a whole every week, but the individuals are on an as-needed basis, and at least monthly.  It breaks down like this:

Family:

• What is the current spiritual state of the family?
• Is there anything that needs to be addressed?

Marriage Relationship:

• What is our current spiritual state as a couple?
• Is there anything that needs to be addressed?

For each person:

• Give a compliment to the individual
• How is he/she doing emotionally, physically, spiritually?
• What can I (we) do to serve him/her better?

Scheduling

Source

• Weekly Calendar Items (our template links to our google calendar)
• Future Calendar Items
• To Do List (we use toodledo.com)

Financial Planning

Mint.com is a wonderful, free online resource for budgeting.  It links all your accounts and keeps track of your budget.  This section would be different for everyone, depending on what they're working on, but here are some possible discussion points:

• Review accounts and previous week's expenditures
• Any big payments coming up?
• Pay credit card
• Review "To Buy List"*
• Long-term savings
• Budget
• Emergency fund
• Donations
• Financial goals

The "To Buy List" is a Word doc we've created to curb our spending.  If we think of something we "need" or "want" (if it's not a legitimate emergency), we put it on the list where it sits for a month before we decide if it's really worth fitting into the budget, and if it really needs to be bought right away.  When we do this, we often find that it's a) something we don't need, or b) something we can put off buying because we want other things more.

Other

Is there anything else we need to address?

And that's it! This planning session has really assisted us on a number of levels. On the most basic level, it has brought an awareness of what we have going on in our calendar, family, and bank accounts. On another level it has provided a forum to discuss the important/not urgent items in these categories that could easily be overlooked or forgotten until they become urgent. It has enhanced our interdependent relationship as a couple as we have a dedicated time to talk about our relationship, our children, and our family. We talk frequently about these subjects outside of the meeting, but as life gets busier it will be essential that we have this time set aside for such conversations. Above all, it has increased our love, discipline, and synergy. 

What recommendations do you have for planning as a family/couple/individual? Any suggestions for prompts we're missing in any of the categories? Any cool apps that would keep us more consistently aware of the plans throughout the week? 

Meal Planning Miracle

So, I'm not going to share the numbers here, but last month I spent way more on food for our family than I intended.  We do buy all organic food, but we compensate by not buying much packaged stuff, making things like bread or dressing from scratch, and buying in bulk as often as we can.  I still came in way over my goal food budget.  I emailed my co-authors here and asked for posts on their real food budgets and so hopefully we'll see them soon!  In the meantime I created a very simple chart for myself that has already saved me time, mealtime dilemmas, and definitely money.

My chart looks like this.  I actually just print the blank chart and fill it in, but I typed this week's notes up so you could see how I do it.  This is word for word what I have down this week:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Prep for Today: Prep for Tomorrow: - make chicken stock - thaw beef	Prep for Today: Prep for Tomorrow: - soak cracker wheat - skim stock - soak beans	Prep for Today:  - make crackers Prep for Tomorrow:  - thaw lasagna	Prep for Today: - make Nonie's applesauce Prep for Tomorrow:
Dinner Plan: - whole chicken       garlic       lemon - sweet potatoes       honey       ginger - green salad       lettuce/kale/chard       tomatoes, cuc.       dressing - stuffed artichokes       bread crumbs - leftover homemade ice cream	Dinner Plan: - hamburgers       pickles, tomatoes       lettuce       raw cheese       mustard, ketchup       mushrooms - corn on the cob - leftover sweet potatoes - green salad       lettuce/kale/chard       tomatoes, cuc.       dressing	Dinner Plan: - stew       leftover chicken       chicken stock       carrots, celery       kale/chard/spinach       zucchini, onion       broccoli, garlic       mushrooms        red potatoes - homemade crackers - raw cheese - Melissa's homemade brownies	Dinner Plan: - leftover lasagna - peaches, pears - asparagus

Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Prep for Today: Prep for Tomorrow: - grind and soak tortilla flour - soak beans	Prep for Today:  - make guacamole - make tortillas - start beans 6-8 hrs EARLY Prep for Tomorrow:	Prep for Today: Prep for Tomorrow:
Dinner Plan: CAMERON - pasta        artichoke hearts        peppers         mushrooms        spinach         cream	Dinner Plan: - stuffed tortillas         rice, beans        veggies                zucchini                peppers                onion                tomatoes         guacamole        sour cream or cheese - fruit -  homemade ice cream	Dinner Plan: - out to eat with Cinde and Anai

Ideas for next week:  stuffed peppers, veggie lasagna, stir-fry with rice, homemade pizza, Ariel's avocado pasta

_________________________________________________________________

I know there are fancy websites out there like Plantoeat, which I think is a fantastic idea.  You input your recipes to your calendar and it exports the ingredients to a shopping list for you.  But it poses two problems for me --- one, the recipe importing takes too much time (though once you have a bunch stocked up I'm sure it's an overall time saver), and two, if I get on the computer to do meal planning I will get sucked into other online distractions like email, news, or blog-reading.  That's why I print my own chart off and do everything by hand.

This is a system I know I"ll stick to!  It took me less than a half hour to plan my whole week last night, and to make my shopping list.  Here is what I do:

1. I pick up my organic produce basket from Bountiful Baskets Saturday morning.
2. I note what is in the basket, and what is already in my fridge, and plan the next week's meals Saturday afternoon or evening (or Sunday morning).
3. I fill in the above chart, and as I fill it in I make a shopping list for any remaining necessary ingredients.
4. I go shopping Saturday afternoon or Monday after work.
5. At the store, I don't let myself buy anything that's not on my list (today I passed up 4-5 things I would normally just have thrown into my basket, like...mmm...those strawberries :(  or cottage cheese)  I make an exception if I know it's something we need that I simply forgot to write down, like dishwashing soap.
6. I proceed with my week, carefree and organized.  No hastily concocted meals, no missing ingredients, etc.  And definitely saving money.
7. As the week goes on I remain flexible if necessary, and of course jot down ideas for next week as they come to mind.  

Cameron is a great help with clean-up, and with preparation when he is home on time.  I leave at least one day a week for him to plan, and I pick up the ingredients since he works longer days than I do.

I'm also holding on to all receipts for later accounting.  This month, I want to write up how much I spent on each individual food item and analyze where I can save next month.  Since that will be kind of time-consuming I only intend to do it until I get a good handle on things.

It's been two weeks now, and I'm loving the change!

Basement Playroom Makeover

Before and After

We moved the wall with the chalkboard a few feet forward for a home renovation project that will hopefully be done in a few months.  Sorry about the lighting, we're looking forward to updating the ceiling with canned lights.

 The Playroom Details

Toy Storage & Yard Sale Picture

Toy Storage Detail.  The mirror door houses the dress-ups.

Reading nook

Hanging Bookshelf Detail (tutorial here).
I used two dowels from Home Depot, this and this, and IKEA fabric.

Bean Bag (I couldn't find a tutorial I liked, so I traced this and made it bigger)

Our TV hides behind this curtain (in jail). 
I hung the curtain on a dowel from Home Depot, and again these.

Puppet hanger detail.  We used a curtain wire.

Where my boys spend most of their time: the stage! 
Curtains from Ikea on bent PVC pipe.  The stage is a table top.

Art Center

Curtain wire and hooks, rail and cups all IKEA

Chalkboard Wall. Paint from HD.  Warning: chalk doesn't come out of clothes and especially carpet as easily as I would have thought.  Here's what I'd love to have under the chalkboard wall, but I don't want to pay $25 for something that will get covered in chalk.  If anyone's interested in how I did the boat and balloons, I'd happily post about it. 

My patient helpers

A Thought About Babies and Cleanliness

"I wasn't going to make a mess, Mom. Promise!"

Pardon the cellphone quality picture...

My post for today is just a simple thought:

I love cleanliness. I love my baby. But on most occasions that little fella does not = cleanliness. So what is a mother to do?

I was having a conversation with my older sister, Jennifer, when I thought to ask her, how does one keep their house/apartment clean with a little guy who is very efficient at pulling things out of boxes, drawers, and cupboards? Very quickly the answer came to my mind, you don't. Just get down there and play with him.

I take time to clean up, but I'll be honest, I'm usually behind in one way or another. It's all a part of the grand adventure that is parenthood. I so appreciated Ariel's post about getting out. If I spent my child's entire life cleaning, what would I have really taught him? There are certainly grand lessons in cleaning and doing chores, but if that is all that is focused on, so many things will be missed.

Thank Heaven for those illuminating moments!

Thoughts?

A Very Vintage Christmas

A few months ago we bought a lovely little house.  The house was built in 1951, had the same owners since around 1960, and not been updated since about 1975.  The previous owners lived here until they died, Dorothy in 2005 and Paul in 2009 (Amazing what you can learn from Google).  Paul was quite the fix-it guy, and Dorothy added many lovely touches as well, so there are new surprises around every corner (two nights ago I dreamed I found a new closet with a full-sized refrigerator/freezer in it).
The attic, in particular, is full of excitement.  (We told Paul and Dorothy's son that there was still stuff up there, and he said we could keep it.)  I knew there were some Christmas decorations up there, so for Family Night I asked Andrew to bring down their Christmas stuff with our box.
He brought down 20 boxes.  Nineteen of which were not ours.  It was getting late, so we opened one or two boxes, looked cautiously inside and went to bed.
The next day, I went through most of the boxes, sorting them into, "Maybe keep," "Donate," and "Trash."  After I had gone through everything, I called up my wise friend Camilla I knew could give me honest feedback, and also knew the difference between "vintage," and "ugly."
In the end, I took a whole carload of tinsel, plastic santas and homemade decorations to the thrift store, and I am happy to have a home more festive than ever before.  Some of the decorations are on trial.  We'll see if I feel like boxing them up for next year after I spend a month looking at them.  Here are a few of my finds.  Sorry for the photography.

There were two artificial trees in the attic, and I thought they looked pretty good!

There were enough of these beautiful glass balls to fill two big trees.

We got about seven of these little friends.  They don't stay on the tree very long,
I find them all over the place.  They must be very mischievous.

One of the best finds was a village worth of these little cottages.

The baby Jesus is one of the few evidences of their Christian faith,
and the only thing left over from a nativity set.

The sleigh is a music box, but I think I may have broken it already.

There was a whole box of these miniatures.
They don't seem to fit anything else, but I'm sure we'll find a use for them.

And now back to my current home project!