Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange

A friend of mine was so kind and organized a Jesse Tree ornament exchange. Jesse Tree ornaments are used during Advent as a devotional tool. The whole idea of the exchange is that each woman makes 27 of ONE kind of ornament, saving each of us from having to make 27 of different ones.

If you want to do this, these are the steps we recommend:

- Start early. This gives plenty of time to get them all made. My friend started in the summer. Figure out how many dates are in the Advent calendar for your year. (2009 has 27 days of Advent so that is why we made 27 ornaments.)

- Email as many different groups of friends you have. You'll need quite a few women to make it happen, based on the number of days of Advent for that calendar year. We needed 27. For simplicity purposes, I will use the number 27 for the rest of this post, but substitute your number, of course.

- Assign each lady a suggested ornament that follows these Jesse Tree devotionals. They are organized by date, but make sure you assign ornaments not dates because different websites list different dates. This again is because this site will update based on the number of Advent days in your calendar year.

- Ask someone in the group to host the Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange party. The hostess should have a 3-ft tree ready to hang the ornaments on. Our hostess asked each woman to bring either an appetizer or dessert, assigned by ornament devotional dates.

- Give the date of the exchange party up front so the deadline is set. Explain that each lady should make 27 durable kid-friendly ornaments to bring to the party. Each should be about 2-inches by 2-inches. Felt patterns may be used but creativity should be encouraged. Remind each lady to familiarize herself with the devotional and be ready to explain why her ornament represents the devotional (especially if she deviates from the suggested one).

- Remind each lady to bring 27 of her assigned ornaments to the Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange. The ornaments should each be in a plastic shoebox-sized bin with hanger hooks attached. They should also bring a 1/2-inch 3-ring binder to store all of the devotionals. We didn't do this, but I think it would be a great idea to ask each woman to put each ornament in a plastic sandwich bag with the date and ornament written on the outside. This way she can file them in the box so they are easy to find. This also keeps the ornaments from becoming tangled. Each woman will take home a plastic bin with 27 different ornaments and a devotional binder.

- You will need to hole punch, sort and print the devotionals on nice paper to hand out at the party. Also inform each lady to bring money to cover the printing costs. My friend changed the font and put each one on it's own page.

- At the party, each lady will stand to explain her ornament and then hang one on the tree for the hostess to keep. It was really fun to see all of them on the tree. And OH MY, the creativity!

- After the party, email an "index" of ornaments and the women that made them and email the file with the devotionals so each family can make changes to the devotional pages as they see fit.

One other idea that was circulated after our exchange was to allow your kids to illustrate the devotional story each night and then you can bind it at Kinko's and save one from each Christmas.

We had a blast at our party. (Thank you, Miranda and Emily). It was so much fun to see what everyone had come up with. My family is also really enjoying the devotionals. I highly recommend doing this if you're interested.

Here are some photos of our ornaments:

These pictures are of the ornaments scattered around the room for each lady to fill her box with.

These are the "stump" ornaments, complete with our family names printed (WOW!):

The "earth" ornaments were laminated and made with food coloring dropped on coffee filters glued to black cardstock paper.

The "fruit" or Adam and Eve ornament were store-bought apple ornaments. Very creative!

The "Noah's Ark & Rainbow" ornaments were made from dough and craft wire was attached with beads to create the rainbow. Love it!

The camel ornaments are wooden. They were ordered online, painted and given eyes.

Oh, the "baby" ornaments. These booties were handmade by our sweet Jenn. Wow!

The "ram" ornament. So cute!

The "Jacob's Ladder" ornament. I made these out of skinny craft sticks held together by wood glue and then spray painted a champagne color. (Because that's what I had on hand). It was simple but measuring and cutting the pieces took some time.

This is the "Joseph's Coat" ornament. There are no words. I love this one! And don't ask me how to make them. Logan is so creative!

The "Ten Commandments" made from popsicle sticks. You'd never know! I love these so much!

The Rahab "Red Rope" ornament. Simple but very creative.

Again, another one I love. The "Wheat" ornament. No idea how she made these but they are perfect.

I loved this variation from the suggestion. She filled a miniature glass ornament with real oil and hot glued the top. I have to keep mine upright in the box so it doesn't leak, but SO PRETTY! The "Annointing Oil" ornament

The "Crown" ornament. My kids are going to love this one!

The "Rose" ornament to represent the Rose of Sharon and God's promises to us. I love that. What girl doesn't love a rose? She was actually the only one who thought to bring each of hers in a plastic bag. Thanks!

Oh, and do not forget the ever-so-creative "Altar" ornament. Don't you just love the pipe cleaner fire? I do!

And the "Whale" who swallowed Jonah. It's so sweet and completely indestructible! My kids will love playing like it's eating someone!

Ok. This one is so great! The "Lion and the Lamb" ornament. One side is a lamb. Other side lion. To represent the peace God will establish again one day. Great stuff!

And the "City of Bethlehem" ornament turned out so pretty. I cannot believe she cut out all those brown cities!

Daniel's "Lion" den ornament. So great!

My kids will love this "Clock" ornament to represent waiting. I would have never thought of this!

One of the most creative variations. Since Zechariah's voice was taken away he wasn't able to worship with his voice. So this is a "Jingle for Jesus" ornament. Isn't that so much better than a picture of a Zechariah man and Elizabeth woman?

And a "Water Droplet" to represent Baptism. So pretty! I wonder where she found these?

And the ever-so-sparkly-and-bright hearts. I love these. Make me think of Valentine's Day!

Okay, this was such a good idea. A paper "Hammer" ornament with a tin foil top. :)

And another great store-bought idea. Flipflops, a.k.a. "Sandals". They walked a long way in sandals. Great!

And lastly, but certainly not least. The "Star" of Bethlehem to represent the day of Christ's birth. These were perfect. Pretty, sparkly and bright to top it all of. Oh, and store-bought, too! My kids keep asking where the star is for the top. I love that it will be the last ornament we hang!

I'd like to give a SPECIAL thanks to Kathy for providing all the pictures!

UPDATE: The Domestic Notebook blog has a slew of great Jesse Tree ideas, as well!

Deceptively Delicious and Organized, Too

I am a huge fan of the book, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. The premise is that you hide vegetable purees in food you already make, to increase your kids (and hubby's) veggie intake. I figured out from her cookbook what purees work with what flavors and I am now puree-happy.

The difficult thing for me was figuring out the best way to organize all the purees in the freezer. I had been lining tea cups with quart sized bags and then dumping 1/2 cup puree in each. I then sealed and marked each bag, laying it flat in the freezer so they could stack easily. Sounds reasonable, right?

WRONG!

I had an "AHA!" moment the other day. Why not use ice cube trays? Two of my "ice" cubes equals 1/4 cup. Perfect. Now I can adjust the amounts of puree easier!

So I just smear a veggie in the tray, stack and freeze. Once frozen, I place them in freezer safe containers and mark them. See?

Disclaimer: Photo is blurry because I was feeling lazy and snapped it with my phone.

Reinvent the Grilled Cheese

I love a good grilled cheese sandwich. So do my family members. The problem is that it takes forever to cook them one by one. I've tried using a large George Foreman grill, a larger skillet, etc. The GF works fine, but it's squished, so the sandwich tastes more like a panini than an actual grilled cheese sandwich. I like my grilled cheese crusty on the outside and gooey in the middle.

I found this new method of "baking" a Grilled Cheese sandwich in the latest issue of Kraft Food & Family magazine.


You will need the following:

8 slices white or wheat bread (I used wheat)
8 teaspoons butter, softened
8 slices cheese (I used 2% sharp cheddar)
1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard (this only goes on my hubby's)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter one side of each slice of bread then fill the inside of each sandwich with two slices of cheese and mustard, if desired. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan cheese. Flip and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, continuing to bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

You end up with a Parmesan-crust and a gooey center. It was a big hit with the kids. I like to serve it with sugar snap peas from the freezer and a couple of oranges. Mmmm. If you dig the tomato soup thing, I think it would hold up as a great dunker.

Storing Bed Linens

A few years ago, on Mission Organization I saw one of my favorite tips of all times. When you are putting your sheets away in a linen closet or in a drawer, why not store all of the pieces together so you can quickly grab what you need to make a bed?

The following method was suggested:

1. Neatly fold the fitted sheet.  (A great tutorial on folding fitted sheets can be found on stephmodo.com)

2. Fold the flat sheet the same size and place on top.

3. Top with one of the pillow cases.

4. Stuff all of this inside the other pillow case.

5. Gather the "slack" on one of the long sides and fold/tuck under.

6. Fold the short-sided end back.

7. Flip over and store with the smooth end showing.

It looks so much prettier in the closet and keeps everything you need to make the bed in one place. I even store my child's "puddle pad" inside the sheet set.

Photo and instructions also found on marthastewart.com

Here's to no more pillowcases hitting me over the head!

Detergent - How Much Is Too Much?

We had to replace our dishwasher recently. The appliance repairman said the bottom of our 5-year-top-of-the-line dishwasher was full of suds. Apparently over time this can damage the motor. I had been using the dishwasher gel tablets that you just throw in. Because we have very soft water in our area, it was too much detergent. He suggested I only use 1 teaspooon of dry detergent in the wash bin and 1 teaspoon in the pre-rinse bin. My dishes have never been cleaner. (I store my dry cascade in a tupperware container and spoon out a teaspoon at a time. I found it easier than attempting to only pour 1 teaspooon!)

I also asked why my dishes were not drying well. He noticed I wasn't using rinse aid. This also is a must for newer dishwashers. (Use the amount it calls for if you want dry dishes.)

While I still had the repairman's ear, I asked about laundry. He said the same soft-water-rules apply. He advised me to cut it by about 4 times what the box recommends and see what happens. He also said the dry detergent seems to dissolve faster (who knew?) and may perform better. Again, my clothes were cleaner when I used "below-the-one-line" for my super large loads.

So the moral of the story is, call your local water municipality. If your water is soft, adjust the detergent down and save some money. If it is hard, you may need to use more detergent, but you won't have to wash everything twice. This also applies to shampoo, dish detergent, etc.

Happy cleaning!

Freeze Your Wrap

A few weeks ago the Rachael Ray show had an episode devoted to tips.  I was all over it!  My favorite was to store plastic wrap in the freezer.  It keeps it from sticking together when you're attempting to unroll it and tear off a piece.  The only thing it sticks to is the dish you want to cover.  It really works!

Save Your Brown Sugar

We all have the same issue with brown sugar. If you leave it in the container you purchased it in you end up with brown sugar that is solid as a rock when you're ready to use it. There are several ways to avoid this calamity.

Airtight Container: I store my flour and sugar in the Lock and Lock 8-cup plastic airtight storage container. Any truly airtight container will keep moisture out and will keep your brown sugar soft for a really long time.

A Terracotta Disk: If you use a container that may not be airtight you can purchase a Brown Sugar Saver. Apparently, it is just a piece of terracotta. (Some even claim you can break off a piece of a terracotta pot and use that, instead.) If it's good enough for Giada DeLaurentis, it's good enough!

A Slice of Loaf Bread: I have been told that you can also use a piece of white loaf bread in your container. The bread absorbs the moisture and will not mold, but instead get hardened and stale. I just read that this works to bring your brown sugar back to life if it's already hard. (Just leave bread in the container for 24 hours.)

An Apple Slice: You can supposedly place an apple slice in with the brown sugar, too. I assume it will get hard and shrivel up?

So if you have tried any of these and think one works better than another, please comment!

Sponges and Dish Rags

Photo courtesy of Horia Varlan on Flickr.com

So we have all had a sponge or dish rag that downright smells. You know in your gut this is not good. Do not clean with that mildew-infested cloth, try this tip instead:

To disinfect a sponge, get it really wet and place it in your microwave oven. Microwave it on high for 3 minutes. When it comes out you will have a like-new sponge. (When it starts to look like your child's well-worn lovie, however, TOSS IT! Trust me, you can afford a new sponge.)

As for dish rags, they need to be laundered in the hottest water possible on the longest wash cycle. Add a little bleach to the wash periodically and dry them on the hottest setting possible. If they still smell like mildew when you're done, the dish rag is past it's prime. Ask for a new set for Christmas or your Birthday if you have to!

Leftover Coffee

On the episode of the Racheal Ray Show that aired on July 16th, she answered a viewer's question regarding uses for leftover coffee. One of my favorites that I have been doing on a regular basis now is to pour the coffee into ice cube trays. You can use it to make iced coffee rather than ice that melts and waters the coffee down.

Here's my "recipe" for iced coffee:

Place 3-4 coffee ice cubes in a tall glass. (I like to use a stem glass. Makes me feel fancy.) Top with about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup. Fill the glass about halfway with leftover coffee from that morning then top off with about 1/2 cup of lowfat or skim milk. Garnish and stir with a pretzel rod, if you have one on hand.

Battery Life

I read in a recent issue of Real Simple magazine that you should store your batteries so that positive and negative ends do not touch. If they do, it can zap the energy right out of them. They suggested that you put a rubber band around them to keep all the positive and negative ends facing in the same direction. Great idea, huh?

Deodorize Your Disposal

To clean, sharpen and deodorize your garbage disposal, dump a few handfuls of ice, a few lemon/lime/orange slices and a small box of baking soda (optional) down the drain with the water running and disposal turned on.

The ice will sharpen the blades, and the citrus and baking soda will help wash away the grease.

You will be left with a fresh citrus smell in your kitchen and it will extend the life of your disposal. And may extend the life of your ice maker, too!

Unpacking Your Kitchen

I love helping people unpack kitchens. I love to organize things and love the challenge of figuring out where things need to go. Sometimes friends are not picky about their kitchens and will give me free reign to unpack and organize their things.

Here are general rules I follow:

Put the silverware in a drawer underneath where your plates and bowls go. This way you have everything you need to set the table in one place. I recommend picking a cabinet/drawer closest to the table.

Place your glasses in the cabinet that is as close to the refrigerator as possible. You almost always fill a glass with ice before you place it on the table. Your mugs and teacups can go nearby.

Place large bowls and colanders you use often in a clean section under the sink. They are easy access but do not take up valuable cabinet space.

Your spices are supposed to be as far away from the heat as possible to make them last longer. I don't follow this rule because I didn't want to change everything (and heard the rule after I'd setup). But I usually do this for people when I help them. If where you'll prepare your food has an empty cabinet above, this is a perfect place for your spices.

Cooking utensils need to go in the drawer closest to wherever you are doing your food prep.

Make a baking section in your cabinets that has your mixing bowls, measuring cups, etc. in one place. If you wanted to keep baking soda, baking powder, etc. there, great! It is ideal if there is counter space below that for you to do your baking prep.

Place your dishcloths and washcloths in a drawer near the sink.

Think of the cabinets above the stove as a great place for pots and pans. They are easy access there, even though they are up high. You'll have to turn them upside down with the handles going sideways. This way they are easy to get in and out.

Store all of your plastic storage containers together. I personally like to buy all the same kind so they stack in each other with lids stacked beside. This makes less clutter in the cabinets. Square containers will maximize space and stack really easily in the fridge/freezer. I have the ziplock sandwich square ones. I do keep a few really small circular containers (the 1/2 cup kind made by glad) for sauces. They do not take up much room.

Stack baking dishes, casserole dishes, crockpots and other kitchen appliances in a lower cabinet. They are less likely to break if stored down low and easier to get out.

Put vases, serving platters, kitchen gadgets you only use 1 or 2 times a year in the highest/hardest to reach places.

Put your pot holders in a drawer as close to the oven as possible.

Don't forget the junk drawer. It needs to be as close to the phone as possible.

If you have any other suggestions, please post in the comments section!!

Centerpiece Ideas

Looking for a new idea for a centerpiece? Look no further. The Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine has a Centerpiece of the Month section. There are some fabulous ideas and they are archived on the RR mag website.

An Ice Maker That Continues to Make

If you have an automatic ice maker in your freezer, you can periodically empty it out to extend the life of your ice maker. I called a local appliance repair service to verify this information today and they explained that when the ice drops down, if it is not used, when the machine goes through the defrost cycle over and over and no ice is allowed to drop down, it will cause your ice cubes to be smaller and there will be fewer cubes made when you really need them. So, once every month or so completely empty out the ice bin. Your ice will taste better and you can use the ice to fill up your cooler or to clean your garbage disposal.

Fresh Herbs vs. Dried Herbs

I prefer the taste of fresh herbs so I use them whenever possible. I am constantly having to adjust recipes either because it calls for dried herbs and I want to use fresh or vice versa.

The ratio is 3 to 1. If you are using fresh herbs in place of dried herbs, you should use 3 times as much. If you're out of fresh and need to use dried herbs, cut it by a third.

Check out this answer on foodnetwork.com for more information.

Lost Lovie?

My daughter loved the teddy bear she'd slept with from infancy. It was the original Babies R Us gift card bear, which was discontinued.

"B" was misplaced when she was staying with my mother out of town. We searched high and low for the bear. Called every public place they visited. Tore Grandma's house apart.

I tried google, ebay, every site I could think of. No luck.

A friend emailed me about a lost toy service. I posted a "want ad" on the site several YEARS ago. Last week I received an email that a bear like ours had been located. I emailed the precious lady who responded to my ad right away. We received the bear in the mail today. My daughter is SO excited!

Please try the Plush Memories Lost Toy Search Service (a Dirty Butter site). And email your friends about it. It really works!

Natural Peanut Butter

If you eat as many PB&J's as we do you may be as concerned as I was to find out the leading brands contain high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. A few years ago we switched to the natural variety to avoid these two ingredients.

While I prefer the "no need to stir" brands (Skippy and JIF both have one), some of you may be peanut butter purists and may like the kind that has to be stirred and refrigerated.

Because the oil separates with this type, it can be a royal mess when trying to stir and get the oil evenly distibuted. So here's the tip: Store the jar of peanut butter upside down. Most of the oil will be at the bottom of the jar, making it so much easier to stir.

I also recommend Grandpa Witmer's Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Mixer ($12, lehmans.com). I gave it to my mom for Christmas one year and she loves it.

I personally store my JIF Natural (no need to stir) upside down, as well, because minimal oil separation with any non-hydrogenated peanut butter is possible. I like the last bit to be just as creamy as the first.

Go Grapes Over This One

The produce associate at my local supermarket told me that you do NOT need to buy an entire prepackaged bag of grapes. The bag is a suggested amount but because they are sold by the pound you may open them, pull out the best ones and then bag them yourself. I usually pull out a "vine", give it a good shake to lose the squishy ones and go on my way. Saves money and you get the grapes you want. Just the right amount.

What Time Is It, Anyway?

Ever noticed that you cell phone time, tv time and computer times are all a few minutes different, even though they may be automatically updated? Well now you can find out which one is right.

It is the job of the U.S. Navy to keep time for us. Here is a link to the government's website with the official time: http://time.gov

Set your house clocks to this time and you can be assured it is correct!