There is a charming story told of a girl named Pepita, the humble Poinsettia, and the Christ child.
Flowers of the Holy Night,
As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy. “I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.
Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back tears as she entered the small village chapel.
As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene by baby Jesus.
Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, OR Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloom each year during the Christmas season…….thus you now know the legend of how the Poinsettia was born.
“Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.”
This year, we are not traveling down the road of commercialism, were keeping things simple this season and that includes our gifts to one another. Were going “Handmade”! All of our gifts will be simple, inexpensive, thoughtful and handmade. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
There are several GREAT reasons to do this:
1. Save money (the economy and our budgets are tight)
2. Stay out of debt and be a good steward of that which God has given us
3. Be more focused this Christmas on the reason for the season….Jesus
4. Put more thought, time, effort and love into our gift giving…pour a little of ourselves into the gift and receiver
So in that spirit…here are a couple of easy handmade gifts from me to you:
You can find 2 great gift ideas; Simple Easy Crocheted Potholders AND Mason Jar Sewing Kit w/Pincushion HERE
Lavender Sugar Scrub
This is so easy, so simple, and truly a welcome and very much needed gift for any gal, your or old!
1 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Lavender Buds
Lavender Essential Oil - 10 drops (I like it strong)
Coconut oil, melted – 1 to 2 tsp.
Homemade goodness in a jar!
*Combine Sugar, Lavender Buds…stir thoroughly.
*Add Essential Oils and melted Coconut oil.
*Stir to desired consistency
*Scoop into jar-lid-label!
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Vodka (80-90 proof) OR Everclear
Vanilla Beans (I bought mine at Amazon and these are awesome—>HERE)
Homemade Vanilla Extract, MUCH better than store bought!
*Take 1 Vanilla Pod and cut into 2″ pieces
*Take one Vanilla Pod and slit lengthwise to expose beans inside
*Leave one Vanilla pod whole
*Place all Vanilla pods in decorative glass container and top off with Vodka or Everclear
*Cap bottle, you can shake it 1X a day if you like, taste after 1 week to determine strength, perfect after 2 months!
A Semi-Homemade Christmas GIVEAWAY
In honor of Christmas and our new Handmade declarations and commitment I have a GIVEAWAY for you!
Melissa from Pioneering Today is offering her wonderfully amazing and inspiring E-book
“A Handmade Christmas” E-book
To one lucky winner!
I will be contributing a “Semi-Handmade Christmas Goodie Basket”
An adorable Jingle Bell basket filled with crocheted coasters, potholder, homemade Vanilla Extract and Kat’s Herbal Tea with Heart diffuser.
We hope that this Giveaway inspires you this Christmas to make your Christmas a Handmade one!
And may we all remember this….
“Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.”
This article is hopping around the following Blog Hops:
Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, From the Farm Fridays, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simple Life Sunday Blog Hop.
Copyright:
This article may be contributed to third-party sites, but it is COPYRIGHTED, and it may not be USED in any form or shared without my written permission. If you are interested in this article or any of Simply Living Simply articles, please contact Kat Yorba; Author and owner of Simply Living Simply directly for republishing information.
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Medical Disclaimer:
Nothing in this post is to be construed as medical advice, simply a sharing of things that have worked for me & my family. If you have any symptoms of serious illness, taking medication, pregnant or nursing, or have never worked with herbal materials or essential oils before, please consider consulting a medical professional before use. I am unable to offer advise for your particular medical situation; please ask your Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Naturopath for further guidance. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act.
About Kat Y (Simply Living Simply)
Beautiful post and giveaway opportunity. I agree. More from the heart, less from the mall.
I am loving this….all! Thank you!