Easter Gardens

As I was browsing Pinterest a few days ago,

I stumbled onto a picture of an Easter garden and instantly knew it would be perfect project for my children and I!

We spend time doing special activities with the children at Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ,

but Easter is an even more significant event for the Christian!

Jesus' death on a cross and resurrection from the grave is our salvation and hope for eternity.

I want my children to understand why we celebrate Easter,

and this seemed like a great way to start more discussions about it. 

There were only a few basic items needed to make the gardens.

(And if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm all about simple projects! 😉)

I found the clay plate and faux moss at Walmart and got the pebbles from Hobby Lobby.

We just picked out some twigs from our backyard to make the crosses.

Not pictured: an empty tin can

We started with a layer of dirt that Nicholas scooped from somewhere (probably my flower beds!),

then added the tin can with the open end toward the front of the plate.

I hot glued the moss over the can and the children placed the pebbles around the sides and front.

I used twine to fasten two twigs together, which created the crosses, and then hot glued them into the moss.

 

I took the children on a four-wheeler ride to find some larger rocks to cover the opening of the can.

That was probably their favorite part of the whole project!

It was such fun to watch their gardens take shape,

but even better to have conversations with them about why Jesus went to the cross for us that day. 

I love how a simple activity like this can communicate profound truth to little (and big) hearts.

What Easter traditions are meaningful in your family?

10 Favorite Christmas Traditions for Children

Christmas holds a lot of special memories for me from my childhood,

and I want to establish meaningful traditions with my littles as well.

There are so many festive activities during this season that it can actually be overwhelming,

so I decided to share a few that I have found to be worthwhile and fun!

1. Our church hosts an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Night,

and Hadassah and Nicholas love to participate in this!

I want to be intentional about teaching my children the true meaning of Christmas,

and this is a beautiful way to let them experience the joy of giving.

2. A few years ago, I bought a cheap artificial tree from Walmart.

It's actually kind of ugly (ha!), but the kids just love getting to decorate it with their own ornaments!

I let them each pick an ornament from New Creation each year

and we talk about the dear women who have created them.

3. The past two years, we assembled gingerbread houses.

It's a mess, and nearly as much candy ends up in their mouths as does on the houses,

but they have so much fun!

Those happy little faces make the mess totally worth it!

4. I was so close to buying an artificial tree this year,

but nothing beats going to a tree farm and choosing the perfect tree as a family!

They watched Papa cut it down, and chased each other through the trees.

It was an hour well spent.

5. Our annual church Christmas play is always a highlight and the children can hardly wait to go for the first showing tonight! Here's a preview clip to pique your curiosity :)
If you're local, we'd love to have you join us!

6. I took the children to the Dollar Tree so they could pick out a gift for each other.

$1 is such a small investment so they can enjoy the fun of giving!

They were so excited to wrap the presents and put them under their little tree :)

7. Go see a live nativity.

We've only done this once with the children, when Nicholas was too young to remember.

I think they would really enjoy going to see one this year!

8. Find a variety of books about Christmas at the library to read to the children.
I love this idea! I'll have to remember it for next year.

9. Bake cookies together and then fix platters to pass out to neighbors.
This is a family tradition my mom started,
and although I haven't done it every year, I think the children would love to participate in this.
Now I just need to figure out how to make cookies faster than we eat them :)

10. Take a drive to see the Christmas lights.
There's something absolutely magical about those colorful, twinkling lights!
I enjoy seeing them almost as much as my children do!

But even if I accomplish nothing else, I want to be present with my children.

 I want to sing Christmas carols, drink hot chocolate 

and experience the wonder of Christmas through their eyes!

Now I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas traditions!

Happy weekend friends!

My Fall Home

Fall is one of my favorite seasons!

I love the brilliant colors, the woodsy scent of leaves, and the crisp evening air.

I get excited about pulling out my sweaters and boots,

and wrapping up in cozy blankets.

It was so much fun bringing some of those elements into my home this year!

I don't think I've ever really decorated my porch for fall, other than setting out a mum.

But after I got these gorgeous pumpkins from Massanutten Produce, it all just came together.

This old hickory rocker was left at the house,

so I added a cozy flannel I found at the last Embellish sale!

I stopped in at the Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Store and found this darling yellow garden stool.

I love the pop of color it adds to the porch!

The galvanized bucket was a few dollars at a flea market.

I created these farmhouse banners for the Barn Sale this year,

and this one ended up in my studio!

I love the simplicity of these mini white pumpkins, and used them throughout my house.

The terrarium is a great place to display seasonal items!

I put a mini pumpkin, leaf and some acorns in mine.

This is one of the many old mantles that came out of the farmhouse that was originally on this property. 

The sign is one that I painted (and is for sale if anyone is interested!)

and the ferns were foraged in the woods behind the house. 

The succulent pumpkin was a gift; isn't it adorable?!

I used my wood round to create an autumn-themed tea bar, complete with pumpkin spice tea

and salted caramel syrup! The coffee drinkers can't have all the fun.

Oh, and let's not forget all the pumpkin desserts!

It wouldn't be fall without them.

And we're on the back porch, where Hadassah is cozied up with my Aztec blanket that I purchased 15 years ago in Mexico! It's also Sprinkle's favorite spot to take a nap.

Thanks for joining me on a tour of our home!

xoxo, Ruby