A Holiday Haven

Gardening tips and fun

2012-02-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

With spring just around the corner, before we get into all the fun of St. Patrick's Day I wanted to share a few of my favorite fun Gardening posts!

Click links under photos to view the full posts.

When is it time to start the garden?

Egg Shell Starters for Seedlings

Raised Bed Gardening

Butterfly Gardening

Easy / Laziest Way to Compost

May is the month for: Planting Pumpkins

Watering plants while on vacation

How to get rid of aphids

Fairy Gardens

The Deer in My Yard

Walk Though my Garden

Visit my Mothers lovely garden

Free Printable St. Patricks Decor - Irish Blessings

2012-02-20T12:49:00.001-08:00

Free printable Irish blessings in 3 colors. Irish blessing have become my favorite way to decorate for this holiday. Do not get me wrong, there are usually a few leprechauns that make their way to shelves too, but there is something about these blessings with their casual inclusion of shamrocks, laughter, and love that capture my heart and signify the history of this holiday. Below I have 3 blessing in 3 different colors

all are sized to fit in an 8x10 frame.

To print: (do not use the printer friendly button) Click on each photo to expand it, click again to make sure it is fully expanded (some browsers require this) then select file and print from the top of the window, or if using google chrome click on the wrench to print. Also if using google chrome you may need to right click on the photo and open it in a new window to print. If you have any trouble right click on the printable and save it to your desktop and print it from there. Personal use, but it is always ok to share these on blogs and commercial sites with a clear link back to this post and aholidayhaven.com

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St. Patrick's Day Party

2012-02-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note; The St. Patrick's Day party for 2012 starts March 3rd! You can find the party rules under the blog parties tab at the top of this page and I have updated the party schedule there for the rest of the year as well. Crafts, decor, fun ideas, recipes, printables, what ever you blog about in the theme of this holiday is welcomed!

February 16th is Do a Grouch a Favor Day

2012-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

Two days after Valentines day is a little unofficial holiday.

What could possibly top Valentines day?

What could be so important after a day full of love and kindness?

But of course, a day to share all of these lovely feelings... with a grouch.

A fun little holiday to love those who need it the most.

Some little token, maybe even a smile.

Go on, it may not make the grouch in your world feel any better, but it might just make you smile.

Oh what? Maybe you are the one who is a grouch? Well, there is a holiday for you too and you can see it HERE.

Happy February 16th! Make today a Holiday. :)

::The Holiday Challenge::
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Who Was St. Valentine? {A mystery as deep as love itself}

2012-02-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Shrouded in mystery, St Valentine was described by pope Gelasius as among those "whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are know only to God" at the dedication of the Feast of St. Valentine in 496AD.

Today those words are still true.

There are three notable St. Valentines in history that may have been the Valentines we celebrate today. The first was martyred in a Roman province of Africa and not much else is known. The second was St. Valentines of Terni, a bishop from about 197ad. The third was St. Valentines of Rome who was martyred around 270ad.

Of these three, the only solid reference is to the third one, St. Valentine of Rome, and is likely the one we derive our modern day celebrate from. The reference to this St. Valentine comes from an ancient text called the Nuremberg Chronicle where alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine, it is written that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. The Emperor Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. (source)

At the time of Claudius II in Rome it was not only illegal to aid Christians, but according to a quote by Father Frank O'Gara on cbn.com it was even illegal to marry young people as it was thought that unmarried soldiers fought better than those who had loved ones at home to worry about.

Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)

Where it is questionable:

The Nuremberg Chronicle (which give details of our a most likely St. Valentines) was written in 1493 nearly 1000 years after the dedication of the St Valentines Feast where pope Gelasius stated the words "whose acts are know only to God". These words make it one ask the question, if so little was know about Valentines, where did the Chronicle derive its account of Valentines secretly marrying Christians?

And another troubling detail, the account in the Nuremberg Chronicle would have put Valentine's martyrdom around 270 ad during the rule of Claudius, but the official list of martyrs for that time period was complied in 345ad and does not list any Valentines. There were however, as many as 14 Valentines recorded as being martyred in ancient Rome after 345ad (source). Valentines was a common name in that time period derived from the word 'valens' meaning worthy, strong, powerful.

Where there is proof:

There is a dedication in an ancient massive Roman church that reads:

Basilica S. Valentini extra Portam

and

The basilica appellatur Valentini

Which translates too:

The "Basilica of Staint Valentine beyond the Gate"

and

"is called Valentine's"

These seem to point to a notable roman priest 'Valentine' from an earlier (possibly 270ad) time period.

Saint Valentine of Terni oversees the construction of his basilica at Terni,
from a 14th century French manuscript.

Today it is still unclear if Valentines day is the compilation of the noble works of many St. Valentines plus a bit of legend, or the extraordinary works of one man. Either way, it is a tradition built on idea of :

sacrifice,

bravery,

noble honor,

and good works.

A beautiful history to accompany our modern day celebration of

love.

Saint Valentine baptizing Saint Lucilla byJacopo Bassano

Happy Valentine's Day

This was originally posted last year, but for those who did not see it I thought it would be a great post to share again. Happy Valentines!

Free Printable Valentines Cards and Gift Tags

2012-02-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Fun free printable Valentines card and gift tags.

With Valentines just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to make up some free printables.

To Print: (do not use the printer friendly button below) Click on each of the cards or gift tags above to expand them, click again to make sure they are fully expanded. Then click file and print from the top of your browser window or if using google chrome click the wrench and select print. (You may need to open the cards in another window in google chrome too). If you have any trouble save these to your computer desktop and print from there. Personal use only, but you are always welcome to share these on your blog, facebook, etc as well.

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Valentines Ideas on Etsy

2012-02-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have been spending a bit of time on Etsy lately building up a little shop and they have a feature, similar to a pinterest board, where you can gather together some of your favorite items and show them off. Below I have put together three of these treasuries with some of the amazing Valentines items. You can click on each of the photos to be taken directly to the shop page they are from to see more about them. Enjoy!

♥ Vintage Valentines ♥

♥ Red Rustic Valentiens ♥

♥ Shabby Valentines Gifts, Crafts, Decor ♥

Valentines Party! Lots of Valentines Ideas!

2012-02-03T22:00:00.018-08:00

Great ideas for Valentines Day!

Welcome to Holiday Haven's 2012

Valentines Blog Party!

Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a moment!

I have a pretty little Valentines coffee to share with you.

It is so simple to make.

I traced overturned cup onto card stock, added simple shapes.

This makes a template.

We have an espresso maker so I brewed up some coffee and made sure to add a lot of frothed milk to the the top.

Sprinkled the template with ground cloves to make the heart.

You could also use cinnamon or nutmeg. And the heart will stay as long as the foam is not disturbed. It lasted long enough to finish putting together this breakfast tray and take it upstairs.

Can I offer you some fun Valentines cookies too? RECIPE

And you can find some of my favorite Holiday Haven Valentines posts HERE

♡ Now it is your turn! In the party below you are welcome to share any Valentines themed posts. Crafts, decor, stories, tips, whatever you blog about (as long as it is family friendly).

♡ Multiple posts are welcomed (even encouraged).

♡ Older posts within a month or two are ok, even a post from last year is ok if it is spectacular :)

♡ Please link back to aHolidayHaven.com or use the party button in the side bar. (Your links will show up in this post and also under the party button in the side bar, that way everyone is sure to see them).

♡ Please share the party; tweet, fb, pin, tell a neighbor, your mom, or whatever (not required but appreciated). I will be pinning all of the posts in the party to my Valentines board on pinterest, please consider sharing others posts when you visit them as well.

If you do not know what a blog party is, this is where bloggers (mostly women in this case) come together to share ideas from their websites. You are welcome to join in the fun by clicking on the links below and commenting.

♡ Want to take the party to your site? get the InLinkz code

::The Holiday Challenge::
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16 Valentines Day Ideas

2012-02-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

16 of my favorite Valentines posts from Holiday Haven.

With Valentines just around the corner, I thought it would be nice to gather all of these ideas together to share. If you are a regular follower of this site you will recognize some of these posts from the last couple of years. I have lots of great ideas planned for the next two weeks as well and a Valentines themed blog party this Saturday too which will have lots of great ideas too! (see blog parties tab for details).

Click links under each photo to see full post:

♥ Making your home feel like a Bed 'n Breakfast

♥ Pop-up homemade school Valentines.

♥ Beauty sleep, is so important! Are you sleeping enough?

♥ A beautiful heart cake with step by step instructions.

♥ Valentines beauty: Use what you have, a funny post.

♥Free printable cupcake toppers.

♥ a romantic soft Rose Bookmark Craft

♥Valentines beauty: pamper your hands.

♥ Vacation idea #6 go Wine Tasting, for Valentines!

♥ make an at home spa date.

♥ or - Kidnap your spouse!

♥ Free Printable Valentines Heart Banner

♥a soft pink tablescape.

♥ and my all time favorite Valentines post: Little ways to say I love you poll.

♥ Still need to plan Valentines? Here are some tips and ideas: Planning Valentines.

♥ And for even more ideas you can visit Holiday Haven's Valentines Blog Party from last year.

♥ The party starts this Saturday!

See blog parties tab for details.♥

I have added this post to Seasonal Sundays at TheTablescaper.blogspot.com

Groundhogs Day 2012

2012-02-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Yes he did! Punxsutawney Phil (arguably the most official of groundhogs) saw his shadow today. So, if traditions ring true we have 6 more weeks of winter to look forward too.

Here are his predictions for the last couple of years:
2012 (this year) - long winter
2011 - early spring
2010 - long winter
2009 - long winter
2008 - long winter
2007 - early spring
(See more predictions here)
Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting the beginning of spring since 1887

Shabby Apple Winner

2012-02-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

The Shabby Apple Dress Give Away winner was comment #1

Congrats Jenny from Modern Modest Beauty!

I will be in touch soon to get your contact info, etc!

Thanks to everyone who played along!!

And a quick little note: Shabby apple lists special promos and discounts on their facebook page, and for a limited time are offering Holiday Haven readers a 10% discount using the coupon code "HolidayHaven10off"

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

2012-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

**This giveaway is now closed**

Valentines day beauty!

This is such a nice time of year to focus on getting a little gussied up.

To kick off celebrating Valentines day I have the honor of giving away one of the women's dresses at www.shabbyapple.com!

The lovely women's blue dress above is offered in this give away.

For some 'gussying up' inspiration, in the spirit of planning Valentines, I picked a few more photos of the lovely women's dresses from www.shabbyapple.com to show off.

This black flirty dress with pleated skirt is so fun, this would be great for a Valentines afternoon in the park.

Or if you are in the city and need something a bit spunky this yellow vintage dress is perfect!

Casual and flirty, I love how they accessorized this pretty white dress.

A little more elegant and reserved, maybe a dinner and a show, this teal women's dress in the evening would be enchanting.

An attention grabbing spring green dress would go well on any date!

Stunning red dresses on Valentines just cannot be ignored!

On a sea side adventure, an adorable beach dress would be fun.

And for a formal evening a classic women's dress, so lovely!

To enter:

(Please leave a separate comment for each)

1. Like shabby apple on Facebook: {Shabby Apple on Facebook} and you will also get in on special promotions and exclusive discounts!

2. Visit {shabbyapple.com} have a little look around, come back here and leave a comment describing your favorite dress.

For additional entries:

(just pick the ones you are comfortable with, and if you already do these, just leave a comment saying so.)

*Tweet about this faboulous giveaway, come back and leave a comment with your twitter name.

*Share this give away on your facebook page and/or facebook wall, come back and leave a comment.

*Follow Holiday Haven on facebook {HERE} and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

*Follow Holiday Haven on Twitter {HERE} and leave a comment with your twitter name.

*Follow me on Pinterest {Here} and leave a comment here.

Contest details:

There are no exchanges for the winning dress. Winner will be picked at random and listed on this site. The winner must have a U.S. shipping address. I will need a way to contact you after the give away for the important info, please make sure your email is in your profile or listed in the comments here. Contest ends Midnight Tuesday January 31, 2012! Winner announced on Wednesday Feb. 1st, 2012.

And there is a coupon code for Holiday Haven readers!! Enter "holidayhaven10off" for a limited time to receive 10% off!

A few more photos of the give away dress:

I love how versatile this dress is, pretty enough to go out on the town, casual enough for everyday, wonderful for most work settings too! This dress is called 'the Azure Coast' it has puff sleeves, a shirt collar, wrap styling to the skirt, it is made from 100% cotton and fits true to size. Retail on this dress is $82. Good luck!

**This giveaway is now closed**

And remember they are offering Holiday Haven readers 10% off for a limited time using the coupon code "holidayhaven10off"

Easy Heart Shaped Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

2012-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

After seeing an amazing cookie post ( Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies) on Simply Sweet Home and some candy cane/almond bark hearts last year, I decided to try to combine the two ideas using pretzels and it worked!

Two pretzels

with peanut butter sandwiched between

dipped in melted almond bark

and topped with some sugar pearls.

I used mini pretzels and they were just right as tea cookies.

A little salty, a bit sweet,

full of flavor, but still a dainty treat.

And so simple to make!

These are now my favorite treat to make for my family for Valentines.

And as my hubby has gone out and bought more pretzels, (a huge bag too) I am waging that he might just agree.

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Free Printable Spring Banner

2012-01-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

A fun free printable banner for spring!

And I created an extra flag to act as spacers if you need a longer banner:

To print: (do not use the printer friendly button below) Click on each banner flag to expand it, click again to make sure it is fully expanded. Then right click print or use 'file' and 'print' options from the top of your page. If using google chrome you may need to right click and open the image in a new window and then click the wrench from the upper right hand corner to print. If you have any trouble you can save the image to your computer and then print from there. Personal use please, and it is always ok to share this on your blog/facebook/etc.

::The Holiday Challenge::
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Applying fabric to walls

2012-01-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

With spring cleaning and decorating just around the corner I wanted to share some u-tube videos from NYDraperyGuy.

Applying fabric to walls- this video is kind of long (14 min) but it is so amazingly detailed! He walks you though just how to apply fabric to all of the walls in a house.

Here is another (shorter) demonstration of how you would apply it to just one wall.

The 'ask the drapery guy' feature has some great tips on hanging curtains on curved windows, what to do if your curtains stick when you open them, and cleaning your drapes.

This vid. is kind of a 'behind the senes', but about half way through is a gorgeous example of finished work with fabric on the walls of a beautifully decorated home.

These are the first few of his videos, hoping that he publishes a lot more! Here is where you can find him on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NyDraperyGuy
(I subscribe to his channel).

(p.s. this is in no way sponsored, and I am in no way affiliated, just sharing these because I think they are cool. If you think they are cool too, please consider sharing this post, easy share buttons below.)

::The Holiday Challenge::
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Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2012-01-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.

Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.

Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."

Martin Luther King Jr.

US black civil rights leader and clergyman (1929 - 1968)

7 Vacation Ideas

2012-01-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

This last week I have been planning Summer! Vacations and small fun with the family. I regularly look at the posts I did this time last couple of years and today I have pulled out and dusted off 7 of the 45 vacation ideas I have shared on Holiday Haven.
(Click links under photos to see the full post)

Whistler - this is probably our families favorite vacation spot! We sublet a condo from friends every couple of years, and we get to go again this year!!

Ice Caves - These are right here in my home state of WA, but I have included a list of where you may find similar natural features in your state too.

Visit a tea room - this is where our family fell in love with the tradition of high tea.

The Empress - one of the best places to have high tea, this post though is about our stay in the hotel itself.

Riding a train- this is a great american past time, and a vacation experience our family will never forget.

Sunny Los Cabos just the place if you are wishing for some summer sunshine!

Craigdrroch castle- a gorgeous castle in B.C. full of beautiful decor.

Visit the ::Vacations:: tab at the top of this page to see 45 vacation ideas and 43 more small family outings.

Mossy Spring Crafts {Tutorial}

2012-01-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

6 Spring crafts made from moss and clay. This last week my Etsy shop (here) has seen a few sales so I have been busy crafting to add more to it. Etsy is SO much fun. These six crafts are all made using air dry clay and moss.

Little butterflies are easy to make, make a flat square of air dry clay and pinch the ends and shape the center till you have a butterfly. I added little lines along the body of the butterfly and indents on all four wing tips and then curled some wire for antennas.

10 of these little critters together makes for a pretty spring bowl fillers. And next to a lamp, pretty spring decor.

Next it was on to flowers. I am not too sure I like how these turned out, funny how sometimes what is in your head is not at all what you end up with! But they have a fun whimsical feel, so I am happy enough with them.

Make a flat disk with the clay, cut small lines part of the way in and pinch the ends to make flower petals. I then added a small disk of clay to make the center and finished with a criss cross detail and brownish copper paint.

For Valentines a little love nest :)

I used letter stencils to make these fun nests, on the back I stenciled more letters so it can say home as well. You can see my birds nest craft tutorial here: Birds Nest Craft Tutorial

Mini birds nests (made using the same tutorial as above, but on a smaller scale) hot glued to thick card stock and scrapbooking paper. I used scrapbooking scissors to create the edging and a very tiny hole punch to give it the lacy feel.

And last in my crafty fun, I made up these rustic little Valentines gift tags. I so love rustic and vintage for Valentines! To make these, form the little hearts from clay and hot glue the moss to the tag. Once the hearts are dry, add just a little hot glue and place them on the moss. But, hot glue alone will NOT hold the hearts. So we drizzled 'glue all' (which is like elmers school glue, but a little stronger) all over and around the hearts and that did the trick.

Happy Crafting!

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20 Spring fun facts

2012-01-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

20 Spring fun facts! It is still cold where I am, but I just couldn't resist thinking of spring, so I have compiled 20 fun facts for spring.

1. If you stand at the equator on the first day of spring, you will see the sun pass directly over head. This is only true two times a year; the first day of spring and the first day of Autumn.

2. Popular Spring blooms include tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, iris, daisies, and lilies.

3. Often though the first bloom to be seen is a dandelion :) Dandelions first came from Asia, and now calls the entire world home. I can be used both as a food and a medicine and the seeds provide and important food to many small birds.

4. Common animals and insects associated with sprint are: rabbits, eagles, frogs, hummingbirds, robins, deers, foxes, bears, bees, butterflies, and ladybugs.

5. An area along the California and Oregon border between the Harbor-Brookings bench of Oregon and the Smith River area of California is often called the “Easter Lily Capital of the World” as it produces 95 percent of all bulbs grown in the world for the potted Easter lily market which is more than 11 million bulbs each year.

6. Baby birds learn to sing. Baby birds are born with the ability to sing, but they must learn the specific songs of their species. They are thought to acquire these songs between 10 to 60 days of age and begin to sing them the next spring when they have matured at about 300 days old.

7. Arbor Day celebrated on the last Monday in April; however, each state can select its own date, depending on weather conditions. The first Arbor Day Celebration was held on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska.

8. Spring fever is real! Commonly occurring when a sudden warm spell follows a long cold period. When the temperature rises, there's a dilation or expansion of the blood vessels so that blood can be carried to the body surface where heat can be lost quickly. Some people experience an energetic feeling to this reaction.

9. Spring cleaning often accompanies spring fever. And with the warmer weather windows and doors can be open which allows ventilation for dusting and the fumes of cleaning products. It has been suggested that spring cleaning dates back to the Persian New Year where they practice "Khoneh Tekouni" which means "Shaking the house". Another possibility of the origin can be traced to the ancient Jewish of cleansing the home in anticipation of passover.

10. Emeralds represent spring, rebirth, hope, peace, and tranquility.

11. "June Brides" are not as common as they use to be. Historically June has always been the most popular month for weddings. The word June even comes from Juno the Roman goddess of marriage. However, The American National Center for Health Statistics show that July and August for the last couple of years have each have seen more marriages than June.

12. Flooding becomes more common in spring due to snow melt and spring rains.

13. Hurricane season begins in late spring.

14. Seasonal allergies in the spring are a problem for 30-60 million in the U.S. alone. The culprits are often pollen, including tree pollen, and mold.

15. Fleas! become more active as it gets warmer and at the same time your pet is more interested in going outside. Spring time is a great time to make sure you have a defense plan.

16. Animals wake from hibernation and are seen more frequently. Animals that hibernate include: ground squirrels, hedgehogs, bears, bats, and even a bird; the Common Poorwill

17. Birds fly back northward to settle and have their families. Approximately 1800 of the world's 10,000 bird species are long-distance migrants.

18. Butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season. See how to create a butterfly garden here: Butterfly Gardening

19. Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon. Which is close to the first Sunday after first full moon after Spring begins. And so the date Easter is celebrated can range from March 22 through April 25th.

20. Spring ends and summer starts around the 20/21st of June.

(sources: national hurricane center, national weather center, animal planet, everyday health, ehow, wikipedia where sources noted, the american national health statistics, starlingtalk.com.)

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January 6th is Three Kings Day

2012-01-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

Today is the first Day of Epiphany which comes just after the 12 days of Christmas and is also known as Three Kings Day. This is the day when the visit of the Wisemen is traditionally celebrated with a feast.
You can see a wonderful write up about Three Kings Day at: LisaLovesHolidays.
And more about The 12 Days of Christmas in a post I did HERE.

The Three Kings Day Feast is usually a simple meal with meat such as pork, ham, chicken or meat stew as the main course and a cooked vegetable for the side. The heart of the meal is a Kings cake usually made from egg bread in a crown shape and has a hidden bean or almond in the cake to symbolize the baby Jesus. In addition to the cake, pastries are sometimes served. Great Kings Cake recipes from around the world can be found at: BeliefNet.com

More about: The Christian Year
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Snowy fun! Fun ideas for Winter

2012-01-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

Before we get into all the fun of Valentines Day I wanted to share a few fun snowy posts from the last couple of years. Do you decorate with snowmen after Christmas? I often begin to think of spring just after Christmas, but it is still 'officially' winter until almost the end of March. The area where I live was projected to have an unusually cold winter. We have, however, somehow managed to have an unusually warm winter. lol. It has not even snowed here this year which is so very weird! Still there are snowmen in my home right now, I know what season it is, even if the weather outside doesn't!!

For fun today, looking though my past posts I have put together a fun snowy/seasonal collection:

(Click links UNDER the photos to view)

A Snowman photo tour, some people are so creative!

20 Winter fun facts !

Is the Christmas tree still up in your home? Recycling Christmas Trees

Snowflake Cheese ball recipe and printable template

A snowy tablescape

A Fun Free Printable Snowman Banner

How are your resolutions going? Are you like me? After about 3 days I forget I have even made resolutions!

Do you need to Revise Your New Years Goals?

And here are some great sites to help you keep resolutions!

Januarys Shopping Bag

And in my shopping bag posts, which you can also see by clicking the shopping bag tab at the top of this page, I compile seasonal ideas; produce that is in season, sales to look for, and fun seasonal ideas.

Hope your new year is going well!

The Holiday Challenge for the New Year

2012-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Some exciting changes for all of you who like to follow along on the Holiday Challenge. For 2012 I have put it in Google calendar format! So if you have a google account you can click the little +1 button on the lower corner of the calendar to follow along. And(or) you can click ::The Challenge:: tab at the top of this page anytime to view the calendar.

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Ring in the New Year - The meaning behind the saying

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why we 'ring out the old' and 'ring in the new'?

It was a custom in England, and many places around the world, to ring Church bells at midnight on New Years as a way of "ring out" the old year. Celebrating its passing, in the same way as they would ring the bells for a person that had died. And to "ring in" the new year joyfully.

In 1850 Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the poem "Ring Out, Wild Bells" about this tradition. A poem with such depth, hope, renewal and challenge it is no wonder it has made a mark on history. It is from the bells and this poem that we derive the saying "Ringing in the new year".

"Ring Out, Wild Bells"

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

It is believed the bells of Waltham Abbey, (pictured above) are the bells in this poem.

Happy New Year!

You can print this poem by clicking the printer friendly button below.

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New Years Mantel Decor

2011-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Simple Quick New Years Decor! On a little low bookshelf in my home I gathered together some of our clocks to create a New Years vignette with old world charm.

I set the clocks on their sides, and then placed some heavy books in front of them to keep the clocks from toppling over.

Added a little bell from our Christmas tree to the mix.

If we were going to be home for New Years Eve I would leave the clocks set to their real time as it would be fun to watch them all tick tock down to midnight.

But, this year we will be with celebrating with my husbands parents so I set and left them all at midnight.

This little clock is one of my newest finds, I love it's vintage-ness.

Collecting pretty clocks is a habit I picked up from my father who's house if full of them.

Happy New Year!!

Free Printable New Years Stationary

2011-12-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Four New Years stationary free printables. Made in a couple of styles, these free printables are wonderful for sending 'news letters' to family and friends by mail or even e-mail.

To print (do not use the printer friendly button) Click on the printable you would like to use. Click again to make sure it is fully expanded and then click file and print from your browsers menu. (If using google chrome, click on the wrench and then select print from there). You can also right click save these to your desktop and print as you would any photo or document. (If using a mac, drag the photos to your desktop to save). Personal use. And sharing these on blogs with a link back to aholidayhaven.com is always ok.

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