Cinnamon {Love}

A sweet older lady came up to me at church yesterday and, shaking her head,  said “You must be so busy this time of year ….”

While I suppose that is a teensy bit true, aren’t we all a little bit busier this season?

But somehow, we have managed to stay clear of the crazy, busy schedules – no work parties or strange awkward get togethers, we have not rushed to every town celebration or holiday activity that has appeared attractive, we are not bustling around to the stores (in fact, I avoid them this time of year), the shopping that had to be done was accomplished online {what a lovely treat!} and now we are baking, giving gifts to the neighbor, celebrating each day with acts of kindness in some way and enjoying a less-rushed schedule.

 

 

Christmas cheer and fun-filled memories are just as easily made baking up goodies for the neighbours in your cozy kitchen … thinking of ideas and ways to bless the grandparents or piano teacher …

Here’s a simple activity to cheer up your Christmas house.
Hide the car keys, cease the rushing, put on some sweet Christmas music and roll out the cinnamon dough with your children.

 

Homemade Cinnamon Scented Ornaments

 

• 1 cup cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cloves (I omitted this because I didn’t have any)
• 1 Tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 2 Tbsp. white glue
• cookie cutters
• drinking straw
• ribbon

 

Knead the ingredients together until it forms a dough. Collect your kids favorite cookie cutters. Sprinkle some cinnamon on the table and roll out the dough. And have some fun from there! You can make anything! And you can decorate it any way you want. We used sparkles, but you could paint, add eyes and create creatures – anything!
Make sure you poke a hole in the top to hang a string through so you can hang these lovely ornaments on your tree.

 

When everything is all cut out, bake in the over at 200 degrees for a few hours (I baked them for just over an hour).
Add a string and you’re done!