Celebrating Giftmas with the Advent Calendar

Cheesy Advent Calendar

I hate Christmas.  Growing up, it was a time guaranteed to bring out the worst in my parents who often would fight it out on Christmas Eve over how much money mom could spend on presents for us.  (We won't even get into the fiasco that was the years my father bought presents).

But now that I have rug rats of my own, I am constantly trying to find ways to celebrate the season in a way that both honors the birth of a man who preached peace and doesn't leave the kids feeling like they missed out on the Giftmas side of things.  This year my six year old is spending Xmas with his father, so it was even more of a challenge, especially since my spoiled little man really doesn't need two Christmases worth of toys.  That's were Cheesy Advent Calendar, purchased from big box craft store came in.   

I've spent the last few weeks scouring the Interwebs looking for Advent ideas as a way of celebrating without focusing entirely on the getting side of things.  Ideas out in the World Wide Web were sparse (it seems that a lot of people punted after coming up with a dozen or so ideas), so I'm going to post my list here.  The cool thing about the advent is that it can tailored to any family's specific ideas and beliefs fairly easily, as well as the age of the children involved.  I'm hoping to add a lot of service projects on to my calendar as my son grows.  This year is very craft heavy, and we may end up as epic craft fails, but hopefully all little man will remember is that we tried.

Our Advent Calendar (edited to add the results of each activity)

*1  Read the story of Baby Jesus and make a Nativity (was strangely excited at the idea that Jesus had a birthday....very insistant that Mary be significantly taller than Joseph....)
2  Decorate tree and drink hot chocolate with marshmallows (Little man refused the hot chocolate, of course)
3  Watch a Charlie Brown Christmas (He wasn't impressed at first, but it won him over by the end)
4  Buy a toy for a needy child  (He was confused by this, so maybe next year....)
5  Build a Plane Workshop (He loves these and they're free!)
6  Make Snowman pictures (This was an epic craft fail)
7  Read the Polar Express (Loved it)
8  Take Christmas tree pictures  (Put up with holding his sister in his lap for about 15 minutes)
9  Sing Christmas songs (never got around to organized singing, though he burst out in song many times)
10 St Nicholas Day (traditionally celebrated 6 December) (this confused him)
11 Go see a movie (Went to see Rise of the Guardians--we all loved it)
12 Salt Dough Ornaments (we ended up going with shrinky dinks because it looked cooler)
13 Make Christmas cards (this was a mixed bag....the child happily made cards...in pink, blue and purple)
14 Look at the Lights (The biggest hit of all of the ideas, he loved this, especially since we went to an organized display)
15 Visit Santa (He was very excited and actually smiled for the camera!)
16 Make Paper snowflakes (never got around to this) 
17 Read The Best Christmas Pagent Ever (never got around to this)  
18 Make Gingerbread crayons (ran out of time)
19 Make peppermint bark  (epic cooking fail)
20 Make gingerbread cookies (cheated and made chocolate chip instead)
21 Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (I found the man-child watching the DVD in his room before we could all get together to watch it....he loved it anyways and watched it four times)
22 Make wrapping paper (didn't happen :(  )
23 Reighndeer ornament (Also didn't happen)
24 wrap presents (this became mommy wrap....oh well....)

*I had to adjust our calendar to match up with little man's Christmas vacation, so we are actually starting our calendar on the 27th of November.
       
           
               

What to do when your Tarot reading predicts something horrible

The other day I ran across a question someone asked on a Tarot forum that's fairly common.  The person had sat for a reading and their reader told them that the cards predicted they'd be physically assaulted sometime in the next few weeks. To me, this type of reading smacks of scam for so many reasons It's an unfortunate but sad reality that there are a lot of people in this business out there to scam people.  Some signs your reader is attempting to scam you:

• He/she predicts something terrible for you in a very specific time period
• Why is this a scam?  Tarot cards are like forecasts--they speak of what is likely to happen if you continue on the path you are on.  Just like other forecasts, they are not 100% accurate--everyone has free will and can change their path as they wish.  Additionally, Tarot tend to be vague when asking for specific dates.  I've had my best luck with giving out general time periods--like the season--when something will happen.
• He/she tells you that something bad is going to happen one or two cards into the reading.
• While this isn't always the case, the vast majority of Tarot spreads start off by examining the current situation or the past.  Its very rare that a spread will discuss the future a card or two into the reading.
• He/she offers spells/charms to ward off whatever bad thing is approaching
• In and of itself there is nothing wrong with someone selling spells or charms.  However, it should set off alarm bells if the reader "just happens to have" the spell or charm available to ward off whatever they claim is approaching.  Especially if the fee is a substantial one.
• He/she tells you that you are cursed and offers to fix it, for a fee
• This one always gets me because oftentimes the person didn't come to the reader knowing or thinking he or she was cursed--so how are they going to fix a problem that didn't exist to begin with?

It's entirely natural to feel weird or uneasy when going for your first reading.  But trust your gut.  If you feel like the reader is trying to sell you more than you want or need, politely decline.  You are under no obligation to return to them for additional reading, spells or charms.  Don't become the poor soul who returns week after week out of fear.  They are not the only one who can help, and oftentimes the help you may need will be available for free or can be done on your own.   In the end, there is nothing wrong with readers getting paid fairly for their time and expertise, but no one should ever part with their hard earned money out of fear.

Getting back to reality.....

So my maternity leave from this blog was a bit longer than I intended........life seems to creep up, interfering with all the big ideas I had for my time at home.  I finished off my maternity leave from work, ran around like a madwoman trying to out process the Army and now I'm here.  What's next?  I have no idea. (Hopefully that doesn't disconcert you....a Tarot card reader who doesn't know what's next.)  Everyone comes to that point in their life from time to time--huge change is extremely overwhelming.  If you find yourself in the same boat, give yourself leave to not be superwo/man. 

It's okay to not know what you want to be when you grow up.

The world is full of possibilities.......but don't let those possibilities crowd out real life.  Take time to enjoy those around you.  For right now, I'm going to try and take my own advice and enjoy the demanding new creature around my house.

The Baby formally known as the bowling ball in my belly

Tarot.....Getting What You Pay For

A Little Shameless Self Promotion

I have a little Etsy shop (cough **link is on the top right** cough) where I sell readings for what I consider pretty cheap rates.  I've been reading Tarot for friends and family for five years, but still feel I'm a work in progress, thus I've priced my readings to match where I feel my level of experience lies at this moment in time.  It's been my experience that people will always pay the least amount for something that they can (which I can completely relate to) but in the case of Tarot, this isn't always the best strategy.

Tarot card readings are a very different sort of thing, and while it's completely true that there are scam artists out there trying to lure you in with a cheap reading, then con you into extra readings, spells to prevent horrors from occurring, pouches and oils to ward off evil, etc, for the most part, an honest reader is going to give you what you pay for and make no promises that he/she can solve your problems.

Card readers price their readings in all various sorts of ways.  I price mine by the card.  A general good rule of thumb is that the more complex the issue, the more elaborate the spread and thus the number of cards (and the price) increases.  Coming to a Tarot reader with a question about where your long term relationship is going or what career path you should choose and hoping a three card reading will cover it is akin to putting a Band Aid on a bullet wound.....it's not going to do the job.  The complexity of the question and the answers you need require a reader to see the whole picture.....this is simply not possible with a small reading.

A good rule of thumb is to think of the complexity of the spread as a measure of how life altering the issue you are asking about is and base your decision off of that:

• One Card Reading:  Yes or No Answer questions (Will the cute guy that asked for my number call me?); Fun questions (Is my baby a boy or girl?), Energy questions (What should I be aware of as I go into my job interview today?)
• Three Card Readings (past, present, future reading):  Short term relationship reading (Tell me about my relationship with X, who I've been dating for two weeks), New job reading (I'm starting a new job tomorrow, where is position taking me?), Change in direction reading (I've been thinking about changing my college major.....what do I need to know?)
• Five Card Reading:  Relationship Problems (What are the issues surround the bad blood between me and my in laws), Issues where "baggage" may be involved (What is keeping me from committing?)
• Six Cards +: Varies depending on type of reading.  Generally this is where we get into the complex career/relationship issues.  

It is very important that if you are seeing a reader in person, that you have an idea before any card is spread, of exactly what questions your reader will be answering and how much the reader will charge you.  Oftentimes, in person readers charge not by complexity of the spread per se, but by the time your reading takes.  Complex readings can easily take an hour, as your reader should help you formulate your questions, lay out an appropriate spread and interpret it to the greatest detail possible.

Blessings!

No Sew Flannel Blanket.....Does it Work Like the Tutorial Says it Does?

**I'm a little obsessed with the Craft Interests that I sort through on Stumble Upon and many times I've found myself wondering (as I looked at some tutorial or another) does that really work in real life?  Can anyone truly make that?  In an effort to find out, I've decided to start a weekly series:  Does it Work Like the Tutorial Says it Does?  Each week, I will honestly chronicle my attempts at crafting stuff I find off the web.  I figure if I, butcherer of paper, epic failure at scrap booking and sewing can make something, anyone can.  For my first go at it, we'll try a No Sew Fleece Blanket.**


I'm an obsessive crocheter, and so the first time I saw a fleece no sew blanket, I'll have to admit, I thought it was cheating.  (Cheating on what, I don't know).  But now that the rug rat is just a foot shorter than me and needed a blanket for summer care "quiet time," I thought I'd give it a try.  I found this tutorial on Instructables.com:  No Sew Fleece Blanket and got to work.


SUPPLIES

• 2 pieces of flannel (I guessed and bought a yard and a half of each which equaled a 40 x 48 inch blanket not measuring the fringe)
• sharp scissors
• yard stick
• 5 x 5 inch piece of cardboard
• patience
• ability to stand on your feet for a few hours

I bought a new pair of scissors ($8) and a yard stick ($2), so that added to the cost of this blanket (though I figure I'll use both items again later).  The flannel ran me about $15 at WalMart, though I'm sure I could have possibly cut this price down if I'd waited till one of the craft stores had a sale on fleece.

TOTAL TIME TO COMPLETE
 
Four hours, interrupted by getting aforementioned rugrat in bath tub, then later out of bath tub, then finally reading him a bedtime story.


PHOTOS OF THE MADNESS

Pin that sucker down!

The first part was the most challenging.....getting all of the selveges cut off and then cutting the fabric so both pieces were the same size.  Cutting a straight line fails me so I did as little of it as possible, trying to use the straight edges of the fabric that where already there.  I ended up cutting two sides, plus trimming a third.  You can see from this picture that my cutting leaves something to be desired.  Additionally, I pinned everything down with the help of my husband, who held the first pinned side down while I smoothed out all of the wrinkles.  Patience is not a virtue I possess.

Sad proof of my epic cutting skills

The fabric was mostly straight as you can see from the picture above.  I kept the five by five piece of cardboard to use as a guide in helping me make the rest of the fringe, after my first cut proved I have no eye for straight lines, even at a short distance.

My first attempts a cutting fringe

Use the cardboard square as your guide!

As you can see from that first pathetic cut, having a guide was necessary, at least for me.  It also helped later on when I couldn't put the ruler flat against the fabric because one side or the other was already tied.  The video says no wider than a finger, but I would have been there all night, so I went for approximately every inch.

I do recommend tying as you go, this definately helps keep things lined up properly.  I would stop every foot or so and tie fringe until I reached five inches from my last cut, so I wasn't trying to lay my cardboard guide under or over the bumpy ties.

One End Down!

Finally Done!

OVERALL VERDICT
Doable, but time consuming, at least the first time around, the no sew fleece blanket turned out well.  The fringe is very forgiving and hides any minor unevenness very well.  I would definitely make another (but not while I'm eight months pregnant....being on my feet for four hours was not a good idea).

Learning the Tarot: The importance of Clarity & Reading the Tarot

If you read this blog regularly, you've probably gathered that I'm in the military.  Very, very soon after my little parasite is born, I will be taking a HUGE leap by letting my contract expire after eight years in the hopes that I will be bringing a little sanity to my life.  It is a big leap because while husband can feed us and keep a roof over our heads, paying my credit card debt down (racked up long before I ever set eyes on him) is really not in the budget.  We have about four or five months of savings to cover us then it's back to work or.........(actually I really don't know what comes after the or).  It reminds me of those old maps of the world when it was still thought the world was flat and one could sail over the edge into the mouth of a great monster.  I'm headed to that monster right now.....oh sure, the water is fine now, but soon, I will get pulled over the edge........

It was in this agitated mood that I approached the Tarot one night (can you see where this is going?) and asked about my immediate future.  The cards came back to me, not as I'd hoped, (with a glimpse of the future or some hint as to what avenue I should take) but instead with a reading that made me say, "No shit, Tarot!"

My very first deck, used for personal readings only

What I got back was just an immediate reflection of what I already knew......conflict: between having many choices ahead of me and trying to make plans.........my short term future:  BIG Changes coming!  How I see myself: feeling like I'm becoming a big moocher because I'll be staying home with the baby for a bit.....and then funniest of all, the over emotionality of my future outlook card .  I say funny because as anyone who has had a baby knows emotions are insane right after birth and for a bit thereafter.....with my first child, I cried at the drop of a hat for a long time, at anything (though mostly baby commercials).....things are a bit hormonal at first.

So now, getting to my point.  Reading the Tarot is more than just shuffling some cards, laying them out and looking up meanings in your favorite guide.  Clarity and connection are important.  Clarity of mind allows for a true connection......not a reading jumbled with emotions  and desires of the reader.  If you have decided you want to study the cards, it's important that you prepare yourself each time to read the cards properly.
Some ideas on how to do this:

• Read in the same spot every time.  Pick a place without a lot of distractions, away from noise as much as possible.
• Create a ritual.....I'm not talking spells and curses here.....just a routine that you follow each time you read.  For example, you can shuffle the same way every time or split the deck exactly the same way.
• Give yourself a moment of silence before you begin touching the cards.
• Clear your mind of everything but the focus of your reading or question being asked.  Let nothing else cross your mind until you have finished laying out the cards. 

Clarity of mind is very important for those seeking a reading as well.  Coming to your reader in an emotional state will get you a very disconnected reading.  Try and approach your reader with a calm a mind as possible.  Push all thoughts away of anything else but the issue or question at hand.  Focus in on it until the last card has been drawn.   Keep this in mind and you too can avoid your own, "No Shit, Tarot!" moment.

Elephants Remember Joplin.....and Bears too.....

 

Today I sent off these three little guys to a wonderful little girl name Cee Cee who is working very hard to raise money for the victims of the devastating Joplin tornado last May.  These guys will be part of her toy drive for fifty five children who survived the tornado that will attending a special camp on the 17th.  You can read more about her and even help her in her efforts (even if you're not a crafty person) by visiting her Face Book Page:  Elephants Remember Joplin.  These guys were made from the first crochet pattern I've ever committed to paper, Flat Teddy Bear.  And while I think the pattern turned out pretty decent (not great, but decent), I'm not fond of that white bear.......grey and tan bear look pretty cute......white bear looks a little shady.....giving me an "eye" even...........maybe I'll stay away from the color white on future bears........