Tea Light Jars

Normally when our family celebrates Halcyon, we light our candle every evening. This year, I began lighting the candle every morning. That one candle brought warmth and light to our home and brightened my day all day long.

I continued my new ritual until the Solstice. My children noticed and reminded me the mornings we were home and I forgot. A couple of days before Yule, we went to a Solstice Party. While there, the children decorated canning jars with simple string and fresh evergreen cuttings. We placed tea lights in the jars and went for a candle lit walk. It was peaceful and held its own magic.

When we went home, we added some sand to the bottoms of the jars to add to their simple beauty. We had some extra glow-in-the-dark calcium sand from our hermit crabs, which added its own unique glow to our nightly ambiance. Our jars have been used often since then.



Visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out how you can participate in the next Families, Create! Carnival.

Our February theme is “Heroes and Heroines” – what can your family create this month to celebrate the heroes and heroines in your lives?

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• What’s the perfect way to snuggle up on a cold winter night? Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes knows the answer: make the perfect soup!

• Simply decorated jars by children bring warmth and light to cold Winter’s days at Living Peacefully with Children.

• The ArtsyMama teaches us how to create a no sew fleece throw inspired by your favorite snuggle time book.

• Movies made from books are often pretty poor representations, but this family-made movie from Dionna at Code Name: Mama is monster-ific!

• Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes created a cozy for her Kindle, to protect it from little hands that think they need to cuddle with it.

• What better way to cuddle and get cozy than in new jammies made by Mama G @ Z everyday things?

• Inspired by her family’s love of the Harry Potter series, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children decided to make a series of ornaments based on the theme.

• Laura at Nestled Under Rainbows shared a reflection on and a celebration of snuggies, lovies, cuddlies and specials.

• Little Hedgehog got a wonderful idea when his red hat from Father Christmas didn’t fit, and Megan at Purple Dancing Dahlias got a wonderful idea to knit a sweet hedgehog!

• Monster-inspired artwork by a monster-clad kid. Despite the growling, he really is cuddly! Monster love courtesy of Dionna at Code Name: Mama.

• Arpita at Up, Down & Natural shares a quick tutorial on how to make your very own Pippalily inspire pouch sling, with zippered pocket & key ring, and a matching nursing cover to boot!

• Amy at Anktangle finally completed something cuddly and warm for her son Daniel: his very own afghan, crocheted with love by Momma.

• Who’d want to cuddle with a cuttlefish? Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes thinks you might want to cuddle up with this sweet plush cuttlefish!

• In an attempt to slow down and relax while watching her children, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children decided to give knitting another chance.

Join us in February to create something with (or for) your own family. Visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out more about February’s “Heroes and Heroines” theme.