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Meadow Sweet Grove
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2016-2018
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2016-2018
Merry Meet! The fairies invite you to enter the Grove and delight in a magical dose of seasonal articles & images, tidbits of folklore and comfy home-cooking recipes. Scroll down to see this week's articles now! Then stay and peruse an enchanting selection of new, vintage & always eclectic treasures available to you in the fairies' own store!
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~ Go shopping here ~
The Fairy Shop
Click to see what's on SALE!
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Follow the Grove at:
Let this blue fairy magically transport you to the Store!
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~ Last time at Meadow Sweet Grove ~
Apple Chutney or Red Pepper Jelly? So many apples! We've made Apple Pies, Apple Cider, Apple Sauce, Apple Muffins, given apples away, each eaten the recommended "apple a day" and ... here is the latest batch of goodies - Apple Chutney! Last year, our apple trees didn't produce too much, so I didn't put up any chutney. This year I was delighted to be a ... Read more here: apple-chutney-or-red-pepper-jelly.html 
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~ Want to Save Money this Christmas? ~ ~ Buy Used! ~ I LOVE buying vintage items ... or just plain used! It's a way of life for me - why pay more when you don't have to? I belong to some local Swap groups, mostly for exchanging and selling used toys and kids' clothes. Recently a new mom posted her dismay at the price of toys for girls. (Someone had listed a trendy doll furniture set for $100 still sealed in the package.) As the mom of a newborn baby girl, she expressed the need to "start saving now" for this perceived inevitable downfall soon to be experienced! I think maybe she just needs to stay on the Swap a bit longer ... and see all the used doll furniture selling for a pittance! |
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"Buy everything used when you can, and only buy new when you can't" V. Buchanan
How can we apply this axiom to the hunt for Christmas prezzies? By visiting your local thrift stores of course, but expand that search to include Christmas Markets and Bazaars that abound at this time of year! Often the seniors centers and churches have the best sales and selection of vintage items. Since they are volunteer-run, they usually sell items at a much lower cost than thrift stores, who have to pay their employees; and the hand-crafted items are generally of exceptional quality. So let's look at your Christmas List! Book lover: As long as you know the genre they enjoy, you really can't miss by buying 1/2 dozen paperbacks - there is sure to be one they haven't read - and your outlay is low, low, low. Insert a hand-made bookmark. Music lover: There is a huge sub-culture of music lovers returning to vinyl records. These types of venues often have stacks of old records. Again, as long as you know their preference, you can pick out several records for a few dollars - just take a look at them and avoid those with obvious warps and scratches. The quality of sound on vinyl records is often superior to the digital versions and you can't beat the artwork / photography on some of those old covers. If they don't fancy the recording, they might find the cover is worth framing - especially if it is kitsch! Foodie: Back to the books! Always lots of old cookbooks at your local Christmas Bazaar. Pair one with a couple of wooden spoons, or potholders from the handcrafted aisle and you'll still come out spending less money than buying some trendy new gadget at the local cooking store. Or buy a couple of bags of spices that are mentioned in some of the recipes. Don't forget to take a good look around - sometimes you'll find kitchen items from trends that have come and gone and come back in again. Like a fondue pot or an ice bucket ... okay, maybe don't buy the fondue pot but try to resist that retro ice bucket - if you can! Pet Lover: Look for hand-made catnip bags and doggie "poop bag" carriers. They are significantly cheaper than those available at the over-priced pet stores that are cashing in on your love of the fur babies! Ladies: There is always lots of vintage china at church sales. Find a pretty teacup and saucer (if you're lucky, a vintage tea strainer/ball) - buy some tea to go with it and you have a wonderful gift. Don't forget the jewellery! Some of it can be quite expensive - well comparatively. They might want $1 - $15 from you. Still so much cheaper than purchasing new. Don't worry about used earrings - just give the posts a good clean with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or even plain old white vinegar! Buy some little organza drawstring bags from the dollar store and you now have beautiful presentation for your jewellery gift or pack up the tea things in a decorator cardboard box - also at your local dollar store. 
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Gentlemen:
Everyone is keen on saving the environment these days aren't they? Find some old vintage handkerchiefs for the boys. Wash and iron them. Even if he doesn't want to use them at work or at home, they're handy in the car for coffee spills or wiping a spot off the windshield. Indispensable in his pocket while working in the garden or the workshop for wiping the sweat off his hard-working brow!
Everyone is keen on saving the environment these days aren't they? Find some old vintage handkerchiefs for the boys. Wash and iron them. Even if he doesn't want to use them at work or at home, they're handy in the car for coffee spills or wiping a spot off the windshield. Indispensable in his pocket while working in the garden or the workshop for wiping the sweat off his hard-working brow!
Children:
Young children are the easiest. With usually boxes of toys to choose from, you can put together a nice little collection of toy cars, doll clothes, board games (check to make sure all the pieces are present) or some little stuffed animals. Take them home and give them a good clean. Plastic toys can be wiped down and the little crevices cleaned with a wet Q-tip. Stuffed animals can go right in your washing machine, with mild soap and cold water on the gentle cycle. Let them sit on a towel to dry. Barbie and doll clothes can be washed in the sink in a similar fashion. When dry, mend any little tears. Put them all together in zippered toiletry / cosmetic bags or small decorative boxes from the dollar store. Parents will appreciate that your gift comes with its own storage ... and not all that ridiculous plastic packaging that takes a hacksaw to get in to!! Seriously, this reduces frustration on Christmas morning when the little one has to wait for scissors to be found, packaging to be cut ... not to mention cutting or untwisting all those superfluous tie-downs. And then somehow removing the delicate plastic toy without breaking it!
The amazing thing is that by shopping this way, you actually will find you think more about the person you are buying for. What do they really like? Would they be able to use this item? What could I pair it with? You spend less, yes, but the result is actually more personalized ... and thoughtful, which is ultimately what gift-giving is all about!
Young children are the easiest. With usually boxes of toys to choose from, you can put together a nice little collection of toy cars, doll clothes, board games (check to make sure all the pieces are present) or some little stuffed animals. Take them home and give them a good clean. Plastic toys can be wiped down and the little crevices cleaned with a wet Q-tip. Stuffed animals can go right in your washing machine, with mild soap and cold water on the gentle cycle. Let them sit on a towel to dry. Barbie and doll clothes can be washed in the sink in a similar fashion. When dry, mend any little tears. Put them all together in zippered toiletry / cosmetic bags or small decorative boxes from the dollar store. Parents will appreciate that your gift comes with its own storage ... and not all that ridiculous plastic packaging that takes a hacksaw to get in to!! Seriously, this reduces frustration on Christmas morning when the little one has to wait for scissors to be found, packaging to be cut ... not to mention cutting or untwisting all those superfluous tie-downs. And then somehow removing the delicate plastic toy without breaking it!
The amazing thing is that by shopping this way, you actually will find you think more about the person you are buying for. What do they really like? Would they be able to use this item? What could I pair it with? You spend less, yes, but the result is actually more personalized ... and thoughtful, which is ultimately what gift-giving is all about!
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~ Ending with a Heart-warming Story ~
My daughter was indoctrinated early into the thrill of the thrift store. Honestly, from the earliest days (when she was still in a carriage), I wheeled her in. She soon learned how quickly Mom would say yes, when a coveted toy was only $2, versus a brand-new toy in a "regular" store, complete with its copious packaging ... and retailing for $30. My sweetest recollection was when she was about 3 years old and playing with a Winnie-the-Pooh musical toy. It had a keyboard and Winnie, Tigger and Eeyore figures standing up at the top ... all ready to chime in when pulled. When it was time to leave, she reluctantly put the toy back on the shelf without even asking if she could have it (already she knew I had a limit on the "physical size" for toys). I told her to bring it along to the cashier and the look on her face was so dear - "We're getting it???" she breathed. That is the pleasure of second-hand shopping and that is the pleasure of being able to say yes, when a toy is only $3.99 ... with working batteries included!!
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018
Did you know that articles from past weeks are archived in my Blog? Check it out here! apple-chutney-or-red-pepper-jelly.html
~ Folklore Fun ~
It's Time to Soak the Christmas Fruit Cake
If you are making fruit cake this season for your Christmas or Yuletide celebration ... it is time to get them soaking!
With 5 weeks to go, this is the optimum time to wrap your cake in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, wrap it in tin foil and seal in an airtight container. Refresh the brandy once a week, and re-wrap ... up to 5 or 6 times before Christmas! The longer your Christmas fruit cake soaks ... the more incredibly dark and delicious it becomes.
For my complete Christmas Fruitcake recipe, click here: christmas-cake.html
Last year, I went pagan and decorated the Christmas Cake with a fresh sprig of holly from our tree here in the Grove. But this year, I think I will go "kitschy vintage" and adorn it with the many bits of pieces of vintage plastic cake decorations I have acquired over the years. I have trees, greeting signs, holly, elves, reindeer ... and even Santa and his sleigh! Maybe I'll even include some coins in the cake to reward the lucky few!
With 5 weeks to go, this is the optimum time to wrap your cake in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, wrap it in tin foil and seal in an airtight container. Refresh the brandy once a week, and re-wrap ... up to 5 or 6 times before Christmas! The longer your Christmas fruit cake soaks ... the more incredibly dark and delicious it becomes.
For my complete Christmas Fruitcake recipe, click here: christmas-cake.html
Last year, I went pagan and decorated the Christmas Cake with a fresh sprig of holly from our tree here in the Grove. But this year, I think I will go "kitschy vintage" and adorn it with the many bits of pieces of vintage plastic cake decorations I have acquired over the years. I have trees, greeting signs, holly, elves, reindeer ... and even Santa and his sleigh! Maybe I'll even include some coins in the cake to reward the lucky few!
The Snowman, Raymond Briggs, 1982
One of the most beautiful stories of Christmastime is "The Snowman" by Raymond Briggs. Pictured here, the little boy's Mom has magically (and simultaneously) decorated the Christmas Cake with an exact duplicate of the snowman her son created in their garden. The Snowman comes to life, at the stroke of midnight, and he and the boy share a memorable, yet ultimately heart-wrenching adventure.
Decorating a Christmas Cake can give you a chance to express, in diorama, the symbols of Christmas that you hold dear.
Decorating a Christmas Cake can give you a chance to express, in diorama, the symbols of Christmas that you hold dear.
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018
Did you know that articles from past weeks are archived in my Blog? Check it out here! the-rest-of-the-traveller-curious-adventure-of-mr-bond.html
