It's A Green Thing - by Brenda Nixon

This week we're supposed to talk about solar powered gifts - y'know, it's that energy-saving thing (that's why I posted in green).

When I was growing up, Mom always taught us energy-saving tips like, "Turn out that light!" She drilled it into our noggins to keep lights off in unoccupied rooms. Likewise, I've chided my children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth and to unplug unused electronics.

Today, eco products include everything from a solar powered watch called the Boiler to a solar gadget that recharges your iPod and cell phone to biodegradable cornstarch pens.

This Christmas, if you have family and friends who are clean-energy conscious - or you want to teach them to be - and you need ideas for solar powered gifts consider these at http://www.florin.com/solarstore/.


Brenda Nixon, http://www.brendanixon.com/
Co-Author, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

Sun in a Jar - By Trish Berg

I love the glow of candlelight around Christmastime. Actually, anytime of year. But the constant drain on electricity or batteries can be expensive and environmentally costly.

So, this Christmas, try giving a SUN JAR.

"Made with a traditional Mason jar and high tech energy efficient lighting! Captured inside the jar are a highly efficient solar cell, rechargeable battery and low energy LED lamps.

When the Sun Jar is placed in sunlight the solar cell creates an electrical current that charges the battery over a few hours. This energy is then used at night to power the three LED lamps inside the Sun Jar.

The light is diffused by the frosted Sun Jar and gives the appearance of sunlight emitting from the jar (warm colored LED lights are used to give a more natural and warm light). You may have noticed that there is no switch on the sun jar - in fact there are no visible controls at all - there is a clever light sensor inside that automatically activates the lights when it gets dark or lights are turned out!

Mason Jars are not only beautiful but by their very nature they are completely water tight - so the Sun Jar can happily be left outside in any weather conditions. A perfect garden light or night light for a kids bedroom.

More energy saving gift ideas can be found here.

Light up someone's life with sun in a jar.

Da, dum, da, da, da, Here comes the Sun

Wishing all our readers a happy week ahead. You will get some great solar powered gift ideas from the Word Quilter's blog this week. We really want to help you have a less stressful Christmas, and one way to do that is to plan and purchase early.

My family has two solar powered items on our homestead that "light" up our lives. Our friend Eddie found solar powered luminaries at a dollar store, and they are remarkable, a total of six for $6.00 plus tax. They are a square plastic box with two AA batteries that are powered up by the sun througout the day, cloudy, rainy, or bright sun. They begin to flicker on at dusk and last for about three hours. Eddie gifted ours to us last December and the only thing I have done was to put a heavy rock inside each of them to keep them from blowing over. I have three on each end of a platform right before our front porch. These lights have created a delightful homey look year round. Many more outdoor products exist such as Roman stepping stones with a light in the middle, and much, much more. Surf the Web and look for luminaries or other solar powered outdoor lighting.

My second suggestion is a solar powered motion detector light. On our farm, my husband's work truck is parked in an open-sided barn shed a few hundred feet from our home. It seems that the cows love to hover around that end of the barn, and well, let's just say they sometimes mark the path with plops of manure. Stepping in that is no way to start your day. With the motion detector light attached to the eave of barn, as soon as Dave walks near, it sheds light on his walking path, and he can walk in a straight line to his truck or sidestep.

The lights can be purchased at Harbor Freight stores or online. And you can also find a lovely sun-powered garden lantern for $9.99

We'd love to have you tell us about the solar powered products you use.

Happy Summer Days.

Thanks for Noticing!

This week our theme has been favorite movie lines. What to pick? What to pick?

If I had to guess what our family's all time favorite Christmas movie is it would be National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. There are lots of good lines from there that pop into conversation at appropriate moments not only at Christmas but throughout the year. My husband is always saying, "I couldn't be more surprised if I woke up with my head nailed to the carpet."

I think my favorite line though is said as the family stands in the front yard admiring Clark's engineering feat of illumination--once his wife finally realizes the switch needs to be turned on. Some of the twinkle lights don't work. Now that's a problem we can all relate to. And who would notice and make mention of it quicker than an in-law?

Clark's father-in-law brings the non-twinklers to Clark's attention and Clark just keeps staring at all the lights, nodding his head, and then finally says, "Thanks for noticing." He doesn't get angry and fuss back at that man (of course he hasn't reached his breaking point yet). He just thanks him for noticing.

When things don't go quite right for me and there's a little thing someone brings to my attention, I try to thank them for noticing. It's the polite thing to do. Right?

Quote from a Christmas movie

I wouldn't say this is my favorite quote from a Christmas movie but it is certainly the most memorable quote for me, and it is one no parent likes to think about. The quote is from the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story, and it is “you will shoot your eye out.”

Ouch! Doesn’t that make you flinch? Young Ralphie’s deepest desire is to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, and that goal is threaded through the whole movie. Set in a small town in Indiana, which could be “anytown USA”, Ralphie tells three adults, his mom, his teacher and Santa Claus, about his Red Ryder rifle quest, and they all respond with this quote.

The quote summarizes parents’ concerns for their kids, as the movie’s hilarious plot twists unfold and Ralphie, his younger brother and his parents manage to survive the holiday and find some joy.

And Why Is The Carpet All Wet, Todd?

Let's get in the holiday mood now by thinking of a fave Christmas movie or song. Our little family of four always watches National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation . . . not just at Christmas but, my husband drags out the video by Thanksgiving if not earlier! We've seen the flick so many times each family member can quote lines by heart, and often we answer one another with the movie lines.

Throughout the year, one of us may ask a naive question and another will answer in an exasperated tone, "I don't know Margo!" Or if we forget something, one of my daughters almost always quips, "Don't throw me down Clark" in an Aunt Bethany quivery whine.

In the summertime, it's "SQUIRREL!"
On road trips, we hear, "I'll get around this egg-timer."
Fall brings, "It's the holidays and we're all suffering."
You hungry? Our advice is, "Nose around in the kitchen and get yourself somethin' to eat."
When our dog coughs, "he's just yackin' on a bone."

The Nixons have a good time hootin' and hollerin' through Christmas Vacation; it's a tradition - one that draws us closer. And don't bother us when the movie is playing. If you need something, well you'll just have to "knock down the --- ---- door!"

Brenda Nixon, http://www.brendanixon.com/
Co-Author, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

Favorite Christmas Quote- It's a Wonderful Life - Trish Berg

There is nothing I enjoy more than watching Christmas movies all December long. We have accumulated some of our favorites on VHS and DVD, and one of my all time favs is It's a Wonderful Life. I love the premise of wanting more than what you have, of feeling trapped in your life, or in a small town.





Of longing for the world, only to learn that the best the world has to offer is right there in your hand, and you have just not appreciated it.



There are so many moments when I am caught up in that movie, when I feel like I am living their lives.

I love it when George falls for Mary as they walk home from the school dance together in robes and an old football uniform, and she runs and her robe accidentally comes off and she has to hide in the bush. Love that scene.

I love it when they toss a stone at the old house and make a wish.

I love the scene when George runs home after all that has happened and the banister top comes off in his hands, and he kisses it and replaces it. I love when he then hugs his children and tells them he loves them.

I love the scene when everyone comes into the house and drops money in the basket, when the IRS guy tears tosses in his own money, and the DA tears up the arrest warrant.

I love when Harry Bailey toast his big brother, George, "The richest man in the world."

But most of all, I love it when George prays. When he humbles himself before the Lord and asks for help. When he realizes that only divine intervention will save him.

Here is that prayer....

"Dear Father in heaven, I'm not a praying man, but if you're up there and you can hear me [begins crying] show me the way... show me the way. "

Yes, Father, show me the way. That is my daily prayer, not just at Christmastime, but every day of my life until God calls me home.

Dear Father, show me the way....show me the way.....