Handmade Christmas

Several years ago, there was a sweet sister from Finland in our ward.  One year at a Christmas Relief Society Meeting, she explained to us that if you give a store-bought gift to someone for Christmas in Finland, you need to also apologize that it's from the store and you didn't get a chance to make them something.  Someday when I grow up, I'm going to make most of my gifts!  I like the idea of having handmade gifts as part of Christmas.  I think it really shows the Spirit of Christmas!  For the past several years, Tim has told me to go ahead and buy what I want for myself - and that's been nice - (I buy myself things like books and I DON'T READ THEM UNTIL I OPEN THEM CHRISTMAS DAY - now that's self-control!!). This Christmas, I purchased myself the Pioneer Woman's new Holiday Cookbook - I didn't even peek at it until Christmas Day!  I also got a scarf and a stamp press I've been wanting.  BUT Tim surprised me this year!  He got me several gifts himself without my knowing about it.  A longer cord for my phone charger (since I'm constantly unplugging mine by accident), a new green nail polish, a mortar and pestle for the herbs and stuff in the kitchen, (and an extra pestle for breaking up the 'icebergs' in my ice water!) and 2 handmade cutting boards!  They are gorgeous!

This long one behind the canisters is for bread.  It's made from a piece of walnut and is very 'rustic' - love it!

This one is pieces of maple that Tim pressed and glued together.  (Yes, I KNOW I have horrible countertops - that will be changing SOON....I just try to ignore them.)

After I took the photos and checked them, I noticed something unusual...besides the needing to re-write 'brown sugar' I mean....does anyone else see the little pile of brown sugar on the counter??  For YEARS, literally YEARS, someone has been sneaking brown sugar.  I can't figure out who it is, but apparently it's one of three things:  The child who does it still lives here; It's more than one child; OR IT'S TIM!!  I can't figure it out.