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Homemade for the Holidays: How to Make Meaningful Gifts and Memories

Lehman's
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“I made this for you.” Those are the words I want to say with every present I give this holiday season. Why do I bother, when there are stores 24/7 where I can purchase anything, at any time? I bother because: Time is a precious commodity. We all have 24 hours in a day and I choose to spend some of those hours creating gifts for others. It satisfies my soul. The world is a chaotic and complicated place. By making a gift, I understand the ingredients and ultimately simplicity of melting wax and making candles; growing fruit and preserving jams and jellies for family and friends; buying fresh ingredients and baking a pie. Hand-powered production is becoming a lost art. Hands-on learning (literally, folks) is becoming a lost art. Last Christmas, my daughter painted a beautiful portrait of the nativity scene and gave it to my father. He displays it above his mantle, which reminds him of the hours she spent creating it for him. [caption id="attachment_30671" align="aligncenter" width="483"] nativity painting

Here's the beautiful nativity scene my daughter made.[/caption] Working together is both fulfilling and fun. Turning the mad-rush-buy-this-buy-that into a time you connect with family and friends, builds memories and relationships. This holiday season, create, satisfy and fulfill your soul, by doing it hands-on... So you can say, “I made this for you.” Editor's Note: Here are some how-to videos to get you inspired - enjoy! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNCY0E79P8U[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyb3REnkPp4[/embed] This article was first posted in November 2017.

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