A Giving Christmas: Scary from The Shaffer Sisters

I am so excited about this series! For this joyful season, I wanted to spotlight the giving side and how to teach our children to be charitable. I have such an amazing line-up of bloggers sharing with us how they got their children involved with giving this season and they have some very fun project ideas that you can do with your children.

First up is the wonderful Scary from the Shaffer Sisters. Scary is so lovely and one of the most sincere people I know. I am so honored to have her up first! Thank you so much Scary!! 

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Hi, Paisley Root readers it is Scary here from Shaffer Sisters. I am happy to be visiting one of my favorite blogs to be read today and talk about one of my favorite seasons, Christmas. I have so many good memories as a child and feel really grateful for the wisdom of my parents and grandparents in teaching me the "reason for the season". Christmas feels like a mommy tight rope walk with wanting my kids to be able to enjoy the magic of the season but not wanting all of the magic to distract them from the simple message, He has given us the greatest gift and as we serve others we are showing His love to them.

Last Sunday Ryder and I had the opportunity to go serve with Soul Food USA, an organization that makes PB&J sandwiches for the homeless shelters in Salt Lake. Before we left, I wanted to teach to Ryder the importance of what we were doing, so I read following scripture to him. "Behold, ye have called me your king, and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve another?" from Mosiah 2:18. I explained to him that Jesus was the king of this world and when the angels sang their Hallelujahs they were celebrating that he was born. I told him that because he lived we would be able to return to our Heavenly Father & live for with our families forever. And all that he asks of us is that we show our love to him by serving his children who need help.  At Sandwich Sunday, they had the young children bag fruit loops and place stickers that say, "You Matter" on the sandwiches. I was surprised by the focus and drive Ryder showed in trying to complete the tasks. One of the organizers said in the years that she had been doing it they had only once had too many sandwiches. I can see us going back to help very soon.

I feel like this experience really helped set the proper tone for this holiday season. Last week when Boston and Slim Jim were taking an afternoon nap, Ryder and I sat down at the sewing machine to make a pair of mittens for Papa Gordon.

This picture is from last Christmas both kids with Grandma and Grandpa. Isn't Boston so little? I can't believe how much she has grown in a year.

Ryder is Papa Gordon's little buddy, when we lived in their basement Ryder would spend all Saturday running errands with Papa. The whole time they would both have a grin that would stretch from ear to ear. Papa Gordon also happens to be a HUGE Utah Jazz fan and I just happened to have 1/2 yard (if that) of Utah Jazz fleece.

 I used my hand as the pattern for these mittens since I have incredibly long fingers. Once I was satisfied with the pattern I cut them out (because I was using a rotary cutter but if you were using scissors with an older kid I bet you could give them the opportunity to cut). I then put Ryder on the shortest dinning room chair so that he could reach the sewing machine and serger petals. I gave him the option to have me "drive" the fabric through the sewing machine or he could do it. He opted to have me do it and he wanted to control the petals. This was an adventure in listening (for him) and directing (for me) because I had to direct him to the speed I needed to get them done.

In a short time we had a pair done for Grandpa Gordon and a pair for my husband (who happens to be a HUGE Jazz fan as well). I did a narrow hem around the base and then used some 3/8" elastic at the cuff to help keep them on. Ryder is so excited about giving them to Papa, he wanted to give them early when we saw Grandpa this weekend. (Which I am sure with the huge snow storm that we got Papa wouldn't have minded).

If you are wanting the pattern for making your own you can find them here. I will have a free pattern for them in large, medium and toddler sizes (sorry those are the only sizes we have lying around). As well as a tutorial for how to make your own pattern.