WHB# 214 - Christmas Gifts

ciao and welcome to this years last weekend herbal blogging.
we are hosted by Haalo, from Cook (almost) anything at least once
thank's Haalo, for hosting, for keeping it all together.
and of course I wish to thank Kalyn, the creator of this great event.
thank you both!
I'm always proud when I can be part of the WHB. :)

more information about the WHB here:
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We are almost at the end of this 2009,
a very strange, lunatic and sometimes painful year.
oh, of course many sadisfactional and happy things have happen

I have had a lot of sadisfactions in my job as a guide.
I'm very proud of my kids doing their best though all our difficulties,

the enormous efforts my husband is doing to get a breaktrough in his new job,

the rest of our family stand close to us, helping us in every moment,

my friends always supporting me, being by my side.

it is not easy to find real friends,

and I have had very bad experience, both inside and outside the web.

but life is like a river, always moving along...
taking with him good and bad..

leaving you the chance to retry, again. :)

Actually I'm not in a very much Christmas mood this year,

too many difficulties in this last period.

my Christmas gifts are not very shiny, rich or particular.
but I wanted to show you what you can do with very little things :)

one the things I do and do, over and over, is the Brulè
it is a German/Austrian Christmas hot drink.

in these weeks before Christmas,
I usual bring it in a termos when we trek

or when we are in the gym :)

very easy , and also a very quick and simply gift to do.
you can eather just give the spieces

or the Brulè together with glasses.

photos from last year


do you remember the Rumtopf?
it is a perfect gift, to friends that likes strong, alcoholic, particular things.
my advice is to let rest for two years, then the spirit is much softer.
another advice is do much...people will ask you for more! :)




also your brownies can be dressed up for Christmas, give them a new shape.
mine are muffins like and the wrapped in a light pink ribbon
looks nice together with gold coloured napkin and gold ribbon.
some springs of pine or rosemary finish the decoration.



don't have time to cook, bake?
you can also give special things in jars.
these 5 cereals are from the mill where I buy all my flour.


nice to put in a jar, wrap around some glittery golden ribbon, a crispy cellophane bag
closed by bordeaux and gold ribbon, pine and catalpa (very perfumed)



with candles you can do a lot of decorations.
if you are in time, why not make a Adventskranz
use what you find in ypur garden or in a walk.

don't underestimate dry flowers or plants,

I used dried Coreopsis to do this decoration

together with English Ivy berries,

and sprigs of pine and lavendel.

if it is to late for the adventskranz,

make a Christmas candle decoration.

I liked the combination black and silver

white candles

black plate and black berries

(I think it is some kind of Amelanchier - Shadebush, but I'm not sure)

sprigs of silver Cypressus and small silver balls

now and there flowers of Catalpa

also a simple thing as a silicon brush can be a special gift.

add some of your friends favorite tea bags.

sprigs of Tuja and Cotoneaster looks good together.

or if she is a difficult one, give her tea home made.

black tea with dried friut,

green tea with ginger pieces,

or rooibos with vanilla

I wish you all a Merry Christmas