David and Lisabeth with Sparkle Stories continue bringing a story to life each season here at Rhythm of the Home. “Living Room Nutcracker” is a holiday story in the Martin and Sylvia series. Christmas is always a festive time at Martin and Sylvia’s house. Family and friends come together to enjoy candle-lit walks, [...]
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Every season is special to me: the awaking life in spring, the sounds and smells of summer, the colorful fall. But wintertime has always stood out, ever since I was a child. For me winter is about opposites; light and darkness, warmth and cold. It is the season when life slows down, the center of the [...]
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Last winter my family of four lived in a bus ten hours from our home for my husband’s work. We had about 400 square feet of living space that included our beds, bunks, bathroom with a shower, small kitchen, and couch space. Needless to say, we had a tiny tree come Christmas. It was four [...]
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We all need a quick, easy, and yet impressive handmade gifts now and then. Homemade candy, especially homemade barks can be just the thing and can be done simply with no special equipment or molds required. Bark provides tasty treats with endless customization possibilities and makes a great activity for kids to participate in. Bark [...]
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“What are we doing for our grandmothers for Christmas?” This is always a difficult question at our house. In the past several years, our grandmothers have downsized from houses they’ve lived in for decades to small apartments. After twice participating in the ensuing sorting and selling of possessions, my husband and I vowed to make [...]
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I still remember reading about Saint Nicholas Day for the first time almost two decades ago. I was spending the weekend at my parent’s farm and I happened upon a copy of a book entitled To Dance with God: Family Ritual and Community Celebrations by Gertrud Mueller Nelson. It has since become dear to me [...]
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As I write this, fall is finally starting to tease its way back in to the Pacific Northwest and my children are quickly reminding me that Christmas is coming. They are already plotting out what to make each other for gifts and counting down the days, much to my dislike, as I have much to [...]
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Marking the moments of intense joy in our lives has been a tradition for most of human history. Welcoming ceremonies when our children are born, baptisms, baby showers, weddings, festivals, birthday parties, etc. are just a few of the celebrations that have stood the test of time. For many families who are welcoming a new [...]
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I will be the first to admit that I used to be a wrapping paper junkie. As a girl I loved gift wrapping so much that my mom used to let me wrap all the gifts for our family including my own, trusting that I wouldn’t peek. In college I worked at the gift wrap [...]
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From as early back as I can remember, the day after Thanksgiving was a very special day for us. We would pull out all the dusty boxes from the attic, put on some music, make a warm drink, and begin the process of decorating our tree. As I grew up, the ornaments I put on [...]
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While much of the garden is deep in slumber at present, it still continues to nourish our family through these dark winter months. Some crops – such as garlic, onions, and winter squash – were harvested in fall to keep for winter cooking. Others, like the kale, continue to produce out in the garden all [...]
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Here at Rhythm of the Home, we value the joys that celebrating the season’s festivals can bring. We build traditions, create memories, and journey together as individuals, and as a family through these beautiful times. In honor of the winter season, we have gathered together a list of this year’s festivals and sacred moments, as [...]
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As the days continue to shrink the hustle and the bustle of pre-holiday preparations continues to build. And I find that despite my best efforts, my list of ideas to make and do is ever increasing, distracting me from truly waiting well for the Light that comes during the holidays. As the Christmas decorations seem [...]
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Six faces plastered to window as snow began to fall, white angel down, and six faces ranging from 1 to 26, I, the one 26, and six pairs of eyes which had never before gazed upon the majestic beauty of snow falling against a glowing winter moon. The majority of my 26 years had [...]
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Winter holidays are so full of sweet temptations that it can be hard to choose between from-scratch gingerbread cookies and grandma’s fruit cake and kid-made peppermint bark. Recently I stumbled upon a new favorite that has rocketed to the top of my must-make-and-eat-too-much-of list. Dark chocolate covered orange peels are so decadent the most difficult [...]
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