The Little Christmas Cabin - Julie Shoffner

The Little Christmas Cabin


I have always considered myself a creative soul so it’s not surprising that most of my favorite holiday memories revolve around the act of making something either with someone or for someone. Whether I’m preparing a meal, baking cookies or making ornaments I have always enjoyed creating something unique and special for the people I love. Now that I am a parent I especially enjoy making things with my seven year old son. Aside from the usual cookies and candies we make, we have a special project that we work on every year for my husband. Many years ago my husband’s grandfather crafted a small log cabin that he placed under the family Christmas tree. When my husband was a little boy his mother started adding some additional details to the little Christmas cabin. A light was added on the inside as well as some little chairs and a tiny table. She even added a tiny flower painting on the wall. My mother-in-law has since passed on and my husband has inherited the little Christmas cabin. Now every year my son and I add a little something to it to make it more like a cozy little home. One year we added a Christmas tree inside. Last year we added a reindeer and some bears outside. This year my son added six little Christmas carolers. If you look close enough at the photo below you can see two tiny carolers singing by the tree. Maybe next year there will be a turkey dinner on the table too.

Another project my son and I do each year once the weather is below freezing is to make Ice Lanterns. A easy way to make your home look warm and cozy on a cold winter night. This is espcially pretty when there is snow on the ground or when you are hosting a holiday party.

How to Make An Ice Lantern:

You will need a large bucket, a plastic container smaller than the bucket (a coffee can works well), duct tape and a tea light or flamless candle.

1-fill the bucket 3/4 full of water. (if you want to get fancy you can add a bit of food coloring to the water)

2-place the smaller container inside the bucker of water but don't let it fill up with water.

3-place some rocks inside the smaller container to weigh it down so it sits about half way down into the water in the bucket but not all the way to the bottom.

4-place a strip of duct tape across the top of the large bucket so it holds down the smaller container in the water. Set aside until frozen solid.

5-run warm water over the outside of the large bucket to remove the ice from the bucket. Run some warm water inside the small container to loosen and remove it. This leaves an indentation in the lantern into which you can place the candle.

You can make several of these to line your front stairs, sidewalk or driveway!

Have a wonderful Holiday.

Julie Shoffner

A Frank Zimmerman Christmas

As I look back on our favorite holiday memories, my wife and our 2 daughters have kept the same tradition with their grandparents (my wife's parents) ever since they were very young.  Every Christmas eve we get together for soup and salad - we always have 2 soups - but one has to be chicken broth with meat filled tortellini for Grandpa Love.  Then we all attend evening worship service at our church with the highlight always his rendition of "Silent Night."  Christmas morning is the opening of presents.  This is not just a brief event - but a one at a time opening - starting with stuffed stockings from over the fireplace, and then opening presents.  Grandpa's comments are always the favorite "oh is that ever neat!"  For several years we even video taped the opening of presents until video went out of style.

This year will be bittersweet as grandpa passed away this past September.  Both girls will be home for Christmas eve and Christmas day, so we will continue the tradition with Grandma Love - but it will not be quite the same without Grandpa.  Maybe we will break out one of the videos or listen to a lasting treasure we have - a CD that our daughter recorded a few years ago of Grandpa singing many of his favorite songs, including "Silent Night."  But life goes on, and we will start new traditions as we anxiously await the birth of our first grandchild - a baby girl due in late April!

In closing, below is our favorite holiday recipe from my mother (deceased 10 yrs ago) for a Scotch Short Bread (recipe handed down through her descendants from Scotland.)

1 1/4 lb flour (4 cups)
1 lb butter   
8 oz sugar (1 cup)

Cream the sugar & butter together.  Gradually add the flour.  Press lightly into pan.  Prick with fork as for pie crust.  Bake in low oven = 300 for about 1 1/2 hours.  Cut into pieces while hot.  Cool and remove from pan.

Happy Holidays!
Frank Zimmerman, Agent 

Stay Safe During the Holidays

With the Holidays just around the corner and the decorations about to go up remember December is prime time for home fires. Here are some old and new suggestions for a safe holiday season from our friends at Standard Mutual.

-Look for the fire-resistant label on artificial trees and decorations.

-Buy a natural tree that is really fresh. It should have needles that are hard to pull off.

-For outside decorations, buy only those made specifically for outdoors. Use heavy-duty extension cords and plug them into circuits that have a good ground fault interrupter.

-Get a remote control to easily turn off lights before you go to bed or it rains or snows.

-Avoid fires by staying in the kitchen when cooking on the stove top.

-Put heat resistant candles in places where they can’t burn something or get knocked down.Before lighting a fireplace or wood stove, clear the area of tree boughs, paper and other combustibles. Never burn gift wrappings in a fireplace.

-Put indoor and outdoor lights on a timer.

-If cold weather makes you want to use an indoor heater of any kind make sure it is positioned well away from curtains, trees and decorations.

We hope these tips help to keep you safe during this upcoming holiday season and if you may be wondering if your current insurance policy will cover you in the event that you have a small holiday fire in the home this year or if you have any other insurance questions please visit us at http://www.marsinsurance.com/.