November 2021
We're so excited to share another monthly journal written by the lovely Lola Jones, also known as @pocketfullofbuttercupson Instagram. Lola is a wonderful photographer and all round creator of beautiful content, raising her twin daughters Maya and Chloe & her baby Thea from her house near the Peak District. Each month she will give us a small glimpse into her world, inspiring you with activity ideas, recipes and more.
I feel like this year has really flown by. It is honestly hard to believe that we are in December already. I’ve lived through 2021, but at the same time it’s been a bit of a blur...like you are on a fast-speed train and everything outside flashes by so quickly, - it’s hard to make out what you are driving past. I think I might need to re-think my priorities for 2022 and carefully consider what it is I am choosing to spend my time on. But maybe that’s a topic for our January 2022 newsletter, when all the holidays have past and we can finally sit down, breathe out, reflect and plan.
The temperatures have dropped to single figures up here in the Peaks and we had the first sprinkling of snow this morning (!). We have started to light candles, and I have been enjoying my Christmas playlist for a couple of weeks now.
This month’s inspiration is all about slow and cozy days at home - homemade popcorn to accompany your family movie nights, simple candle- making craft and ideas for your Christmas table.
Homemade caramel popcorn
I discovered this recipe for homemade popcorn many years ago, way before my girls were born. It is now a family favourite treat for when we all pile up on our sofa to enjoy a movie night in.
You will need:
- 75g of corn kernels
- A generous splash of oil (I use rapeseed) - 40g butter
- 40g demerara sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of golden syrup
- A deep frying pan with a lid
To make the popcorn put the frying pan on a high heat, add the oil and the corn. Shake to cover the corn in oil and let it sit on the heat shaking it every few seconds. You will start to hear it pop soon. As soon as it stops popping, take the pan off the heat and transfer the popcorn into a bowl. To make the caramel - put the butter, sugar and the syrup in the same pan, stir continuously until the mixture starts to turn light brown. Don’t take your eyes off it or it may burn. Take the pan off the heat and immediately add the popcorn, stir to coat it in the caramel.
Handmade beeswax candles
It’s candle lighting season. I love candles for the coziness they add in the cold months. We’ve decided to try making our own beeswax candles this year with my older girls. It makes for a lovely winter craft.
I bought a small candle making kit online. It had everything we needed already inside.
To make the candle, cut the wick slightly longer than the width of your sheet, then place the wick at the edge of the sheet and tightly fold it before rolling it. It helps to have warm hands for this craft so the wax stays flexible and doesn’t break. The candles we made are quite short (about 7,5cm) as we intended to put them inside our homemade Christmas crackers.
DIY Christmas crackers/Furoshiki table gifts
I spotted these ideas online last year and vowed that I will have a go at making my own this year. I’ve never really liked traditional Christmas crackers. The whole thing seems wasteful and pointless to me. But then, I did not grow-up with them. Maybe if I did, it would at least have some sentimental value. I do like the idea of a little surprise gift at the festive table, so making my own is right up my street. This takes a little thought and some preparation of course, but all the more satisfying to see it all come together.
I made two styles - traditional crackers and Furoshiki, which are Japanese wrapping cloths, traditionally used to wrap and transport goods. To make crackers you will need:
- the cardboard part of a toilet roll
- fabric for wrapping the cracker into
- scissors
- ribbon for each end of the cracker
- gifts/treats/handwritten jokes to put inside
Cut your fabric. Our cardboard roll was 10cm and the fabric for wrapping it into was approximately 23cm x 42cm.
Place your treats/presents inside the roll, wrap the fabric around the stuffed roll, tie each end with the ribbon and you are done!
Ideas for Christmas crackers gifts include: homemade fudge, handwritten jokes, handmade beeswax candles, small wooden toy (if you are making them for children), etc. etc.
To make Furoshiki you will need:
- a small box to put your gifts into (mine was 9cm x 9cm x 9cm)
- square cloth to wrap the box into (mine was approximately 50cm x 50cm) - gifts/treats/handwritten jokes to put inside
- foliage for decoration (optional)
Furoshiki are great if you want something a little different on your table. They are also good if you are putting something slightly larger into your gifts like this sweet sheep soap I have used (it is quite small, but not small enough to fit inside the cracker).
To make your Furoshiki, put the gifts inside the box (I had some straw inside as a little bed for my gifts - looks really lovely and the gifts aren’t loose inside). Put your fabric at a 45 degree angle, place the box on top and wrap the two opposite corners (top and bottom) around the box, then tie the right and left corners in a top double knot, add foliage if using.
