Thursday, December 7, 2017

A House for Tea: Free Printable and Giveaway

There has always been a teapot in the house.

I remember coming off the bus after school as a young child, and there was a table ready with a pot of tea and a snack. The teapot may have first been filled with hot chocolate, but eventually it was replaced with tea.


So it was no surprise to me when my mother showed me the designs for a tea cozy for the next book. She had already made a very simple one for me once, as I like to keep my tea nice and hot. I was excited to see the final product, and am hoping to carve out some time to make one for myself.

Along with a love of tea, I have learned much from my mother about hospitality. Being an artistic family, we cannot help making a party look beautiful. It was never about impressing the guests, but the fun of making things for the people we love. We decided to create a tea party based on the House for Tea project from Seasons of Wool Appliqué Folk Art.


The wintry side of the tea cozy features blues and browns, so we went for a blue tablecloth with brown and white accents. A few pine cones and sprigs of greenery add a nice wintry feel to a simple table. Most of the color actually came from the food: sparkling red jam, shiny fruits, golden gingerbread cookies, and white scones. You can dress up the table for Christmas by adding a few reds or golds to your accents. Come spring, you can use the other side of the cozy to make a springtime tea table!


We hope you are inspired by our simple tea set-up. To help you plan your next Christmas or winter tea, we are putting up a free download for the place cards to go with your own House For Tea cozy. Having place cards is always fun, because they are something your guest can take home to remember a splendid afternoon with friends or family.

We firmly believe in this family that useful things can be beautiful, too. That’s why the tea cozy is such a fun project. We hope it can be something you use for a long time to keep your tea warm and table festive.

Want to make your own House for Tea? Head over to our website to purchase a kit and a copy of Seasons of Wool Appliqué Folk Art. Check out the other kits from the book that are available as well! 
www.rebekahlsmith.com/shop 





And since the Christmas season is upon us, we would like to do a giveaway. Two prizes will be awarded randomly to those who answer our question in the comments. 

Each of the two prizes includes: 
  • A copy of Early American Life Magazine's 2017 Christmas issue, featuring a tree skirt designed by Rebekah L. Smith 
  • A Merry Mittens pattern and kit for the black mitten
  • A needle minder kit



Please note: your comment will not appear until approved, which may take a day or two. Winners will be chosen Monday, Dec 11, 2017 at 9 am EST. Comment submissions will be closed at 8am for final round of moderation. 

Comment with an answer to the following question to be entered into the giveaway: How do you like to entertain during the holiday season? 

Click here to access your free download of A House for Tea Place Cards. 

Post written by Kelsey A. Smith 

75 comments:

  1. This year, our 1855 manor house will be on the town's holiday house tour. And, while we've got it all beautifully decorated, we're inviting friends and family over for an Open House featuring bite size sweet and savory treats with mulled cider and spiced wine! Happy Holidays!

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  2. Just small groups of family and friends to share intimate moments and quiet times. However, one of my favorite holiday memories was of a friends tree lighting party where not only were all the girls in the families classes invited, but all the neighbors and friends of friends etc. One of these days I'll have enough energy to do my own tree lighting party - or a smaller version of one. Maybe have everyone bring a handmade ornament....

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  3. I love to have my family hone for dinner, gifts and games. I like to use handmade decorations and natural things like pinecones. Love mercury glass too!

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  4. I love to have family over for a simple meal of soup and grilled cheese.

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  5. I love having my family at my home for Christmas eve. We eat, laugh and share our memories of past times together . My grandchildren and I like board games so I make sure I allow plenty of time to play games with them.

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  6. I like to keep entertainment simple and focus on the guests. I put out a cheese board, Charcuterie and cookies and of course Wine.

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  7. We have casual get togethers with family for Christmas, such a wonderful time of the year!

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  8. We do not have any family in this country so it is just us four; my husband and I and our two high school daughters. We have always made sure we honor our heritage as I'm Icelandic and my husband is English. That means Christmas Eve is Icelandic and Christmas Day is English and no turkey is ever eaten in our house, it is lamb and goose for Christmas! Merry Christmas.

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  9. We get together with friends for a relaxed dinner and warm friendship at home. Such a peaceful time for all of us.

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  10. It's about being together, we take turns of who's house it will be at according to people's work schedule.

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  11. I love filling my home with my collection of folk art snowmen - which is starting to include my own wooly art. It makes my house cozy and inviting to me and my guests all winter long. And, of course, we all enjoy cookie favorites and great food!

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  12. I like to decorate with greenery and fruits using Christmas dishes serving tea and Christmas cookies that my Norwegian grandmother made and then my mother and now me! One day perhaps my daughter will make the cookies too!

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  13. Since our Son, DIL, and Grandson live in Japan, we celebrate with them on Skype We're so thankful that we can do that now!

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  14. I decorate for winter. I love leaving my winter decorations out through out the winter months. We always have several nights we get together for casual dinners and or just party foods.

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  15. Decorating for Christmas is always brings back so many memories. I love putting the handmade ornaments on the tree, setting out my collection of carved Santas, and bringing out my hooked Christmas rugs. And I love to bake for visitors and to give as gifts. A pot of tea and/or coffee with some home baked goodies on my Christmas china makes me happy. Sharing it with friends makes it even more special.

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  16. I love bringing out many of my antique ornaments that were my grandmothers and great grandmothers. My grandmothers angel always goes to the top of the tree. One tradition my husband and I do is decorate our golf cart all decked out for Christmas and ride around our neighborhood delivering little packages of Christmas cookies I baked to anyone we see outdoors when we pass by. It is a lot of fun and we love seeing the peoples faces when we hand them home baked Christmas goodies! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

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  17. I put my electric menorah in my front window and decorations around the house. I like to have friends and family over for dinner and potato latkes.

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  18. I like to bring a special dish of something to someone else's home so I don't have to clean my own. This year it will be my brother's house--lol!

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  19. I live in a tiny town in Maine. One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking Christmas cookies with our 3 grandchildren and then my husband and I, along with our 3 grandchildren, deliver them to the elderly and shut-ins in town and sing a Christmas carol at each home. It is a very special day and everyone has a smile on their face.

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  20. I love to get together with family and share a meal. Now that I have a granddaughter it is even more special. This year Nora and I will build a gingerbread house together.

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  21. Entertaining for the holidays is all about family and friends for us. We don't have a fancy house and my table settings aren't magazine worthy but the food is good and plentiful and the love is overflowing! We all just enjoy being together!

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  22. Favorite Christmas Holiday Times, with family and friends, for warm and cozy Gatherings. Yummy, home made cookies and finger foods will be served with Hot Apple Cider or Tea. Our warm and cozy, wood burning fireplace sending smoke signals for all to see as a WELCOME sign, it is time to come join the Celebration. The sounds of Christmas Carols setting the Glad Tidings Mood for the Impending Blessed Event. Sharing our Traditional Christmas Tree decorated with Family Memories of days gone by. Finally, we exchange Love and Friendship with Peace for ALL and a safe trip home.

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  23. Why as a matter of fact I am having a group of stitching friends come to the historic home where I work for an afternoon of tea, stitching, chatting, eating, laughing, sharing, This is my favorite kind of event. I don't have any siblings or any children so my DH and I spend a lot of time with my folks who are also stitchers. Thus my friends are like family and are very important to me. I am just becoming familiar with your work and wool applique and I am looking forward to meeting you when you come to Jacksonville in 2018. THanks for the giveway opp. It's a lovely blog post too. Melody Bryan aka woolwoman

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  24. Always with family around the table flowing with laughter food and love
    with wonderful smells coming from the food and candles scent, Twinkling lights and lovely music make it complete. During the season candy making and cookie decorating for daughters and grands

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  25. I'm from a large family and we all get together the Saturday after Christmas. 4 generations and a very not so silent night. Very fun. But my favorite times are the quiet ones like the candle lit service at church on Christmas eve and then church on Christmas Day. It is then I reflect on the past year and pray for peace and health for the next year for everyone. My 2 favorite services all year.

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  26. Our family loves to give more than receive so we always make little gifts to pass out to anyone who stops by! From my husband all the way down to my granddaughter, my family participates in creating many one-of-a-kind gifts to surprise our guests. During the holiday season the halls are decked with fine, fresh greenery and seasonal baubles; the table is always set to perfection. A warm, crackling fire burns brightly in the glass-front wood burner along with the wonderful smell of seasonal potpourri simmering away on its top; all capped off with traditional Christmas music which fills the air, so any and all who enter our home feel the love and warmth of the wonderful Christmas season!

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  27. I rarely entertain as we live in a remote area. I do bake during the holidays and bring to my neighbors and quilting buddies. I usually mail cookies to the kids and grandkids, so they know I am thinking about them. We don't travel during the winter months so I don't get to see family.

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  28. We are a retired military family so we didn't always have the grandparents close to celebrate with our family. My husband and I chose when he retired to live near our children and grandchildren to build the memories that we longed for our children to have. So, Christmas Eve everyone comes to our home to spend the night with all the presents, favorite pillows and pets. It becomes a loving chaotic mess that I would not change for the world. In the morning after the gifts are all opened I make french toast, bacon and mimosa's. I cherish each and every memory and would not change a thing. So Blessed!

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  29. I go all out decorating, but don't entertain much. I like to keep it small and simple with just the closest of friends.
    Merry Christmas,
    Lauren

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  30. Christmas is at our home now with my children and granddaughter. I come from a large family and Christmas used to be at my mom's house, but since she passed away and my sibs live elsewhere, we do not get together for Scandinavian style meals like we used to. I try to keep the traditions going with Swedish decorations, Finnish glassware and candles, homemade felt stockings, and traditional meals served for Christmas Eve (including Swedish meatballs and cranberries) and Christmas Day (ham and homemade baked beans, rye bread, spritz cookies), following the opening of gifts on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas to everyone. ~ Christine

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  31. We don't entertain often but when we do we love to have friends and family over and have a nice variety of appetizers and finger foods. Just being together is the most important thing.

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  32. I celebrate with my children and grandchildren that live out of town. The entertaining is very casual and comfortable.

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  33. We don't entertain. My husband is disabled so the holidays are usually spent quietly.

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  34. Family, friends and food. I love to bake crispy Christmas cookies and to cook for people. I especially enjoy appetizer night as a family-a long standing tradition.

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  35. Cookie & treat swaps are a big thing with my family and friends. Everyone loves cookies and other seasonal treats so getting to share our favorites with others is much fun! We also sing carols and drink wassail. The swap is held at a different house each year. Ann in NC - Merry Holidays to you & yours!

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  36. I love to decorate and have my family come home for Christmas. We are big hockey fans, so we love to have wine, appetizers, and watch the World Juniors hockey championship over the holidays.

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  37. It seems like every holiday gathering must be a great big party; I actually prefer small intimate evenings where the hosts can actually spend time with guests. The best are those held in those dark and forlorn January days, after retail America has divested itself of every sign of the still vibrant season.

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  38. Enjoying family and friends and most especially the two youngest grandkids who are seven and eight years old....perfect!

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  39. Baking and cooking for family and friends.

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  40. Have always loved the Christmas Season. Decorating...dishes...santas...snowen...live evergreen boughs and the scents, the movies, cards and most importantly the gathering of family and friends. Keeping stressors low and feeling of love and peace high!!

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  41. We gather at my Mother-in-law's for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, I spend with my husband. So, on the Saturday before, we invite family and friends for coffee and Christmas cookies. It's an open house, so, whenever they can stop in works very well. It gives us a chance to visit around the kitchen table!

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  42. Entertaining for the holidays is all about quality time with family and friends in our home. We don't have a fancy house and my table settings are not magazine worthy but we have plentiful food and abundant love for the special people in our life.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Cynthia! You are one of our winners! Please email us at workroom@rebekahlsmith.com with your mailing address and name to receive one of the giveaway prizes! Congratulations!

      Delete
  43. Very simple natural decorations. Pomegranates, boxwood, and pine cones. I also like to use my vintage red glasses and fruit dishes, while burning cranberry candles, and visiting with family and friends!

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  44. We gather to decorate cookies. Some are elegant, some are bawdy, all are delicious. We laugh and make a mess! Then, individual containers are filled so that guests are given a little something for the holidays.

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  45. My family & my dogs spend a quiet day together at our home in the woods.

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  46. We have a party with family and friends. Lots of good food and play games.

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  47. We have had hosted an annual Christmas party with the same 18 friends for the past 25 years. I like to have it as close to Christmas as possible and this year it is the 23rd. It's nice to spend time with people that you have actually chosen to be part of your family!

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  48. I love tea parties too! Red and white décor, dishes, and cookies--yum!

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  49. I Love having the Kids home with their families. Then having friends come by for Warm Wonderful Evenings! Preparations for All to come by is busy, busy! But putting all your heart into, well, it just gives me back Million times over! The House is filled with many favorite scents of the season! With the little ones laughing & anticipating of what's to come at the early morning hours, 5-6 in the a.m. This is Our Blessed Home! We will never forget the Perfect Reason for Whom All of our Blessings Flow! The Birth of Our Lord is That Perfect Reason! Merry Christmas, Rebekah, to you & your family...
    Blessings for Another Successful Beautiful New Year,
    Sue Taylor

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  50. We enjoy having family visit and often bake cookies or pie together and, of course, we all enjoy eating it together. It is my daughters, my grandchildren, and I who bake together, but the men (husbands and grandson) enjoy the eating part, too.
    Thank you for your generosity and especially for the beautiful photos and the story.

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  51. I decorate my skinny tree, and put out my Snowmen.
    I make several kinds of cookies and let people take whichever they want, also other assorted bakery.
    Marilyn

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  52. We have a gathering of close friends and we all bring finger foods and sweet treats. We do nothing fancy but it is enjoyed by all!

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  53. Christmas is always about getting together with family and friends, home baked cookies and handmade gifts. My Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments that my mother gave me each Christmas with the year given written on the back-so many wonderful memories! There are more than 50 now!!

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  54. How do I like to entertain for the Holidays? With a lot of pre-planing and list making the work goes smoothly. Everybody participates with the bringing there favorite food and we just sit back and enjoy.

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  55. I have my grandmother’s dishes that she bought as a young bride in 1912. As I grew up grandma always set a beautiful table with those dishes and at some point (before my birth) added little mirrored name place cards. Each place card had a small felt flower in the upper left corner. The place cards could be written on & erased depending who was at the dinner table. The place cards each had a Little stand they sat in so they were upright. Each person also had a salt dip at their place. Grandma did this for each meal. I only set the table as my grandma did for Christmas with our children & grandchildren. I serve her favorite dishes as we have started our own traditions through the years

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  56. When my son was small we would make "Christmas pizza" on Christmas eve and then drive around different neighborhoods and look at Christmas lights. At that time we didn't have family nearby. In later years as siblings moved back to the area the Christmas pizza tradition continued with homemade pizza on Christmas eve.

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  57. We have our parents over for Christmas breakfast every year, and we have an hors d-oeuvres buffet for our four-generation gathering on Christmas afternoon!

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  58. Definitely Family Time! We also keep in mind that this is the Season of Christ. What really matters. Peace and Blessings to you and your family.

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  59. Lots and lots of outdoor Christmas lights

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  60. Family and friends near and far are with us in reality and in our hearts and minds as we share and enjoy and celebrate the peace and joy of Christmas and all of our holidays - as we look forward to gathering together however we can and look forward to new days with each other.

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  61. Our family is getting smaller as we age. We gather together with family and enjoy a wonderful meal, and spend a quiet day playing games, watching T.V., or maybe a little snooze. If we are very lucky the kids and grandkids from out of state make it home for a few days.

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  62. Christmas equals family! I pile literally everyone under one roof and we have a blast over the holiday. Lots of eating, laughing and loving on each other. We have lost 4 pillars in our family over the last seven years but we still our going strong. Catching up and having endless pots of coffee. Going out to dinner more than just a few times, getting up early and smelling something good in the kitchen for breakfast is a memorie I love to give my kids aka grown up adults. Always with lots of gratitude to God for all the endless blessings he has given our family. Merry Christmas and blessings always!

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  63. I have 34 family members at my house for a Christmas party...lots of food and the projects I have made that year on display. Some lucky person will get a good surprise.

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  64. I just make my families favorite foods and we pack it all up and head to my parents house for the holidays. We dont exchange presents any more, just enjoy being together.

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  66. I like to have a coffee or tea Christmas gathering at my house with a few close friends to celebrate Christmas before everyone is busy with family. I decorate the table with some of my Christmas decor homemade and some store bought items as well. On Christmas Eve we celebrate at church and then come home, eat dinner and open presents and sit and visit with the lights from the Christmas tree and Christmas houses. Merry Christmas!

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  67. This past week, I hosted the members of my quilting group for a Christmas party. My table was set with a muted red and green plaid cloth. Each place setting had a bird napkin ring and a black clipboard with a wreath clipped to it. Both of those were crafted by me. The centerpiece, a red wood box with the words "Merry Christmas" printed on it, was filled with fresh greens, pine cones and birds to match the napkin rings. We enjoyed a wonderful green salad buffet, which everyone contributed to. We also played games with quilting related prizes. A fun day was had by all.

    Charlotte

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  68. I'm lucky enough to have my sisters close by, so we get together in early December and make traditional Norwegian Christmas goodies taught to us by our mother. We follow that with lunch and a sampling of what we made. Then the goodies are stored away for friends that visit during the month.

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  69. As our children all live far away, and my husband being somewhat anti-social, my favorite entertaining is with my creative friends. We get together around my table, but not for food. We each bring a recipe to share, but for this gathering, the table is for stitching! Everyone brings a piece they're currently working on, and we just sit and visit, cackling like hens.

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  70. I enjoy having an Open House that lasts for about 4 hours. It allows me to have "one on one" conversations with my guests. I love the personal attention I am able to give each person and they don't have to worry about the time.

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  71. entertaining with family and friends great food and conversation and comfort- tis the season!
    dq bogfairy@yahoo.com

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  72. I don't do much, but I get together with my family on Christmas day! My cousin and I trade off where it is, but we have fun wherever we are.

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  73. We gather at my oldest sister's home. We are very casual, it has an almost open house type feeling with Christmas music playing in the background. She has a very large kitchen where we can gather and eat an array of "finger foods' and Christmas cookies. We reconnect with each other and just enjoy each other's company and maybe even meeting a new member of the family for the first time.

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