The trouble with winter afternoons in Chicago is two-fold: not only are they cold, but they tend to get dark pretty early.  As a mother, this leaves me in a quandry: how do I fill the time between nap and bed??

Lately, I’ve been keeping the kids busy with simple crafts that require little more than paper, glue and imagination.  I’ve come to the realization that crafts don’t have to be elaborate or perfect, and they certainly shouldn’t require special materials or lengthy instructions.  A simple craft just needs to give kids something fun to do while making them feel proud of their work.

So, the other afternoon while Mack snoozed Evie and I put together a simple Christmas wreath for our front door.  I traced her hand print on festive paper, and we glued several hands together in a circle.  She was so happy to sit quietly with me at the dining table as we worked on a fun project together.

I think I’ll forever keep this little wreath. It will be a yearly reminder of how big Evie is getting and how sweet Christmas is when the kids are small and their wants are simple.