Saremy, the owner and designer behind Chicken Boots and creator of the two largest bags (the Double Double, and a specially created for JBW slightly larger version) we are featuring in our 2013 Holiday Collection shared with us her holiday traditions story below. She and her family try not to travel during the holidays so that they can spend the day in the comfort of their home. We love her traditions, and how cute are her chickens!?!?!

"There is always something special about the time between November and January-whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday or none. My family is quite small with only me, my husband and our daughter, Cricket, who is 11. We tend to stay at home during Christmas. Occasionally we have ventured to see our families but typically we always try and wake up at home Christmas morning. I do love lights and we usually have big paper star lanterns in all our front windows each season and a live tree in the house decorated only with homemade ornaments. The only other decorations are our stockings-my favorite part- and a gingerbread house or two. We don’t actually let our chickens eat them though!

 Our tradition is to open one gift on Christmas eve (usually nice jammies-which was instigated by mom when I was young because she always wanted us to wake up in something nice that could we could be photographed in while opening our presents). We always put out snacks for reindeer and Santa, track him on the Norad Santa tracker (http://www.noradsanta.org/) and then when we wake up Cricket is allowed to open anything that was set out in the night by Santa including our stockings. We do not actually go to extremes in gift giving and really try and only get what someone wants or has requested. But it is nice to have at least one thing you get to ‘play’ with or figure out the rest of the day. And of course I knit and drink mulled wine-but not usually at the same time.

We eat a splendid meal of local items-the past few years included chickens we raised and even a turkey once. My husband loves to cook! And I LOVE that he cooks! It’s win-win. Our daughter is vegetarian so we always have multiple entrees at each meal. Cricket is also quite passionate about helping houseless or less fortunate people and we will go to great lengths especially during this time of year to help where we can-but it’s a year-round interest for her.

I am excited this year because my parents have moved closer to us! This will be our first year in a very long time that they will be with us on Christmas day- that probably means homemade donuts! Another of my mom’s traditions! It’s a good one. Happy holidays!

Saremy

Beers, brats, badgers and basements? It’s Christmas in Wisconsin! For the last 15 years, Doug and I have spent every other Christmas at Doug’s parents’ house in Middleton, Wisconsin. And for the last 15 years, I’ve had to remember to pack a bundle of rubber bands in my suitcase. You see, after a few days of drinking beer, eating brats, and watching the Badgers play hockey on the basement TV, I have to call upon these rubber bands to help keep my pants up. (Remember the pregnancy trick? Yeah, well, only in this case, my “expanding belly” isn’t the result of a growing baby… it’s the result of blissful gluttony!) Oh – and did I mention that Doug’s mom is famous for her Christmas baking? She makes hundreds (yes hundreds!) of cookies each season. Sigh. I’m drooling (and happily expanding!) already!!

But the cookies and the beers aren’t my favorite part about our trips to Wisconsin. No, my favorite part is simply being there. It’s watching Huck have the time of his life with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’s walking with Doug past the elementary school that he attended; listening to stories about him and his childhood friends. My favorite part is being able to see – and to feel – just a wee part of Doug’s life when he was a kid. Call me sentimental (yes, I am in fact crying a bit writing this), but being able to sleep and eat in the house where Doug grew up (and being to watch Huck enjoy the same house) is one of the most special things in the world for me! And now it’s a tradition. (As is knitting on the plane to Wisconsin and knitting in the basement while the Badgers play!)

Bar-Maids is a small family fun business. Though quite a few of us are together all the time, location aside, being with this fun-loving group of individuals during the holidays is what matters most. Our group of individuals happens to average about twenty. As you can imagine, when twenty or more people get together under one roof for at least a week, you need to have some rules. If you ever venture into something like this we offer up our list of rules, referred to as the 12- step program.

1. Travel Light: 1 suitcase per person. Diva’s – you can do this!

 

2. Minimal Mess: Shoes off at the door (Except for Santa. His footprints are a highlight as they make a path from the fireplace, to the cookies, to the tree. Boot bottoms dipped in flour (easy to vacuum).

3. Comfort: Beds for the oldest, kids in sleeping bags.

4. Ghosts of Christmas Past: Better than TV, we share a lot of family stories that seem to grow over time. Like the time that our Great Grandmother told our Grandma Pat (“The Queen”), “Remember, Priscilla, you have blue blood in you”. After hearing this one, Alec was caught in the bathroom sticking his finger with a pin to see if he had “blue blood” too.

5. Holiday Magic: The kids drift to sleep as stories are being read. One story always includes fairies.  They wake up in the morning to find fairy dust all over their sleeping bags. (Mica glitter).

6. Morning Mayhem: The first one up starts the fire, then the coffee. When you smell coffee, time to get a move-on.

7. Karate Kid showers: To make hot water stretch:  turn water on, get wet. Turn off, soap on. Turn on, soap off.

8. To Close for Comfort? If the house comes with a fireplace, chopping wood is a great stress reliever. So is taking a walk or play hide and go seek. U hide, they seek.

9. Life’s a puzzle: We always have a puzzle or two going. The harder the better. Teaches you a lot about an individual….really!

10. BIG functional kitchen. As we all cook together, there is a lot of chopping, stirring, and taste testing going on. While each meal includes at least one dish that is new, we always include something we call the “Queens Buns” (in honor of Grandma Pat) at each breakfast. We have many “Queen’s Buns” recipes, some quick and easy, some more time consuming. They are the best! (Stay tuned for more info on the "Queen's Buns" with Operation Turkey Trot!)

11. Making Memories: We have at least three people taking pictures. Crazy cousin Carol Ann always takes a picture of each meal set on the table awaiting the masses.

12. Kiss and Tell: Kiss everyone goodbye and tell them you love them.