Merry Merry! Happy Happy!

This is a very busy time of year and it's easy to get overwhelmed by the growing to-do list.. As the days get shorter and the sun gets rarer, it's easy to lose our optimism. And when you throw a new baby into the mix, the extra joy of Baby's First Holiday Season does not quite make up for the extra work and extra family stress.

So, let's make an extra effort to focus on the positive! Focus on the things that are going well at your house this week. Give yourself a prize for a Good Parent Moment. 

 When you have too much to do, make a list of all the things you have already done! Tick them off as you write them down. It always makes me feel so much better about the to-do list if it already has some checked items.

Or do what my husband Randy calls "Spontaneous Reduction of Standards." When you can't possibly get everything done, don't!  Simplify. Buy everyone soap for Christmas. At least they'll be clean.

As one of the Moms in Baby Group said today: "If there's food in the fridge, the laundry is done and the house is tidy, that's all that matters."  My Spontaneously Reduced Standards would say that food and laundry are the only essentials. Reading to the toddler or singing to the baby are much more important than home-baked cookies or beautifully wrapped gifts.

Enjoy your holidays - however you celebrate them.

Happy Holidays from Mosaic Village!

As anyone who comes in to Mothering Touch knows, we believe in Community - a community of parents who support each other through the early months and years. But Mothering Touch also belongs to a community of merchants - the newly-formed Mosaic Village, Victoria’s newest shopping district at Fort and Cook Streets. We are proud to belong to this group, known for its variety of retail businesses which share a local, sustainable attitude. Among other events this December, Mothering Touch will have a special visitor on the 11th: from noon until 3pm, Santa will be here in his big red suit, ready for photos with your family! For more of what's planned for the holidays, see here.

Recipe of the Month

We usually like to advocate healthy eating here at Mothering Touch, but it's the holiday season! Let's eat cookies!

This is by far the best shortbread recipe out there. It's incredibly easy, and very versatile. Bake them in a pan and cut them into fingers, roll them out and cut them into shapes, dip them in chocolate - the possibilities are endless!

Grandma's Shortbread Cookies

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter, softened

Sift together cornstarch, icing sugar, and flour. With a wooden spoon or your hands, blend in butter until a smooth dough forms. Don't over-work the dough or the cookies will be hard. Either roll out and cut into shapes, or press into an 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack slightly before cutting.

You've made it this far...

...so you get a prize! For the month of December, when you buy something red or green, mention this ad and get 10% off your purchase!