I begin to think about getting ready for the Christmas holidays long before the pumpkin pie is out of the over, although I have relaxed about it a bit. For many years, I wasn’t able to relax over Thanksgiving unless all the shopping was done. With age came experience (maybe a bit of wisdom too), and I’ve learned that getting a jump on things is the best way to be able to enjoy the season. 2021 has taught me many lessons, and keeping things Simple (my word of the year) helps me every day. My wish for those of you reading this is that you take time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the season - every day.

And to that end - Welcome to Day 1 of the Ten Days of Christmas Prep Blog Hop. I’ve partnered with several quilters and creatives this year to create a hop chock full of our best tips and tricks (dare I say shortcuts?) for you. Tradition is wonderful, but I’m always looking for new ideas to keep things fresh - and we’ve got 10 really fun spins on the holiday. Our hope is to inspire you to try something new…we have recipes, crafts, and new ways of looking at things.

This may not seem like much, but I went gluten free several years ago, and that fall, I began to really miss baking. This recipe was sent to me from a fellow GF quilter, and it’s amazing. It’s one of those recipes that’s pantry friendly, fabulous no matter how many bananas are in your freezer - and adaptable to loaves (shown here), muffins - or mini muffins. You just need to adjust your baking time. One of my holiday traditions is to include a Holiday recipe in my December Cornerstones newsletter, and this is going in the December newsletter.

I also want to introduce you to the other bloggers who are participating in this week’s hop - we are part of a networking group that meets online several times a month, and I’ve gotten to know each of them well over the course of the past several months.

Let’s meet the bloggers…

Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods has a ton of GREAT ideas for holiday prep. So much so, that she’s got 2 days of ideas on this hop. Tomorrow, December 1st, visit her blog to see her take on a mug rug and a recipe to pair with it. On December 4th, she’ll return to the blog hop for a holiday topper idea (and another recipe) to go with it.

Special thanks to Celine for designing the beautiful logo that goes with our hop!

Susan Knap of The Quilt Branch blogs on Thursday, December 2nd and she has a free pattern (and a recipe) for you to enjoy. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Susan’s work - and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us.

Melissa Bryan of Big Bee Applique has a machine embroidery design company, and I love the vibe of her designs. Melissa is an extraordinarily talented designer, and I’ve learned a lot about that segment of the market by working with her. Melissa blogs on Friday, December 3rd, and she has a great way to take an orphan block or a UFO and turn it into a holiday keepsake. I’m putting a pin in that one!

Debbie Wendt of Wendt Quilting is joining us for TWO days on the blog hop, and I know that she’s going to have something special for us (times two). On December 6, she’ll be showing us a way to take 2 1/2” strips and make them into Christmas trees, and on December 8, she’ll show us how to dress up our holiday tables with double sided napkins. I am looking forward to both those posts!

Morna Golletz of ICAP is also part of our blog hop, and on December 5th she has a great take on a Make Ahead Cranberry Orange Nut Bread - and how to use that as a Gift this holiday season. I already have ‘Make Morna’s bread on my to to list for this month, because it’s Gluten Free!

For a more conventional ‘blog hop list’ that you can bookmark - here you go!

November 30 Day 1 Linda at One Quilting Circle
December 1 Day 2 Celine at Perkins Dry Goods
December 2 Day 3 Susan at The Quilt Branch
December 3 Day 4 Melissa at Big Bee Applique
December 4 Day 5 Celine at Perkins Dry Goods
December 5 Day 6 Morna at Creative Arts Professionals
December 6 Day 7 Debbie at Wendt Quilting
December 7 Day 8 Linda at One Quilting Circle
December 8 Day 9 Debbie at Wendt Quilting
December 9 Day 10 Linda at One Quilting Circle

Hi, I’m Linda Pearl - quilter, teacher, designer and blogger, and I’m happy to have you here. I’d like to tell you a little bit more About Me…