Because such a wonderful time was had by all during last year's Holiday Traditions Exchange, I'm putting it on again! Read on to find out how to sign up.

As soon as Amelie realized that I had placed the blanket in the warm sunbeam, she arranged herself in the scene and fell asleep within three seconds. She didn't mind a bit that I was busily arranging things on top of her.

I've unpacked some handmade cheer from last year's holiday traditions exchange that I've been meaning to share with you for a while now. It was such a joy to put together my two packages (one went to Emily and the other "unofficial" swap made it to Amanda and family. Pictured above are the goods I received from the Soule family - a quilted hot pad, a bird ornament that came in a lovely fabric bag, a granola recipe and a description of how their family celebrates the Winter Solstice. Everything is ridiculously lovely, thoughtful, and cozy, in the pure Soulemama style we all love so much.

My official holiday traditions exchange partner, Emily, also put together a drool-worthy package. First and foremost, she included one of her signature aprons (which I wore all day yesterday, by the way ...)

Also included - a holiday music CD, several festive recipes including one for Italian zeppole (fried doughnuts - yum!) and the adorable fabric ornaments below:

I already have some ideas brewing for this year's exchange ... I can't wait until Mr. Bah Humbug goes off to class so I can put on some holiday music and get this season rolling!

What is the Holiday Traditions Exchange?

The Holiday Traditions Exchange is a swap that incorporates craft, cultural sharing, and thoughtful reflection about what the holidays mean to your family. It’s an opportunity to celebrate all that is non-commercial in this holiday season – and an opportunity to adopt a new, fun tradition for your family’s holiday repertoire.

How can I participate?

Send an email to [email protected]. I will pair you with one swap partner. You will send your package to your partner, and this same partner will send a package to you. Hopefully, you will make a new friend in the process!

To your partner, you will send:

1.) One handmade holiday decoration. Decorations made from any kind of medium are acceptable – from fabric to yarn, paper to paint.

2.) Your family's favorite holiday recipe.

3.) A “Tradition” Tutorial. This is description of one of your family’s special holiday traditions. If needed, you should provide step by step instructions. (For example, if your family makes graham cracker candy houses each year, you would provide more concrete instructions.) You might also consider sending along a couple of photos of the tradition in action, or perhaps the materials needed to re-create the tradition if it is craft-related.

In addition, you could send a mix CD of your favorite holiday tunes, or a special book that is a seasonal classic in your family. Feel free to go above and beyond the three requirements, but please don’t skimp! When putting together your package, think about the kind of package you would like to receive. The backbone of this whole exchange is that it should be meaningful and come from that tender place close to your heart.

Are you in?? Send me an email at [email protected]. No need to include your mailing address – once you receive your partner’s name, you can exchange your address with them directly.

The sign up deadline is Sunday, November 9^th. Last year we had over 250 participants, so I will be trying to send out partner email notifications every day or so in order to avoid a major pile up come November 9th - the sooner you sign up, the sooner you will receive your partner. You will receive an email from me with your partner’s name and email. It is then your responsibility to contact your partner, introduce yourself, and exchange mailing addresses.

Packages must be sent out by Saturday, December 13^th. If you are sending internationally, you might want to aim for an earlier mailing date. But wait!!! Before sending your package, be sure to take pics and post them to the Holiday Traditions Exchange Flickr Group!

I look forward to your emails, and I sincerely hope that this exchange will, in some way, make your holiday season a little merrier!

Much warmth,

Meg

P.S. You can add the Holiday Traditions Exchange button to your sidebar by copying the following HTML code:

<a href="http://www.sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2008/10/holiday-traditions-exchange-2008.html"><img alt="Holiday Traditions Exchange 2008" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2982378424_1b79aff107_o.jpg" height="125" width="125" /></a>