Planet Nice Crafts

Looking back at the blog’s archives, I discovered that a January post has occurred EVERY year since Planet Nice Crafts' inception in 2018 and now 2025 with the 8 th is no different. The holiday season is wrapping up with Lunar New Year in a couple weeks and of course Valentine’s Day next month. We have had a wonderfully cold winter here in the Chicago area. I am completely serious, I much more prefer 20 degrees than 45 but I do have limits, single and negative digits are pushing it. It just feels right to be a little chilly and hopefully with experience and wisdom, I know how to handle it better and better. The sunlight has been spectacular and even now, the longer days are noticeable. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the pictures of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area give a feeling of horror – thinking a lot about the people who have been affected. In January posts of the past, baking is a major topic and is no different in 2025. There were six fruitcakes, three t...

Hello Everyone! I hope the winter holidays have been a good experience for you. 2020 is a challenging year to put in perspective. Foremost, it is accomplishment enough to be able to witness the end of the year as so much tragedy has occurred. But then daily life needs come in to the picture which can be complicated and stressful such as going to the grocery store. What keeps me going are the stories of the spectacular such as a high school student, Emma Davenport , leading the IL effort to create masks and those individuals using this time to make giant strides in their personal growth. Enough of high philosophy, however, it has been busy at Planet Nice Crafts with creative activities and I am sure you have been quite busy too. A common creative activity this time of year is holiday decorating. Because so many of the tree stands had sold out in my area, I purchased a Christmas tree on December 8 th , about two weeks earlier than I usually do. I chose a white pine, which I had one befor...