Good morning and welcome to create with Heidi. I'm Heidi Kaisand, owner of hidden chicks studio in Conrad, Iowa, and lover of all things creative. Each week here on create with Heidi, we like to cover topics that educate and inspire you about how people are being creative, whether it's quilting, scrapbooking, food, wool, or just hanging out with others who seem to have their creative Mojo groove in in all the right directions. We are excited to share these things with you. As you know, I love to start the show with a quote. And today and I know it is September Do not Do not be afraid. Christmas is the season of joy of gift giving and a family's united. And yes, I know it is September and I'm talking about Christmas. But next week, September 13, through the 18th is our 100 days to Christmas event. And I wanted to get us in the spirit and kick things off this week. So I could talk about everything that's going on. So today you get just me for the show. And we are going to talk about all things Christmas. And then of course, a little bit of other things that are going on at hidden chicks studio. So what is the 100 days to Christmas event, it is a week long Monday through Saturday event where it's the only time in the year that I send out a daily email. Okay, so if you sign up for our emails, most of you know I'm lucky if I get two emails out a month, because our schedule is busy. And I'm I don't want to over load anybody with email, I know what my inbox looks like. So I always think that way, when you get an email from hidden check studio, you know that there's important stuff in there? Well, during the 100 days to Christmas event, we do email you every morning, because there are details that you do not want to miss out on. For example, we have our daily stocking stuffers special. So that special will only be good for that business day. And of course, it when we do it online, it goes until 1159 at the evening, but say for example, we will pick an item like maybe thread. And then that day the special on the thread will be fantastic. You will want to stuff every stocking every creative person stocking with one of those items. So every day is a little different. So say for example, you can't come into the store every day, well, you can always order online, and then have those held and pick them all up. At the end of the week, you would have to pay for each day's product that you want. But you don't have to physically come into the store. And say for example, you live at a distance, and you want to have it all shipped, it's really simple. You just put in the notes field that you are going to be buying every day are going to be watching every day and to ship everything at once. And then if that way, we'll only capture the shipping amount of $8.50 once. And then after that we just take the shipping off and put that all into one bundle. So that's one thing that we love at hidden chick studio is that we can accommodate you whether you walk in the store during the business hours, whether you have to pick up our new curbside, or whether you are shipping, we can do all of those things. And we actually went to a flat rate shipping some time ago. So no matter where you are, or no matter how much you buy, it is $8.50. And we ship everything priority. So whether you're our good customers in Alaska, because we do ship to Alaska on a regular basis, or whether you live in Marshalltown, we are glad to ship for $8.50. And that's one thing that I do know, I myself take advantage of shipping from other places, even though you think oh, I'm going to get there. Sometimes it's just easier to have it shipped directly to you. So what other things might you expect during 100 days to Christmas? Well, we're gonna have some holiday Games, you know how I like games, and all the things that are fun about the holidays. So we've got some games going, you know, we'll be inspiring you in all aspects, whether it's quilting or decorating, or you know, motivation for getting your Christmas projects done, you'll see lots of inspiration. And we have been busy, busy little elves working behind the scenes to unveil a whole host of projects and kits that are all Christmas related or theme related, or just make great holiday gifts. And we will be unveiling all of those during those eight during those six days, excuse me, September 13, through the 18th. Next week, so lots of different exciting things for us to do. So the first thing you need to do is if you are not currently signed up to get our emails, be sure to go to our website, that pop up window comes up, just fill in the information. So you get on our email list so that we can send you that daily email next week. And again, just so you know, I only do those daily emails for this week alone. But goodness gracious Christmas is coming 100 days from September 16. So we want to be excited. Well, we've got more things to inspire you about getting ready for Christmas, and I'll be back right after this.
Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand from hidden chicks studio. And today we're talking about Christmas. And yes, I know it is September. But when you're a quilter, or a crafter or knitter, I mean any project, we can't whip up, we can't run to the store the night before Christmas, or do our you know, after Christmas Eve afternoon shopping, and go to the mall. And you know, just whip out things and give away that night we have to do some planning. And that is exactly why we celebrate 100 days to Christmas, it gives us the opportunity to get organized to create that list of who you want to make something for what you want to make. And to be able to get organized, get the things you need, and get busy doing them. And I'm a huge fan of saying that there are lots of projects that we can afford to give away, meaning that they don't take so much time. But there, it takes maybe a little bit of time, but not so much. But that we can still be able to make those things and give them away. And so if you come in to Henan chicks studio, we are going to give you all sorts of ideas, whether it's table runners, from our favorite book from Terry Atkinson called let's do lunch. There's just some great ways to decorate. One year, a customer was giving a gift to a grandchild, I believe it was if I remember correctly, and it was an entire series of table runners, so that she would have something to change with the seasons. And I thought that was a great idea. A little table runner is a great way to be able to decorate but to to also be able to give somebody something that they'll think of you while they are using it. So again, we're gonna we're just gonna fill you with lots of ideas next week, so be sure to get signed up for our 100 days to Christmas event, his emails so that you can get all those daily specials in inspiration. But I thought I would talk about 25 things to love about Christmas. And first, it is the happiest time of the year. I mean, everybody says it and it should be because it is a great holiday and such a fun time to spend with family and friends. And we're certainly hoping that this year will be different than 2020 and that we will be able to spend more quality time together. Now Kyle, I should have given you a heads up on this next one. You are you I know you're good on the spot. But here's the number two thing to love about Christmas. Christmas songs.
Kyle: Oh, absolutely.
Heidi Kaisand: Do you have a favorite Christmas song?
Kyle: Oh boy. Um, you know, I just pretty much love all of them actually, to be honest with you. I love Christmas songs. We sing them all the time. I love a lot of the religious type Christmas songs and then traditional traditional and then you know because I was in choir as a kid, but I you know, Jim bells, you can't go wrong with Jingle Bells.
Heidi Kaisand: And you know, my favorite is Rudolph the Red Nose rain, right, I do know, I do know all of the words to that song. And it is, I mean, Christmas songs are wonderful. And what a great time for concerts to go to an I think, I think one positive, and there's been a lot of positives that has come out of COVID. And the pandemic is that more and more groups are sharing their music and their talents with everybody on the line. And I heard some amazing choirs that I would not have had the opportunity to hear saying, or, you know, bands to play. And I love that about about Christmas. And I'm looking forward to this year hoping that some of those same groups continue to put their their creative content, if you want to say on the social media because it is wonderful. All right, number three, who does not enjoy sitting by the fireplace, drinking a mug of hot cocoa and reading a good book. So by all means, we got to be thinking about those fun things and finding out what those good books are. Or as my girls would always tell me, I always listened to a good book, but I could still enjoy the fireplace and the mug of hot chocolate. So I'm good with that. Now, number four, are you the griswald Christmas decorating family with holiday lights? Or do you go from our simple, classic, maybe a few strands of light, I we definitely go on the minimal side at our house, although we always have to watch that Christmas program and watch the girls waltz and their whole fiasco of chords that are surely a fire hazard. So holiday lights, number five, the smell of cookies baking, okay, it really doesn't matter what time of the year. That is, that is always a thing to love. But I think at the holidays, there's something extra magical about all the cookies we bake and the fun of decorating them. I know we always try to put a few cookies into some tins and share them with our neighbors. Because that's always fun to is to, to do that baking and to share. I certainly have fond memories of growing up. And my mother would say I'd say Mom, let's make a double batch of rollout sugar cookies. And she's like Heidi, just one batch this time. And of course, she would say that, not because she didn't want to make the cookies but knowing that I would get tired before all of them were frosted. And so I always chuckle that now when I make a double batch, I know what my mother was why she was worried because it is a big process. Alright, number six, making gifts. You know, from everything we do at hidden chicks studio, we love to make gifts. But number seven, it is also fun to receive gifts. And I think that is something to look forward to with Christmas. Eight Christmas vacation, the kids get a bigger vacation than we do. But at least one day or one and a half days off isn't too bad. Number nine, doing arts and crafts and all things creative around here. That's exactly what we love to do. And sometimes the holidays are a fun time to do extra things like build a gingerbread house or do something like that. Alright, number 10. This could be a whole program in itself, the amazing food that we like to eat. And you know, my favorite is chicken biscuits, that my grandmother it's like biscuits with a chicken gravy overtop of it. I know we've talked about that here on the show before to number 11 give to others. I think that is something that is so important in this season. It's important all year round, but is to give to other people. Not everybody is as lucky as I am. To have so much so many blessings and I think it's important to give 12 celebrating in our church with the kids program. I do I need to say more children and you know, a church program. It's always fun and entertaining. And of course it's understanding the reason for the season 13 eggnog Do you know you can freeze it so if you can't get Anderson a Eric Anderson Erickson, he eggnog all year long. You can freeze it. We do that at our house so you can pull it out in the middle of summer and have a little eggnog. Alright, we've got Christmas movies and I'm sorry, but I'm going to be right at the Hallmark Channel and keeping that tuned in there because who doesn't like a good Hallmark Christmas movie, and we're going to take a quick commercial break. I'll come back and finish my list and we're gonna start with somebody that everybody loves when we come back.
Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand and I am talking about all things Christmas, and I'm giving you my top 25 reasons. And the break came at just the right moment to say that number 15 who is the guy we love it is jolly old good St. Nick. And I think Santa is awfully fun. And Santa is real in my book. Because everybody has a little bit of Santa in them. It's, it's part of that nature of giving the nature of caring for others, the magic of Christmas. And I do believe in Santa and I believe that if we do believe we will be blessed with Santa. Alright, number 16. For any of those lovebirds out there, you got to have a little mistletoe. And of course number 17 plane in the snow. If we're lucky enough to have a white Christmas, then making snow angels and sledding, all of those things can be extra fun. Now, if it's not just enough that we have one holiday at that time of year, we know New Year's is coming right after it. So it's like the double whammy of celebrations. Love that. 19 who could not say that anything peppermint flavored is awesome at Christmas, peppermint in our hot cocoa, peppermint cookies, all peppermint sticks, all sorts of things that are in the peppermint flavor. I think they're just extra good. Never 20 the smells of Christmas, like the fresh evergreen trees or Reis, the cookies. We've already talked a little bit about the cookies. I don't know there's something about the I'll say pine cones and all that kind of those ghosts Christmas smells. There's just something about that. Number 21. All right, who doesn't love a good shopping trip? Christmas and shopping, whether online or in person. Of course, I always encourage you to shop independent and shop local, because you do make a difference in our businesses, including hen and chick studio. So thank you for shopping local 22 Christmas tree. Now I don't want to start a controversy, are you we're real or artificial. And I'm telling you, I hung out as long as I could on the real. I did go artificial last year. And I will say there was an element of it wasn't a mess to clean up afterwards. But I did miss the smell and the look of a real trade. But right now that's where we're at. My mother was actually shocked. I think when I went to an artificial trade number 23. This is perfect for me. snuggling under a quilt on one of those cold evenings, you got to have a good quilt to snuggle under number 24.
getting dressed up having a reason to pull out a different you know, maybe a dress your dress, or to be able to buy something new, whether that's the school program, or the church program or a special dinner event. Maybe for your workplace, it's always fun to get dressed up and whether you're going out with one other person or a group. And number 25. I think that the best thing about Christmas is it happens every year. So although I'm sad when it's over, not to worry, we can start planning for the next one. And that makes it great. So we can keep up our list and keep doing it year after year. And that is wonderful. So those are just a few of the reasons why I think it's great to be celebrating Christmas. And of course 100 days to Christmas is coming up next week, September 13 through the 18th as we've been talking about. The other thing as we get close to the top of the hour, is I want to tell you about a couple of dates that are coming up and specifically Sunday, October 3, and no we're not typically open on Sundays. But we've tried a couple of what we're referring to is super Sundays in during the summer and while you're doing the all I was shot pop, and it went so well that I picked three more Sundays we did one in August. Sunday, October 3 is the next one. And then there's one in November and I just losing that date, but I believe it's November 18. We'll come back and verify that. But what's happening on October 3 is extra special. Because if you can believe it, it is our 10th anniversary. And that is to the day and so that's why we're having this celebration on Sunday and we put Super Sunday there is 10 years ago. On October 3 we opened the front door of hidden chicks studio to welcome all have our new friends in. And the It has been an awesome ride I am already planning for the next 10 years and beyond, I think it is just so much fun to be able to help each of you be creative. So between 12 and 5pm. On Sunday, October 3, our store will be open. There will be door prizes and specials going on. And there might be a couple cupcakes to nibble on. If you want to join us for a little celebration treat. But don't you worry if you are not in the Conrad area, and you still want to celebrate with us. We will have ways online for you to participate that afternoon as well. We can't forget all of the new friends that we've made in the last few years, as we have gone more online more viral in the different social media is and we would not want to forget any of those people as well. So we're so looking forward. So Mark your calendar Sunday, October 3, and you will be able to come to Conrad between 12 and five and help us celebrate. So we certainly hope that you'll visit hidden chicks studio or online at hidden chicks. studio.com we're open Monday through Friday 10 to five and Saturday 10 to three on until next week. Be creative
Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand from hidden chicks studio. And today we're talking about Christmas. And yes, I know it is September. But when you're a quilter, or a crafter or knitter, I mean any project, we can't whip up, we can't run to the store the night before Christmas, or do our you know, after Christmas Eve afternoon shopping, and go to the mall. And you know, just whip out things and give away that night we have to do some planning. And that is exactly why we celebrate 100 days to Christmas, it gives us the opportunity to get organized to create that list of who you want to make something for what you want to make. And to be able to get organized, get the things you need, and get busy doing them. And I'm a huge fan of saying that there are lots of projects that we can afford to give away, meaning that they don't take so much time. But there, it takes maybe a little bit of time, but not so much. But that we can still be able to make those things and give them away. And so if you come in to Henan chicks studio, we are going to give you all sorts of ideas, whether it's table runners, from our favorite book from Terry Atkinson called let's do lunch. There's just some great ways to decorate. One year, a customer was giving a gift to a grandchild, I believe it was if I remember correctly, and it was an entire series of table runners, so that she would have something to change with the seasons. And I thought that was a great idea. A little table runner is a great way to be able to decorate but to to also be able to give somebody something that they'll think of you while they are using it. So again, we're gonna we're just gonna fill you with lots of ideas next week, so be sure to get signed up for our 100 days to Christmas event, his emails so that you can get all those daily specials in inspiration. But I thought I would talk about 25 things to love about Christmas. And first, it is the happiest time of the year. I mean, everybody says it and it should be because it is a great holiday and such a fun time to spend with family and friends. And we're certainly hoping that this year will be different than 2020 and that we will be able to spend more quality time together. Now Kyle, I should have given you a heads up on this next one. You are you I know you're good on the spot. But here's the number two thing to love about Christmas. Christmas songs.
Kyle: Oh, absolutely.
Heidi Kaisand: Do you have a favorite Christmas song?
Kyle: Oh boy. Um, you know, I just pretty much love all of them actually, to be honest with you. I love Christmas songs. We sing them all the time. I love a lot of the religious type Christmas songs and then traditional traditional and then you know because I was in choir as a kid, but I you know, Jim bells, you can't go wrong with Jingle Bells.
Heidi Kaisand: And you know, my favorite is Rudolph the Red Nose rain, right, I do know, I do know all of the words to that song. And it is, I mean, Christmas songs are wonderful. And what a great time for concerts to go to an I think, I think one positive, and there's been a lot of positives that has come out of COVID. And the pandemic is that more and more groups are sharing their music and their talents with everybody on the line. And I heard some amazing choirs that I would not have had the opportunity to hear saying, or, you know, bands to play. And I love that about about Christmas. And I'm looking forward to this year hoping that some of those same groups continue to put their their creative content, if you want to say on the social media because it is wonderful. All right, number three, who does not enjoy sitting by the fireplace, drinking a mug of hot cocoa and reading a good book. So by all means, we got to be thinking about those fun things and finding out what those good books are. Or as my girls would always tell me, I always listened to a good book, but I could still enjoy the fireplace and the mug of hot chocolate. So I'm good with that. Now, number four, are you the griswald Christmas decorating family with holiday lights? Or do you go from our simple, classic, maybe a few strands of light, I we definitely go on the minimal side at our house, although we always have to watch that Christmas program and watch the girls waltz and their whole fiasco of chords that are surely a fire hazard. So holiday lights, number five, the smell of cookies baking, okay, it really doesn't matter what time of the year. That is, that is always a thing to love. But I think at the holidays, there's something extra magical about all the cookies we bake and the fun of decorating them. I know we always try to put a few cookies into some tins and share them with our neighbors. Because that's always fun to is to, to do that baking and to share. I certainly have fond memories of growing up. And my mother would say I'd say Mom, let's make a double batch of rollout sugar cookies. And she's like Heidi, just one batch this time. And of course, she would say that, not because she didn't want to make the cookies but knowing that I would get tired before all of them were frosted. And so I always chuckle that now when I make a double batch, I know what my mother was why she was worried because it is a big process. Alright, number six, making gifts. You know, from everything we do at hidden chicks studio, we love to make gifts. But number seven, it is also fun to receive gifts. And I think that is something to look forward to with Christmas. Eight Christmas vacation, the kids get a bigger vacation than we do. But at least one day or one and a half days off isn't too bad. Number nine, doing arts and crafts and all things creative around here. That's exactly what we love to do. And sometimes the holidays are a fun time to do extra things like build a gingerbread house or do something like that. Alright, number 10. This could be a whole program in itself, the amazing food that we like to eat. And you know, my favorite is chicken biscuits, that my grandmother it's like biscuits with a chicken gravy overtop of it. I know we've talked about that here on the show before to number 11 give to others. I think that is something that is so important in this season. It's important all year round, but is to give to other people. Not everybody is as lucky as I am. To have so much so many blessings and I think it's important to give 12 celebrating in our church with the kids program. I do I need to say more children and you know, a church program. It's always fun and entertaining. And of course it's understanding the reason for the season 13 eggnog Do you know you can freeze it so if you can't get Anderson a Eric Anderson Erickson, he eggnog all year long. You can freeze it. We do that at our house so you can pull it out in the middle of summer and have a little eggnog. Alright, we've got Christmas movies and I'm sorry, but I'm going to be right at the Hallmark Channel and keeping that tuned in there because who doesn't like a good Hallmark Christmas movie, and we're going to take a quick commercial break. I'll come back and finish my list and we're gonna start with somebody that everybody loves when we come back.
Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand and I am talking about all things Christmas, and I'm giving you my top 25 reasons. And the break came at just the right moment to say that number 15 who is the guy we love it is jolly old good St. Nick. And I think Santa is awfully fun. And Santa is real in my book. Because everybody has a little bit of Santa in them. It's, it's part of that nature of giving the nature of caring for others, the magic of Christmas. And I do believe in Santa and I believe that if we do believe we will be blessed with Santa. Alright, number 16. For any of those lovebirds out there, you got to have a little mistletoe. And of course number 17 plane in the snow. If we're lucky enough to have a white Christmas, then making snow angels and sledding, all of those things can be extra fun. Now, if it's not just enough that we have one holiday at that time of year, we know New Year's is coming right after it. So it's like the double whammy of celebrations. Love that. 19 who could not say that anything peppermint flavored is awesome at Christmas, peppermint in our hot cocoa, peppermint cookies, all peppermint sticks, all sorts of things that are in the peppermint flavor. I think they're just extra good. Never 20 the smells of Christmas, like the fresh evergreen trees or Reis, the cookies. We've already talked a little bit about the cookies. I don't know there's something about the I'll say pine cones and all that kind of those ghosts Christmas smells. There's just something about that. Number 21. All right, who doesn't love a good shopping trip? Christmas and shopping, whether online or in person. Of course, I always encourage you to shop independent and shop local, because you do make a difference in our businesses, including hen and chick studio. So thank you for shopping local 22 Christmas tree. Now I don't want to start a controversy, are you we're real or artificial. And I'm telling you, I hung out as long as I could on the real. I did go artificial last year. And I will say there was an element of it wasn't a mess to clean up afterwards. But I did miss the smell and the look of a real trade. But right now that's where we're at. My mother was actually shocked. I think when I went to an artificial trade number 23. This is perfect for me. snuggling under a quilt on one of those cold evenings, you got to have a good quilt to snuggle under number 24.
getting dressed up having a reason to pull out a different you know, maybe a dress your dress, or to be able to buy something new, whether that's the school program, or the church program or a special dinner event. Maybe for your workplace, it's always fun to get dressed up and whether you're going out with one other person or a group. And number 25. I think that the best thing about Christmas is it happens every year. So although I'm sad when it's over, not to worry, we can start planning for the next one. And that makes it great. So we can keep up our list and keep doing it year after year. And that is wonderful. So those are just a few of the reasons why I think it's great to be celebrating Christmas. And of course 100 days to Christmas is coming up next week, September 13 through the 18th as we've been talking about. The other thing as we get close to the top of the hour, is I want to tell you about a couple of dates that are coming up and specifically Sunday, October 3, and no we're not typically open on Sundays. But we've tried a couple of what we're referring to is super Sundays in during the summer and while you're doing the all I was shot pop, and it went so well that I picked three more Sundays we did one in August. Sunday, October 3 is the next one. And then there's one in November and I just losing that date, but I believe it's November 18. We'll come back and verify that. But what's happening on October 3 is extra special. Because if you can believe it, it is our 10th anniversary. And that is to the day and so that's why we're having this celebration on Sunday and we put Super Sunday there is 10 years ago. On October 3 we opened the front door of hidden chicks studio to welcome all have our new friends in. And the It has been an awesome ride I am already planning for the next 10 years and beyond, I think it is just so much fun to be able to help each of you be creative. So between 12 and 5pm. On Sunday, October 3, our store will be open. There will be door prizes and specials going on. And there might be a couple cupcakes to nibble on. If you want to join us for a little celebration treat. But don't you worry if you are not in the Conrad area, and you still want to celebrate with us. We will have ways online for you to participate that afternoon as well. We can't forget all of the new friends that we've made in the last few years, as we have gone more online more viral in the different social media is and we would not want to forget any of those people as well. So we're so looking forward. So Mark your calendar Sunday, October 3, and you will be able to come to Conrad between 12 and five and help us celebrate. So we certainly hope that you'll visit hidden chicks studio or online at hidden chicks. studio.com we're open Monday through Friday 10 to five and Saturday 10 to three on until next week. Be creative