Nearly 3 weeks into Advent, we finally dined by candlelight last night. First it was a matter of finding a decent advent wreath (which I found and have had packed away in the basement for a year and a half). Then, it was purchasing the right candles (finally accomplished that last weekend). Complicating things even further was my bout with a stomach bug and the fact that we didn’t really all sit down for a meal for a couple of days this week.
Finally.
Have you ever dined by candlelight with your whole family? The immediate peace that enveloped our table brought a smile to my face and wonder to my children’s eyes. My 2 year old’s gasp, my 6 year old’s impulsive urge to shut off all the lights in the house. The conversation remained spirited, but calm. No rushing to move on to cleanup-baths-teeth-story-bedtime.
I think we’re on to something here. I’m going to stop admiring Jen’s table from afar and make it work for me, too. Dining by candlelight, at Advent or any other time, is a Finer Thing!
What Finer Things are you celebrating this week? Link up and let us know! If your link is deleted, it’s most likely because 1) you didn’t use your post link or 2) you didn’t leave a link back here.
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YEA!! I am so glad you did it…it’s the best, isn’t it? It just calms and soothes.
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Hi Amy,
Well, you’re right. Dining by candlelight really does make a difference. We light our candles EVERY night. I don’t like the glare of an overhead light when we are eating, we don’t even have lights in the dining room, just a big old iron chandelier that holds 10 candles. My girls have grown up that way, we forget that not everyone does that…but we love it, and it’s part of our nightly dinnertime ritual.
Try it even when it’s not the holidays!
Thanks for hosting Finer things Friday.
Hope you’ll stop by for a visit sometime soon!
XO
Heidi – Heart and Home
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We love the candles at dinner too. Thanks for hosting another great Finer Things Friday!
~Liz
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Yes, we have been loving our candlelight dinners too! And our kids also insist on turning off the other lights in the house. But it really is amazing how much more peaceful and calm dinner feels when there are candles lit!
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We may have to try a candle-light dinner! I’ll try anything to achieve some calm in the midst of my kids!
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Sometimes we have dined by candle light, it is very nice! I forgot how nice it could be
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Oops #12 is the wrong link title. I hit submit too soon! Sorry!
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Stephanie Reply:
December 11th, 2009 at 8:52 am
@Stephanie, #14, not #12. Sorry again
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I mean #14..gee I think I need a cup of coffee!
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I love meal time – it’s just a quiet way to reconnect and take care of ourselves. We don’t often dine by candlelight,either, but there is always prayer, good conversation, and nourishing food.
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We finally got our advent wreath set up this week too. It took me a while to find the right size candles.
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we have sat at candle light and ate before it is a very nice time to reflect upon the candlelight
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We’ve been dining by candlelight each Saturday night for 15 years! It started when our oldest was a baby with a single candle. Now we light 3 candles for each of our children each Saturday night.
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All of our formal meals are by candlelight. It so much nicer that way:-)
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I absolutely adore candlelight- I was married at a candlelit mass.
We made an Advent wreath as a family this year and the children have been so enthralled… they won’t LET us forget to pray!
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We haven’t done any candle lit dinners since daddy left, but we have been lighting candles aroudn the house for the CHRISTmas season. It has made a calm come over us and pause for reflection on the real meaning of CHRISTmas.
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