An Offering to the Animals

It's only 2 days 'til Christmas and I wanted to share a little something I've done the last couple years. I originally read this idea in Yoga Journal, but it seemed perfect for me so I adopted it for myself. Someone wrote about hanging dried fruit, popcorn garlands, etc... on the trees outside of their home on Christmas for the local wildlife to enjoy. I liked this idea because I'm all about being kind to the locals. Last year I did this once a week for the entire month of December - this year I shortened it a bit.

What I do:
Buy a couple apples and oranges - slice them thin and dry them in the oven. Let them sit overnight. The next day, pop a little hole in them and hang them on strings. Maybe 3 slices per string 'cause I don't want to use a TON of string. Hang them all over the trees, bushes and clothesline outside. Watch the birds and squirrels be merry for the next few days until the squirrels hoarde them all.

Get the most plain rice cakes possible that don't have anything creepy like high fructose corn syrup in them. Pop a nice hole in them - Throw some string in it, so I can hang it later. Coat both sides of it in a thin-ish layer of peanut butter - coat THAT in a mixture of bird seed and oats. Hang all over the trees, bushes, and clothesline. Watch to see if it makes it through a single day before the squirrels cart them away. (I swear they have squirrel wheel barrows they fill with my treats).

I then sprinkle a little birdseed throughout the yard and leave little piles in a couple spots.This year I also added pots of raw peanuts (in shell) and raisins. I do all these things until I'm out of ingredients. Mostly the rice cakes and birdseed - because I certainly don't eat them.

Once the holiday is over and I take down my tree - I put the popcorn garland on the outside tree. It looks adorably festive. (Occasionally throughout this whole thing - go retrieve the strings because really - it's trash).