Christmas Meme

I was tagged for this meme via email by my good friend Jenny. I figured I'd just post it to my blog!

1. What do you use, wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I get nice, heavy paper on clearance at places like Hobby Lobby. My favorite in recent history looks like old-fashioned sheet music for Jingle Bells!

2. Real tree or artificial? I love a real tree but succumbed to the lure of artificial when our allergies got too bad year before last. It's pretty, but it has no smell.

3. When do you put up the tree? Early! This year it was before we left for Thanksgiving vacation.

4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever we get around to it. Last year it was February.

5. What is your favorite Christmas beverage? Nonalcoholic eggnog. I haven't had it in years though. I keep thinking about making my own.

6. Favorite gift(s) received as a child? A babydoll I named Blanche (WHAT was I thinking???!!!) that I got on the only white Christmas I ever had. A whole stack of books by the tree. A diary when I was 9. That started my love affair with journaling. The pearl earrings Billy gave me on our first Christmas. Oh wait, I wasn't a child then. Although at age 22 I might as well have been.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Billy, I guess. Sometimes he just tells me what he would like for Christmas and truthfully I like that. It helps me know, and then he gets something he really wants anyway. But I'm also getting better at guessing what he'd like so there are some surprises.

8. Easiest person(s) to buy for? My kids, of course.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes,actually two. One is a Willow Tree nativity and the other is white and gold porcelain.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Email. I used to send cards but somehow I never get around to it any more.

11. Worst Christmas gift(s) you ever received? Honestly, I don't ever recall getting a bad gift. I'm fortunate! Also, my parents taught me to be thankful for whatever I got, so I learned to always love the gifts others give me.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Theoretically all through the year. In reality, we shop online after Thanksgiving. We don't fight Christmas crowds anymore. Next year I'd like to make a lot of my gifts. Maybe I can carve out the time if I start in January.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I'm sure I probably have. (I know, tacky tacky.)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Pie. Fudge. Oranges. I guess I have a sweet tooth.

16. Lights on the tree? Yes! My favorites are the big colored retro lights I grew up with. White lights are pretty too, though.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I love them all. I can't choose.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We have usually traveled in the past. Last year we stayed home and it was such a peaceful Christmas. There are positives about both. We miss seeing family when we don't travel, but it's really nice to have a quiet day at home too. Of course I am a homebody anyway!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I don't know.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A pretty metal star from Bass Pro Shop. It's not camouflage, I promise.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People who overload themselves with stress and obligations to the point that they say, "I can't wait for Christmas to be over." Also, people who let you know they are disappointed with the gift you gave them. It's so rude. My pet peeve.

23. Favorite Christmas ornament or theme or decorations? Vintage glass from the 1940's.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Billy's cooking. I don't care what he makes as long as he makes it. He's an excellent cook. Last year he made some amazing spaghetti and meatballs.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? What I want most is to get our 3 years worth of digital pictures developed. I'm not a materialistic person, but I do keep thinking of silly things I'd like to have, like a tempered glass cutting board or particular books or cd's. Normally I can't think of anything, though, and if I were asked I'd forget all those silly things I thought of earlier.

Gosh, did I just sit here and answer 25 Christmas questions when I should have been washing dishes? Thanks, Jenny! That was fun!

A Christmas Trend

I've noticed a relatively new trend, especially among young families, that seems to have picked up steam this year. I've talked to many moms, especially those with young children, who opted for a very simple, low-key Christmas celebration that gave them time to enjoy their families and spend time on what's truly important.

I know many people who have come to dread the holidays because of all the chaos, spending, busy-ness, and stress it brings. I've heard some of them say, "I just can't wait for Christmas to be over." This relaxed approach seems to be an answer to that kind of Christmas pressure...The pendulum seems to be swinging the other way. I love Christmas as much as anyone, but it seems the younger generation is seeing that when expectations and traditions stop being fun and become burdensome, it's time to try something new.

What about you? Have you noticed this trend?

Christmas Celebration

Growing up, Christmas was a huge deal at our house. We started celebrating at Thanksgiving and didn’t stop till after the New Year.

But when I say Christmas was a huge deal, I’m not talking about gifts. My parents handled gift-giving so wisely, no matter how much or how little we had on any given year. They got us each just three gifts, both on years when my dad was in corporate upper management, and years when we could barely make ends meet. (Grandparents usually gave us one gift each.) One of those gifts was always a book. We were never encouraged to ask for what we wanted, but rather to be happy with whatever we got, knowing it was chosen with a great deal of thoughtfulness and love.

Christmas remembrances are among my sweetest. My parents taught me that Christmas is about more than how much there is under the tree. We focused on the birth of Christ, of course. And we just made memories.

This week I told my kids a story about one Christmas that could have been less joyful than others. I was a teenager. We had just come through a very devastating situation, spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and we had a lot of healing to do. My parents bought a small farm in East Texas, with a tiny old house that needed extensive renovation. We had money set aside to fix our new place, but my dad was unable to find work. So in the meantime, we put most of our belongings in storage and rented another tiny old house two miles up the road.

It was a little yellow place, pier and beam. We could see daylight between the floorboards and dirt sifted up through the cracks. The tiny living room had a crooked wallpaper border, and the dining room was covered in a jarring coca-cola pattern, red, black, and white. The boys had to pass through the girls’ room to get to theirs, which was essentially a big closet. That was an exceptionally cold winter, and the house had no insulation. There were a couple of broken windows. We woke up many mornings to icicles hanging on the inside of the window sills. The only heat was provided by a couple of antique porcelain space heaters that would burn you or melt your clothes if you stood too close. The septic system was a mess, and we had to take drastic measures not to overload it. Among other precautions, several of us usually had to share bath water (there was no shower in the only bathroom) to keep the whole thing from backing up into the house.

We thought for sure we’d be out by Christmas and things would be better, but December rolled around and Daddy still hadn’t been able to find work, in spite of his best efforts. (On one hand, he was free to work on the new house when he wasn’t job hunting, but on the other I know this was a really difficult time for him because he has always been such a conscientious, hard-working provider.) The remodel was taking longer than anticipated, as so often happens. We realized that we’d still be in the little yellow house for the holiday.

Looking back, our spirits should have been dampened, but they weren’t. I have to applaud my parents for never allowing self-pity or discouragement to take over and ruin that time. (This applied to other times as well, probably why I have no patience with negativity and complaining.) I’m sure they were stressed and worried, but that didn’t affect the atmosphere at home. After all, we had enough to eat and wear and we were together. It wasn’t perfect, but we could make the best of it. We were thankful for what we did have.

Some of my best Christmas memories are of that Christmas…Singing carols with friends in the small, cold living room, making cookies, my sister and dad working puzzles in the coca-cola dining room. I have no idea what I got that year, although I’m sure it was no more than three gifts. Gifts didn’t matter though. Love made it a great Christmas.

Billy and I don’t have a set number of gifts we give our children, although it’s not extravagant. But quite honestly, regardless of what each Christmas is like, my prayer is that we instill in our kids a spirit of thankfulness and contentment that rises above stuff and draws their focus to what’s really important: love, family, and Christ. With a foundation on immaterial things, I know that no matter whether times are lean or plentiful, they’ll be able to have joy in the midst of it. Their hearts will be focused on what truly matters.

Christmas Joy

In spite of a really crazy month, we managed to squeeze in a few fun Christmas activities.

Elizabeth's one request was that we make cut-out cookies.

The kids had such fun icing them. I iced a few myself to make sure we had some that were certified slobber-free. Come on, we are all moms here, you know how it goes!!!

The aftermath!

Yum...

Did You Have a Merry Christmas?

We did! This is the first year in quite some time that we have not been near enough to spend Christmas with family. While we would have loved to spend Christmas Day with our parents, we made the best of having a "just us" Christmas. Actually, after moving and a week of travel, it was wonderful to just have a quiet day where we didn't have to do anything. The kids were able to take their time opening gifts and then playing with them. I made a couple pies and Billy cooked some really yummy spaghetti and meat balls in lieu of a big, labor intensive feast. Quite honestly, I wouldn't mind if that became a yearly tradition. All I had to do were the dishes! We napped and watched new movies and watched the kids play outside. I did not do a stitch of laundry! It was just the refreshment I needed after a very intense month.

But Christmas is not over, you know. The 12 days of Christmas last until Epiphany, January 6th. So look for more Christmas posts this week! And me tree is staying up until the New Year!

I'm Back!

Finally got everything up and running last night, so I'll be back to blogging. Yay! I hope all 3 of you faithful readers aren't sick of Christmas, because I've had so many Christmas posts trapped in my head all month that haven't been able to get out! They will last at least a week! :)

Still Alive!

Hey everybody, I'm still here. Thanks for all the sweet comments. We're slowly settling in, but I still only have internet access for a short time in the evening when the laptop comes home. Hopefully everything will be in working order sometime after Christmas. Till then, I guess this blog will have to be on hiatus.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is Coming!

Yesterday was one month till Christmas! Are you ready? I'm not...We are still trying to move into our new house. Maybe the tree will be up by the end of the week?!!

Frugal Friday: Christmas Cards Super Cheap

If you didn't hit after-Christmas sales, check your local Lifeway Christian store right now! As of Monday, they had Christmas cards 90% off, and not the yucky leftovers either. I got over 100 beautiful cards for less than $10. That's less than I'd spend on most of the individual boxes at full price.

Frugal Fridays hosted by Crystal

Christmas Blessings

Blogging will be light to nonexistent for the next two weeks. In the meantime, I pray that whatever kind of Christmas you find yourself having, that the peace and joy of Jesus will be with each of you.

(Image from Plan59)

Just a Few More Days...

Billy and the big kids are running a few errands...Sarah is asleep...And what I really want to do is curl up in a sunny spot for a really long nap. But instead I'm going to finish some last-minute Christmas sewing and make cookies.

(Image courtesy of AllPosters)

Simplify the Holidays

SouleMama links to this great article on simplifying the holidays. I enjoyed it--hope you do too.

Pre-Christmas Declutter

As I did last year, I'm decluttering everyone's bedroom before Christmas. This year I'm taking it to the next level and decluttering every room in the house. So far I've done all 3 bedrooms and the school/tv/computer room. That has resulted in 8 or 9 bags of items to donate and probably the same number in trash. Where in the world does this stuff come from?!! The amazing thing is that the rooms still seem full. That is scary.

In any case, it's wonderful to see each room become orderly and less cluttered. I know that new things will be coming into our house over the next few weeks, so now we won't be as overwhelmed by it. After Christmas I'll probably do another declutter. If you haven't yet, let me encourage you to join me in decluttering the house for Christmas!

Advent Chains

If your kids are like mine, they are already asking, "How many days till Christmas?" Of course, a traditional way to count down is to use a lovely advent calendar with little windows to open each day. For some reason this has never worked for us. Either I forget to buy a calendar, or the windows get torn off, or we forget to check it each day.

I've seen some beautiful ideas for homemade alternatives around the blogosphere that range from 24 envelopes with a holiday activity inside, to 24 stockings, and so on.

However, I'm into easy. Simple. When I make things too complicated, they just don't get done. So I'm recycling the paper chain idea. Each of my kids made a paper chain with 24 links, out of old wrapping paper. Each day during December they get to tear a chain off, and they have a visual idea of how many more days till Christmas.

Advent for Evangelicals

Lindsey has started a new blog, Advent for Evangelicals. Looks delicious, especially if you love this season! I'll be taking advantage of her wonderful resource this year. Check it out!

Works for Me: Cheap Gifts

I have a lot of people to shop for at Christmas, and quite a few to shop for throughout the year as well. One solution: dollar stores! I've found lovely gifts, comparable to what I'd buy somewhere else, for a fraction of the price. In fact, I found two gifts last week for only $3 each. At any other store I'd have payed around $10. So don't hesitate to check out the dollar store for wonderful gifts. Just remember to remove the tags!

Works for Me Wednesdays hosted by Rocks in My Dryer

Two Sides to Santa

The holidays will be here soon, and with Christmas comes Santa. (Well, Jesus, of course, but you know what I mean.)

I was raised with Santa Claus. I think I realized he wasn’t real when I was about six, and shortly afterward I put two and two together to deduce that if Santa wasn’t real then neither were the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny. I never thought my parents had lied to me; rather, that it was just a game played for fun. And it was fun! Oh the suspense of waiting, listening for jingle bells and little hooves on the rooftop! We had a large stone fireplace, so it wasn’t hard to imagine Santa getting into our house by traditional means to leave all those beautiful presents under our tree.

It also never occurred to me to question whether my parents had told me the truth about Jesus either, as the argument goes. Not once.

So I don’t regret that I was raised with the Santa myth. Actually I love Santa. I not only like the story of St. Nicholas, but all the fun that comes with The Night Before Christmas and images of the jolly old elf himself. Some of my Christmas decorations have Santa themes. Santa doesn’t bother me a bit.

All that said, Billy and I agreed together not to tell our kids that Santa was real. We haven’t made a big deal about it one way or the other, we’ve never sat them down and said, “Now listen, kids, Santa is fake.” When it came up we’ve just said matter of factly, “Daddy is Santa.” We don’t have a problem with other families doing Santa, and remembering how much fun Santa was, we don’t want to ruin it for those children. So we try to help our kids not spread to the wind that Santa is a myth. We haven’t implied in any way, shape, form, or fashion that it’s wrong to participate in the traditional Santa game. We’ve just handled it in a low key way.

We’ve even wondered a time or two if we did the right thing, especially when we see the horror in the eyes of grown-ups when our kids say, “My mom is the tooth fairy,” or “My dad is Santa.” Maybe that’s one reason we haven’t dealt with it too extensively—because while we aren’t prepared to tell our kids something is true that isn’t we also have half hoped that they would believe on their own.

So I was totally taken by surprise when Elizabeth realized this week that some parents tell their children that Santa is real. Her eyes grew wide. With dismay in her voice she asked, “Why do parents tell their children something that isn’t true?!!!”

When I relayed the story to Billy, he said, “We did the right thing.” While I wasn’t the kind of kid who was bothered by this game of make-believe, we have a child whose faith in us would have been shaken. She’s the kind of intense, emotional, inquisitive soul who would feel lied to if we told her Santa was real and then she found out that he isn’t.

All-in-all, I think Santa has to be a personal decision for each individual family. If you’re comfortable with the Santa game, then I say go for it. But if you feel a little uneasy and decide against it, your kids won’t be warped. In fact, as in our case, it might save them a lot of confusion. So use charity and wisdom as you decide with your spouse what’s best for your family.

Merry Christmas!!!

Hope your day is filled with sweet moments and the joy of Jesus!

Another insane week...

So light blogging. However, Barbara at MommyLife never seems to have these weeks and churns out posts regularly. One of her best was this week on teachability. Boy did I need to read it too!

This week has been mostly consumed with organizing Christmas for a family of 8 who will otherwise have a pretty bleak one. Although it has taken a lot of time and effort, it has also been one of the best parts of this Christmas. There is no better way to celebrate, in my opinion, than blessing someone who's struggling. After all, God has done that for me in my salvation and He has used the Body of Christ to bless me in my times of need (whether physical, emotional, or spiritual). It's a joy to be able to pass it on. The generosity of our church toward this family has been a sweet spot as well, and as for the family we are helping, they are hard working and have a great attitude. That makes it all the more special to be able to help them out. If you haven't done something for someone in need this Christmas, seek somebody out. There's nothing like it to fill one up with the true Christmas Spirit.

Overwhelmed?

I have been. I've made all sorts of crazy threats this evening, including to kidnap my family and move to a cabin in the mountains and become a hermit family. If you feel the same way then maybe a couple quick Christmas tips will help you out like they have helped me this weekend.

1. I don't remember who gave us the cut glass cake plate with glass dome for our wedding, but I have used it more this week for parties than I have used it in our married life. I discovered that everything from sausage balls to cheese ball and crackers looks more appealing on a pedestal. Even the ordinary looks nicer on glass. Great for parties.

2. Being unorganized as I am I hadn't bought any Christmas cards, and being the cheapskate I am I could hardly justify the expense--besides, I didn't have time. So I took some blue cardstock (the only color I had that was remotely Christmasy), cut each piece in half with my olfa cutter and folded it into card size. Then I found a clean sponge under the sink and cut it into a triangle. I found some green craft paint in the kids' school box, dipped the sponge in the paint, and stamped a green triangle on each card, assembly-line style. Then I made a little cross on top with silver glitter glue (although a sequin, sparkly bead, or glitter would have worked just as well)--voila, a Christmas tree! Then I wrote "Merry Christmas" inside and signed our names. I have to confess that I can't take credit for this idea. I read if somewhere, I think in a review of a card-making book--but I'm not sure. It just stuck in my brain.

3. In the new issue of Notes from Toad Hall that came yesterday (too lazy to link, I will provide that in another post sometime), Margie Haack suggested giving granola as a Christmas gift. Brilliant. I made a batch of chunky peanut butter granola this morning and asked Billy to pick up some M&M's, peanuts, and pretzels. When he came home with 3 big bags of M&M's, 2 bags of pretzels and a big canister of nuts, I thought he had way over-bought. (I also added a box of raisins.) God knew better though. I had way under-planned, and this super colossal batch of Peanut Butter Granola Trail Mix measured out just right for all the kids' Sunday School, Awana, and Choir teacher gifts. Whew! Billy had bought just right.

Now it's late and I still have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow. Good night!