Highlights
of our 2000 Christmas Message board
Activities
Every year, since the
beginning of time, our HS group
Friday, 17 November 2000
gets together every December
to decorate gingerbread houses. It is great fun and fellowship.
We decorate early in the afternoon then dads join us after work
for a pizza party, cider, left over candy from the houses and to
take pictures for the yearbook.
Another simple Christmas
countdown for kids
Posted By: Melissa S
Thursday, 2 November 2000
Let them cut out approx.
one inch strips from different colored construction paper and make
a chain with the number of strips coordinating with the number of
days left until Christmas. Hang them up and let the child tear one
link off each day. Don't write any numbers on the strips if you
have younger children so they will get plenty of practice counting!
Also, if your kids aren't very adept at getting the torn off strips
into the trash can it might be a good idea to hang the chains near
one!
Advent
Does anyone else do
the Advent candles?
Posted By: Laura Bewley
Wednesday, 6 December 2000
We've done advent candles
for nearly ten years. We are no experts on the "proper way
of observing advent" I think that's why it has always been
so successful. Until a couple of years ago I didn't even know the
proper colors and symbolism. We light a new candle every Sunday,
but we continued to light all current candles every night of the
week while we read from the Bible, and then a Christmas Story (Most
books came from thrift shops). Most nights the story was Christian
based, but occasionally we would throw in a fun one. We are bucked
by many for taking part in "Santa" in our church. But
I'm a high school Sunday school teacher, and many of the children
from even Elders homes say they don't spend any special family time
in December focusing on Christ. I do know this; All five of our
candles (whatever color) stand for Christ's birth to save us. For
25 evenings in our household we turned our eyes upon Jesus. Another
important thing about those Advent Devotions is the growth for our
family relationships. We have a blended family, and tensions grow
high at times. Advent is a time of healing, our children (14, 12,
8,&7) look forward to the new beginnings and are inspired for
the New Year. Last year we found an excellent Advent devotional
and accompanying Activity book called "The Wonder of Christmas"
by Melody Carlson. (Berean Christian Bookstores). God Bless Your
Family Advent Season
We have always done this
Posted By: Cathe
Monday, 27 November 2000,
I collect old hymnals
and prayer books, and in one of them I found a list of readings
to go with the weekly lighting of the candles. There's an OT passage,
a NT passage, and another one - either part of the birth of Christ
from the gospels or maybe it was a Psalm. I can't remember which
just now, but I know there were three, because each of the three
boys had a reading to do.
The boys like to decorate
the Advent candle wreath each year. We have a plain metal base,
and they dress it up with greenery or something. We use the pink
and purple candles if I happen to find them, but more frequently
we just use whatever we have.
Advent ideas without
candy, but still sharing meaning of advent
Posted By: Lorinda
Monday, 27 November 2000
I taking a large egg
flat (you could use two regular egg cartons) giving me 24 spaces
to use. I'm going to put one scripture reference in each space referring
to OT prophecies of the coming Messiah. I've read suggestions of
covering the egg containers with tissue paper, but we're using Xmas
wrapping paper with pictures of baby Jesus on it. Each night poke
one hole and have the children look up the reference. I found a
web site with the scriptures listed at The Jesse Tree Advent Page,
also other ideas for advent on here.
Lorinda
Advent Link: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/4518/advent.html
The "Advent Jar"
Posted By: Cindi
Sunday, 12 November 2000
We have been making one
of these to set out as a constant reminder to keep Christ the center
of our holiday attention. We will create it together and then set
on a table as a reminder.
What you need: 7 walnuts
in their shells
1 cup of shelled sunflower
seeds
1 pint jar (I also like
to add a little ribbon around the lid"
The whole idea is that
the sunflower seeds represent all of the business that Christmas
involves, parties, gift buying, wrapping, sending cards, baking
cookies....you get the idea????
The walnuts represent
Christ and God's love for us.
Well.......if you try
to put the sunflower seeds in the jar first, and then add the walnuts....there
is not enough room (no room at the inn). However if you first put
in the walnuts, and then sprinkle the sunflower seeds around, there
is more than enough room for it all!
This wonderful visual
lesson, helps to remind us to keep Christ the center of our focus
during the holiday season. I hope your families enjoy this one.
God bless- Cindi
Simple Advent Parcels
for kids
Posted By: Melissa S
Thursday, 2 November 2000
1. Cut the tops off of
2 egg cartons. Put glue on the underside of the bottom halves and
place them on a sheet of thin cardboard.
2. Trim the cardboard
around the edges. Tape across the seams between the boxes.
3. Fill each section
with a small candy or toy.
4. Spread glue along
the tops of the egg cartons. Lay tissue paper across them and press
gently to the glued areas.
5. Tuck the overlapping
edges of the tissue paper underneath. Turn the boxes over CAREFULLY
and tape the tissue to bottom of the cardboard.
6. Number some sticky
labels from 1 to 24 and place one over each compartment. If you
like, you can place ribbon across the middle horizontally and vertically.
Starting on December
1st let your child open one section each day by poking the tissue
with a pencil. These can be re-filled, re-tissued and used over
and over again through the years. My kids have really enjoyed these!
Here is the Advent stuff from Focus on the Family. Couldn't find
it at the site so I'm posting the important stuff.
Posted By: Angeladawn
Tuesday, 28 November 2000
When: Advent starts on
the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year it is on December
3rd.
What you need: An Advent
wreath, which can be purchased at most Christian book stores, made
of fire-safe materials or a log with holes for candles.
Four Candles, three purple
and one rose, and an additional white candle for Christmas Eve.
A box of four Advent candles can be bought at many card stores or
Christian book stores.
A Bible for reading and,
for younger children, a selection of children's Christmas stories
that focus on the birth of Jesus.
A list of Advent Readings
(below)
Beginning the celebration:
On the first day begin with either a prayer or a Christmas carol.
Light the first purple candle, known as the prophecy candle. The
liturgical color purple is a sign of penance and longing as we wait
for the birth of Jesus. With the lighting, talk about Jesus being
the light of the world. Read the Advent Scripture of the day. Conclude
by singing or praying. Have one child blow out the candle.
Light the same candle each day of the first week, following with
the reading, prayer and music.
On the second Sunday light two purple candles, both which are relit
each night. The second candle is know as the Bethlehem candle.
The third week light the two purple candles and then the rose candle,
or shepherd candle. Rose is a sign of joy and hope that He is coming.
Light the last purple candle, known as the angel candle, on the
fourth Sunday. All four candles are lit each night that week to
symbolize the growing brightness of Jesus' coming.
On Christmas Eve, conclude
the Advent season by lighting all four candles and placing an additional
white candle in the center in its own holder. Have a birthday party
for Jesus if you like. Refer to Christmas as Jesus' birthday as
often as possible to reinforce to children the reason for the season.
Advent Readings:
First Week:
Sun: Is. 40:1-5
Mon: Is. 52:7-10
Tues: Is. 40:9-11
Wed: Gen. 3:8-15
Thr: Gen. 15:1-6
Fri: Deut. 18:15-19
Sat: Ps. 89:1-4
Second Week:
Sun: Is. 11:1-10
Mon: Zech. 6:12-13
Tue: Mic. 5:2-4
Wed: Mal. 3:1-6
Thu: John 1:1-8
Fri: John 1:9-18
Sat: Mark 1:1-3
Third Week:
Sun: Luke 1:5-13
Mon: Luke 1:14-17
Tue: Luke 1:18-25
Wed: Luke 1:39-45
Thu: Luke 1:46-56
Fri: Luke 1:57-66
Sat: Luke 1:67-80
Fourth Week:
Sun: Is. 7:10-14
Mon: Luke 1:26-35
Tue: Is. 9:2-7
Wed: Mt. 1:18-25
Thu: Luke 2:1-20
Fri: Mt. 2:1-2
Sat: Luke 2:21-35
Ideas:
Save incoming Christmas cards and use your Advent prayer time to
pray for the senders.
Do an Advent service
project for the needy.
Invite your friends to
share an Advent evening with you!
There is more to this
article, but time and space is an issue. I hope that this helps
out for a good start.
Favorite
Books
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado--Allie
The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson--Mary Leggewie
Hilarious story about the wild Herdman kids who take over the Christmas
pageant at the local church and bring the real meaning of Christmas
to life. It's only 7 chapters...we read this every year, one chapter
per night for a week.
The Three Trees
by Angela Elwell Hunt--Cindy Lou Who
This is a wonderful story about 3 trees that each had a "job"
they thought they'd wind up doing. Although they didn't happen quite
the way the trees thought they would, they all wound up serving
Christ in some way with the sacrificial gift of their life and their
wood was each made into something that helped the Saviour in His
life. I don't want to ruin the plot, but it is an EXCELLENT book!
My husband and I cried the first time we read it, realizing our
lives are not quite what we expected, but He uses us just as we
are to glorify Him. This is also a wonderful Easter book as well.
Silver Packages
by Cynthia Rylant. --Cindi
A beautifully told story
about gift giving, and receiving. The story focuses on one little
boy and the lessons life teach him. It is set in a rural Appalachian
town. The illustrations are water-color paintings, and they give
you a warm, cozy stepping into the story feeling. I can't wait until
it gets a little closer to Christmas, so that I may share it with
the children.
The Year of the
Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston--Debi
It was Ruthie's family's
turn to provide the Christmas tree, but her father is away in the
war. How can they cut down the tree he picked out? Where is Papa
and will he be home in time for Christmas? With no money, how can
Ruthie be the Christmas Angel in the pageant? A story that ends
with my children hugging me every time we read it.
The Lion in the
Box by Marguerite de Angeli--Debi
Recently widowed, hardworking
Mama tries to provide for her 5 small children, but must work odd
hours. The older ones care for the younger and are trying to provide
a Christmas for them from nothing. But one evening while Mama was
at work, something incredible happens... Currently out of print.
Silent Night: The
Song and Its Story by Margaret Hodges--Debi
This book tells the history
of the famous Christmas carol, including some incredible memories
relating to the song, such as, "At Christmas time in 1914,
a truce was called for German and British soldiers, and at one point,
Germans in the trenches began to sing "Silent Night".
From across "no-man's-land" British voices joined in."
The Christmas Miracle
of Jonathan Toomey--TN Lizzie
Reading level: Ages 4-8
ISBN: 1564023206
Christmas is pish-posh,"
grumbles Jonathan Toomey, the best wood carver in the valley. He's
a Scroogelike recluse; but he's a gentle grouch, it turns out, and
he hides a sad secret. He's transformed, not by Dickensian ghosts,
but by an eager seven-year-old boy and his widowed mother who ask
him to make them a Christmas creche. The story verges on the sentimental,
but it's told with feeling and lyricism (he "traveled till
his tears stopped" ). Lynch's sweeping illustrations, in shades
of wood grain, are both realistic and gloriously romantic, focusing
on faces and hands at work before the fire and in the lamplight.
In a beautiful, elemental scene, the angry wood carver stands on
the threshold of his home, disturbed by the gentle widow and her
son who want his help and will transform his life.
As full of wonder as
Christmas itself, this is a story that will not long be forgotten,
one that will be read and treasured for many Christmases to come.
A woodcarver's broken and bitter heart warms to the spirit of the
season, when he is approached by a widow who asks him to carve a
new creche in time for Christmas-- and allow her young son to watch.
Crafts
Have y'all seen the
Christmas/Thanksgiving version of Oriental Trading Co's catalog?
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Monday, 23 October 2000
they have COOOL ornaments
that can be called crafts for school, too!
I thought they were expensive
until I realized that the prices were for a dozen of one item! They'd
make great gifts. I will probably give ornaments to most of our
family this year, and some baked goods. They all know we're broke,
and we're finally getting away from the hard-core gift exchange.
Visit Oriental Trading
Company from our Affiliate Page.
Mary
We do a craft party!
Posted By: sharont
Monday, 23 October 2000
We have ordered the
crafts from this company for a couple of years now. We have a craft
party--each kid invites a couple of friends over and they pay $2.00
(cover the cost of the craft) and make ornaments to take home. The
kids have alot of fun making the items and building friendships
and it gives them something to make as inexpensive gifts. We do
a craft a month this way--makes me feel like such a "crafty"
mom (for cheap!!, haha)If you order a whole years worth at once
(I think it's around $50.00) you can usually get free shipping too!
Craft day a GREAT
success!!!
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Wednesday, 20 December 2000
After seeing Sharon's
post above about a craft party, I jumped on it! A couple weeks ago,
I circulated the Oriental Trading Company catalog among 3 other
HS friends who live within a block or two of us and we picked out
about 5 crafts to share.
When the order came,
I cut out the picture, taped it to a card, & put the price for
that craft on it (most were 40-70 cents) and people paid me back
based on which crafts they did. I didn't mind having extra this
time because I'm going to use them as gifts. We had TWELVE kids
at my dining room table (covered and moved into our kitchen for
safety!). Each mom had 3 kids and a glue gun to help the kids. We
had kids ranging from 2-11 (3 girls, 9 boys). I used aluminum foil
for placemats, and we wrote their names on them. The did the same
craft at the same time, and we did the easiest 2 first, so that
the little ones could go play after that while we did a harder one.
The girls (no surprise)
did the most crafts. ALL of us had fun, although the kids would
have probably rather just play together outside after the first
craft!
What we'll do differently
next time:
We'll pick a batch of
crafts (enough to get free shipping) and spread it out over a couple
craft days over a month or two. I think for the age range we're
dealing with, we'll do 2 crafts for the younger ones and offer a
third for the kids who want more (probably the 3 girls).
I would also find the
time to baggie the crafts up into individual sets (we spent a lot
of wasted time getting all the materials distributed). Next time
I won't want leftovers, so I'll probably take firm orders for each
craft. Also, I'll make copies ahead of time for each mother of the
instructions.
We wanted to do a pizza
lunch and play day of it, but Christmas made it really hard to find
a whole day that we could all agree on.
Most families spent about
$6 for their 3 kids to make some nice stuff!
I split up the ridiculous
"insurance" charge between the 4 families.
I recommend getting a
print copy of the Oriental Trading Company catalog, because the
Web site only has a fraction of what they offer.
Mary
Tree Craft
Posted By: Melissa S
Wednesday, 29 November 2000
I haven't tried this,
but it looks like an easy and fun thing for kids to do.
white frosting
green food coloring
pointy ice cream cones
large cookies
regular green M & M's
mini M & M's
Frost a large cookie
with white frosting.
Stick an ice cream cone
onto the frosted cookie, open end down.
Mix some green food coloring
into some of the white frosting and cover the ice cream cone with
it.
Stick green M & M's
all over the frosted cone.
Put a little frosting
on the backs of different colored mini M & M's and stick them
on top of the regular M & M's for ornaments.
Christmas Craft -
Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree
Posted By: Donna/NM
Tuesday, 28 November 2000
Materials:
5 Popsicle Sticks
Glue Gun
Light Green Paint, (any kind of craft paint, even water colors,
or markers will do)
Buttons, multicolored, different shapes,sizes
fishing wire
Instructions:
Use 1 popsicle stick
as the spine of the tree. Glue one full stick across the bottom,
leaving and inch or so space for trunk.
Cut the other 3 sticks, into graduated lengths, to be used as branches
going up the tree. You will be using the rounded ends joined together
at the spine to form the branches. Toss the middle parts of the
popsicle sticks. This will maintain a uniform shape, and all ends
will be rounded.
Leave about 1/2"
between your branches.
Leave a space on top
of the spine to glue your special star.
We found a bead shaped
like a star, with a hole in it going sideways that we could use
to thread the fishing wire and hang on tree.
Glue at least 3 buttons
across each branch. One on each end, then one covering the joint
in the middle. The bottom branch can probably have 4 buttons.
You can use anything
to decorate your tree once you have the form made. Candy, glitter,
buttons, sequence, whatever you can think of.
It doesn't matter if
the branches aren't glued on straight, this makes it even cuter.
Donna, what a great
idea! I want to have the boys make these. What are you using to
cut the popsicle sticks with without having them end up all splintered?
Do I need a saw????!!! I hope not!
Thanks in advance
dear!
Kelly
Use the biggest,sharpest,
tool you have....
We had the same problem, until DH informed that scissors will gnaw
at the wood cutting it slowly, and cause splintering.
He said you need something
that will snip quickly, in one snap, so as to prevent splintering.
I used wire cutters.
Not needle nose, but those thicker fatter ones. The popsicle sticks
just snapped apart.
Good Luck and Have Fun!!!
Donna/NM
Christmas Craft - Sequence Egg
Posted By: Donna/NM
Tuesday, 28 November 2000
Materials:
styrofoam eggs - real
egg size
straight pins
sequence, multicolored,round, hole/middle
beads, tiny, multicolored
Instructions:
Put a bead, then a sequence,
on the straight pin, then poke the pin into the sequence egg. Fill
entire egg, overlapping a bit to hide the styrofoam.
Easy and fun for all
ages, and makes a beautiful ornament. Use a piece of ribbon on top,
stabbed in with extra pins at an angle to use as your means to hang
on tree.
cheap easy, Christmas
gifts!
Posted By: jennifer
Thursday, 26 October 2000
I don't have much money
for Christmas gifts, so... every year, I make Christmas ornaments.
This year I am using a hot glue gun, and I am going to glue someone's
name onto ribbon and then I am going to dump glitter on it. After
you dump off the extra glitter, get wire and stick it through the
top of the ribbon and poof, you have a great cheap Christmas ornament
that everyone loves!
Birthday Cake for
Jesus
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Monday, 23 October 2000
Christmas is Jesus' birthday,
and we celebrate it like we would anyone else's. But His tri-colored
birthday cake has special symbolic significance (use layers, or
just divide the mix into 3 bowls, add color, then dump it all into
the pan):
The cake is round, for
the world into which Jesus was born.
Black is for the fact that all men have sinned, and this is why
Jesus came to earth. (Um, chocolate works for me!)
Red is for the blood that Jesus shed for our sin.
Green is for the new life we have in Christ, when we are born again.
The frosting is pure white, for the righteousness and purity of
Christ, and for us after our sins have been washed away.
A border of red hearts is for brothers and sisters, united in Christ,
circling the earth as His witnesses.
The yellow star is for the star that shone heralding His birth,
and lighting the way to where it had taken place. This should be
the six-pointed Star of David. Six is the number of man, and shows
that the grace of God includes us all- not only the Jewish people
whose Messiah is our Savior.
A red candle in the center represents Jesus, who came into a dark
world to bring light and truth.
Delores Thomas' family
gathers around and each person is given a small green candle. Grandpa
reads Luke 2:1-20, then they light the red candle and sing "Happy
Birthday" to Jesus. They take the small green candles, light
them from the "Jesus" candle, and place them in the top
of the cake. This represents that we are all to be lights in the
world. They sing "Silent Night." Someone prays, thanking
God for sending His Son. They blow out the candles and enjoy the
cake. If you haven't created family traditions such as this, now
is the time to start!
This is a fun way to
START a meal, so that the Birthday celebration doesn't get lost
amid dirty dishes and other deserts!
Birthday Cake for
Jesus
Posted By: sharont
Monday, 23 October 2000
This looks like so
much fun!! We always do a regular birthday cake, but now that my
kids are older this would be a big improvement. Do you make the
cake 3 layers? One layer brown/black,one red and one green and then
frost them altogether? Just would like to have this idea ready to
do.
Goodness no!
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Monday, 23 October 2000
In Response To: Re: Birthday
Cake for Jesus (sharont)
I can't even pile up
2 layers and make 'em look right! I have seen it done this way,
with white icing between the layers and everything~ It was really
pretty!
What I do is either use
a bundt cake pan or a cheesecake pan. I divide the cake mix using
three bowls. It usually works out to be about 1.5 Cups in each bowl.
Then I add food coloring, turning the mix black, red, and green.
(I prefer chocolate brown to black)
The secret is in dumping
the mix into the pan... You can make designs with the different
colors, just make sure that every piece of cake will get some of
each color. It's really cool how the colors don't mix, but they
swirl together as it bakes.
You can practice now
if you want. Try yellow, orange and brown~ This makes a pretty fall
cake!
I've never seen
this before. We've just done a regular birthday cake!
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Tuesday, 24 October 2000
Great idea!
This is also a great
way to witness to family members and friends if you're on the shy
side. It sends a very clear statement without having to be bold!
And what kid doesn't like blowing out birthday candles! Maybe they
could say a prayer before blowing instead of the old "make
a wish" deal!
Thanks for sharing,
and for explaining how you pour in the mix!
Decorations
Have
you ever thought about buying (or making) a Tree I.V.???
Posted By: Julie W
Saturday, 28 October 2000
In Response
To: It's real, and we put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving Weekend
(Mary Leggewie)
You can
buy them at Christmas stores
It is
a gallon jug with a hole (the size of IV tubing or about the size
of a pencil) towards the bottom of one of the upright sides, stick
an IV tube (or aquarium tubing -it's the same thing) about an inch
into the hole (make sure the tube is about 6 feet long, you can
always cut it down to size later) seal the tubing into the hole
with silicone caulking and let it dry thoroughly.
next,
drill a hole into the trunk of the tree towards the bottom (above
the stand) that is the exact same size as the tubing. this hole
should be about 1/4 - 1/2 inch deep (i think).
Fill
the jug up with water and place it on a table next to the tree or
something so it is higher up than the hole you drilled in the trunk.
stick
the other end of the IV tube into the hole you made in the tree.
This
will give the tree a continuous water supply. You will probably
have to fill the jug 3 times a week.
(keep
the stand filled when it needs it, if it needs it)
I saw
this on the today show several years ago. I thought it was the coolest
idea.
Here's
a link for instructions: http://www.cgernon.com/sptf/care.htm
Christmas
tree skirt
Posted By: Cathy H.
Thursday, 26 October 2000
Anyone
have any neat ideas for making a tree skirt? For my dd's first Christmas,
I bought an inexpensive red felt one. That year, and each year since,
I've traced around her hand on a piece of cardboard and cut it out.
Then I use that as a pattern and go around it with gold fabric paint
on the skirt. Then I write the year on the hand on the skirt. So
each year when we unpack it she always "measures" her
hand against all the other years to see how much she's grown!
Anyway,
anyone have any other neat ideas for tree skirts?
Timeless
Decorating Tips...
Posted By: Dawn H.
Monday, 23 October 2000
My favorite
is running evergreen garland up my oak staircase. I string it with
lights and wrap a ribbon through it and have a matching bow with
tails hung on the front. Then I add apple ornaments to it. I may
do different ornaments this year though, will have to see! :0)
Another
timeless tip....white lights. You can never have too many, they
brighten up anything, and buying lots at the after sales is the
key!!
ditto!
I love white lights all year long, outside on the patio on the summer
or in the ficus tree in the living room.
Posted By: julie w
Monday, 23 October 2000
I'm
with you. You can't have enough.
Another
timeless
The
pretty candlestick lights for the windows, with a clear bulb. .
.one in each window.
Gift
Ideas
Emoticon Magnets
Posted By: Amy in TN
Saturday, 25 November 2000
Just saw this in Family
Fun magazine........thought they were really cute!!
Materials:
computer and printer
colored markers
clear, flat decorative gems(like you put in fish tanks)
glue
small round self adhesive magnets
Create a variety of emoticon
faces slightly smaller than the gems. When you have enough print
them out.
Use markers to decorate
and color around the faces(they show bears, birds, clowns, frogs,
people etc.-face only ) Then cut out the faces, trimming them to
ovals or circles slightly smaller than the gems.
Glue each face to the
back of a gem,so the face shows through the other side. Affix a
magnet. Let dry.
Neat candle idea in
Dec. 2000, issue of Better Homes & Gardens.
Posted By: Cathy H.
Friday, 17 November 2000
You take a canning jar,
put some greenery in it (they had what looked like Boxwood in one
and Holly in another) then put water in it and fresh cranberries.
The cranberries stay at the top. Then put one of those floating
candles on top of the water. It looked so pretty, and not too expensive.
They even showed little clear glass votive candleholders fixed like
that at each place setting at the table. Really cute!
December issue
of Southern Living has the same idea.
Posted By: Cathy H.
Friday, 24 November 2000
It says to fill the
jar 3/4 of the way with cranberries, then enough water to cover
them by about one inch. The put the floating candle on top!
Another inexpensive
candle idea
Posted By: Debi
Sunday, 19 November 2000
I am making a lot of
these for gifts this year. Use a canning jar (quart or pint), small
mouth. Purchase a glass votif candle holder, the basic clear glass
kind with a rim at the top. I got these for .49 each. Fill the canning
jar with potpourri, candy, small stuffed bears or snowmen, anything
actually will work. I found some cheap Christmas ornaments that
stand up in there. Set the candle holder in the neck, with a votif
candle in it. Wrap the neck with a fabric bow, (I coordinated color
with the candle) some raffia, and you are all set. An adorable candle
holder, and it costs next to nothing, especially if you already
have canning jars sitting around!
Nice Christmas gift
idea for under $5.00
Posted By: Melissa S
Friday, 27 October 2000
Last year a sil gave
me and my dh a three tiered glass candy dish (each section is separate
with the top two sections serving as the cover for the bottom two
sections and a lid for the top). She filled each part with different
Christmas candies (in individual wrappers) and put it all back in
the box. I was delighted to receive this pretty candy dish as a
gift and dh and children really enjoyed the candies, okay I admit
it, I enjoyed them too!
When I got this gift
I remember thinking that it looked like it cost about $10.00, but
I was in WalMart the other day and saw the exact same thing for
$4.00! I snatched up 10 of them to give for gifts and now I'm just
waiting for the Christmas candy to come out and go on sale!
I never would have thought
this would be such a nice gift if I hadn't received one myself and
liked it SO much.
What to do with those
CDroms you get in the mail from AOL, etc...turn them into ornaments!
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Monday, 23 October 2000
We did this last year
for several people.
I took the CD, drilled
a hole in the top (small drill...do first because some might break),
and then attached a photo to the printed side of the CD. Then I
put wrote on it "the Leggewies 2000" over the picture
(you could do it with a pretty gold pen) and put a laminate sheet
(from Sam's club) over the whole thing. Just cut the picture a little
shorter than the round shape so the laminate can stick to the CD
rom. Attach an ornament hanger. You could jazz it up a little bit
by putting a ribbon on it too. Everyone who got them liked them,
especially coming from this computer-addicted family! Cheap too,
and pretty!
Mary
Inspiration
& Funnies
My Birthday
Posted By: sharont
Tuesday, 19 December 2000
Subject: My Birthday
Hello dear friend! Well as you know, it's time for my birthday again.
Last year, they had a really big party for me and it seems like
they will again this year. After all they have been shopping and
preparing for it for months now, and there have been announcements
and advertisements almost every day about how soon it's coming!
They really do go overboard about it, but it's nice to know that
at least one day of the year some people are thinking about me a
little.
You know, it's been many years now since they first started celebrating
my birthday. Back then they seemed to realize and appreciate how
much fun it is for the little children. Just the same, it seems
that most folks are missing the point of it all.
Like last year, for example, when my birthday came around, they
threw a big party, but can you believe it? I wasn't even invited!
Imagine! The guest of honor, and they forgot all about me. Here
they had begun preparing for the festivities months in advance,
but when the big day came, I was left out in the cold!
Well, it happened so many times in recent years, I wasn't even surprised.
Even though I wasn't even invited, I thought I'd just quietly slip
in anyway. So I came in and stood off to the side. Everyone was
drinking, laughing, and having a great time when all of a sudden
came this fat fellow in a bright red suit, wearing a phony white
beard shouting, "Ho ho ho!". He looked like he had more
than enough to drink.
When he collapsed into a big armchair, all of the children went
running over to him excitedly yelling, "Santa! Santa!".
I mean, you'd have thought he was the guest of honor and the whole
holiday was just for him.
Then he began telling them the most ridiculous story you ever heard!
That he lives at the north pole with a crew of dwarfs and that every
year on my birthday he rides in his sleigh pulled by a bunch of
flying reindeer, delivering presents to children all over the world!
I mean there wasn't a word of truth in anything that he said imagine
telling such poor, little, impressionable kids such far fetched
fables!
Finally I just had to leave. I walked out the door. It was no surprise
that no one even noticed that I had gone.
As I walked down the street afterward, I felt about as lonely and
forlorn as a stray dog. I could not remember the last time I felt
that low. Maybe you don't think I cry?
The little manger scene you put in the corner of your living room
is really touching! It's
good that people commemorate my birthday like that.
Did you know that nowadays, in some countries, the authorities won't
even allow manger scenes
placed in parks, streets, or public places anymore? Not to mention
their schools! I'm not talking about Communist countries! I'm talking
about the good, old USA. Imagine! What could be more innocent than
a manger scene to remind people of my birthday? Yet it's banned!
They've passed laws against it to make it illegal. What is this
world coming to?
Another thing that amazes me is how, on my birthday, instead of
giving me presents, most people give gifts to each other! And to
top it off, it's usually the kind of stuff you don't even need!
Let me ask you, wouldn't you find it odd if when your birthday came
along, all your friends decided to celebrate by giving gifts to
each and not giving you a thing?
Someone once told me, "Well, it's because your not around like
most people are, so how can we give you a present?" You know
my answer to that one: "Then give gifts of food and clothing
to the poor, give help to those who need it. Go visit the lonely!
Any gift you give a needy fellow man, I'll count it as if you gave
it to me personally." (See Matthew 25:34-40)
Well, sad to say, things are getting worse every year. You can just
imagine my shock a few years ago when I began seeing them taking
the title out of my birthday greeting and replacing it with an 'X'?
What an insult!
Think of it! Xmas!... What if I wrote you a birthday card and said
Happy Birthday X! You'd probably never talk to me again! That is
just about how I feel. What more could they do to push me out of
the picture on my own birthday?
It reminds me of what happened to a friend of mine recently, a sweet,
elderly fellow. He is from the poorer side of town, and he's been
trying unsuccessfully for years to join the church. It was a very
exclusive church for the proper kind of folks, and they just did
not think he was good enough to be a member. I found him one time
sitting by the church steps with his head on his hands bowed. I
asked
him what was wrong. He told me about it. I put my arm around his
shoulder and told him I knew just how he felt. I've been wanting
to enter that same church for 20 years and they've never let me
in either.
Well, there is an end to even my patience. So I'm going to let you
in on a secret. Now this is something I have been planning on doing
for quite sometime. I'll have my own party! How about that? It's
going to be the most fantastic feast you could possibly imagine!
It might not happen this year, but I'm sending out the invitations
now. I know you'll want to come.
There is going to be room for billions, for everyone who wants to
come! Some really famous old timers and celebrities are gonna be
there and I'll reserve you a seat of honor right with them (see
Matthew 8:11).
So hold on to your hat
because when everything is ready, I'm going to spring it as a big
surprise! Many people are going to be left out in the cold because
they didn't answer my invitation. Let me know right away if you'd
like to come. I'll reserve a place for you and write your name in
large golden letters in my great big Guest Book!
Much love,
Jesus
3 Wise Men
Posted By: TN Lizzie (I LOVE this one!)
Monday, 23 October 2000
In a small Southern town
there was a "Nativity Scene" that showed great skill and
talent had gone into creating it. One small feature bothered me.
The three wise men were wearing firemen's helmets. Totally unable
to come up with a reason or explanation, I left. At a "Quik
Stop" on the edge of town, I asked the lady behind the counter
about the helmets. She looked at me like I was dumber than dirt
and said "Don`t ya ever read your Bible!" I assured her
that I did but simply couldn't recall anything about firemen in
the Bible. She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and ruffled
thru some pages and finally jabbed her finger at a passage. Sticking
it in my face she said, "See, it says right here, 'The three
wise men came from afar.' "( hee hee hee )
Inspirational: Party for Jesus
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Tuesday, 12 December 2000
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED
TO A PARTY
GUEST OF HONOR: Jesus
Christ
Every day. Traditionally,
December 25, but He's always around, so the date is flexible.
TIME: Whenever you're
ready.
Please don't be too late
though, or you'll miss out on all the fun.
PLACE: In your heart.
He'll meet you there-you'll hear Him knock.
ATTIRE: Come as you are.
Grubbies are okay as He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said
something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays
till the last.
COST: Admission is free.
He's already paid for everyone. He says you wouldn't have been able
to afford it--it's cost Him everything He had!
REFRESHMENTS: New wine,
bread and a far-out drink He calls "living water." This
will be followed by a supper, that promises to be out of this world!!
GIFT SUGGESTIONS: Your
heart. He's one of those people who already has everything else.
(He's very generous in return though--just wait until you see what
He has for you!
ENTERTAINMENT: Joy, Peace,
Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness,
Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise.......and much more!
(All rated "G" so bring your family and friends).
RSVP: Very Important!
He must know ahead, so He can reserve a spot for you at the table.
Also, he's keeping a list of His friends for future reference. He
calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life."
PARTY GIVEN BY: His Kids.
That's us! Hope To See You There!
Let us rejoice and be
glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and
his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts
of the saints) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding
supper of the Lamb!
--Revelation 19:7-9
One of our church's
traditions. . .
Posted By: Julie W
Monday, 30 October 2000
Our church does free
gift wrapping in December.
It is one of our outreach
ministries. You wouldn't think it reaches as many people as it does.
It touches people who otherwise wouldn't be touched with the 'usual'
programs (food, clothes, etc)
They always wonder "why
are you doing this for FREE?" We have won souls even this small
way. We advertise by signs and word of mouth.
Funny: What to do with Christmas Fruitcake
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Tuesday, 12 December 2000
WHAT TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS
FRUITCAKES:
If your well-meaning
friends send you a fruitcake this holiday season, here are some
suggestions as to what to do with it so you don't have to eat a
bite:
1. Trivet: Place
it on the table as a protective base for hot casseroles.
2. Centerpiece: Put
it on the table center atop a bed of pinecones, holly and evergreen
branches.
3. Guest Towel
Holder: Nail the fruitcake to the bathroom wall. Insert a dowel
rod to hold your favorite guest towel. Decoupage it, if you wish.
4. Knife Rest:
Cut the fruitcake into rectangles and put one at each place at the
dinner table as a knife rest. Your guests will marvel at your creativity.
5. Place Card
Holder: Cut the fruitcake into squares and make a small groove
in the top of each square to hold the place card. Coat with polyurethane
so you can use it year after year.
6. Holiday Door Knocker:
Super-glue a hinge to the fruitcake bottom and screw the back of
the hinge to your door.
7. Votive Candle Holder:
Make holes to hold votive candles. Insert candles.
8. Punchbowl decoration:
Freeze your fruitcake inside a block of ice and throw it in your
punch bowl for an unusual, yet attractive garnish.
Different Kind of Christmas
Posted By: TN Lizzie (GET A KLEENEX!!!!)
Friday, 8 December 2000
Different Kind of Christmas
Martha had tried to ignore
the approach of Christmas. She would have kept it almost entirely
out of her thoughts if Jed had not come eagerly into the cabin one
day, stomping the snow from his cold feet as he said in an excited
voice, "Martha, we're going to have a Christmas tree this year,
anyway. I spotted a cedar on that rise out south of the wheat field,
over near the Norton's place. It's a scrubby thing, but will do
since we can't get a pine. Maybe Christmas will be a little different
here, but it will be the kind of Christmas we used to have."
As she shook her head, Martha noticed that Daniel glanced quickly
up from the corner where he was playing, patiently tying together
some sticks with bits of string left over from the quilt she had
tied a few days earlier.
She drew Jed as far away
from the boy as possible. "I don't want a tree," she said.
"We won't be celebrating Christmas. Even a tree couldn't make
it the kind of Christmas we used to have." "Martha, we've
got to do something for the boy at least. Children set such store
by Christmas."
"Don't you think
I know? All those years of fixing things for Maybelle and Stellie.
I know all about the kids and Christmas." She stopped and drew
a deep breath, glancing over to see that Daniel was occupied and
not listening.
"But I can't do
these things for him. It would be like a knife in the heart, fixing
a tree and baking cookies and making things for another woman's
child when my own girls are back there on that prairie." "Martha,
Martha," Jed said softly. "It's been almost a year and
a half. That's over, and Danny needs you. He needs a Christmas like
he remembers."
She turned her back to
his pleading face. "I can't," she said. Jed touched her
shoulder gently, "I know how hard it is for you, Martha, but
think of the boy." He turned and went back out into the snowy
weather. Think of the boy.
Why should she think
of him, when her own children, her two blue-eyed, golden-curled
daughters had been left beside the trail back there on that endless,
empty prairie? The boy came to her not because she wanted him, but,
because she couldn't say "no" to the bishop back at Salt
Lake City last April before they came to settle in this valley.
Bishop Clay had brought Daniel to her and Jed one day and said,
"I want you to care for this lad. His mother died on the trek
last summer and his pa passed away last week. He needs a good home."
Jed had gripped the bishop's
hand and with tears in his eyes, thanked him, but Martha had turned
away from the sight of the thin, ragged, six-year old boy who stood
before them, not fast enough, however, to miss the sudden brief
smile he flashed at her, a smile that should have caught her heart
and opened it wide. Her heart was closed, though, locked tightly
round the memory of her 2 gentle little girls. She didn't want a
noisy, rowdy boy hanging around, disturbing those memories, and
filling the cabin with a boy's loud games. Yet she had taken him,
because she felt she had no choice. Faced with the bishop's request
-- more of an order, really -- and Jed's obvious joy, she couldn't
refuse. He came with them out to this new valley west of the Salt
Lake settlement and had proved himself a great help to Jed, despite
his young age. Sometimes Martha felt pity for him, but she didn't
love him. With Jed it was different. He had accepted Daniel immediately
as his own son and enjoyed having a boy with him. They had a special
relationship.
Daniel mentioned Christmas
only once. One day it was too cold and snowy to play outside and
he had been humming softly to himself as he played in his corner.
Suddenly he looked up at Martha and asked, "Can you sing Aunt
Martha?" Martha paused and straightened up from the table where
she was kneading bread. She used to sing for the girls all the time.
"No, I can't Daniel," she said," not any more."
"My mother used to sing a pretty song at Christmas," he
said. "I wish could remember it."
On the day before Christmas,
Jed went through the deep snow to do some chores for Brother Norton,
who was ill. Daniel was alone outside most of the day, although
he made several rather furtive trips in and out of the cabin. On
one trip, he took the sticks he had been tying together. Toward
evening, Martha went out to the stable to milk Rosie, since Jed
had not yet returned.
As she approached, she
saw there was light inside. Opening the door softly, she peered
within. Daniel had lit the barn lantern, and with its glow, he knelt
in the straw by Rosie's stall. In front of him were the sticks he
had tied together, which Martha recognized now as a crude cradle.
It held
Stellie's rag doll, all wrapped up in the white shawl Martha kept
in her trunk. Her first impulse was to rush in and snatch it, but
she stopped because the scene was strangely beautiful in the soft
light from the lantern. Rosie and the 2 sheep stood close by, watching
Daniel. He seemed to be addressing them when he spoke.
"The shepherds came
following the star," he was saying. "And they found the
baby Jesus who had been born in a stable." He paused for a
moment, then went on. "And his mother loved him." Martha
felt suddenly that she couldn't breathe. Another mother, another
day, had loved her boy, and had told him the beautiful story of
the Christ child with such love that he hadn't forgot it, young
as he was. And she, Martha, had failed that mother. In the silence
she began to sing. "Silent night," she sang. "Holy
night."
Daniel didn't move until
the song was finished. Then he turned with that quick heart-melting
smile. "That's the one," he whispered. "That's the
song that my mother used to sing to me." Martha ran forward
and gathered the boy into her arms. He responded immediately, clasping
his arms tightly around her. "Danny," she said, sitting
on the edge of Rosie's manger, "Let's go in and get the cabin
ready for Christmas. Maybe it isn't too late for Jed - for Pa to
get that tree. It might be a little different kind of Christmas,
but it will still be a little like the Christmases we used to know."
"Do you mind it being different?" Danny asked. "I
mean with a boy instead of your girls?" Martha wondered how
long it would take her to make up to him for the hurt she had inflicted
these many months. "No," she said. "After all, the
Baby Jesus was a boy." "That's right," he said wonderingly.
She set him down on the floor and put her arm around his shoulders.
"Merry Christmas," she said. "Merry Christmas, Danny."
He looked up at her with a smile that did not fade quickly away
this time, a sweet smile full of love he had been waiting to give
her. "Merry Christmas," he said, and then added softly,
"Mother."
Great "true"
Christmas gift idea...
Posted By: Carmen H.
Thursday, 9 November 2000
Wrap up a small empty
box in your most beautiful paper or fancy fabric and tie it with
a great big bow. Attach to the box with some string this little
letter, on some pretty "scroll" type paper:
This is the Christmas
Present
an empty box
It is to be placed beneath the Christmas tree just like any other
present
But it is not like any other
This present is our present to the Infant Ruler, the Manger Messiah
It is a presentation of ourselves
All wrapped up and completely empty
Unable to give the King anything at all
Yet that is the gift he most wants to receive
An empty box for Him to fill
Full of treasure greater than gold
Sweeter than incense and richer than myrrh
Each Christmas, may this box remind you of yourself
and may He be the gift you most wish to receive
This will be extremely
inexpensive to do and the kids will do most of the work making the
pretty boxes. All of my hubbie's and my families will be receiving
one of these little presents
A Christmas story
I just have to share
Posted By: Angeladawn
Monday, 6 November 2000
Two years ago was the
most memorable Christmas I ever had. We lived in Tennessee and two
days before Christmas commenced a terrible ice storm.
My in-laws were traveling to see us for the holidays and when they
arrived on Christmas Eve they were barely able to get up the steep,
rocky road to our house. The grass blades were as big around as
my husbands thumb with ice and the tree branches were breaking from
the weight. WE didn't have power that day (and for 5 days after)
so we had to cook lunch for my in-laws on a Coleman camp stove.
They left that night to stay in their motel room and the next day
the ice had packed down so much that they couldn't make it back
up the hill and we couldn't drive down because we would have had
no control over our vehicle on the slick road. Dh said it would
have been like riding a rocket sled down the hill. We thought that
Christmas was ruined! But then we had a brilliant idea! WE loaded
up all of our presents and Christmas dinner items into plastic garbage
bags and slid (on foot and rear) down the hill to where my in-laws
could meet us in their Suburban.
Then we drove to my mom's house (she still had power, but no phone)
where we were able to cook dinner and share gifts. I was so thankful
to the Lord for blessing us with the ability to share the special
holiday with all of our family. Incidentally, it was the first time
my parents and dh's parents met, which never would have happened
if we hadn't had the terrible ice storm. The Lord truly works in
mysterious ways!
Jesse
Tree
Posted By: Janet Skiles
Tuesday, 28 November 2000
go to www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/4518 and then go to the
Jesse Tree Page. For 5-6 years I made Jesse Trees and ornaments
to go on them to give to friends and family members when they had
a new baby. I included instructions, advent devotions and the history
of the Jesse Tree. They were really neat gifts. This year the girls
and I are making a 4 of them for some friends and our pastor's family.
They are inexpensive because we use a small branch from a tree,
put it in plaster of paris that we have poured into a 1 gallon can
that we have covered with Christmas fabric and ModPodged, then we
put moss on top of the plaster after it has hardened. We make the
ornaments from things we collect throughout the year - lids from
frozen oj, scraps of fabric, sticks, glittery paper, snips of lambs
wool from a friend, etc. We make a pretty drawstring bag to put
the ornaments and instructions in and POOF- a beautiful present
from the heart! (One time I had my father cut out some small ornaments
that we painted to look like figures from the nativity to use instead
of the Jesse Tree Ornaments)
Links
Site with lots of
Christmas links...
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Thursday, 7 December 2000
If you like any, let
us know!
http://www.familyclick.com/topclicks/index.cfm?Page_Load=categories.cfm&category_id=405
A Simple Holiday
Posted By: Martha R.
Friday, 24 November 2000
Simple Holiday: Finding
Peace and Joy in the Midst of Commercialism Run-Amok
http://members.aol.com/sbakerman2/xmas.html
Christmas website
Posted By: Melissa S
Wednesday, 1 November 2000
Includes free holiday
e-cards, decorating, homemade gifts and crafts, holiday recipes
and more.
Reader's Digest Christmas:
http://christmas.readersdigest.com/
Links!
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Wednesday, 15 November 2000
Christmas crafts
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/christmas.html#conetree
Favorite
Movies
Charlie Brown Christmas--Debi
Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby--Janet Skiles
A Christmas Story--Martha R
It's A Wonderful Life--Cathy H.
From our Christmas
Chat:
Bells of St Mary's
We're no Angels (the OLD one, not the new one)
Bishop's Wife
White Christmas
Holiday Affair 1945
The Story of David (Cary Grant)
Miracle on 34th Street
A Christmas Carol (with Geo. C. Scott)
The Santa Clause (preview before showing the kids to be safe)
Broadway Melody 1940
Meet Me in St. Louis (Judy Garland sings "Have yourself
a merry little Christmas")
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (animated secular)
Boys Town (Mickey Rooney)
The Grinch (not sure of exact title, but this is Boris Karloff
as the Grinch)
Wish for Wings that Work (animated secular, I believe)
Pranks
Christmas PRANKS!!!
Share your funnies here! ...
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
I just saw this on my
aunt's Web site and thought it would be a fun thread!
Someone said they wrapped
all their presents in duct tape and no scissors were allowed!
Oh Lisa? I'll bet you
"fork" the roof for Santa!
Mary
After hearing me wish
for a White Christmas for the millionth time...
Posted By: Cathy H.
Sunday, 29 October 2000
my precious dd took it
upon herself last year to give me a White Christmas! She had used
her own money and had her Dad take her to the fabric store. She
bought, like 10, yards of white felt. She spread that out on the
living room floor then cut out bunches of snowflakes and scattered
all over the felt. Then Christmas morning when she woke me up, she
was so excited, she just couldn't wait for me to get out to the
living room to see our white Christmas!! What a wonderful gift from
our Father she is!!
Christmas PRANKS!!! Share
your funnies here! ...
Posted By: Deona
Friday, 27 October 2000
A few years ago, we decided
to save money buy giving our older children cash for Christmas according
to our budget, and then taking them to shop the after Christmas
sales to get the goods they really wanted! Wrapping up cash for
a great Christmas morning was a little tricky! So, we wrapped one
box under the tree for each child. Inside the box was a clue as
to where their next gift could be found. They each had about ten
clues and spent the morning running from room to room to the garage
to the mailbox, the backyard, the kitchen, and we're completely
worn out when they opened the final box and found the stash waiting
for them. This was also a time when we were trying to get the kids
to understand the value of money, and that Christmas fun doesn't
have to be expensive! It's one of the Christmas's they remember
most!
this is one we do
on the kids and it only works once
Posted By: julie w
Thursday, 26 October 2000
in fact, it happened
by accident when my dad sent something to DS several years ago.
. .
put a gift in a yucky
box i.e., dog food box, grandma's girdle box, etc. then wrap it.
It is so funny to watch
them tear the paper and see DOG FOOD and the look of "What's
up with this?" on their face is so funny.
We did "stockings"
when I was little
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
and I remember one year
that my Mom's whole family was at my Grandparents (She's got 3 sisters,
I have 6 cousins). One Aunt couldn't find "her" stocking
so she hung up a pair of pantyhose. The amazing thing is that both
legs (and the panty part) were COMPLETELY filled Christmas morning!
I seem to remember it having cans of soup, houseshoes, bananas,
a t-shirt...
I was terribly impressed,
but they wouldn't let me do that the next year! Sad! LOL
I've only done this
once...
Posted By: Dawn H.
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
for my mother of all
people! See every year I buy her a Snowbaby and she really had really
come to *expect* it, so I decided to *fool* her a bit. I wrapped
the box, then put it in another box and wrapped it, then put that
box in another box and wrapped it ... etc. I know it's not original,
but it was fun to watch her steaming over all the boxes!
Another similar thing
a friend of ours once did for my SIL, she had bought her lots of
things as she did every year, but put them all, stuffed as tightly
as possible into one *small* box. My SIL was so very sad that she
only had *one* gift under the tree and everyone else had soooo many.
I think she was pleasantly surprised.
Tightwad/recycling
ideas
What to do with old
Christmas cards....
Posted By: Martha R.
Sunday, 17 December 2000
We cut the back (with
the signature) off and use the top part (with the pretty picture)
for a label on packages the next year. All you have to do is write
the "to" and "from" info on it!
My mom did this when I was little and I always thought it was lots
of fun to pick out just the right picture to go on each package.
It was also fun just to look through all of the old pictures.
What to do with old Christmas cards....
Posted By: Lisa V
Monday, 25 December 2000
We save cards every year
and even buy used ones at yard sales and Salvation Army stores.
Each Christmas we cut out the pretty pictures on the front and then
glue felt to the backs of them. Then we take a piece of ribbon or
thread and either straight pin it or glue it to the top and make
ornaments out of it. It's a great way to remember a dear one's thoughts
long after you've tired of displaying the card.
We also tape up cards
all of the house as window decor,on the doors in the house,on the
kitchen cabinets and sometimes on the bathroom mirrors, too. It's
a lot cheaper than buying the cling ons or new paper decor and the
cards have a more sentimental value.
Enjoy,
Lisa V from Arkansas
Gift wrapping
Posted By: Martha R.
Tuesday, 28 November 2000
Did you know that Christmas
wrapping paper makes a HUGE impact on landfills around the country?
The only hills here in Florida are trash heaps so we would like
to cut down on those as much as possible.
I have made bags out
of Christmas cloth. I'm planning to put the present in the bag and
tie it with a piece of colorful cord. This bag will be used year
after year!
We are also painting
#10 cans and decorating them festively. These will be used as wrapping
boxes.
Do you have a bunch of those big popcorn tins? We use those to store
our Christmas decorations
Gift wrapping: We are using brown grocery bags..
Posted By: Cindi
Friday, 1 December 2000
for wrapping paper. Does
that count??? And we will tie the gifts in ribbon that can be used
again for other things.
My dd also made home-made
ornaments from sewing paper bags together in shapes like stars and
bells, etc., they are adorable.
Cindi
We use bags too, but
also save large pieces of paper from gifts given to us and iron
it....
Posted By: sharont
Friday, 1 December 2000
the next year with an
only slightly warm iron. This saves almost all the paper for reuse--the
really badly torn or wrinkled paper you can run through a paper
shredder and use the shredded wrapping paper for the top of a reused
gift bag.We too are making the fabric bags from used table clothes
bought a yard sales--we cut around the stains (the reason it was
being sold) and are making the bags. This is my dd's home-ec class
for Dec.
You know those big
decorative popcorn tins?
Posted By: Lauri
Friday, 27 October 2000
Well, I have a few stashed
away because even though I couldn't think of anything to use them
for they seemed too pretty to throw out! I'm in the final stages
of organizing the entire house and had finally decided to get rid
of them after all when it occurred to me that they'd make great
gift containers (especially for the children's gifts)! Do you guys
think that's tacky?
Great idea, here's
what I do with them...
Posted By: Dawn
Monday, 30 October 2000
In Response To: You
know those big decorative popcorn tins? (Lauri)
I store Christmas decorations
in them. Especially big bows, b/c they won't get smashed. So you can
store stuff in them and re-use them next year!! :0)
wrapping
Posted By: deona
Friday, 27 October 2000
When I was growing up,
Christmas wrapping wasn't very special. Since then, having many
years when money for gifts was sparse, I try to do something very
unique for our Christmas wrapping. My daughter and I now shop together
after thanksgiving to get our wrapping idea for the year. Last year
we wrapped in plain brown shipping paper. I used rafia for ribbon
and hot glued a few pinecones and jingle bells on each parcel. Then
we painted holly berries on the paper with a gold paint pen. Finally,
I make my own gift tags out of simple 3 x 5 cards with a hole punched
in the corner for attaching to the rafia. We use a gold paint pen
for the names and a brush with a burgundy and green craft paint
to make an abstract holly emblem on the side. People hardly want
to open the gift because it looks so nice, and it makes the gift
that more special. The nice thing is, once your set up, it is a
fun project for my daughter and I and we use such inexpensive materials
that it is more cost effective and more sturdy than regular wrapping
paper. We always wait to put all these beautiful gifts under the
tree until Christmas Eve so it makes quite an impact. Basically,
our gifts become our holiday decoration!
We just did something
similar to this!
Posted By: Cathy H.
Friday, 27 October 2000
When we went up north
last week to visit relatives, I decided that I would take all of
our presents to them up with us, so I could save having to mail
them in December (cheap, I know!). So dd & I wrapped them all
in brown shipping paper then used several different Christmas stamps
that we have and stamped all over the paper. Then I used raffia
to tie around them. They looked so neat. My sister said she didn't
want to open hers, it was so pretty!
My sister uses Tissue
paper and raffia and it looks great
Posted By: Mary Leggewie
Monday, 30 October 2000
She's found brown tissue
paper with leaves on it and put raffia on it too.
I'll bet yours look GREAT!
I can sure find the pinecones here in my yard!
My mom used to use the
Sunday comics once we were teenagers!
We Create Our Wrapping
Paper on Thanksgiving Weekend
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Friday, 27 October 2000
CLEO has a warehouse
here in town, so we get rolls of plain white paper. We then choose
a medium (crayons, colored pencils, markers, rubber stamps, paints,
etc.) and a design. The whole family spends time in the hallway
decorating as much paper as they can stand to do at one stretch.
Before everyone leaves,
we divide the roll. At Christmas time, it's fun to see the homemade
paper wrapping gifts after it's not been seen for a month!
Here is my "Help
make Christmas Easier" hint...........
Posted By: ~Tina
Tuesday, 24 October 2000
Did you know there are
only 62 days till Christmas !!! Blink and it will be here.....
I wanted to share an
idea with you all that makes wrapping those Christmas gifts a lot
easier......
It take a bit of effort at the beginning, but once done you will
have years of easy gift wrapping. Plus this idea saves money spent
yearly on paper gift wrap and it is environmentally friendly, no
paper in the landfill !!
I sewed bags in lots
of different sizes.( shaped like a pillow case......with a hem at
the top, and seams at the bottom and sides)This is a great project
for a your "beginning to sew" students.....
I had a lot of different Christmas prints and colors (used to quilt
when I was young and childless) so I didn’t have to buy any
fabric. But even if you have to buy new fabric to do this project
this year, many fabric store have sales on Christmas fabric....and
even after Christmas sales ( you could buy after Christmas, to make
and use for next year)I have even found good size pieces of Christmas
fabric at thrift stores.
Once all the bags are
done, you just pop the gift into the bag, tie it closed with a piece
of yarn and you are done !!! ( of course your children must be old
enough to understand that they can’t untie the yarn before
Christmas morning ~ I have been doing this for about 5 years, so
my youngest was 4 when I started) A friend suggested sewing a length
of ribbon, folded in half, in the seam a few inches down from the
top...but my bags are all done !! Good idea for those just starting......
I use the bags for our
family, my Mom and Dad and my sister’s family. They just give
the bags back after we all open our gifts. I still buy a small amount
of paper gift wrap to wrap gifts for friends, etc…
I also made bags in bright
prints for all our birthday gifts as well.......lots of fun and
so easy !!!
Can you believe I already
have more then 2/3 of my Christmas shopping already done and wrapped
!!!!!
Hope this idea might
be useful to others…….
Blessing,
~Tina
I do that too!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: Allie
Wednesday, 8 November 2000
Everybody saves their
bags, then uses them next year for someone else. Boy, I thought
I was doing something so original - always the way with my best
ideas! LOL!
Traditions
Christmas
Traditions? What makes the memories for you? Share here.
Posted By: Angeladawn
Monday, 6 November 2000
Well...
we have to take the bad with the good. LOL! For the past three years,
it has been tradition in our house for my dh to get injured right
before the holidays! Some of you may remember last year my dh getting
fired 3 days before Christmas because of his injury! This year, we
thought he broke his arm, but all seems well enough. It makes me worry
about sending him off to work each day though. LOL!
But on the brighter side of things.....
We celebrate many of the same traditions I have read so far: Christmas
Eve jammies, looking at lights, etc. My favorite thing is when the
tree and lights are all up, when the kids shuffle off to bed, dh and
I like to sit near the tree with all lights off except the tree lights.
We snuggle and talk. On a family note, one tradition we have followed
most every year is that we travel to see family. I can only remember
2 Christmas's when we haven't done that. The preparation is so much
fun! Thanks everyone for sharing your tradition.
Christmas is my favorite time and I enjoy reading how everyone else
celebrates. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Our family: Christmas Jammies
Posted By: Deona
Friday, 27 October 2000
We also
set up our tree the day after thanksgiving, that officially opens
the "Christmas season" for us. After thanksgiving we try
to have some sort of sweet(i.e. cookies and hot cocoa, apple cider,
egg nog, etc.) almost every evening until Christmas. It is also the
only time of year that I try to keep little candies out in bowls.
They also look forward to opening one gift every Christmas Eve, which
they have come to expect to be a pair of Christmas Eve Jamies so everyone
has something snugly to wake up in. On Christmas morning we try to
have some sort of food that the kids each love in their stockings
so they have something to nibble on while opening gifts since we don't
have breakfast first.
Not
really a "tradition", but special to us!
Posted By: Cathy H.
Thursday, 26 October 2000
Our dd was
born on December 26. Which, when most people learn that, they always
say something about what a horrible day that would be for a birthday!
So when she was real young, her daddy told her that she was born on
that day because she had stayed up in heaven to celebrate Jesus's
birthday with Him before coming down to us. So that is what she told
people for years whenever they would express sorrow at hearing her
birthdate. It just always made her feel really special and that her
birthday was a really special day!
Our
Family: A Christmas Pageant
Posted By: Debi
Thursday, 26 October 2000
Since
our church did not do any "children's Pageant" at Christmas,
I hosted a "Nativity Party" - this began 7 years ago,
I think. I invited my children's friends, and gave them a character
(Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels ( lots of angels and shepherds),
wise men, etc. They came dressed up. I hung a blue sheet with stars
onto our swingset in the backyard to make a "stable",
and the kids added stuffed animals. When everyone arrived, we broke
out the cameras and video camera. One mom read a picture book story
of the Nativity and the kids acted it out as she read it. Joseph
knocked on our back door and the Innkeeper came out and yelled "There's
No Room!". You get the picture. We had a large cardboard foil-covered
star hanging from a fishing pole that one mom carried around the
yard (for the wise men to follow), etc.
It was
a blast. Hilarious. I think the oldest child at this time was 5
yo, so you can imagine how it turned out. When we were done, we
had a Happy Birthday Jesus birthday cake and punch, and watched
the video - over and over and over again.
This became
a yearly event, and my kids still want to do it! Of course, now that
they are older they add more "lines" and Christmas carols
to the story. We still like watching the videos of "Nativity
Partys" from years past! What memories!
Last
year we...
Posted By: JanB
Thursday, 26 October 2000
were at
a friends house until around 10:30-11:00pm (right in front of ours),
we came home to the whole house lit up with candles (oldest ds had
come home a mite earlier to do this) all the electric lights out.
We sat in the living room with the woodstove burning and recalled
Christmas' past. By the time we had finished it was near 1am and everyone
was in a quiet but excited mood, so we went ahead and broke tradition
of opening one present on Christmas eve, and opened them all! The
kids absolutely loved the whole thing, even though it was unplanned,
and want to do the same thing this year.
We
start out by........
Posted By: Debbie S
Thursday, 26 October 2000
decorating
the house on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We put something in
EVERY room!! Can you tell I just love Christmas?? hee hee
Every Christmas eve I make individual menus to set at each table setting
and I get the table set up with plates, folded napkins and fancy glasses.
Christmas morning is the only day that I cook a huge breakfast and
try to tailor it to meet the tastes of the individual family members.
We usually wake up 7-8am, leisurely open gifts, and then have our
big breakfast......we are just finishing up when my parents show up
to give us our gifts..........then a few hours later, my brother's
family comes and we spend the rest of the day playing and eating and
just enjoying each others' company.
(*now lately the tradition has been for me to be sick on Christmas.....or
just trying to recuperate.....and guess what? It is one tradition
I can do without!! please pray I don't get sick this year)
Making
it real...
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
Christmas
morning we like to take a gift to the hospital and see the babies
who were born the night before. My 5yo DD loves to be reminded how
little Jesus would have been that first morning!
The gift
is usually a basket to be given by the nurses to a Mama who really
needs something! We always include a card to the new baby, a tract,
a candle (Jesus is the Light of the World), a New Testament (Jesus
is the Living Word), some candy...
Making
it obvious to our neighbors...
Posted By: TN Lizzie
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
We set
up a manger with a babydoll Jesus and some hay and put it on the
front porch. (Everyone who drives into our cove can see our yard.)
Last year, Sarah had to go give Jesus a hug and a kiss every night
before bed! She was sad when it turned really cold...
Christmas
morning (early) I bring the whole thing in and set it up by the
fire. The doll is nice and warm by the time Sarah gets up (or was
last year!) and she was one happy little girl!
DH reads
the Christmas story from the Bible as we sit on the floor by the
fire (Well, it works on paper anyway!! LOL)
Then after
our family exchanges gifts and eats breakfast, it's off to the hospital...
(See "Making it Real")
A
few things our family enjoys doing
Posted By: Melissa S
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
This
is probably something you all already do. A few days before Christmas
we break out the sugar cookie dough, roll it out, cut out Christmas
shapes with cookie cutters and on some of them we put green and
red sugar crystals on before baking, but with most I let the kids
frost them with vanilla frosting I've mixed with different food
colors and then pile on sprinkles, chocolate chips, mini M&M's
or whatever when they come out of the oven. The kids LOVE this and
look forward to it every year. (They're the only ones who want to
eat them with all that junk on them, but so what!)
Something
else we've made a tradition of is always getting our tree on Thanksgiving
afternoon, trimming it and getting it set up. (Decorating it is
done the following day or weekend.) Then we have a special dessert
and watch a family Thanksgiving TV show together if one is to be
found. I don't know how or why the tree thing started on Thanksgiving
day, but we've come to look forward to it!
Another
thing we all love to do each Christmas season is plan a couple of
nights just to ride around and look at the lights and decorations
people have on their houses and in their yards. Hot chocolate is a
MUST when doing this!
My children's favorite....
Posted By: Dawn H.
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
Our annual
caroling party
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