Simple Holiday Ideas

The Holidays are here! Each day comes and goes; some a wonderful time with our kids, others very trying on our last nerve! So how can we be good stewards of the time and children God has given us during winter? Here are a few ideas:
Make a Christmas tree using your child’s handprints—Trace their hand on green paper; layer them on a large sheet of paper in the form of a tree. Each day add an ornament. Before you know it you’ll have a tree decorated for Christmas!
Make a chain out of construction paper links. Each day either add to the chain until Christmas or start with the whole chain and remove one each day.

Make a birthday cake for Jesus. Throw a party on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Or expand on the idea: send out invitations; have children bring a present to donate to an organization; read the Christmas story.
Make your own wrapping paper. Buy a roll of white paper. Let your kids use stamps, stickers, and their handprints to decorate it. just let them have fun. Family is sure to enjoy it!

Make snowflakes. Hang them in their room or kitchen so they can be enjoyed.

Create a manger scene. Your local library may have a die-cut machine you can use to make a barn, etc. Each day add a part to the scene and talk about it.

From The Front Line

Use toilet paper roll to keep wrapping paper from unraveling. Cut the toilet paper roll on one side "wrap" the toilet paper roll around the wrapping paper.

I keep a running spreadsheet of gifts I've purchased for b-day or Christmas.

Use an empty milk carton to store plastic bags. Just cut a hole toward the top and there you go!

Use a shoe organizer that hangs on the inside of your closet to store hats, gloves, shoes, etc.

I use the free, printable Household planning sheets from organizedhome.com Other great organizing sites: flylady.com, organizetips.com, gomominc.com.

Our laundry (adults) is split into baskets after it's worn: lights; darks; towels; lights that are hung up; darks that are hung up.

Big Lots IS the best place to buy storage stuff. I checked it out and they do have a HUGE selection and really cheap prices.

I wanted to document big firsts for my girls and funny things they say and do – both for scrapbooks and to be able to tell them later.

Target sells little notebooks of color-coded note cards). I use one colored section for each girl. I keep one notebook in my purse & one by my nightstand. Then I will right down things as I think of them. Later I can put them into box for each girl or with their scrapbooks since it’s all in chronological order .

Websites from Elli Baker: Freecycle.org, Flylady.com, Vscavengers.org

Making Meaningful Memories

One Christmas tradition we have is our Advent Calendar. It is actually a set of small books that tell the Christmas story. Our family sits by the Christmas tree and we read the book for that day. Each little book also has a small ribbon on it that allows it to be "hung" on a tree and we have a small special Christmas tree that holds the Advent book "ornaments.” Once the girls were old enough to read, they started taking turns reading each night. Although the goal is to read one a night, in reality, sometimes we have to catch up and read a few days at a time. After we read the book, we turn off all the lights except for the tree and sit there for a short while. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions because our family is all together and we take a few minutes each day to focus on the real meaning of Christmas

Gail Is married to Jay and has daughters Kelsey (18) and Kimberly (16 in January). Gail was born in Akron, Ohio and lived there until she was in high school and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona.








We have several very special traditions...but from the boys' perspective, they would definitely say that our annual "kidnapping" is the highlight. Close to Christmas, we tuck the boys into bed as usual. After about 30 minutes (with car running and loaded with plenty of fun snacks) we run into their bedroom, grab them and hurry them into the car. Then, while listening to Christmas music and eating snacks, we drive through the neighborhoods looking at all of the festive Christmas lights.

Dina is married to Miles. Her kids are Pierson (12), M.J. (9) and Evan (8). She is originally from Middlebury, IN.








We don't really have any Christmas traditions. We try to focus on Christ and the true meaning of the holiday and keep the season fairly low-keyed.
Sherri has been married to Ed for 19 years. They have three children: son, 23, Per; two daughters Hannah 16 and Rachel 15. Sherri was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota on a morning with the wind-chill of -26 degrees. Sherri loves her family room because it is warm and cozy. It is her favorite place to sit and read, listen to music or just spend time with the Lord.

The Most Amazing Gift, Josie Bailey

This Christmas, don’t be afraid to say “no.” After all, do we really want to teach our children that Christmas is all about the “hustle and bustle” and nothing more?


No matter what you choose to do with your time, remember the REAL reason for the season. I know, I know, it’s a phrase you’ve heard many times before. But truly take some time to think on the most amazing gift we’ve been given—Jesus. Ponder the wonder your child sees in Christmas. Pass this incredible gift on to them. Consider your heart and theirs: ready and waiting for the best bedtime story ever told!

The True Price of Christmas

$18,920.59 – That’s how much it would have cost you in 2006 to give your true love all of the gifts for the 12 days of Christmas. I, for one, do not have $18,920.59. And for what it’s worth, I don’t think my true love would have appreciated receiving, among other things, 10 Lords A-Leaping.

One of my favorite childhood memories around Christmas time was my mother doing the 12 days of Christmas with me. She did not buy me pear trees or golden rings. She did something much more memorable. Each day, beginning on December 12, my mom would have a different activity planned or a small gift for me each day until Christmas Eve.

The gifts were small but significant. The year I started driving, one of my gifts was my own set of keys to the family car. Another gift may have been tickets to see the Nutcracker performance. Some days, she would have an activity planned, such as decorating cookies, making a fun ornament together, or looking through my baby album.

Each year, I think I looked more forward to the first day of Christmas more than Christmas day itself. I truly appreciate my mom making the effort to spend time together during a hectic time of the year, and for making a tradition so special to me that I want to carry it into my own family.