Christmas Blessings to each of you

I'll be taking another board break for the holidays this week.   We have lots of cooking and cleaning to do as we prepare for relatives coming from out of town.   I hope you all have a marvelous Christmas as we celebrate the true reason for the season, our Saviour. 

Molly  

Christmas Handprint Wreath

When my children were little, I loved any craft that involved using their handprints.   That way I can cherish the memories of how they grew each year.    

Directions:

• Trace the child's hand onto the red and green construction paper and cut out the prints. 
    

• Make eight handprints - four of each color
    

• Cut out the prints and glue to form a wreath. 
    

• You can decorate the wreath further with pictures of snowflakes, holly berries, glitter.  These can be:

  • stickers

  • hand drawn artwork by the children 

  • pictures from coloring books, magazines,or pictures you've taken of your child/children

 

Christmas Tissue Paper Wreath

This is one of the most familiar Christmas wreaths for those with toddlers and preschoolers. We did this with each one of our children at Christmas when they were little. They were so proud of their finished product!

Materials you will need are a paper plate, glue, scissors, 1 to 2 inch squares of tissue paper in Christmas colors (greens and red) and a 12 inch length of ribbon.

Directions:

Cut the the tissue paper into 1 to 2 inch squares. This can be done by adults prior to crafting.

Cut the center out of the paper plate to leave a round "donut" shape. This will form the base of the wreath. Again, this can be done prior to craft time.

Scrunch the pieces of tissue paper into balls (not tight though). We filled in the whole circle with green and then went back and added in the red for the holly berries. You can do this on the end of a pencil to make more of a flower shape or you can just make a ball with your fingers.

Glue around the paper plate to make the wreath.

Tie a bow with the length of ribbon and glue it to the top of the wreath. Or you can cut out a red bow from construction paper and glue it on.

More Ideas for a Less Stressful Christmas

*Do a cookie exchange instead of baking many different cookie recipes. Bake several dozen of your favorite type of cookie, and then you exchange them with each other. You’ll end up with a great variety of cookies-- and you will only have to make one kind!

*Keep a list of gift ideas all during the year. I've done this for several years and it makes shopping so much easier. This is one way I can have all my shopping done by Thanksgiving, which is my goal. Buying them throughout the year as helps the budget.

*Don’t try to make the entire holiday meal yourself. If you’re having your family over, ask everyone to bring something. Let your kids help you with the cooking and try to use some make-ahead recipes so you don’t spend the whole day cooking. I did this with our Thanksgiving meal and it made the day so much less stressful.

*If you’re trying to think of the perfect gift for that person that has everything, try buying a gift card to the recipient’s favorite store. Although some people frown upon giving gift cards, they really are a gift that anyone can use and they are usually greatly appreciated.

*I've found that if I haven't finished my shopping by Thanksgiving, then shopping on Monday or Tuesday the first few weeks after Thanksgiving is really a breeze. No crowds or lines! :-) I don't enjoy shopping in crowds, so avoiding the crowds helps me enjoy the shopping much better.

*Don't forget to do things that you enjoy! Embrace the Christmas season and do things that you love. Go caroling, make homemade gifts, drink hot chocolate and watch a favorite family movie together, and visit a shut in neighbor or relative.

*Most of all, be sure to spend time with your husband and children. Don't forget the ones you love the most. See the joy of Christmas through a child’s eyes and embrace it.

Hopefully these tips will help make your holiday season a great memory!

Ways to Make Christmas Less Stressful

The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of great joy. Unfortunately for many of us, it is also a time of great stress. To help reduce the stress during the Christmas season, here are some ideas:

*First and foremost, I think with all of the commercial aspects of Christmas, it’s easy to forget the reason for the season. Having a quiet time with Him first thing every day will certainly help. Doing devotions as a family certainly will keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Some families read special books like Jotham's Journey or use an Advent wreath each week to keep the focus on Him.

*Make a list and a budget. Being organized, will make your holiday season easier. Make a list of everyone you need to buy for and include the maximum dollar amount you can afford to spend per person.

*Learn to delegate. You can't do everything yourself.

*Pay cash for your purchases. You'll give yourself the best present after all the holiday excitement has died down and you don't have to pay a credit card off for your Christmas purchases.

*Learn to say no. You can't do everything everybody wants you to do. You can really wear yourself down if you try to do it all. It's okay to decline an event or a opportunity to volunteer your time.

*Don’t let the mound of gifts pile up. Wrap as you go or consider shopping at stores that offer free gift wrapping. Also, remember to get free boxes when you purchase items in a department store.

I'll try to post some more ideas another day this week.

The Christmas Season has begun!!!

We spent last week getting ready for our Thanksgiving dinner. We had my husband's family over and it was very relaxing! My husband and children went to a football game on Friday. We pulled out the Christmas tree and all the decorations on Saturday and went to work! Our house is decorated for the holiday season. I usually have all my Christmas presents bought and most of them wrapped by now. This year, due to my back sprain, I haven't been able to shop like I'm used to. It's been very hard for me, but I am learning to pace myself and not try to tackle too much. I am one who likes to do all my errands on one afternoon, but lately that's not been the case. I can only run about three, maybe four, whereas I was used to running ten to fourteen places in one day! So, you can imagine that I am learning how to work within a certain time frame and also learning to be patient! Isn't it funny how we think we have conquered that wonderful thing called patience, and then when we have a trial, we realize how the Lord still needs to work that character in us? I can attest that I have definitely been learning about character training these past few months. I believe it's really been a time of pruning for me. God has definitely extended grace to my family as we've worked through this trial.

I hope to write some posts on how to keep the stress level down during the holiday season. I know how easy it is to take on more than we can handle, especially during this time. I always want to make sure our children have fond memories of Christmas. I really believe that can be accomplished by keeping things simple and not planning too many things to do.

May your Christmas season truly be a celebration of the birth of our Saviour!