Counting down by the book ... by Jen

We LOVE Christmas traditions! One that we all enjoy is unwrapping a Christmas book every night of December. I wrap up 23 different books, the same ones every year, and put them in a basket. Each night the boys take turns opening one up and then my husband or I read it to them. They look forward to it every year. On Christmas Eve, my husband reads The Night Before Christmas and The Christmas Story from the book of Luke. Great memories!

Here is our basket of books!

Here is the first book!

We added a new tradition this year, it was our oldest son's idea. We are singing a different carol each night. He went online and printed out the lyrics for all of us. Though we couldn't sing in a concert hall or anything, it was a sweet, sweet sound!

May you all enjoy your Christmas traditions!

Homemade gifts # 1 ... by Angie

We decided to make very simple gifts for family, friends, neighbors and teachers this Christmas. As we all have taken a big financial hit these past few months as a result of the economic turmoil in our country, it has really made me appreciate the simple pleasures in life... maybe a cup of hot chocolate with my family or a relaxing bath with time to read a devotion.

So this year our family worked together to make hot chocolate mix and scented bath salts to give as gifts. It was so simple that even the children were able to help.

Hot Chocolate Mix

1 - 30 oz can of Nestle Quick
2 pound bag of confectioner's sugar
1 large (22 oz) jar of Cremora
1 box (25.6 oz) of powdered milk

Using a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Wash the containers and make sure they are completely dry before placing the mixture inside. If you have a table in the garage, it may be a good idea to mix it up outside because the "chocolate dust" leaves a fine coating on your counter tops and floor. Once I mixed it together, we packaged it in the kitchen.

To prepare hot chocolate, add 3 to 4 Tablespoons of the mixture to hot water and enjoy!

I taught my kids how to make bows using curly ribbon, and we printed a Christmas message, along with the preparation instructions, on the cards.

The cost is $ .67 per cup of mix, and the containers I purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1 each! Some containers held 4 cups and the others, 2 cups.

Scented Bath Salts

2 cups Epsom salt
1 cup rock salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of glycerin
Scent (Purchased at Michael's. It is on the candle and soap making aisle.)
Coloring is optional. (I do not add it because it does not look very "clean.")

Simply mix ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Again, the containers came from the Dollar Tree so the cost came to approximately $2 a gift.

Do you have ideas for homemade Christmas gifts that are inexpensive and fun to make? (You can share one from years past if you don't want to give out all your secrets for this year.) Email us at CelebratingChristmas@gmail.com with pictures and directions. We love sharing ideas!

Celebrating the Circle of Friendship...

Good friends. Now there's a treasure. I don't know whether you've had the blessing of being part of a circle of friends who make meals when a baby arrives, babysit so you can have a date night, bring a box of old books/ CD's/ DVD's/ children's clothes to Bible study and announce, "I don't need these anymore. Take what you want," comment on your blog, send you silly virtual Christmas gifts on Facebook, share fresh veggies from a special garden, shoot an email to follow up on a prayer request you had three months ago, drop cookies by your house because they made a few extra, etc. The list really could go on and on and on. But if you have been part of a group of ladies like this, you'll know that it is a living testimony of the love of Jesus in the church.

This season, take time to connect with your friends. There are many things you can do to get together and celebrate. Whether you meet at a home or a restaurant, for coffee or for a meal. Whether you have a potluck dinner or a catered affair, the main point is to be together and enjoy one another's company. Catch up on what has happened since you were all together.

And add in a little fun, like...

... swap cookies and recipes
... exchange white elephant gifts
... trade Christmas ornaments
... bring wrapped handmade gifts and draw to see who gets what
... make a Christmas craft... ornament, jewelry, gift bag, storage bin, recipe holder, etc.
... donate socks or blankets or hats to the Rescue Mission
... collect books for an after-school tutoring program
... make a giant gift basket of pampering items (nail polish, lotions, bubble bath, etc.) for a group home for girls
... bring a baby gift or gift card for a local pregnancy support agency
... assemble exam survival kits for college students
... sing Christmas carols
... update the praises and prayer requests since you last met
... bring a picture of your favorite Christmas as a child... put all the pictures on a table... guess who is who... share your Christmas memory
... exchange teas or coffees or scarves or mittens or socks or Christmas cards or coffee mugs or tea cups or t-shirts or notepads or framed hand-written Bible verses or books or DVDs or hand lotion or candles/tarts or dishtowels, etc.

Whatever you do... have fun together, building each other up in faith and love.



Got an idea for a great Friend Gathering? Make sure you share it in a comment!

Christmas = Busy! ... by Shannon

For many of us, the Christmas season = BUSY! This means we have to be intentional to keep all the clutter – the parties, the traveling, and, yes, even the presents – from obscuring the purpose for our celebrations, travels, and gift-giving. Often Christ, the One who is central to Christmas, becomes secondary to all the extras.

My husband Lee and I have only been married for three-and-a-half years, but we've already seen this busy-ness plague infect our celebrations. As we prepared to celebrate our first Christmas as a family of three last year, we asked for God's guidance to keep the Christmas season from becoming all about the trimmings. We decided that we would intentionally set aside Christmas morning as our sacred family time. No company (not even grandparents), no traveling, not even any telephone calls or Internet. We explained to our families that we're open to joining them for celebrations the weekend before or after Christmas Day and that they're welcome to join us in the afternoon on Christmas Day if they'd like to … but Christmas morning is off limits. It hasn't always been the most popular decision, but we knew it was the right one for us. As we prepare to welcome our second child to this world this coming Easter, it's refreshing to know that we won't have to juggle traveling with a baby and toddler on Christmas Day 2009!

I don't expect this to be the answer for every family to find some calm in the midst of the Christmas season, but it works for us. What works for your family? We are still relatively newlyweds, so I would love it if you could leave a comment with ways that you keep Christ central to your celebrations in the midst of the busy season!

24 Days of December... by Heather

... documenting the everyday things that make our Christmas ...

I originally got the idea of using photos to document our Christmas traditions from Ali Edward's blog. She has developed a routine of creating a December Daily album each year. Ali's ideas are beautiful, but I knew that I needed to scale back my ambitious plans a bit this year, being great with (4th) child and all.

My plan for this year is to fill a simple 5x7 album with photos and text. I made my book out of some chipboard and scrapbook papers, but you can just as easily exercise that 40% off coupon at your local craft store.


This year, I will try to take pictures whenever we do a family activity. Some of these are spontaneous, but I also took the time to brainstorm some of the traditions that we usually observe.

For our family, the list looks like this:

*decorating tree
*lying under the tree looking up at the lights
*playing with the nativities (we have kid-friendly ones in our house)
*decorating gingerbread house
*making gingerbread cookies
*reading Christmas stories
*looking at lights
*Advent readings
*Christmas cards
*Charlie Brown Christmas special
*sparkling cider on Christmas eve

...etc.

By brainstorming a bit, I know to have the old camera ready to go and capture what I can.

My next step is to use my photo editing software to type some text onto the pictures. This way, when I print my photos out at the local lab, the journaling will be already done! Since I'm using a 5x7 album, I'll still have some room around the 4x6 photos to add text if I need to.

I will also try and get some Christmas Scriptures typed up to intersperse through the album.
There are so many options with this idea. You could incorporate your Advent readings into your album, take photos of your children's artwork or wish lists. What about your favorite recipe or where you buy your tree? Do you have any special Christmas Eve services that you attend?
You could try different sizes or styles of albums. If you're not ready to do a "big" project, you could start with a 4x6 brag book. Just print your photos and slip in a piece of cardstock with a description opposite your photo.

For me, the goal is not to produce a magazine-ready product, but to have a tangible reminder each year of our Christmas and the meaning behind it.

I encourage you to "ponder these things in your heart" and document them for your families this Christmas!

Jesus is the Light...

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5)

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Revelation 21:22-23)

Show -n-Tell...

How is your Christmas season coming along? Up until now, we're been focusing on preparations for the Advent season. But now it's truly Christmastime.

Would you share your Christmas with the readers of our little blog?

We are looking for photos of specific decorations for a special set of posts that we'll be doing in the coming days. Would you please consider snapping a shot of...

... your front door
... your entry hall
... your mantle
... your Christmas tree
... your special Christmas collection (snowmen, gingerbread men, stars, snowflakes, cardinals, whatever you collect!)

We would LOVE to see what wonderful ideas our readers have for decorating this special season!

You can email your photos to CelebratingChristmas@gmail.com. We'll include your first name only with your photo. And of course, we'll not even mention your location. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let us know and we'll just call you "A Friend." We need all submissions by December 7th.

Thanks for your help!