Today begins a marathon for wrapping as many presents in one day as I can. I’m not quite sure how it got to be four days before Christmas. Unfortunately, it’s already 1:00 in the afternoon, and I haven’t wrapped the first present yet! Maybe that’s because I’m busy writing this post.

To begin, I thought you’d enjoy this picture. Now, I’ve wrapped a lot of presents in my lifetime, but never have I ever attempted anything quite this big!

Photo found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026873.800-the-scientific-guide-to-gift-wrapping.html?full=true

I wonder how many rolls of paper and ribbon it took to accomplish this? Well, I guess in actuality, if you can  afford to give a present like this, the price of paper and ribbon is no object.With Christmas right around the corner, Faith and I thought you might enjoy having our list of helpful and useful tips to assist you with your final gift wrapping. Whether it’s a marathon session for you, or simply finishing up those last-minute items, we hope you will find these tips beneficial.

1. First, put on your favorite Christmas music. This is absolutely essential. There’s nothing quite like some good Christmas songs to set the mood.
2. Wrap presents with some other people. Gift wrapping can be such a lonely and thankless job. Do it with other friends and family members to help pass the time and to keep you motivated to finish.
3. Station yourself at a big table if possible. I’ve tried wrapping presents on my king-sized bed for years, but I’m finding it’s hard on my back. Being able to sit down and wrap presents at a table or other surface you can slide your knees under will definitely help with back strain.
4. Make sure you have plenty of snacks. You can work up quite an appetite as you measure, cut, and secure your packages. Snacks like luncheon meat and crackers, salsa and chips, as well as fresh fruit help to keep up your strength during this event.
5. Your own roll of tape, scissors, and pen are a requirement. While Scrooge is not my favorite character at this time of year, it’s easy to get a little “Scrooge-ish” when you have to constantly take back the tape your helper “borrowed.”
6. The new stick on nametags are a must. What did we ever get along without them?
7. Don’t waste your time peeling off the back of sticky bows. You know they’re going to fall off your package if you do that. Besides, trying to find a corner to where the backing is easy to peel away from the sticky part can cause you to become “unglued.” Instead, put a small piece of scotch tape on each side of that piece of sticky backing and tape it to your package.
8. Some gift bags from the Dollar Store are a blessing for those odd-shaped items. Round is not a fun shape to wrap with paper.
9. Be sure you leave enough time to finish wrapping all your gifts! Just like running a real marathon, it’s no fun not to be finished when the event is over.

If I could think of one more, I would call this a “Top Ten List” of some kind. But I can’t, so I won’t.

We hope these tips come in handy for your wrapping session. Plus, now you will know what to do for next year in case you wait to do your gift wrapping at the last minute like I did.

Merry Christmas everyone.

I can say that because this is our blog.

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For many families, the Christmas season is full of activities, baking, and spending time together. One of the things we’ve done together, ever since our children were little, was enjoy a time of Advent–a time set apart for the spiritual preparation of Christmas.

While we’ve tried many different devotional studies over the past 25 years, our favorite without a doubt has been Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent. This is the most exciting Advent story we’ve ever read.

Each night of the four weeks leading up to Christmas, there is a story. It revolves around a ten-year-old boy who goes looking for his family across Israel. He encounters thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, as well as shepherds, wise men, and kind people. So many of the names and places are ones you would recognize from Scripture.

Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger, making children (and parents) excited about what Jotham’s next adventure will be the next time. Also, historical places and spiritual symbolism surrounding the Christmas season are explained following each adventure.

This book is actually the first of a trilogy. The other two titles, Bartholomew’s Passage and Tabitha’s Travels, are finally back in print. It is not necessary to do them in order, but it is fun to start with Jotham and then Bartholemew as their paths cross in the story line.

So, get some long-lasting Advent candles (the skinny ones won’t last long enough because the stories are so exciting and have some length to them), obtain a copy of Jotham’s Journey, and make this time of year extra special. I promise you, your children won’t forget it and neither will you.

Additional Note as of 4.25.11: The author of this trilogy has now done a story for Easter called Amon’s Adventures. It was a great read for us this Easter and builds upon the characters in his other books. I won’t ruin it for you, though. I’d love to know what you think.

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Can you identify with this picture?

I must confess there have been some years at Thanksgiving and Christmas when I’ve felt like this. Some years I’ve felt as though I hardly had time to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, much less time to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life!” But it IS a wonderful life, especially during this time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Well, this year I’m going to try something different. I’m going to poll the members of my family and ask them this question: “What three things are the most important aspects of Thanksgiving and Christmas that just have to be there for you in order for it to feel like Christmas?” For me, that means asking the two youngest children still at home who are 13 and 14, my mother who lives with me, and my husband. I, too, plan to examine this question.

I don’t know about you, but I can feel so out of control during the holidays that I lose focus of what is really important.  It’s so easy to get sidetracked on non-essentials. For instance, nobody makes me send out Christmas cards, decorate the house like it’s an entry for House Beautiful, or bake as if I was opening a restaurant.

For me, much of my stress level rises because I do it to myself. I know that time pressures elevate my blood pressure and December 25 is certainly a biggie. While I enjoy many of the things that come with Christmas, I want to use good judgment and make my efforts count. I know about being a good steward with my money, but my time is valuable, too. I want to use it wisely and for moments that really matter to my family.

Well, here is my chance to break the crazy cycle of the holidays–to find ways to slow down and cherish these special moments with my family.

So, this year I’m going to try a different approach. And while I haven’t asked my family members the “big question” yet, I suspect there will be a few things we all will share several things in common. Those will be the things I will focus on the most.

Will you join me?

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As we were putting up the Christmas tree this year, I noticed several ornaments my children have made over the years that have lasted for years. And the other thing I realized about them was that each one of them was made by a child of mine when they were young.

While I wasn’t involved in all of the processes that went into making them, I hope my pictures will help you know what to do. The first two ornaments were made by my children during a church project. The other one I made with my child at home.

I happen to know when each of the ornaments was made because I always date them. This is something I’ve done since my first Christmas with my hubby back in 1974. If you don’t date your ornaments, may I encourage you to do so. Knowing when your child made a particular ornament and how old they were when they did, will bring a sweet memory and a smile to your face.

Ornament #1

This first ornament was one that Faith made when she was seven years old. It dates back to 1984 and was one that she made during a church activity.

It is composed of three clothespins that do not contain the springs–two of them are glued side by side to form the body, and the third one is turned and glued upside down to form the head and antlers.

As you can see, there are tiny eyes glued on the sides of his head, along with a tiny bell that is placed under his mouth and tied around his head once the glue is set. (I suspect a glue gun was used for the gluing part of this project.) The bell was tied on with a thin piece of white string so it is difficult to notice.

Finally, small pieces of red and green felt were glued over the body, a small white ball glued on for his tail, and black felt markers used to color his hooves.

And by the way, this little reindeer is extremely easy to “clip” onto the Christmas tree.

Ornament #2

This cute little bird ornament was made by my son Danny when he was only three. Now, I suspect he probably had some help with it, but it was simple enough that he was able to actively participate in its creation.

As you can see, this little bluebird was made from a pine cone. Here in Georgia, pine cones are plentiful. However, if you don’t have very many where you live, you can certainly buy them at a craft store.

Basically, it consists of a pine cone for the body, a small styrofoam ball for the head, a firm piece of cardstock for the beak, and another piece  of cardstock for the tail.

If I were making this myself, I would start by cutting off the rounded part of the head that sits on the pine cone. This will make gluing much easier as it will allow a bigger surface to adhere to the body.

Before gluing, paint the body and head with some blue paint. Apparently, the pine cone and head were painted with an acrylic water-based paint, patted on with a brush. Using this type of paint will allow for fast drying.

The little beak was made from yellow cardstock cut into a triangle and gently forced into the styrofoam, or maybe a small slit was cut and the paper eased into the slit. I can’t really tell at this point.

Cardstock was then cut to look like a tail and then glued into the pine cone. The curl to the tail is optional. As I recall, it was flat and straight when Danny first brought it home 23 years ago.

A string was then tied to the head, or went around the body, and with great pride, Danny brought it home from church and hung it on our tree. It has been one of my favorite ornaments ever since.

Ornament #3

Finally, this ornament was probably the easiest of all three to make. This was made by my son Jeremy when he was five years old. I actually helped him make this one, so I know firsthand what was involved in the process.

First, I gave him five craft sticks. These are the fatter ones you can buy at a craft store, or right here. They do make thinner ones, but I wanted to let him color the sticks, so I used the fatter ones.

After Jeremy finished creating his works of art on each side of the sticks, I began placing a  small amount of tacky glue at each place where they intersected.

Making sure that glue had not oozed out from under each intersection, I then placed a clothespin at each point of the star and allowed it to dry overnight.

The next day, I simply removed the clothespins and had Jeremy place his ornament on our tree. I wish I had taken a picture of the smile on his face.

It is my hope that if you have little children–even grandchildren–that you will enjoy making these simple ornaments with them. If they turn out like ours did, you will be able to enjoy them for many years to come.

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Don’t you just hate a dry turkey? I know I do. I am about to share with you my BEST secrets for obtaining a moist turkey. Because no matter how pretty your bird is to look at, no one enjoys a dried out turkey.

MY TURKEY TIPS:

1. Use an internal thermometer. Don’t wait for that little pop up timer to work or rely on the cooking time based on the weight of your turkey. Use an internal thermometer inserted into the thigh of the turkey (being careful not to touch the bone since it will register as a hotter temperature).  THIS is a good one. It’s just like the one I use. The thermometer stays in the turkey and the timer part will alert you when the turkey reaches its desired temperature. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that the turkey be cooked to a temperature of 165°F (74°C), as measured in the innermost part of the thigh. If the thigh is 165°F, the breast meat is likely to be 10°F hotter. On a side note, I never stuff my turkey with stuffing because you have to cook the turkey longer in order to make sure the stuffing reaches the proper temperature. That extra time dries out the turkey.
2. Place tablespoons of butter underneath the skin of the turkey. THIS is my single most favorite tip I ever found about keeping a turkey moist. You have to use your hand to first loosen the skin away from the breast meat. You want to be careful not to tear the skin. Then I cut about 6 tablespoons of chilled butter to go under the skin. I typically use 3 tablespoons on each side if it’s a large turkey. You slowly push the butter up under the skin to evenly distribute them. As the turkey cooks, the butter melts into the breast meat keeping it moist and tender.
3. Coat the outside of the turkey with oil. This is so much easier than trying to rub butter all over a cold bird. It will help you achieve the golden brown look that every turkey deserves. Don’t forget to season your turkey after you massage it with oil. I like to use salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. If your turkey reaches the level of goldenness you desire but isn’t done cooking yet, you can cover it with a tent of foil to prevent over browning.

Well, those are my tips. I used to be intimidated with cooking turkey but these tips have never failed me. The only problem is: Once your extended family finds out what a wonderful turkey chef you are you’ll be nominated to always cook the turkey from now on.

…especially if your husband keeps volunteering and nominating you every year! And he’s right; you do cook a great turkey.

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Most of the stocking stuffer ideas in this list will cost well under $10, so you really can afford to “stuff” the stocking! At my parents’ house we have continued the tradition of doing stockings when we all get together. Now that two of my younger brothers are married and have kids, the number of stockings has obviously increased. As each new addition joins the family, we just keep adding new stockings. (It’s a good thing my mom knows how to make them.) This year the stocking count is up to 15 so finding some inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas is important. We’re doing our stocking stuffer shopping tomorrow so this is very timely for us. Hopefully you’ll find the list useful as well. If you have other stocking stuffer ideas, please leave us a comment below.

1. Chocolate – any kind will do!
2. Mandarin oranges or exotic fruit such as star fruit
3. Lottery tickets
4. Lipstick – buy a wild shade of red
5. Cozy mittens or gloves
6. Personalized or Christmas print coffee mug or tea cup
7. Tire gauge
8. Picture frames – buy a plain wooden frame and wrap it with Christmas wrap, glue on Christmas ornaments, paint on holly leaves or apply Christmas stickers.
9. Silly Putty – fun for any age!
10. Baseball, golf ball, rubber ball….
11. Night light
12. Christmas ornament – home-made or store-bought
13. Unique kitchen gadget like an egg slicer, grapefruit spoon, garlic press, etc.
14. Deck of cards – search for one with unusual artwork
15. Hair accessories
16. A book or magazine
17. Magnifying glass
18. Gum or penny candy – buy the stuff that takes you back to when you were a kid
19. Potpourri – create your own easy sachet by placing pot potpourri in a lace handkerchief, gather the kerchief and tie with a silk ribbon
20. Novelty shoelaces
21. Stamp pad and stamps
22. Batteries
23. Decorative wine stopper
24. Journal or diary
25. Modeling clay
26. Scarf – hand-knit or purchase in a store – you can add your own personal touch to store bought by stitching on ribbon, bows, buttons or beads
27. Yo-yo
28. Home made cookies
29. Wallet or business card holder
30. Travel games
31. Coupons for fast food, or admission to museums or other attractions
32. Underwear or socks – be racy or pedestrian, your choice
33. Candles – and there are so many to choose from
34. Slinky
35. Popcorn seasoning or spices
36. Nail polish
37. Toothbrush
38. Travel size toiletries
39. Packets of flavored hot chocolate or cider mix
40. Die cast metal car
41. Stationary or note cards
42. Bath beads, bubble bath or scented soap – make your own or go shopping
43. A copy of the gift recipient’s favorite recipe – you can add some of the ingredients, too
44. Stickers
45. Pencil or pen – try a pen with purple ink, a giant pencil, a fountain pen, a twig pencil, etc.
46. Desk or wall calendar
47. Keychain
48. Soap dish
49. The hottest hot sauce you can find
50. Seeds – try heirloom seeds or native wildflower seeds
51. Fishing lures
52. Glasses case
53. Coloring book
54. Coasters
55. Incense
56. Paper pouches in novelty shapes
57. Craft supplies – paints, brushes, wooden cut-outs, embroidery thread, beads, doll heads, kits, etc.
58. House plant tools or decorative watering can
59. Sports water bottle
60. Vase
61. Mouse pad
62. Exercise bands or hand weights
63. Snow globe
64. Cold mask (the kind you store in the fridge and wrap around your face to relieve aches and stuffiness)
65. Travel mug
66. Photos of the gift recipient as a child
67. Christmas theme costume jewelry
68. A tool – hammer, screw driver, pliers, etc.
69. Harmonica
70. Sewing, knitting, woodworking, needlework patterns
71. Poster
72. Kaleidoscope
73. Decorative bottle opener or cork screw
74. Silly straws
75. Flashlight
76. Address book
77. Cedar balls for keeping closets and drawers fresh
78. Blank diskettes, cassettes, or CD’s
79. Piggy bank
80. Kite
81. Jar of homemade jam or syrup or canned fruit
82. Decorative tea towels or hand towels
83. Hand held calculator
84. Jigsaw puzzle or other puzzle game
85. Gift cards for coffee
86. Small wooden trinket box
87. Small stuffed toy
88. Napkin rings
89. Model airplane kit
90. Personal radio
91. Sidewalk chalk
92. Personalized birth chart
93. Thermal lunch bag
94. Sheet music
95. Film for the gift recipient’s camera
96. Gift certificate for fresh flowers
97. Paperweight
98. Fridge magnets
99. Travel maps
100. Long distance calling card
101. Bird feeder

The above list was taken from Craft Central Station.

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If you’re anything like me, the Christmas holiday preparations have a way of sneaking up on you. Perhaps you have found yourself in some rather humorous situations that you care not to repeat. In an effort to help everyone out, I have started a list of some “Holiday Don’ts.” Feel free to share some of your own.

Some of these are from personal experience while some are hilarious stories I came across online. And, no, I will not embarrass myself by telling you which is which.

HOLIDAY DON’TS:

• Don’t wait until the day of your holiday dinner to thaw your turkey. Turkeys do not thaw well in microwaves and often don’t fit at all.
• Don’t wait forever to take your real tree down! Do you know what happens when you take down a real Christmas tree around February or March? When you move it, all the dried up pine needles fall off, long before you get to the door. Pine needles impaled into the carpet cannot be vacuumed and you’ll be picking them all up by hand.
• Don’t go shopping for gifts without first having someone else double check your list or available bank balance or you may end up not having enough money for food.
• Don’t mail all your Christmas presents ahead of time before you fly to your in-laws for the holidays. Something could happen at the last minute causing your flight plans to be changed and you spending a ton of money getting all those gifts mailed back home where they started.
• Don’t decide to move an already decorated tree across the living room because it might look better in a different spot. If you do try to attempt such a feat, you may hear the tree crack in half while you are still under it and terrible, terrible things can happen in that moment.
• Don’t ever hide Christmas presents in black garbage bags or they may actually be mistaken for garbage, and you will not be singing Christmas carols as you are attempting to chase down the neighborhood garbage truck.
• Don’t feel so ambitious that you decide after Thanksgiving to hand paint all your Christmas gifts, especially if you are a procrastinator and nine months pregnant. You will end up exhausted and frustrated when you’re juggling a nursing baby in one hand and a paintbrush in the other.
• Don’t forget to wrap your presents ahead of time because you may forget some of your gifts and try to sneak some already opened gift bags to wrap your presents in. Someone will definitely notice and you’ll never live it down.

Finally, DON’T forget what the Christmas season is all about. Don’t take for granted the time you have with your family because not even the perfect gift, the perfect meal, and the perfect decorations will matter in eternity.

Here’s one for you: Don’t ever try and get tricky by putting numbers on your packages instead of names. I’ve been told that it’s much too easy to get them mixed up.

The recipient really doesn’t appreciate having to give away their gift once they’ve opened it. The element of trying to keep gifts a surprise until the very end can definitely backfire. Ask me how I know!

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Christmas morning is such an exciting time for children of all ages. The gifts have been bought or made, they are wrapped in beautiful paper  and bows (often during the wee hours of Christmas morning), and the waiting is finally over!

Children, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all hurry to enjoy this special time of gift exchanging.

Ever since our first child was four or five, we have emphasized the spirit of giving on Christmas Day. By the time they are this age, they have been able to make a special present for Mom or Dad, or even had some spending money they had earned in preparation for this day.

Something we have found that has helped to teach our children about giving on Christmas Day, rather than getting, was to have them give the gifts they had made or purchased. Here’s how we do this at our house:

Once we are all gathered by the tree, we sit in a circle of some sort–whether it be in a chair, on the couch, or on the floor. This is simply to help everyone be able to see each other as we enjoy this time of sharing.

Then we start at some point in the circle, have that person give a present to someone on their gift list. After the recipient receives their gift, we all enjoy watching them open their treasure. As the gift is being opened, we often hear of a story or occurrence that happened to cause this particular gift to be given to the recipient. This is usually my favorite part of our family time together as I enjoy hearing from the gift-giver’s heart.

Now it’s time for the next present. The person who just opened a gift then finds a gift they got for someone else. (Later on this will usually be someone who hasn’t opened a gift yet, or hasn’t opened one for a long time.) The gift is given, the story is shared, and then the person who just opened a gift, finds a gift they bought or made for someone else.

After awhile, the children will run out of gifts to give, so it is up to Mom and Dad to finish giving away any remaining gifts. And on and on it goes–for several hours actually. Hours, you say? Yes, hours. We’ve grown in size over the years as most families have. With five children, five grandchildren, spouses, and a grandmother, it takes us a while to have fun!

You see, I’ve been involved in many family gatherings where the presents are passed out, a signal is given, and everybody rips into the wrapping paper. This has always been frustrating to me–partly because it’s hard for me to take in everything everyone got, plus I believe it puts the emphasis on “what did I get” rather than “what did I give.”

Feel free to disagree with me on this one; however, after waiting 365 days for this moment, what’s the big hurry anyway?

Now, you ought to see us all tear into our stockings! That’s a whole ‘nother matter indeed!

.

This is definitely something I’ve passed on to my kids. I think it’s really important. Even if the gift-giver isn’t giving a gift that is actually from them, the simple act of placing a gift in someone else’s hands shifts the focus to where it needs to be.

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