Can you believe we are not even through Halloween and stores are all decked out for Christmas.  Yes, I typed Christmas.  I believe in Christmas and that is what  I am standing firm on.  December 25 is a day to celebrate Christ’s birth.  I think of the holiday season as the whole month of December but the 25th is His birthday, Christmas.   No political correctness here! 

I thought it would be fun to share how we celebrate the Christmas season.  How do you keep it stress free (can we do that)?  What cookies do you make? What is your favorite Christmas song?  Do you have a favorite memory of a toy or game?   These are some things I am going to be blogging about in the coming weeks.  First,  I want to share some tips I have collected over the years.  I attend the  Hearts at Home conferences and have heard fantastic speakers.  Karen Ehman is so much fun, practical and humorous.  She has several books out.  She has a class about  having a Blessed not Stressed holiday.  Here is what she suggests:

S:  Don’t seek to have the perfect Christmas season.  Have a memorable one.  Don’t worry if your home is perfect, the food is perfect or you are holding to tradition.  This will cause stress!

T:  Try not to do it all.  You don’t have to do all the Christmas traditions in one year.  If you have many spread them out.  Pick the ones that will work for you and your family in this season of life.

R:  Don’t REPEAT mistakes of the past.  Figure out what stresses you out and avoid it.  If it is baking cookies from scratch, don’t.  Make some that are semi-homemade.  If it is getting all your shopping done in one weekend, spread out your time.  Enjoy life!  We only get one!

E:  Evaluate your Christmas season by not comparing yourself to others.  Look  God in your own celebration.  All families are different.  Take the ideas from your friends and family and pick ones that work for you.  Don’t feel guilty about this.  Your family is it’s own unique identity!

S:  Set no agenda according to your kids.  The Christmas season doesn’t revolve around them.  The holidays are to expose them to those who are less fortunate.  Take this opportunity to plant some seeds of compassion, kindness, and giving. 

S:  Start off the season with a plan.  Without a plan you will fail.  Your holidays will go by in a blurr and you will be stressed out!  Plan out your holiday budget!!  This is so important.  Don’t allow your family to become stressed out due to overspending.  It is so easy to do!   Sit down with your calender and plan out shopping days, a few nights to write out Christmas cards while watching a fun Christmas movie, plan your menu and start picking things up here and there at the store (this will help your budget), plan a weekend to put up your Christmas tree and lights.   Plan fun time, go see Christmas lights, go to a local church for a Christmas play, have fun in the snow, bake cookies, read the Christmas story (Luke 2). 

These tips and ideas have helped me through the years to have a less stressed Christmas.  I tended to think that I had to be doing everything that my friends families where doing.  It left me so overwhelmed.  I went to this class with Karen Ehman and a light bulb went off.  I was free from all the “have to’s”  My Christmas’ are so much more enjoyable now.  

Next we will talk about how to bless…I hope you join me!!  I truly believe we can learn from one another.

The air is crisp, leaves are changing colors and falling and fall is in the air.  There is just something about this time of year.  It starts getting darker earlier and I have to say that I love it.  By this time in the year I am ready to slow down and spend some time in the evening relaxing. 

I wanted to share some ideas I have come across for making your home comfy and warm this autumn season.

1.  Decorate your home.  Pumpkins, acorns, pine cones, and leaves strategically placed through your home gives it that cozy feeling.  It also creates an atmosphere that says welcome.   Candle light is always a favorite.  Place a candle in the center of your table and light them at dinner.  It is calming.  You can use coffee beans or ground unmade coffee to help hold candles.  If you have a mantel (we will in our next home and I am so stinking excited)  decorate it with mini lights and all kinds of fall decor.  There are tons of photo’s on the Internet that can give you ideas. 

2.  Get together your favorite recipes, sit down at the table and plan your menu’s.  Pick out old and new tasty creations to try.  Invite some friends over for coffee, hot tea, or cider and swap recipes.  What a great time to catch up and fill your recipe bin.  Stews, casseroles, roasted veggies, pumpkin crunch, homemade apple butter, main courses and hearty breakfasts.  Fill up those recipe books. 

3.  It is time to clean out the freezer and fridge so you will have room to make and store meals, holiday cookies, and homemade gifts.  Also remember to clean out that pantry.  Look at expiration dates and half used bags of rice, cornmeal, flour and such. 

4.  Stock up.   When you go to the grocery pick up a few  items that you know you will be using this holiday season.  This helps keep your budget in check because you are not spending your entire grocery allowance on baking and cooking items.  Pumpkin, spices, apples, hot chocolate, cranberry sauce, flour, cooking spray, chocolate chips.  Start picking up plastic containers and ziploc bags too. 

5.  Go through closets and donate unwanted items.  There is always someone that can use something.  Coats, mittens, scarves, snow boots…look at what you have, what you don’t need and think of someone to bless with it. 

6.  Look for pumpkin patches and apple orchards in your home town.  These are great day trips.  I know that the pumpkin patches in our town offer hay rides, greenhouses, homemade goodies, some have petting zoo and than everyone gets to pick their own pumpkin.  I have heard that we have a great apple orchard that makes fresh, hot apple fritters on Saturdays.  Yum Yum

7.  Count your blessings daily!!  Remember to look at each day as a gift.  In some way or another we are all blessed.  Pray that God shows you how you can bless others.  Cultivate a thankful heart.  Each day write down 2-3 things your are thankful for.  It could be as simple as the crisp morning air.  The beautiful sunset.  Stop and be aware of your blessing and praise Jesus for what he has done. 

Hopefully you have some ideas to get your home in order so you can enjoy and relax this holiday season.  My next post is going to start a series of posts about the ways we can create a fun, creative, peacefull and memoriable  holiday season.  I really want to learn from one another and so please feel free to post ideas, recipes, thoughts.

I have been ill for the past few days…sinus infection.  I lost my voice and felt terrible.  I am feeling better but the voice comes and goes.  Phoebe had to go and get her flu shot.  Let me sum it up in one word…drama.  I didn’t tell her because I knew she would freak out.  So we were out running some errands prior to the appointment and she asked me if she needed to get her flu shot.  I told her she did, now mind you we were pulling into the doctors building complex, she than asked when.  Without hesitating I said “now”  whew..that did it, she started screaming ‘NO NO NO”  I told her she would be fine, she is a brave girl.  Well, she did fine and received tons of stickers, a pencil and notepad. 

I am doing the Beth Moore Esther study again and having a blast.  I didn’t get a new workbook because I only got to Ch. 6 in the other study group.  It is neat to see how much my answers are different and how many remained the same.  I am doing the answers in red ink for this study so I will know the difference.  I love my small group.  Very feisty bunch of gals.  We are enjoying getting to know one another. 

Natalie’s health is great.  Praise Jesus!!  By this time in years past she has had pneumonia and missed tons of school.  By God’s grace she has been healthy and safe from flu.  We have had some good friends children come down with the H1N1 virus.  Pray that God would bind this virus and wipe it out!!  We know he has the power to do this. 

Let me tell you how much I am enjoying stampin.  I received my supplies from Stampin Up.  I got some paper and ink spots.  The ink spots are the cutest things.  They allow you to have a variety of colors.  I have learned from my stampin mentor to make these adorable boxes.  Okay, stampin has evolved into so much more than from what it was when I was introduced to it back in 2001.  We have found a delightful stampin up demonstrator that is new to the area and going to host workshops.  Can’t wait for the first one.  I just love seeing every one’s creativity.  Plus playing with all the gadgets. 

I am starting to think about Christmas.  I know, I know, it is only October.  I want this Christmas season to be different.  I say that every year but this year I am standing firm.  I truly believe we are in a crucial state on the kingdom calendar.  I want my kids to really understand what Christmas is all about.  I want them to understand what it means to “serve others.”  I want to be simple but powerful about teaching them the true meaning of Christmas.  So, I am calling all friends.  Tell me some of the things you do with your families to make Christmas memorable.  I know for us we put up our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.  We attend all Christmas activities at our Church.  We are planning on going to the Bethlehem Blessings at the Creation Museum and the Festival of Lights at our local zoo.  We also started last year this fun tradition.  You cut strips of yellow and brown paper.  Find a basket.  Each day leading up to Christmas you allow each of your children to place a strip of “hay” in the crib for Jesus.  Than on Christmas morning the family awakes to a baby laying in the “crib.”  It is a fun way to countdown.  You could even write a memory or prayer on the strips of paper.   I am wanting to invest this year in an Advent wreath and really focus on that.  I think Phoebe is old enough that we can talk about it on her level and she will get it.  So come on, let’s share as we are getting our minds ready for the Christmas season.

Things  have been busy and I am praying that October is calmer.  AH, October is finally here.  I love the fall.  It is my absolute  favorite.  When fall comes it gives me permission to relax a bit.  Colder weather, casseroles, apple anything, leaves falling, pumpkins, crisp mornings and evenings…bring it on!! 

Phoebe had her friend birthday party and had a blast.  Here are some photos,

Natalie, life of the party

decorating empty pizza boxes to keep treasures in

making a wish

Phoebe had so much fun with her friends and she is enjoying playing the games and crafts she received.

This past weekend Elliott and I celebrated 11 years of marriage.  We went to the Creation Museum.  This is a breathtaking place and I encourage you to go. It is operated by Answers in Genesis, a bible based foundation.   I know that the prices are a deterrent,  but trust me, you will be blessed!  It is such an incredible experience.  They have 3 movies you can see based on the great flood, creation and why we need Christ, a planetarium, that is remarkable,  gardens that are beautiful with waterfalls, a swaying bridge and babbling brooks.  There is a petting zoo with several different animals (the gardens and petting zoo are free).  You can pack a picnic lunch, there are picnic shelters throughout the gardens.  Side note, I believe you need at least 5 hours to go through.   Plus during the holiday season they offer a “walk through Bethlehem”  We cannot wait to take our family! 

After that we went to dinner and a movie.  It was nice to spend time together.  Marriage can be tough, but with Christ all things are possible.  We get bogged down in life and discouraged.  We look to our spouse to fill voids only Christ can fill.    We need to let him fill those voids, which in turn will change our outlook. 

I am loving stampin.  I have found my new “passion”.  It has allowed me to use my creativity.  Plus some of my dearest friends do it too and we all know that doing hobbies is better when done with friends.  It has also show me a way that I can bless others.  I love to encourage.  So to send a homemade card to someone,   to bless their day, that is what I enjoy doing.  I also enjoy getting them too.  Now, I am not brave enough to post any of my creations but in due time I will.  My stampin mentor is going to show me some techniques and tips, I am so excited.  This gal ROCKS at making cards.  One of those people that can look at an idea than turn around and make it.  She is good!  Inspiring and creative. 

So what are your hobbies or outlet?  How do you encourage others?  What brings you joy?