"Making it BIG - Keeping it Small"
I have absolutely the best memories of Christmases when I was a child. We didn't have a lot of money. We made a lot of our own decorations. I remember making the ornaments that were kind of like cookies, that weigh about 5 pounds each and trying to make them stay on the tree was always tricky. I remember sitting at our kitchen table with construction paper, glue, scissors and making garland for the tree. I remember not being able to wait to find out who got to arrange the nativity scene. Looking at the lights, any lights, brought on the feeling of fun and anticipation. I remember thinking even the red and green stop lights looked festive. Making cookies, tons of cookies when I was a bit older either with sisters or a friend, I roped into the merriment. All the preparation; that is my favorite part of Christmas. All the getting ready. Celebrating before the day of celebration.
Oh how I want to pass that on to my daughter. I read so much about cutting back on Christmas in the hopes that we will remember what this day is all about. It got me to thinking.
I want Christmas to be the biggest party my daughter ever knows. I want her to know every day, why we are making such a big fuss. Why all the decorations, cookie and candy making. Why do we work on cards and work on things for loved ones? Why do we have people over and have hot chocolate in the afternoon while we look at our decorations? Why all this?
Its a Celebration !
Celebrate Jesus' birthday! Celebrate more than you celebrate theirs or yours. Make the biggest deal out of it that you can. Talk daily about Jesus's birthday and His precious gift of coming to earth. Tell them the celebration of lights, fun, food are all because He gave everything to us. That ultimatetly He died for our sins. So that we one day could live in the place He left, to come and be that tiny baby.
Take the time away from the shopping for things, bring it home, make it at home. It doesn't have to be the best present your loved ones ever got, but it should be worked on, or thoughtful and definitely full of love.
You do not have to spend a ton of money to do this. We had little extra money for all the celebrating. Make the pre Christmas bigger than the presents of Christmas. Let the celebration be the biggest part of Christmas. Celebrate our Jesus with your little one all throughout this month.
Some ideas from my home and from homes of friends ...
Have your little ones make the cards you send out.
- Construction paper, water paints and a Merry Christmas stamp
- Construction paper, a pack of cheap Christmas stickers, type Merry Christmas on a computer in cool lettering and print out a page and print them out
Make a cake for Jesus' birthday and sing Happy Birthday to Him Christmas eve or Christmas day.
Get cookie cutters, cookie pan, glitter, glue, thick cardboard paper and string
- Use cookie cutters to trace stars, snowmen etc.
- Cut out images on the thicker paper
- Have your little one put dots, stripes of glue all over the images
- On the cookie sheet (!) have your little one sprinkle glitter
- Makes adorable ornaments
- Take them along with cookies to neighbors, nursing homes, teachers
- I promise that if these people have any heart at all they will love these more than the thing that cost you money and time to buy.
Spend an evening in search of the best Christmas lights. Score them on paper to see which you loved the best. Take (warm in a sippy cup or cup with a straw) hot chocolate and a cookie along. Play Christmas carols as you go.
Stop all the stressing! Stop trying to find the perfect Christmas presents! Stop all the after Christmas worrying about how to actually PAY for the Christmas you just had.
There is so much we can do in our homes, inexpensively that will show the neighbors, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles that they are loved and appreciated without bringing on the worry and stress.
Do you think that Christ is happy to see us making a stressful, expensive, grouchy, over tired, arguing over money with our spouses, yelling at the kids, day out of His Birthday?
I don't think so. Remember the sweetness of this precious day.
Humbly, tender and quietly to us He came. Not in a golden ruffled bed He lay.
Chilly and cool was the night, not in an abundant home full of warmth and light.
Only the angels brought word, not news papers, no commercials could be heard.
Lovely, heart felt, he came. Celebrate like you love Him, not the shopping game.
Make this Christmas monetarily small, don't stress because you can't buy it all.
His arrival was to be celebrated, only expensive gifts from kings were collected.
Don't step over your bounds at this time of year, do what you can, be full of cheer.
You're celebrating God and His son, No crown for best gift bought, will be won.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
I have absolutely the best memories of Christmases when I was a child. We didn't have a lot of money. We made a lot of our own decorations. I remember making the ornaments that were kind of like cookies, that weigh about 5 pounds each and trying to make them stay on the tree was always tricky. I remember sitting at our kitchen table with construction paper, glue, scissors and making garland for the tree. I remember not being able to wait to find out who got to arrange the nativity scene. Looking at the lights, any lights, brought on the feeling of fun and anticipation. I remember thinking even the red and green stop lights looked festive. Making cookies, tons of cookies when I was a bit older either with sisters or a friend, I roped into the merriment. All the preparation; that is my favorite part of Christmas. All the getting ready. Celebrating before the day of celebration.
Oh how I want to pass that on to my daughter. I read so much about cutting back on Christmas in the hopes that we will remember what this day is all about. It got me to thinking.
I want Christmas to be the biggest party my daughter ever knows. I want her to know every day, why we are making such a big fuss. Why all the decorations, cookie and candy making. Why do we work on cards and work on things for loved ones? Why do we have people over and have hot chocolate in the afternoon while we look at our decorations? Why all this?
Its a Celebration !
Celebrate Jesus' birthday! Celebrate more than you celebrate theirs or yours. Make the biggest deal out of it that you can. Talk daily about Jesus's birthday and His precious gift of coming to earth. Tell them the celebration of lights, fun, food are all because He gave everything to us. That ultimatetly He died for our sins. So that we one day could live in the place He left, to come and be that tiny baby.
Take the time away from the shopping for things, bring it home, make it at home. It doesn't have to be the best present your loved ones ever got, but it should be worked on, or thoughtful and definitely full of love.
You do not have to spend a ton of money to do this. We had little extra money for all the celebrating. Make the pre Christmas bigger than the presents of Christmas. Let the celebration be the biggest part of Christmas. Celebrate our Jesus with your little one all throughout this month.
Some ideas from my home and from homes of friends ...
Have your little ones make the cards you send out.
- Construction paper, water paints and a Merry Christmas stamp
- Construction paper, a pack of cheap Christmas stickers, type Merry Christmas on a computer in cool lettering and print out a page and print them out
Make a cake for Jesus' birthday and sing Happy Birthday to Him Christmas eve or Christmas day.
Get cookie cutters, cookie pan, glitter, glue, thick cardboard paper and string
- Use cookie cutters to trace stars, snowmen etc.
- Cut out images on the thicker paper
- Have your little one put dots, stripes of glue all over the images
- On the cookie sheet (!) have your little one sprinkle glitter
- Makes adorable ornaments
- Take them along with cookies to neighbors, nursing homes, teachers
- I promise that if these people have any heart at all they will love these more than the thing that cost you money and time to buy.
Spend an evening in search of the best Christmas lights. Score them on paper to see which you loved the best. Take (warm in a sippy cup or cup with a straw) hot chocolate and a cookie along. Play Christmas carols as you go.
Stop all the stressing! Stop trying to find the perfect Christmas presents! Stop all the after Christmas worrying about how to actually PAY for the Christmas you just had.
There is so much we can do in our homes, inexpensively that will show the neighbors, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles that they are loved and appreciated without bringing on the worry and stress.
Do you think that Christ is happy to see us making a stressful, expensive, grouchy, over tired, arguing over money with our spouses, yelling at the kids, day out of His Birthday?
I don't think so. Remember the sweetness of this precious day.
Humbly, tender and quietly to us He came. Not in a golden ruffled bed He lay.
Chilly and cool was the night, not in an abundant home full of warmth and light.
Only the angels brought word, not news papers, no commercials could be heard.
Lovely, heart felt, he came. Celebrate like you love Him, not the shopping game.
Make this Christmas monetarily small, don't stress because you can't buy it all.
His arrival was to be celebrated, only expensive gifts from kings were collected.
Don't step over your bounds at this time of year, do what you can, be full of cheer.
You're celebrating God and His son, No crown for best gift bought, will be won.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
1 comment:
Nice post...thank you for sharing...God bless you loves soraya
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