25 Days of Giveaways!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
That's why I'm devoting December to you
Every day from December 1 to December 25
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Each morning
I'm so excited to capture new ideas for making the most of the holidays! I hope you are
So let's get started!
Our family routinely decorates our home for Christmas the Saturday after Thanksgiving (except this year we'll actually be doing it this coming weekend). The first thing we do is put on Christmas music. Mark and the kids set up the tree (artificial because of our allergies). I tend to be in charge of decorating the rest of the house while they decorate the tree. It usually takes several hours until we're done and have all the boxes put away. Then we make some hot chocolate, turn off the house lights, and enjoy just the Christmas tree lights.
What traditions do you and your family have for decorating for Christmas? Do you have any suggestions for fun traditions to start? You can share on this topic until Wednesday, Dec 2 at midnight (make sure you include your email address so I can contact you if your name is drawn). I'll draw a winner on Thursday. (If you are reading this later in the month, click here for the current discussion.)
If you choose to additionally enter the giveaway by blogging, twittering, subscribing, or getting a friend to subscribe, send an email to jillsavagegiveaway (at) yahoo.com stating how you shared the giveaway today!
Today's giveaway is the brand new Hearts at Home Mom's Prayer Journal. Just released a couple of weeks ago, this resource is designed to help you keep track of your prayers and the answers God gives! This new resource might be the perfect gift for a special friend, sister, sister-in-law, or a new mom!
I can't wait to hear all about your decorating traditions!
December 1, 2009 12:54 AM
We all get the tree "in place." Dad puts the lights on with the kids help. Then the kids finish decorating with ornaments. Mom takes the other decorations out to put on the mantle and other places.
Chantel M
December 1, 2009 7:29 AM
We have a few wonderful traditions. During the weekend after Christmas we go and cut down a tree. This involves my Mom and Dad, brother and sister and their kids & my family. There are 11 kids running around at the tree farm trying to pick out thier favorite tree. It is a nice way to kick off the holiday together.
Then we get the tree home and usually chaos reigns. My children are 8, 6, 3 and 9 months. And the older 3 love to pull out the ornaments and other things and put them all over the house. My husband hides in the basement unless it gets too rowdy and then grabs some kids to hide with him.
This year he broke our tradition and decided to be the talker/gopher. SO while the kids and I set out the stuff he handed out hot cocoa, helped make the tree straight, fixed a few things, and kept everything to a dull roar. I am still glowing from the wonderful family time we had last weekend, and so is he.
December 1, 2009 7:48 AM
While I was growing up (w/ 3 sisters) we all read the American Girl books. Kirsten was a Swedish imigrant and her family celebrated St. Lucia day on the 13th of Dec. The eldest daughter (me) wears a white gown and a crown of evergreen w/ candles and serves everyone a special breakfast. Then we spent the day decorating together. It was really neat. If you want more info on St. Lucia Day just google it or read the Kirsten Christmas book. ;-)
December 1, 2009 8:11 AM
We always go and cut down the tree.... and then, make homemade chocolate chip cookies while we decorate!
December 1, 2009 8:30 AM
Normally, we set up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Last year we started the tradition of putting up the Christmas tree, letting the kids (2,3,5 this year:)) put the ornaments on (yes, they all hang at their eye level), and then having a sleepover under the tree (lights on of course) together as a family. The kids LOVED it:)! This year, we are between homes, so we decorated it on Sunday at my parents and plan to do our annual sleepover this coming Friday night, together with popcorn and a Christmas movie. We also put up our Jesse Advent Tree, ready to hang ornaments each day from Dec. 1-25 that follow devotions for the kids and adults. The kids love this tradition also.
Mary; mary.gerig@hotmail.com
December 1, 2009 8:46 AM
We usually put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. But, this year we were early! We put the tree up together as as family. Each year, I buy the kids a new Precious Moments ornament to put on the tree. I try to get an ornament that reminds me of something that happened that year. It is really nice to look back at the ornaments from previous years and remember special memories.
jen99lynn1@yahoo.com
December 1, 2009 9:17 AM
After my husband puts up the tree (artificial), I do the lights and then the kids and hubby join me for the ornaments. We always tell stories about where they came from, whose they are, etc. And we have Christmas music playing and usually drink hot chocolate when we're finished, too!
December 1, 2009 9:26 AM
We usually put our tree up the Friday after Thanksgiving. Then we have pizza for dinner and watch a family Christmas movie and eat popcorn. kevkim@tds.net
December 1, 2009 9:32 AM
December 1, 2009 9:33 AM
One thing that has become a tradition in our home is having our own Advent Wreath. Each night before bed the kids light the candle(s) and we read a Christmas story, some scripture or some sort of a Christmas devotion. On Christmas Morning before we do anything else we light all of the candles and the much anticipated Christ Candle and we let all the candles burn down while we open our gifts. I've also been getting together with my BFF for many years to bake together. Our husbands watch football, our kids play and we bake bake bake....then we share all the treats between the two of us for more variety!
beckybutterfield@hotmail.com
December 1, 2009 9:34 AM
December 1, 2009 9:40 AM
Our decorating traditions are pretty simple. I put together our tree and arrange the limbs. Then my hubby puts on the lights. Then my kids and I put on the ornaments - the star on top is last, of course. We listen to Christmas music while we decorate. After the Star is on top we turn on the lights.
With a toddler running around (literally!) my decorations are very simple this year. I've chosen to only use our small table top tree to reduce the risk and temptation for my littlest guy. My kids don't seem to mind. Every morning they turn on the tree lights and are playing with our Little People Nativity Set.
December 1, 2009 9:42 AM
The kids and I put up the tree. They love hanging up their "first Christmas" ornaments, ones we have given them, and ornaments from trips we have taken. They always ask me about them and I get to tell the story behind them.
December 1, 2009 9:59 AM
We get a real tree every year as it a tradition with my husband's family. We like to decorate the first weekend in December, as we spend Thanksgiving weekend at my mother-in-law's in Decatur, IL helping her decorate her house and tree (she is 80 and a widow). My kids (11 & 10) love to help her get all of her decorations out (and she has many!). Then back home in Brownsburg, IN we decorate during the following week and weekend. I have been a blog subscriber for some time, and love your messages! Have a wonderful day. Cathy D. (cathy11698@sbcglobal.net)
December 1, 2009 10:15 AM
Typically, our Christmas decoration tradition has started on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. My sweet husband drags down the red and green rubbermaid totes and he and the kids tackle the tree while I decorate the rest of the house. We bake goodies, play music and are exhausted by the end of the day. This year, however, we have not even thought about our decorations. My dining room is full of Ebay auction stuff as I have 18 auctions online currently. I just cannot bear to bring down the stuff until that room is cleared out! So I guess about December 15, we'll manage to get it all down! :)
December 1, 2009 10:30 AM
Although I love to put up the Christmas tree and decorate every year but, I have had to cut back and become more kid-friendly. I find putting up the Christmas tree a little stressful with 3 little boys 6, 4, and 8 months. We are looking forward to our LEGO advent calendar, Playmobil Nativity set and also baking Christmas cookies.
Stephanie (stephanieober@sbcglobal.net)
December 1, 2009 10:42 AM
I have a very young family, a 22 month old and a 2 month old, so this is the first year that my 22 month old has been able to help out. Normally it's just me that does the decorating, but this year my 22 month old got to help me. We put on some Christmas music and he helped me put the branches in their piles before we started to "build" our tree.
My husband and I find a new ornament each year that reminds us of something big we did that year. It was fun this year showing our sons our ornaments from the past.
saw29bugz@yahoo.com
December 1, 2009 10:52 AM
Each year our children make a chain out of constuction paper, that counts down until Jesus' Birthday. We write on each one who we will pray for that day. We let them decide the 25 names. They choose: Soldiers, our Pastor, family, friends, the dog, the sick. Anyone they think that needs to be prayed for during the holidays. season.
December 1, 2009 11:09 AM
While we decorate our tree we sip hot cocoa with candy canes in it and redi whip on top. The candy canes melt and turn into funny shapes. The kids love it--5 to 12 years old. :)
Once the tree is up, we let the kids sleep by it that very first night. They look forward to this all year long.
doozer@fastmail.fm
Nancy
December 1, 2009 11:39 AM
We have several family traditions, and since our son is only 4, we seem to be adding more traditions each year:) We start by cutting down a tree as a family. This year our son actually helped with the sawing! Then, my husband is in charge of the lights, both on the tree and outside, while I do the rest of the decorating.
We also make some of the same cookies each year. My husband always asks for those cookies with the Hersheys kiss in the middle. My son want gingerbread cookies this year. He's never tried them, but has heard about them.
We also keep Christmas morning protected. We don't plan to go anywhere and we don't invite anyone over. That way, we can share the Christmas story, have a nice family breakfast and allow our son to enjoy his new toys before having to get in the car and go somewhere.
Finally, and most important, we read from a book every night before bed to celebrate Advent. The book we are using now is "The Advent Book" by Jack and Kathy Stockman, which is short and great for the 4-year old's attention span.
Merry Christmas to everyone! troybarbumland@sbcglobal.net
December 1, 2009 11:45 AM
We always do it right after Thanksgiving as well. We go together to get a tree and put all the ornaments on talking about where each came from (we have them from our travels since we travel and move a lot). The boys like seeing ornaments from them growing up as well.
December 1, 2009 1:34 PM
One tradition we enjoy is a unique puzzle-like advent calendar of a nativity scene that we purchased from Ten Thousand Villages. The wooden board stands up like a picture frame and there are raised, numbered pegs that a piece hangs on, one for each day. By Christmas the manger is full, and it is the centerpiece for our table.
December 1, 2009 1:44 PM
One of our traditions is cutting down our Christmas tree. The boys love doing this. Why? Because it is our family tradition and an adventure that we all do together. And putting up the Christmas tree has a 'magical' feel that we love at Christmas time. After we pick out our tree and cut it and haul it back to the barn to be shaken, we all sit around a picnic table drinking hot chocolate. We live in Michigan and some years it is unseasonably warm (50 degrees) and some years it is snowy and cold. But it doesn't matter because what matters to us is that we are doing this together - going on an adventure.
It was a tradition my mother started after the divorce when I was a kid. We lived in Cincinnati and to cut down your own tree you had to drive about an hour north. My mom packed up my brothers, the dog and me and we headed north. When we got there it really felt like an adventure for us - especially doing it without a 'man' to help. To me it felt like the four of us could accomplish anything as long as we were working together.
After we got the tree secured to the roof of our car, we would begin our drive home. The first year, we stopped at a McDonald's for lunch and every year after that my brothers and I insisted we stop at the same McDonalds...."because it's tradition" we would inform my mom.
My husband, boy and I have other traditions we do together as a family during this Christmas season - some more meaningful to the season than this. But somehow this is always the most memorable tradition to me.
December 1, 2009 1:44 PM
The kids help my husband decorate the outside , I make them hot chocolate when they come in. Then the kids and I hang up all the indoor decorations, while my husband puts lights on the tree, then the kids and I finish the tree. Later in the week we make cookies and candies for all the baskets we make for family and friends...all while listening to Christmas music.
December 1, 2009 2:29 PM
We always get out our homemade Advent wreath first so my husband can sing "Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel", next is the kid's manger scene and Christmas books so they can stay busy while I put everything else out. The tree comes closer to Christmas. jessswetz@gmail.com
December 1, 2009 4:18 PM
We always decorate early December (usually the first saturday, but not this year since dave & I will be away for our 10th anniversary). Similair to you ... we turn up the chrissy carols & then decorate away while dancing to the music. Everyone gets in on the decorating from the smallest to the biggest - we're not after perfection, just that everyone has a wonderful time. I do however reserve the right to put up some glass chrismas baubles I was given for my first christmas from my Aunty. Even with me doing it inevitably one seems to get broken each year (still the fact that this is their 30th year is good). email: sunnyside99@bigpond.com.au
December 1, 2009 4:37 PM
We, too, put up decorations the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Dad and oldest son set up the artificial tree with lights, daughter and I bake gingersnap cookies, we feast while decorating the tree. This year, oldest son and friend visiting for Thanksgiving (he's in the Air Force and far from home) put up outside lights and bows. And we do Advent devotional each Sunday evening after church. Merry Christmas!
Lisa
Bitterroot98@yahoo.com
December 1, 2009 5:20 PM
During decorating when we put out the nativity scene we don't put the baby Jesus in the manger. We talk about how Mary was "great with Child" and getting ready to give birth.
On Christmas Eve we remind them that Mary is very close to delivering the Christ Child. On Christmas morning the boys all run to the manger to see baby Jesus on his first Christmas morn. Sometimes they'll sing Happy Birthday to him.
Susan
susanden@windstream.net
December 1, 2009 5:47 PM
I buy a new nativity every year (after Christmas sale) so the first thing I do is set up nativities all over the house. I love it! we've been married 5 years, have a 2 year old and spend Christmas away from home so decorating isn't done as much as I'd like. Last year we didn't even decorate at all. (because of a 1 year old). Next year we will start staying home and I plan to go all out. This year we will do a tree and our Nativities. When we do decorate it ALWAYS includes Christmas music and cocoa;o)
Tawnda
dr_tawnda@yahoo.com
Tawnda
dr_tawnda@yahoo.com
December 1, 2009 8:50 PM
We all help as a family decorate the tree and we always have Christmas music playing. One of our boys always gets to put the star on top of the tree. We all have a great time hanging the oranaments on the tree together. We love Christmas!
December 1, 2009 9:16 PM
We do the typical decorating, too, but one of my favorite Christmas traditions is my husband's decorating of our grey beech tree outside. He wraps the lights around individual branches, all the way up the limbs (to like, 30 feet in the air) on at least 30 different limbs of the tree. They spread out all over, and you can literally see them from all over (almost my entire, very small) town! It is so cool--wish I had a picture to submit. Of all the things we do, that is my favorite! It will be happening this week :).
Also, for an extra entry: I do already subscribe to your blog via my google reader.
Thanks Jill...what an awesome giveaway idea for the month!
Devin
devdev@sbcglobal.net
December 1, 2009 9:28 PM
We don't have a set day we get our tree. We go together to choose a real tree. We plan to go this coming Saturday. Then we turn on the Christmas music and pull out the boxes of decorations. I have certain ones I look for each year that I like to hang. Sometimes we decorate with lights outside, we haven't yet this year. I have various Christmas items like bells and candles I put out around the house too. I have a Precious Moments Nativity that I like to put out with my son too.
December 1, 2009 10:29 PM
We do all of our decorating the first thing when we wake up the day after Thanksgiving. We take all the Autumn decorations down, put them away and then bring out the Christmas items. I like doing this because we enjoy them for the entire season. We started this because it seemed we would just push it off to a "better" day and then it got done so late and it was time to put them away before you knew it. We get a real tree so that is something we do a little later in the season.
December 1, 2009 10:45 PM
We put up a manger instead of a Christmas tree. It's actually more like a small stable house with manger in it. We decorate it just like a tree - with lights and ornaments. The kids love to talk about each ornament as they grab it and hang it up. The three kids use to fit inside it and sleep in it on Christmas Eve...since they are bigger now, they just sleep around it :) People sometimes think we are "anti-tree", but we just wanted to help us focus more on the birth of Christ and this was one way we could do so. We also have advent boxes that a friend made for us when the kids were little. Every night, one of the kids opens it (and there's a little something in there for the kids), reads the scripture, and chooses someone to pray for. We send notes to those that we have prayed for as well.
Deb Strom, Princeton (briandstrom@yahoo.com)
December 1, 2009 10:45 PM
We do a lot of the normal traditions but one of my favorites is giving the kids new p.j.'s on Christmas Eve. It began with one baby and now that baby is 8 and there are 3 more following. What I love is that they love it so much, it's a fun way to see my big boys be young as they are delighted about footy pajamas. They use them all year and it's a special way to give something you'd need to buy eventually. Sometimes it's fancy boutique homemade flannel gowns, and sometimes it's polyester second hand Cars p.j.'s. It's always a highlight.
Briana in OR
bbranchflower@comcast.net
December 2, 2009 3:11 AM
Our tradition is to go together to the tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree. When we get home, my husband gets it set up it it's stand, and then I put on the white lights and garlands. We play Christmas music as well. Then the kids get to decorate the tree and we usually do a devotion about the Christmas tree from Lisa Whelchel's book, "The ADVENTure of Christmas" and have hot chocolate. Then we turn out all the house lights and enjoy the beautiful tree!
This year we're moving on January 1st to a different house, so the rest of our decorating will be very simple. I'll probably just do the mantle with greenery from outside like fir, cedar,and holly and maybe some lights.
Does anyone else hang mistletoe above the door frame? We usually do this and for us it's just a good excuse to catch my husband or kids under there for a kiss!
Thanks for doing these giveaways Jill! That's a fun idea for Christmas. :)
Jenn
houseofstone@telus.net
December 2, 2009 8:44 AM
Just subscribed!
jen99lynn1@yahoo.com
December 2, 2009 9:23 AM
Each year we decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving!! We have 3 fake trees that we put up in various places around the house, but we also go to a local tree far as family with my in-laws to pick out and cut down a real tree for the maing living room. Then we bring it home and decorate it while drinking hot cocoa. They we usually sleep by the tree the first night while watching christmas shows on tv.
Stacy (jhertz@mchsi.com)
December 2, 2009 10:02 AM
We really don't have any traditions for decorating because we often travel to visit family, so our home decorating is minimal. Our "decorating" tradition is making cut outs and frosting them as a family!! :)
parresia03 (at) gmail (dot) com
December 2, 2009 10:03 AM
I am subscribed!!
parresia03 (at) gmail (dot) com
December 2, 2009 12:58 PM
When I was a kid my mom and I always listened to Christmas music and drank homemade hot chocolate while decorating the tree and house. There were certain "special" ornaments that I could put anywhere I wanted.
Now, my son and I enjoy decorating together. Trying to come up with some traditions for us. He will be 3 in January. :)
rachel76x@yahoo.com
December 2, 2009 3:48 PM
We just usually try to get everything up as quickly as possible. This year has been hard because it's our first Christmas without my mom. And when we were decorating, we heard about the Lakewood police officers. My husband is a police officer 2 hours south of Lakewood, WA. It's been tough, but we're getting through.
December 2, 2009 10:18 PM
When it's time to decorate the tree, we pop some popcorn, turn up the Christmas music, and get to work! It's always fun to unwrap each ornament and remember where or from whom we got it. The first year we were married, I made a bunch of ornaments. We've also tried to purchase an ornament each place to which we've travelled. There are ornaments from my former students. We have special ornaments from family and friends. A couple of years ago, our oldest began making up her own "history" of different ornaments so that she could play along with the game. The girls definitely enjoy hanging the ornaments, but they probably love munching on popcorn best!
December 3, 2009 2:18 PM
My son and I watch a Christmas movie every nite until Christmas and we also listen to Christmas music all the time
darijavan@hotmail.com
December 19, 2009 9:54 AM
We always go cut a tree and then decorate it together as a family. Christmas doesn't really begin until we have done this tradition!