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Christmas Celebrations

Free Printable Christmas Advent Calendar

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Some children need visuals to help them count down to important days (such as this school year countdown printable Caroline designed a few years ago). This is a free printable Christmas Advent calendar you can use with your children this season to help them manage the important task of counting down to Christmas.The Countdown to Christmas advent calendar is full of cute and whimsical folksy pictures including a:gingerbread man polar bear snowman penguin fox bluebird angel home Christmas tree reindeer … [Read more...] about Free Printable Christmas Advent Calendar

Moving On from Christmas

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I never know when the moment will hit, but it always comes. There is something that happens that signals Christmas is over and it's time to put it all away. I sent out my newsletter on Wednesday and mentioned I was still happily in the Christmas mood. Then Thursday afternoon something switched and I knew we were done.I think it was the sunshine. It felt like it was time to clean and simplify from all the Christmas items. And once that thought hits, I have to act or I rapidly start to feel increasingly melancholy about it. So last evening … [Read more...] about Moving On from Christmas

Christmas Afterglow

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I tend to enjoy the time before Christmas more than the time afterwards. I always feel a bit sad when the presents are all open because the tree looks so empty with nothing underneath it. This year I'm making an effort to focus on enjoying the time between Christmas and Epiphany for what it is - an extension of a special time of year. I'm not sure when we'll take the tree and decorations down. We almost always have them up until New Year's Eve or Day. It depends on the year. (People were actually getting into heated discussions on Facebook … [Read more...] about Christmas Afterglow

A Real Honest-to-Goodness Blog Post at Christmastime about Nothing in Particular

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So after I said that I was going to try to return to doing more old-fashioned blogging, I found myself struggling to just DO it. It is HARD to break out of patterns of thinking and it feels foreign to just sit down and write a chatty post. I've become so accustomed to needing to have a BIG POINT and BIG TAKEAWAY that to write about this and that and the other thing feels odd.But here we are.So, chit chat from our life.We in the midst of that transition from child to young lady when it comes to Christmas presents. Last year I thought … [Read more...] about A Real Honest-to-Goodness Blog Post at Christmastime about Nothing in Particular

Keeping Christ in Christmas with Children

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In the hustle and bustle of shopping, wrapping gifts, sending cards and attending special events, it is easy for families to miss the entire point of Christmas – Christ himself. It's especially important to focus on keeping Christ in Christmas with children.Here are several simple ways to focus on Christ during this special season of the Christian year. These ideas include Nativity and Advent activities, music, puzzles, Christmas cards, and advent calendars. Nativity and Advent Activities Make or purchase an advent wreath to use each week … [Read more...] about Keeping Christ in Christmas with Children

I Am That Mom Who Doesn’t Do Santa

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We don't do Santa. It was a very deliberate choice. In fact, it was a choice David and I made before we ever had a child. For us, it came down to the exact same reason my parents did not do Santa with my brother and me when I was a little girl.It is lying. And we don't lie in our home. Period.Here is why I think doing Santa has the potential to cause significant problems. Anger and Betrayal Over Lying About Santa First, you don't truly know what kind of child you have until you are many years into the Santa scenario. I am SO THANKFUL … [Read more...] about I Am That Mom Who Doesn’t Do Santa

The Reality of Holiday Overwhelm for Highly Sensitive Children

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I'm a highly sensitive person with a highly sensitive child. I've written often about this topic and even have a page devoted to parenting a highly sensitive child on my site. (The idea of what it means to be highly sensitive is covered in the books The Highly Sensitive Person and The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them.)So the idea of the highly sensitive person is something I'm well aware of and deal with on a regular basis.But sometimes I forget how many adjustments we've made to our … [Read more...] about The Reality of Holiday Overwhelm for Highly Sensitive Children

Creating Meaningful Christmas Traditions

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Christmas is a time when each family enjoys its unique traditions. While some Christmas traditions are passed on from generation to generation, others are born out of a desire to do something new and meaningful.If you are looking for ways to create new Christmas traditions for your family, then you are in the right place. I've collected a variety of suggestions, ideas, products, and more that will help you create meaningful Christmas traditions for you and your loved ones. Christmas Traditions for Your Family Read aloud a Christmas book … [Read more...] about Creating Meaningful Christmas Traditions

4 Tips to Simplify Christmas Gift Giving

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There are seasons in everyone’s life when gift giving is made more challenging by a lack of time. Whether there is a new baby in the house, illness, travel or an overload at work, the task of shopping at a variety of stores over several days or even weeks is daunting.If you are having one of those years and need to simplify Christmas gift giving, here are some gift giving ideas design to streamline the process while still providing enjoyable gifts for everyone on your list. Get Organized The first step is to get organized. This means … [Read more...] about 4 Tips to Simplify Christmas Gift Giving

5 Tips for a Great Christmas Letter

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One of my favorite parts of Christmas is reading the personal notes and Christmas letters that come in the mail. I enjoy catching up with people I haven't seen in a long time. I started reflecting on what makes a great Christmas letter.The best Christmas letters are easy to read and contain memorable information. They are written well, get to the point, and look nice. Whether sent on their own or tucked in a Christmas card, the letter can be a fun part of the season. Here are what I think are the secrets to a great letter! Write It for the … [Read more...] about 5 Tips for a Great Christmas Letter

Saying “No” to Holiday Pressures

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So how were your holidays? Were they enjoyable? Meaningful? Special?Or were they (as Peggy called hers in a comment on another post) a "tightly-choreographed death march"?Did you and your family end up stressed, sick or burned out?Were you so busy doing the things you felt obligated to do that you didn't do the things that truly mean the most?Holidays often take on a life of their own. If there is any time of year that ramps up the obligation train, it is Christmas. But it can also be true of other holidays:Easter … [Read more...] about Saying “No” to Holiday Pressures

290+ Stocking Stuffer Ideas for All Ages {Free Printable Shopping Lists}

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Do you need Christmas stocking stuffer ideas? If so, you've come to the right place! And best of all, at the very end of this 290+ stocking stuffer ideas list is a link for a free printable of the entire list! You can print it off and take it with you wherever you do your Christmas shopping. (Or you can save yourself a ton of time and do it all online!)There is overlap on the lists, but I wanted each list to be complete by itself. That way, you can print off only the pages you need and skip the rest.Is there anything you would add to … [Read more...] about 290+ Stocking Stuffer Ideas for All Ages {Free Printable Shopping Lists}

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