Hymn

Hail, thou long expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free:
From our sins and fears release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of all the saints Thou art;
Long desired of ev'ry nation, Joy of ev'ry waiting heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Charles Wesley

Holiday Reads

I was thrilled to find this book at the library this afternoon and I think it will be a new favorite!
"The journey to simple living begins at home. And the first step is to throw out the idea that things can, or should, be perfect. The next step in creating a home that is both functional and restful and renewing is to invite God in. With prayer and reflection, anyone can bring a sense of peace and purpose to every room in the home."





from the cover:

"The December solstice is a turning point. For some it represents a time of darkness, the shortest day of the year. But for others this event--just a few days before Christmas--is about hope, renewal, and rebirth. In a story both deceptively simple and effortlessly complex, Rosamunde Pilcher brings together five very different people, ranging in age from the teens to the mid-sixties, each of whom must confront very different challenges or losses...but somehow the group proves greater than the sum of its ill-suited parts, and as the solstice passed and Christmas approaches, the healing power of love, even on the most troubled human spirit, begins to work its magic".

Time to invite my sweet hubby to get a fire going, brew some hot tea, grab my favorite fleece blanket and curl up for some inspiration!

What are you going to be reading this week?

Simple Solstice

I have been visiting many different blogs the past few weeks and my curiosity peaked when I kept noticing that many were reading books about the solstice or planning celebrations. I had never heard of this before and decided to do a little bit of research on it...and my heart was drawn anew to sweet Jesus coming to us in the darkness as the Light of the world.

In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it. There it was--the True Light coming into the world (the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light) that illumines every person. And to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in His name. John 1:4-5,9,12

For thousands of years, different cultures have held celebrations and festivals during the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the "shortest day of the year"...meaning the fewest hours of daylight and the longest night. If you are within 200 miles of the North Pole, it is complete darkness the whole time! These peoples had been afraid that the sun was leaving and may never return...meaning that all plants, all food, all life would perish. They began to realize that this time of solstice wasn't actually the end...it was actually the beginning of the days getting longer again. The sun from this day forward would blaze in its life-giving glory for longer and longer as the days went by. This was cause for celebration for even in the times of seeming darkness, light will come.

Christians adopted December 25th as their time for celebrating Jesus' birth because Romans had a huge celebration for solstice at this time. These believers realized that to celebrate Christmas at this time of year is so appropriate because solstice is a picture of our lives being in spiritual darkness and being without hope in this world. Jesus is the Light Who enters our lives bringing Life, health, newness, and hope. What cause to celebrate!

This year the winter solstice is December 22nd and I think it would be a wonderful tradition to begin with our children acknowledging Jesus as our Light and Hope in a dark world. It's a time of quiet and peace where we can be together and create visual images to our children of the Lord and what gifts He gave us when He came. Here are a few ideas to celebrate solstice simply with your children:

• Have a candlelight dinner. Turn off all the lights in your home tomorrow evening and eat dinner in the dark with a few candles flickering. Talk about Jesus being the Light. Read some Scriptures. Sing some quiet carols or listen to soft music.
• Light your driveway with luminaries. I think this would be beautiful and even had the thought that it would be nice to write the name of missionaries on each bag as they are lights in dark places of the world. Take time to pray for each of them by name.
  
• Begin to use this day each year as a day of service. This is a wonderful day to teach your children what it means to be a light in their communities. As the anticipation of gifts is mounting in their minds, this would be a way for them to focus on giving to others and really experiencing why Jesus came...to preach good tidings to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and to open the eyes of the blind.
• Encourage a depressed or struggling friend. Many of us have had seasons of our lives when we feel without hope and that our personal darkness will never end. Bless a friend with the Truth that Jesus enters the darkest situations and brings new life and hope. He is not afraid to enter into our times of darkness...that is why He came!
• Enjoy His creation. Watch the sunrise and sunset. Do some star-gazing. Take a walk.

This can be a special family day of honoring Jesus in a new way and of teaching our children why Christmas is celebrated this time of year. It's interesting to think about how God has ordained the seasons and how reflective it all is of His character, His story and of how He made us.

Enjoy celebrating the Light!

Simple Wrappings

I have always LOVED wrapping presents. I can remember having a pretend Christmas party every year for all of my stuffed animals and spending hours wrapping gifts for each one of them...little trinkets I had laying around my bedroom. It brought me so much pleasure to try to make them look pretty and inviting to all my "friends". My father was not a gift-wrapper and every year he had me wrap my mother's Christmas gifts. I felt so privileged to be entrusted with such a task as to wrap gifts for the one who always made everything beautiful. I tried so hard to do it well and put thought and care into each one.

I am still that way today. Rarely do I use gift bags, because I like taking the time to wrap each person's gift with care and thought. I don't know if the receivers of my gifts ever notice, but I know that I did it for them with love. Even as I become more "green" in my living, I don't know if I will ever completely give up paper wrappings! But there are many wonderful ways to wrap our gifts and here are some creative ways to keep the wrapping of Christmas gifts simple, creative, and pretty too!

• Just keep solid red and green paper year round. Instead of having a perpetual stash of Christmas paper, I now just keep red and green on hand. I use it for birthdays (it's great for both sexes!) and for "just because" gifts. I keep different styles of ribbon and raffia in my wrapping station ( a long under-the-bed rubbermaid bin that I keep scissors, tape, ribbons, bags and papers in!) according to the different occasions. I like polka dots and gingham ribbons for birthdays. Snowflakes and snowmen for Christmas. Raffia looks great for all occasions and I like to insert a fresh flower with it.
• Use brown mailing paper or plain white wrapping paper. These are great to use for all occasions too and can be embellished easily with children's drawings, stamped Christmas symbols, stickers, etc. Use last year's Christmas cards that you received to cut up and paste on the sides of these gifts. Simple twine can be used to tie these up for a natural appearance.
• Use the comics. The kids would love to wrap up gifts this way and to receive gifts this way. It would even be cute to wrap up their stocking stuffers with the funnies.
• Consider purchasing reusable cloth gift bags. I have enjoyed giving these and the wondering at where my little bag will journey over the course of its life! It would be great for whole families and extended families to use these and just keep giving them around over the years. My sister and I are planning to do a Christmas-in-July crafting time together next summer and I would love to make my own!
• Use fabric cut-to-size or scarves to pull up around your gift and tie it with a pretty ribbon.
• Baskets! These can usually be found at thrift shops for about 25 cents. Just give the person their gift in this as-is or with it wrapped up with paper or fabric remnants.

Instead of getting sucked into the December 26th stock-up-on-paper-for-next-year frenzy, just keep simple solid papers and pretty bags and whatever else you already have in your wrapping stash and be creative with your children, with things from nature, and other crafty goods that need to be used in a new way.

photo courtesy of Picnic by Ellie

Simple Stocking Stuffers

photo courtesy of loobylu

Most of the stocking stuffers that I have given have been mostly plasticky junk from dollar stores, and these trinkets end up cluttering our home, breaking easily, and quickly ending up in a local landfill. In my journey to become a more conscious consumer, I am trying to find more creative ideas for stocking stuffers that are clutter-free, "green", and fun!

I am listing a few of my own ideas but I am also asking you, mindful reader, to please share some of your ideas!

1. Gift Cards...I like to put in Starbucks or Panera for my husband. Blockbuster and Netflix are great too. The local whole foods store would be great too!
   
2. Toiletries. Everyone always receives new toothbrushes and lip balm. I like to give my husband his own nail clippers since they are always pirated throughout the year. Hand lotions and special soaps are yummy too.
3. Food. Favorite chocolates are what my daughter and I like to find...Lindt truffles to be exact. My boys love getting M&M's. Toddlers receive a little box of Goldfish crackers. Altoids or fancy breath mints for my husband. And we all love Clementines.
   
4. School supplies. Fresh pencils, erasers, cute notepads, and pencil sharpeners.
5. DVD's. My kids always get a much-wanted DVD that has been on their list for a long time and I give my husband the latest George Clooney or Matt Damon movie.
6. Art supplies. Fresh watercolors, sidewalk chalk, crayons, markers, scissors, glue sticks, glitter, playdoh.
7. Books. Need I say more?
8. Clothing. Warm mittens, pretty socks, fresh undies...
   

I recently read about one family's idea to encourage each other during the holidays. Throughout the month of December family members have small pieces of paper to write small encouraging notes to other siblings or parents and put them in the stockings. Christmas morning is spent reading the precious notes that filled the stockings...what love and giving of hearts! And to realize that the most precious gift is sharing love and being grateful for one another.

Here's to keeping the junk out of the stockings and love and goodness in! What are your simple stocking stuffer ideas?

Simple Christmas Crafts

I have certainly been in the crafty mood this holiday season and wanted to share with you a few links of some cute ideas.

• My sister and I are going to make these cute button wreaths with our children on Wednesday.
  
• I used this "amazing pillowcase" pattern to make lots of cheery Christmas cases for friends and family.
  
• How about gathering your children to make a traditional popcorn and cranberry garland?
• Stacking fabric Christmas trees just made it to my holiday to-do list. Aren't they adorable?
• I am going to take one afternoon next week to make simple gingerbread men with the children. We have never done this before and this recipe looks like a winner.
• These gumdrop Christmas trees are adorable, happy, and loved by the children!
  
• My mom made me some of these marble magnets last year for Christmas and I love them! This would be a great homemade gift for children to make for teachers and family.

Have some holiday fun with these clever yet simple crafty ideas!

More Simply Christmas

As I have continued to think about Christmas, I have come up with a few more "simplifying" ideas. Take what you like and leave the rest!

• Before you bring out all the trimmings and get your tree (if you haven't already!), clean the house. Get everything in order before the chaos of decorating begins! I am putting away all my fall decor today and wiping down surfaces well, sweeping, vacuuming, etc. I am also getting all my laundry done and put away. Then we will turn on some delightful Christmas music, decorate the home, and then go get the tree last. We will then decorate the tree tomorrow afternoon. I have found that purchasing the tree and getting it up is enough for one day. We enjoy trimming the tree more when we are not tired from getting it! It's so less stressful to get the home ready and in order before decorating...you will enjoy it much more.
• Before Christmas arrives, declutter your children's rooms and closets. Get rid of pj's and clothes that no longer fit. Clear out old, broken, or non-played-with toys to make room for the new things they receive. Then when Christmas comes you will have space and a place for new items! It also allows you to see what your children's needs really are and what they are really interested in which makes for wiser shopping.
• If you are planning to give your children a toy or arts/crafts with small parts (Legos, Knex, Polly Pockets, painting supplies, etc), buy the storage solution before Christmas! Have baskets or bins on hand so that all those small parts can be organized easily from the beginning. Our post-Christmas week has always been organizational chaos for lack of planning and it is always a shame to lose things that they just received because they didn't have an appropriate place to keep these new treasures.
• Check out this great resource I found on-line just this morning. It's called "Simplify the Holidays" and it has many more wonderful ideas and is easy reading!
• Also check out Flylady's holiday page for a downloadable Holiday Control Journal, recipes, ideas for new traditions, help for traveling, and clutter-free gift ideas. A wealth of great holiday tips!

Enjoy a simpler, peaceful holiday season...prioritize and the live intentionally!