Tag Archives: Christmas

3 Things I Will Always Spend Money On

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It’s that time of year. The Christmas decorations are on display, the Christmas music rings out in every store, and shopping is in full progress. It’s one of my favorite times of year. It’s really about the only time of year that I will just let myself spend money. It’s that awesome time of year where you can walk into almost any store and buy something instead of just look because it’s a Christmas present for somebody on your list.

I was thinking the other day as I was shopping that while I love to spend money on gifts this time of year, there are a few things that I will spend money on all year long. These are the things that I come back to over and over again, no matter what time of year it is. And I think these three items will always make for a great Christmas present if you don’t know what else to get.

Candles

I love candles. In fact, candles are my love language. My husband knows not to buy me flowers, but rather, candles. Candles, to me, are what makes a house homey. We buy candles all year round in all shapes, sizes, and formats. In fact, my favorite thing is to have multiple candles burning on my table at one time.

There is nothing better than stepping into a warm home and smelling burning candles. It just feels so homey. It’s a small thing I can do to make our home a place we love.

Some of the best places I’ve found to get candles are Bath and Body, when you combine a sale and a coupon; Yankee Candle (the same—sale and a coupon), Kirkland’s, and TJ Max. The thing I love about shopping at different places is finding unique and different candles. It’s become almost like a hobby, finding the most unique candle.

Blankets

The next thing I will spend money on is a good blanket sale. Just like the candles, I think a blanket or two thrown across a bed or a chair or couch just makes a room so homey. My family loves soft, warm blankets any time of year, but especially at Christmas time. I love using Black Friday and other special shopping times to get blankets at really good prices.

I’ve found great deals on blankets at Kohl’s, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby. Blankets are one of the easiest things to find on sale and make the best presents. I mean think about it, have you ever met a person who doesn’t love a warm, cuddly blanket?

Coffee

The last thing I will spend money on is coffee. We get up really early at our house, and I love good coffee in the morning. We have a great Keurig machine that is my absolute favorite because it brews over ice, and that right there is amazing! Almost every morning, even when it’s freezing, I will brew an iced coffee. Call me crazy, but I love it! It helps me wake up.

Some of my favorite coffees are Cinnabon k-cups, chocolate peanut butter k-cups, and blueberry cobbler coffee. In addition to that, I am an absolute whipped cream fan. I love whipped cream on top of my iced coffee. This year, I found these amazing flavored whipped creams from Target; and they are just taking my coffee to the next level! I’m still trying to track down the salted caramel one and the hot chocolate flavored one!

All three of these things—candles, blankets, and coffee make great Christmas presents. So if you don’t know what to get somebody for Christmas, try one of these!

What things are you always willing to spend money on?

More Encouragement

For more like this, check out my post, My Favorite Things- Christmas Gift Ideas.

My Favorite Things-Christmas Gifts Ideas

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As we get close to Christmas, shopping is in high-gear. If you’re anything like me, you get the easy gifts first, but soon you’re left with the people that are harder to buy for. When that happens, sometimes you just need some ideas. So here’s a list I made of some of my favorite things to give you some ideas.

For Hospitality

Instant Pot Milk Frother I bought this frother about a week ago for our ladies’ holiday party at church so we could make coffee drinks. It is my absolute most favorite thing! I use it every day to make froth for my coffee. It can steam milk, froth it, and also make cold froth for iced coffee. It’s amazing and a great gift for the coffee lover in your life.

3-Tier Wood Tray I use this tray all the time. It’s not huge, but it can easily hold cupcakes, cookies, candies and more and is a nice addition to any table for a party.

Wood Charcuterie Board Somebody gave me the charcuterie board I have right now. I couldn’t find it online, but this one is similar. I use my board all the time to put meats and cheeses and crackers on.

For the Home

Hot Air Popcorn Maker We use our popcorn maker all the time for family movie nights. Again, this isn’t the exact one I have, but it’s similar. Popcorn makers make great gifts. They come in lots of fun colors, and you can get popcorn flavor shakers to go with them for a great gift.

Plastic Bowls from Target These bowls are super cheap, but are great for families with kids. We love ours and use them all the time. They are extra wide, so they make great popcorn bowls.

Crockpot I currently have two large crockpots, similar to this one. I use both of them all the time. A crockpot is always a great gift, especially if you can get one on sale.

For the Office/Desk

Papermate Colored Pens These are my favorite pens for journaling; they also make great gifts because they’re so colorful.

Personalized Planners from Erin Condren I love Erin Condren planners. She has so many cute ones to choose from. I love them because you can get them personalized. They make great gifts!

For Personal

Impress Nails Whether for a gift or for yourself for the holidays, Impress nails are great for the economical person who doesn’t want to spend money on getting their nails done. I use these all the time. They’re wonderful. Just get a bottle of nail glue to go with in case one gets loose or falls off. They have so many fun colors and designs.

Medallion Purse I have this purse in two colors. They usually go on sale several times a year for as low as $15. I love it, and I love all the colors it comes in. You can also find this one in floral.

Etsy Shops

Emily Lane Clay Designs Emily makes beautiful hand-crafted clay earrings. I have many pairs of them and absolutely love them! They make great gifts!

Masterpiece Candles My friend, Keya, hand makes each of her candles. They smell soo good. She changes out the scents during the year. Of her holiday collection, Candy Cane is my personal favorite. Great gifts!

Christmas Theme

Christmas Sleigh Soap Holder I saw this at Bath and Body Works and thought it would make such a great gift, paired with a hand soap.

Christmas Prism App This is not a gift idea, but I wanted to throw it in. It’s a free app that you download that shows you the best Christmas lights wherever you’re at. We use this every time we go look at lights.

Graphic Holiday Tees Maurices always has the best holiday tees. Matt got me one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. I love both of them! They fit so nicely and are so soft.

Games

Here’s just a few of the games we like to play.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf This is a fun game for a crowd or a party. We love this one, and so do the kids.

Listicles This game is another good group game. It’s kind of similar to Categories but simpler.

Five Crowns This is a great card game for two or more players. Matt and I enjoy playing this one, just the two of us on date night.

CodeNames Our kids enjoy the Disney version of this game. It’s a great family game.

Rummikub This is one of my favorite games. I like the challenge of trying to play the table and make things work.

Hopefully that gives you a few ideas. For More ideas, check out my Favorite Things from last year.

10 of My Favorite Worship Christmas Songs

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worship music with guitar

The Chosen

There is nothing more powerful than a well-written worship song. We got to go see The Chosen Christmas special at the theater this week. The first hour consisted of music performed by Christian artists. Several of our favorite artists were featured like King and Country, We the Kingdom, Phil Wickham, Jordan Feliz, Cain, Maverick City, and more. We really enjoyed it.

The second part was the actual Christmas episode. It was so well done, of course, and incredibly moving. It was a look into the night Jesus was born, retold and remembered through Mary’s eyes after Jesus has already gone back to Heaven. The team creating The Chosen is so incredibly talented, and I love the work they are doing! They always bring out details that you miss when you simply read the account in the Bible.

The Right Kind of Worship

Since watching that episode, I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary. This time of year always makes me reminiscent to think of what it would have been like to be Mary. I was reading in my morning time this morning, and I read these verses.

It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.

John 4:23,24 MSG

I read these verses, and that phrase your worship must engage your spirit got my attention. What does it mean that our worship has to engage our spirit? I think it means to engage our spirit means that our heart is completely engaged in the activity. It’s the difference between singing and not paying attention and singing with tears in our eyes because the song moves something inside of us. These verses then go on to say that God is looking for those who are simply and honestly themselves before God when they worship.

Thinking about Mary

Maybe that’s one of the reasons Mary was chosen. Could it be that she figured out how to worship God with her spirit, bringing her honest self before God? How else would she have been able to respond to the angel’s announcement with words of worship?

As soon as the angel leaves her, Mary makes her way to her cousin Elizabeth’s house. As soon as she gets there, Mary bursts into a song of worship to God. The words flow beautifully and elegantly from her tongue. That was her form of worship to God. I don’t know if she spoke the words or sang them, but the result was the same. She worshipped God with her honest self.

Three Ways to Worship God this Christmas Season

This Christmas, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, we need to find the time to worship God with our true selves. We need to find a time to worship, engaging our spirit.

There are three ways we can do that this Christmas season:

  1. Spend time with God in your morning time routine. Get a Christmas devotional to work through this holiday season or a journal. Our Christmas devotional or Journal are great options.
  2. Engage in the Christmas story with others. Don’t spend your worship alone this holiday season; bring others along with you. In our growth group this past week, somebody asked a question about the Christmas story, and we spent the next probably thirty minutes talking about the intricacies of that night. We talked about what caught our attention and what made that night so special to us. It ended up being a wonderful time of worship.
  3. Worship God through music. This is one of the easiest ways to worship.

I know at our church, Christmas is one of the best times of year to worship God through the music service. It’s different from other times of the year in that every Christmas song is about the birth of Jesus and so wholly focused on him. I think some of the best worship songs are Christmas songs. It’s so hard to pick just a few, but here’s a list of a few of my favorite Christmas worship songs:

  1. Joy to the World by Phil Wickam
  2. Messiah by Franscesca Batistelli
  3. Noel with Lauren Daigle
  4. Christmas Day by Chris Tomlin
  5. Joseph’s Lullaby by MercyMe
  6. A Baby Changes Everything by Faith Hill
  7. Hope is Here by Building 429
  8. Christmas is Here by JJ Heller
  9. Hope was Born this Night by Sidewalk Prophets
  10. Behold Him by Francesca Batistelli

This holiday season, let’s find ways to incorporate worship that engages our spirit, that puts our heart into it and see if that doesn’t change this holiday season for us!

The Backwardness of the Manger and Bethlehem

manger

Why Bethlehem?

The little town of Bethlehem must have been buzzing the day Joseph and Mary finally arrived. Out of town guests were looking for lodging. Roman officials were dealing with the local Jewish tax collectors. The tax collectors were scheming and plotting. Pickpockets were eyeing up unsuspecting targets. Airbnb was trying to keep up with the onslaught of business. What was it about Bethlehem that made it the locale for the census to be taken?  

Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown of ancestry as a descendant of Kind David, the most famous biblical character known for coming from Bethlehem. It was a perfect rest stop for travelers going north or south.

The census ordered by Caesar was not a pleasant event. Some historians believe Caesar called for multiple censuses throughout the years to be sure the Jews were being counted and most importantly, taxed. It’s amazing how God orchestrated a political event with a prophetic event to bring about His will.

Why the Manger?

Why does the word manger come up so many times in the Nativity story? Luke mentions it several times. He tells us Mary wrapped baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room in the inn. (Luke 2:7) The angels tell the shepherds they would know Jesus was the baby they were looking for because they would find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, evidently something you didn’t normally wrap a baby in, and laying in a manger—again something that was not necessarily a custom of their day. The shepherds leave the fields and go looking for Jesus. They find him just as the angel said, lying in a manger. Luke records for us in Luke 1:32 that Jesus was destined to sit on the throne of his father David. Yet we find him lying in a feed trough for animals.  

The feed trough or manger we picture today in our Nativity scenes looks nothing like what Mary used to lay Jesus in. The wooden cross-piece of furniture set center stage in a creche is a far cry from the stone piece used in the first-century. Mangers were often crafted with a combination of clay mixed with straw and formed into a trough to place feed or hay in for the animals to eat from. Other times they were chiseled into natural rock outcroppings.

Why didn’t Mary just hold Jesus? Where was Joseph? Mary and Joseph were simply human. They were exhausted and needed to sleep; just as baby Jesus needed to sleep. They needed a safe place for Jesus to lay while they slept. The manger was what was available, so that’s what they chose to use.  

For Such a Time as This

Sometimes we try to sanitize Bible stories. Think about the turmoil of Bethlehem politically, socially, religiously, and economically. The Jews already hated the Romans because of their overbearing taxation. The presence of the Romans was undeniable. The people couldn’t get away from the heel of the Romans pushing down upon their necks. Yet, God chose such a time as this for Jesus to be born.  

Imagine the cries of a baby Jesus filling the stable. Imagine the tired eyes of a weary, post-labor and delivery Mary. Think of the worry of a humble and hardworking Joseph looking to protect and provide for his newborn and young wife.

These are the moments to watch God work. God doesn’t come with a grand ad campaign, billboards, and thirty-second commercials on television. God didn’t crowdsource His cause with masses wearing wristbands and t-shirts with a two-toned silhouette of a baby with the words “FOR the MANGER” screen-printed across the front.  

God’s Subtle Work

Jesus slipped in unannounced. He settled into a shelter used for beasts of burden. He came in the form of an unassuming six-pound baby. And when God felt the need to let people know about it, He tapped the least credentialed social group in town to come to the party—the shepherds. Everything was backward about Bethlehem and the manger, but that is exactly what arrests our attention.  

God’s way and plan is always the best plan. He works even through our difficult circumstances to get us where we need to be at just the right place and just the right time. 

Recapture Christmas

This post was taken from Recapture Christmas: Unwrap the Mystery and Wonder of the Manger, a 30-Day Devotional Study. Each day contains a reading similar to the one above and Scripture reading and questions to answer for application. If you liked this post, then you will love the devotional.

If you still need Christmas presents, check out this devotional or A Few of My Favorite Things.

A Few of My Favorite Things…Gift Ideas for Christmas

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(This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure HERE.)

Sometimes coming up with Christmas ideas that are new and different is so difficult. I love when somebody else makes a list of their favorite things because it gives me new ideas for things to try. So I made a list of some of our family’s favorite things. Hopefully, it will give you some ideas.

Some of Our Favorite Games

  1. Five Crowns Matt and I love to play this game on date nights or days off. It’s a fun card game that you don’t have to think a whole lot about and can just sit and talk as you play. The kids enjoy playing it as well.
  2. Werewolf This is a great party game. The more people, the better it is. It’s great because it has an app that goes along with the game. You can download the app for free. It does all the work for you. It tells you when to put your head down, who looks up and what action they do. It’s super fun, and kids and adults love it.
  3. Telestrations This is another fun party game. It’s like whisper-down-the alley but pictionary style. It’s hilarious and super fun!
  4. Ticket to Ride This game is a little expensive. Somebody bought it for us, but we like it. It’s a longer board game, but it’s not complicated. Even our five and six-year olds can play it.
  5. CodeNames- Disney We have CodeNames and CodeNames Disney. We love these games! Super fun family game. The kids have a blast; we’ve also played it with adults and had just as much fun. The kids of course loved the CodeNames Disney the best!

My Favorite Hand-Crafted Gifts

  1. Emily Lane Designs I have recently discovered Emily’s handmade clay earrings. They are amazing! They are beautiful and so unique and different.
  2. Masterpiece Candles Co My friend, Keya makes and sells amazing candles on Etsy! Check out her shop. You won’t regret it! A few of my favorites scents are Candy Cane, Vanilla, Cinnamon Bun, and Birthday Cake.

Gifts for Her

  1. Impress Nails These are my go-to when I don’t have time or money to get a manicure. I love these press-on nails. My sister got me started on them. You can’t go wrong with the price, and there are lots to choose from!
  2. PaperMate Colored Pens These are my favorite pens to write with, and they make a great present too.
  3. Lap Desk Matt got me this lap desk, and I love it. I use it all the time. It’s a perfect gift for the person who is always working on their laptop.
  4. Apron Matt gets me these aprons from Williams Sonoma. After ruining countless shirts from cooking, I wear an apron every time I cook now. These aprons are great because they are really hardy, almost like a canvas material. I love mine. I saw they even have a cute Christmas one this year.
  5. Clear Coffee Mugs These make the perfect mugs for company. They go with any place setting and look dressy without costing lots of money. I’ve had mine for sevaral years and can’t remember which exact ones we bought, but the ones in the link look just like mine.
  6. Erin Condren Personalized Planner These planners are awesome because you can personalize them with a picture and a name on the front. We love them.
  7. Books
    1. My Faithfully Stepping Journals
    2. Devotionals by Matt and I
    3. Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa TerKeurst
    4. Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted by Shannan Martin
    5. Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel
    6. My Fantasy Series
    7. Love Lives Here by Maria Goff

Gifts for Him

  1. Bose Wireless Speaker. This is definitely a more expensive gift, but we got one of these years ago and use it every day. It’s great becaue you can take it with you to every different room in the house for music or take it in the car for road trips. We listen to music, podcasts, and audio books on it.
  2. Bluetooth transmitter for car. This is a nifty gadget that we need to get. My father-in-law has one in his car. You can plug it into the auxiliary power outlet in your car and play music from your phone through the car’s sound system. This is great if you have an older car that doesn’t have Bluetooth capability.
  3. Parker Pens. My husband loves these pens and asks for them every year. They write really smoothly, and he uses them all the time.
  4. Books
    1. Play the Man by Mark Batterson
    2. Gears, Grease, and God by Matt and Tom Manney
    3. Men’s Daily Journals
    4. Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
    5. The Artisan Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus
    6. Dream Big by Bob Goff.

Gifts for Kids

  1. Bliss Lights My brother-in-law got all three colors of these for my kids. We absolutely love them. We put them on every single night. They are by far the best night light. You have to check them out.
  2. Fire Tablets We scored these last year for $20 on Black Friday, but they’re still a great deal at $40. Our kids use their tablets all the time. On their day off, they can watch stuff on them like Netflix or Disney and play games. Instead of them fighting over the tv, they can each watch what they want. They also use them for alarms and for listening to audio books or podcasts or music during rest time. We love them and get a lot of use out of them!
  3. Books
    1. Wings of Fire Series
    2. Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Series
    3. Mr. Lemoncello Books
    4. Dog Books by Jennifer Li Shotz
    5. Kingdom of Wrenly Series
    6. Kid’s Daily Journals
  4. Magnetic Bookmarks Our kids love these and use them all the time.
  5. Kinetic Sand I’m not sure what it is about kinetic sand, but our kids love it. We usually buy some every year for Christmas.
  6. Dot Markers All ages love these markers. I love that they’re so easy to use that my little ones could use them when they were little, but my older kids now still love using them too.

Those are some of our family’s favorite things. Hopefully, it gave you some ideas to finish up the last of your Christmas shopping!

If you enjoyed this and want some other ideas, try Revolutionize Your Morning Time with These Ten Products.

Black Friday Traditions

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My Favorite Day of the Year

I think over the years that Black Friday has become my favorite day of the year. I like it even better than Christmas. Every year, we get up and make a nice breakfast. Then we drag the tree and Christmas boxes up from the basement. We put on our favorite Christmas movies like Elf, Noelle (Disney), The Grinch (the one with Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the Grinch), Christmas Chronicles (Netflix), and more. We spend the day watching movies while we decorate both the inside of the house and the outside.

We make fun treats like Christmas bread and Christmas cookies and homemade Chex mix, inspired by Pioneer Woman. Matt has perfected this recipe over the year by making it gluten-free and tweaking some of the spices, like adding extra Worcestershire. It’s soo good, and it makes the entire house smell amazing.

Early Black Friday Shopping

Mom and daughter ready for Black Friday shopping
Maddie and I early this morning

We usually stay home every year on Black Friday, but my daughter Madison has been begging me for weeks to take her shopping on Black Friday so she can use her money to get Christmas presents for the family. So I caved and took her out early this morning. We had a good time together. She got all her Christmas shopping done; then we got home to make breakfast and get started decorating.

Helping decorate the tree

Keeping Traditions

There’s something about traditions, about doing the same thing each year. It’s predictable and something to look forward to. Sometimes the best traditions don’t cost anything; they’re simply about being together with the people you love. It’s about being purposeful and sticking to the tradition, even when you don’t feel like it.

Whatever your traditions are for the holidays, don’t give up on them this year just because everything is different and more difficult. In a year when everything is topsy- turvy, sticking with your traditions can help bring a sense of familiarity and comfort to you and your family.

If this post encouraged you, check out God’s Gifts at Christmas.