Sending the warmest Christmas wishes to you and your family. May God shower his choicest blessings on you and your family this Christmas
Our family always has a Christmas Eve gumbo party where we share gifts and stories. Then all the ladies cook Christmas morning while the men and children 'play'. Christmas dinner always consists of our southern favs; such as, ham, corn bread dressing, dirty rice, pecan pie, and fudge.
The best part for us all are the presents, so I have listed some ideas for all to share.
Christmas Isn't Just About What You Get
The Symbols of Christmas
Fir Tree - The pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven.
Star - the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise
Candle - The candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.
Wreath - The wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection
Santa - Santa Claus symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.
Holly Leaf - The holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.
Gift - God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.
Candy Cane - The candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper
Angel - The angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men.
Bell - The lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.
Fun Crafts to Do with Children
Make A Christmas Gift Special
Recipe GiftsMake a little notebook with 20 of your favorites recipes. Or pick one recipe and have your child write it on an index card then make a gift basket with some of the ingredients. Any recipe that starts with the words "Never-Fail Party _________" would be well-received in my house. I don't mean to hint.
A stack of drink coasters
Draw or paint artwork that would fit under glasses. Coming up with the designs is the fun part: little handprints to hold your drinks; drawings of animals, faces or flowers; or handwritten poems. Coat the designs on both sides with clear Con-Tact paper and cut them out with enough of a plastic margin to keep fluids off the table. Give them to grandmothers and neighboring hostesses, or send a stack to Uncle Pete for his dorm room. This can also work if you want to make calendars or a mousepad.
Dog Treats
1 1/4 cups of grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 pound of softened corn oil margarine
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 crushed garlic clove
Mix well. Add enough milk to form the dough into a ball, then cover the ball with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. On a floured board, roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out bone shapes and bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown and firm. Makes 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size.
He's Making A List and Checking It Twice
Have you been naughty or nice?
Who is on Your List?
Spouse, Children, Friends, Relatives, Grandparents, Mom, Dad, Aunts, Uncles, Pets.
Think Twice, Think Hard, Did you get everyone? Need Some Ideas, Look Below.
And don't forget to make your own wish list.
Children
Isn't it where we spend most of our money??
Skip The Bag Of Coal
The list of toys for children goes on and on. No matter what age group you are shopping for there is usually something cool to find. I am listing a few ideas I am thinking of this year that maybe you can use.
For Girls - Vanity, Barbie, Hanna Montana, Fur Real Friends, Cell Phone, Baby Born With Magic Potty, Wii Games, Nintendo DS, Puppet Play
For Boys - Little SuperStore Singalong, Lego Mindstorms NXT (robot that reacts to voice commands - Super Cool!), Playstation 360 GB, Clone Wars Game, Scooter
The Man of The Hour
and the other men around
Isn't He special - Should we wrap a bow around us and call it a day, ummm.. I mean night??A few simple Ideas - LCD tv, Applie Ipod Touch, Tickets to Favorite Game, Bathroom, Expresson Machine, DVD collection, Palm Pilot
If you want to go all out - check out Experiential Ideas for an ultimate adventure.
The Lady of The Hour
A Few Tips To Help You Along
Is the Couch comfty??
Observe her clothing - Observe the colors she wears most frequently. Does she have a favorite designer? What styles does she like to wear most frequently?
Also make sure you don't accidentally buy her something she already has.
It may be necessary to peak in her closet just to see what brands she likes most and just to verify her sizes.
Consider her hobbies and interests - If the woman in your life is into gardening consider some gifts related to gardening. But don't get her something she doesn't like. For example - if she can't stand baking don't make a bone headed move like giving her a cookbook.
She'll just think you're selfish and that you actually bought it so she would bake you some goodies.
Look at her taste in home decor - Women love "feathering their nest" with various decorative items such as candles, centerpieces and wall art.
Just pay close attention to the colors in the room and the style that she likes. Examples of different decor styles would be traditional, country, formal, eclectic.
Talk to her friends - This is one of the easiest ways to find out what a woman wants for Christmas.
A few Ideas - Digital Camera, Digital Frame, Gift Baskets, Books, Fur Coat, Ipod Phone, Jewelry, Romantic Getaway for two, automatic Grocery List Maker (prints what you say - cool, huh?), something personalized with her name (check your spelling)
Don't Forget Our Furry Friends
Pets give the gift of laughter and love throughout the year
Pet Identification is important. Each tag should have the pets name, a phone number, or your pet's ID number. There are thousands of different tags out there just waiting to be discovered. I recommend finding a tag that reflects the personality of the pet. For instance, my dog is very hyper so I always get a collar tag. My cats love to play with each others hanging tags so they each have one. This also makes a good gift if you have a friend who is a pet lover.
Other Pet Ideas:
Clothes - "We get cold too"
A Cute Collar - Be different
Toys - A cats favorite game is 'prey' so pick up a squeaky mouse. Get the dog something to chew on and spare your shoes.
Scratching Post - Quote from couch "Please save me"
Christmas Favs
Links to Help With Shopping
MGA Baby Born With Magic Potty
BABY Born is adorably lifelike - after you feed he more...0 points
Fur Real Friends Kitty Cat White
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 11.1 x 14.1 inches Shipp more...0 points
Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin Pup
This ultra-realistic FurReal pup is the perfect fi more...0 points
Dog Water Bottle - Blue Handi Drink 17 oz. - The Portable, Spill-Proof Way to Keep Pets Hydrated
The Portable, Spill-Proof Way to Keep Pets Hydrate more...0 points
Dremel 761-03 7,000/14,000 RPM Cordless Pet Nail Grooming Rotary Tool
The rotary action of this tool comfortably, and sa more...0 points
Godinger Silver-Plated Jewelry Box with Rose
SILVER JEWELRY BOX WITH CRYSTAL ROSE0 points
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
Now everyone can experience the fun and excitement more...0 points
Hannah Montana DS
Hannah Montana is the stage name of Miley Stewart, more...0 points
Nintendo DS Lite Crimson / Black
Lighter, brighter and smaller than the original DS more...0 points
New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. for the DS lets you play an more...0 points
Ebay has Great Deals!!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Some Links To Keep You Going
- Pets Galaxy
- Register Your in an online database that has it's own search engine anyone can search from anywhere at anytime. At registration you are given an ID number you can add to your pet's tag or (as others do) a tatoo.
- Top 10 Best Christmas Gift Ideas 2008
- Kick Off The Holiday's early, start saving today by shopping the top Christmas gift ideas here on our quick shop, money saving page! In addition to great shopping featuring the best Christmas gifts of the year, this page has an interactive poll to determine the Top 10 Christmas gifts 2008.
- Unusual Gifts for Her
- If you have someone in your life who is quirky, fun, or deserving of the unusual, this lens will point you in the direction of some unique gifts with 20 ideas and shopping suggestions.
Share Your Christmas Fav's Here
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Reply
- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Nov 21, 2008 @ 9:56 am
- What a beautiful lens! Welcome to Squidoo, and may your Christmas season be full of happy memories.
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Reply
- dc64 dc64 Nov 20, 2008 @ 11:25 pm
- I am really looking forward to Christmas, as I do every year, and I'm glad to find the many well done Christmas lenses, yours included. May you also have a blessed Christmas.
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Reply
- Jim10 Jim10 Nov 20, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
- Great lens. I loved reading what the different symbols stood for. Every year my boys and I make a gingerbread house and lots of gingerbread cookies to decorate.
by Michelle_Claire
Thanks to all of you who have squidoo tip lens I am actuall... (more)
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