My Christmas Carol for Today - Everybody Loves Christmas

It is very easy to notice on grandma's cookie jar, I love Christmas! I love everything about it - the reason we celebrate and the wonderful opportunity it gives us to spend time with our families! So, this song, Everybody Loves Christmas, had to be part of my "Christmas Carols" - you will find it at this link - enjoy!

These are the lyrics if you would like to sing along . . . 

Five True Facts about the Real Saint Nicholas

Yes, there really was an actual Saint Nicholas, and while time has changed a LOT about him, we do still know the actual truth about him . . . 

• Santa Is from Turkey, not from the North Pole - The actual Saint Nicholas lived in the southeast of what is now Turkey, though his bones are entombed in Bari, Italy.

My Christmas Carols for You - TobyMac & Tasha Layton - Christmas Hits Different

Christmas tends to be a time of joy with family and friends, but for some of us, Christmas is a sad time, difficult time, challenging time - if you struggle and if Christmas is different for you this year, this song is for you. You will find TobyMac's and Tasha Layton's song, Christmas Hits Different at this link. If your Christmas is "hitting" "different" this year, please consider this song a big hug.

My Christmas Carol for Today - All I Want for Christmas - by the Piano Guys

Okay, once again, yes, I know for a song to be a "Christmas Carol" there should be some singing, but once again, the Piano Guys put together "All I Want for Christmas" with fantastic music (there is a cello so it has to be fantastic), and combined it with Lego animation of a number of favorite Christmas movies/shows in a "nutshell" presentation - watch it at this link and you will see what I mean and why I had to include this in my Christmas Carols!

Enjoy!

My Christmas Carols - Wrap Me Up

Last year I heard a new Christmas song by Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor called, Wrap Me Up and I knew I had to share it with you on my Christmas Carols for this year. You will be able to find it at this link.

I love the humor and the message in this song - if you would like to sing along, here are the lyrics . . . 

Science Project - Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction!

Today I want to share a fun popsicle stick science project with you - I used to teach a Sunday School class of first graders - almost all boys, so whenever I added in a science project, the boys not only LOVED it, but they listened and really did get the point because I tied the project in with the lesson. 

So, I'll share it with you today so if you go to the store to get the popsicle sticks you will be able to show your grands how to do this fun experiment which I found on-line. This project uses popsicle sticks - LOTS of popsicle sticks. 

My Christmas Carol for Today - Breath of Heaven - by Amy Grant

When we think about Christmas Carols some of us think of the old Christmas songs we sang in church, like Joy to the World and Silent Night. Others think of more contemporary songs like It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas or Frosty the Snowman. Today my Christmas Carol is a newer song, a beautiful song, sung by Amy Grant - Breath of Heaven - you will find it at this link.

If you would like to know the story behind the song, you will find it at this link. And, if you would like to sing along, here are the lyrics.

grandma's chuckles - It Would Be Wonderful to Have Four Cookie Jars Filled with Cookies!

Yesterday was Bake Cookies Day and reminded me of a busy cookie-baking day at this grandma's house a few years ago. On this particular day before my grands arrived for a visit, I made Peanut-butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies and put them in my photo cookie jar. When they arrived we made Snicker-doodle-Sprinkles cookies and my youngest grand thought they should go in my penguin cookie jar.

Countdown-to-Christmas Caroling - O Come, O Come Emmanuel - the Piano Guys

Today I'm sharing another Christmas Carol! Emmanuel means God with us; and this is why Jesus came . . . to be with us! This is why we celebrate Christmas. When I hear the song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel I think about what it would be like if we were still waiting for Him to appear and I rejoice in knowing He has come and we can know Him because He is with us!

Today is Bake Cookies Day

Today, according to daysoftheyear dot com is, Bake Cookies Day, so if ever there was a day to gather your eggs, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats - or whatever your favorite cookie ingredients may be, so you are able to bake cookies, well, certainly today is the day!

Of course, it is fun to look at cookie trivia on this day, so, did you know - 

Today is National Maple Syrup Day!

When I talk about maple syrup, I'm not referring to the bottled imitation maple syrup we typically find in the stores, but the real, 100% pure, maple syrup - the really good stuff! I grew up with the fake stuff, thinking it was real and using it on waffles and pancakes, but the real maple syrup is good for so much more! Let's look at some interesting facts about Maple Syrup - did you know . . . 

My Christmas Carol for Today - Christmas this Year!

I thought I'd share a Christmas Carol with you today - it is sure to get your toes tapping . . . enjoy this Toby Mac song, Christmas This Year! Join in and, "For Christmas this year/  Gonna make a sound gonna make it loud/  We're gonna make some noise let the world rejoice/ for ChristMas this year", because, "God is coming near/  unto us a savior's born/  on a midnight clear!" Look at the lyrics - (and the video you will find at this link - I used with because it is so fun - just like this song! Enjoy!!)

No-Knead Artisan Bread!

I just discovered the joy of making no-knead Artisan Bread - it is SO easy and a fantastic way to bless your family with homemade bread! You just mix the ingredients - and you do not need a mixer to do it, just stir them together - let rise in a warm place for three hours, turn onto a floured wax paper and fold over a few times, put in the oven and in 30 minutes you have some wonderful bread!

Hats!

One year when my grands were younger I was busy making hats for them for Christmas! I made   Agent Perry hats  for them and Minion hats! I made the Minions with one eye because my grands said the one-eyed minions are more fun! I love making simple things like hats because they are fun, inexpensive, and a way to give an extra gift - just takes some yarn and a bit of time!