Some Fun & Interesting Christmas Tree Facts - Did You Know . . .

If you are like me, your Christmas Tree went up after Thanksgiving dinner, so you have been enjoying it for several weeks. My grands once again helped with the decorating - it makes the tree so much more fun and meaningful for me. Today I thought it would be fun to look at some of the fun facts about Christmas trees - share them with the children you love . . .

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!

A Fun Gift Idea

So, when it comes to making a gift for someone you love this Christmas, here is an idea you could use and you definitely have time to make it! Several years ago when my grands were younger, they made a gift for their dad . . . it is a really fun item to make with your grandchildren for their dad, mom, or for you as it makes a great gift - so I'm sharing a photo and info if you want to help the children you love make one!

The 3rd Was Make a Gift Day . . .

When we think about the gifts we plan to give the people in our family for Christmas - or a birthday - we tend to think about a gift we will purchase. While there is certainly nothing wrong with purchasing a gift, think this year about giving a gift you make to those on your list - December 3rd was National Make a Gift Day - which clearly I missed, but there is still time to make gifts for the ones you love, so today I'm writing about this. When my grands were younger I made crocheted hats for them each Christmas. One year I decided to make something different and crocheted them each a scarf - it looked like a tongue sticking out a mouth with teeth! I just couldn't crochet a simple scarf!

grandma's cookbook - Christmas Peanut Butter Bars!

 

Peanut butter Bars! Mmmmm! Just the name has me thinking about the supplies I have and if I need to buy anything to make a batch! After all, what's not to love about chocolate and peanut butter?!!! I was browsing on Pinterest and found a recipe for peanut butter bars, so I thought I'd share it with you. AND, if you add Christmas sprinkles, these wonderfully delicious peanut butter bars, become the very festive and still wonderfully delicious Christmas Peanut Butter Bars! What could possibly be better?

Give the Gift of ENLIGTEN - for Many Wonderful Reasons . . .

For the past few days I've been writing about Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and ENLIGHTEN, the outdoor light, color, music, and art extravaganza. I've been writing about how it makes a fantastic gift to give the ones you love. Today I want to share just a bit from my visit to ENLIGHTEN with my family and how you are able to experience this with the ones you love.

Lost: One Camel . . .

Years ago I found a crochet pattern for a nativity set. This pattern used regular yarn and was designed to have most of the pieces fit over soda bottles . . . so, the finished set would be fairly large. 

When I looked at it, I thought maybe I could use very small hooks (9mm or 10mm) and crochet thread to make a small set which would fit nestled among the branches of my tree each year. Since I like to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus . . . it is, after all, His birthday . . . I liked the idea of nestling a Nativity set among the branches, so it was the focus of my tree.

Books for Christmas - Life on the Amazing Goldilocks Planet

I'm very happy to share a new book with you which will make a difference in the lives of the children you love.  Are you one of the grandmas (or grandpas) who are so blessed to have grown children who love and walk with God, and who are committed to hand down confident faith with you to the children you all love? Do your grandchildren want to go to church, want to talk about their walk with God, and embrace a confident faith of their own? Or, do you have grown children who, like so many their age, are no longer involved in church, who do not embrace a confident faith of their own, and/or grandchildren who tell you they are, "not into that church thing any more"?

Give the Gift of a Membership to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

I have been writing about ENLIGHTEN at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and how tickets to go experience it are a fantastic experiential Christmas gift you could give the ones you love. Today I want to write about how giving a membership to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the most wonderful gift you could give yourself and the ones you love for Christmas.

Today is National Brownie Day!

 

If ever there was a treat worth celebrating, brownies would certainly be on the list of tasty treats to celebrate! My family enjoys brownies, so yesterday I made some for them - I'll share my favorite recipe with you and my new coffee brownie recipe which I made yesterday, but first, some fun brownie facts - did you know . . .

Christmas Book Review - This Christmas Give Books Which Make a Difference

   

Yesterday I wrote about the book - Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children! It makes a fantastic Christmas gift for the children you love ages four through fourteen. Today I wanted to share with you about three books in the "Praying Deeper" series of books which will help parents and grandparents pray Scripture for their own walk with God and for the children they love as well - young, grown, and grandchildren!

THE Gift to Give to the Ones You Love this Christmas - ENLIGHTEN!

For the past several days I've been writing about Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park's opportunity for families to make incredible memories as they experience ENLIGHTEN. Today I will share with you how they describe the rest of the "journey" . . .

crafting with grandma - One-Eyed Monster Slippers!

Today I'm remembering when my grands were little - from time to time we had "monsters" which "invaded" my home - of course I'm NOT talking about my sweet grands, but "monsters"! I remember one day twelve years ago when I was fixing lunch in the kitchen and my grand ran into the kitchen and told me there were "monsters in the hall!" I asked if they were teeny, tiny or ginormous, humongous! He said they were the "most ginormous, humongous, EVER!" I asked if they were nice or cranky. He said they were "the most cranky monsters, EVER!!!" He said they were going to eat me - I asked whatever should I do and he said he would protect me! This is one grandma who is so thankful I have such a brave grand at my house when the most ginormous, humongous, and cranky monsters EVER invade my home!

Christmas Book Review - This Christmas Give the Gift of Prayer with Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children

  

One of the most powerful things we are able to do for the children we love is for us to pray for them. One even more powerful thing we are able to do for them is to help them learn to be people who pray. This Christmas give a gift which will help you do exactly this - give the children you love ages four through fourteen the book - Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children!

The initial idea I (Lynda Freeman) had for this book was to write a resource to help my grands learn to be people who talked with God; so I took the reading schedule from my book; Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Grandparents & Parents, Too! and used it to form the basis for the book for children. I also had my grands help write the prayers and draw most of the images in this book.