Christmas is coming and It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!!
You may be thinking "what....it's not Christmas yet and it's only November". But I think that it is just the right time to start thinking about it.
I think that it is the most wonderful time of the year, better even than my birthday!
I am having no trouble in getting into the Christmas mood.
I just love it so much!!
With Christmas around the corner everybody will start bustling around getting ready. I have started decorating(post coming about that) and making Christmas gifts. I always make my Christmas presents because it's easier. I don't have any money to use so I am really making them on a tight budget. I kind of spent all my money on books!
It's actually quite hard to think of ideas to make so I'll share a few ones that hopefully will spark some creativity in you if you are thinking of making some gifts.
1. A coupon booklet. Compile a booklet of little 'coupons' that the person receiving it can use. For example, if you are giving one to your mum, some of the coupons might say: this coupon entitles you to 1 breakfast in bed. Just all things that you are willing to do for with that person.
2. Wall art. Print out anything from a photo to a quote in a pretty font. Frame it and it can be a meaningful gift. Photos are always special. If you are a talented artist you can paint or draw something too.
4. Gift baskets. Pick a theme. And fill a basket/some sort of container with things corresponding with your theme. Examples: Pampering basket, movies night basket, foodie basket, ice cream sundae kit basket or a craft supplies basket.
When a new season rolls around I have to get all the things that go with that season. Like yesterday, I really craved some candy canes. But they didn't have any in the shop yet so I settled for some Candy Cane Hershey Kisses. They are yummy!
I will be taking some photos of my room in all it's Christmas-ness and posting them soon.
Anyway, I wanted to talk about what my family does at Christmas time.
My grandparents on my mother's side are Swiss so we do most of our celebrating on Christmas Eve. Leading up to this day we bake cookies, make presents, listen to Christmas carols, wrap presents, decorate, make more food and get excited!
On the day we arrange the presents under the tree. My grandparents, Nonna (Italian for grandmother) and Grandad, and my Mother's sister Viv and her family and my Mother's brother all come over. We used to have it at Nonna's house but now it's easier to have it at our house. Most of my memories of Christmas are at their house, with her knitted nativity scene, lots of treats and sitting in their nice garden on Christmas Day, still eating!
On Christmas Eve, we gather around the table and eat a delicious dinner. What follows is usually sitting in the lounge where the tree is, singing carols and reading the Christmas story from the Bible, and finally opening and giving the presents.
When I was little, the singing and reading seemed to take forever as I anticipated finding out what was concealed by all the pretty red and green paper.
On a more serious note, this Christmas I wanted to try and keep Christ at the centre of everything.
I saw this on Pinterest and it gave me an idea.
Candy canes are quite cheap so we're going to buy some and tie tags on them that say something similar to the above. Then we'll drop them into the letterboxes on our street.
This is only the beginning of my Christmassy posts so there will be plenty more soon.
I hope this wasn't too boring for you. I feel like I rambled on a bit.
~Hannah
Yeah, Christmas has pretty much exploded everywhere by now--all the stores and everything are decked out and getting hyped for Black Friday next week. My family doesn't decorate until after Thanksgiving, of course, but, you being in New Zealand, I can understand why you are already ready:) I'm excited, too. The holidays truly are the most wonderful time of the year, and it all starts next week!
ReplyDeleteYou have some great homemade gift ideas, definitely. My sisters and I actually have a tradition of making our gifts for each other. That way we each get a couple of handmade things in addition to store-bought gifts.
I like that you're going to do the candy cane Gospel. There's actually a children's book about it, and my mom used to read it to us every Christmas. I still love that book for nostalgia's sake. It's such a sweet story and has always stuck with me since childhood.
Anyway. Can't wait to see your decor post!:D
I didn't now that Thanksgiving hadn't been yet! It's not a big thing over here.
DeleteSadly it doesn't snow here at Christmas or any time in the year! We have Christmas in Summer which probably sounds really weird.
Thanksgiving is one week from tomorrow, actually. But yeah it's really only a big thing in the US:)
DeleteNot too weird since I did know that. But that's too bad you don't get snow:/
Christmas is nearly here!! (and so is Summer :() Loved this post!
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