1. Charitable Giving

Charities receive more donations during the months of November and December than they do throughout the rest of the year. This is thanks, in part, to people feeling more generous during the holidays. Instead of waiting for Christmas to roll around to give to your favorite charity, set up an automatic monthly donation. If you normally give your favorite charity $100 during the holidays, give them $10 each month.

2. Glow Brightly

One of the best things about Christmas is the way it literally lights up your life. From candles, to Christmas tree lights, to lawn decorations, the holidays are filled with light. You don’t have to wait until Christmas to fill your home with soft, glowing light, though. You can spend an evening with nothing lighting your room but the flicker of a dozen white candles, or you could wrap a few wreaths in twinkle lights and hang them on your wall. No matter how you choose to do it, filling your home with light can instantly relax you and instill a holiday spirit in the whole family.

3. Give Time

Does your family have an annual tradition of helping out at the food bank? Do you make an extra effort to check on your elderly neighbors when the holidays are approaching? You don’t have to wait until December to give the gift of your time and efforts. Even if you only spend an hour each month paying special attention to a loved one or volunteering at your favorite charity, your efforts will be genuinely appreciated.

4. Get Crafty

Many people are turning to home-made gifts and cards as a way to save money during the holidays. Instead of waiting for October to start crafting for Christmas, craft all year long. You can host crafting parties, a scrapbooking get together, or even craft with the kids for a couple of hours on a rainy Saturday afternoon. In fact, if you start crafting early, you can have all of your Christmas presents made by the time Thanksgiving rolls around.

5. Cook Dinner

Is that big, family Christmas dinner one of your favorite parts of the holidays? If it is, don’t wait for next Christmas to do it again. Host a Christmas in July dinner for your family on a weekend evening. Get out some of your Christmas table decorations, hang twinkle lights and make a traditional holiday feast; your family is sure to have a fabulous time and may even be inspired by your Christmas spirit.

You don’t have to wait for next Christmas to enjoy the spirit of the holidays. If you love the season, carry it with you all year long. Follow the five tips above and you will be filled to the brim with Christmas spirit no matter what time of year it is.

Gladys Lawson is a freelance blogger who writes ideas and tips on celebrating Christmas for www.christmassongs.org. You can visit this website for Christmas playlists and international Christmas music to help set the tone for your celebrations.

The views and opinions expressed in this or any guest post featured on our site are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Everyday Christianity.

Let’s get creative, or at least take advantage of the creativity of others, by taking a look at these ideas for Christmas Craft projects. If it’s nowhere near Christmas when you read this–why, that’s even better! You’ll have plenty of time to try one or more and make Christmas all the more festive at your house. Don’t forget: no matter how far away Christmas appears to be, it’s really just around the corner!

Turn a useless pet accessory (you know they won’t wear them!) into a cute Christmas ornament or favor.

[Twelve Crafts of Christmas] Tiny Santa Hat Fascinator

www.hernewleaf.com12/15/11

There’s something about this project that totally cracks me up. It’s a tiny hat! It’s hilarious! A few months ago, I saw a photo on Pinterest of a girl wearing a tiny top hat. I didn’t know why, but I…

How about this idea from the same website? You’ll love these felted wool trees.

Twelve Crafts of Christmas [Guest Post] Felted Wool Trees with Lori …

www.hernewleaf.com12/8/11

Today’s post comes to you from my crafting idol, my mom! I really didn’t have a choice to become anything but crafty with her as a mom – growing up, we didn’t have a dining room in our house because mom had transformed it …

Next, here are 10 suggestions for Christmas ornaments you can make with your kids.

Christmas crafts for kids: Top 10 ornaments kids can make (and a …

craftsncoffee.com12/4/11

Today, we’re sharing 10 ideas for easy Christmas ornaments that kids can make. If you’re looking for a fun Christmas craft to make with your little ones, be sure to check out this collection of ornaments for children. The supplies …

Eco-friendly or not, this wall Advent Calendar is certainly novel and decorative.

Eco-friendly Christmas Craft for a Wall Advent Calendar …

planetforward.ca11/25/11

It appears the holiday season is officially upon us so as we head into December, our eco-friendly Christmas craft today, for kids and adults, will be a perfect.

So, you learn better by seeing the craft in the process of creation? Look at how to create a Magazine Christmas Tree.

Christmas Craft – Magazine Christmas Tree

I absolutely love Christmas time, and this fantastic little craft video is one of the joys for me around xmas time! Hope you enjoy. Idea from www.marthastewart.com

Sweet and decorative! Watch to see how to create a candy wreath.

Christmas Crafts : How to Make Christmas Candy Wreaths

Making a Christmas candy wreath requires arranging red and green peppermints in a circle, gluing them together and then attaching a ribbon bow to the top. Create a wreath out of candy, attaching them to a paper plate for extra support, with instructi…

A million thoughts are, no doubt, running through your head. 

It looks like the only gift that’s ready to wrap is for the family dog. But with a little technology and know-how on how to use top iPhone apps (it’s easy to find the best ones, or at least those companies with the best SEO), packages will find their way into your home and under the tree.

Put your iPhone to this Holiday Season

While Black Friday may be over this year, you don’t have to be overwhelmed next year when you think about where you’ll spend the day shopping post turkey and pumpkin pie. With the TGI Black Friday app, you can browse sales and even find out when doors open at your favorite stores. Plus the app allows you to create lists and even email them to yourself.

Santa has a lot of help to track who is getting what, whether or not it’s wrapped and when it will be delivered. Unless you have your own team of jolly holiday elves, you might be a bit unorganized. Try the Better Christmas List app. The $1 price tag is well worth your sanity. The app allows you to create lists and easily track your spending – and more importantly, your budget. Plus, it’s password protected from any gift snoopers.

Last-minute Shopping Apps Save the Day

Let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t have enough hours in the day to plan our Christmas shopping. So, there’s a chance we may end up scrambling at the last minute. But that doesn’t mean we deserve to get a raw deal. My favorite Internet marketing company has been praising price-comparing apps for the iPhone since they’ve debuted.

There are a few apps worth downloading this holiday season for any last-minute shopping trips. Check out ShopSavvy, which employs a barcode scanner to instantly tell you what your desired gift is selling for at other stores and online. Decide is the tech-friendly version of ShopSavvy, but it also goes above and beyond price comparison. Before you give in to a great electronics sale, check if a new model is on the horizon or an upcoming sale.

April Trotter contributed this guest post. Passionate about iPhones and holiday shopping, she also likes writing about how to find the best Internet marketing company and SEO plans.

Christmas time is a fast-paced time of the year when everyone seems concerned about what gifts to ask for, what they will receive and what foods to eat. Sometimes the true meaning of Christmas gets lost in all this hoopla. If you want to put this commercialization and shallowness aside to help your child understand the true meaning of Christmas, there are many ways to do this. Here are four suggestions.

A variety of Nativity scenes are available this time of year. Find one that best resembles the manger with real-life decorations including a removable manger, angel, and figurines. For instance, choose the manger that has hay on the roof and manger floor. Mangers made of wood appear realistic. Choose Wise Men who have distinctive characteristics, since each man was different from the others in real-life. There are many books available about the Wise Men and Jesus in the Manger. Buy one of these books. Set aside some time to read this book with your child while discussing the manger. Someone studied the Bible will be able to tell the difference between the Wise Men and the history behind Baby Jesus. These knowledgeable people can help you arrange the Wise Men according to Bible Studies. You may want to check around your local church and find these people who love to share the information. Since presents are an important time of this season, give a manager as a gift. Have your child open it and share in the enjoyment of setting it up.

2. Attend a Christmas Eve church service

There is something exciting about attending Christmas Eve services. It is out of the ordinary, something every child loves. This gives you a perfect time to share the true meaning of Christmas with your child. Getting dressed up, singing spiritual tunes and being around adults can inspire children to learn more about this time of year.

3. Listen to Christmas Carols.

And, I don’t mean the ones piped in over your store’s loudspeakers. Take some time to have a family get-together where you can listen to the soothing tunes that involve the true meaning of Christmas. Tunes such as “Oh Holy Night”, “Little Town of Bethlehem”, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “Silent Night” are perfect examples. These spiritual compositions are not only pleasing to listen to but, when combined with some Bible story about the birth of Christ, they can inspire your child to better understand the true meaning of Christmas. These tunes have slow, melodic rhythms that may easily bore children so be sure to start singing along in a soothing way to encourage participation. When you seem content and joyful, your child will likely emulate your actions.

4. Get involved in charity work

Charity is the cornerstone of the true meaning of Christmas. Kids like to have fun with balloons, so have a family get-together and blow up some balloons. While blowing up the balloons, talk with our kids about how much fun listening to grandma’s stories are. Everyone loves a good story. Build some excitement by telling your kids that there are many grandma and grandpas who may not have a family to celebrate Christmas with anymore and who would love having balloons delivered to them. Then, schedule a visit to your local senior center or retirement community. Have your kids give the balloons to the seniors and share some stories. Everyone will benefit.

With so many ways to help your child learn about the true meaning of Christmas, purchasing a book about putting God back into the holidays may be a good idea to spur the creative juices. One in particular is easy-to-understand and quite useful.

   Contributed by Claire Hodge, a mom of two and writer for AuPair.org.

Christmas is coming and if you haven’t already started shopping, you will soon! Keeping to a budget during the holiday season can be tough but it can be done if you make a plan and stick to it. Utilizing coupons, online deals and promo codes can keep your bank account from slipping into the negative come January. Follow these top five tips to make sure that your holiday gift giving doesn’t put you in debt

After you’ve made your gift giving list, go online and hunt down some great coupons. There are tons of general coupon sites online that can net you great discounts on the gifts you’ll be purchasing. Another tip is to go directly to store websites for printable coupons. If you know exactly what you’ll be buying, try typing the item into a search engine followed by the word coupon.

2. Coupons in Print

With the holiday season comes the opportunity to clip coupons from your local newspaper, mailings and even store catalogs sent to your mailbox. ToysRUs, for instance, is famous for its holiday mailer full of fantastic deals. Chances are you’ll be able to find other useful coupons if you look through those weekly flyers instead of just tossing them in the recycling bin.

3. Rewards

Many stores offer a rewards card that can benefit you rather quickly, especially around the holidays. Grocery stores, department stores and big box stores have their own rewards cards that earn you a variety of goodies. Whether it’s free gas, printable coupons or a percentage off of your total bill, these rewards add up fast. Even if you aren’t saving money on the gift you’re buying, you’ll be saving in other ways and it all adds up in the end.

4. Bundles

If you’re looking for the latest gadget, whether it’s a smart phone, tablet or personal computer, look for a store offering a bundle rather than only the single item. Many stores will offer a package that comes with the item, accessories, chargers and other things that people tend to purchase at the same time. Remember, the gadget doesn’t have to be a gift! If you’ve been putting off buying the latest e-reader or laptop, now may be the perfect time.

5. Secret Santa

While it’s not a coupon, it’s still a great way to save money during the holidays. Rather than buying a gift for each member of your extended family, organize a holiday gift exchange. Draw names and purchase a gift for one person. This idea is also a great one for office parties and school gatherings. Set the budget and rules for the exchange and keep it fun!

During this season, exchanging gifts should be secondary and not your main focus. Create a list, stick to a budget and utilize coupons whenever possible. Following these tips will allow you to relax throughout the holiday season and really remember what it’s all about.

Mary Blanchard is a self diagnosed coupon addict! She loves to find the best deals, share her advice and investigate options. As an addict, she provides information for other addicts or just those who want to find the best buy for their dollar. One of her favorite sites to shop around for deals is the couponcroc.co.uk in the UK. Check them out to see why.

Putting God Back In The Holidays is a book by Bill and Penny Thrasher that gives you ideas on how to celebrate holidays more spiritually. The book focuses on main holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also on New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, birthdays and others. Most of us whiz through holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, being stressed, without looking at the real meaning. We are left feeling exhausted and drained of money instead of having experienced peace and joy.

The book gives you lots of invaluable ideas and suggestions on how to celebrate holidays to not only make the holidays more enjoyable but also more spiritual and meaningful for the whole family. You’ll find suggested Bible passages that you can read to help you to slow down and find a more spiritual meaning to the holidays.

Overall, this is a treasure of a book filled with stories, advice and suggestions on how to celebrate holidays spiritually and stress-free.

Read more about the book by clicking here.

Whether it’s for brunch, dinner, dessert or just a treat you will love these quick and easy recipes to add to the enjoyment of your Christmas gathering.

For a Christmas breakfast or brunch these easy-to-fix melts with ham and cheese on English muffins just can’t be beat!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 English muffins, split and toasted
3 tsp Dijon mustard
8 slices good-quality ham
1.5 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
8 slices of cheese of your choice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°Fahrenheit.

Arrange the toasted muffin halves on a baking sheet and spread with the mustard. Top with ham, apple slices and cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 6 – 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with hot sauce and enjoy!

Yummy treats with that cranberry sauce taste! And no baking.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup whipping cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions:

Place sugar, butter, cream and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, while stirring constantly. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Carefully add the powdered sugar and stir well. Then mix in the vanilla extract. Fold in the cranberries until evenly distributed.

Spray a 8 x 8 inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray and spoon in the mixture. Place in the refrigerated and chill until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares and enjoy!

No need for alcohol to make this delicious Christmas cocktail! And you can drink all you want even if you’re the designated driver.

Ingredients:

1 cup apple juice
1 cup orange juice
1 bottle (64oz) cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups lemonade
Orange and lemon slices

Instructions:

In a large punch bowl, combine all ingredients. Add the orange and lemon slices.

This one just shouts “Merry Christmas.” And it could become a part of your Christmas dinner tradition.

Serves about 6

Ingredients:

2 cups mini marshmallows
2 x 17oz cans yams, drained
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup raisins
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¼ cup margarine
½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, raisins, apples and nuts. Alternate layers of apples/nuts with layers of yams. Dot with margarine. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Top with the mini marshmallows and continue baking until the marshmallows are gooey and brown.

Who says it has to be a chore to finish off that leftover turkey? This delicious but easy curry dish will have them hoping there is plenty of turkey left after Christmas Day.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups leftover cooked turkey, diced
1-2 tbsp curry paste (depending on your taste)
1 large onion, chopped
1 can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbsp oil

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet and add the onions and fresh ginger. Fry until the onions are softened. Then add the curry paste and cook for a minute. Then add the flour, broth and pineapple. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Mix in the turkey and cook for about 10 minutes until the turkey is heated through.

Serve immediately with rice.

No baking required. But they will be asking you for your recipe — and all these treats will be gone!

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine
4 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp cocoa powder
4 cups quick oats
1 ½ cup sugar
Chopped nuts
Desiccated coconut
Powdered sugar

Instructions:

With an electric mixer cream the margarine with water. Then add the vanilla extract. Add the sugar, oats and cocoa powder and mix well with a wooden spoon. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. (You might have to add a few more drops of water if the dough doesn’t stick together properly.)

Place the nuts, coconut and powdered sugar on separate shallow dishes. Roll some of the balls first in the powdered sugar and then the coconut and roll the remaining balls in the chopped nuts mixture. Place the finished balls onto a plate, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

These make lovely holiday treats!

Don’t like brussels sprouts? You will become a new fan when you taste this dish!

Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed, and yellow leaves removed
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Place the Brussels sprouts in a bowl and add the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Arrange in a roasting tin and roast in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Shake occasionally to prevent the sprouts sticking to the pan. The outside of the sprouts should be nice and crisp and the inside cooked through and tender.

Serve immediately with your Christmas turkey.

Want even more Christmas cooking and baking ideas? Click here!

The best Christmas parties are the ones with children. An adults-only party can be fun but the enthusiasm children have this time of year will spread and will give your party some excitement to say the least. Invite your family, your extended family, your friends and their children. Invitations should be mailed out and can either be bought or made. If you’re the creative type, try taking the famous, “Twas the night before Christmas,” poem and alter it to describe what your party will be like. Your guests will get a kick out it.

Decorations for a Christmas party are easy since you’ll be decorating for the holiday, anyway. What you can do to add to the festivities is have a slide show of pictures of your friends and family from Christmases past. Have it play throughout the night so everyone can enjoy it no matter when they arrive or when they leave. Having music playing in the background also helps set the mood. Be sure to keep it at an appropriate volume where you can hear it, but it’s not so loud that you can’t have a conversation with someone.

Of course, it’s not a party without food. A Christmas party especially needs a few essentials. The type of food you serve may change depending on type of meal you’re having, sit-down or buffet. Either is fine, although if you plan on having a large crowd and can’t fit everyone around a table, a buffet may work better. Break out the traditional Christmas foods that you may not get to have all the time. Depending on your background, this could be goose, beef, ham, or anything else. What really makes it Christmas are the deserts.

Instead of just putting the deserts out on the table like you did with the snacks and the meal, have everyone participate in creating their deserts. Eggnog and gingerbread are absolute musts and need to be given their due. Have everyone, kids and adults, take a gingerbread cookie, take some icing, and decorate their treat. You’ll find out who your creative types are right away. Once everyone had decorated their cookie, have the adults judge the children’s cookies and have them judge the adult’s cookies. The winners will get a prize of your choosing. Be sure to take pictures. This activity works well because it allows adults to feel like kids again, and who doesn’t like that?

Exchanging presents is a usual custom at Christmas parties, but you can make it extra special by having Santa there. As with the cookies, have children and adults take turns sitting on Santa’s lap as they get their gift and definitely have the camera ready. Maybe Mrs. Clause can even join in on the festivities. The kids will be thrilled and the adults can have another chance to be silly.

What really makes a Christmas party successful is that everyone is having fun. The children are allowed to be excited, the adults get to feel young again, and no one feels alone. By just taking care of these things, you’ll have a great party no matter what you choose to do. Make it even better by taking these ideas, and some of your own, and applying them to your next Christmas party. The more the merrier.

Olivia Nicholas is a writer, blogger and a mom.  She has been writing articles and blogging for over 10 years and is a freelance writer for Storkie.

Psalm 8:2 (NIV) “ From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…”

As in previous years, before Christmas, I put up a little manger depicting the nativity scene in my home.  This year, I thought I will start my own tradition by asking my grandnephew Aidan who is 23 months, to put the figurine of baby Jesus into the manger.  As I pointed out each figurine, I explained to him about the birth of Jesus, the wise men, the shepherds, Joseph and Mary.  I gave him the figurine of baby Jesus and when he held it he said “baby Jesus nappy on”.  I have never noticed that before.  I taught him to sing “Silent Night”.  Whenever he came over to my home, he would go to the manger, take the baby Jesus figurine and say “Baby Jesus nappy on”.

Over the next few days, I kept thinking about what he said and it made me realize how much I have taken Christmas for granted.  I began to recall how we celebrated Christmas when my parents were alive.  My mum would put up the nativity scene.  She would play the 45rpm or 78rpm Christmas records or cassette tapes with Christmas songs, not so much the Jingle Bells type of songs. She would sometimes sing “Silent Night” while she cooked.  She sometimes joined the church choir.  That was Christmas with her–Christ-centered Christmas.

It’s Christmas time
A time we reminisce of those not here
Sometimes longing their presence
Maybe shedding a tear or so

Memories cloud the beauty of the season
The proclamation of God’s angel to a virgin
Magi bowing at a babe sleeping in the manger
Excitement of shepherds following a star

Traditions take preference
Dimming the meaning of this time
Light from heaven, Morning Star,
Savior’s birth long foretold

Presents under a decorated tree
Frankincense, gold and myrrh in a stable
Sheep, oxen, hay and simple cloth
Replaces the grandeur throne of heaven

Food on the stove, feasting aromas
A virgin breastfeeding the Immanuel
Kissing hands that would be cruelly pierced
Holding the great I AM

Lord Jesus, thank You for using Aidan to speak forth something so profound to change my Christmas. A blessed and holy Christmas to you.

Author: Ann Mauritia D’Cruz