... great deals

so i LOVE a great deal and i love to share them too!! starting today Old Navy, put jeans for the family on sale for $12-$25. great deal right?! well, to make it even sweeter, there is a $15 off $50 coupon too! but you've gotta hurry, the coupon expires tomorrow (12/9). just click on the link and print the page. the bar code is at the bottom.

happy shopping!

... a jesse tree

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" Luke 2:11 

so i built a jesse tree. i hadn't planned on it. we were already 

doing our advent calendar, along with other activities during our bible time.

but the excitement of the season came over me like a tidal wave.

He is coming.

 i had lots of bamboo shoots in the garage for another project. they would be perfect.

in year's past i've always wanted to do one, but we've just always done 

other things, the boys were too little, i was too tired, whatever. 

but this year is different. sure, i am still tired, still do too much and the boys 

are little, but something about this year...

it is Him. 

life moves a little easier (oh, i still have some moments), things are brighter, 

peace is greater, love is more abundant, joy is louder.

"He didn't come to make evil people good, He came to make dead people alive." - Joseph Prince

He transforms me. He moves me.

we all know that the exact date of His birth is not the 25th of december, 

but it doesn't matter. what matters is that He came. and it changed everything.

and i celebrate.

the tools i used... gorilla wood glue, the best. but the glue gun worked the best on the bamboo.

i am transformed by the revelation of His love for me. for you.

it's what separates. it makes all the difference. because it's all about Him.

not you and me, not how good we are (or bad). it's all about One Man. 

Jesus.

think about it. ever wondered why so many people are offended at the 

mention of His name. because it ALL came down on Him.

say it with me. Jesus. oh it just gives me chills!

Jesus.

if my children learn one thing about Jesus, it's that He loves them. 

no matter what. in Him, NOTHING can separate.

i have always loved this blog, www.aholyexperience.com. she has a beautiful 

advent devotional to download! it's all there - the ornaments, scripture, a prayer. 

it even has an activity of love to do. use all of it or just use part of it. do what works for your family!

ponder the wonder, the beauty. meditate on the love that One Man came to give.

for you. complete forgiveness because you can't and He did. 

i will leave you with this...

"that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ might dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." - Eph. 3:16-19

Merry Christmas

... advent

i love this time of year! i love the decorations, the lights, the smells... the extra, special time we spend with one another. i just love it!

one of the things we do as a family is our advent calendar. it is filled with special things to do on each day of december. we might not do it traditionally, but we've made it our own.

Christmas is such a fun time for my children, filled with the message of the One who came and loads of memory-making activities!

i've been working on our activities and thought i would share my list with you!

when we first started, i just filled a jar with slips of paper with activities to do and let the kids pick. this is an awesome way to start, but the unpredictability didn't work so well for me us. 

now with the calendar, i can plan (and move things around if needed)!

plan?! who me? when i say plan, i use it loosely. if i know what is coming in the next few days, then i can have ingredients, directions... motivation :)

i've heard so many people say that they would love to do something like this, but weren't sure if they had the time. make it your own. if you aren't up for a daily activity, you could make it a weekend thing.

i try to make most of the activities very simple, and now i hope to make it simple for you! 

so here are some of ours (in no particular order)...

• watch a Christmas movie

• make cookies/goodies for the mailman

• go to Dickens of a Christmas in franklin, dec. 8-9

• go see the lights at the Opryland Hotel

• have a cookie decorating party (here's a great way to make it less messy!)

• do a Christmas art project

• go to or leave for our family's Christmas celebration (if you have more than one)

• go to your local Christmas parade (nashville - dec. 7, franklin - dec. 1)

• open an early Christmas present (we usually give new Christmas pjs!)

• go to the Christmas celebration at Rocketown featuring the Unity Choir (more info here)

• drive around and look at Christmas lights - i LOVE this idea
• read the Christmas story from Luke while having hot chocolate by the tree
• make a new ornament (this is so sweet)
• make cookies/goodies for the garbage men (because my kids LOVE them!)
• make goodies for our local firemen and take them to the station (super fun for my boys)
• have a fancy birthday dinner for Jesus - dress up, get out the china, light some candles, make a cake!
• have a "sleepover" by the tree - make pallets, watch a movie or read stories
• make homemade gifts for friends
• tell the story of the real St. Nicholas and make a santa craft (i want to do a version of this, but santa instead)
• make Christmas cards for friends and family
• make goody baskets and "elf" someone - you can download a printable to use here

    and the best for last...
• celebrate the birth of Jesus with giving, eating, playing and lots and lots of love!!!

i hope this has been helpful!
may your season be blessed!

... pinterest

just a few more things about this blog... i am one who thinks a whole bunch up in my head, but getting it out on the paper is a lost cause if it is not done immediately. this is why i have not attempted a blog before. my life does not allow for everything to stop so that i can get my thoughts out on paper. so a warning, if you like those long, wordy kinda blogs, this one won't be for you. i'm more of the kind that will point you in the right direction, answer your questions, and give you an image! maybe you like that? either way, here i am attempting this world of blog!

so the post is titled Pinterest because, i just started decorating for Christmas (a Thanksgiving weekend tradition in our house) and wanted to share a few of the ideas i took from there.

it all started with a few sticks,

a little burlap...

and some greenery

and then...

you can find all the inspiration on my Christmas board. the tutorial i followed for the burlap wreath can be found here. i like this one over all the rest because it was so easy! i think it took me all of 30 minutes to finish it. 

the jars are filled with epsom salt, greenery from my yard and tea lights. 

the little wreaths are from a wire hanger, greenery from the yard, sticks shaped into a star and a little hot glue! i hung these on some old windows that i had. you could also hang them on your real windows. i would love to mount a candle in them, but probably not the safest idea!

i hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Happy decorating!