The 8th Day of Christmas with Courtney DeFeo–Lil’ Light O’ Mine
Welcome to the 7th annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!!!
12 Days.
12 friends guest posting sharing a Christmas idea, recipe or favorite with you.
12 great giveaways for you to enter along with one GRAND PRIZE for someone who comments to enter all 12 days!!
And here is the GRAND PRIZE:
It includes:
*A Proverbs 31 Real Life devotional Bible
*A tin of Holiday tea from Harney & Sons
* A bottle of twisted peppermint lotion from Bath & Body Works
*A Christmas CD by Michael O’Brien
* And a $75.00 gift certificate to Proverbs 31 Ministries to purchase books, dvd’s, Bible studies or something from the Fashion and Compassion jewelry collection where bullets from Ethiopia have been turned into gorgeous jewelry by at-risk women.
Be sure to comment on all 12 days to be entered to win the grand prize!!!!
And now….here is today’s guest……
Welcome to the Eighth Day of Christmas! Our post today is complements of the completely cool Courtney DeFeo. Courtney is a popular blogger, author
of In This House, We Will Giggle and creator of ABC Scripture Cards and Light ‘Em Up. She is a graduate of Auburn University and has worked in marketing for Chick-fil-A. Courtney and her husband, Ron, are the parents of two children. To connect with Courtney, visit CourtneyDeFeo.com
How To Teach the Joy of Generosity Through Laughter vs Lectures
After school one day, I grabbed my two girls and their friend and told them we were headed on a little adventure. They are used to these bizarre antics from their mother. I started the Light ‘Em Up movement which is essentially ways for families to spread kindness together. So, they typically just roll with an after-school adventure like this one.
On this particular day, I had a bag of dollar bills, a bag of nickels and pennies, and a bag of Light ‘Em Up “surprise” gift tags. I told them we were headed to the Dollar Tree to hide Ziploc bags of $1.06 all over the store. They smiled so big.
It’s like 
they could imagine the strangers finding their treats and they were ready to roll. So, the assembly line began in the back seat. One child would stuff the dollar, one would add the coins for tax and the other would toss in the note and zip it up. Once we got to the store, we had around 15 bags ready to go and we hopped out ready for our sneaky adventure. We walked in the store and headed to the back, trying not to make a scene. We taped a bag near the toys and a bag near the food. And one near the dog toys. We were giggling and running from people so we wouldn’t get caught.
Joy and laughter filled my girls hearts as generosity filled The Dollar Tree.
As we were pulling out, a homeless woman tapped on my window and asked if she could wash my window for change. I shook my head “no” since I was totally out of cash. My sweet Ella said, “Mom, tell her about the store!” My heart almost combusted with pride. “Yes, Ella!” I rolled down the window and told the kind lady where she could find a dollar (or fifteen) and she ran into the store with a smile.
Throughout our generosity journey as a family, I have learned that we just have to be willing. We never know what God has in store once we just say “yes.” My kids didn’t need a boring lecture on generosity that day. They got it. They learn virtues through experiences. They learn the joy of giving through laughter. In my recent book, In This House, We Will Giggle, I include a memory verse and virtue definition for each of the 12 virtues. It was really important that the book be a very practical resource for busy moms just like me.
Today, my gift to each of you is this easy downloadable virtue card on Generosity. You can print and put right on your fridge or back door. Or, put it in a frame. The definition puts it in a language our kids can understand. 
Merry Christmas from my giggling house to yours!
Giveaway: Courtney is giving away one copy of In This House, We Will Giggle to the winner of Day 8’s comments. Simply Share your favorite way to spread kindness in your community during the holidays, in the comment section below.
In This House, We Will Giggle: Making Virtues, Love, and Laughter a Daily Part of Your Family Life offers parents a practical approach to instilling virtues in their children through laughter, rather than lecture. Designed to cover an entire year, each of the 12 chapters highlights one key virtue in developing a child’s character, along with insights to help infuse the virtue into everyday life. In This House, We Will Giggle teaches children to experience the goodness of God, the joy of following Jesus and the difference children can make in the lives of others.
So be sure to leave a comment and don’t forget to come back for all 12 days! {And remember, if you comment on all 12 posts, you might win the Grand Prize!} May your Merry memory making be met with giggles.
We live in a small community in the country. Our neighborhood office gets information from needy families each Christmas to adopt. Everyone pitches in what they can to help make those Christmas wishes come true.
The way I spread kindness is by having a pleasant expression and a ready smile while walking into a grocery store, or into work…or just everywhere.
We bake Christmas goodies for our neighbors and we stared a tradition twould years ago. Where we adopt a family through the Angel Tree Project with our church. We buy gifts to those children thato have a father or mother in prison and can’t provide Christmas for them or be with them through the hoildays. It has been a true blessing for our family to be a part of it each year.
I love to cook for others ( especially soup!!). A warm meal when they are to tired to cook. Thank you. Barb
My daughter and I love to share the activity “you’ve been jingled” where we make a plate of goodies and leave anonomosly with neighbors.
I really like this fun dollar tree idea, or something similar to try. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love your light em up idea….what a neat memory for all of you too! I’m in a women’s group “Crafty Ladies”, we meet on Mon. Afternoons for a couple of hours. We bring whatever craft we are working on, and visit, have a Bible devotion and prayer time for our group, our friends & family and ny other concerns. I’ve been lucky enough to share my joy of loom knitting with several ladies this past year and even with another group as well. I tend to be making something all the time, but most of the time I just give them away to family & friends….and sometimes just someone I’ve met in passing, who has admired it and looked or sounded like they were having a bad day or time….and just feel the Lord saying “Go ahead…give it to them…they need someone to show I do care!” I just feel it’s more of. God thing to share with others! But I try to teach someone how to do it (loom knitting) when I can, then they can continue to make for themselves & share with others too! May God Bless yor gifts as well! That ms for sharing yours!
What a neat idea! I love the Dollar Tree store. I used it to buy things for the Shoe Boxes for Samaritan’s Purse and other times for things for stockings for Salvation Army. I make it a practice each year end to give to some mission. This year one of the charge card companies is allowing me to use my points as a donation in cash to a mission. What a blessing since I never use them to be able to help a mission with them! Thank you God for CCCU!
We have gotten toys for tots and also donate food to our church outreach.
I absolutely LOVE this idea! I have paid for others’ meals in the drive thru and left money in the snack machine for someone, but this takes it to another level.
What fun! Thanks for the great idea! I am blessed with kids who love to give. They love to pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child, donate toys and clothing, and always put livestock/blankets/water for children in other countries on their Christmas lists, so I know they would have a great time with your ideas!
I love to make homemade cookies and sweets to give to our neighbors. My husband and I have been blessed to have some precious elderly neighbors. We try to be a help and blessing to them year round. What great ideas are posted here!
I typically donate to my church or local community center. I also like to donate cash for food baskets so those packing the baskets can get what they need to complete them. I like to buy gifts for teens for gift collection. This year this is one little girl at my school and I will anonymously drop off gifts for her and siblings. I love your great ideas Courtney! But as a grandmother, I find that I am blessed to give I. A more traditional way!
I like to donate anonymously to those in need and love to bake goodies for others!
This is the second year my workplace has provided “Pay it Forward” giftcards. There’s a stipulation that they must be used to bless someone else. (They don’t use the word bless but that’s really what we’re being asked to do.) I was trying to think what to do with mine this year, This post has helped me figure out that when I’m in the drive-thru at various places in the next few weeks, I’ll use the card to pay for the car behind me.
I actually changed what I did with my card. A co-worker posted about his plans to assist the sister of a friend. This gal is the mom of two and had just walked away from an abusive marriage. Our cards will go toward helping her with the basics as she gets settled on her own.
I haven’t done this yet, but I’d like to get a large gift card to somewhere like Chick-Fil-A or Panera, and leave it at the drive-thru for everyone behind me (as long as it lasts).
We usually do the Christmas Shoe box every year.
You put a smile on my face as I was picturing the looks of people finding your gift bag!
This can be a joyous season, but for many it is a hard time, some people are lonely. I just love to open my home up and welcome people. Fellowship, laughter, food, and encouragement go a long ways.
This year we are planning a baking day and then want to deliver the cookies to random people
We have an Advent jar that we choose from each day – some days it’s baking cookies to give to neighbors, buying/donating toys, volunteering at Rockford Rescue Mission – some days it is family time. I love that it’s fun but intentional!!! :)
I love this act of giving. I’m going to do this too!
In the past we have adopted children from the Angel Tree and shopped for them as a family and in my children’s classrooms, etc. Although we still do this much needed ministry, when I found your blog 2 years ago we started going to a local mall and passing out candy canes with little messages and/or Bible verses of God’s grace and mercy. I wanted my children to feel and see how such a small gift and a warm smile can brighten others day. That we can give in both big and small ways. This year we are continuing with passing out candy canes but we are also going to go to the mall one day and stand at the main entrance and open doors for people coming and going. I want to teach my children to be aware of others around them at all times and willing to lend a helping hand and a warm smile as you never know what someone else is going through at that time. I love all of your ideas – please keep them coming!
Apparently, I epically fail at spreading cheer throughout our community. (probably mostly because I am clueless as to what to do, and rarely have the extra funds to do much.) I can’t seem to think of anything. (we teach at the local women’s mission etc, but again, that isn’t necessarily bringing cheer to the community. )
What an awesome idea!! For our unemployed ass’t pastor i have felt the need to gift books to them for their kids. Angie Smith’s new one and Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. But that isn’t within the community.
Definitely wanting to try this. And I think my teens will be on board. Hmmm, we could turn it into a youth event and get the other teens involved. :-) thanks for this.
In the past I have given a gift card to the mail carrier and the men who pick up our trash so that they can get lunch somewhere in town. I have made cookies and when my daughter was younger, she would chase them down the street to give them to them. I also have baked goodies for my hair dresser and some of the neighbors. I love some of the ideas I have been reading and want to try some of these!
Thanks for sharing!