12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (2017) – Day 4
*Give Away has Ended*
GRAND PRIZE!!!
One of you WHO COMMENTS ON ALL TWELVE POSTS AND ALSO SHARES ABOUT THE SERIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA will win a grand prize from me, pictured here.
REMEMBER…in order to win the grand prize, you must leave a comment on all 12 posts. You can start with Day One HERE.
OK, let’s get started with our fourth day’s guest, Lindsey Feldpausch!
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Just Three Things
Christmas festivities and decorations were always slightly different when I was growing up.
We started with Santa as our tree topper, and then we had an angel and then a star. Sometimes my mom made oatmeal scotchies. Other years she made sugar cookies or spritz cookies. Sometimes my dad would make an ice rink in the backyard. Other years he seemed committed to showing us all the classic Christmas movies. Some years we would go to a little chapel in my mom’s hometown to attend an evening candle-light service and other years we turned in early. Some years my parents put gifts under the tree early and other years we could hear them frantically wrapping well into the night on Christmas Eve. Some years we had professional pictures with fake fireplace backgrounds and some years there was no formal documentation of the occasion.
Christmas at my house had two things in common each year.
- People got gifts under a tree
- on December 25th
Sure, we had the same ornaments to hang up. You could generally count on my dad to make wise cracks while we were opening gifts and you could also usually predict that my mom would have a steaming cup of coffee in her hand as she watched us tear through the presents with excitement.
Other than that, we didn’t really have a Christmas tradition unique to our family. Truthfully, now that I have a family of my own, Christmas looks pretty similar.
I wanted to let you know, that if you’re kind of like me— it’s okay if you’re a little low on Christmas traditions. Hey, that’s why this series from Karen is so fun— there are plenty of ideas to try this year! If it doesn’t work out, try something new next year!
My parents became Christians when they were 38 years old. I was 13 years old at the time. That’s when they taught me the true meaning of Christmas.
Ever since then, we’ve had 3 things that are always the same around here:
- People get gifts under a tree
- on December 25th
- because Jesus came as a baby to rescue us from sin forever.
My husband’s family likes to act out the nativity story, complete with bedsheets and rehearsed lines. My parents usually enjoy reading the biblical account. My husband and I like to watch The Nativity Story with our kids. Either way, we praise God for sending his Son. What a wonderful Christmas that was when we learned the true meaning of Christmas.
Day 4 Giveaway
For my giveaway I’d like to offer a throwback package that reminds me of one of the many different Christmases we had. One particular year, my dad kept the fireplace filled with long-lasting flames. I sat, read, and wrote by the fire. It was especially quiet that year. My mom played a variety of music (everything from Gladys Knight to Andrea Bocelli to the Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack). My heart was full.
Here are 3 different journals/notepads because I do believe a girl can never have enough things to write on, a pack of thank you cards, and an iTunes giftcard to download something new.
Lindsey Feldpausch is a writer, speaker, and graphic designer. She lives in a small town outside of Grand Rapids Michigan. Married to a humble, handsome Youth Pastor, together they have four children. She is a Projects Manager for a Proverbs 31 Author & Speaker Karen Ehman, Spokeswoman for Jonathan Park Audio Adventures, and Reviewer of Family Products at TheBetterMom.com. She can’t wait to tell you a story and can’t wait to listen to yours. Jesus is her Savior. She is currently unfinished.
You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
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Thanks for sharing!
I love traditions and spontaneity as well! We do s litrle of both!
A little of both!! Lol
Love Christmas traditions but sometimes through change in life situations you have to allow yourself to let them go……kind of tough sometimes.
The thank you cards are a great idea!
thank you for sharing an encouraging. sometimes we can compare our lack of traditions to others full schedule of tradition. Our family has come to appreciate time together as the greatest tradition.
Growing up we had traditions. While my children were growing up we had a few but now just my 19 yr. Old and I we usually just stay in jammies all day watching movies and eat pizza :D
Love journaling ?
Love this!
Love this! We have a few traditions, like on a Christmas Eve our kids each get a book and stuffy to go with it, and on Christmas morning we have a huge breakfast with my extended family and some of our extended church family, but overall we try out something new each year. Thank you for the inspiration!
Time to start some new traditions now that the kids are out of the house. Thanks for sharing.
I agree a girl can never have too much to write on. Love making family traditions.
Love family traditions and enjoying just being together!
This is such a personal gift, something for me. It just makes me think of peace and calm and quiet time, alone. I, too, remember a Christmas where I just sat and read. My grandma and grandpa got me the complete set of Little House books, and I went out on their porch immediately and started reading.
How i love your refreshing “real-ness” Lindsey! One of the greatest traditions we have here at our house is no traditions too! ?We always try to take in something new and different in our community. Caroling with our church, wrapping books for advent reading, some special holiday baking are some things we usually do with GREAT variation. ?
One of my all-time favorite Christmas traditions is going to our Church’s Candlelight Christmas Eve service. I remember being allowed to stay home as a kid when one of my parents went, but I don’t remember ever having to go until I made the choice to as an adult.
When I got married I had to learn to be flexible on some of the traditions (like when to open stockings!!), but it’s fun creating new ones with my own family. Thanks for sharing your story!
On Christmas we could only open our stockings until after church. That was the one day no one had to repeatedly tell us to get dressed.
A good reminder for this momma to read today… we recently added twins from Burundi to our family making us a party of 7 now. As much as they have blessed us so and we are looking forward to and enjoying the Christmas season so far through their eyes, I am really having to be relaxed on what activities we are doing as a family. Been good but hard and helping us remember what this season is truly about!
My “babies” are 21 and 19 but we still sit by the Christmas tree and read the story of the birth of Jesus every year!
My family has had traditions, and when I got married it was hard to break some of those to include my husband’s family. But a lot of our traditions revolved around food. Now we have several in the family with food allergies so some of those traditions have been easier to change or I’ve had to find a way to “Change” those traditions. I have also found that adding new things are a lot of fun too!
This is day 5 of the 12 days of Christmas I would really like to win!!
Circumstance changed 2 years ago. I’ve kept most of our traditions the same. This year we may open gifts on Christmas Eve in our new PJ’s. We read the Bible about Jesus birth every Christmas Day. Jesus is the reason for the season. He has blessed this family.
After my mom passed 10 years ago, I needed to find new ways of celebrating the holiday season. One of my favorite things to do is to see how many different churches I can visit on Christmas Eve and during the holiday season. I love the different cantatas and Christmas programs! Thanks for sharing some new and different traditions, being single is hard over the holidays but I am enjoying going to different homes and celebrating with other families when asked! :) Also on Christmas, I try to see a new happy movie!
We are still figuring out our family traditions, but I have so many warm memories of the traditions I had growing up. I hope to pass warm memories of beloved traditions along to my boys that they can share with their own families someday.
Now that my parents have passed away, I’m trying to start some new traditions with my own family.
Great giveaway! Our traditions continue to change too.
I feel like I can never have too many journals! :)