12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (2017) – Day 2
*Give Away has Ended*
A decade ago I had a little holiday idea. I asked 12 friends to join me for 12 days of Christmas giveaways here on my blog. Each of them shared a favorite recipe, memory, gift idea, decorating tip, or something else that would help my readers during the holiday hustle. They’d also give away a prize package and readers could enter to win by leaving a comment. The series was an instant hit. And it was the first time during my year of blogging that a post got over 100 comments.
You are gonna love meeting the 12 friends joining us this year and entering to win their prizes. And…..
THIS YEAR THERE IS ALSO A 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.
OK, let’s get started with our second day’s guest, Kristin Schell.
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Christmas at the Turquoise Table
One of the most anticipated traditions in our neighborhood is the celebration of St. Nicholas Day. The holidays are a wonderful time to spread joy right where you live.
The Story of St. Nicholas
The traditional Advent feast day, which occurs on December 6th, remembers St. Nicholas who was the Bishop of Myra in the fourth century. His parents died when he was young, leaving Nicholas with a large sum of money. Nicholas used his inheritance to help those in need, particularly children. Because of his generosity Nicholas is well known as the patron saint of children and gift-giving.
The custom of giving gifts on St. Nicholas Day originated in Europe as a way to commemorate the life of the saint who was a helper of those in need.
5 Simple Steps To Celebrate St. Nicholas Day in Your Neighborhood
- Get A Buddy. Ask a friend to help you plan your neighborhood St. Nicholas Day. It’s not only practical to have help, it’s way more fun. In our neighborhood we have a handful of Secret Elves!
- Reach Out To Your Neighbors. Prior to December 6th, send an email explaining the celebration to neighbors with children–all ages welcome!. If the parents are interested in a surprise visit from St. Nicholas, ask them to have their children leave a shoe on the front porch before bedtime.
- Buy Small Gifts. Traditional St. Nicholas Day gifts include chocolate gold coins, clementines or oranges, and a delicious cookie.
- Send A Reminder. Email the parents to make sure the kiddos put their shoes outside.
- Deliver The Gifts. After bedtime, the Secret Elves meet at The Turquoise Table. We put together small bags of chocolate coins, clementines, and cookies, and tie them together with a coloring page or tag that explains the story of St. Nicholas. Then we deliver the gifts to all the shoes left on our neighbor’s doorsteps.
The possibilities for celebrating St. Nicholas Day are endless and easily adaptable for your neighborhood. Live in an apartment complex? Talk to the manager about your idea and ask for help. Live in a rural area? Consider sharing the idea with a children’s shelter or nursing home and surprising the residents with a visit from St. Nick.
For more information about St. Nicholas Day and the Turquoise Table, please join Kristin HERE.
Day Two Giveaway
For the 12 Days of Christmas series, I am giving away my book, The Turquoise Table AND the Turquoise Table Starter Kit! Leave a comment below and let us know how you like to reach out to your neighbors during Christmas.
Kristin Schell is on a mission to love her neighbors. She put a picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting neighbors, friends, and even strangers, to hang out and do life together at The Turquoise Table.
A new concept of hospitality unfolded in her neighborhood, and before long The Turquoise Table led to a movement of Front Yard People—ordinary people who long to create community right where they live. Today, there are Turquoise Tables all across America in all fifty states and seven countries.
Kristin’s book The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) is available wherever books are sold.
You can find Kristin on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and at www.theturquoisetable.com
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12 Days of Christmas Giveaways Rules
- You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, Sunday, December 17. All posts are linked on Day One here.
- U.S. Addresses only please.
- One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments and all winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced on Wednesday, December 20.
- Share the giveaway with your friends and followers using the share buttons below.
- If you’re not already subscribed, click here and receive an email notification each day of our series.
What a lovey idea to have a ministry to encourage your neighbors.
This is a lovely idea! I love encouraging others and this would be a great way to do that!!
Wow the Turquoise Table is a FaNtAbUlOuS idea. I would even add some type of table top cover where people can write on (using markers) scriptures or prayers. I like to take care of my elderly neighbors by getting their mail for them when driveways are snowy or taking the trash down the driveway for them. Ha one year I got mail for my neighbor and her doggie was barking when I knocked but she didn’t answer. I was so worried I called for police to come check on her. She was with her daughter out of town for the night. You just never know and I was so happy the police were not upset with me. They said they wish more people kept an eye out for each other these days.
I lived in the same neighborhood since I was 13 and seen my neighborhood grow. While I have known some of my neighbors since then I desperately need to reach to my new neighbors but not sure how. I feel your book will help me to reach out.
Love Christmas traditions of all different types. Merry Christmas
I love the idea from community. Where I live, it’s hard to get a hello from a neighbor.
I’m not big on doing things for or with our neighbors- but this is our first in Christmas in this neighborhood so I’m going to set a goal to reach out to at least two fami,ILES in some way!
What a fun idea! I have the neighbor kids over to decorate cookies– I think I will try this next year as I will need some time to get this idea rolling! Thank you for sharing and ways to bless our neighbors!
Sounds like a fun tradition!
Day 2 love the table idea!
Great idea. I don’t live in a neighborhood. Just. A street with houses. I just moved here and only meet 1 neighbor., 2 houses down. Maybe I’ll meet more this spring outside.
What a lovely idea. I hardly know most of my neighbors, but I do know there aren’t many children in my neighborhood. Maybe this idea could be adapted.
When my husband and I bought our first house (in a tiny town in Northern WI) we decided we were going to deliver cookies every Christmas to our neighbors. This is only year 4, but we’ve done it every year. We make cookies and deliver them (we have to drive to the houses because we live in the boonies haha). It’s so fun to get our boys involved now too!
I love this idea! We missed the actual day, but my grandma lives in a nursing home and I would still like to try to do something like this there. We made all of the residents a card last year. 84 of them!!
Love your ideas! We live in a neighborhood that is a culdesac with about 20 houses. My husband heard about National Good Neighbor Day and he made small loaves of banana bread that we delivered together. It was good to meet new neighbors we hadn’t seen yet and get reacquainted with others.
I LOVE THIS IDEA! What a fun idea to create community! Most people will come together for children, so this is a great way to connect with neighbors, even if you haven’t done so before now. Even if I don’t win, I think this may be a book on my wish list for Christmas!
Love this! What a great connection!
I read an article on you in a magazine and have loved the idea of putting a turquoise table in my front yard. I love to reach out to my neighbors and walk with my kids to see everyone’s lights. Fun nights with family and friends!
I love the idea of “doing life” together, face to face, especially in a world that is increasingly disconnected (even as we become more “connected” through technology!). The turquoise table is a great way to do that!
What an awesome idea. I think we could all use a little more connecting.
How important to not forget those who live near us.
OOOoo after moving into a new neighborhood just last Friday this is such a fun idea. Thank you!
I love this idea, the idea of connecting with neighbors sounds awesome. Where I live houses are far apart from each other, there are actually neighbors I wouldn’t know if I bumped into them, everyone drives up to their house pushes the garage door opener and in the house they go…never to see again until the garage door opens to leave. It’s making the wheels turn in my head to figure out a way to get to know them. Thank you.
I would like to just invite my neighbor over for dinner and extend my hand of friendship. I have had this on my mind for a year now. Especially since we are the only young ones in the neighborhood.
What a fun idea and a way to bring people together. My neighbors enjoy each other and this would be a great way to bring them together at Christmas at the early part of the month. The Turquoise Table sounds like a useful book to help me learn how to share with our neighbors the love of Jesus.