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Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! (with Shannon Acheson)

*Give Away has Ended*

*If you are reading this post in your email inbox, be sure to navigate to my blog order to leave your comment and be entered to win the giveaway. To do so, click here.

NOTE: The best way to make sure you don’t miss any of the 12 days of giveaways is to subscribe to my blog so new posts are sent to your email inbox. When you do, you will automatically be sent a PDF resource I wrote called 5 Ways to Tether Your Heart to God’s Word. Click here to subscribe.

Welcome to my 13th annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

Years ago, I had an idea that has since grown into a fun and fabulous annual tradition. For 12 days in December, I have a guest share about a Christmas topic such as their favorite Christmas memory, movie, food, or tradition. They also offer a giveaway of the day. To enter to win it, all you need to do is answer a “quick question” of the day in the comment section and you will be eligible. Easy!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although all you need to do to enter is comment here, I will also be snooping around on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, looking for people who are promoting the giveaway by sharing an image along with the hashtag #12daysofchristmasgiveaways When you do so, you will be entered a second time for the giveaway that day!

Additionally, there is a grand prize for one person who comments on all 12 days, so set a daily alarm on your phone from now until December 18th and join the fun!

This year our Grand Prize is worth over $225!! It includes:

Ok…up first is a new friend of mine. Shannon Acheson is an author, home design and lifestyle expert, and creator of the popular website Homemade Lovely! Be sure to follow her on Instagram for some fabulous ideas.

And now, here’s Shannon!

Day 1: Christmas Eve Tradition

Since my husband and I didn’t actually grow up celebrating Christmas, we’ve had to create our own Christmas traditions. A couple of my favorites that we return to again and again are opening one gift each (always pajamas) and our stockings on Christmas Eve, and also making and eating cupcakes to celebrate baby Jesus birth (we do this a little less often now that the kids are older but it was definitely a highlight when they were young). We look forward to all these simple traditions every year.

Now, for my giveaway!

I mentioned opening pajamas and stockings on Christmas Eve. Is there something you usually do on Christmas Eve each year? Go to a candlelight service? Open new slippers? Watch a movie? Order pizza and drive around looking at Christmas lights? Tell us what it is in the comments and you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway. Remember, if you want to enter to win the grand prize, you must comment on and share all 12 days.

Day 1 Giveaway

Thanks Shannon! For first prize, Shannon is giving away a copy of her new hardcover book Home Made Lovely I have this book sitting on my coffee table right now and I love working my way through it. It will give you tons of ideas and loads of inspiration for making your home welcoming.

Everyone wants a home that is beautifully decorated and clutter-free, but most of us are unsure how to get there without breaking the bank. In Home Made Lovely, Shannon Acheson takes the overwhelm and guesswork out of styling and organizing a lovely home.

Home Made Lovely is a mind-set: Decorating should be about those who live there, rather than making your home into a magazine-worthy spread. This book will help you:
· decorate in a way that suits your family’s real-life;
· declutter in seven simple steps;
· perform a house blessing to dedicate your home to God;
· be thankful for your current home and what you already have;
· brush up on hospitality with more than twenty actionable ideas that will make anyone feel welcome and loved in your home.

In Home Made Lovely, Shannon meets you right where you are on your home-decorating journey, helping you share the peace of Jesus with family members and guests.

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Shannon Acheson is a mostly self-taught designer, decorator, writer, and stylist. Although she has completed her interior design training, she’d much rather teach you how to decorate your own home than do it for you. She is the editor and designer behind the design and lifestyle company and blog HomeMadeLovely.com. Her happy place is in the suburbs of Toronto, where she is a Homebody with a capital H, a Jesus girl, a happy wife to Dean, and a homeschooling mom of three teenagers. Learn more at www.homemadelovely.com.

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Don’t forget to answer today’s quick question in the comments below!

NOTE: Affiliate links may be included. We only recommend products we know our readers will love!

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAYS RULES

  1. U.S. Addresses only please.
  2. You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, Sunday, December 20. Each day will be linked below for easy reference.
  3. One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments.
  4. To enter to win the Grand Prize (worth over $225 and includes: A leader kit of my What Matters Most Lifeway study of Philippians, including the teaching DVD’s and one Bible study guide; a Wheatfield Woman ESV journaling Bible from Wheat and Honey Co.; a pink cable knit throw (other color options available); a pour-over coffee dripper ; a half pound of Fortress coffee, a company started by two fellow alumni from Spring Arbor University; an insulated pink shimmer mug–or color of your choice), comment on and share all 12 posts. You can use the share buttons below or repost and share on Instagram (my fave!) and tag me @karenehman.
  5. All winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced here on the blog on Monday, December 21, and contacted via email. Please allow 4-6 weeks to receive your prizes. 

Day 2 with Amber Smith

Day 3 with Bella Schwenk

Day 4 with Andrea Brouwer

Day 5 with Nicki Koziarz

Day 6 with Alexis Joseph

Day 7 with Kia Stephens

Day 8 with Chrystal Evans Hurst



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525 Comments

  1. We always open gifts on Christmas Eve with my side of the family. We all go to church and then back to someone’s house for gifts. The little kids always want to wrap things up early so they can get to bed before Santa arrives.

  2. From the very beginning of our marriage, we have always spent Christmas Eve night with my parents and ate dinner with them. Sometimes we would go look at Christmas lights together.. other times we would watch Christmas movies together. We lost daddy last year and momma is in a nursing home so now we are feeling lost. Last year my youngest daughter and Visited momma in the nursing home and by the time we got out everything was closed so we had to eat at the Dollar General store.

  3. After Christmas worship we go to Grandma’s. We light advent candles and do advent readings before the meal. Very intimate and special.

  4. We go to Christmas Eve service, out to eat and then come home and open a present which is always Christmas pjs.

  5. One thing I do on Christmas eve is spend the night at my sister’s house. We usually watch a movie and make our Christmas treat that we take for the family Christmas.

  6. We go to church on Christmas Eve and then spend some time at my sister-in-law’s house before going home and opening up our Christmas pj’s. So much fun!??

  7. We have the same traditional meal , read stories about Baby Jesus, including the Bible and have a birthday cake for dessert.

  8. My little girl and I started buying matching pj’s for Christmas. A couple of years ago, we added dad into the mix. This year my girl is 13 and I decided to add her adult brothers, their wives, and grandkids into the fun. We’ll all be opening matching pj’s for Christmas.

  9. Christmas eve there is always a big family g er t together on my husband’s side of the family. We get together, share a potluck meal, have a ChristmS pageant with all the little kids, and the small children search for the treasure in the hay.(which is jesus of course, but adults throw coins on the ground amongst real hay (or shredded paper) for all the little people to collect.

  10. My husband and I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve. We have added “White Christmas” the last couple of years.

  11. On Christmas Eve since I was little girl, we always make hot chocolate, and popcorn. We will turn off all the lights except for the Christmas tree and we watch Christmas movies while eating our popcorn and drink our hot cocoa with only the light from the tree and the TV. My children still love to do this also.

  12. Christmas Eve service is most important tradition for me. If my church isn’t having one, I will go to one that does have one, preferring a more traditional one with candle-lighting at the end and traditional hymn music for this most reverent and joyful reminder that He came to save us (to get us back). What an amazing gift! I usually have some last minute wrapping and cooking to do when I get home and enjoy keeping a movie running while I do, particularly “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Family Man” (Nicholas Cage) and “The Nativity” (modern version) are wonderful!

  13. I join my old roomates family for a traditional Italian 7 fishes dinner, and we vote on our yearly gingerbread contest to see who won.

  14. We always gather with my mother’s family on Christmas Eve. The menu is simple, appetizers and homemade chicken soup but it’s delicious!! Then once we return home, my husband begins the 24 hours of “A Christmas Story” on tv.

  15. We get together with 3 other families to host a quick meal, play a game, exchange a present. We start off going to one family’s house- eat, chat, games, pictures. We keep going until every family has hosted. Then we drive to a local neighborhood to view Christmas lights.

  16. On Christmas Eve we attend candlelight service at our church or our daughter’s church. We return home and open one present (pjs) and make overnight French toast for Christmas morning.

  17. Christmas Eve for us is making popcorn and watching a Christmas movie. The kids all wear their Christmas PJ’s so they look cute opening gift right away the next morning after breakfast.

  18. Christmas Eve is when the Christmas morning sausage balls are made! The whole house smells like good food and we watch a Christmas movie while they bake.

  19. We always read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. It started of with me reading, then as our children got older they read. 32 years later, we have grandchildren that read it to us. It is a wonderful reminder of the real reason for the season!

  20. Our children and grandchildren always come over for oyster stew and chili. And lots of homemade treats. We open our gifts to each other and just share stories and laughter.

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