A Christ-Centered Ornament Project

   If you've been following this blog for a while (thank you!), you know about our ornament tradition. My original blog post "Christmas Ornaments" remains one of my most popular posts to date. Check it out, if you haven't already!

   To summarize, we have a tradition of the children in the family receiving ornaments each year and then those ornaments go with them when they get married or leave home. Cool tradition, right? What newlywed or recent grad can afford to deck out their first tree? Not to mention the value of each memory tied to every ornament that's unwrapped and hung on the tree. Priceless.

   We began the tradition in reverse when we noticed how empty my parents' tree was after Adam and I got married and my sister moved out into her first home. We chose to give handmade ornaments and get the kid's involved. The tradition grew when last year, our Little Lady listed off all the people she wanted to give an ornament to. Last year, we gave about 100 ornaments to family, friends, and our local police department. You'll find ideas and recipes in the original post but here's another idea:

   Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes! I cut red and glitter-white pipe cleaners in half and Little Lady  did the winding on her own. I helped shape them and tied the ribbon on to hang them. We talked about how the red stripe was like the red of Jesus' blood on the cross and how the white was just like how He washed us clean as snow. I turned them upside down and showed her that they made a letter "J" like "Jesus". We had a great talk, special time together, and got a jump start on our 100 ornaments. It's a great way to encourage a child to share his or her faith, too.

   I said it yesterday and I'll say it gain...We give gifts as a reminder and symbol of the gift God gave us. I truly ENJOY these preparations. I truly ENJOY making special things from the heart. That takes time. So... I start in July and everything gets done in time.  We worked on this project together at Great-Grandma's while my Chunky Monkey napped.  It was a memory I will treasure always.  Here's a picture of the napping babe... just because sleeping toddlers are adorable.

Yes, he will only take a bink upside-down...

 The supplies for this project were about $6 and will make about 50 ornaments.  The next batch will be something we can involve little brother in.  Stay tuned for more ideas!

Cheers,
Alyssa

Christmas in July??? Why???

   It may sound crazy to talk about Christmas in the midst of summer. I am the Princess of Christmas, though ;) All kidding aside, I love to celebrate Christmas because of WHAT we are celebrating - JESUS. All His work on earth began with the birth of a helpless babe. For the Adam Fleischfresser Family, Christmas preparations begin in July for a variety of reasons.

   First, we give gifts as a reminder and symbol of the gift God gave us. I truly ENJOY these preparations. I truly ENJOY making special things from the heart. That takes time. So... I start in July and everything gets done in time.

   We also begin preparing in July for budgetary purposes. Yup, we know we could save money and shop in December but did you know summer sales are often better? I recently found some wonderful, thoughtful gifts for our kids online that were on sale from last Christmas! It isn't about how much you spend, how many wrapped packages are under the tree... It's about WHY they are there and WHO we are celebrating.

   Our society has commercialized the season, put the emphasis on all the wrong things, and drives many Americans further into debt.  However, Jesus can be found, even in the secular world, if you CHOOSE to put Him there.  For us, starting our preparations now helps us to avoid the commercialized hustle and bustle, to an extent. It's a choice that allows us to focus on The Baby, come December.  It's been a wonderful thing for our little family and perhaps it's something that you might find beneficial, too.

   In the coming months, I hope to share with you exactly how we incorporate our Savior into all of our holiday celebrations.  Yes, even the secular ones.  Stay tuned for craft projects, tips, and ideas. Giving handmade gifts from the heart means so much and you have plenty of time! Thank you for following me along another wonderful season!

Cheers,
Alyssa & Family