Recording artist Matthew West is giving away a beautiful recording of the Christmas Story. 

The Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2 is beautifully interweaved with a recording of “Away in the Manger”.

You can listen to the recording directly on The Christ of Christmas website.

Or, you can download a zip file containing the mp3 from The Parable Christ of Christmas website. The link is directly below the video. You’ll also have the option to download a zip file with the MP3 of the Gospel of John as well.

The mp3 files can then be download to your mp3 player, to your (or your child’s) iPod, or using iTunes (which is free) can be burned directly to a cd that can be played on any cd player.

Personally, I’ll be burning a copy to CD so we can listen to on Christmas Eve while out doing last minute Christmas shopping. And I’m sure it will find it’s way onto my iPod too.

Might even make a good stocking stuffer.

Enjoy!

A couple years ago, I saw this idea for making a Candy Wreath from left over Halloween candy, and have wanted to make one ever since. Now that Halloween is over and bags of candy are on sale, it’s the time to stock up and give it a try. 

Here’s a 5 minute video from Jill Cooper at LivingonaDime.com that walks you through how to make one of a candy wreath either by yourself or with your kids. 

Personally, this looks a great opportunity to sit down at the table, start working on it, and let the kids come drift in and out to help, and just sit and talk at the same time. Maybe we’ll put on a pot of hot cocoa…

Enjoy!

…Shannon

P.S. For more ideas of gifts kids can make, click here to see some of the other things we’ve made in the past.

Easter and Valentine’s Day. The barrage of gift ideas in the stores and the mounds of chocolate and candies are a little overwhelming. Personally, we don’t need any more stuffed animals, chocolates, or any other type of candy. And our budget definitely doesn’t need the cost.  

So, for Valentine’s Day and Easter, I’ve taken to putting together inexpensive little gift bags or baskets for the kids, usually containing items that they don’t get very often.

This year’s Valentine’s gift bags cost me less than $5/each:

$1.00 – a bucket of sidewalk chalk
$2.50 – a small notebook in child’s favorite color
$ .20 – a mechanical pencil in child’s favorite color (this was actually a multi-color, multi-pack that I split between the kids based on colors)
$ .50 – a bag of M&Ms
$ .14 – valentine’s gift bag (50% off regular price of 25 cents)
———————
$4.20 – Total for each child’s Valentine’s gift

Basically, I look for small, inexpensive things that the kids don’t usually get, but would like. This year, we were down to the last piece of sidewalk chalk and it has caused some friction between the kids, so when I saw little chalk buckets for a $1 each at Walgreens I picked them up. Small writing notebooks are always popular with my kids; they like to have little books to draw and write in. We go through pens and pencils like crazy around here, so the kids are also always happy to get a new pen or pencil in their favorite color.

Part of the joy is getting something special, but part of it is in the customization and the presentation. It’s always a special, secret thing to get the Valentine’s gift bag or an Easter basket; it’s shrouded in mystique and wonder for a time before hand.

Each gift bag/basket is similar to the others, but customized for that child. Little notebooks and pens/pencils are always in their favorite colors (pink, red, blue, and yellow or teal) and designs and games match their interests. It helps keep things even, but yet each child knows I was thinking especially of them when I put it together.

In the past, gift bags and basket items have included a combination of: 

• bubbles
• pens, pencils, or markers in the child’s favorite color
• travel or card games
• small crafts or craft items
• art supplies
• stickers
• seeds, a small pot, and a small bag of potting soil
• small notebooks or journal books
• play dough or modeling clay
• small puzzles or puzzle books
• special food treats of favorite snack foods (pretzels, Goldfish, M&Ms, or a few Hershey’s Kisses, etc.)

I’ve found good treats at the pharmacy stores (Walgreens, CVS, Longs, etc), the dollar stores, thrift stores, and even the grocery store. Sometimes if I plan ahead of time, I’ll head to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or Target and look through the little craft items they might have.

Overall I’m looking for inexpensive, but practical and engaging gifts, that allow my kids to be creative in their play without adding more clutter into our home or excess sugar into our diets (we have enough as it is).

Have more ideas? Please share them…

Legos are big at my house. Very big.  It’s hard to walk anywhere without some little piece being found. Every night my 9 year old spends 10 minutes showing me his latest creations. The neighborhood boys even have Lego swaps. So it should be no surprise when my nearly 5 year old little girl came to me crying because she didn’t have any Legos of her own.

Well, technically she does. She has Duplos. But according to her she’s too big for them. And apparently she got a hold of her brothers’ Lego catalog. Lego has new PINK legos…

LEGO® Pink Brick Box

…and the Belville series, with puppies,

Playful Puppy

and horses and stables…

Horse Jumping

….and such that appeal to her little girl dreams. 

So in the back of my mind, I was thinking I’d spring for at least one lego set for her. But today I got an email from Lego; there’s only one more day of guaranteed arrival using standard shipping. AHHH! I have to order by Dec 11 to get it shipped here on time. Or pay faster shipping. eeks. Guess I better figure out what I’m going to do quick.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies-in-a-Jar mix Kate gave to her Latin teacher this year.

We discovered Gifts-in-a-Jar several years ago, when Kate’s Keepers of the Faith group did them.  We had such fun with it, and it was such a thoughtful, but frugal gift idea, we decided to make them for all of our relatives.  That year, we made up 25 jars, using three different recipes we found on the interent (just search “cookie in a jar recipe”). Since then we’ve made them for neighbors, friends, and this year Kate gave one to her Latin teacher.

The basic premise is to layer, strata style, the different dry ingredients into an appropriately sized mason/canning jar. And then topping it off with a peice of decorative fabric and a tag listing the instructions and wet ingredients needed. Later this week I’ll post our favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Jar recipe, like the one in the picture.

Kate or I can put one of together in less than 10 minutes.  But we find it fun to  do them in batches of 6 and assign jobs so each child is integrally involved in the process – either measuring, pouring, or tapping down ingredients. It makes a mess, but boy it is fun to do.