Christmas Thoughts and Quotes

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More often than not, we are scurrying around this month trying to get everything done. It's sad... not to enjoy the season. For that very reason, I put together this collection of thoughts and quotes about one of my favorite times of the year!

Christmas Thoughts and Quotes

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Just in case people get lost in your house. Hey, it can happen...  Signs help!

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Who needs anything else when you have this little guy in your bathroom??

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Decking Your Halls and all that stuff!

Christmas decorating is supposed to be fun, but sometimes it gets a little scary too. Where do you start??

1. Make Your Own Family Christmas Tree... you can make cute little decorations to fill in the empty spots on the tree. All you need is red bristol board, white paper lace doilies and photos of family members.

2. Make an assortment of miniature Christmas Cards using plain white paper and holiday rubber stamps. Inside each Christmas card can be a Christmasy quote. Place a bowl of them on the coffee table and watch people thumb through them.

3. Pick up some inexpensive frames from the dollar store and "frame" old Christmas cards that can be displayed on coffee tables or even hung on the wall!

4. Odd Christmas Balls... decorate the fireplace??... Place a bit of greenery... real or otherwise and then sneak in a few Christmas balls. Looks amazingly pretty!

5. LOTS of tinsel. And place your tree near a vent if it's artificial and allow the warm air to make the tinsel sparkle! My husband hates tinsel, but that's my favorite part of Christmas and I'm not giving it up!

6. This is the time of the year for CLUTTER. During this month Christmas is all about bits and pieces everywhere. Let it put a smile on your face!

7. Wreaths in every window... Yes, it can be done. All you need is wire coat hangers and plastic wrap that is tied in knots around the wire. Bags that the newspapers arrive in can be used as well! I tried leaving them out for the paper boy, but he ignored them so I found a new use for them!

8. Window Sills ... don't leave them bare... miniature figurines from the dollar store work amazingly well.

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Have you noticed just how many scarves are in the stores these days... and then the prices!! It might just save you a bundle if you sit down and begin to crochet your own for Christmas gifts. And these scarves have been designed for beginners so it shouldn't take you a long time!

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The Christmas Wand

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

I love this quote...

Merry Christmas... hold the stress

Image by hazelisles via Flickr

As much as we love the season... Christmas can be a stressful time of the year. Having a list definitely helps me put things into perspective. You have no idea!

1. How much you spend can cause a ton of stress. You never feel that you are finished or have bought enough. Decide before hand on a dollar amount and then let everyone know about. It will take away their stress as well.

2. How much you do during this time of year can cause major stress. If you start planning in January, you have a head start. Come up with a list of things that you want to accomplish and divide them up so that you can work on one thing every month. By the time Christmas rolls around, you are done... and no stress.

3. What to serve... now is not the time to try out new recipes... unless you are Nigella Lawson. For me, this is the perfect time for the dish to flop. Stick to recipes that are tried and true and keep them simple! I have one cookie recipe that always wins favor. Who would have guessed that an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie could do this!

4. One tree... there was a time when I thought that you needed multiple trees all around the house for your home to really feel festive. Okay, I am still feeling that way, but I'm trying to talk my way out of it. For a few years now, I have been waiting for an 8 foot black tree and so far, no luck. But... if I do happen to find one, I will really need someone to try and talk me out of it. Not sure that they will succeed however. I have been looking for this tree for several years now. Spotted it while on holiday a few years ago in England and I've been waiting ever since!

5. Enjoying Christmas eve... this is my all time favorite night of the year. I swear that there is magic in the air. I love to fill the house with candles and go for a walk in the early evening hours. Love shines out of every window and then home for a mug of hot chocolate and a reading of... The Night Before Christmas. And no, it doesn't matter how old your kids are.

6. Plan your Christmas day... It won't be so hard if it is merely the immediate family, but if you are planning for a crowd, "planning" is essential here. You will want as much prepared early as possible. That way, you can sit back and enjoy the day!

7. Potluck Christmas dinner... is another way to take a lot of the stress off of YOU! Ask everyone to bring... what you want them to bring. If you don't tell them what you want, you are likely to have little in the way of Christmas Dinner and a LOT of desserts... which might not be a bad thing lol!

Thinking About Christmas Dinner??

I guess it's about that time... the morning when you start thinking about whether or not you want to host Christmas Dinner. If you haven't quite decided, I have prepared a list... this ought to make up your mind. ;)

1. Let someone else host it. All you have to do is show up with a bottle of wine! Okay, chances are you won't get off quite that easily. Christmas dinner usually means the best china and silver, so there will be some hand washing and drying of dishes. But it is still a fun girl time around the sink!

2. If you have to cook it... you get to choose the menu. So there is a perk to hosting Christmas Dinner. And there's always the old potluck idea if you need a little help!

3. Try to sneak in as many veggies as possible. We always try to have lots of fresh, chopped up veggies to offer for snacking about an hour before dinner is served.

4. Dinner conversation... reminisce about past Christmases. People love to chat about Christmases that they remember from when they were kids. Just start the ball rolling and you won't have to say another word.

5. If lots of people are coming... you don't have to do all the work! Let people bring some goodies. I mentioned this earlier, but it is worth repeating. Everyone has a specific dish that the are proud of. Ask if they could bring it with them. They will love the fact that you asked. It will make them feel so special!

6. Have quiet Christmas music playing in the back ground. The sing song can come later if your crowd loves that sort of thing.

7. Have a Christmas movie playing in another room. Give people a choice as to what they can do.

8. If you have an extra table, put out a Christmas puzzle. People will get hooked quickly! This is especially effective if teenagers are invited. They don't really want to leave the room, but they aren't all that excited about joining the conversation either!

9... I'm sure that there are oodles and oodles of ways to create the perfect Christmas Dinner, but I want to hear from you. What are your special little tricks. A girl can use as many as she can get her hands on!

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Quotes to Help You Believe in Santa Claus

I just finished watching "Miracle on 34th Street" last night and I want/need to believe. Here are a few quotes that I thought would help all of us over 6 years of age!

Santa Claus is anyone who loves another
and seeks to make them happy; who gives
himself by thought or word or deed in every gift
that he bestows; who shares his joys with those
who are sad; whose hand is never closed against
the needy; whose arm is ever outstretched to aid
the week; whose sympathy is quick and genuine
in time of trouble; who recognizes a comrade
and brother in every man he meets upon life's
common road; who lives his life throughout
the entire year in the Christmas spirit.

EDWIN OSGOOD GROVER


He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE (how can someone make that up?? ;)


"Dear Editor--I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?"

Virginia O'Hanlon,
115 West Ninety-fifth Street

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus."

Francis Pharcellus Church

“One of the problems we have in this country is that too many adults believe in Santa Claus, and too many children don't”

Lee Lauer

I rest my case! ;)