Save money this Christmas by learning how to incorporate a Capsule Wardrobe - using items you already have instead of purchasing new clothes for those special occasions. Click on Picture for more information.

Christmas Cards - a Great Tradition

Have you ordered your Christmas cards yet? There's still time to get them before Christmas. The tradition of sending Christmas cards is one of the best in my opinion. Especially the photo cards. It's an easy way to keep up with the family and how they grow each year. A cool idea would be to make a scrapbook page for each year with the card and photo and a few notes of how the family spent Christmas that particular year.

Christmas Cards direct has regular cards with awesome pictures and photo cards where your photo goes. Check their site for more information.

Decorate Simple

This year I'm redoing all my decorations to make them simple and elegant. Instead of the traditional christmas tree with red, white and blue, I now have two decorative trees set up with blue and white lights and mostly snowflake ornaments. Underneath the trees is a snow scene with several snowmen (two on a sled) and various snowflakes.

Check Wal-Mart for lights-some are less than $3 for 100 lights.

Welcome to
A-Simple-Christmas

The countdown is here and there are lots of things to be done. I especially liked the idea of using pipe cleaners to make ornaments such as snowmen, snowflakes and candy canes.

This year I'm recycling some of my decorations. I purchased some really big greenery from a department store and had it pirched on top of my log wall with red, white and blue lights and balls. My boys didn't like it there, so I took the smaller piece and put some red beads, large red balls and silver bead strings. Will also include some small white lights and large pinecones. It will be placed on top of my wood cook stove. It will be ok as the stove isn't ready to use yet. I'll enclose a photo once I get it in place.

If you like nativities and would like one for your children to play with, you can do what I did one year when my boys were small. I found coloring book pictures of the characters in the nativity, eg - Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, a donkey and a cow. I traced them and colored them, then cut them out and mod podged them on a 1/2" piece of board my husband cut out in the general shape of the item. The edges were sanded to round them a little and when they were done, the boys could play with them without me worring whether they would get broken.

Another idea for a 'cheap' tree decoration. Take the large 'c' burned out bulbs and glue an ornament hanger on top - instant ornament.

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Are you tired of the commercialism that is now associated with Christmas? We are more interested in what gifts we receive and how large the gifts are instead of appreciating our family and friends.

It is our hope that you will find some inspiration on these pages and ideas to help make your Chrismas simple in the area of spending money, but rich and full in the areas of Joy, Peace and Love.

A very special family time is to sit around your fireplace with a warm fire glowing and Christmas music playing softly in the background. You can then read them the Christmas Story.

We will be adding to this site throughout the month of December so be sure to come back and see if there's a new idea you can implement into your holiday.

 
Free Seasons Greeting Cards

Christmas Gift Ideas

One Christmas gift idea is to take and share family photos. If you live in MN – I can take digital family photos for you and you can upload them to your blog or I can upload them to Wal-Mart and you can order 25 beautifully created Christmas cards for .33 - .40 each. I ordered these for several families a couple of years ago and they are very well done. Email me if you're interested. The total would be under $75.

I can also put the pictures on a CD or make a Scrapbook page for you. Contact me for prices.

Scrapbooking has become very popular. Making a Memory Scrapbook page would be an awesome gift. Click here to download holiday digital scrapbook pages.

Making a Christmas craft for someone make a really special and personal gift. It say "I was especially thinking of you so I spent the time to make this."

Clothing

There's no need to go out and buy new clothes. In keeping with a simple Christmas, you can create clothing capsules to stretch your wardrobe. Diane Pemberton explains:

" Clothing capsules are a clever way to extend your wardrobe and do a lot with a little. Once you understand how they work, you'll begin to plan your wardrobe around them and give yourself tons of options--and no longer be tempted to waste money on impulse items that don't go with anything else you own. . .

Start building your clothing capsules with what you have. . .

A clothing capsule is a group of 5-12 pieces (jacket, skirt, slacks, etc.) that work in combination with each other. When I first learned about them, lights went off in my head. I'd been combining certain clothes for years, but then only wore other items just one way. Learning this became very liberating."

Throw a Caroling Party.

Have each participant bring a snack for a simple Christmas party later with hot chocolate and cookies.

Things to do Together

If you have Dish Network or Direct TV - there are lots of good movies on the Family and Halmark channels through the month of December and it will cost no extra to sit down together as a family and watch a good movie.

Remember to make some popcorn and hot chocolate for a simple Christmas snack.

If you have any stamps, you can get out some plain paper and let the kids stamp on it for wrapping paper. For ribbons, you can use tape measures, zippers, hair ribbons or anything that's long and thin. The tape measure and zipper makes a cute bow. There are samples in the current issue of

Really Good Books

This is an awesome book and well illustrated. I've been using it in my Primary Class at church to teach the chidren about how children of other lands celebrate Christmas. We try to do an appropriate activity when possible.

I am using this book with my Primary Class at church and the children are enthusiastic about the short stories. We've even done some of the crafts shown in the book so the children can see that even in other countries the children can have a simple Christmas. It is very well illustrated.

This book is no longer available new, but can be purchased used by clicking the image or link above. Below is another book that looks really cool. I'll purchase one as soon as I can.

Special Items

Ready for Christmas

"Ready for Christmas," she said with a sigh
As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high . . .
Then wearily sat for a moment to read
Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.
Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,
"Ready for Christmas, what do yu mean? . . ."

She woke with a start and a cry of despair.
"There's so little time and I've still to prepare.
Oh, Father! Forgive me, I see what You mean!
To be ready means more than a house swept clean.
Yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree.
It's the heart swept clean that He wanted to see,
A heart that is free from bitternes and sin>
So be ready for Christmas--and ready for Him."

--Unknown

Do you remember the photo of Jesus knocking at the door? Were you aware that the door does not have a knob on the outside? Jesus will only come in if we open the door and let Him in.

Awesome site - "Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock"

I hope throughout these pages that you've found some inspiration and help with Christmas Craft Ideas, Gift Ideas and ways to save money this year.