The one Christmas tradition I “don’t” like

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Today my friend Melissa Tagg is posting about her most un-favorite Christmas tradition: I love lots of Christmas traditions: Classic Christmas movies. (Somebody posted a comment on Facebook the other day asking if she’s missing out by never having seen It’s a Wonderful Life. It was all I could do to stop crying and pull myself together before replying.) Christmas …

A Christmas Song

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Today I’m delighted to share with you Katherine Reay’s post in our fa-la-la-la-la Christmas giveaway. This weekend I was off-line because my cousin got married. Family came to town and we celebrated an absolutely gorgeous weekend – full of love, laughter and Christmas. Both my girls decided that this was the season for a wedding – the music is amazing …

Candy Cane Traditions

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I wanted to introduce you to our newest family Christmas tradition — one that grew out of writing a book. In my latest book, Where Treetops Glisten, the heroine in my novella works at a candy shop that opened in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1912. The name’s changed (today it’s McCords), but they still make the same Christmas candy canes the …

Starry, Starry Night

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“Play Starry, Starry Night!” For as long as I can remember, my Dad played the acoustic guitar for his daughters. And for as far back as the sweet sound of those guitar melodies go in my mind’s ear, I can remember asking him to play Starry, Starry Night (or,Vincent). Over and over I’d ask. And again and again he would play. Fingerpicking like a …

christmas gifts: the unexpected and expectations

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Today Beth Vogt is kicking off our Christmas Blog tour! This is not a sentimental Christmas memory … and I do have my husband’s permission to share this story. Once upon a Christmas time, my husband and I were newlyweds celebrating our very first Christmas together. Our tiny one-bedroom apartment was festive, thanks to the shiny silver aluminum Christmas tree …

Simple Gifts for Teachers, Neighbors and Friends

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Do you break out in hives just thinking about the craziness and chaos that comes with Christmas? It doesn’t have to be that way. Inspirational authors Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer share about Christmas’ past in their new novella collectionWhere Treetops Glisten. Their three stories “White Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little …

10 Ways to Simplify Food & Decorations by Sarah Sundin

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Do you break out in hives just thinking about the craziness and chaos that comes with Christmas? It doesn’t have to be that way. Inspirational authors Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer share about Christmas’ past in their new novella collection Where Treetops Glisten. Their three stories “White Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Have Yourself a Merry …

Simplifying Christmas | Simple Family Memory Making

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Do you break out in hives just thinking about the craziness and chaos that comes with Christmas? It doesn’t have to be that way. Inspirational authors Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer share about Christmas’ past in their new novella collection Where Treetops Glisten. Their three stories “White Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Have Yourself a Merry …

9 Ways to Manage Your Schedule This Holiday

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Instead, the weeks are filled with events, rehearsals, recitals, parties, and more. Christmas has become a time of immense busyness. Instead of being a season of peace and enjoyment, many of us see December approach on the calendar with a sense of dread. Do you hate that as much as I do? Do you long for an approach to the season that doesn’t make you cringe?