Jesus

i can't help but ponder Mary's knowledge of the plans that Jesus was to fulfill while here on this earth. she was part of this amazing plan, bringing the savior of the world to earth as a baby. yet, did she know what would be expected of Him as He grew? the wrath that He would bear for you and me? i do not think that she did. i think that would have been too difficult a burden for a mother to take.

emotions stir within me as i think back to holding my own sweet little babies right after they were born. dreaming of who they would be and the dreams and goals that would be a part of their lives.

the most precious gift in all the world was given to you and me before we were born, before our great-grandparents were born. God, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, gave a dark and dying world His son Jesus; and Mary selflessly participated in the plan.

i am so thankful that i have been forgiven for all of my failures, unkind gestures, evil thoughts, and sin by the most precious gift that the world has ever received. the most important gift that i was ever given was the understanding that i have in knowing that Jesus, the baby born on Christmas day, died to save me from my sin. without Him, without the gift of Him, there would be no Christmas, no need for Christmas.

tomorrow rejoice with me in the GREATEST gift the world has been given, because God loves you and me, and because He still uses ordinary people like you and me to show Jesus to our world.

merry christmas dear friends. may your day be filled with love, family, and Jesus.

Romans 8:39 Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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photo credit: christian.com

cookies

baking with my mom

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warm

i am warm...warm in sunny florida. we are having some wonderful times with our family and really looking forward to celebrating Jesus' birthday in 2 days. i ran across this post today for natural cleaners. seems easy enough and i bet it smells wonderful. check it out HERE.

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photo credit: pilo

inspiration

i am always looking around blogs and the web for some inspiration for decorating

our home and helping others with theirs. here are a few photos that i just

love this year for christmas inspiration.

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i think if you double click the pictures it will take you back to the original location of the photo.

crocs deal HURRY!

just bought all of these for a whopping total of $49.54. WOW! read how to do it HERE.

go check it out! one of these pairs were regular price too! i would have paid that for 1.5 pair in the department store. FREE SHIPPING TOO

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great deal on gymboree

this is really a great deal! i just purchased our little darling 6 pieces of clothing from gymboree for $62.00 plus i got $25 in gymbucks to use at a later date, free shipping too. go HERE to read all about it. they have an adorable ballet line.

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Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers coupon

go HERE for a great coupon for Lip Smackers. these are a great stocking stuffer for any girl on your list. thanks Bargains and Blessings for the tip.

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letting a few things wait (not go)

i have always been the type of person that does not rest until all of the chores are done around the house. the laundry needs to be done by tuesday or wednesday and then i try to maintain the rest of the week, all the beds need to be made before i leave the house, bathrooms touched up, kitchen wiped down, dishes put away, the list went on and on.

what i have realized over the past few months is all that stuff will still be there when i get home or after i do other more important things. so i have started to prioritize what is most important in my daily morning routine. i usually get the kitchen and the beds. those two things are really a must for me before leaving the house (i can't help some of my neatness anxiety). the other stuff can wait, and it may not even get done on the day that i planned. the reason being is that there are more important things like reading a book to little one, or talking with b about our days, or taking some time to have a quiet time in the morning. i have noticed that my urgency level on the tasks that i used to think were so important are no longer such a big deal and my life overall is so much more relaxed.

what are you learning right now about your own life?

adorable christmas garlands

you just have to head over HERE and read about these Christmas garlands. i think that i am going to make some to use next year on our way to the sunshine state this year. i really like the felt one and the pom pom one. oh i can't decide...the paper one is so cute too! what's a domestic girl to do? which one is your favorite?

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free annie's mac and cheese

kroger this week...use THIS coupon. we have tried this and really like it. my favorite variety is the white cheddar. yummy!

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thanks organic deals for the tip

do you...

ever feel like this? got this in an email today...this cracks me up!

hubby didn't think this was so funny. he says he worries about this everytime he puts up lights or cleans the gutters.

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out of chips?

make your own. i had a hankering for some chips the other day and we were out. but we did have potatoes. here is what i did and they were yummy. similar to a kettle chip. make sure that your oil is nice and hot, but not burned when you put the potatoes in.use the mandolin to slice the potatoes thinly



i salted the potatoes a little before they went in the oil and a little after
and wha la chips, and yummy ones at that!

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may your days be merry and bright

and may all your christmas' be white.

i love christmas. i know that i have said that before, but really how can you not? if i would remove all of the imposed "issues" of christmas, like purchasing too many gifts that our kids really don't need, keeping the house perfect for unannounced and announced guests, keeping up with the baking schedule, finding the "perfect" gift that is really only perfect in my eyes, and bustling around as if there is not time to sit and read a story, or color a picture, or take the time to share the real meaning of christmas with our kids.

i am really trying this year to make a concerted effort to not overdo, to be content with the things that are out and decorated and let the rest go, i am not making as much by myself this year because i find that when i do i rob my family of precious time that is irreplaceable. so, they are helping me and loving every minute of it.

if i could encourage you today to let 2 or 3 things go this year that normally run through your christmas and turn your merry and bright days into frustrating and dull ones DO IT! don't let a day of this celebration of Christ's birthday be anything but a celebration like no other. let it go...

what could you let go now?

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photo credit: freechristmaswallpaper

love these

don't you just love these...

read all about them at www.3finegrains.com

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decorating on a budget

christmas is my favorite time of year

1. we are celebrating the birth of the Lord and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ
2. i love spending time with my family and my friends in a warm cozy house filled with conversation and love
3. christmas decorations just make my smile, regardless of the beauty...it can be an amazing vignette on a porch or table or a simple ornament that a 3 year old has made. i even like those crazy blow up decorations that the kids ooo and ahhh over.

i thought that i would show you a few of the decorating ideas that i used this year in an effort to decorate on a budget

find all the red that you can in unlikely places...lets start at the bottom here. i used some red and white placemats that i think i bought in the summer on clearance at homegoods. i used a berry like ornament in the crease of the bible opened to the record of Christ's birth and placed a pair of our little lady's (who is now 5) red baby shoes next to the ornament. grouped with an inexpensive christmas sign on the old screen salvaged from a house that my husband sold i was tickled with the way this turned out. everytime i look at those sweet little shoes i remember our little girl's first Christmas.

group like things together to create drama...stars are grouped here. you can achieve the same look with santas, snowmen, nativity scenes (yes put them together in sets don't mix the sets, just group). crosses are also lovely nestled together.
i really wanted wreaths for all of the kitchen chairs but opted for the thriftier option. i used the 3 wreaths that i had and alternated with a sprig of holly that i put in our tree last year for the other 3 chairs.
and this little wild beauty. i had planned on splurging on a rosemary tree this year for the centerpiece for our kitchen table. that was before i found out they were at least $25. my sweet friend "s" dug up some of her rosemary plant and donated it to the cause. i planted it in a decorative green bowl that i was given for my birthday. then put pinecones and fresh cranberries over the dirt. the pinecones are from the neighbors yard. next to the rosemary is a staple of decor that i use in every season here. it is an apothecary type jar that is filled with empty little wrapped boxes and adorned with a bow at the top.

you can do a ton of decorating with a few spools of ribbon and some packages too. wrap your gifts early and nestle them under the tree or in an empty corner. go ahead liven things up in a thrifty way. it feels so good when a room is lovely and thrifty all at the same time.

i would love to hear about or see some of the decorating that you have done in your own home. email me pictures and i will post some of your ideas. also please feel free to comment on your favorite christmas tradition.

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free christmas cards and 100 4X6 prints

head on over HERE to get 50 free cards and 100 free prints.

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later today...Christmas at our home

monogrammed mug giveaway winner #2

sorry...that giveaway totally slipped my mind over thanksgiving. the winner was chosen using a random number generator. the winner is

Here are your random numbers: 3
Timestamp: 2009-12-01 19:11:26 UTC

#3 Brenda W.

Brenda you can contact me through the email me link on the blog in the top right hand corner.

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