One thing I enjoy doing are simple craft activities which link in with the Christmas story in some way, giving me an ‘in’ to chat about it both with my family, and with whoever comes into contact with the final product. Making chocolate creams is ridiculously easy, and yummy so a perfect gift for a … Read more
We’re planning to go to a carol service at the weekend, and I wondered how familiar my children would be with the songs, so I contacted the person in charge and asked what carols they would be singing. They sent me the list, saying that they hoped they wouldn’t get in trouble for sharing secrets!!! … Read more
Christmas is a great time to celebrate Jesus. However, it is also a very busy time, so we need to be intentional. Each year I try to prioritise three activities: The list below is a collection of ideas, one or two of which might be just right for your family this year. Why not chat … Read more
I love this book! It’s the Christmas and Easter stories told by the eloquent Madeleine L’Engle illustrated with frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto. You can see my review of the book here, but this post is about how I’ve used the pictures and story in this book to meditate on the Christmas story … Read more
I find it interesting to look at the Christmas story and see what messages from God to the people back then are also relevant for us. It’s a little risky, as it’s possible to take Bible verses out of context when applying them to ourselves, but there are definitely some messages in the Christmas story … Read more
Title: The Christmas Mystery Written by: Jostein Gaarder (author of Sophie’s World) Published by: Orion Children’s Books Useful for: parents of children aged 7–11 years old Best bit: The story is clever and beautiful, mysterious and fascinating, a treat for adults and children alike, with 24 chapters exploring the birth of Jesus, making it perfect … Read more
I’m sure you’ve worked out by now that you can add a sticker a day to your Sticker Advent Calendar. You will see the different parts of the story appear as you do so. What you might not have decided yet is how you will use the Bible story mini book with it. Now, you are … Read more
Wrap up 24 Christmas-y books then unwrap and read one a day during Advent. All you need to do is collect* and wrap up 24 Christmas books and number them 1—24. Open one a day and share together. I found seven Christmas books for £5.80 in three of my local charity/ secondhand book shops, so … Read more
Now, I’d love to tell you how to be ready for Christmas in three perfect steps, but I am just not that clever. Truly, I think I’d need magic to make that happen. However, I have given this some thought and have created a list of three things that we can do to ensure we … Read more
I’m sure, like me, you occasionally visit the Baker Ross website. I usually go looking for one thing, and am quickly overwhelmed by the sheer variety of wonderful crafty things! What I find tricky, is buying craft items which can only be used in one way, so here are seven ways you could use the … Read more
A friend of mine has bought a Play Mobil nativity set and asked if I had any ideas on how she could use it to explore the Christmas story with them this Advent. I LOVE my Play Mobil nativity set, and so I had a few ideas to share with her, and thought you might … Read more
I found these little wooden crowns in The Range where they are £1 for 12. I thought they would make nice Christmas cards, since Christmas is celebrating the birthday of the king of Kings! Here are a few ideas: Cut out squares of paper in ever decreasing sizes. Glue them onto the card, largest first, … Read more