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5 Beautiful Children’s Books for a Simple Advent

Children's Books for Advent

5 Beautiful Children’s Books
for a Simple Advent

“Who can add to Christmas?
The perfect motive is that God so loved the world.
The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son.
The only requirement is to believe in Him.
The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”

-Corrie Ten Boom

Simple.

I want to keep it that way this month.
Don’t laugh.  It’s worth a try.
If we get still for a few moments, there’s something about Christmas that draws
us to Peace .  Open pastures and still waters, where we can rest and listen to the Shepherd’s song.

And that’s kind of what advent is all about.
The word itself  means  “coming”.
So as we set aside some quiet time to imagine and wonder and hope
in the coming of Christ, we are celebrating the advent.

While there are many wonderful family advent celebrations packed full of activities and fun,  I just wanted this one to be more like a natural part of your family’s life.  A gentle reminder during these holy days of a Gift so great that the angels came down to man to sing about it.

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Ultimate Gift Ideas List for Creative Kids

Unique Gift Ideas for Kids

Ultimate List of Gift Ideas
for Creative Kids

In case you haven’t noticed I’m all about keeping the holidays simple and meaningful.  One thing that can cause a lot stress however, is finding really great gifts for kids.
Starting in about October, every commercial on television, and every store bombards us ALL with non-stop advertisements for the latest plastic toys that our children can’t live without.  They aren’t all junky…just so many of them !
It’s toy overload ! Makes the kiddos crazy and the mamas too!

My friend and I were just talking about this today. One of her favorite gifts
as a child was a box all packed with colored construction paper, markers, crayons, and other crafting things. All these years later, THAT is the gift she remembers.  Nothing fancy. And no batteries lol

So, I’m making my own Ultimate Gift Ideas List for Creative Kids.

**BONUS ! 
You can sit in your pjs, with a cup of coffee,
browse, and shop away.
No noisy advertisements. No lines.
Getting it done and keeping it simple !!

And…I promise this is NOT just another
Christmas gift guide with some randomly thrown together ideas!

These are real gift ideas for your creative and curious children!

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Thanksgiving Car Trip Activities

car trip games for kids

car games for kids

**5 Thanksgiving Car Trip Activities**
(You will be thankful for !)

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…”

Sounds so nostalgic and cozy, right?  May be if Grandma lives just over the river and only
15 minutes away.   Otherwise, a Thanksgiving car trip with the whole family can be anything but enjoyable.

One is hungry. One is bored. One forgot batteries.
Someone is touching someone else; someone is making faces; and someone is breathing funny. I feel your pain.

BUT I have the answer to your holiday car travel woes!

In this post you will have everything you need to have a picturesque family Thanksgiving car trip to Grandmas !
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Mercy!

When God is Silent

mercy-when-God-is-silent
 Mercy !
What do you do when God is silent ?!

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.”
~ Psalm 22:1-2

Is there anything much worse than God’s apparent silence when your heart is breaking,
or terrified, or wounded and betrayed ?

Where is He, the One who promised to never leave your side,  when  life is spinning out of control, and your heart is pounding in your mouth,
and your mind is screaming with what-if’s ?

Have you ever prayed until you had absolutely nothing left…and then, still…only silence?

Mercy !!!

I give up!
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Charlotte Mason on Play

mom blowing bubbles

Charlotte Mason on Play…
It might just surprise you what she had to say !


“Let the mother go out and PLAY !”

Charlotte Mason understood a lot about children….she also understood a lot about moms.  I found this to be some advice that I need to take to heart!

“If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children…we should have happier households.
Let the mother go out to play!
If she would only have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favourite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents.” 
~Charlotte Mason

Let the mother go out to play !

Don’t you just love those words ?
Children have no trouble playing.
FUN is pulsing through their veins and wiggling out of every limb.
Play just comes naturally to them.
If left alone long enough, children invent the most wonderful games and fantastic stories.
Creativity and imagination are limitless, thoughts and emotions are being all worked out,
And, FUN is happening !
Think about it…kids generally don’t return from playing outside all stressed out!  🙂

When was the last time that YOU went out to play mom ?
Go Play Mom !