And you’re welcome for putting that little ditty in your head. I couldn’t help it. I do have a feeling that next week’s going to be a fun week. Just look at all the bloggy excitement taking place:
The Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash – Jerri at Simply Sweet Home has invited us to participate in the weeklong carnival she’s holding with four other bloggers. From homemade gifts and crafts to trees, recipes and traditions, they’ve got it all covered.
The Christmas Tour of Homes – Formerly hosted by BooMama, this virtual homes tour has moved to The Nester’s place! On Monday, link up a post with photos of your house, all decked out for the season. And remember, as The Nester says, “It’s not a contest! No perfect decorations allowed.”
My Favorite Things: Six Weeks of Free Stuff – Every Monday until the end of the year (including next Monday), Sarah Markley is giving away some of her favorite things.
Around the Table with Tami – Every Tuesday in December, Tami is hosting a virtual cookie exchange, and every Thursday of the month she’s hosting a gift idea exchange. She’s giving away Homemade Gourmet products during each carnival.
And don’t forget that Simple Mom is helping us create a more peaceful Christmas with her 12-week checklist of ideas, from budgeting and shopping to traditions and decorations.
Last, but most certainly not least, is my very own carnival. On my very own birthday!
Okay, so the birthday doesn’t really have anything to do with the carnival, other than sharing a date. Or maybe it does. Because though my parents worked hard to prevent the usual disappointments associated with a December birthday, it can still be a bummer to be born just one week before, you know, Jesus.
But just like we decided that we don’t really need handmade costumes and intricately carved jack o’lanterns for Halloween or fourteen elaborate side dishes and a Martha Stewart-approved centerpiece for Thanksgiving (not that there’s anything wrong with that), let’s give up on a perfect Christmas this year.
Did you forget to buy a present for someone? Break all the Christmas cookies? Break the news to your nephew that Santa Claus might not be real? Get frostbite while Christmas caroling or perform an embarrassing solo at the office party? Or accidentally electrocute the cat with Christmas lights?
Or what about the year that you just plum forgot the real meaning of Christmas and got too caught up in the busy-ness and the business of shopping and cooking and decorating and partying and hosting and mailing?
Spill the beans. Let the electrocuted cat out of the bag. Tell us all about it.
Let’s Give Up on a Perfect Christmas. Join me next Friday, December 18. We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, and we’ll give away this Lisa Leonard necklace!
In the meantime, tell me how your Christmas season is going so far. Are your Christmas cards in the mail? How much shopping do you have left to do? How many Christmas cookies have you already eaten? And most importantly (and a question I need to answer, too): Have you made time to hold on to the holy?
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Thanks for all those great links, Mary! Wow!
How's my season going so far? Well, I've had some greenery sittin out on my back porch for days–can't seem to find the time to put them around the house. The tree is up, but decorated by my 11-year-old. Really! And I have one child home with the barfs. Ugh.
Lots of NOT perfect going on around here!
Hi girlie! It's been way too long since I've stopped by. I need to email you soon to update you on my oh-so-exciting life! Yawn.
To answer your questions… are we in December already? Guess I'd better start to think about Christmas. Yeah, that's where I am with it, lol! Hope things are going well with you. Your bloggy blog looks all spiffy as usual.
Lots of love, Brenda :)
Oh, I am not so ready for Christmas this year. Very little shopping, no decorations, Christmas Cards are not done, but closer to my Lord.. thats the important part… isn't it?
I am all about the imperfect Christmas! What a wonderful celebration. I'll wear my most dog-hairy sweats and most likely dribble something down my chin.
As for holding on to the holy … I actually found God in Target. Because buying toys and warm clothes for a little boy who otherwise wouldn't have any feels like God's work. You know?
Whoa! Lots of fun bloggity blog blog stuff next week! How you keep up with all of it I hardly know. But, it's fun to have a place to visit every day where the cool blogger on the block knows what's going on in the cyber-neighborhood! And yay for you on your carnival! (I like your button/picture)
My season is going well. I am "unplanned" for the whole holiday season. So I can do as I wish for the most part. I wrote out cards to a few close friends and loved ones first, followed immediately by cards to those in my life that need extra reminders that someone loves them & believes in them (plus they now have a picture of a dachshund with a red rubber nose and fake reindeer antlers to cheer them up).
I've made cookies (thanks Pillsbury for your refrigerated cookies) and eaten them all.
Tree is up, outside garland is up. Nativity set will be put up tomorrow night.
And, I'm taking quiet time every evening to savor the meaning of Christmas and to enjoy the wonderful spirit of giving that abounds this time of year (even if a few people get a little crazy about how they are giving instead of thinking about why they are giving).
:) Happy Tuesday!
still lovin' your Hold on to the Holy!! It has been ringing in my head since you first posted it! (and it makes a difference!)
as for ready…hmmmm…depends on ones definition of 'ready'. Fortunately I am blessed with a DH that makes the Christmas cards his top priority…he gets them done Thanksgiving weekend EVERY YEAR (if it was up to me…uh…probably never happen)) The tree is still sitting in the corner with lights and a beautiful bow waiting for the family to all get in one place at one time to open the box of decorations and dress that naked tree (it may never happen this year)…but I am ready to recognize the birth of our savior no matter what is on the tree! Yep…I'm ready.
AND…your birthday is next week? WELL… I may have to kick up the give aways at Around the Table with Tami next week in honor of such. Thanks for the shout out and let me think about what I can do to sweeten the pot for all that come visit next week. :-)
I've actually enjoyed my Christmas time so far! Its my husband and I's first Christmas!!! We got married in October, so I wanted to start a few traditions for our little family. The first one was to go cut down a REAL tree at a tree farm. Its beautiful and its decorated! The second one was to do an advent…have something that we do each day leading up to Christmas. This is my area where I have given up on perfect! :) I tried in the beginning to do each thing each day, but it just hasn't worked with our schedules. So, now…I do it when I can, but still want to get it done before Christmas. Its still fun and I love doing it…but I'm not going to stress over it. I love Christmas and I want us to enjoy it!!! Also, my Christmas cards are out, but they went out in spurts b/c I didn't have enough postage. I love being NOT perfect!!!! :) My most favorite things are listening to Christmas music as much as I can….and I just got back from the Deeper Still Conference with Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer….while the main topic wasn't Christmas, we still had moments of celebrating HIS birth!!!!