Finding Christmas Spirit

In all the hustle and bustle are you having a hard time finding true Christmas spirit? Don't get me wrong, I understand that everyone has different beliefs about what this holiday season is for and how to celebrate it. But I find myself looking for Christ in Christmas and wanting to pass that on to my children too. I think some of the distaste comes from the retail push to buy buy buy! It seems like every year they push Christmas on us a little earlier. I do have almost all my shopping done and I did even before Thanksgiving but that’s because I wanted my focus and that of family on the Christ Child. So I have been asking myself what can I do to share that with my kids and also bring out the joy and want to celebrate out in my life. So I want to share with you what we are doing as a family to do just that. I not only want to share with you what we do but at the bottom of this post I would love to hear what you do with your family!

The first thing we do every year is find a cause, find someone or a group of someone's, who's needs are larger than ours. Every year it has been different and never the same cause or same end goal. In years past we have done things as simple as an ornament off the giving tree in the mall.  This year our goal is to feed 300 people, and the most amazing lesson is that it only costs $18. It is teaching my children that for some a little goes a long way. Now that my kids are a little older and are understanding the point of giving a little more we have added to the raising of this money. Instead of just saving random coins we come across the kids do little odd jobs around the house and earn quarters to add to our savings jar. This is teaching them that little giving's of themselves are going to help others. 

One other thing we have done is an advent calendar with little stories leading up to Christ's birth and then hanging the stories on our once Thanksgiving Tree.

We have turned out Thanksgiving tree into an advent calendar/Jesse Tree. This a fun, simple way to count down to Christmas!

  

We have also made our nativity scene the focus of all of our Christmas decorations. Every year I go crazy for days setting up Christmas decorations and as the years go by I find myself wanting to less and less. So this year I have decided less is more. We are getting out all of our favorites and making our home Christmassy but slowing down and enjoying the season instead of creating stress.

 

I wrote this post in hopes that one, I am not the only one wanting to lessen the stress of the season and two, that we can embrace what the true meaning is for us and share that with our children. Please share below how you and your family lower holiday stress and celebrate what Christmas is to you!

Also introduce yourself on my Facebook page and share your favorite holiday tradition with us!

Bonnie