CHRIST-mas Countdown Begins! Five ways to put Christ back in Christmas!

Who doesn't love the magic of the Christmas season?  Twinkling lights, delicious treats, beautiful decorations, carefully wrapped packages, peaceful music, time with family and friends, and the wonder-filled eyes of children.  However, it saddens me that so many dread the season these days because of the hectic craziness that shopping, parties, and unfulfilled expectations have brought upon it.  So many have forgotten, as it's said, "The Reason for the Season!"  It's not about presents, Santa, or black Friday deals at the local shopping center.  Christmas began in a humble stable and should be remembered and celebrated with the same quiet, humble, and peaceful love that it began.

I, like most of you, am guilty of getting caught up in the busyness of the holiday season, and forgetting its true purpose and meaning.  That is why I set a goal a few years ago to make something different of the season, beginning with my decor, and continuing on to the way I count down each moment leading up to the big day.  This has not only impacted my own perspective, but my hope is that it will shape the way my children and their children celebrate the season that is Christmas!  As much as we love Santa, he's not the man in red I want them to focus on! :)

So, with no further adieu, I share with you some of my favorite ways to count down to CHRIST-mas!  After all, the word "mas" means more in Spanish, so shouldn't we have a little more Christ in our homes this time of year?

I hope that you find these ideas helpful as you strive to bring the spirit of Christ back into the Christmas season in your homes and your thoughts.

A Video A Day

I put together this video compilation of some of my favorite short Christmas videos a few years ago for my family and friends.  I have now uploaded it to Youtube so that hopefully others can benefit!  Please share it with anyone you know!!!  Watch one a day with your family starting December 13th all the way to Christmas!

Day 1: Dec. 13th The Christmas Spirit     0:00
Day 2: Dec. 14th The Coat    4:01
Day 3: Dec. 15th An Angel Foretells Christ's Birth to Mary        6:16
Day 4: Dec. 16th Mary & Elisabeth Rejoice Together         10:26
Day 5: Dec. 17th Look To The Light         15:35
Day 6: Dec. 18th The Christ Child Is Presented At The Temple     20:12
Day 7: Dec. 19th Mary & Joseph Travel To Bethlehem     22:07
Day 8: Dec. 20th Shepherds Learn Of Christ's Birth         24:18
Day 9: Dec. 21st The Wise Men Seek Jesus     27:12
Day 10: Dec. 22nd Wise Men Still Seek Him     32:55
Day 11: Dec. 23rd The Old Shoemaker     36:33
Day 12: Dec. 24th A Gift To The World     40:05
Day 13: Dec. 25th Good Tidings Of Great Joy     49:21

He Is The Gift Website
Check out this website for awesome videos, stories, and information about the Savior for you and your family to learn, watch, and study together.  It's AMAZING and answers so many questions you or your children may have about Jesus Christ and Christmas!

Countdown to Christ Calendar

I can take no credit at all for this idea...I found it on Pinterest of course!  However, I couldn't find exact dimensions I needed so I had to work through trial and error to make mine.  Here is the link for the beautiful calendar I found on Pinterest (I wish they could have just sent me one because I honestly like theirs better than mine!), and here are the dimensions and details of how I made mine, in case that's helpful for any of you out there!

*Board 20" X 25" MDF Wood painted a brick red with a glossy spray on laquer coat on top.
*The word Christ is on a separate board of wood 3" X 15" hung 3.5 inches from the top of the large board painted a sage green.
*The white swirly stuff behind the Christ sign is some lacy-type scrapbook paper I had lying around that I mod podged on before nailing on the Christ sign, to add some dimension since mine was lacking!
*Nails are started 3/4in. down from the Christ sign and 3in. from the sides.  They are spaced 3.5 inches apart from the middle of each nail to the next one and end 3 3/4 in. from the bottom of the board.
*Each square is 3in square and cut from a thin MDF then drilled holes in the tops.  I also painted them white before I put on pictures and paper so if there was any border it would be a pretty one.
*The fronts are just scrapbook paper cut down to 3 in squares mod podged on with a vinyl number in the corner.
*The pictures on the backs I bought from Deseret Book.  This is the most expensive part of the project as some were about 50 cents to a dollar each.  I did 2-3 layers of mod podge to get these to stay after cutting them down to 3 in. squares.
*Just make sure to give plenty of dry time to all layers!  You don't want to go to all of that work to have it stick together and ruin your beautiful pictures!

The baby socks have a story or scripture for each day (along with a small treat of course! :)) and are just numbered with vinyl numbers.  I looked for cheap socks for FOREVER and finally found them here.  They are out of stock now, but who knows if they will come back.  Some of the socks also have a small nativity character in them for special days when we do a character study of a different person in the nativity.  After we study each character, we add them to a small nativity that will be completed by Christmas.  This is an idea I got from an AMAZING book called A Christ Centered Christmas.  I highly recommend it!  It's a quick read with awesome stories and activities to do with your family to help them to draw closer to Christ.

Names of Christ Star Ornaments

This was also an idea inspired by A Christ Centered Christmas, but the ones you can purchase were silver and I wanted mine to stand out on my tree a bit more.  Mine are very simple, but I love how they make me think of the Savior just a little bit more whenever I look at my tree!  Remember, He was born in a very simple, humble place!  My humble stars remind me just a little bit more of that place, and that perfect child!

I bought the wooden stars (20 of them) for about 30 cents each, had my husband drill holes in them and then painted them yellow with a silver sparkle glaze (I made the mistake of doing the glaze after the letters though and messed up a bunch of them because it smeared the paint!  Sadness!!!  So, IF you glaze, do it before you write!).  

To put the words on them I just printed the names of Christ on a sheet of paper in a font I liked and traced it onto the wood (the wood was soft enough that tracing indented the words on the wood).  After the wood was indented with the name, I just used a permanent black marker to trace it.  Thread them with ribbons and you're done! 

Kid-friendly Nativities

 Some of my favorite memories of Christmas time are of an old Nativity that my mom gave to me to play with.  I would spend hours playing with the figures and recreating the Christmas story.  Far too often a Nativity is a touch-me-not decoration in our homes.  And yes, I have one of those too.  However, I think it's so important to teach our children that the Savior is not this distant being that we cannot get near.  He is our loving brother and friend!  He is accessible and as close to us as we allow and want Him to be.  What better way to teach that to them than giving them access at a young age to those figures that tell the story of His birth.  A small thing that can really create a fond memory and feeling.  

Yet again, I got this idea from Pinterest at this site, with a little variation according to what I could find at the craft store and then  just used scraps of material to make the clothes for the little wooden nativity.  I am NOT very creative and crafty on my own to be honest.  I mean, the glue gun and I have a love/hate relationship, leaning more towards the latter!  My sister-in-law did the sheep for me which were pretty awesome I thought!  I would have just glued on a bunch of cotton balls and called it good!  I can't tell you how to recreate the wise men hats (sorry!)...they just kind of happened as I attempted to take needle and thread to a small scrap of fabric (this was huge for me since I don't even own a sewing machine!).  I could never do it again, but I'm glad they turned out okay!  My husband used his engineering skills and made the stable and manger out of popsicle sticks and a glue gun after my daughter insisted Jesus have a stable.  He has a similar relationship (and scar) with the glue gun after that experience but it turned out pretty awesome I think! Oh the sacrifices we make for our children! :)

Fisher Price also has the cutest Nativity that we just bought last year on sale and my kids love it just as much!  I probably would have never made the first one to be honest, had I been able to find it at a reasonable price when I was looking, but now you can even find them in Wal-Mart and Target for around $30!!!  So worth it!

Merry CHRIST-mas to you all! 
© 2014 Leaflet Radiance All Rights Reserved

Craft Club & Patriotic Decor

 A friend of mine started a Craft Club in my neighborhood several years ago and I was invited to participate a few years back.  Now it has transitioned from being a monthly club to more of an open group that meets once a quarter (or season, rather).  I can take no credit for the idea but it is awesome!  Although I’m not crafty by nature, this group has decorated my house with so many of the projects I’ve been dying to have from Pinterest!  I would never take the time to actually do them on my own, but this way they get done in only a couple of hours in an evening of socializing with my friends!  Kills two birds with one stone!  Love it!

Here’s how it works: 

*The leader of the group sends out email invites to whoever wants to participate and then has two people per season volunteer to be in charge of that craft club.

Winter—December or January

Spring—March or April

Summer—May or June

Fall—September or October

*Whoever is in charge of that season is in charge of finding a few craft options for everyone else to vote on.  Once the votes are in, the people in charge purchase the materials for the craft (which everyone reimburses when they come to craft night—usually under $15).  Those in charge also do all the prep work necessary for the craft to be completed by everyone in a few hours at craft night.  It’s a lot of preparation for whoever is in charge, but the next time they come everything is prepped for them!

*Craft club is usually set for around 6:30 or 7:00 on a Tuesday night and everyone who has committed to come, enjoys snacks provided by the hosts, works, socializes, and goes home that night with a finished product (or sometimes more than one!)

I was in charge of our club this month along with my friend Jessica, so we did a Fourth of July theme and did a few different projects!  I went from having one Fourth of July wreath to now having my whole living room decorated for the holiday!  

We did wooden American flags, canvas America sayings, and a wooden sign that said, “Land of the Brave Because of the Free” in blue across America in red!  I also made a banner the next day on my own.  Everyone did their projects just a little differently but they all turned out awesome!  I love seeing how everyone puts their style and personality into their work!  See below for details on how we did our projects if you'd like to make one of your own!

Large Wooden American Flag
1.  Purchase a large piece of 1/4 in. MDF and cut to 34x24 (ish) (I bought 2x4 panels).

2.  Paint the board white.  Do two coats.

3.  Measure 1 5/8 in. down from the top of the board and tape off white stripes using wide masking tape, using the tape as your width.  If you tape three strips in a row then take off the middle and keep doing that all the way down, you don't have to measure!  This way you also don't have to paint any white...just the red!  Your top and bottom stripes will be slightly smaller than the rest, but it's not noticeable at all. 

4.  Paint stripes with red (Do a deep brick red).  Do two coats then immediately take off paint strips after second coat.  Let dry completely.

5.  Tape off blue rectangle 16in. wide X 13 in. tall.


6.  Put on contact paper stars in a circle around a bowl (for Betsy Ross style flag), then paint over with blue.  Do two coats. Immediately after the second coat, remove the contact paper stars.  

Tip: Put your finger in the middle of the star while using other fingers to remove it.  This keeps the paint from smudging too badly.  Don't stress too much though because you will be antiquing it!

For the traditional flag (pictured at the top of this post) I painted the square blue (two coats), let it dry, then made a template with my Silhouette out of contact paper in three pieces which I lined up on the blue--not an easy task--then painted them with three coats of white).  Or you can just use a stamp if you have one.


7.  After everything is completely dry, use a sander to go over it and antique as desired!  When it is antiqued the way you like it, finish with a matte finishing spray and voila!!!  You just made a $200+ flag for under $20!!!

Star Silhouette File 1

Star Silhouette File 2

Stars & Stripes Canvas
1.  Purchase a 12X12 Canvas.
2.  Paint blue.  Do three coats.
3.  After cutting saying on Silhouette and placing on transfer or contact paper, place words on completely dry sign.  Use a credit card to smooth letters and make sure they stick.  
4.  Layer a coat of Mod Podge on top.  

Stars & Stripes Silhouette File

A few people also made a God Bless America Sign in red, but I don't have a picture of that one.  Here is the file though:

God Bless America Silhouette File

American "Land of the Free..." Sign
1.  Use leftover wood from flag (1/4in. MDF) and cut to 24 1/2 X 5 3/4 in.
2.  Paint wood white or off white.  Do two coats.
3.  Use a sander to antique as desired.
4.  After cutting saying on Silhouette and placing on transfer or contact paper, place words on completely dry sign.  Use a credit card to smooth letters and make sure they stick.  
5.  Layer a coat of Mod Podge on top.

Land of the Free Silhouette File

America Silhouette File

Liberty Banner
1.  Cut large stars on Silhouette out of background cardstock.
2.  Cut smaller stars on Silhouette out of American themed scrapbook paper.
3.  Glue stars together.
4.  Cut vinyl letters on Silhouette and place on stars.
5.  Punch holes and string together with desired string, ribbon, yarn, etc.

Large Star Silhouette File

Larger Star Silhouette File

Enjoy your crafting!

© 2014 Leaflet Radiance All Rights Reserved

Picket Fence Display Board

A while ago my friend asked me how I display visuals to teach my children who are visual learners, around the home.  It was a good question, that to be honest, I hadn’t thought a lot about previously.  As a teacher, I loved to study and apply different learning styles, so it made sense that I should do the same in my own home, I just hadn’t given it much thought since my kids are still little.  My oldest is a very auditory learner so it’s been easy there.  However, I can tell already that my younger daughter is going to be more of a visual learner, so it was a question that got the wheels churning in my head.  I always have visuals when I teach lessons whether they are academic, moral, or spiritual, but I never really thought about putting them up for review during the week or month.  

For birthdays in our family we always string up a ribbon with paper clips and hang pictures on it of that person over the years, so I thought I could do that to display visuals from lessons as well.  However, as I did, I decided I wanted something a little more.  Then I was out shopping at Real Deals where they were clearancing a bunch of their inventory.  I saw a white picket fence that was part of a display that caught my eye, and an idea was born!  I’m a sucker for symbolism in any way I can find it (I even had yellow flowers with red tips at my wedding to symbolize friendship growing into love!).  So, I thought ‘what if I used the concept of the white picket fence (sign of the American dream and “perfect” home) as my way to display visuals from my Family Home Evening, Mommy School, Joy School, and Church lessons?’  The more I thought about it, the more excited I got!

So, for Mother’s Day my husband got to work on creating my picket fence and I’m happy to say that it’s finally complete!  I told him once it was finally on the wall that we were now officially a happy family, since you have to have a white picket fence to become that right?!  I love it!  I will also be using it to do holiday displays and pictures of our family, and it will be our new birthday board to show off pictures of the birthday person!  My husband couldn’t help but laugh at how giddy I was about it! 

It cost less than $15 at Home Depot to do it all!!! Here's what you need if you want to make your own:

*7 fence posts 

        (We bought 9/16X3-3/8X41-1/2 in. cedar)

*2 back pieces (fence slats)

        (Buy one and cut it in half--54 in. long)

        (We bought 5/8"X5-1/2"X6')

*1 1/8" Phillips Bugle Head self drilling screws

        (Part #50254 at Home Depot)

*Screws to attach to your studs in the drywall or use anchors if not attaching to studs

*21 Clothespins (You can choose to space these however you like, I staggered mine but didn't really measure this part--just put them on the way I liked them!)

*Nail gun & small nails with wood glue to attach clothespins, or you can use a hot glue gun if you'd rather.

*Slightly off white paint (I did about three coats).  If you want to make it look a little more rustic you can paint it black or brown first and then white, then sand parts here and there to give it more of an antiqued look.  Or go for a fun different color like red or sage!  I debated but opted for the white not only for symbolism, but someday I want to paint the wall behind it a fun color so it really pops out!

To assemble the back pieces, measure 13 in. down from the top of your fence posts and 10 in. up from the bottom if you want your back slats spaced like mine.  The slats are spaced 5 in. apart.

Let me know if you have any questions about how we made it and please send me a note or even a picture if you make your own!  I'd love to see it!

© 2014 LeafletRadiance All Rights Reserved

The Measurement Wall

Growing up I always remember having a wall in our home completely dedicated to pencil marks with names beside them.  Although we moved a few times in my childhood, each home would have a new measurement wall.  We all loved comparing ourselves to each other, and marking our own growth.  My brothers especially enjoyed comparing and trash talking about who really was the "big" brother in the family when my youngest brother outgrew the rest of them!

Naturally, I wanted something similar in my house, but I wanted something I could take with me when I moved, as well as incorporate pictures since I'm a picture taking addict!  So, a few ideas from Pinterist combined with a few of my own brought the birth of our measurement wall!

I used small canvases for the pictures, just painted them black and then Mod Podged the picture right on!  I did about three coats of Mod Podge on top after doing one coat underneath the picture. (Let it dry between coats.)  Don't freak out, it won't ruin your pictures!

The canvases are hung on the wall with small velcro strips that you buy from Walmart or Target, which I cut in half so they would be thick enough for the back of the canvas.

Let me know if you do your own!  I'd love to see it!

© 2014 LeafletRadiance All Rights Reserved