nativity scene

Christmas is just around the corner and if you’re like me, you are probably starting to think about advent resources. I thought it would be fun to share some of the simple advent resources we have used as a family in the past as well as some of our favorite traditions. 

Christmas is a magical time of year and I think that one of the things that makes it magical is the time to be together as a family and create traditions and memories together. Holiday parties, shopping, family gatherings, Christmas lights, cookie baking – there are so many wonderful activities that can quickly fill up the month of December and if we are not careful to plan, we will become overwhelmed. 

Of course we also want to be intentional in our home to center our activities and celebrations around the real reason we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus. 

bread

Prepare your calendar

Before you can set out to create a meaningful holiday season for your family, you need to get clear on your vision and direction for your home. For myself, my goal is to have a peaceful, relaxed, and enjoyable Christmas season, and I know that for us, this means we need lots of margin and white space on the calendar. 

I have found it very helpful to sit down ahead of the season and make a list of non-negotiable activities and things we would simply like to do. 

This is a great way to include your children too. Find out what their favorite Christmas traditions and activities are and be sure to include those things on your list. Decide what your priorities are and don’t be afraid to say no to events that do not fit into your goal’s for your family. Of course if its something you want to do and you enjoy than go for it! Just remember that white space is GOLD!

Be intentional about traditions

I say it all the time, but rhythms become traditions and traditions shape the culture of your home. We thinks of traditions especially around the Christmas time, but the reality is that we all have traditions for daily and weekly life. The bigger questions is, are we being intentional about what those things look like?

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, my favorite, in fact, but we must remember that is is more than the gifts under the tree and the magical decorations. Christmas is about the greatest gift ever given: Jesus. 

As you consider what traditions you include in your Christmas celebrations, be sure that you are creating rhythms that turn your own heart and that of your children toward the birth of Christ. 

christmas ornaments

Simple resources for mama

It is so important that as mamas who are constantly pouring out and serving our families that we take the time to prepare our own hearts for the season. One of the most meaningful ways that I have found to prepare my heart is to use an advent devotional alongside my personal Bible time. Here’s a few that I have enjoyed or that come highly recommended:

Advent of Glory – A collection of readings from talks by the much loved Bible teacher, R.C. Sproul. These teachings delve into the details of the Christmas story and explore it’s impact on our lives today. 

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu – This devotionals explores the names of Jesus through the four weeks of advent. I love that you can use it for your own personal Bible time or as a tool for family discipleship with the added activities and resources for families. 

The First Songs of Christmas: Meditations on Luke 1-2 by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth – Meditations on the first two chapters of Luke’s gospel, these readings will lead you to contemplate the loveliness and essence of Christmas, helping you fix your gaze on our great God and Savior.

Emmanuel: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always by Ruth Chou Simons – Anything Ruth writes is lovely and this is no exception. In her book, Emmanuel, Ruth invites you to discover the true miracle behind Christmas: that while we journey to grow in our relationships with Jesus, He has already come so He can be with us forever.

Advent for Exiles: 25 Devotions to Awaken Gospel Hope in Every Longing Heart by Caroline Cobb – Through the weaving of Scripture, song lyrics, poetic prose, biblical imagery, and responsive exercises, Caroline invites you to slow your pace, engage your imagination, and feast on the rich and relevant biblical theme of exile: His light shining in our darkness, His seed sprouting green in our wilderness, so you might rejoice all the more at the beauty of Christ’s coming!

If adding a special devotional feels like too much in your season, don’t feel badly. This is meant to be a help and encouragement to you and in some seasons one more thing is just that, one more thing. The most important gift you can give yourself and your family is a relaxed and joyful mama, so let me encourage you to take the time to be intentional and choose the things that will help you accomplish that goal. 

books

Simple resources for kiddos

There is almost nothing I enjoy more at Christmas than baking sugar cookies and reading Christmas picture books while sipping hot chocolate with my girlie. These are core, non-negotiable traditions for us and I highly encourage you to be intentional about creating memories like this with your children as well. Your activities and the things you enjoy will be different from ours, to be sure, and that is the beauty of it. 

Here’s a few Christmas resources we have used to be intentional about creating memories while also teaching about the real reason we celebrate Christmas in our home:

Jesse Tree Advent Ornaments + Cards from Pip and J Papery – These are absolutely beautiful and worth every penny. Building on the Jesse Tree, these cards + ornaments are used to count down the days from December 1st to the 25th, and as the anticipation builds toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth, you will see the progression of God’s covenant’s, types, and shadows that all point to and are fulfilled in our Covenant King, Jesus Christ. 

Come to the Manger: A Christ-Centered Christmas Guide – This four week Christmas guide is great for ages 3-7. Each day, you’ll find a Bible reading with a short commentary and discussion questions, a suggested picture book to read, and engaging activities. 

12 Days of Christmas Story + Activity Bundle – This resources that I created last year is perfect if you’re looking for a little structure, but not wanting to commit a lot of time. It contains 12 picture book recommendations with crafts, activities, and recipes that correlate to each story. 

Picture Books – Of course, few things are sweeter than just reading stacks upon stacks of Christmas picture books. These are a few of our favorites. You can also check out my friend over at Mud Pies with Sprinkles for more high quality recommendations. 

Manger scenes are often popular in Christian Christmas decor, but they can also be a special way to help young children visualize the Christmas story. This Amish made wooden nativity scene is a well-loved part of our Christmas decor. I love that it is small and durable, yet also very pretty. 

There are so many wonderful resources out there, but if these special guides and devotionals aren’t in your budget, don’t underestimate the simplicity of reading the Scriptures together and singing beloved Christmas carols. Remember, it’s the heart, the memories, the connection that is most important. 

books

​Simple family activities

12 Days of Christmas: One thing that I have done a few years for my husband is to give him a small gift every day for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. This could be as simple or as involved as you like it to be. One year I just gave him a note or redeemable certificate that correlated to the “day”. It was such a special way to connect during the business of the season. You can read this blog post for more ideas and to grab some printable tags. 

Nutcracker: Another fun tradition we have is to watch the Nutcracker. When I was a young girl I loved to go watch our local ballets production of the Nutcracker. Now my daughter absolutely loves the music and we love to watch the performance on YouTube. This is our favorite that we watch again and again. 

Countdown to Christmas: There are countless ideas for a Christmas countdown. We love to use the Jesse Tree advent ornaments for our countdown, but your could make something as well. Little children especially will enjoy the countdown to Christmas morning. 

Giving to others: Giving to others can be a special part of your family advent celebrations and is a great way to teach your children about giving to others.  Most communities do an Angel Tree, an opportunity to buy gifts for children that don’t have much. Another idea would be to pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. 

Reaching neighbors: Christmas is also a great time to reach out to neighbors and those you don’t know well to share the good news of the story of Jesus. We love to package up some Christmas cookies, a fresh loaf of bread, or even a simmer pot along with a Christmas card to deliver to neighbors. 

Preparing the Atmosphere of your Home

As you begin to plan what you would like to do in the Christmas season, don’t forget that you children value YOU and your TIME more than anything else. Make space for quiet evenings playing games and sipping hot chocolate; spend long moments talking over fresh baked cookies. These are the things that your children will remember. 

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