Category: Celebrations

What are Your Favorite Christmas Songs?

What are Your Favorite Christmas Songs?

Posted on by Mama

Christmas songs

I recently asked my family to come up with their five favorite Christmas songs for a scrapbook layout I was creating, but what should have been a quick little task (at least for my son and me) turned into a two week struggle for my husband. His excuse, and I do get it, was that as he listened to the 24/7 Christmas radio stations each day he rediscovered some forgotten favorites and a list of only five was really just not fair. . . so he finally gave me a list of seven. So not the assignment, but I took it, ignored one and added another to my own!

So here is how my family’s lists of five six favorite Christmas songs all “played” out. What are your favorites?

My Favorite Christmas Songs

  • O Holy Night
  • Do You Hear What I Hear
  • Do They Know It’s Christmas
  • Christmas Canon
  • The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole version)
  • Carol of the Bells

My Six-Year-Old Son’s Favorite Christmas Songs

  • Jingle Bells
  • Jingle Bells, Batman Smells (completely different version than the original)
  • Santa Claus is Coming to Town
  • Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
  • Feliz Navidad
  • Amazing Grace (which he insists IS a Christmas song)

My Husband’s Favorite Christmas Songs

  • Where are you Christmas
  • Angels We Have Heard on High
  • Let There Be Peace on Earth
  • O Come All Ye Faithful
  • O Come O Come Emmanuel
  • What Child is This
    I nixed “Do You Hear What I Hear” from his list since he was over quota and it was already on mine.

 
photo credit: Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism Carolers – Nantucket via photopin (license)

 

Advent “Wreath” in a Box

Advent “Wreath” in a Box

Posted on by Mama

advent wreath

I was born and raised a Southern Baptist girl and for whatever reason we never observed Advent. Why you wonder? Well I really don’t have a clue, but I can tell you that within the last fifteen years or so the Baptist Churches I’ve attended have started emphasizing the holy days and events on a more regular basis. I like this shift in spiritual focus and since I’m married to a Catholic boy, he appreciates it too.

One of my favorite observances this time of year is the Advent wreath and the weekly candle lighting that leads up to Christmas. This year I decided to incorporate this idea into our home and created an Advent “wreath” in a box. I know there is some significance to the round, unending shape of a wreath, but I figured a line of candles was better than no candles at all.

To make my advent box, I purchased some rough finished shiplap at Sutherland’s and asked my husband cut it down to size. We assembled it with our nail gun and added a bottom of plain pine. I then added five candles (four for each week of Advent and one for Christmas day), fresh-cut evergreen bows and pinecones. Other than the size (about three feet long), it’s a very understated display. It’s also a great way to keep the proper focus of the season every time we sit down to dinner.

If you are interested in learning more about Advent, you might want to give it a good search or visit Lifeway’s great Advent resource online. In addition to some basic information, this site also supplies a complimentary Advent worship guide and children’s sermons.

A Thankful Word, or Few

Posted on by Mama

thankful

I would like to take a few moments to thank you, the readers of Small Talk Mama, for following me and my family in our daily lives of DIY, celebrations, family matters and silly stuff. I truly enjoy writing about all our adventures, but knowing that I might just touch a chord in someone else’s life makes what I do so much more fulfilling. I appreciate all your comments and well-wishes, and enjoy sharing even a sliver of my life with you.

Speaking of sliver, that makes me think of pie! And since today’s Thanksgiving feast will most probably end with pie, let’s start the day with a few words of thanks. Now if I just started rattling off all the people and things for which I’m thankful, we could be here all day; instead, I’m answering Mama Kat’s “So Very Thankful YouTube Tags” for a fun and light-hearted twist on gratitude. My answers are listed below, but please feel free to play along. 

1. Name a color you are thankful for. 

Pink. While I haven’t ever claimed this as my favorite color, I’m quickly becoming fond of a really pastel version of this color. It makes me feel young and peaceful.

2. Something your spouse does that you are thankful for.

Doing DIY projects with me. We are in the midst of what was to be a “simple” kitchen project; and although he may shake his head at times, he mostly just does what I ask for as long as it takes. Thank you, honey!

3. Something your kids do that you are thankful for.

Enjoying school. Our little guy started kindergarten this year, and he loves to learn. I do realize the social aspect is the big draw for him, but at least the learning is a plus.

4. A food you are thankful for.

Since today is Thanksgiving, I’m going to say turkey. I love turkey! I’ve started buying freshly sliced roasted turkey in the deli section so that I can skip the added nitrates and preservatives. I seriously can make a meal of that stuff!

5. What recent good news are you thankful for?

I can renew my teaching certificate as soon as my completed college course grade is posted. This means I can return to the classroom next year.

6. Name a drink you are thankful for.

San Pellegrino sparkling water. I love the combination of healthy water with fizzy bubbles that tickle my tongue.

7. Name a restaurant you are thankful for.

My son and I love Chic-fil-A! We can both get a tasty meal (I love their spicy southwest chicken salad) and he gets to run off some steam in the playroom. As for the germs, I should probably buy stock in those little supplied wet wipes.

8. Talk about an animal you are thankful for.

I’m thankful for being able to enjoy our recently deceased goldfish, Spike, for over twelve years. It was such a sad day when we lost him earlier this year. He was originally purchased to be catfish bait, but after we saved him from the lake, with his black mustache and mohawk, he quickly became a member of the family.

9. Name a beauty product you are thankful for.

Natural apricot oil. It has no added bad stuff and it’s great for moisturizing the entire body and removing eye makeup. I buy mine at Sprouts.

10. Name a cleaning product you are thankful for.

Norwex cleaning cloths. Using these cloths have allowed me to eliminate most harmful cleaning products from our home. My husband will roll his eyes, but at least mine aren’t watering on house cleaning day.

11. What social media platform are you thankful for?

Instagram. I love photography, so this platform is perfect for a special collection of pictures.

12. Tell us why you are thankful for the last person who texted you.

That would be my husband. I’m thankful that he knows I don’t always check my phone on a regular basis and that I may not see or respond to a text in an at all timely manner.

13. Name a candy you are thankful for.

Peanut Clusters, especially the homemade variety. I love the simple combination of peanuts, chocolate and nothing else.

14. Name an app on your phone that you are thankful for.

Meetup. Without this app I wouldn’t be able to get to many of my MOMS Club destinations in a timely manner. . . or even remember I was supposed to go.

15. What are you looking forward to that you are thankful for?

I’m looking forward to finally cleaning out all the nooks and crannies of this house. We have lived here for over four years and I swear our storage room still looks like we just moved in; so after the new year, I’m cleaning up and clearing out loads of this stuff.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

posted at Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop

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