Should you do the "Santa Claus" thing?

 



Most everyone in my generation, and generations before me, grew up with Santa Claus. We also went to church, although I didn't go often until I met my husband as a teen. We were brought up with Christian values.

Santa did not scar us for life. Parents today worry too much. Kids see your day to day life.  So Make Memories.  Enjoy your kids.

I do remember when Jason was 2 (40 years ago) we decided to not do the Santa thing. Christmas morning he asked, "Where's my gift from Santa???" So that changed our minds real quick! And it didn't scar him. We told both our boys that Santa is the spirit of Christmas giving.  They had enough of the true Christmas message throughout the year to not be upset when they went through the passage of understanding who St. Nicholas was.

 

 

 

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Why Jesus Is Better Than Santa Claus

• Santa lives at the North Pole - JESUS is everywhere.
• Santa rides in a sleigh - JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
• Santa comes but once a year - JESUS is an ever present help.
• Santa fills your stockings with goodies - JESUS supplies all your needs.
• Santa comes down your chimney uninvited....
  JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart.
• You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
  JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
• Santa lets you sit on his lap - JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
• Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...
  JESUS knew our name before we did.  Not only does He know our name, He knows our address, too.  He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
• Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly - JESUS has a heart full of love.
• All Santa can offer is HO HO HO - JESUS offers health, help and hope.
• Santa says "You better not cry" - JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."
• Santa's little helpers make toys ...
  JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
• Santa may make you chuckle but - JESUS gives you joy! that is your strength.
• While Santa puts gifts under your tree - JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in Christmas,      

Jesus is still the reason for the season.

Yes, Jesus is better, much better than Santa Claus.

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

 

Slideshow of Walt Disney’s Fairytale Home

I love most all things Disney! 

Here's a link to a Disney Insider slideshow of Walt Disney’s home,

where he and his family lived from 1932 to 1950.

Disney Insider link

 

 "This storybook-like home provided the inspiration for Walt’s animated fairytale films like Sleeping Beauty, and would also serve as the place where he would find beloved stories, like Mary Poppins and Winnie the Pooh."

~a quote from the web site

 

Crochet Star Ornament

These instructions came from All Free Crochet

Crochet Hook: 9 or 1.4 mm hook (steel)

Yarn Weight: (0) Lace (33-40 stitches to 4 inches). Includes crochet thread.

Materials:

• Aunt Lydia's® “Classic Crochet Thread”, Size 10: 1 Ball each 422 Golden Yellow, 494 Victory Red, and 484
• Myrtle Green OR J&P COATS® Royale™ “Classic Crochet Thread”, Size 10: 1 Ball each 422 Golden Yellow, 494 Victory Red, and 484 Myrtle Green.
• Steel Crochet Hook: 1.4mm [US 8].
• Tapestry Needle
• Buttons
• Hanging Hook

Measurement:
Star measures 2½” across.

STAR (Make 2 of each color):
Ch 2.
Rnd 1: 5 Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Do not join rounds. Place a contrasting color thread between first and last sts to note the beginning and end of the rnd and move up each rnd.
Rnd 2: 2 Sc in each sc around – 10 sc.
Rnd 3: * 2 Sc in next sc – inc made; sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 15 sc.
Rnd 4: [Inc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 5 times – 20 sc.
Rnd 5: [Inc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 5 times – 25 sc.
Rnd 6: [Inc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc] 5 times – 30 sc.
Rnd 7: [Inc in next sc, sc in next 5 sc] 5 times; slip st in next sc – 35 sc. Remove contrast thread.

First Point
Row 1: Ch 1, sc in next 8 sc; TURN.
Rows 2 and 3: Ch 1, sc in each sc across; turn.
Row 4: Ch 1; draw up a loop in each of first 2 sc, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook – dec made; sc in each sc across; turn – 7 sts.
Rows 5-9: Ch 1, dec, sc in each sc across; turn – 2 sts at end of Row 9.
Row 10: Ch 1, dec – 1 st. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

2nd Point
Row 1: With right side facing, attach thread in same sc where the last sc of Row 1 of previous point was made; ch 1, sc in same place, sc in next 7 sc; turn – 8 sc.
Rows 2-10: Repeat Rows 2-10 of First Point.

3rd and 4th Points
Work same as 2nd Point.

5th Point
Row 1: With right side facing, attach thread in same sc where the last sc of Row 1 of previous point was made; ch 1, sc in same place, sc in next 6 sc, sc in same sc as first sc of Row 1 of First Point; turn – 8 sc.
Rows 2-10: Repeat Rows 2-10 of First Point.

FINISHING:
With wrong sides together and tapestry needle, sew 2 matching stars together on 4 points; turn right side out; stuff lightly; sew last point closed. Sew a button on each side of ornament. Insert hook and hang.

Read more at http://www.allfreecrochet.com/Christmas-Crochet/Bright-Star-Ornament#CEgjYFlFF4l7ucT5.99

Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats

I love Rice Krispie Treats!

The kids will love making these....and eating them!

Glorious Treats blog has the instructions. 

Just click here and you will see step-by-step how to make your own!








Picture from  Glorious Treats.

Multi-striped, Multi-patterned Crochet Blanket

Oh!  I want to make this "as-we-go stripey blanket" next!

 

The direction are in this site http://notyouraveragecrochet.com/as-we-go-stripey-blanket/

CUTE Bitty Bow Baby Sandals Pattern

This, also, is a pattern I want to use to make gifts for a special someone! From Whistle & Ivy:

Bitty Bow Baby Sandals Pattern

CUTE Crochet Baby Flip Flop Sandals

Here's another cute baby sandal pattern from Whistle & Ivy.  I had to add this pattern here so I can find it easily!

Crochet Baby Flip Flop Sandals

CUTE Baby Button Gladiator Sandal Crochet Pattern

I had to add this pattern here so I can find it easily!  Here's the link from Whistle & Ivy:

 Baby Button Gladiator Sandal Crochet Pattern

Cruise Towel Animals

We went on a cruise last week.  It was wonderful! 

The last full day we woke to these covering the deck!

 

 

The cruise was on the Carnival Sunshine.

 

I found a web site that tells how to make towel animals and

I think we'll do this at a homeschool pool party.

 

Here's the link:  Make Towel Animals

St. Patrick’s Day Lesson

 

 

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 17th

Saint Patrick was a Christian Missionary to Ireland.

Some Information about St Patrick:

• Patrick was considered a "saint" before the Roman church created its (list) of saints - then added him to it.
• St. Patrick was not Irish
• Patrick was a missionary to Ireland from Britain
• He was made a patron saint of Ireland by the Roman Catholic Church
• He used the Shamrock as an analogy to explain the Trinity
• We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17
• The Irish wear a shamrock or anything green on this day
• Because the Shamrock is green and connected to St Patrick we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick, (about 389-461), was chiefly responsible for converting the Irish people to Christianity. He became known as the Apostle to the Irish.

Patrick was born in Britain. His father was a wealthy alderman and a Christian. When Patrick was 16 years old, pirates captured him during a raid and sold him as a slave in Ireland. He served as a shepherd of an Irish chieftain in Ulster. During his captivity, Patrick dedicated himself to religion. He escaped after six years of slavery and returned to his home in Britain.


When Patrick escaped and returned to Britain, he had a vision of the Irish begging him to return to Ireland to spread his faith. Patrick recorded this call to his vocation in the 'Confessio', his spiritual autobiography and one of his two short writings that have survived.

 Patrick became driven by the idea of converting the Irish to Christianity. To prepare himself for that task, he studied in the monastery of Lerins, on an island off the southeast coast of France. Patrick also went to Auxerre, France, for study. Partly because Patrick's earlier education was inadequate, his religious superiors were reluctant to let him return to Ireland as a missionary.

Patrick began his work in northern and western Ireland, where no one had ever preached Christianity. He gained the trust and friendship of several tribal leaders and soon made many converts. Patrick is said to have founded more than 300 churches and baptized more than 120,000 people.

Despite a constant threat to his life, Patrick traveled widely, baptizing, confirming, and preaching and building churches, schools, and monasteries. Patrick succeeded in converting almost the entire population of the island.

Patrick brought clergymen from England and France for his new churches. He succeeded in his mission in Ireland, even though many British clergymen opposed him and the way he organized his churches. Patrick preached in Ireland for the rest of his life.

Many stories about Patrick are based only on legend. One of the best-known tales tells how he charmed the snakes of Ireland into the sea so they were drowned.

Saint Patrick also introduced the Roman alphabet and Latin literature into Ireland.

After his death, about 461, Irish monasteries flourished as centers of learning.  Patrick's writings have come to be appreciated for their simplicity and humility.

St. Patrick's Day the Holiday
 

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th, the feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.  St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday in Ireland. It also is celebrated outside of Ireland in cities with a large number of people of Irish descent.

In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is primarily a religious holiday. People honor Saint Patrick by attending special religious services, enjoying family and community gatherings, and wearing shamrocks. According to legend, Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain the idea of the Trinity to the Irish.

In the United States, St. Patrick's Day is primarily a secular (nonreligious) holiday. Many people wear green clothing, and they hold parties and march in parades. The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737. Today, more than 100 cities hold parades. The St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City is the largest.

 

Some Symbols of St. Patricks Day:

The RAINBOW is God's promise that He will never flood the world again. Genesis 9:12-17 "And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

Rainbow is a circular arc of colors that appears in the sky when raindrops are illuminated by sunlight. A rainbow is not a physical object. Rather, it is a pattern of light to which a great number of raindrops contribute. A rainbow may spread across the entire sky, and its ends may seem to rest on the earth. Not all rainbows form complete arcs, however, because a rainbow cannot appear in a part of the sky where there is no rain.

You are at the center of the rainbow you see. A person standing next to you would be at the center of a different rainbow--that is, a rainbow to which a different set of raindrops contributes. Thus, no two people ever see the same rainbow.

WHAT DOES THE SHAMROCK HAVE TO DO WITH THE TRINITY? SHAMROCK: "You tell us that there are three gods and yet one," the puzzled Irish said when St. Patrick was preaching the gospel to them in the 5th century AD. "How can that be?" The saint bent down and plucked a shamrock. "Do you not see," he said, "how in this wildflower three leaves are united on one stalk, and will you not then believe that there are indeed three persons and yet one God?" ~Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia ~

The SHAMROCK: is a type of small herb with leaves made up of three leaflets. It is the national symbol of Ireland. According to legend, Saint Patrick planted shamrock in Ireland because the three small leaflets represented the Holy Trinity. Many Irish people wear a shamrock on St. Patrick's Day. The name shamrock comes from an Irish word that means trefoil (three-leafed).

In Ireland, the plant most often referred to as shamrock is the white clover. This plant has slender, creeping stems and white or pinkish-white flowers.

 

Saint Patrick was a Christian Missionary to Ireland.

WHAT IS A MISSIONARY?
Webster's Dictionary Says: missionary noun 1: someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program 2: someone sent on a mission--especially a religious or charitable mission to a foreign country

"Go into all the world and preach the good news."
~Mark 16:15~

 Think about St Patrick and his zeal and desire to share the love of Jesus Christ with others. He is a real example of a missionary and Christian for us to follow.

"Go and do likewise" ~Luke 10:37~
 

The Bible says that we as Christians and Believers are saints:
"To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." ~Romans 1:7~

"For by GRACE are you saved through faith, it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast" ~Ephesians 2:8-9~

It's as easy as ABC to give your heart to the Lord.

All you have to do is:
Admit you are a sinner. Romans 3:23
Believe Jesus died on the cross for you. Acts 16:31
Confess your sin to God and turn from it. Romans 10:9

All the "LUCK" in the world won't matter if you spend eternity in hell. Don't put it off......you don't know what tomorrow may bring. Do you know what you would say if you tomorrow you died, you got to heaven and they asked you "Why should we let you in?" Believe me a long laundry list of all the good things you did isn't enough. Because nothing of your own merit will get you to heaven.....the only way is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Disney Scrapbook Ideas

These came from Mouse Scrappers:

http://www.mousescrappers.com/photos

Disney Scrapbooking Ideas

My son wanted to see the Disney pictures from last year. 

 I said, "They're in the computer." 

He said, "Never mind...."

 

So I began looking for scrapbooking ideas.  I found these at

http://www.scrapbook.com/gallery

searching for "Disney."

 

These are the ones I liked:

 

I liked the drawn ears of this one.

 

A place to put the maps.

 

I like the cutouts with the letters.

 

 

 

I like the writing inside the Mickey ears.

Exploding boxes!

I saw a nativity set inside a box & thought, "I can make that."  So, recently I found out what they are called:  Exploding Boxes.  Here are a few I found that I like:

The complete instruction for the above is found at Glitter Adventure:

http://glitteradventure.blogspot.com/2006/11/exploding-box-class.html

 

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I found this example (picture only, no instructions at:

http://fimocaketoppersbynatalie.weebly.com/babies-presented-in-exploding-boxes.html

 

 

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I like the larger size of this one.

http://svgcuts.com/blog/2010/08/04/our-family-explosion-box-by-thienly/

 

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This carousel exploding box came from

 http://www.sarahyoude.com/2010/09/exploding-hexagon-carousel-box-video-tutorial.html.

It has a video, plus templates to print out.

 

 

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This one is a little different.

http://www.scrapbook.com/gallery/?m=image&id=1236431&type=searchwords&s=Disney&sort=2

 

 

 

Disney scrapbook - The End

I love this scrapbook page sample!

Easter craft using a paper plate & black/brown construction paper

This is a very easy craft for Easter!

Kitchen cabinet measure storage

 

I found this picture here.

 

(There was no instructions.)

Classic books for teens (& older)

  I think I may read (or re-read) some of these.

1.       Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – by Arthur Conan Doyle

2.       Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – by Mark Twain

3.       The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – by Mark Twain

4.       Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – by Lewis Carroll

5.       And Then There Were None – by Agatha Christie

6.       Animal Farm – by George Orwell

7.       Anne of Green Gables – by Lucy Montgomery

8.       Around the World in 80 Days – by Jules Verne

9.       Black Beauty – by Ann Sewell

10.   Bridge to Terabithia – by Katherine Paterson

11.   The Call of the Wild – by Jack London

12.   The Catcher in the Rye – by J.D. Salinger

13.   A Christmas Carol – by Charles Dickens

14.   The Chronicles of Narnia – by C.S. Lewis

15.   The Count of Monte Cristo – by Alexander Dumas

16.   David Copperfield – by Charles Dickens

17.   Diary of a Young Girl – by Anne Frank

18.   Frankenstein – by Mary Shelley

19.   The Good Earth – by Pearl Buck

20.   Gulliver’s Travels – by Jonathan Swift

21.   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – by J.K. Rowling

22.   Heidi – by Johanna Spyri

23.   The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – by Douglas Adams

24.   The Hobbit – by J.R.R. Tolkien

25.   Holes – by Louis Sachar

26.   The Hunchback of Notre Dame – by Victor Hugo

27.   The Invisible Man – by H.G. Wells

28.   Ivanhoe – by Sir Walter Scott

29.   Jane Eyre – by Charlotte Bronte

30.   Journey to the Center of the Earth – by Jules Verne

31.   The Last of the Mohicans – by James Fenimore Cooper

32.   The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – by Washington Irving

33.   Life on the Mississippi – by Mark Twain

34.   Little Women – by Louisa May Alcott

35.   Lord of the Flies – by William Golding

36.   Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – by Frederick Douglass

37.   The Old Man and the Sea – by Ernest Hemingway

38.   Oliver Twist – by Charles Dickens

39.   The Pearl – by John Steinbeck

40.   Peter Pan – by J.M. Barrie

41.   The Pilgrim’s Progress – by John Bunyan

42.   Pippi Longstocking – by Astrid Lindgren

43.   Pride & Prejudice – by Jane Austen

44.   Rip Van Winkle – by Washington Irving

45.   Robinson Crusoe – by Daniel Defoe

46.   The Secret Garden – by Frances Hodgson Burnett

47.   A Separate Peace – by John Knowles

48.   Shane – by Jack Schaefer

49.   Story of My Life – by Helen Keller

50.   The Tale of Two Cities – by Charles Dickens

51.   Tales from the Arabian Nights – by Andrew Lang

52.   Tales from Shakespeare – by Charles & Mary Lamb

53.   The Time Machine – by H.G. Wells

54.   To Kill A Mockingbird – by Harper Lee

55.   Treasure Island – by Robert Louis Stevenson

56.   A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – by Betty Smith

57.   20,000 Leagues Under The Sea – by Jules Verne

58.   Uncle Tom’s Cabin – by Harriet Beecher Stowe

59.   The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle – by Hugh Lofting

60.   War of the Worlds – by H.G. Wells

61.   Wizard of Oz – by L. Frank Baum

62.   The Yearling – by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings