This giveaway is now closed.
The winner is Tessa Smith (comment on November 12, 2012 at 8:01 pm). Tessa, congratulations! Email me at Charity@TheHomeschoolExperiment.com with your mailing address please. Thank you all for entering and for the wonderful ideas. May you all have a wonderful and peaceful celebration of Christ’s birth.
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I wanted to celebrate God’s goodness to me this year in so many ways–healthy self and children, dear friends, husband who is nice to me even when I don’t deserve it, and this crazy thing of having a book published that people have actually read! And liked! Truly amazing.
When I asked my Facebook friends what I should give away, Liz had the idea of a trip to the Bahamas, and I considered it, but then you’d have to pack and go buy sunscreen and find someone to pick up your mail while you were gone, and it just sounded like such an awful lot of work.
I thought what sounded much more relaxing was a few quiet hours to yourself to drink coffee and eat chocolate and read. And I was pretty sure you were all sick of hearing about the book, but Tasha requested it. So I threw one of those in there as well.
I included a $20 gift card to Target so you can go buy yourself a sweater or a magazine or whatever you want, and also an ornament that says, “Peace,” because that is my prayer for all of us this Christmas–peace in our hearts and homes. (Sorry, I know this is early, but I need to get it sent out to you!)
Just leave a comment to enter. If you want to, leave a comment telling an idea to focus your and your family’s hearts on Christ at Christmas.
Here’s what it will look like assembled.
If you want to knock out some Christmas shopping, just let me know and I’ll send the whole thing to the sister/daughter/friend of your choice.
She’ll be thrilled and you’ll have one less thing to do! (If you do give it away as a gift, I’ll send you a $20 Target card too, just for being so thoughtful.)
If you want to retweet, or pin, or any other means of spreading the word, enter an extra comment for each thing you do.
GIVEAWAY open to residents of the U.S. ages 18 and older. Ends at midnight Tuesday, November 13th, 2012. Winner chosen at random.
Just leave a comment to enter. If you want, What is one thing you do to help focus your family’s hearts on Christ at Christmas?
My main thing I put on the calendar in December, before any parties or anything, is a night at home singing Christmas carols and hymns. We can’t really sing or play the piano, but it doesn’t matter. We do anyway. We make a fire in the fireplace and the kids take turns hanging the Adornaments (at Mardel or other Christian book stores), those ornaments that tell different names of Christ, like “Bread of Life,” “Bright and Morning Star,” and so on.
Love this idea! “Adornments”…awesome!
I have a sweet friend who hasn’t read your book that I would LOVE to send this to!
We have an inexpensive advent calendar that I bought years ago, which depicts the manger scene with all its characters and elements. I made little slips of paper to insert into the pockets, each having a scripture on it to keep us thinking every day about the “Reason for the Season.”
Shared on my timeline on Facebook.
Shared in my homeschooling group, “Schoolin’ Swag” on Facebook.
Tweeted, too!
Diane, you are awesome! Thank you!
Happy to!
We love love love the Christmas holiday! As homeschoolers we take advantage of “art” projects by incorporating it into our gift making! This year we are doing a variety of homemade soaps, bath salts, candles, and baked goods into nicely trimmed boxes and jars! This is really exciting and fun to do! Our favorite part of the season and holiday is to indulge in hot chocolate ( with a dollop of whip cream) and homemade cookies by the fire during family time. As parents of 9, we have taught and lived our lives as examples to our children, that the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ should be celebrated every precious day that we have been given. However, Christmas is extra special in that we can take that opportunity to give more of ourselves to others. This year we are going to make Christmas stockings for some of the homeless in our downtown community. You just never know whose life may be changed by one small kind gesture.
Awww…I would love to give that to my mom. If I win, can I give you the Target gift card?
I suppose her name will need to be entered though, since I’m not technically a US resident.
Dana! Hi! I emailed you guys the other day. I miss you! You can give Amber the Target gift card and your mom the book and I’ll send you the money (in French equivalent) so you can use it in France. I’ll count your comment as an entry for all that!
We’ll figure out how to get it all to the right places. Love you, friend!
oh, wait. I guess if you’re not technically a US resident, you’re right, I better stick to my own rules. Enter again with your mom’s name and I’ll give her the book and we’ll figure out the rest.
We wait to put our tree up till around the 15th. Partly because my daughter has a Dec. birthday, but I like that it keeps the focus off gifts & Santa stuff. We can focus on Jesus. We also have a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party with cake and everything after Christmas Eve Service.
We do an advent wreath with the kids, including a devotional that always points to Christ.
Here’s my mom. I emailed you back, did you see it?
I recommend your book to all new home school moms, I’d love to have an extra copy to give out!
Thank you Rachal!
I hope to incorporate more homemade, thoughtful gifts into our Christmas instead of losing focus of what this season is about. I hope that my children can see Jesus in me, instead of a frazzled, “get it done” mom.
Tessa, Me too! .
Our family also likes to focus on Jesus and that can get tricky with all the other stuff going on this time of year. We (the five kiddos and mom and day too) talk alot about what WE can give Jesus for His birthday and that is usually our behavior.
Happy Birthday Jesus!!!
Our family just started last year the Arnold Ytreeide Advent books. Some friends of ours recommended them, and it was well worth the purchase! Every night we would read a chapter of these high quality, well thought out fictional stories that take place in late BC Israel. From age 5 to 18, everyone was excited to hear the latest installment! We only got through one “Jotham’s Journey” so this year we’ll start the next. These books are an excellent reminder that the years surrounding our Savior’s birth weren’t all stain glass and paintings, it was a rough point in history. Certainly helps put the miracle of Christ’s birth in a different light!
I have two year old twins so there isn’t a lot they can do yet. We limit the amount of presents we (not Santa) give them so they don’t think that gifts are the reason for Christmas. We do advent at church and, hopefully, will be able to start that next year with them. We also focus on family time with homemade candies and they “help” with that.
Okay, the winner is Tessa Smith on November 12, 2012 at 8:01 pm. Tessa, congratulations! Email me at Charity@TheHomeschoolExperiment.com with your mailing address please. Thank you all for entering and for the wonderful ideas. May you all have a wonderful and peaceful celebration of Christ’s birth.