Category: Christmas

He’s good for it

I hope you’ve had a good week. As I write this I have two children and a husband all sick in bed. So it’s one of those cosy-up-and-cancel-everything sort of days.

Speaking of being ill, I don’t know if I told you that last year I travelled to the USA and ended up in hospital on the first day. The long haul flight with a layover in Chicago was too much for my weak body to cope with. I spent 2 to 3 hours in A&E and ended up with bills of around $3000.

Of course, we had travel insurance! So all’s fine, yes?

No.

We spent the next five months trying to wrangle the travel insurance company into reimbursing us for the costs. It was very time consuming! And frustrating, and difficult, and quite sad.

Why so difficult? Here’s the reason: The travel insurance company did not want to give us any money.

I know, it’s shocking isn’t it? Surely that’s their job? Isn’t that why we get insurance? These are questions my children innocently ask. But the truth is, it seems that although they’ve ‘promised’ to cover your medical bills, they don’t actually want to do it. It was with reluctance that they eventually paid us what they owed.

But I’m not really here to complain about that! Nor will I tell you which insurance company it was. What I will say is that sometimes I act like God is that reluctant insurance company. He’s made promises, sure, but he doesn’t want to have to fulfil them. He’s hoping I’ll never need him to. But sadly I need him to bail me out again, and again, and again.

Need forgiveness? Again?
Need strength for today? Again?
Need courage? Again?

Of course, Hallelujah! God is not like an insurance company. Zechariah told us so, while the Saviour was in Mary’s womb:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Luke 1:68-75

(I’ve quoted Luke 1 in the ESV, not primarily because it’s Extremely Sound but because this is the version we have memorised thanks to Randall Goodgame at Slugs and Bugs. Memorising Scripture is one of the best things to do in the world and scripture songs make it easy. Thank you, Lord! Amen.)

In verses 70 and 72-3 Zechariah celebrates with JOY the fact that God is keeping his promises. “As he spoke…” “to remember his holy covenant…” “The oath he swore…”

Christmas is about God keeping his promise to save his people. All through Scripture, he’s been promising to do it. And now he’s done it, in a better and more beautiful way than anyone would have asked or imagined.

He doesn’t do things reluctantly. He loves to keep his promises to his people.

So now we can serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness. We get to do that! Only because he’s saved us.

You can hold God to his promises today. He’s ready and willing!

Last year around Christmas time we were able to celebrate the insurance company finally giving in and giving us $3000. But every Christmas we have something SO MUCH better to celebrate!

So let’s get on with it!

A Life More Ordinary

How’s your November going? This to me is sitcom season. Not a month for watching sitcoms – no time for that! – but rather feeling like I’m starring in one.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s the time of year when at least one of your children seems to need a different item of clothing or a different donation to something or other every couple of days.

I have reminders in my phone and calendar alerts and notes on the fridge to help us all remember who’s supposed to have odd socks on Monday as well as their swimming kit, whose Christmas jumper day is Thursday and whose is Friday, which Christmas fair I’ve signed up for and which gift for the fair I’m supposed to bring in this Friday and is it own clothes day? Or PJs for Children in Need? Or is it a school trip? And whose Christmas performance clashes with somebody’s carol service.

You know. I know you know. My poor husband looks at his phone, bewildered, as more coded messages appear in his digital calendar. (I prefer a paper diary, but needs must. Survival is key and the digital calendar is what enables us to keep our heads above water.)
“What does MUN stand for?”
“Does the bottle tombola have anything to do with me?”
“Why does Thursday AM say ‘socks for prisoners’?”

Anyway, as you can see I’ve had a lot on my mind. I might even describe myself as frazzled. But still, on Sunday morning when someone asks what I did this week, I won’t have a decent answer. I feel like “washing and ironing” or “family logistics” don’t really encapsulate it. Most of it will all be forgotten in a few weeks’ time.

My children probably won’t remember much of this stuff when they’re older. And that’s OK. Life doesn’t have to be remarkable. Most of life is mundane. These things, so hard to keep on top of and remember, are not ground-breaking. Nobody is really going to make a sitcom of my life. It’s just not that interesting.

And do you know what? That’s fine! Most people’s lives are mundane most of the time. But God is faithful. He honours daily faithfulness. He doesn’t need me to break any records or leave a legacy. He just wants me to be faithful, one day at a time.

As you look back over the year, if “all” you’ve done is persevere, then that is wonderful. In a world of influencers and record-breakers, God doesn’t need us to be extraordinary. He’s the extraordinary one.

Look at Ruth, for example. Her life, whilst tragic, was not exactly full of adventure. As a widow, she moved to another country. I suppose that was adventurous. But then she was busy surviving – working in the fields to gather food for herself and her mother-in-law. Ordinary, daily faithfulness. And yet she ended up being in Jesus’ family tree, and being the subject of a whole book of the Bible.

God meets people in the mundane. A world of social media can make us believe that life is supposed to be spectacular all the time, or you’re doing it wrong.

But God has been with me as I’ve done the same school run over three thousand times, and he’ll be with me forever.

Our Christmas can be ordinary. It should be a joyful feast, yes! But it can be unassuming and humble, too. We can offer our celebrations to God, with gratitude in our hearts, and know that He can do whatever he wants with us.

Maybe you will change the world. But most of us won’t. When you look at the Christmas story, it’s full of ordinary people who are overjoyed at the birth of Jesus. Let’s be like them. Plus of course, you never know what God might do with you.

‘The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.’ Ruth 4.17.

Upside-Down Christmas

Introducing ‘With Heart and Soul and Voice’ by Tim Chester

I know it’s still November, but as the Christmas adverts begin emerging and we see more and more portraits of Christmas on social media – with tips or recipes or wrapping advice or just shameless plugs – I wonder if you feel inspired, or burdened, or envious, or excited?

I hope you’re feeling excited and full of anticipation. But sometimes it’s tempting to feel a little inadequate. Maybe your home doesn’t look like the ones that are so inviting and cosy and joy-filled in the Christmas movies. (Mine doesn’t look like the one pictured above, if anyone is wondering.) Or maybe you can’t afford the gifts your children would really like. Perhaps your children really struggle with their emotions over the Christmas period. Maybe someone in the family is sick this year and you’re not really feeling the joy.

Well as ever, the Lord Jesus has good news for us. In fact, He is the good news. Which means Christmas, too, is good news for us!

I mentioned last week that I enjoy reading an advent devotional each year. This year I’m enjoying Tim Chester’s ‘With Heart and Soul and Voice.’ You can get it here. Here is an encouragement for those of us who are feeling a bit ‘unimpressive’ this November. (Sorry if this idea offends. Maybe I’m the only one who feels unimpressive!)

Mary said “[God my Saviour] has brought rulers down from their thrones/ But has lifted up the humble.”

‘Your church may not look very impressive – but that’s the point! God has chosen the weak and lowly to shame the wise and powerful (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)…
And it can begin in your home. Just as the meals of Jesus were a sign of his upside-down kingdom, so our meals should display the same upside-down grace. Your Christmas can be a little sign of Christ’s coming kingdom as you welcome the lonely and provide for the needy.’ Tim Chester, With Heart and Soul and Voice, p. 33.

In the economy of the Kingdom of God, he can take our meagre, weak-looking efforts and do something with them that lasts into eternity. If we serve our families and others with humility, offering it all up to Christ, he will be honoured. We need to see this with eyes of faith.

How wonderfully refreshing it is to know that the coming of Christ was the start of this new topsy-turvy Kingdom, where the poor and the simple are honoured and made wise. As we go into advent trying to serve others and honour the Lord, he can do more with our work than we can possibly ask or imagine. No wonder Mary sang!

More about the book:

The book goes through four songs found in the Bible and also quotes the traditional hymns inspired by them. They are as follows – I’ve included links to my favourite Christmas songs based on these Bible passages:

Mary’s Song (The Magnificat)
Zechariah’s Song (The Benedictus)
The Angels’ Song (The Gloria)
Simeon’s Song (The Nunc Dimittis) – I don’t have a fun version of this to share with you, but my daughter did sing the Nunc Dimittis earlier this year with her choir at St Paul’s Cathedral in London at Evensong. Up until then I’d never heard of it and I still think Nunc is kind of a funny word. But at least now I (and you) can nod knowingly if anyone brings it up over Christmas! (You never know.)

Here’s the link for the book again. Have a blessed day!

Christmas Gifts 2025

“Jesus gotta be top of the list at Christmas;
Jesus gotta be top of the list all year.”

Colin Buchanan is right as usual. But if you need gift ideas, either for your own children or other people’s, here are a few from me. We got most of these last year and they’ve been a success. I’ve saved the best for last, which I think is what bloggers are supposed to do.

As always, there are no affiliated links here. And if you’d like to see my previous suggestions, they are  here, here, here and here. These might be especially useful if you are buying for younger children, as my children used to be younger than they are now.

Play:

Exit the game – If you know a child who likes escape rooms, these games are good. They can only be played once, but for me that’s a bonus as our flat is very much full of games. My son received one last year (it was the Enchanted Forest one) and we played it as a family. It took us about 2 hours, which I think means that strictly speaking we should still be trapped in the forest, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

A more expensive game but one my boys have really enjoyed this year is Hero Quest. I don’t pretend to know what it is, but I do know that adults and children alike enjoy it. My son says it’s called a ‘dungeon crawler.’ It involves mini figures and dice. I think if you like Dungeons and Dragons or Warhammer then this is a good choice.

If you’re looking for a more active gift, a rebounding trampoline is a great way for children and teens (and adults?) to expel energy. There are loads of rebounding workout videos online. These are much more compact than full size trampolines, but I can say from experience that if you’re keeping it indoors you might want to think about where you’re going to put it. (I’ve sometimes put mine in the bath but that’s not a permanent solution.)

Make and do:

If you haven’t come across Eugy toys yet, I’m not sure how that’s possible. So I’m sorry if this is old news but my youngest two children (12 and 9) LOVE them. Some children love things they can collect, and these are sweet little things which keep them occupied for a good half hour while they build them! There are so many as well, that if your child likes them it can be their stocking filler for the next few years at least. (These are currently 3 for 2 in Hobbycraft. A great deal!)

Last year we gave our daughter a sewing machine for her 15th Birthday. It’s an expensive gift but one that we hope will last her many years. A sewing box is also something that can last a lifetime. John Lewis sell really beautiful William Morris print sewing boxes.

If you have children who enjoy games with mini figures, then paints and maybe an airbrush set would also be a welcome gift.

Read:

Murdle – My older son really likes these books. They’re for children and adults. They’re puzzles. To be honest I’ve never done one but I know they’re hugely popular so you probably know more about them than I do!

In a similar vein, these Sherlock Holmes Escape Books are really good for children who like puzzles and riddles and escape rooms and that sort of thing.

Abigail – for children (dare I say, girls?) aged 7+, these books are a great gift. I have a 9 year old daughter, so these overtly Christian (and American) adventures of a 9-year-old girl are fun and easy to read. I’ve read some of the Christmas book with her, and it’s oh-so-realistic depiction of a family Christmas helps children to process the ups and downs that can come as an extra special (so, so extra and special) Christmas gift each year. The excitement, the high hopes, the crowded house… what could possibly go wrong? The somewhat far-fetched thing is the way Abigail processes things, which I feel is the way we hope our children’s process their emotions etc. but I’m not convinced is realistic. However, my daughter really enjoyed it and I think Abigail is a great role model for her!

Green Ember – I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but these fantasy stories about rabbits have really captured my son’s imagination. He is 12 and I’ve been reading them aloud to him but he could definitely read them himself. They have Christian themes but are not overtly Christian – not yet anyway and we’re on Book Three.

Hot off the press! Jane Austen is really rather good. Last year I got ‘Mansfield Park’ from Classic Novels and it’s really lovely. I thought it was great value so I’m just giving them a little shout out.
Did you know, she may have had Addison’s Disease like me (google says it’s her cause of death) and she almost has my Birthday? (One day off!) I feel like I deserve a prize: if anyone reading this works for a publishing house – do reach out!

Advent Gifts

If you’d like to give families you know something a little different, it’s a nice idea to give advent gifts at the beginning of December rather than at Christmas. I recently bought these advent candles with the name of Jesus on them. You could give those to a family at the beginning of December, maybe with a little candle holder. It’s a great gift for godchildren (my daughter’s godparents bought us our first one).

It would also be really thoughtful to include an advent devotional for any grown-ups or older teens in the family. This year I’m reading With Heart and Soul and Voice (shown above – I’ll post a more detailed review of this next week.). Tim Chester is always an encouragement. In previous years I’ve also enjoyed Sinclair Ferguson’s devotionals. The great thing is you can always re-read an advent devotional, as the wonderful news of the incarnation is the same every year!

In the past I’ve also given people homemade Christmas bunting and a ‘Russian doll’ nativity set (the same as this but not from this website), which are good to give in early December so they can be enjoyed during advent.

Budget-friendly gifts

I’m aware that some of the above are quite pricey. My previous posts have usually had some more affordable ideas. I do recommend trying to find things in the January sale which you can then give next year. But it’s too late for that now so here are a few ideas:

  • A framed photograph. You can get cheap white photo frames in the supermarket and they do the job perfectly well!
  • A baking kit so they can make some cookies or muffins in that in-between time before they go back to school.
  • Some shower gel and a shower puff like this. My son got that for his teen sister last year and it was a lovely gift for about £2.50 if I remember rightly. We put it in a gift bag and it was perfectly presentable. (The puffs are currently £1 in Tesco, just saying.)
  • If you’re giving to relatives or family friends, you could give the children a ‘baking lesson’ – i.e. take them off their parents’ hands for an hour while you bake some cookies! Your time is a precious gift.
  • Sorry to generalise but most young girls (I’m guessing aged 8 to 18) love stationery. If you’re going down this route, I recommend your nearest big supermarket. I always raid the bargain stationery shelves for our Christmas Shoeboxes and I’ve found some incredible bargains.

Winner: Best Gift of 2024

Last year I was given the Salter Milk Frother/Hot chocolate maker. (Mine is black but otherwise I think it’s the same.) This is the gift we have used every day. I wouldn’t say it’s amazing for hot chocolate – it just mixes and heats it but I can do that with a kettle and a spoon.

However, it does make beautiful frothy milk which we have used in coffees and hot chocolates, and in the summer it makes frappe milk which can be used for iced coffees when we’re so hot we want to cry.

The only downsides are: it’s quite expensive (I think mine was £30) and you have to hand wash it.

But if people in your family like hot chocolate and/or frothy drinks, this is a luxury worth buying.

I’d love to know your ideas! Don’t be shy, please let me know.

How to have a Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you’ve got a restful day planned – but I know you might be working/travelling/prepping. I really hope your day doesn’t involve any Christmas shopping, eek. But if it does, I’m sure all will be well!

I love buying gifts, but I find it difficult to think of gift ideas for all of my children several times over. I can buy them gifts, but when their lovely grandparents, uncles, aunts, family friends etc. ask me what to buy for them, I run out of ideas.

My daughter has her Birthday in November (every year!), so we have enough trouble trying to think of what to give her, and then as soon as it’s over we’re asking her what she’d like for Christmas. She can never think of anything.

I’m similar, because I spend all year trying to practise contentment, not coveting my neighbour’s donkey, and then suddenly I’m asked to come up with an entire list of things I want. (And my Birthday is in December – every year.) I don’t mean to complain about this, I just find it a peculiar shift.

For weeks I’ve been asking my daughter what she’d like, and she’s been apologising – apologising! – for not knowing. In the end I told her, it’s wonderful to be content. That’s the right thing to be. Well done.

I don’t mean it’s sinful to ask for the latest Richard Osman book for Christmas. But godliness with containment is great gain. I try not to mind either way if I get what I’ve asked for at Christmas. We try not to encourage our children to write lists and especially not to get their hearts set on anything in particular. Maybe this is weird? But we just try to set their expectations low.

So here’s my big Christmas Eve tip. Let’s prepare our hearts, and our children’s hearts, for a contented Christmas Day. Let’s warn them that someone else will probably get a gift that they’d really like, and someone will buy them a gift which they don’t want. It’ll be wrong. It’ll be very wrong or just not quite right. That gift will likely be from me. Sorry in advance!

We can pray that God would make us thankful instead.

Thankful that he gives us breath in our lungs.
Thankful that he gives us people who love us.
Thankful that he has given us the greatest, most costly gift.
Thankful that he is all we need and more.

What freedom there is in being thankful!

19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. Ecclesiastes 5

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6

Misty Morning

Happy Little Christmas Eve! How are we all feeling? I hope the advent season has been fun for you and full – but not too full – of joyful things.

All being well, by the time you read this I’ll be up in Scotland visiting my family. After all the build up and planning, I’m always surprised by how quickly December comes upon us and then races by. At no other time of year do we spend so much time or so many WhatsApp messages planning out one, two or three days of the calendar.

It’s a lot of pressure to put on a day, or ourselves, or the people hosting. There’s always a risk that come 28th December (the limbo period) we’ll feel quite flat and maybe a bit disappointed. And if I can feel like that, how much more so my young children who haven’t seen as many Christmases come and go? Time moves more slowly from their perspective, and things look bigger from where they’re standing. It’s easier for them to get overwhelmed with excitement.

If I feel like this as a follower of Jesus, I do wonder how much more I’d feel it if I wasn’t. To go through all of the motions, all of the decorating, singing, dressing up, gift buying, gift wrapping, travelling etc. and not to have Jesus, I think the somewhat underwhelming reality of 25th December would really feel like an annual blow. Or even the most beautiful, magical, truly happy Christmas would be over too soon. Days later I’d be packing away the lights on a grey morning and hitting the sales to try to cheer myself up.

I’ve got absolutely nothing against people who love Christmas but don’t know Jesus. I just wish they could know how good it is when you’ve got something real, solid, tangible – someone incarnate – to celebrate.

At church we’ve been reading the book of Ecclesiastes. The ‘Teacher’ in the book calls everything under the sun (a world without God in the picture) ‘utterly meaningless.’ The word ‘meaningless’ is the Hebrew word ‘Hevel.’ Hevel means vapour, smoke, or breath. That’s how he describes all of the pleasures, accomplishments or possessions we can get our hands on in this life.

Without the Lord Jesus, the most beautiful Christmas market in the world or the best children’s performance or the cosiest Christmas Day with your family is fleeting, and because it’s fleeting you can’t hold onto it. It’s hevel.

If you’ve ever watch a 3D movie at the cinema, people often reach out to grab what they see in front of them – a dolphin perhaps. But it’s not there. There’s nothing tangible. And that’s fine, because we knew what we were paying for. Nobody has their hopes up.

I haven’t seen the ABBA show ABBA Voyage, with the holograms, nor do I ever want to see it. I hear it’s amazing. But we all know they’re not actually there. If you try to storm the stage and dance with Bjorn or Benny, you’ll be disappointed.

Christmas without the Lord Jesus is a clever 3D image, a hologram, a Virtual Reality illusion, which tricks people in December and leaves them dissatisfied in January. How freeing it is to have something more wonderful at the centre of Christmas than any of the festive frills we add to it. We have this wonderfully good news of great joy for all the people. We can pin all our hopes on Jesus to give us joy this week and for the rest of our lives. We can show our children a joy and a thrill far, far greater than any grotto or panto.

Not only is Jesus better than everything, but he also gives us every good thing that we enjoy over Christmas, so we can give thanks to him. This is so freeing, to lift our eyes from the gifts to give thanks to the Giver. It takes the pressure off the day, the people and the stuff. The birth of Jesus is more than enough, and anything else he gives us to celebrate with is a bonus we can thank him for.

On 28th December we can pick up our Bibles and read of a God who loves us enough to shower us with gifts. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1. He’s really real. He’s not a mist. He’s the great I AM.

So let’s party!

Christmas Top 5 (Plus a bonus)

I love Christmas music of many different genres. I’ve chosen a few songs here that you might find encouraging, in no particular order. I even made a Spotify playlist, although Spotify have added some other songs to it. As ever, I’d love to hear your favourite Christmas songs. Do get in touch and let me know!

Who would’ve dreamed? Sovereign Grace

I heard this performed by a band at the school carol service at work two years ago and it’s really stuck with me. Such a beautiful tune and glorious words. “But to this little town of no great renown, The Lord had a promise to keep.” Let the sense of anticipation build in your home this advent!

Messiah, You Have Come by Skye Peterson

We first heard this song when we watched an Andrew Peterson concert online and he invited his daughter up to perform. I think it was 2021, when we were covid-weary, and this mellow little song just hit the spot. Sometimes you don’t feel like bopping around to Wizzard. Sometimes you want a gentle song like this to warm your heart. “Oh the baby in the manger Would trample over death.”

When the Fullness of Time Had Come – Randall Goodgame

This might be my favourite. It’s not even a traditional Christmas Bible verse. It’s beautiful, it’s amazing, it’s sweet. It will teach you this verse, and the reference, in the English Standard Version(!): 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)

Happy, Happy Day – Colin Buchanan

Colin’s Christmas album is absolutely brilliant. I have a particularly fond memory of my children singing this song at the top of their voices whilst doing some sort of insanely messy crafts. But the whole album is top notch and full of joy. Our family nativity play always ends with a positively frantic rendition of ‘On that very first Christmas.’ If you’re wondering why all my suggestions are so mellow, crank up some Colin and enjoy yourself. “Angels singing, Do Not Fear, Christ the Servant King is Here.”

Joy, Seeds Family Worship

We love the memory verse songs from Seeds Family Worship. They are fantastic at getting scripture into your memory, where they will stay for good. They’re supposed to be for children, but we all know the adults need them just as much. I remember driving up the M1 singing Joy with my husband. We were both marvelling at how brilliant it is. His favourite part is the same as my favourite part (I wonder if it will be yours, too). The children weren’t involved in this conversation! But the song does feature in our annual nativity play. The Lord Jesus really is good news of great joy for all the people. Belt it out.

(Fun fact about driving home for Christmas: Chris Rea, who sang ‘Driving Home for Christmas’, is from Middlesbrough like me. So when I’m driving home for Christmas, I’m driving to the place he was thinking of when he wrote that song. Top to toe in tailbacks indeed.)

Bonus track:

Lapwing, Hope Christmas Gets You to Me

In 2020 I got in my car one day just at the moment that Radio 2 were playing this song. It was the first (and possibly only) time it’s ever been played. Later that day I found out that the band is composed of some dads from my nieces’ school gate. What were the chances? They were in shock as suddenly thousands of people were watching the video they’d made in Glasgow city centre.

“Cause I’m missing the touch of the ones that I love,
Couldn’t care less what’s under the tree;
I don’t know what I’m getting for Christmas this year,
But I’m hoping it gets you to me.”

We were absolutely desperate to see our family that Christmas. The words really resonated. Then, Boris Johnson cancelled our trip. We didn’t get to see each other after all. Gifts were frantically posted. I had to race to Asda to buy food for Christmas dinner. My sister-in-law had an enormous turkey crown to go round 5 people. I wept in my husband’s arms.
But God is faithful. Christimas wasn’t really cancelled. Jesus is more than enough to celebrate. This song is a good reminder of what a blessing – a bonus blessing – it is to be with family at Christmas.

5 Affordable Advent treats

(plus a couple which are less so)

Most of these ideas are not especially Christian as such, but are a way of celebrating the season of advent and Christmas that the whole thing is full of joy and the children have happy memories of family Christmases. I want my children to associate advent and Christmas with excitement and joy because the Lord Jesus is our Emmanuel – God with us in the flesh.

Amidst all of this silliness and pretty, sugar-plum cosiness we always try to make the Lord Jesus the focus. We read Scripture every day with our kids and we have a family nativity play – which essentially involves the children reading out Scripture whilst wearing homemade costumes. Please don’t think I’m suggesting you lose focus on Christ. Without him, all of this is just tat.

Here are just a few ideas of how we do have festive fun in our family, which might give you some ideas that you haven’t tried before. I’d love to hear your ideas. If you can’t comment below (?), send me a message on Instagram!

See below for an explanation!
  1. A Christmas lights drive. This is actually one of my favourite things to do in the run up to Christmas. It does require a car, which admittedly night not feel affordable. But of course you could go for a walk around some Chrsitmas lights. Most places have a street where the people go all out with their Christmas lights. I like doing this in the car because we can eat snacks and listen to Chrsitmas music and everyone is contained. The streets are always absolutely heaving, but it’s the one time it doesn’t really matter as our sole purpose for being out is to look at the buildings. (If you’re in London, beware the congestion charge!)
  2. Hot chocolate with marshmallows. I always hide a tray of hot chocolate somewhere silly, like in the oven or in the bathroom, and the children love it. (I got this idea from Rachel Jankovic at Canon Press.) Last year I found some M&S gingerbread men that sat on the edge of the mug, which were fun. (I think they were called – somewhat inappropriately – hangovers?) If you don’t fancy hot chocolate, you could have “festive” s’mores* – especially if you have a BBQ or fire pit. But I’ve been known to toast marshmallows on our gas hob. It’s less picturesque but children don’t care! If you use chocolate orange segments I’m sure that makes them festive.
    *If you’ve never had s’mores, in the UK we tend to toast a marshmallow and stick it between two chocolate digestives. In the USA they use something called Graham crackers which we don’t have here, but I’d say a digestive is just as good. With these things, it’s your enthusiasm that will make such a simple thing into a treat. Plus, you know, the sugar.
  3. Christmas Workshop: I once bought a paper crafts Christmas book from the book people, before that company disappeared forever. It was a cheap book but now seems to be unavailable. I can’t tell you how many hours of fun we had with that book. It was simply a book of different patterned craft paper, with five or six ideas for what do to with it. But without that book, we can still have laods of fun making paper chains and ‘snowflakes.’ You don’t need to use festive paper but you could do it with some cheap wrapping paper and the children will really enjoy it. You could always suggest they decorate their own bedrooms with their creations! Unless you’re happy to string up their paper chains around your living room, which I’m sure would look lovely. As with everything, listening to Christmas music makes this a party. 
    Fun fact: In Norway it’s traditional to invite people over to make festive crafts and do your Christmas baking. They call it Juleverksted (or Christmas workshop). Of course, in Norway everything looks beautiful and smells of pepperkake (gingerbread). But I’m sure your children will love your version!
  4. Read a Book! In December 2020 when we couldn’t see our relatives, my husband printed out copies of CS Lewis’ ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and we read it together as a family. Each person had a different character to read out. Although we haven’t done this since, I think I’m going to try it again this year.
    If you think your children wouldn’t go for this, you could always just embrace a Christmas movie night by making popcorn and cosying up under your favourite Christmas film – The Star is a really good Christian one. (I also recommend A Muppet’s Christmas Carol, which is remarkably faithful to the text! More so than the Old Vic’s production of A Christmas Carol, which I do not recommend.)
    NEWSFLASH: If you’d like to try ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ this year (which I’m excited to watch), it’s available to stream for free on Apple TV+ on 14th and 15th December. You do not need a subscription. This film ends with Linus reading Luke 2.
  5. Another fun thing we often do is a sort of festive photo booth. You might have been to a party where they have a big selfie camera and some props with a fun background. But you could do this in your house with some Santa hats or some silly glasses etc. My children love using the photo booth app on my computer. You might (might) even end up with some nice photos to send to your relatives.
    A similar thing which our kids find hilarious is the Elf Yourself app. They can spend ages making a hilarious video and then when it’s done you can send it to friends and family. It’s very silly indeed.

    Bonus: Ideas for when you can afford to spend a bit more:
    – Ice skating: I do recommend this if your children can manage it. There are some beautiful spots and there’s something very satisfying about doing something so active and then ending with a nice hot drink. (We go home for the hot drinks, we’re not made of money!) If you’re in London, the Battersea Power Station ice rink is worth a visit.
    – The theatre: It’s a great time of year to get your children into a live show of some sort. If you can’t afford a big pantomime (they are pricey), there are local plays and pantos all over the country that are a lovely night out. Some places have a ‘pay what you can’ policy – just Google ‘Pay what you can’ and your town/city name. There also might also be some music concerts happening in local churches etc. that your children might be able to engage with. I think live performances are inspirational for children and if you’re able to do it, it’s really worthwhile. But if you can’t, please don’t feel sad. Your children only really need God’s word. Anything else is a bonus.

Advent 2024: Christmas Gift Ideas

My Christmas gift idea posts have been extremely popular in the past. And I’m OK with that! Even though my blog is really supposed to be about following Jesus. You can find my previous posts here, here, here and here. I can’t remember what I said but I assume I still stand by these recommendations!

Here are 5 ideas for 2024, in no particular order:

  1. This may seem an unusual idea for a Christmas gift but I do highly recommend Brad Franklin’s book, ‘When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll.’ The book review can be found here and you can buy it here. (It’s in the sale! I paid twice that a few weeks ago for my copies which I’m giving as gifts.)
  2. Every year I give my mum a photo calendar full of photos of our family. I always get myself a copy, too. I enjoy making these and I especially love looking at them. This is a great gift for grandparents.
    I also made a photo book this year after a wonderful time hosting my brother and his family. I ordered a second copy and gave it to my niece for her birthday. Maybe you know someone who’d appreciate a photo book! I use photobox but I’m sure there are other good sites.
  3. Portable charger – my eldest asked for this for her birthday and I imagine many teens would appreciate one! You can buy ones with built-in cables which seem to be very handy. This way hopefully their phone won’t die when they’re out and you’re trying to call them!
  4. Bop It! This is an oldie but a goodie. But only if you can stand the noise – unless it’s for someone else’s child! In which case just go for it. Personally I don’t mind noise if it’s keeping children occupied and doesn’t involve a screen.
  5. Splendor – This is a board game my sister-in-law bought for my children last Christmas. A family game is a great gift idea and this one is easy to pick up and my children really like it. My 10-year-old enjoyed it but I’d say 8+ could probably get into it.
  6. Bonus: Stocking filler ideas:
    To me, stocking fillers are not expensive. Perfume is not a stocking filler. These ideas may be obvious to you but I hope they might spark some inspiration!
    – Fairy lights
    – A baking kit from the supermarket (like 12 cupcakes or cookies etc. To be done on 27th December when you’ve run out of ideas!)
    – Any sort of small puzzle or build-it kit eg. fake Lego or fake Meccano-style things. Gives the kids something to do for 10 mins on Christmas morning. (Flying Tiger is good for this kind of thing.)
    – A book of paper aeroplanes (you can get origami versions for those who feel they’re too grown up for this!)
    – A little card game to play at the table – they sell these in the supermarket.
    – Pants and socks
    – A hot chocolate bomb or “spoon”.
    – Nail varnish
    – Lip balm
    – A new toothbrush
    – An ‘erase your face’ cloth – bamboo cloth for removing makeup
    – A magazine or comic, rolled up
    – A Puzzle book
    – Sweets/chocolate
    – Fruit!
    – Stationery

I hope you found this helpful. I love giving gifts. It truly is a blessing. And in doing so, whether it’s a small, homemade gift or something expensive, we reflect our Heavenly Father, who has given us the most precious gift. As my man Colin (Buchanan) says, ‘Jesus is the greatest gift that there could ever be!’

Advent Calendar – of sorts

Happy Advent, my lovely faithful readers! Who’s excited? I am!!

I had an idea to do a sort of advent calendar of blog posts this year, with a short encouragement or tip 6 days a week throughout advent.

But then I decided that for those of you LOVELY people who subscribe to my blog, it might get irritating to receive an email from me nearly every day.

Therefore, since I don’t have the technological savvy to allow you to ‘pause’ my emails, I’m instead going to group the posts together. I’ll be sending one each Sunday evening, which includes 6 different ideas. I expect you’ll read them all at once, but this way you have a week to get around to it!

I do hope and pray that these posts will encourage you and give you a little boost when you’ve got sellotape stuck to your sock and you’re a teeny bit sick of hearing Wham!’s “Last Christmas” for the forty-seventh time, and you realise you’ve forgotten something very important that somebody needs tomorrow for school. (Of course it would be best if you didn’t end up in this situation in the first place but I’m just being realistic!)

Love you all. See you on Sunday for 6 Gift Ideas.