Favorite Christmas Quote- It's a Wonderful Life - Trish Berg

There is nothing I enjoy more than watching Christmas movies all December long. We have accumulated some of our favorites on VHS and DVD, and one of my all time favs is It's a Wonderful Life. I love the premise of wanting more than what you have, of feeling trapped in your life, or in a small town.





Of longing for the world, only to learn that the best the world has to offer is right there in your hand, and you have just not appreciated it.



There are so many moments when I am caught up in that movie, when I feel like I am living their lives.

I love it when George falls for Mary as they walk home from the school dance together in robes and an old football uniform, and she runs and her robe accidentally comes off and she has to hide in the bush. Love that scene.

I love it when they toss a stone at the old house and make a wish.

I love the scene when George runs home after all that has happened and the banister top comes off in his hands, and he kisses it and replaces it. I love when he then hugs his children and tells them he loves them.

I love the scene when everyone comes into the house and drops money in the basket, when the IRS guy tears tosses in his own money, and the DA tears up the arrest warrant.

I love when Harry Bailey toast his big brother, George, "The richest man in the world."

But most of all, I love it when George prays. When he humbles himself before the Lord and asks for help. When he realizes that only divine intervention will save him.

Here is that prayer....

"Dear Father in heaven, I'm not a praying man, but if you're up there and you can hear me [begins crying] show me the way... show me the way. "

Yes, Father, show me the way. That is my daily prayer, not just at Christmastime, but every day of my life until God calls me home.

Dear Father, show me the way....show me the way.....

Bah Humbug!

This week the Word Quilters will share some of our favorite quotes about Christmas.



Mine is from O. Henry's Gift of the Magi. O. Henry is a pen name for William Sydney Porter, who allegedly wrote the short story in a New York tavern. It was first released in 1906, and the theme of the story is retold in many genres for entertainment during the Christmas season.



I'll not spoil the story by telling you the plot. If you've read or heard it before then my chosen quote from the story will tease you into remembering the conclusion, and if you've never read it, you can read it here



But first here's my favorite portion of the story that hints at the plot.



"Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair…."


Share your favorite story, movie, song, or carol with us this week.

Now Where Did I Put. . .?

This could be a lean Christmas for many of us. But this is also a great time to get creative with ways to celebrate the season. Years ago (we won't go into how many), I worked a summer job for a family that had a unique tradition at Christmas time. What money they made with their seasonal business had to last the whole year and so they came up with a fun way to spend nothing on Christmas gifts.

Throughout the year and especially as time got closer to the season, family members would hide away little items that belonged to another member of the family. Usually it was something that they would not miss right away and/or wasn't essential--a pair of socks, a pen, a hairclip. Then at Christmas time they would wrap it up with a pretty bow and present it back to the owner. I imagine they heard "I wondered where I'd put that!" a lot.

Of course this probably works better with older kids and there would certainly have to be some rules set down. Or maybe this just might give you an idea to start thinking about some other creative ways for gift-giving that don't cost anything.

Celebrating with adult children

As family situations change, ways of celebrating holidays evolve. Since my husband and I and two sons don’t have any other relatives living in our state, the four of us celebrate Christmas at home. This means we have a quiet holiday which we like.

Now that our sons are adults and have moved out, my husband and I are not wakened at 4 a.m. by boys jumping on our bed, which we kind of miss. Instead, we all gather at a reasonable hour at our family hacienda on Christmas day, to spend time together, exchange gifts and enjoy a companionable meal. We each have a red felt stocking hung on the mantel, and our cats have their own stocking.

The cats’ stocking contains a can of tuna, the kind we eat, not pet food tuna, and I always manage to find a small size gift for each stocking, like a wool ski cap or gloves. One tradition is that Mrs. Santa (that’s me) buys 2 sacks of gold foil covered chocolate coins for the stockings, which is a Jewish tradition, symbolizing prosperity for the new year.

So with our sons, we continue all of the basic family Christmas traditions at our house.

Brenda's Fake it 'til You Make It

Change is difficult! Even "welcomed" change like a new pet, winning a prize, graduation, accomplishing a goal, or new job causes stress. But some unheavals like job loss, divorce, relocation, strained friendships, or an empty nest coupled with the busy, crazy holiday season can almost crush our spirit.

Research has shown that laughter benefits us from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings (helpful during the holidays!) to increasing our pain threshold. Laughter is a way to reduce the effects of stress. "Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine," said the poet Lord Byron.

So how do you laugh and have a great time when you're stressed? Some experts suggest a "Fake It Until You Make It" technique. Yep. Studies show faked laughter provides benefits such as physical release, distraction, and increased levels of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters!

So fake laughter; you'll still get the positive effects, and your fake merriment may lead to genuine smiles, laughter, and stress release.

Tell us now; how do you celebrate the season with joy and serenity when you're going through change? Leave us your fun and silly comment to tickle our funny bone.

Brenda Nixon, www.BrendaNixon.com
Co-author, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

Creative Christmas Celebrations- By Trish Berg

Sometimes, we put way too much money into celebrating Christmas. What should be a celebration of the birth of Christ soon becomes a "keeping up with the Jones'" race to the checkout counter.

This year with so many people out of work, underemployed or budgeting so they can get out of debt, we all need to be thinking more creatively, more sensibly about how we celebrate Christmas.

And now is the time to start planning. Now is the time to start making lists and budgeting. Now is the time to make some creative plans on what you will spend your money on and what you won't.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned over the 13 years that I have been a mom is that gifts come and go. They gather dust. They break and they are lost. Even the most beloved presents become garage sale fodder and in the end, a waste of money.

Think about your own childhood. Can you think of the Christmas presents you received each and every year? All the boxes you opened...all the wrapping paper you tore through.

I know I can't.

I do remember a few meaningful ones, like the stick horse I wanted one year or the leather coat my mom got for me when I was a teenager.

But for the most part, the gifts are all forgotten, gone from my memory.

And our kids are no different.

But what does last? The memories you make. The time you spend with your children. Those are the things that will last a lifetime.

And those are the things we can all afford to give our children this Christmas.

So, even though it is July, I want you to start thinking about what you can do to budget this Christmas, and give more memories. Spend less so you can give your family MORE.

Here are my top ten Creative Christmas Celebration Tips.

10 Creative Christmas Celebration Tips

1. SAVE NOW - Start putting some cash aside now. Even $10 each week will add up so that by Christmas, you will have over $250. Saving $20 each week will give you $500.

2. CASH ONLY - Commit to only spending cash this Christmas. No credit cards. No additional debt. It is a big commitment but well worth it.

3. MAKE LISTS - Make a list of everyone you buy a gift for, and then set an amount you will spend on each gift. i.e. I will spend $10 on my nephew, and $25 on my brother. Setting and sticking to these limits will help you stay within your budget.

4. SHOP NOW - Shop now for those gifts when they are on clearance. You can find some fantastic deals online and in the stores on the clearance racks.

5. WISE MEN - Give your children 3 gifts only. One for each of the gifts the wise men gave Jesus at His birth. It will cut down on the gift giving and help you focus on Jesus.

6. TIME - Give the gift of time to your children. Plan on going places and doing things with your children. Spend some of your budgeted Christmas money on those things because they will build memories that will last a lifetime. (examples: go to an indoor water park in December; Take a weekend trip to a national landmark, etc.)

7. NAME DRAW - Ask extended family if they are willing to do a gift exchange to reduce gift giving and spending. Have all the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents put their name in a hat on Thanksgiving (0r sooner) and randomly have each person draw a name out. Set a price range and do not over spend. That way each person only buys one gift, puts more thought into it, and saves each family money. Other ideas for saving money through a Christmas gift exchange can be found here.

8. HOMEMADE - Homemade gifts are always more meaningful than store bought ones. If you cross stitch, start now making some cross stitch patterns for gifts. If you sew, sew some throw pillows. If you craft, make some fun crafts you can put away for simple Christmas gifts to neighbors and friends. Family Fun is a great resource for homemade gifts.

9. BAKE - My mother-in-law makes these amazing tea rings for gifts every year. Find something you would enjoy baking, from cookies to coffee cake, and make some sweet treats to give as gifts. You will save money and people will appreciate having home baked treats around the holidays. Cookie mixes in a jar are simple and delicious.

10. INDIVIDUALLY WRAP - I wrap every part of a gift individually so when the kids wake up Christmas morning, there appear to be more gifts than there truly are. Kids love tearing open the paper, and I am still within budget! (i.e. I wrap socks in a shirt box; wrap the shirt separate from the pants; etc...) Other wrapping tips can be found here.

When the Tree Tumbles

Hello, This is opening week of posting for the 2009 Christmas season. Each week, the Word Quilters (six co-authors), of A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts ~ Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holiday will post 4-6 themed entries.

You'll read gift ideas, recipes, about family issues, money saving tips, saving your sanity, and ways to celebrate this blessed season with joy. Become a follower and receive all our daily tips.

This week's theme: Tips for celebrating when your family dynamics change.

My tip: Be flexible. Everything does not have to be done exactly the same to have a significant and memorable Christmas.

Trees Tumble. Finances change. People move. Family members pass on. Some years bring change, but they don't always mean we have to be disappointed with a Christmas celebration that is different from past get togethers.

Last September, Hurricane Ike blew into our neighborhood and uprooted many things on our farm. My daughter and her family live on seven acres of the farm and they had a huge pine tree go through the back of their house. It poked enough holes in the roof that water leaked down into almost every room and ruined their wood floors and walls. The house was not livable during repairs, so they moved into a rental, and moved back into their home THREE days before Christmas. Yep, they improvised.

She didn't get a single traditional ornament out of storage. Instead, they bought a small artificial tree (very on sale December 22), and they purchased all blue lights (think Elvis' blue Christmas), two boxes of silver ornaments, and silver tinsel. The kids decorated the tree, granddaughter Jolie put on a dress, Jack and Adam put on shirts and they had their Christmas photo taken by Dad and Mom.

Sheryle says, "The best part of Christmas was being back home, in our house."

Remember, if your finances, family structure, or location has changed in 2009. Be flexible.