Dec 3, 2016

Off-site Highlights: Advent and Christmas

(Compiled by Anna)

Dear Readers,

It's nice to be back after the brief hiatus. I hope everyone's Advent is peaceful and preparatory. My children are very excited about our Advent wreath (last year, the elder kiddo kept trying to sing "happy birthday" instead of "O Come O Come" and was very confused about the whole process), which is delightful to see. Here is your weekend supply of recommended reading from around the web.

First, however, two quick notes:

1. Have you considered sending us an article? You can check out this piece for a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when you submit your work. I would love to hear what you have been thinking or learning about as you live out your vocations.

2. Notifications about the SDMW Advent Book Exchange have been sent out. Hopefully I kept everything organized, but if by some mischance you e-mailed me about participating but didn't get your recipient's info, let me know (sister-daughter-mother-wife (at) googlegroups.com). 


When all else fails, feed them doughnuts.:


On Advent and Christmas Traditions: Don’t be the White Witch By Brandy Vencel
"I think it’s possible to overdo the simplifying. The Incarnation is a great gift, and it deserves its rightful honor. It deserves a party. It deserves cookies. It deserves hustle and bustle and {dare I say it?} gifts! . . . . The solution, of course, is  livable traditions. A good tradition, after all, is one you can pull off every year {or, at least, most years}." More

10 Simple Ways To Celebrate Advent by Holly Scheer
"In the midst of all this activity it can be easy to forget that Advent is more than some kind of pre-Christmas. With all that in mind, here some easy tips for incorporating this ancient church season into your modern family’s life." More

We've also previously posted some of our own readers ideas on celebrating Advent and have pinned a few things to our semi-neglected Pinterest account.


Mollie Hemingway has written about bringing back the twelve days of Christmas.


Celebrate All Twelve Days of Christmas! Ask Auntie Leila by Leila Lawler
"What if we, having lived Advent, also live Christmas? Which is a season? I’m going to take it for granted that we are on board with the concept of gift-giving being appropriate at Christmas time (because gifts and Christmas are delightful and magical, don’t have time to explain why)  — but we are indeed overwhelmed. Let’s try spreading things out a bit and not burdening that one day with all the "magic."" More.

Looking for helpful Advent resources?
  • Don't forget that you can stream Advent (Advent! Not Christmas! It's awesome!) music from Lutheran Public Radio
  • Check our Cheryl's list of beautiful pieces you should listen to this Advent. 
  • My family is appreciating these VERY brief and therefore highly doable Advent devotions.
  • My kids and I will be checking out at least some of these picture books from the library.
  • I like this Advent kid's craft (free printable).

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please note: Comments are moderated and will appear on the blog once we've had a chance to approve them.

Thanks for joining the conversation!