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Jen Merckling

life.unimaginable

3 Simple Christmas Traditions

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We are all looking for ways to keep Christmas stressfree and joyful! Here are 3 Simple Christmas Traditions to enjoy with your family throughout Advent!

The Holidays.  Why is it that those two words can stir two completely opposite emotions: Joy and Stress? Oh how I want to grab all the joy and leave all the stress behind.  As kids–the holidays were all joy.   It was cousins and cookies and toy catalogs and Christmas carols.  As adults–I think we’ve complicated this whole lovely season.  Personally, I let fear creep in…The fear I won’t get. it. all. done. That I’m not doing enough.  The fear of complicated family situations.  Of spreading finances, emotions, and health too thin.  So I’m trying to reclaim the joy by keeping my focus on Jesus and doing fun, simple traditions with my family.  Here are 3 simple Christmas traditions that can help you rediscover your holiday joy!

Jesse Tree

It just would not be Christmas without our Jesse Tree. What I love about the Jesse Tree is how it highlights God’s plan to bring us salvation through Jesus from the very beginning of time. The daily stories follow God’s radical love for us from Genesis through the Birth of Jesus.  The Jesse Tree devotionals begin on the first day of Advent and include a daily ornament.  Mine are just little paper-cut outs (complete with glitter and pink crayon)–they are absolutely priceless.  Here’s my post with all the details (and links to daily readings and free printable ornaments).

We are all looking for ways to keep Christmas stressfree and joyful! Here are 3 Simple Christmas Traditions to enjoy with your family throughout Advent!

Gingerbread Houses

Another simple Christmas tradition we’ve been doing for years–creating gingerbread houses out of graham crackers!  These cuties caught my eye in a Martha Stewart magazine over 10 years ago.  Now normally I wouldn’t even attempt anything, “Martha Stewart”–I’m way too amateur with my crafting skills (as evidenced by my cut-out Jesse Tree ornaments).  But these.  These looked do-able…And they were a HUGE success.  We create a little village every year!  Even my teenagers still get in on the fun!  I’ve got all the details (and my royal icing recipe) in my guest post over at Life of a Homeschool Mom.

We are all looking for ways to keep Christmas stressfree and joyful! Here are 3 Simple Christmas Traditions to enjoy with your family throughout Advent!

Wise Men Journey

I’m so excited to start this brand new tradition with my kids!  I’m planning to do the Wise Men Journey as our bedtime story throughout December (we’ll start our mornings with the Jesse Tree).  The Wise Men Journey focuses in on all the events surrounding the birth of Jesus–which is truly a big, amazing miracle!  I have never seen a children’s book articulate the birth of Jesus in such a relatable and engaging way.  It perfectly weaves together the wise men, the shepherds, the angels, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Gabriel–and of course, Jesus!  It also has a treasure box (purchased separately), which includes 3 wise men and 25 wooden ornaments.  The whole thing is flat out excellent…Here is my post all about it (and how God put this right into my life).

We are all looking for ways to keep Christmas stressfree and joyful! Here are 3 Simple Christmas Traditions to enjoy with your family throughout Advent!

We are all looking for ways to keep Christmas stressfree and joyful! Here are 3 Simple Christmas Traditions to enjoy with your family throughout Advent!

Merry Christmas!

That’s it–my 3 must-do (simple) Christmas traditions!  What are your special holiday traditions?  I’d love to hear how you are protecting your JOY and squashing the stress!  Wishing you so much Love, Peace, and Joy this Christmas season, Sweet Friend!

With Love,

Jen xo

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Filed Under: Family, Holidays, Homeschooling, Lifestyle Tagged With: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Traditions, Faith

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Hello! Welcome--I'm Jen! I've got 6 kiddos (including sweet twins) --lots of laundry and always dirty dishes! I've been Jason's wife for 26 years, a mommy for 24 years, and a homeschooler for 20+ years...I'd love to be friends. ♡

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Perfect for the changing seasons, bird lovers, & a bit of history!! 
(Thanks to @readaloudrevival for the recommendation!) 🥰
We can be reluctant to "count" activities that did We can be reluctant to "count" activities that didn't come in our packaged curriculum as "school". 

❤️But so much counts...(I think it may all count??)

(I honestly have a hard time trying to think of activities that don't count as education!)

🎨Here's just a few: swimming, ballet, soccer practice, nature walk, going to the playground, coloring, cutting, video games, reading books together, cooking, chores, dress-up, video creation, poetry writing, imaginary play, documentaries, vacations, the grocery story, Sunday School, camp, museums, legos, collections, lunch with friends, planning a party, and the list goes on & on...

 👀 Watch for the learning that is happening all around you! 

🌻Life is an amazing teacher & there is so much to learn! Our kids know that instinctively--we can trust them to be curious. We can become curious again...
I like to start the year with Language Arts lesson I like to start the year with Language Arts lessons, Math, & one other subject...

(And Language Arts can have lots of parts--so I gradually add in pieces as we gain some confidence in our routine.)

It's okay if you don't have it all figured out on day one, week one, or even month one! Give yourself time to get comfortable with your curriculum.

When I taught elementary school--we spent so much time just going over routines that first week of school! But in homeschooling--we can just bypass all that... 

🥳(Yay for freedom to potty & snack when want--and no thanks to practicing how to "line-up" for 20 minutes)! 

Even once our routine is established--we RARELY do all subjects every day at my house. 

🔥Breaking free from traditional school is more than the leap into homeschooling...It's also breaking free from our ideas of what education looks like, where & how it happens, & how much time formal instruction takes. 

It takes time to make that paradigm shift--give yourself grace as you grow with your kiddos!
Please don't feel like you have to complete lesson Please don't feel like you have to complete lessons in your curriculum exactly as they are written...

You are the boss of your curriculum--make it work for you! 

Sometimes we doubt ourselves (and sometimes fear messing up this huge thing--our children's education)! We trust that the experts who have written the curriculum know  best & therefore  we must follow it perfectly...like a recipe for perfect education. 

But remember...often the best way to cook is to look over the recipe & then make adjustments to fit your personal tastes & needs! 

The same can be said of curriculum!  Use it as a guide--a help...But trust your gut! If your child is struggling & done--it's okay to stop for the day! 

It's okay to skip lessons, skip sections, skip problems--you know your child. You know what they need & you know their limits! 

Enjoy the process & create a beautiful education & life with your kiddos!
This Week in my Homeschool Lesson Planner… FAQ This Week in my Homeschool Lesson Planner… 

FAQ: How do I use the blank weekly list pages? 

💗🤓So I love making lists! In addition to the blank lesson planning spread, I included weekly planning pages that give an overview for the week & all my lists! This week my own plans included meal ideas, work projects, & subjects/actives for my kids to loop through—like copywork & music!
 
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