As I was trying to think about what to do for Family Night, I remembered one of our traditions and thought it was a perfect opportunity to get it done this year.  The only gift we have under our tree every year (until Christmas morning that is) is a red box with The Nelsen Family written on the outside of it.  One of the greatest gifts that we have is our testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Each year we write (the little ones tell us what to write) our testimony on a piece of paper with the date and put it inside an ornament with our picture that we hang on the tree.  When we take the tree down, we put the testimony into the box with those from past years.  It is really neat to look back on years past to see how our testimonies have grown.

This is how it looks hanging on the tree.  The kids love to see their pictures on our Christmas tree!

For Family Night you can discuss what gifts the kids want to get this year.  Then talk about what gifts that you have that you don’t open on Christmas morning.  Teach them that a testimony is a gift from our Savior so that we can know him always and feel close to him.  This time of year it is important to remember Him and what he did for us.  Then, depending on the ages of your kids, you can discuss what a testimony is and how you get one.  Then take time for each of you to write your testimonies and put them under the tree or hang them on the tree to remind them of this gift through the season.  You can even just roll them up like a scroll and tie them on the tree with red ribbon.  The clear bags can be found at Walmart or other party stores that carry wedding supplies.

For those of you that have not read the books “Christmas Jars” and “Christmas Jars Reunion” by Jason Wright, stop reading this immediately and go purchase them both at Deseret Book or Seagull Book.  Once in a while you read a book that changes you somehow, that makes you a better person or at least makes you want to be a better person.   I feel like I want to change the world with my one little Christmas Jar!  I was surprised to see my friend’s name in the dedication of the first book.  She is an amazing person and I think the world of her.  This is for you and Cameron Christa.  We think of him often and remember his incredible spirit and love for others.

This year I have decided that I am going to give all of my siblings a book for Christmas.  There is a children’s version of this book out as well called “Penny’s Christmas Jar Miracle”.  I plan on giving  this book and a jar to each of my siblings for Christmas (I hope they aren’t reading this!) in hopes to start a new tradition.  Each year we struggle with what to give each other.  We usually give family gifts.  It seems some years that we give just to give, without much thought.  This year on Christmas Eve I want us to read the book together and talk about the jars.  Then, rather than give each other gifts next year, I would like us to fill our Christmas Jars and share our experiences in giving them away.  I am looking forward to hearing how each family shared their jar with someone in need.  In the Christmas Jar Reunion it says “One jar, one birth, one Savior”.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?  Our Savior.

I also decided to give jars as neighbor gifts this year.  I created a tag Christmas Jar Label sheet to attach to the jar that includes the book cover (so they will know where the idea came from) and a little poem explaining what the jar is.  Imagine what would happen if everyone had a Christmas Jar to share with someone in need.

These books will bring a spirit of selfless giving into your holiday season guaranteed.  I am planning on reading them to my older children along with the children’s book.  What a great tradition idea (thanks Jason Wright!) and I can’t think of a better way to show our love for our Heavenly Father than to help one of his children in need.  Happy Holidays!

I’m so sorry I’m a little late with this post!  The only explanation I can give is that it is the holiday season and time got away from me!   I did want to share a recipe for a breakfast casserole that my family loves.  There are many breakfast casserole recipes out there and most of them are delicious but time consuming.  My in laws make this every year and we love it.

Christmas Morning Casserole

Bake 1 pkg. frozen hashbrowns at 450 for 20 minutes uncovered.

Pour 1/4 c. melted butter over the hashbrowns.  Then add 6 beaten eggs, 2 c. grated cheese (4 cheese mix is best), sausage (as much as you would like), and salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour.

Very simple and really yummy!  It makes breakfast on Christmas morning a piece of cake!

This is one of my favorite traditions I like to do for our FHE close to Christmas.  It is also great for Visiting Teaching too.  We hang a white stocking that belongs to Jesus among our other stockings.  You can even hang it on the tree if you would like.  If this is your first year, then give everyone a small paper and have them write what their gift to Jesus will be for the next year.  Fold them up and place them in the white stocking to hang during the Christmas season.  Next year, on a Monday night, or even on the Eve of Christmas, take out the gifts and let everyone read what their gift is and then talk about if they were able to truely give this gift to Christ.  I love this idea because it puts the focus on giving and also on Christ. 

We have made some papers you can write on, and also if you want to use this idea for a great Visiting teaching idea, there is a small letter as well that your family to sign their name to.

Download our White Stocking Gift Tags

Download our White Stocking Blank Form

Merry Christmas to all our My Heart & Home friends and family!

I was going to mention another tradition we are starting this year, one that had me crying uncontrollably for a good half hour.  I even scared away my husband with my crying, after he realized no one had died and that I was just fine.  However, I have it on good authority that Tracey has that one covered.  Stay tuned to our blog to find out just what it is. 

This year we are starting another new tradition.  It’s the year of firsts, I think.  Our street is going to donate to a women’s shelter instead of send around gifts to each other.  Three families came up with the idea and we loved it!  They sent around a letter talking about what they are doing specifically and then added an envelope to put your contribution in or you could choose items that are needed on the list and donate that way.  This coming Monday we are getting together for a neighborhood party to bring all our items and donations and to celebrate the giving season.  We are each bring a dish to share with everyone else.  I am sure it will become a tradition every year to give to a place in need and to teach our children the true spirit of giving this Christmas.  We haven’t given out many challenges to you lately so here is a special one.

CHALLENGE:  Starting right here, on your computer.  Type up a letter to the neighbors on your street and invite them to join you this Christmas to give to those in need instead of giving to those who might not really need them.  You could host a party at your house inviting them to bring a dish to share or a treat or maybe just get together for hot cider and enjoy an evening of friends and laughter.  Remember, it’s not about what you give your children or your spouse or your parents for that matter.  It’s what you give to those around you who have less than you do, that’s what matters most.

Have you been asked to bring a dish for your holiday party?  Do you want something new to try?  You will love this twist on Jell-0!  It is super yummy and tastes divine! You will be the hit of the party!

2 c. crushed pretzels

3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. butter – melted

1 (8oz) cream cheese – softened

1 c. sugar

1 (12 oz.) Cool Whip

1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple – drained

1 (6 oz.) raspberry Jell-O

3 c. boiling water

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Crush pretzels with rolling pin.  Mix with sugar and melted butter.  Press into bottom of 9×13 baking pan.  Bake 5 minutes.  Cool.  Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.  Mix in whipped topping.  Fold in drained pineapple.  Spread mixture onto cooled pretzel crust.  Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Mix in frozen raspberries.  Place gelatin in refrigerator until syrupy.  Pour over cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate until set.  Garnish with whipped cream.  Serves 12.  Variation:  use strawberry Jell-O and strawberries.

This time of year my kids seem to get a bad case of the “gimmies”!  We focus a lot on ‘What do you want for Christmas?’, so that we can get our Christmas shopping done.  As the Holiday season begins, I like to bring their focus back to the why instead of the what.  Why do we celebrate Christmas instead of what do you want for Christmas?

Every year at my house we do an advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas.  Each day we talk about something different that relates to Christmas.  The first 13 days are spent talking about the symbols of christmas (christmas trees, the color red, the candy cane, etc.) and the last 12 days are spent talking about the nativity.  Each item we discuss has a scripture and/or story or activity to go with it.  We have created some fun traditions that can also be used for family  night.  This year I want to start off the advent calendar by talking about what we can give the Savior.  We usually do this about midway through but I think our focus needs to begin centered more around the Savior this time of year. 

 We have a white stocking that we hang up with our other stockings.  Each of us writes down what our gift to the Savior will be this year and then we put it into the stocking.  The next year we pull it out to see what we wrote the year before and talk about how we did.  For Family Home Evening tonight we are going to talk about what the Savior did for us (his life, his example, his death and his resurrection).  After the lesson we will pull out last year’s “gifts” from the stocking and talk about how we did.  Then we will write down something that we can give the Savior this year (being kind to others, being a good example, making good choices, serving others, etc.).  To finish, we will talk about serving others this time of year.  For primary we tied fleece blankets for a nursing home nearby.  My kids enjoyed it so much that I want to have them tie some blankets to take to the Christmas Box House.  It seems that when we can focus more on service we tend to lose the “gimmies” and remember our Savior more.

Can you believe that it is that time of year already?  Thanksgiving is over and Christmas will be here before you know it!  It seems like 2009 went by in a flash!  One of my favorite holiday traditions is our little elf friend “Criddle”.  He comes to visit every year after Thanksgiving.  He usually shows up on December 1st and stays until Christmas  Eve.

If you have followed our blog or our website for long you have probably seen him before but I couldn’t resist sharing him with you again!  Last year he first appeared in the manger scene.  I loved it.  This gave us an opportunity to discuss the true meaning of Christmas and to set the mood for the season.  My kids love Criddle and their behavior dramatically improves once they know they are being “watched” by someone that reports to the North Pole!

This is a fun tradition that both you and your children can enjoy. Print the Elf Poem and add an elf that you can leave around your house and watch the magic happen. Each night the elf returns to the North Pole to report to Santa so be sure to change the location of the elf each night after your children have gone to bed. Your children will wake up each morning searching for his new location. Remind them that there is no touching or he will certainly lose his magic! Your children will change their behavior immediately. After all, who wants a bad report to go to Santa right before Christmas?  Happy Holidays!

Since today is an organizing tip.  I wanted to share one of my favorites with you.  I LOVE our Holiday Organizer.  Not only does it come with fantastic pages to help you organize your holidays better, there is a place for everything you have related to your holidays.  Not including your decorations of course.  But there is a place to help you organize your decorations as well in our Holiday Organizer.  I am talking about all those Bingo games, Tom the Turkeys, Halloween Scavenger Hunts, Valentine’s Love Notes, St. Patrick’s day Neighborhood Lucky Leprechaun game, and the list goes on with our products.  Then if you have additional stuff besides that, you have a lot to keep track of.  I found a way to utilize our Holiday Organizer even better by keeping everything together.  Doesn’t that sound familiar?  After dividing my organizer into two binders, January through June and July through December, I have taken ordinary photo holders, page protectors and page pockets and turned them into my storage of holiday ideas and games.  I then placed each of my holiday games and ideas in front of the cooresponding month folder for that particular holiday.  It’s the perfect way to keep everything organized and keep it handy in one place.  I love being able to go to that month and see all my fun games and ideas without having to search endlessly for where I put them last.  Even they can get lost or even forgotten in a tote full of decorations.  To give you a better idea, I took some pictures of how I put mine together.  However, make it work for you and your personality.  Feel free to comment about what has worked for you or you are always welcome to ask questions in the comment section and we will answer them for you.