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5 Ways To Survive the Holidays as a Happy Family

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Let me introduce you to my friend, Courtney. Courtney DeFeo is a popular blogger and creator of ABC Scripture Cards featured on “The View.” She is a graduate of Auburn University and has worked in marketing for Chick-fil-A. Courtney and her husband, Ron, are the parents of two children. To connect with Courtney, visit CourtneyDeFeo.com.

This fall, I’ve invited a few friends to share what God is teaching them. I hope their words are an encouragement to you as you continue to awaken to the joy and delight that comes with being a child of God.

5 Ways To Survive the Holidays as a Happy Family

by Courtney DeFeo

Here are 5 ways to survive the holidays with your family this year:

1. Make a Give List

We typically start with “what are we getting?” Let’s start this year with “what are we giving?” Have a family brainstorm and involve those kids. They are very creative. List the people that deserve thanks (garbage men, grandparents to strangers). Next, list how you could creatively light up their hearts with love.

2. Create a Holiday Playlist

Music makes every family smile. Pick your favorite holiday tunes and make a playlist or CD for every time you run that next errand or mall run. Take turns performing the songs – don’t forget the dance moves.

3. Help One Another

There seems to be A LOT of goodness around the holidays. Activities, parties, ideas and presents to by. Try to keep the mood happy in your home by either saying “no” to some of those – or encouraging your family to act as a team. How can we work together to wrap while watching a favorite movie? Can we deliver gifts while sipping hot chocolate?

4. Make a “Best Of” Holiday Book

Let your kids interview their grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and parents – find out their BEST memories during the holidays. Don’t forget the worst and funniest gifts you got. Read out during dinner gatherings.

5. Head Gear and Jingle Bells

Every “to do” and holiday task seems happier when my kids are wearing reindeer ears or there is a jingle bell nearby. It really is a magical time of year. Let them experience the joy of GIVING vs GETTING so it becomes who they are – not just what they do.

Jingle all the way! The joy you share in your community might be the best gift you distribute all year long.

 

In-This-House_3d

This week we are giving away 3 copies of In This House, We Will Giggle by Courtney DeFeo.

In This House, We Will Giggle: Making Virtues, Love, and Laughter a Daily Part of Your Family Life offers parents a practical approach to instilling virtues in their children through laughter, rather than lecture. Designed to cover an entire year, each of the 12 chapters highlights one key virtue in developing a child’s character, along with insights to help infuse the virtue into everyday life.

In This House, We Will Giggle teaches children to experience the goodness of God, the joy of following Jesus and the difference children can make in the lives of others.

(RSS Subscribers, click here to view.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The three winners will be selected and announced on Friday.

*Original Photo Source 

What is your family’s favorite Christmas tradition?

 

76 Comments

  1. Ashley
    Ashley on November 14, 2014 at 4:11 am

    Being together as a family. Decorating together. Cooking together

  2. Debbie
    Debbie on November 14, 2014 at 6:09 am

    I’ve seen her Scripture cards. Loved these suggestions. And the video intro to her book looks so enticing. Laughter is so contagious!

  3. kimberly
    kimberly on November 14, 2014 at 7:37 am

    Thank you for this post!
    My husband and I work with children and we are teaching a 5 week series on Gratitude.
    We have been looking for ways to involve the WHOLE family in activities and those you suggest above are great.
    Thank you!

  4. kimberly
    kimberly on November 14, 2014 at 7:40 am

    oops..
    our families favorite tradition for the holidays is giving a Christmas box to each other just before Christmas. Inside are new Christmas Pj’s, hot coco, pop corn and a new book to read.
    we also bake cookies and take them to the neighbors.

  5. Dave Kirk
    Dave Kirk on November 14, 2014 at 7:52 am

    We LOVE to go caroling. We are blessed to all be singers, so we typically break into harmonies and change songs up. People join in and come along. It is wonderful. I hope we do it at Thanksgiving this year. However we are meeting in NE Ohio and have 4 wee ones with us.

  6. Joy
    Joy on November 14, 2014 at 9:18 am

    Riding around town in our p.j.’s looking at Christmas lights.
    Reading Arnold Ytreeide’s Advent adventure books.
    Attending the Christmas Eve candlelight service.
    Vising with cousins.
    Enjoying the all the food and special treats we’ve waiting all year to eat!

  7. mongupp
    mongupp on November 14, 2014 at 10:42 am

    Making copious amounts of gingerbread and shortbread!

  8. Scott Allen
    Scott Allen on November 14, 2014 at 1:30 pm

    My mother recently passed on after years of crippling depression. Christmas was always a hard time for her – which made it hard for me, since it’s my favorite holiday (holy-day) season of the year. Although reading this list could make me kind of sad, it’s helping me to visualize a future with a new family where I can utilize these ideas.

    And the book looks awesome. I will definitely get it. For free, or otherwise. 8^)

  9. kimberly
    kimberly on November 15, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    We eat meatball subs every Christmas eve. My mom started the tradition because she could make ahead because she worked retail and wanted no work when she got home

  10. Alee Behymer
    Alee Behymer on November 16, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    Christmas morning breakfast. We all wake and cook together before gifts or anything else, we cook and eat together. We look forward to this all year.

  11. Linda N
    Linda N on November 18, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    On Christmas day, we always cook breakfast together, often trying a new recipe, and the whole family gathers at one house or another (we try to alternate homes) for a big family dinner. It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story are classics at our house, as well, and we enjoy them as much as we did the first time we saw them.

  12. Cathy West
    Cathy West on November 19, 2014 at 2:39 am

    Would love to have a copy of the book

  13. Debbie Salmonson
    Debbie Salmonson on November 20, 2014 at 11:40 am

    Working in a preschool is fun, we are giggling ALL the time. This would be a great resource for us to loan out to our parents.

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