Tag: Christmas
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A ceramic Christmas tree from Nana taught me I was an adult

Nana was an old-fashioned woman. She was devoutly God-fearing, believed divorce was a sin, and had definite ideas of gender roles. She also had a strong tendency to see her grandchildren as small children no matter how old we got. Birthday cards from Nana were often ones more appropriate for a 7-year-old, but she sent…
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The Gardner Family Cookbook: The best Christmas gift I’ve ever given
I love Christmas. I love the traditions. I love going to church at Christmas. I love the family time. I love the holiday parties. I love sending Christmas cards. I love receiving Christmas cards. I love picking out the perfect gifts for the people I love. And I love receiving gifts. When it comes to…
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Elf on the Shelf turns this hater into a believer

Unless you’ve been living under a rock without internet access for the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly heard of or come into direct contact with the Elf on the Shelf phenomenon that will shortly overtake the otherwise rational minds of parents everywhere. It appears the Elf on the Shelf began innocently enough, but has morphed…
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Spreading Kindness During the Holidays is Spreading
Have you heard the news? Random Acts of Kindness are popping up everywhere! In just the first five days of December, I’ve heard of many stories of people showing kindness and it’s quite inspiring. Let’s take a look. Today’s #31RAOK: bought lunch for the person in line after me in the dining center. — Kathryn…
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What Are Your Favorite Holiday Songs?
Christmas is my favorite holiday (aside from my birthday, which is June 16, if you want to mark it on your calendar) and I love everything about it. Decorations. Church music. Popular music. Fruit Cake (oh, God, how I love my Nana’s Fruit Cake). But the music is the absolute best part of it. If…