DIY Christmas Boxes

Christmas boxes are something I started doing last year.  It's like the official kickoff to the Christmas season. I saw a couple of ideas in my newsfeed a few years ago to be opened on Christmas Eve.  However, I decided to switch it up just a bit. 

Our kiddos get their Christmas box the day after Thanksgiving instead of Christmas Eve.  We actually didn't give them out the day after Thanksgiving this year because they all went to a football game and came home way later.  I was already asleep.  So the kids got their boxes the day after.

Each box has a few little Christmas goodies to kick off the holiday season.  For one, they each get new Christmas pajamas.  These cute ones are by Leveret and the kids look like the cutest little elves in them. Then I just add a few other holiday things.  

Here is a close up of the Christmas box for one of the twins.  They each got a new cup.  Then we added a candy filled candy cane, an ornament to paint for the tree and some bubbles.  The bubbles have been their all time favorite thing.  They love bubbles all day every day.  The bubbles, cup and ornament are all from the Dollar Tree, but you can pretty much put whatever you want in them.

The big kid box is almost the same.  I didn't add cups in because I knew the box wouldn't close.  I did add in some lip balm though because it's getting a little cooler outside.  I scored a mom win too.  Watching my 15 year old come out in striped Christmas pajamas made my day.  Then I thought, man I'm turning into one of those old folks who buys the corny things for the over grown kids and demand they wear it!  I was so happy though!

All five boxes

The kids opening their boxes.

And here's last year's boxes.  This was our first year so of course, I got carried away.  I filled them with pajamas, candy cane, a Santa hat, a blinking Rudolph nose, a Christmas cake and a movie.  Most of the movies we already had and I just put them inside the boxes.  They just got to choose which day we got to watch them. 

I'm always extra excited about the holidays so I'm a bit extra myself at times!  I love making the Christmas boxes.  I don't know how long we're going to keep it up.  However, for now it's a becoming a bit of a tradition. 

Money Monday: Stay In Your Lane

So have you ever been waiting at a stop sign to cross into a double lane road into a turning lane?Then, someone kindly stops and decides to let you out.  However, they are inviting you to come on across with no acknowledgement of what's in the next lane.  You might be able to go over, but you can't safely reach your destination without further assessment on what's coming.  The kind driver is letting you out, but he doesn't know what you have to face once you're out there nor does he have to deal with the consequences.  Well, this can surely lead to disaster.

Sometimes it's easy for us to accept invitations into another lane even when we know it's not safe on the other side.  There were many times Andre and I've been encouraged to do things that were "out of our lane" by people who didn't know what we had to face.  "Go ahead and get it."  "Y'all could go ahead and buy that car."  "I would go on and do it."  These phrases were often told to us by people who were on a whole other financial level than we were and were not going to face any consequences for these decisions.  We could not simply do what they were doing without getting in a financial mess bigger than the one we were already in.  There were times we found ourselves trying to decide if we should cross into a lane that we knew wasn't safe for us.  However, we recognized that we couldn't do what everybody did and when they did it.  The timing wasn't right.  The road wasn't safe.  Our car was trying to be guided by too many helping hands that were pumping premium while we were struggling to get a quarter tank of 87. LOL!  If Jesus ain't got his hands on the wheel and leading you safely in that direction, you better stay in your lane until he clears a path for you!

25 Things I'm Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone had a great day spending time with family and Friends. When I look at my life, there is so much to be thankful for, so much we've been blessed with.  I believe the good and the bad, the bitter and the sweet, the overflow and shortage all work together to teach us gratefulness.  I might not know it all the time, but I'm thankful for it.  Here's 25 Things I'm Thankful For 

1.  Family

2.  Everything God has removed from my life that wasn't for my good.

3.  Creativity

4.  A Voice to motivate, uplift, and share

5.  A home.

6.  Health that hasn't failed me

7.  My flaws no matter how big I think they are.  They make me me.

8.  Food

9.  Second Chances

10. Mistakes that provide opportunities to learn

11.  My pastor who not only teaches but truly lives the word of God

12.  A washer and dryer.  It takes it to tear up in a family of 7 to be really thankful. Lol

13.  A husband that takes every aspect of the job seriously.

14.  To be able to stay at home with my tiny humans 

15.  Music -all the feels

16. Friends

17.  Books

18.  Pictures that capture all the phases and all the moments that I don't want to forget.

19.  Clothes - I'm a messy crafty mama so I don't wear real clothes much, but I've been on point lately. Lol

20.  Coupons that help me provide savings for my family and bless others

21.  Amazon prime and UPS because twins and store meltdowns 

22.  A teacher spirit/teaching supplies to be able to encourage, reinforce and challenge learning for my crew.

23.  The struggle - wouldn't be where we are without

24.  Patience - ^^^^

25.  Life - to make the absolute best of the best way we know how and the best way for us