1st Day Of Christmas Giveaway with Renee Swope
Yippeee!!! It’s here!!
The Third Annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!!!!
And, God blew a kiss from heaven early this morning with our first snowfall of the season outside my window! Girls, I’m more excited than the cartoon Karen was when Frosty came alive!!!! (I always loved that her name was Karen!)
Each day, December 1-12th, I will feature a fellow Proverbs 31 sister and an aspect of Christmas. You’ll get to know her and she, in turn, will offer a fabulous giveaway! Simply leave a comment on her post to be entered in the drawing.
And, one soon-to-be-very-giddy gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the GRAND PRIZE! You may comment on all posts until Monday, December 13th when the winners will be announced.
So first, here is the grand prize. Then we’ll meet our P31 gal of the day!
The grand prize, given by me, (and my ever generous hubby) includes the following:
~ A set of 3 Christmas kitchen towels
~ A whimsical snowman doorknob hanger
~ A Christmas tree notepad for those last-minute Christmas purchases or baking items
~ A gingerbread cupcake kit with red rubber scraper
~ A pair of lounge socks for keeping your toes warm
~ A Christmas treats scented votive candle and gold crackle votive cup
~ A package of gingerbread coffee–great on a chilly morning!
~ A package of six reindeer chocolate-marshmallow treats (for the kiddos)
~ A large Ghirardelli peppermint-dark chocolate bar—for YOU!!!
~ A $15.00 Target gift card to buy yourself something– a new festive scarf, some perfume, a pair of gloves, a book, a wanted kitchen gadget (if that is a treat for you). YOU MUST PROMISE TO SPEND IT ON YOURSELF!!!
Now, let’s meet our first P31 gal….Renee Swope!!!
About Renee’s Ministry:
Renee is a national speaker, author and co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ international radio program. Her passion is to help women fall in love with God’s word and apply His Truth in their everyday lives; exchange insecurity and self-doubt with God-fidence and trust; and help them see beyond who they are to who they can become in Christ.
Renee serves as Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Executive Director of Radio and Devotions. She is a featured writer for Encouragement for Today devotions and a contributing author to God’s Purpose for Every Woman. Her highly anticipated book “A Confident Heart” will be released Summer 2011!
From Renee’s Heart
I love to laugh. I love being with my family. And I really enjoy having fun with my friends. My favorite pastime is watching a movie in bed with my favorite drink – a cinnamon dolce latte!
I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and lived there until my mom re-married when I was in middle school. We moved to Shelby, North Carolina when I was twelve.
As a transplanted city girl, I learned about country life on a farm riding horses and picking green beans.
I fell in love with Jesus when I was a senior in college. I love Him with all my heart and depend on Him daily as a woman, wife, mom, friend and leader in ministry.
I’m married to my very best friend. (Many people don’t know he’s a younger man.) J.J. and I met when he was in college, got married his Jr. year and had our first baby 3 days after he graduated.
We’ve been married 17 years and have two sons, Joshua (15) and Andrew (13). We also have a beautiful daughter, Aster, who is turning 2 today. We adopted Aster from Ethiopia a year ago and love our life as a family of 5 with a princess.
De-stressing Your Decorating
I used to dread decorating for Christmas. Not because I don’t love Christmas. Not because I don’t love decorations, and having our home filled with reminders of Christ’s birth.
I dreaded decorating because I didn’t like who I became in the process. I got irritated, tired, flustered and frustrated. I couldn’t remember where things went. I couldn’t remember what light strands worked. And I couldn’t figure out why my family wasn’t helping me figure it all out.
I’d sometimes put it off until my family was begging to put up our tree. Then it would take me days to get everything in place, and I’d be completely exhausted when I was done!
A few years ago, I came up with a plan that has helped de-stress my Christmas decorating. I actually look forward to it now, and already have my home decorated (except our tree) for 2010, and it’s only December 1st! My friends and family will be shocked but oh so proud of me!
Here are my helpful hints:
* Purchase a storage tub for each room and labeled it accordingly (kitchen Christmas, Living Room Christmas, Dining Room Christmas, etc.)
* Decorate and un-decorate one room/area at a time. If I don’t get it all done in one day, it’s ok. I pace myself but enjoy the sense of completion when a whole room is completed. We have learned it’s too much to do it all in one day so we complete inside first, then we work together outside.
* Take photos of each area in each room. I cannot remember from one year to the next where I put things so I take photos, print them out and tape them and put them in a Ziploc bag with any notes that I need as reminders the next year.
* Simplify. I’ve accumulated more than I need over the years. This year I am reducing and simplifying. This year I asked my boys if they want Christmas decorations upstairs. They said it didn’t matter to them. So, I put all of my energy into decorating downstairs and I’m giving some of my older items that I really don’t need to someone else who can enjoy them.
Renee’s Christmas Give-away
This sweet P31 sister is giving away a package full of some of her favorites:
~ A scented candle – Bath & Body Works Mint Chocolate
~ A festive candle holder – by Bath & Body Works
~ Her favorite treat – Chocolate Covered Pretzels with Toffee crumbles….Yum!!!!!
And a few of her encouraging & life-changing messages:
~ Unwrapping His Presence Christmas Message on DVD
~ Rest Assured and Purpose Driven Mom messages on CD
~ Finally, The ADVENTure of Christmas book by Lisa Whelchel (that was featured and explained here on this blog recently!)
Be sure to visit Renee this week at www.ReneeSwope.com for more Christmas encouragement, ideas and a few photos of her stress-less Christmas decorations. Also, be sure to enter to win another Christmas gift pak she’s giving away!
Okay gals, leave a comment today on one easy Christmas decorating idea you have come across, or if time is tight, simply say “I’m in!” Don’t forget to come back tomorrow and every day until the 12th!
Oh, this is soooooooooo fun!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
I love to decorate the house (with the help of any willing family members) one weekend and then get our tree the following weekend. It has helped me to feel less overwhelmed. We also have a shoe box for each child with their own special ornaments. They get to put those on the tree and then help with the family ornaments.
We have discovered “less is more” lately! So I have really cut down on the decorating. Simple has its advantages!
I think letting the kids help decorate the tree is fun and helpful! And I decided that decorating less is ok. So I just put out our favorites.
I love my Christmas ornament box. It it a plastic box that has dividers that go 4 levels deep, and it makes storing my ornaments and getting them out so much easier and without the worry of broken ones.
I’m IN!!
A few years ago we were so busy with church activities around Christmas that we didn’t even have a chance to put up the tree at home. I didn’t want that to happen again, so we now decorate anywhere from the end of October to mid-November. Then we get to enjoy the season for quite a long time! We love it, and after all that hard work, it’s fun to relax and enjoy it!
I’m in!!!
I love to decorate with garland, candles and lights all over the house. I love Christmas. I’m always so sad when the season is over. To me, it “IS the most wonderful time of the year.” I love to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Thank you for the awesome giveaway. God bless and Merry Christmas!
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I have a tote for each of my children with their ornaments in it. They get to hang and remove what they want and everyone helps.
I’m so excited that you are doing this again this year. I was just going through Christmas recipes and came across your fantasy fudge printout and remembered you may be doing your Christmas posts now. Glad I found you. Thanks for all you do to keep Christ in Christmas and encourage us moms.
I’m in!!
I’m in
My sons, though 3 of the 4 are grown, still want the 14′ real Christmas tree decorated with all the traditional family ornaments. Only now I have to do it all by myself! I love to decorate the whole house, so this year I decided to start with all of the other decorations first and leave the tree for last (reverse order from all the other years). That way the tree will stay fresh longer, and when I finally get to hang all those sentimental ornaments, I will be able to enjoy myself more knowing all of the other decorating is already done!
im in
The best idea was the one my husband had when he bought an artificial tree that already had lights on it! No more untangling strands and getting them on the tree, only to find out that a bulb had burned out and the strand no longer works!
I only really decorate the “main” living areas of the house – living room and dining room and put a few things in the main bathroom. These are the only areas guests usually see. If the kids want something in their rooms, they are welcome to decorate them also. This keeps it from being too overwhelming for me trying to decorate the whole house.
I have always thought of Christmas as the most magical time of the year! I always begin decorating the day after Thanksgiving with the tree coming last…by the 1st. I focus on the inside while my husband and our daughter handle the outside. This has made decorating much less stressful! Of course getting help in removing Christmas decor is much more difficult!
I’m in!!
I posted Dec. 1 at 12:10 p.m. but I believe I may have forgotten to add my email address. Reposting to be sure I am counted in all 12 days.
Decorating the tree becomes a trip down memory lane. Every year I buy an ornament for each of my children that tells something about their year or likes and interests. I also have every ornament that the kids have ever made. They love telling the story of each ornament as we decorate the tree. It has become a joyful time for us each and every year.
Extra greenery sprigs everywhere! (my aunt and uncle have a tree farm, so they’re easy for us to get)
I’m In!
The tree is up and the house is decorated the day before Thanksgiving. Having a daughter with tree allergies, we have had an artificial tree for 14 years. It is a family event and the kids still love participating and remembering all the ornamnets we have accumulated throughout the years. This year, I did purge while decorating and will do the same as we put the tree away in January.
I’m in!!
My husband and our youngest daughter put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving. This gets me in the mood to decorate it. If I had to go get it out of storage and put it together – well, . . . After they have it up, I can take my time going over ornaments and the stories behind them – there are so many – while I finish decorating the tree.
I love your ideas Renee. Awesome!
One thing that really helps….is having willing participants in your family members.
Everyone has “something” special that has to be put out at Christmas time. It is fun to see them get excited about decorating.
Funny though….everyone seems to split on take-down day! :( hehe
A few years ago I put up the decorations I love most, without overdoing, and brought the rest down to our local thrift store. Not having as many decorations to deal with has really made it much easier.