Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Can you believe we have less than two weeks left until Christmas?? If you’ve been reading these newsletters or following Barefeet in the Kitchen for long, you might have caught on that I adore Christmas. This is my favorite time of year and I look forward to it with extreme happiness for months leading up to Advent.
I try my best each year to have all the shopping done before Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy the season without feeling pressure to get everything done in December. From the anticipation of Christmas morning, remembering and being thankful for Christ’s birth so many years ago, the joy of sipping my coffee by the Christmas tree each morning, and the little Advent surprises for the kids – I truly love it all and try to take the time to enjoy the little things that add up to our holiday traditions each year.
Today, for the eleventh week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Giveaways, I’m giving away this Willow Tree Nativity Set. We’ve had our Willow Tree nativity for almost 20 years and it remains my favorite Christmas decoration to set out each year. We built up the collection slowly and each year as we unpack and set it up, it makes me smile.
To be entered, leave a comment on THIS BLOG POST telling me your favorite Christmas decoration. The winner will be selected on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 11:59pm EST.
Here’s the lucky winner’s comment:
I do realize that the nativity is temporarily out of stock, likely for the remainder of the year. However, I will place an order and ship it to the winner, just as soon as it becomes available again. I’ve looked forward to giving this away for a while now, so I’m not letting that stop me.
ON THE BLOG this week: Soft and chewy Oatmeal Cookies filled with the perfect amount of raisins are a classic that will never stop being made in my house. These have been Sean’s favorite cookies for so many years now I’ve lost count.
This creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder is filled with carrots, onions, celery, garlic, wine, and a hint of bacon. Thyme and dill are added along with the smoked salmon to create a memorably rich and flavorful chowder. If you enjoy smoked salmon, you will love this chowder.
All the flavor of classic gingerbread cookies in a chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bar generously topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting. I’m happy to tell you that these cookie bars trump every gingerbread cookie I’ve ever tasted in the past. So, not only do they win points for being so very easy, they win for being truly fantastic as well.
What I’m CRAVING: This Kentucky Butter Crunch Cake from Creole Contessa looks and sounds amazing. I’ve been craving it ever since I saw it last week!
My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these disposable pans that I bought for holiday food gifts. They’re a terrific size for small to medium food gifts. And (2) of the 9-inch round pans perfectly hold one recipe of the ever-popular Cranberry Christmas Cake.
What I’m READING: Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels. While I enjoyed this book, it was admittedly predictable. Maybe not the best book I’ve ever read, but it was a nice distraction for a few hours. (I realize I’m not selling it here, but I did enjoy it!) The book starts in tragedy but doesn’t continue as a story of grief for too long. It felt hopeful and definitely made me smile in the end.
What I’m WATCHING: It Happened One Christmas. I have mixed feelings about this one. It’s A Wonderful Life is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I assumed I’d like this one. However, the description “In the spirit of It’s A Wonderful Life…A young woman has to give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of the family’s building and loan.”
In the spirit of? Well, this movie is almost exactly the same movie, George and Mary have just swapped places. Mary Bailey is the main character going through all of the same moments that George experiences in the original. While fun to watch, it was almost a miss for me as the original movie is simply perfect and will forever be a favorite.
“And we are better throughout the year for having in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
Ruth Beers says
My favorite Christmas ornament is a homemade crocheted snowflake and young refuge girl gave a few years ago. It was a new talent she had learned to help support her family.
Nancy Anne White says
My favorite ornament has been the set of 3 inch long leaded crystal icicles from Germany. I bought them 42 years ago to put on a living Christmas Tree. This was the first Christmas after graduating and getting a new job, moving to new city and having a new apartment.
sabrina says
My favorite Christmas decoration is a picture of my son that he made at school. He has passed so📖 this is even more dear to me.
Jamie Jasinski says
My sister has held a Cookie Exchange for the past 50 years. One year the traditional favor was a snowman ornament that clips. On over an existing light. It remains to this day my favorite decoration of this glorious season!
Lisa says
I have a wall hanging with lights on it that says come let us adore Him.
Jeannette Olton says
My favorite Christmas decoration is a collection of vintage ornaments that hung on our tree when I was a child (some 60 years ago!). I don’t hang them for fear of breakage. Instead I fill a large crockery bowl with greens then gently arrange the ornaments among the pine clippings. This sits on my counter and reminds me of Christmas festivities long past.
Vicki Skonieczny says
Favorite Christmas decoration….the ornaments with their pictures on them that our kids made in school when they were little. Our children are 33 and 27, and it makes me smile every year when we hang those on the tree.
Jan says
Years ago my grandmother made me some crocheted snowflake ornaments. Now that she’s no longer here I live these snowflakes even more. ❤️❤️🎄
Brenda Abbott says
Oh my! That is one exquisite nativity, as is the rest of the collection on their site. I will be going back to the site to see more of what they offer. The pieces are so peaceful and warming to the soul. A great nativity to pass down through the family like my favorite decoration.
Which is one that my Mother used to put out each and every year, so it is old, at least 55 years old. I will try to describe it as I do not know what it is called or what the original intended purpose was. It is a fairly firm rubbery plastic Santa face with him wearing the traditional red and white hat made of velvet, as is his beard. There is a zipper from the tip of the hat to the bottom of the hat. Behind the face, inside the beard and hat is an open area, like a pouch. The item is about 15” tall and 8” wide at the widest point. We didn’t have much growing up, but I knew that each Christmas this would come out for the season. I loved it as a child and I still love it today. It brings back very fond childhood memories.
barbara norton says
My favorite Christmas decoration are all the homemade ornaments from my children through the years. From handprints to noodle pictures, to cinnamon shaped and hand drawn pictures they remind me of all the wonderful memories throughout the years.
Leann A says
I have this teeny tiny metal ornament with my name on it. It’s less than 2″x2″ and it’s a reindeer. When I was little, Walmart had ornaments in their jewelry section you could have engraved while you waited. So, my parents took my brother and me to get one each. It’s the first ornament that I remember being MINE. You can barely see the engraving anymore, but I hang it on my tree every year right at the top.
Anita Pinson says
Our tabletop angel tree gives a small warm light to the dark living room through Advent. My grown daughter assembles it on Thanksgiving weekend with porcelain angels, a gift from many birthdays ago, and little pear ornaments. It speaks to me of so many things about Christmas.
Amy Cooley says
I have a ceramic light-up house with Santa in the chimney that I received from my grandmother. She has since passed, but I will cherish it forever.
carol clark says
mine is a hand made ball with my sons picture in it from school it has snow in it and its quite darling is my fav out of them all
Sheila McQueeny says
Mary, I love your blogs and can’t wait to make the Gingerbread Cookie Bars today! I love this Christmas season filled with hope for better days ahead. My favorite Christmas decoration are two lighted cherry blossom trees flanking the entrance of our home. The unique and delicate lights are a welcoming addition to my traditional holiday decor. I saw the trees on a Hallmark movie set and had to have them! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Karen Oliver says
I have this wonderful little angel face that was mine when I was a little girl. I have saved and cherished it for many years. Both of my parents have passed many years ago, but I still have the memory of the angel during the holidays. I just love this ornament and I place it lovingly on the tree each year. I have other important holiday memories but this one is special.
Kim T says
The first year we were married we had little money. I made 3 ornaments for our tree which had one string of lights. It was a gingerbread house and boy and girl. I still hang those ornaments every year…they are 46 years old.
Nancy Nielsen says
My favorite Christmas ornament is one given to me by a good friend the year our son died. It is of a Wiseman holding a gift for the Christ child. Not only is the ornament unique and beautiful, but her kindness to remember us at Christmas touches my heart every year as. i hang it on the tree.
Sandra Hachey says
I would have to say and angel for the top of the tree that my husband’s aunt gave us. She is no longer with us but still use it when put up our tree.
Pam Schneider says
My favorite Christmas decoration is my little lighted nativity set. It is small but reminds me the true blessing of this season.🙏🎄