Christmas Family Fun!

Here is a link to some great events around the state for your family to

enjoy this Christmas Season. Many of them are free.

Happy Holidays!

www.deseretnews.com/Tis-the-season-Local-holiday-events-for-everyone

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

by Christi Jardine- Stake Provident Living Leader

If you do not know what to get the person who has everything, try an emergency preparedness item.

1. Flashlights
2. 100 hour candles
3. First aid kits
4. Cleaning/Sanitation Buckets (see a list of items to prepare under the Emergency Preparedness tab on this blog.)
5. A 72 hour kit or any item to add to it (also listed on this blog in Emergency Preparedness tab)
6. Auto first aid kits
7. Auto emergency road kits
8. Coal - for those who have been naughty! :)

These are just a few suggestions! The possibilities are endless! Happy shopping!

FHE Idea- Two Witnesses of Christ

A great Christmas Family Home Evening Idea.

It is a wonderful shadow box with figures that your family can make.

Take time to practice it and then enjoy the message of the birth of Jesus 

as it took place in Jerusalem and on the American continent. 

It could be used for FHE or made for FHE and used for a
Christmas Eve or Christmas day program.

Either way it will remind your family of the two great witnesses of the birth of our Savior.
To print off the Shadow box pictures and the narration for the program go to:

lds.org/friend/1988/12/sharing-time-two-witnesses-of-jesus-birth

Scriptural 12 Days of Christmas

 This is a great Family Home Evening or  scriptures to read daily starting  on the 12th or 13th of December  to remind your family of the true meaning of Christmas!

1.  Luke 1:26-38
2. 1  Nephi 11:13- 33
3. Luke 1:39-45
4. Isaiah 7:14
5. Helaman 14:2-6  
6. Like 2:1-7
7. Matthew 1:18-25
8. 3 Nephi 1:4-9
9. 3 Nephi 1:12-21
10. Matthew 2:1-12
11. Isaiah 9:6-7
12. Luke 2:8-20
  

*There are many other wonderful scriptures about the Savior's birth. Add or change the above to your favorites.

Keep Christmas With You

"Are you willing to forget what you have done for others 

and to remember what others have done for you;

to ignore what the world owes you and to think what you owe the world; 

to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; 

to remember the weakness of those no longer young; 

to stop asking how much your friends love you and ask yourself

whether you love them enough-- 

are you willing to do these things, even for a day? 

If so, then you can keep Christmas. 

And if you keep it for a day, why not always?"

by Henry Van Dyke

American clergyman, educator, and diplomat (1852-1933)

Food Storage For Christmas Gifts

Food storage can be a great Christmas gift for family or friends. 

Here is a great article about how to choose the best foods to give 

and the information that might be helpful 

to give with your food storage gift:

Food-storage-gifts-that-make-a-difference.html

Christmas FHE

by Christi Jardine- Stake Provident Living Leader

Count down to Christmas by planning a 12 days of Christmas for your family to do.  Work on the preparations and gather the needed supplies so that you can start on the 12th or 13th of December. Each item or service can be for your family to do together or chose a  person/family who could use some cheering up. They could even be for members of your own family!

Here are some ideas or use your own:

1. Secretly leave a special thought or treat each night for twelve days.
2. Offer to babysit for a mother so she can go Christmas shopping alone.
3. Send a Christmas card to someone who doesn't expect one from you.
4. Do something special for someone without them finding out. (Clean their room, shovel their driveway, etc.)
5. Write a thank you note.
6. Try a new Christmas cookie recipe and take them to your neighbors or to the person you are doing the 12 days of Christmas for.
7. Learn a new carol. Go caroling to your neighbors.
8. Read a special Christmas story as a family, grandchildren, to younger brothers and sisters, neighbor children, etc. or copy your favorite story and leave with a note secretly for someone.
9. Record in your journal a story about your favorite Christmas traditions or memories. Visit with an elderly neighbor or grandparent about their traditions and memories.
10. Bear your testimony of Jesus Christ to your family, visiting teaching sisters, friend or neighbor. Write it down in your journal.
11. Give a gift of service. Share one of your talents with someone.
12. Build a snowman for an elderly neighbor or grandparent, with a smiling face that faces their window.

These are just a few ideas. There are so many more! 

Merry Christmas! 

*Some ideas from the Friend Magazine.

TV Holiday Guide

Stay home and enjoy some free family time by tuning in to holiday programs that are available every night. 

It will keep you out of the cold, help your holiday budget and create some fun family time. 

Add some hot chocolate or popcorn for an evening of fun!

Here is a great link, scroll through the pages to find the date you are looking for:

Deseret-News-holiday-television-listings-guide.html?pg=4

Salvation Army Bucket- Teaching Your Children to Give

Submitted by Susan Maughan, Stake Humanitarian Leader

Here is a really easy and simple idea for encouraging your 
children or grandchildren to become "Humanitarian Helpers".

During the holidays, I get a $10 roll of quarters for each of my children and keep it in my purse. When we are out running errands, my children get to put a few quarters into the Salvation Army buckets coming and going out of the store. I give them the money while we are in the car, so it feels like they are giving it all on their own. 

This is a great way to teach giving to a child. There is lots of excitement in this giving because of the bell ringing and the thank yous from the Salvation Army volunteer. It is a rewarded effort every time they give. That good feeling of giving will stick with them throughour their whole life. It did for me!