String Christmas Tress {Virtual Fridge}

This Week

Homemade String Christmas Trees

A few weeks ago a friend in New Zealand shared this tutorial on my Facebook timeline.  I thought wow that would be fun to try.  My mother hosted us and we had an amazing time creating them.  You can view the tutorial on YouTube here: ESPECIAL NATAL #2: DIY árvores de natal - Paula Stephânia The tutorial is not in English but you can see how to do them as the steps are clearly demonstrated in the clip.

This Month's Theme
Welcome to the Virtual Fridge for the month of December. If you are after some inspiration our theme is ADVENT and CHRISTMAS.  BUT don't let that hold you back share any and all your students artistic adventures with us so we too may be inspired to do more art with our children.

Are you on INSTAGRAM ?  You can now use your IG account to link up an show us your art adventures.


This weeks Feature

This weeks feature is a tutorial from over at One Little Project.  Debbie has done an amazing step by step tutorial on how to make these cute Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Reindeer.  Debbie has wonderful photographs showing in detail how to achieve these cute treats.

Your Turn

I invite you to take some photo's of your children's artistic pursuits put them in a post and link up with me I would love to come over and see the wonderful art your children have enjoyed doing.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.everybedofroses.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Virtual%20Fridge" title="Virtual Fridge Link Up"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmwOV8LEHGlyewq4vzijOFKpQAQ5QIsoboACS3NXYb5NkkMDEHopBuLfzKfSaVQtoxfGsnLCZpgIMEh0TUIjur_buc11sMxmpoh7BbjBtaFht9Xz5VVXrIyI8hVM2iJVNWx-58dYsLcs/s900/Link+Up+with+Us!+Art+Linky.jpg"height="125" width="125" alt="Virtual Fridge Link Up" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Blessings
Chareen

Connect with me

 

The Virtual Fridge a weekly art meme where we can hang our children's art on a virtual fridge. This meme was started by Jennifer over at A Glimpse of our Life who kindly invited three other bloggers to co-host this weekly meme.

Your hosts are

Add YOUR LINKS from your BLOG or INSTAGRAM

An InLinkz Link-up

Paper Plate Christmas Wreath {Virtual Fridge}

This Week

I had forgotten all about craft this week when the children reminded me I hadn't done art with them. No worries I thought I'm sure there is something on Pinterest!I found this wreath pin on my Christmas Kids Craft board.  It took very little prep work and I think the results speak for themselves.

Karen gives some step by step instructions right at the bottom of this post: Fun with Jan Brett!

This Month's Theme
Welcome to the Virtual Fridge for the month of December. If you are after some inspiration our theme is ADVENT and CHRISTMAS.  BUT don't let that hold you back share any and all your students artistic adventures with us so we too may be inspired to do more art with our children.

Are you on INSTAGRAM ?  You can now use your IG account to link up an show us your art adventures.


This weeks Feature

This weeks feature is a tutorial from over at Counting Pinecones. Brenda explains how she made this gorgeous Paper Advent Wreath.

Your Turn

I invite you to take some photo's of your children's artistic pursuits put them in a post and link up with me I would love to come over and see the wonderful art your children have enjoyed doing.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.everybedofroses.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Virtual%20Fridge" title="Virtual Fridge Link Up"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmwOV8LEHGlyewq4vzijOFKpQAQ5QIsoboACS3NXYb5NkkMDEHopBuLfzKfSaVQtoxfGsnLCZpgIMEh0TUIjur_buc11sMxmpoh7BbjBtaFht9Xz5VVXrIyI8hVM2iJVNWx-58dYsLcs/s900/Link+Up+with+Us!+Art+Linky.jpg"height="125" width="125" alt="Virtual Fridge Link Up" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Blessings
Chareen

Connect with me

 

The Virtual Fridge a weekly art meme where we can hang our children's art on a virtual fridge. This meme was started by Jennifer over at A Glimpse of our Life who kindly invited three other bloggers to co-host this weekly meme.

Your hosts are

Add YOUR LINKS from your BLOG or INSTAGRAM

An InLinkz Link-up

Angels We Have Heard on High {Piano Guys}

If you are receiving this via email you can view this clip of The Piano Guys and friends singing Angels We have heard on high here.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 

Blessings

Advent Resource List

I love Advent and all things Christmas.  This Year I've been inspired by Collette over at The Art of Being Mama and I want to make a new Advent calendar.    Isn't this beautiful ?  You should see her other pictures on Celebrating Advent - This Years' Jesse Tree. There is a full tutorial over at Shower of Roses: A No-Sew Picture Tutorial with Readings. This is going to be so much fun. 

Source

Books for Advent

• Our 2013 Advent & Christmas Book Baskets over at Shower of Roses
• Christmas Book Basket & Binder Tabs Update  
• Advent/Christmas - Aussie
• Advent/Christmas - Chapter Books
• Advent/Christmas - Nativity
• Advent/Christmas - Picture Books
• Advent/Christmas - Saint Nicholas

On the WWW

• The Jesse Tree :: A No-Sew Picture Tutorial with Readings
• A Few More Jesse Tree Resources and a Link-Up!
• Celebrating Advent :: Our Jesse Tree  Tutorial with printables
• Christmas Countdown Tree {free printables} 

On Pinterest
Click on the graphic to see the collection of ideas on Pinterest

Upcycled Nativity
10

 A couple of years ago we made this Upcycled Nativity set which has become a part of our decoration set.

I'm so grateful to the older women who mentored me in New Zealand and taught me the value of creating and mainaining Christmast Traditions with my children.

What will you be using this year for Advent ?

Blessings

Chareen

If He Had Not Come {Review}

A few years ago I began a Christmas Book tradition of purchasing a new book for our Christmas book basket. For those of you looking for a new book I would like to present a BEAUTIFUL book alert for If He Had Not Come This book is a beautifully illustrated hardback book.

Have you ever wondered what our world would be like today if Jesus had not been born ?  It's not something that I've given much thought to but it is certainly impacting once you take that time to thing about it.

David Nicholson is a retired teacher and was a short term missionary. He used to read If He Had Not Come to his children and I am so grateful to him for reintroducing this thought provoking book to today's readers.


What we received

• If He Had Not Come
• Published: 4/1/2014 
• Format: Case bound Hardcover 
• Pages: 40 
• Size: 8.5x11 
• ISBN: 978-1-49081-810-8 
• Print Type: Colour 

If He Had Not Come was originally written by Nan F.Weeks and was published in Christ in the Fine Arts in 1938 and has been beautifully illustrated by Charles Jaskiewicz.

How we used it
Our favourite way to enjoy a new beautiful book is to cuddle up together on the couch look at the pages together and read.  This book has the most beautiful pictures and the story is beautifully written.

The story begins with Bobby who is very excited because tomorrow is Christmas.  It's now Christmas eve and together with his father he joys their evening devotions before bed. Before he goes to bed, his dad reads from John chapter 15 in the Bible. Bobby can't stop thinking about the phrase, "If I had not come," as he drifts off to sleep.

In the morning when Bobby wakes up he is rather startled to find an empty house and no Christmas decorations.  He grabs his jacket and goes to find his father at work but as his morning unfolds he finds more and more things missing from the world as he used to know it.

Everywhere Bobby looks he is confronted with the fact that Jesus has not come and the world is not the world it was when he went to bed last night.  Not only are there physical things missing but there are attitude problems within the world too.
 
Ultimately, no real joy and no true hope. By the end of the story, the beautiful reality of Christ’s birth is re-establish and Bobby has a new, Christ-centered perspective on Christmas and life.

Upon completing the story Bobby helps us understand the full scope of the gift of Jesus at Christmas.

Appendix

A list of questions that help discuss what happened in the book. The questions are merely suggestions to help you get the conversation started with your children or your class.


Discussion questions talk about the birth and life of Jesus and how things would or could be different if Jesus had not come. It also lists Bible passages for you to go to help you dig deeper into what it would be like without Him.

The Gospel Message, shares how you can receive the gift of salvation in three A-B-C steps:

1. A - Admit you are a sinner separated from a perfect God
2. B - Believe in your heart that Jesus is Savior
3. C - Confess with your mouth and receive God's gift of salvation

Explanations and Scripture are provided in each step. Following the steps is a prayer you or your child can pray in response to believing Jesus is God's Son and that He died for your sins.

Ideas to Help You Celebrate Christmas . . ., suggests drawing a fully decorated Christmas tree to remind you of the eternal life we have through Jesus. Six points tell how parts of the tree and decorations symbolize different aspects of the true meaning of Christmas.

Purchase If He Had Not Come

• Hardcover Book $18.95
• eBook $3.99

Recommended Age Range

• 3 years old to adult.

Connect with David



Both of us enjoyed reading this lovely book and it's a worthwhile addition to your Christmas book list.

It has been food for thought for us about just how different our world would be today if Jesus had not come.  Sir N and I have had spontaneous conversations when out and about within our community and I've heard him pointing out community resources to his friends and explaining to them that these things would not be there IF Jesus had not come.  I'm looking forward to reading it again with him in December as a way for us to refocus on the reason for our remembrance and the far reaching impact of His life on earth and how this still touches ever single country in the world today.

Blessings
Chareen

Enjoying a Surprise Trip into Melbourne

A relatively new tradition for us is taking a trip into Melbourne to see the Christmas lights and Melbourne Town Hall laser show.  We went to see this last year and it was with great anticipation for this year that I surprised Sir N with a trip into Melbourne on the train to see the show.

It was so much fun catching the train and surprising Sir N this year.  The sunset was amazing and lights and sounds were beautiful.

The Melbourne Town Hall was decked out for Christmas and the tin soldiers were at their posts guarding the grounds. You can watch a YouTube clip of the Laser Light Show on YouTube.


From here we meandered up to have a look at this years Myer Christmas Windows. Last year the theme was based on the book Russell's Christmas Magic by Rob Scotton.  This year it is the 58th year that the tradition has been continued. The windows have been modeled on the book Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett.  You can see a YouTube clip on the production of this years windows.

I'm always amazed at the work that is lovingly put into producing these windows. 

There are some amazingly beautiful sights and sounds to be seen during Christmas in Melbourne..  Do you have any beautiful window displays that you see each year ?

Blessings
Chareen

It was An Unexpected Christmas

May He bless you with a fresh insight to His greatest gift of all. I hope you enjoy An Unexpected Christmas as much as I did. Thank you St Paul's Church Auckland New Zealand for this beautiful clip.

Guest posting at my Dad's ...

Christmas is one of those times in the year that hold many special memories for me.  During my growing up years I can always remember the excitement and anticipation that we all had.  I have very fond memories of counting the days to the first of December so we could find all the special decorations and tree.

This weekend along with my three siblings and parents we share some of our family traditions and memories of Christmas.  Be sure to click on the photographs and look at them in light box.

Dingo Den's Travels:  It's Christams

Christmas Books We Love

I really enjoy celebrations and using this time of the year to create family traditions.  One of the things I have done over the years is find a Christmas book to add to the read in December box.  I'm passionate about beautifully illustrated books so that is one of the criteria I have for when looking over a book to add to the Christmas Book Box.  Today I want to share the books we love with you.

 Jotham's Journey Trilogy.

The very first book that I purchased is Jotham's Journey.   We loved this book so much that we have purchased the three books in trilogy. These books help to change our focus from all things Christmas to Christ.  We are currently reading Jotham's Journey this Advent season.  If you have never participated in Advent before I highly recommend this series of books for your shelves.
Tabitha's Travels
Bartholomew's Passage

The Jesse Tree
By (author) Geraldine Mccaughrean, Illustrated by Bee Willey

This book is fairly new on the Advent scene. It's the story of short tempered Mr Butterfield the wood carver and the annoyingly persistant boy who arrives at different points in the church where Mr Butterfiled is carving a Jesse Tree. It's a story of redemption, forgiveness and healing. The story of the Jesse Tree, the Word of the Lord and a young boy who knows about neither.

Format: Paperback 93 pages
ISBN 13: 9780802854032
ISBN 10: 0802854036

Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas
By (author) Antonie Schneider, Illustrated by Maja Dusikova
This is an Advent book for younger audiences.  Follow Benjamin Bear as he impatiently waits for Christmas to arrive.  Follow Benjamin each day on his journey to Bethlehem along with full colour illustrations.

Format: Hardback 64 pages
ISBN 13: 9780735819634
ISBN 10: 0735819637

The Animals' Christmas Eve
By (author) Gale Wiersum, Illustrated by Alexandra Steele-Morgan

This little Golden Book is a story of where a group of animals recount the events of the birth Jesus.

Format: Hardback 24 pages
ISBN 13: 9780375839238
ISBN 10: 0375839232

An Angel's Story
Author Max Lucado Illustrator: Greg Dearth

I really enjoy Max's encouraging books and I am always attracted to books with beautiful illustrations. This is a story of imagination and many parts are true. Through the story we can focus on the One who made us, His greatness, His plan, His mercy and most of all His TRUTH.  It is truth that sets us free (John 8:32) You can read an excerpt from the book over at Max Lucado's website along with why he wrote An Angel's Story formally published under the title A Cosmic Christmas.

Number of Pages:96 pages
ISBN: 9781418512712

The First Christmas
By (author) Paul L. Maier (Illustrated) by Francisco Ordaz

A beautifully illustrated narrative of the the nativity story that is a wonderful read aloud for young children.  Old and young alike will enjoy the pictures in this book.


ISBN 13: 9781859853283
ISBN 10: 1859853285

Two from Galilee
(author) Marjorie Holmes

A love story of Mary and Joseph.  I read this book when I was about 15 years old and spent the next 20 looking for a copy of my own it impacted me so deeply.  Marjorie does an amazing job of taking you on the journey of Mary and Joseph from an earthly perspective.  These two, chosen by God to provide the earthly home for His son. This teenage woman and young carpenter who had to live on earth and face the reactions of the unbelieving around them.  Who walked the streets with unbelievers and suffer at the condemning glances of the town.   This is a beautifully written account of the nativity written with sensitivity and insight.  A worthwhile book for any well stocked library.
Format: Paperback 224 pages
ISBN 13: 9780553281002
ISBN 10: 0553281003

Christmas Doll

By (author) E Woodruff
This is a new book for me I have not read it yet the write up in the catalog caught my eye: "Lucy and Glory are orphaned sisters with no real place to call home. Only their memories of a beautiful doll named Morning Glory brighten their bleak lives. When a deadly fever sweeps through the workhouse where the girls live, Lucy and Glory flee to the mean streets of London. One day the girls find an old battered doll that Glory senses is their beloved Morning Glory. But Morning Glory is no ordinary doll--the girls learn that she has magical powers that will change their lives in amazing ways.. With the help of the doll, the sisters discover the true meaning of the Christmas spirit." {Amazon}

ISBN 13: 9780613573047
ISBN 10: 0613573048

The Watchmaker Who Saved Christmas
By (author) Bruce Whatley
This is another beautifully illustrated book.  Follow Peter the boy upstairs and the watch maker as they repair a very special pocket watch.  A story of precious things, friendship, time and sacrifice.  Beautifully written.


Format: Paperback 32 pages
ISBN 13: 9781741662245
ISBN 10: 1741662249

The Christmas Mouse
By (author) Stephanie Jeffs, Illustrated by Jenny Thorne
Follow the adventures of this little mouse as late one cold wintery night he finds a beautifuly wrapped gift beneath the Christmas Tree. Upon opening it he finds himself
ISBN 13: 9781853453151
ISBN 10: 1853453153

The Christmas Mystery
By (author) Jostein Gaarder, Illustrated by Rosemary Wells, Translated by Elizabeth Rokkan

This one is new to our shelves and I am looking forward to reading it out loud next year.  "In the corner of a dusty old bookstore, Joachim discovers a magic Advent calendar. When he opens the first door on December 1, a small piece of paper falls out. On it is the beginning of a story about a little girl named Elisabet who traveled through time to be present at the birth of Jesus.- Book Depository".

Format: Paperback 222 pages
ISBN 13: 9781559213950
ISBN 10: 1559213957



Do you have any favourite Christmas books you take out each year to enjoy as a family ? I'm always on the look out for beautifully written and illustrated books to add to our Christmas / Advent collection.

If you would like to find some more book lists be sure to check out the Schoolhouse Crew Blog tomorrow. There are over 50 lists and books to look through for inspiration from the crew.

Blessings
Chareen