All the stores wanted us to start getting ready for Christmas last weekend, but today is the first day of Advent, when we start getting ready for Christmas at church and in our spiritual lives. For most Christians, Advent has a dual meaning: we remember the first Christmas when Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds rejoiced at the birth of Christ, while we also await and prepare for Jesus’ promised return.
I try to observe Advent with a focus on “the reason for the season”–sharing the love, hope, and joy that comes from knowing God is with us.
Getting Ready For Christmas
This week I did a few things to start getting ready for Christmas, including the biggest chore of putting up the Christmas tree. I used to put off decorating until after my husband’s birthday in mid-December, but decided to get our tree up before the hustle and bustle of the rest of the month takes over.
This year I added a bicycle ornament
and a souvenir ornament from our fantastic Yellowstone vacation.
I also shopped for the ingredients I need to bake cookies next weekend. Apparently Williams-Sonoma isn’t selling the gold sprinkles I usually use on my ginger spice cookies, but luckily I found gold decorating sugar at the grocery store.
I also started following the #AdventWord global advent calendar on Instagram. I love seeing how different people interpret and reflect on the different themes.
There are some interesting words this year.
Weekly Wrap
This week I went to Orange Theory twice, mostly because I forgot I had signed up for two classes, and also because it is just more fun than working out at home. Saturday I did my last long run before the Jungle All The Way 15K next weekend–8 miles with Scooby, who is so comfortable with this distance that as soon as we got home he wanted to run after squirrels in the back yard. I was looking forward to a bike ride on Sunday, but while it was almost as warm as the weather forecast promised (50s), it also was wet. After waiting in vain for clearer skies, I headed to the basement for a strength workout while watching a gingerbread competition on the Food Network.
This week I’m doing a slide show for my recap for the Weekly Wrap hosted by Holly and Wendy.
And that’s a wrap!
Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!
If you celebrate Christmas, have you started getting ready yet?
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I like the slide show! Cool idea. Scooby is a beast (in a good way). You know, I’m kinda glad that my dogs don’t have that much energy. 🙂
I do love looking at all the trees through the windows!
I celebrate both holidays. Before the kids left the nest, I had a big tree. So now I’ve cut back and it’s just a menorah for Chanukah.
As usual you are so consistent on getting in your workouts.
You will kill that race next weekend.
Some years I’ve had to force myself to decorate, but this year I really wanted to do it.
your tree looks nice and I bet you are glad to have it up already. Today is the first night of Hanukkah and it is weird not having the kids here this year. Will be lighting my menorah tonight
I bet that is strange. I might not have any kids here on Christmas morning this year, but I might have them on Christmas Eve. <3
Love those ornaments! Your tree looks great. The slideshow idea is unique!
Thanks! I also stress over finding the right spot for each ornament, and end up rearranging over the first week or so. 😉
I love that Advent Word concept. I will have to check it out! Thank you for sharing.
It’s really grown over the years. Some people share beautiful photos.
I’m going to finish decorating the house this week. I think that once I do that, I will really get into the Christmas spirit!
I love the concept of the Advent Word.
Having the tree up helps a lot – it is so pretty!
I have started with the Christmas prep, but am on in the beginning stages. I need to finish decorating the trees, my stairway, fire places and dining room. I’m also doing the Advent Word challenge 😉 I think you were the one who turned me on to it last year!
You do way more decorating than I do! Since Scooby likes to chew soft things (we never should have given him a sock monkey as a toy!) we are not putting out the Christmas pillows, or stuffed bears/Santa/Frosty.
Love your yellowstone ornament.
And thanks for the Advent lesson — the calendars are all over my social feed, but I wans’t sure what the season actually meant as I’m not sure it’s one we ever observed.
Oh, cool. I’ve got older posts that go into more detail, but different churches have different takes on the details anyway. When I was a kid I always had an advent calendar (the old-fashioned kind with pictures, not chocolate), but my kids weren’t very interested (unless there was chocolate).
We celebrated Lent (to the extent I called home from college so worried that I was sick on Ash Wednesday and wanted soup, was I allowed it), but I really don’t remember Advent. I asked mom when I talked to her tonight and she said she didn’t think Dad grew up with it, so we never did it
Mm chocolate.
I just finished putting up the tree. One thing I love is all the memories each ornament brings. We have ornaments from every place we’ve been. Ornaments that the boys made when they were little. Too manh ornaments!
Yes, that’s why I still put up the Bert ornament (my daughter was crazy for Bert) and the Batmobile that was one of the first “ornaments” my husband and I had. I have an ornament I made when I was 5!
I am done Christmas Shopping! Such a relief. We put our tree up on Black Friday. Cute ornaments!
I have my tree up and I decorated with lights last weekend. A lot of neighbors were getting lights up yesterday, and it’s quite fun to see all the new lights tonight.
Love the slide show! We go to my husband’s family for Christmas, this year it’s his parents hosting it and we don’t know any other arrangements than that. I’m hoping to get to run over there in the morning as it;s 13 miles away which is a distance that it’s hard to waste! We don’t worry with a big fancy tree here for just the two of us, but decorate the mantelpiece with a little soft toy tree I made and some LED ones we got when we were first together.
Love your slide show! We celebrate both. We’ll be at my MIL’s on Friday night for a Hanukkah party. My tradition is to go foraging on my trails (like how they’re mine?) and clip greenery for my planters. I did that literally hours before our winter storm last weekend and they’re all ruined, so I’ll hopefully redo them if this rain ever stops. Your tree is gorgeous!
OMG! I don’t have a bike ornament. Love yours! I like the slide show set-up. The pic of Scooby and the fallen leaves is great! You should frame that one. I have been obsessively watching the holiday competitions on the Food network. They actually have me wanting to bake sugar cookies AND FROST THEM…and I haven’t done that in a long time. 😉 Thanks for linking!
You NEED a bike ornament! I love baking but can get frustrated with frosting.
I love that bicycle ornament, so cute!
I love your bike ornament. Bill and I need to add one to our tree. We didn’t get any while out west this summer. Ya know, I don’t think I saw any or I would have gotten one.
So nice that you have your tree up already! We’ve got the lights up outside but I still have all the indoor decorating to do.
Your slideshow is great!