Journal Your Christmas Giveaway
The first time I did any sort of journal/creative adventure during the holiday season was Shimelle Laine's Journal Your Christmas back in 2005 (check out my December 2005 archives for more).
My experience in Shimelle's workshop inspired me to create my first December Daily in 2007 that was published in my Studio A column in Creating Keepsakes magazine. The main differences being that I set up the structure of my album in advance (trying to keep it simple) and that I wanted to focus on documenting the daily activities over the course of the 25 days leading up to Christmas without specific prompts.
Over the last couple of years there have been lots of people that have combined the two concepts - creating a foundation in advance and using Shimelle's prompts as guides for page topics and inspiration.
It's a creative adventure I highly recommend so I thought it would be fitting to give away a spot to Shimelle's class this week.
One person and a friend of their choice will recieve a spot in Shimelle Laine's fabulous Journal Your Christmas online workshop.
Journal your Christmas is an online class that takes you right through the Christmas season, from the 1st of December to the 6th of January - the twelfth day of Christmas. Through 37 full colour prompts that arrive in your inbox daily, you'll be inspired by topics that let you enjoy this year's celebrations while reliving your very favourite Christmas memories, and you'll have plenty of ideas for making your pages with hundreds of beautiful examples from a variety of scrappers.
Instead of letting the holidays run you, a Christmas journal has helped many women take back their Christmas so they can enjoy and celebrate the magic of Christmas. Other class benefits include a printable Christmas planner, digital and printable supplies designed exclusively for class and a bonus guide to improving your Christmas photographs including easy-to-use tips from dozens of professional photographers.
To be entered into the giveaway please leave a comment below sharing how you plan to create a more sane holiday season (or more crazy if that's what you need). Comments will be closed on Thursday at 8pm Pacific with the winners posted shortly after.
I plan to have all my Christmas cards made and addressed before Thanksgiving! At least that's the plan. I would love to have a friend join my in the online class!
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hi!
once again I'm here to try to win you wonderful giveaways!!!
Every year I plan to do a Xmas book journaling feelings and facts of the advent period...and every year I do not!!! This year I WANT to do it.....it seems to me that life is short and I need to leave something to my kids......
...blue period, sorry!
Deborah
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I don't know if my holidays will ever really be sane, but I have already started christmas shopping! Having some of that done will be a relief.
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I'm hoping to "tone things down" a bit this year; concentrating more on giving of ourselves rather than giving unwanted/unneeded "stuff", and experiencing the peace of the season. We want to participate in delivering holiday food boxes at church, Operation christmas child boxes, etc. Just enjoying time with each other and appreciating all we are blessed with already.
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I'm going to have a more sane and peaceful holiday season this year by preparing a bit at a time this fall (buying baking supplies and small gifts now, working on making some gifts too), taking Thanksgiving week off work and going with the flow that week, plus taking time off work at end of year to be with children over Christmas. Your Y&T class has also helped to get me in a more peaceful place!
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Last year we started some new traditions that included just the 4 of us. Don't get me wrong, I love having 2 large extended families but we were spending too much time trying to be everywhere to please everybody. We will continue to carve out time for just the 4 of us :)
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Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. I am going to spent it with my family.
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ABY GARVEY !!
I did Aby's holiday workshop last Christmas and it made such a difference - so I'm booked in again for this Christmas - sure to make it 'sane' again this year
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once again I'm here to try to win your wonderful giveaways.....
Every year I plan to make a Xmas book saving feelings and events of the Advent period.....and every year I do not!!!
This year I decided I MUST do it....life seems too short and I need to leave something to my kids...
Deborah
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Just enjoying all of the family time, treasuring the beautiful Christmas music and attending the extra service at our church will make the season less stressful. I would love the chance to journal my way thru the Christmas season with this class. I have always intended to begin a December Daily album and never seem to get around to getting it ready ahead of time. Maybe this will be the incentive I need.
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I love love love Christmas... I love being reminded of Jesus's birthday, I love the decorations, the christmas music, the spirit that the season brings. But last year I learn something about traditions and lasting memories...last year my husband had just been seriously injured in an accident,he was in a wheelchair, with a hospital bed beside our Christmas tree in the den... for us the holidays became even more meaningful. We could not leave the house due to his injuries so plans were canceled for visits/parties/etc, he had lost his job due to the long recovery that lie ahead, so we didn't have money to spend. But it was great, we actually had one of the most relaxed and familyfocused hoidays ever...We focused on each other because that was what we were most grateful for and we realized then that our best tradition was simply BEING together..So this year, we will focus on that same tradition- Enjoying the moments we have together. It seems to keep everything else in perspective, which seems to do wonders with the stress level (smile)... Thanks for the giveaway, Karen L,
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Hey Ali ... once again thanks for a great giveaway.
My plan this year is to set up a Family Blog for Christmas especially.
I have close family (parents & sybs) in Ireland, China, America, UK, and all over South Africa.
I want to create a way for us to share our Season with one another, without the madness of trying to stay in touch across so many time zones.
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I plan early...shopping completed by Thanksgiving, then decorate, cook and enjoy each day of December. Keeping it simple helps it all work.
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Our amazing family has grown ( we are now are myself and hubby, four sons, four spouses and five grandchildren) to a total of 15 total at any gathering. Not so big for some family's but overwhelming to others...so we are all going to cut down, be more peaceful, and enjoy the blessings. We are all having life issues (job loss, major health crisis, etc) so we have decided to Seize the Day, Live in the Moment and enjoy a more peaceful, blessed holiday. It is not about all the trees and trimmings it is about the time we have with each other,
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more sane... lots of unplanned time so I can be spontaneous and enjoy moments with my kids. I am sure that will include lots of crafts because they both love to create. I am purposely not planning to book all our weekends with holiday festivities.
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Due to situations beyond our control, our family will be temporarily leaving our home in town and will be living out in the country during this holiday season, far from shops, lights, and all the hustle and bustle of suburb living. I plan to use this opportunity to spend lots of time together playing, talking, snuggling in front of the fireplace.. No parties this year, no travel, no company. Just us.
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Since we'll be spending the holidays at home this year, I really want to try and go a bit crazy with the decorating and Christmas cheer. I want to go out and finally see the lights display at the farm, something we've been meaning to do for the past 3 years. I want to see the Nutcracker maybe and play Christmas songs all day once we get home. I also want to sit down and record these moments so I can remember them and look at them later in the year to give me a smile.
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I'll simplify my life already!
Less things and more feelings...
Kisses
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I so need to be in the moment this year. Many friends and family fighting are life-threatening illnesses. I want to be able to experience it all and enjoy it.
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Remembering to keep it simple- and that there's no such thing as perfect! That should help! Thanks.
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Christmas is suppose to be a time of peace, happiness and sharing but it can get so overwhelming and hectic. This year we are going to keep it as it should be, simple. No tons of gifts with all the shopping, just family and friends along with some good food and tasty treats. Lots of music and candles for a nice ambience.
This will be my first year for doing a December Daily and I am really excited. I found your blog last year about this time but just didn't have the time to get things organized so I am really looking forward to this December. I won't start mine until the first of December but I would really like our holiday celebration to start with Thanksgiving this year and just continue through the New Year with the emphasis being on family and friends and what we have to be thankful for.
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My Christmas shopping is already done!! Baby number 3 is due in less than a week and I really want to be able to enjoy the holidays and not be bogged down by all the "stuff" that comes along with it.
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I love Shimelle and this is an awesome giveaway. Thank you, Ali...Kristin
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I'm making my Xmas cards early and also working on the December Daily so I can enjoy the season.
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I am planning to get my tree and decorations up really early this year, so I don't have ornament boxes strewn around the house in the middle of December! My mother is coming to visit me in England and I want to enjoy spending time with her, in a calm relaxed manner.
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