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 keep myself calm and have my December Daily album ready early!
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Sane? What's that! We just had a new grandbaby and I would like to have her first Christmas Season be a very special one, just like I did for her big sister. I can't think of a better way to capture the essence of the Holiday Spirit!
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I plan to buy less presents. So less shopping.
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I have my little book of lists, that helps me stay organized. I also have a notebook (got the idea from Real Simple Magazine a few years ago) that holds lists, ideas for crafts and decorations, recipes, etc, from year to year. It's nice to look back and see what worked, or what recipes/ideas I want to still try.
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Hi Ali - with the economy the way it is and like most of people, we are feeling the financial strain. We don't really have a choice but to SIMPLIFY our Christmas. I see it as a BLESSING. This year without the hype of tons of presents, we can actually celebrate MOMENTS and show the kids the TRUE meaning of Christmas. We will be spending a lot of time together over the break and I look forward to CREATING lots of MEMORIES this Christmas. :)
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I'm going to try to keep things more simple and organized...to help keep my sanity. I've already started my Christmas cards which is totally unheard of. I am a last minute lady.
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To have a more sane holiday season, I have decided to give up any control I think I might have and just go with the flow. My first little one is due Dec 5th, so there is no telling when he will actually come. First-time parents plus the holidays does not equal sane.
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To keep my sanity and since I work full-time. I have taken a vacation day every Friday from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I also keep spreadsheets for everything!!
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By commiting to only those activities, traditions, events, etc that we all really want to do - not feeling obligated!
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This is the first year in the past 11 years that I will really decorate my home for Christmas. I am going to be the 'host' for our family Christmas this year so that means planning the menu and getting my home ready for the holidays. I really want to make my home "Christmas ready" and the cleaning has already begun. LOL!! Next, I will decide on my theme and go from there. I am hoping to find and think of inexpensive ways to decorate my home for Christmas. I am actually looking forward to decorating my home for Christmas this year. ;-) Thanks so much for the chance to win an awesome prize!!
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Simplify and to focus on the traditions and to not over schedule. With three kids all in three different schools (Kindergarten, fourth & fifth) and traveling this year to my mother-in-laws, our Christmas highlights will be a day for decorating cookies, one for making our gingerbread house, one for decorating the tree and house. On Christmas even (and my daughter's birthday), we are planning a 11:00 a.m. movie with cousins to see the new A Christmas Carol. Just being together and enjoying the season and the reason for the season. Counting our blessings.
Laura G.
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Emphasize family and listen to everyone's opinion about what to attend.
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I hope to cut back on spending, create more gifts with the help of my sewing lessons from my wonderful mom and stay at home on Xmas eve so my boys can experience Santa coming to our house instead of Grandma's.
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I am trying to think/plan ahead for the holidays--we will have all six children, their spouses, and kids. What a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays-surrounded by our family!! Simplifying is my mantra now! :)
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I hoping to be more organized this year,HOPING is the key word here. And if not then just enjoy the crazy chaos of the season and except that it is just part of it all.
Oh yea and of course to document it all. :0)
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I plan to simplify my gift list and have begun making many of my gifts. I plan on burning my pine scented candles a lot, baking when I feel like it (no pressure!), focusing on fond memories and making some new simple traditions.
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I plan to slow down this hoilday season, really take the time to enjoy being with my family.
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I am taking the first week of december off to finish last minute shopping, do the wrapping, and have everything done. Then I will just enjoy the rest of the month( my kids are "off track"- out of school for the last 3 weeks of december) doing fun stuff, like baking cookies and visiting santa.
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We are going to have our holiday get-together after Christmas instead of before it, to keep things at a slower pace and enable us to spend the days before Christmas thinking about it's true meaning.
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This year I plan to not have any "have to's"...I want to only the things that are fun and enriching -- no doing things just because they are expected.
I truly want this to be the season of JOY!
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Enjoying the moments and not overscheduling!!
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I want less of a crazed holiday season. This year our Christmas is going to be smaller by looking to purchased gifts that mean the most to someone NOT just purchasing to buy a gift. I want gifts of meaning and not something that is going to just create a place for dust to reside.
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Christmas is NEVER sane and that's what I love about it...lots of laughs and lots of family...and hopefully lots of pictures...and just maybe this year (cause I think about it EVERY year) a slot in the Journal Your Christmas Class (and if I DID win, I'd bring my sister along!) So no to sane, yes to fun and maybe to winning.
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Oh, this is a good thing to think about now. I'm thinking I may get on the bandwagon and write my list of gifts to get and start getting them NOW as I do my normal errands (not my normal MO). And trying to be intentional with everything -- decorations, events, gifts. Trying to remember that less is more.
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Don't pick me because I signed up for this last year. I just wanted to write a comment and encourage everyone to sign up for this - it is so worth it!!
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