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48 Hour Christmas Giveaway!
Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

by | Dec 8, 2010 | blogging, Christmas Decorating, giveaways

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48 Hour Christmas Giveaway! <br>Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

Our friends (and my sponsors) over at DaySpring wanted to give The Inspired Room readers a little treat today! They are so awesome I cannot even tell you…they are always doing the nicest things. I love them! Before I get to the prizes and shopping spree details, I wanted to tell you real quick about a few of my FAVORITE DaySpring items, most of which are NEW!

48 Hour Christmas Giveaway! <br>Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

Have you SEEN this amazing glass dome? Wow, I completely did a happy dance when I got mine. It is amazing! I just stuck a few random things in it like reindeer moss, a small wreath and sparkly birds and it was cute (although I just noticed some of the moss escaped under the glass oops!). Imagine all the fun you could have with it all year round!

These Nativity Hurricane Candle holders at the top are our FAVORITE Christmas decoration!! Aren’t they GORGEOUS?? You can take the metal nativity scenes off and use the hurricanes year round!

48 Hour Christmas Giveaway! <br>Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

And I’m digging this new wooden caddy for silverware, it is really awesome! Makes you look like the hostess with the mostess.

48 Hour Christmas Giveaway! <br>Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

Loving the bird pillow cover,  just seeing a splash of red makes me so happy!

48 Hour Christmas Giveaway! <br>Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

This fun pillow cover is really festive too!

I love the idea of changing pillow covers with the seasons and holidays! Pillow covers are great for updating pillows each season and are easy to store when you are not using them.

48 Hour Christmas Giveaway! <br>Prizes and a $100 Shopping Spree!

DaySpring actually has quite a few new pillow covers that are really great, even my husband said he loved the purple pillow cover (above) and he hardly ever mentions when I get new things!  The colors and textures are really really pretty, especially in person. My photos (which sadly never look very good on a gloomy winter day!) just can’t capture it!

NOTE! The pillow covers are on a special coupon with purchase until Friday! Here are the details.

Soooo, ready for the fun giveaway?

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Saul at DaySpring offered to give away one Nativity Hurricane Candle set to a lucky winner PER one hundred entries (yes, more than one winner!) and then a $100 Shopping Spree will be awarded to one lucky random GRAND PRIZE WINNER! YES!

Have you seen the brand new DaySpring Christmas Catalog yet? You can see it here online! I was so excited to be featured in it — I shared some small ways to showcase the meaning of the season in your home. See if you can find a humorous photo I took. At least I thought it was funny.

Since Christmas is coming up SO fast, I want to wrap this giveaway up in 48 hours! WHOA! Giveaway will end Thursday at midnight PST and winners will be announced Friday.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment sharing a favorite Christmas memory! You do NOT have to have a blog to win!

This giveaway is now closed! Thanks for entering!

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Note, if you are reading this post today in your email inbox, in order to enter the giveaway you will need to click here to go to my blog, and then scroll down to the end of the post where it gives you the chance to “add a comment” … click there and fill out your name, email address and comment. Once you hit submit, you have entered the giveaway! I do love when you email me but to be all official, try to leave a real comment to be included in the giveaway. I can help you if you need me to! Just let me know.

630 Comments

  1. Hannah

    Oh my goodness! What a fun giveaway! Thanks.

    My best memories are of our Christmas Eve family devotional. My dad would recite the Christmas story and then all the kiddos would bunk up in one room. We couldn’t sleep and would stay up all night talking. Such wonderful memories with my parents and siblings!

  2. Joy

    My favorite Christmas memory is ~ going to my grandparents house. My grandmother never had a Christmas tree or many decorations, but she always put out a little white church that played “Silent Night”. It was always exciting to wind up the little music box and see the lights shinning though stained glass windows. It was always a reminder to me of the real meaning of Christmas.

  3. debi

    When I was about 11, my parents asked my siblings and I to each choose one of our gifts from under the tree to help a family in our neighborhood. We each chose our gift, and then visited the family. I knew one of the girls, she was about my age, so I presented her with my gift.
    I will never forget the look on her face, or the excitement we both felt as she unwrapped the gift I had wanted most that year!
    To this day, I get choked up when I think about the wonderful gift my parents gave us that Christmas.

  4. Felicity

    This giveaway is a truly wonderful way to spread the Christmas cheer!

    A favourite Christmas memory of mine is being a little child and visiting the farm of a Great Aunt.
    I was asked to help set the table which was a treat as we used the most beautiful Irish linen, heavy silverware and antique china. Each plate had a gorgeous red or green bon-bon and serviette encased in a silver holder.
    My family are heavily into flower arrangements so there was no doubt a beautiful display in the centre of the table.

    The experience of setting the table has stayed with me for life and it is with great pleasure that I try to emulate this setting in my own home now.

    Merry Christmas,

    Felicity x

  5. Lcdenley

    Mine I’d a tradition from when I was tiny until I was 25… Waking up early.. Running downstairs and not being allowed to go into the den until my parents were with us kids.. Santa left notes for 25 years! Then warm cinnamon rolls

  6. Missy

    My favorite Christmas memory was the year my daddy was off work and we were very broke. Another little girl in our church wanted a dollhouse, so her dad bought all the materials and my dad made us both dollhouses for Christmas. :) My mom decorated it and made it lovely. Best Christmas ever.

  7. karen

    My favorite Christmas memory is really New Years Day at my grandparents home. All the aunts and uncles and cousins plus friends from Scotland who had immigrated to California would all show up for a full day of fun and games and great food. We all would play bingo and after a delish dinner all the lights would go out and my grandmother would come intot he dining room from thekitchen through the swinging door with some kind of cake that was on fire from the bourbon…some scottish delight. Plum pudidng even I dont know….It has always been my favorite holiday memory!!!

  8. se7en

    Christmas memory??? Roast dinner with all the trimmings at my granny’s house and she liked every thing just so. My grandpa would always take us to the kitchen to get a little bottle of soda that they kept in a crate under the sink!!! They were always warm!!! My grandparents grew up in a time before refrigeration was everyday!!! So at this fancy dinner in all our finery and hideously uncomfortable clothes we would sip and sip soda straight from the bottle!!!

  9. Marian/pink princess

    What a great give away, please enter me if I may ♥

    My favorite memory is my last one with my oldest brother who passed away 2 weeks after Christmas 2006. He had been ill for a long time and in hospital all those months. But that Christmas of 2006 he was allowed to be home for the day. My sis in law and I had prepared his favorite meal and he could eat a little but enjoyed it tremendously :) He had been on fluid food all those months and just craved a little solid dinner so he had a tiny bit. But oh the look on his face…priceless :)

    Hugs from Marian

  10. Denise S.

    The previous stories were so special. Thanks for sharing them ladies.

    All my favorite Christmas memories are from being with my family on Christmas eve and Christmas day. Even more special was having my baby girl for her first Christmas. At six months (Oct) she became very ill and was in ICU and in the hospital for 6 weeks. Right before Christmas we got to take her NG tube out. She was feeling better and didn’t leave my arms for the many, months afterwards. I have a picture of me holding her on Christmas day, which really looks like my body is wrapped around her. Holding close what I almost lost!

  11. Missy K

    I think last Christmas holds one of my favorite memories– a very moving Christmas Eve service at church– my younger son still mentions it. It set the tone for a peaceful, soulful celebration for us.

  12. Teacup Lane

    My favorite memory of Christmas is being woke up by my brother in the early morning hours of Christmas Day…running into the living room and seeing the Christmas tree all lit up and the presents all set out. It was so magical and beautiful. We were so excited and I’m sure my parents probably just got to bed. Usually we headed back to bed as it was still too early to get up but I remember celebrating many a Christmas at 4 o’clock in the wee morning hours. This is a fun give away and thanks for letting us share our memories.

  13. jenna nelson

    I remember decorating a blue and green tree (it WAS the 70’s after all) in my Grandma’s basement then turning off all the lights and sitting by it in awe. I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever.

    • Denise S.

      oh my goodness. I remember the blue and green 70’s tree motif. How chic! Thanks for bringing back those memories!

  14. Charmin

    I just love that Nativity hurricane set! It is hard to choose one memory – my parents did a fantastic job of making Christmas special for me and my three sisters – so I’ll share the first thing that comes to mind: sitting by my window as a child late on Christmas Eve, watching the snow come down in big flakes, and pretending the jostling chains on the wheels of the snowplows driving by were sleigh bells.

  15. Rita

    It has to be this Christmas. After a horrible year filled with divorce, financial troubles, and death, my children and I went shopping for our first Christmas tree in our new apartment. We went through every one before we found the “right” tree and then struggled to get it into the apartment and in it’s stand. We worked for an hour to get it straight (it even fell over once) and then ended the evening taking in our local light extravaganza. We had the best time. Thanks for the great giveaway. You are always so generous!

  16. Anya L

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I was very young my mom, sister, and I would travel to stay with my great grandmother and great grandfather. The whole family would come aunts, cousins, grandparents. It was such a fun time with family and my Gram would play the piano and we would sing hymns…

  17. Venessa

    I grew up in a town of 99 people. Our church was very small. I could not wait for Christmas as our nativity was stunning and I loved looking at it. My Grandfather built the Creche. He died when I was 5 and we were extremely close. It helped me feel connected to him each time I saw it.

  18. Mary

    What a great giveaway!

    Favorite memory? There are so many that it’s hard to narrow down to one. I will have to say my parents were alive and well, and we celebrated Christ’s birth together.

  19. jenbc

    I love a Christmas “show” my kids and their cousins do every year…even mine now that they are 19 and 18! We do it right after church and it usually involves singing and dancing and a retelling of the Chrimas story. One year, they all dressed up as animals and told it from the animals point of view! Sweet, fun and keeps the meaning of Christmas alive

  20. Sara

    This is a great giveaway! I love their stuff.

    My favorite Christmas memory is driving around on Christmas eve to look at lights and singing Veggie Tales songs at the top of our lungs. We do it every year; we try to sing carols, but it always morphs into Veggie Tales!!

  21. Lindsay

    One of my favorite childhood memories at Christmas was anxiously awaiting for my mom to start Christmas decorating. It was so exciting to me the day that I came home from school to discover our house covered in Christmas! To me, our house never looked prettier than it did during Christmas, and it was the backdrop for countless other special memories.

  22. Carla

    If I am not in USA, can I still enter to win?

  23. Tiffany

    Wow, those nativity candle holders are GORGEOUS! What a wonderful giveaway

    When I was a kid, we always had huge Christmas celebrations together with everyone on my dad’s side of the family. Everyone would cook and laugh together, my grandfather would play the piano and we’d all sing Christmas songs. It was just wonderful to be with all of them. And sometimes we would even get a little snow…which in Dallas was something special :)

  24. Bebe

    My favorite memory was waiting at the top of the stairs for everyone to wake up on christmas morning…we were not allowe downstairs until everyone got up! The anticipation was so exciting!!!

  25. Lori

    One of mine was going to NY with my Gramma and Aunt who was one year older than me. We were 15 and 16. My Great Uncle let us take off in his snowmobile and we’d never even seen snow before (we’re from Florida). It was crazy and I’m happy to be alive but we had the best time together!

  26. stef

    It is hard to pick just one favourite memory. They all include my children. By far my favourite Chirstmas memory was the one we shared with daughter number two as a newborn. She was born December 1st so was three weeks old. Her older sister got to open all her sister’s gifts so it was a double wammie for her! And the baby slept through the whole day-but it was just so peaceful. No WOW factor here-just a simple memory but a beautiful one God gave our family.

  27. Arlene

    One of my favorite memories from Christmas past was lining up to go downstairs for Christmas Morning gift opening. Of course the youngest child usually awoke first or if they didn’t then an older sister would wake them up, we would be making so much noise that our parents had to have heard but they always acted like they didn’t. We mill around upstairs waiting impatiently for them to get up cause the rule was the oldest person had to be the first in line to go downstairs. Dad would place himself at the top of the stairs waiting for everyone to get in line in order of age and the excitement built, even as a teenager, to walk down and see all the gifts around the tree on Christmas morning.

  28. Barbara

    I agree with Stef….it is hard to pick just one Christmas memory.
    My Mother made many Christmas cookies to share with friends, family and for neighbors. We helped Mom as children and then as adults the cookie baking slowly became my sister and I doing the baking and Mom supervising and teaching our children. She so loved to teach her grandchildren how to bake and then how to share. Now I am the one baking all those cookies and my children help me as I teach my grandchildren.

  29. Kristen

    Our neighborhood growing up used to line our street with luminaries. It was the coolest thing to be a part of!

  30. Casey

    In 1982, I was a young military wife with 4 children aged 4years and younger. We had just recently arrived at a new duty station that was almost 2000 miles away from family and friends. I wasn’t really excited about Christmas that year. About 10 days before Christmas the postman brought me a huge package. Inside was Cherry cookies, divinity, and my aunt’s fruit cake. All these goodies made from prized family recipes, sent to me to make me feel connected and loved. I really felt Christmas was upon us!

  31. Natalie

    I would have never thought at the time that 2001 would be my favorite Christmas memory, but it is! We were moving across the country, and moved out of our house 4 days before Christmas. Yes, I said 4 days before! Luckily, we had a lake house nearby. So, on Dec 22 we headed out and bought what was truly the tree used as a model in the Charlie Brown Christmas. We made paper chains, strung popcorn, glittered pine cones and sweet gum balls to hang on the tree. Didn’t even bother with lights! We still remember that Christmas so fondly. We still have a few of the glittered ornaments, and they are hung on the tree each year as we talk about the simplicity of that Christmas. (Well, it was simple once the moving van pulled away from the house!)

  32. randy saunders

    My wife & I are grandparents, and our first Christmas together we were snowed in for a week. We had to melt snow for water and burn candles. She melted my heart!

  33. Stacey Freet

    Cool giveaway! I love the set of nativity candles and how they reflect the miracle of Christmas. What great products that turn the focus to Jesus and his birth! Awesome! A favorite Christmas memory…this is a hard one…I do have one that comes to mind at this early morning hour I will share- My oldest daughter Emma is now six, but when she was two, she told Santa that for Christmas she wanted chicken nuggets and fresch fries! That was what her list consisted of…how cute it that! You should have seen her face Christmas morning when she opened her presents and there was exactly what she asked for!!! It was priceless! And Santa was pleased for an easy wish list that year as well I am sure.
    Stacey :o)

  34. SimplyLKJ

    Don’t know if I have just one favorite, but after the Christmas Eve service at church we sit down to eat as a family. Later in the evening, the girls have to find their pickle ornamament in order to open their Christmas Eve gift, a pair of fun pj bottoms. The put them on and we pile in the car to go see all the lights, then some home for cocoa and dessert. They are 17 and 20 now and we still are keeping the tradition up.

  35. Marilyn

    I would love these Hurricane candles…so beautiful. I collect Nativity Scenes and this would be a perfect addition!
    [email protected]

  36. Lindsay

    So many wonderful memories. Some of my favorite memories of my mom are around the holidays. I always loved that she let me help wrap the presents, even when they looked terrible. It was just girl time and I treasured that.

  37. Miss Wisabus

    My favorite Christmas memory is a tradition that we do every year. On Christmas Eve, we meet at my mom’s adoptive parents’ home and all gather round as Papa reads the Christmas story to us. It’s been that way since before I was born and I love having a tradition I can count on.

  38. Tracey

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I was 13 and on Christmas Eve, my family sat down in the family room with our hot chocolates and pj’s on. My dad started to read from the ABC’s book of Christmas and then we each took a turn reading the story that went with a letter. There wasn’t any t.v. noise…just the sound of the fire cracking, light Christmas music in the background, and each of our voices…it is comforting to look back at that Christmas memory!

  39. Meghan Ramsey

    My Favorite Christmas memory is one we still do, and have the joy of sharing with my kids now!

    Christmas Eve we go to my Aunt’s house. And Santa comes visits and everyone gets a gift! This was always so much fun. But the tradition that I love most is our candle lighting. Each person has a candle and we go around the room lighting each candle…remembering those we have lost, and end in singing silent night. Its really beautiful!

  40. Kim W.

    I love that each year we go to Christmas Eve church services… then come home and talk about the meaning of Christmas. Later we take out the Polar Express and read to the kids about Santa… it’s so much fun to ring the bells at the end and to see if they still hear them and believe in Santa… (which my son doesn’t, but still enjoys :)

  41. Gina

    fav Christmas memory… having homemade cookies and cocoa with my mom, sisters, nephews and niece. It only happened once, and now that I have kids I wish it could happen again.

  42. Liz

    I love this giveaway! How generous. My favorite Christmas memory was a few years ago when we drove 16 hours with 4 kids , through the night, to surprise my parents on Christmas morning. It would have been the one Christmas that we were not together and at the last minute, we were able to get there. The happiness on my mama’s face was priceless.

  43. nanci

    My favorite memory is sitting on the bed while my mom read us the Christmas story out of the gospel of Luke. I can still see it in my mind.
    Peace.

  44. Melinda Stanton

    My favorite Christmas memory is the first one that we discovered the 24-hour “A Christmas Story” marathon. Even though we had the VHS tape, it seemed so much more fun to keep it on TV all day and night- we kept a fire in the fireplace and didn’t get dressed till time for Church! And started a new family tradition.

  45. leigh ann

    My favorite Christmas memory is receiving a dollhouse when I was three. I remember coming downstairs and it was just sitting near our tree…it’s my earliest memory and I wish I would have kept that dollhouse!

  46. Melanie

    I always loved putting out my letter to Santa and his cookies by the fireplace:)

  47. Sandy McPherson

    I’d like to win because I love everything about Dayspring and all
    their beautiful products.
    I have so many wonderful Christmas memories. My parents were
    older than most when I was born as their eighth child. I remember
    decorating the tree with them while enjoying hot chocolate and
    homemade cookies. They made everything festive and fun for
    their children, especially me as their last child. I miss them both
    terribly, especially during Christmastime, but I take comfort in
    knowing one day we will be reunited in heaven.

  48. kathy

    My favorite memory occurred just last year – we went to a new church for the candlelight Christmas Eve service. We were blown away by the history of the couple who built the church (with their own hands – the pastor is a carpenter), the wonderful people we met and how much we came away with. We have grown to love this church and have gotten to know the pastor and his wife. We are all excited to attend the service on Christmas Eve again this year!

  49. Angie M

    Baking cookies with my kids and my mom. So much fun!

  50. Michelle F

    favorite Christmas memory – we have so many – my Mother is queen of memory making!! As a child I didn’t really enjoy this, but as a mother myself I am relishing each moment….we always have a Christmas program – at home. Each person shares a song or poem or skit or {fill-in} It was painstakingly embarrassing for me as a child, but some of my fondest memories are when we got to do the program for my grandparents & all my cousins got to participate as well. We have such a strong family bond, and I know it’s in part to being humiliated together!! :) Seriously, it is the love of our extended family I want my children to know & remember as well….

  51. Hannah

    Wow! Those nativity candle holders are beautiful!

    My favorite memory is from my childhood. I loved going to church on Christmas Eve with my family, singing carols, and coming home to a nice meal. My grandpa would dress up as Santa and bring a sack full of gifts. This is a tradition we have kept up with the younger children in the family.

  52. tracy white

    Christmas is filled with memories to pick from, but I love growing up that every year my dad would make us take a very dramatic Christmas card picture. It was always top secret and a pretty big deal. One year we were “carolers” at an old mill, another we were in bathing suits and winter hats and scarves, one year he even dressed us as elves and put on our roof near the chimeny. I love having these photos to look back upon with my brother and remember.

  53. Katie Jones

    When I think of Christmas, I remember waking up to open presents at 4am every year. My father had to leave for work at 5am, so instead of making us wait all day to open presents, we did it extra early!

  54. Mandy Gumbs

    The older I got the later I slept in. One year I awoke to my youngest brother laughing so loud I got up to see what time it was and what was going on! It was about two in the morning and he was watching Dumb and Dumber. I will never forget how funny he thought it was and how it didn’t matter how old he got he was always so excited for Christmas day he couldn’t sleep. My best memories are always of the way others excitement made me so happy and even more excited for the holiday…funny I don’t remember the gifts, just the happy faces.

  55. Shannah

    My favorite memory is last Christmas, when my husband and I got stuck at my family’s in our first-ever blizzard. It was a wonderfully white and quiet Christmas!

  56. Millie Gardner

    My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was about 4 years old. Santa had come and my 6 year old brother and I got our sister out of her crib so we could see what was under the tree. We were so excited we couldn’t wait for my parents to open presents with us. My sister opened all the presents, even if they weren’t for her. My parents came down to a sea of wrapping paper and happy children. Of course, we were in big trouble – mainly because we were living far away from home and now my mother didn’t know who had sent what, so she couldn’t write appropriate thank you notes. A true Southern belle! It made a real impression and I always write thank you notes and think of my mother:-)!

  57. Monica Bowles

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was the Christmas I got engaged. It was entirely unexpected, and my ring was inside of an ornament. I didn’t even see it until he pointed out that I needed to open it up. I was speechless.

  58. Shelley

    My favorite memory is when my dad went out and cut down a Charlie Brown Christmas tree because I insisted there be a Christmas tree when I came home.

  59. lindsay

    waking up early to see wat santa brought, seeing family and going to church all together.

  60. Amy in PA

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is taking turns opening up our presents – one person at a time – although my dad made us start with the oldest person so he could go first & I, as the youngest, had to go last!

  61. Alicia

    I would have to say that out of all the Christmas’ I’ve had, a couple of years ago holds my most treasured memory. When I was young, we always traveld to see my Grandparents in Kansas. It was usually a two or more day drive and I couldn’t wait to see the family. Well, a couple of years ago, I got to share that experience with my own family! My husband has never done anything like that (hard family) and it was the best Christmas he said he ever had! Our two young boys had “the best Christmas ever!” lol. I just get all warm thinking about it! It was great to pass something I loved onto my kids and husband….

  62. Jen

    We travel every year to see family at Christmas. Two years ago, when my son was born, my husband and I decided to stay home for Christmas and enjoy our new little family. It was wonderful! Definitely my favorite Christmas memory. We are doing the same thing his year because our second child was born just a month ago. So much to be thankful for.

  63. Gailanne

    My favorite Christmas memory has always been just the excitement of trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve. My Mom even moved my bed next to the window one year, so I’d be sure to see Rudolf as he flew by in the night sky (LOL!).

  64. Deidre

    We spent Christmas at my grandparents house one year when we were kids and all the grandkids were there. We had more fun running up and down the stairs and putting on “plays” for the rest of the family. It was a great time!

  65. Erica

    My favorite memory is from when my brother’s and I were little and we would go spend a few nights right before Christmas with my grandparents. Then on Christmas Eve we would all go home and I was always excited to see our house because mom would have it all decorated up. I would run around the house looking at all the new things she did while we were away ;-)

  66. Holly S.

    My favorite Christmas memory was when I was home from college at Christmas time one year. As we all know, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. I needed to be still and quiet and worship our Lord before Christmas completely passed me by. Late on Christmas eve, alone on the deck of my parents’ porch in the woods, I played Away in a Manager on my flute as my gift to him and to give thanks for his gift to us. It took my breath away; it was magical.

  67. amanda

    I absolutely love going to the Christmas Eve service at my church! And a new tradition since I married has been to go over to Nanny’s home after church for dinner and opening gifts. Love Christmas!

  68. Jennifer Leigh

    My favorite Christmas memory is when we would pile in the car, sing Christmas music and travel to my Grandmothers house. I remember it like it was yesterday!

  69. Karen St. Dennis

    my favorite holiday memory was when we were flying to Florida from Germany & having a family reunion at Christmas and we were walking on beach that week in December. It was cool. We left Germany with about 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and was able to walk around on the beach in shorts. ahhhhhhhh nice Christmas.

  70. tiffany

    great giveaway, love your site, read it everyday!
    My favorite Christmas memory is definitly the year my whole family was contagious, my husband,myself and our four children were all contagious although we had passed the part were we wern’t feeling good. We were told by our doctor to stay away from others for a couple of days. We really enjoyed what the holiday are about, we snuggled in my bed and watched movies ,played games ,we spent several days just enjoying each others company! not that we don’t love our extended family ,but there was no pressure, we stayed in our PJ’s
    ate when we felt like it. It’s a christmas we will never forget!

  71. Marjorie

    So many magical memories! When we were growing up one of our favorite Christmas Books was “Santa Mouse” by Michael Brown. We read and reread that book and every year we would leave Santa Mouse cookies. Every Christmas morning we would find a few leftover crumbs and tiny mouse droppings Mom would make out of hamburger that proved Santa Mouse was there. Santa Mouse always left us a special “tiny” present in a tiny box hidden somewhere in the house too. One year minuscule gold boxes holding itsy bitsy gold mouse lapel pins were hidden in a closet. It became almost like hunting for Easter eggs to find Santa Mouse’s gifts! And I can still recite the words of that book after reading it to my own children!

  72. kara

    wonderful giveaway, the memories are great. One of my memories is waiting until my parents went to bed and them sneeking in to see what “Santa” had brought. Only this particular year my mother set a trap….lots of noisy paper in the hallway so I was caught. We still laugh all these years later.

  73. Kathleen Grace

    Wow, I love everything here! The nativity candle holders are wonderful. Candles are such a favorite way to decorate in the dark days of winter and having the removable sleeves that depict the nativity is such a beautiful and practical idea!

  74. Karen Anderson

    Favorite Christmas memories?….Wow, where to begin. I was a new “single” mom with two babes left alone. No financial support, no one to go to for help at the time……….Christmas eve. I took my two sweet children, laid a blanket on the living room floor, opened up the patio drapes, turned on christmas music and we all laid there (son was 3 and daughter was 1) but somehow…..we ALL just laid there listening to music and holding one another as the snow fell from the sky illuminating the music. Oh…one of the most precious memories I have. We were eachothers gifts….and nothing could take those gifts from us! Thank you Lord for such a blessing and now a memory. Now I am old and have 5 grandchildchildren and there is one, a girl who reminds me so much of that memory. She has a sweetness that only the Lord could create. This memory will live on and on and on……Merry Christmas to you all.

    • Karen Anderson

      You know what? If I win this….this special little one I wrote about will get prize. I love her so, so innocent, so beautiful! Thank you all for sharing your memories. I was moved by you all! Merry Christmas!

  75. Soraya

    The first year after my mom passed I opened a box of ornaments my Dad sent me. I was expecting tears, but the first ornament that came out was a Dept 56 Man in the moon ornament. it is a huge white ball with an eerie face blown into the glass… My girls and I dissolved into gales of laughter. Truly, it’s a horror of an ornament gone wrong. We do hang it on our tree every year though always toward the back.

  76. Geriann

    Awesome giveaway– Thank You. My favorite memory of Christmas is the fun we have putting up the tree. We make it a day thing and drink cocoa and listen to music and dance all day long. Oh what fun!

  77. Kathy

    I think my favorite Christmas memory was a Christmas that could have been very sad. My military hubby was in the middle east and our youngest was only 6 months. The oldest was 11. We decided to have Christmas with just us in our house, with our tree, the way we would have had Dad been there. The kids were so precious that day. We all stayed together in our PJs and played games and put puzzles together and nibbled this and that – no big dinner just lots of appetizers/snacks. That was 7 years ago and those who remember it still remember it as one of the best.

  78. Lydia

    Favorite Christmas memory- we were living in Africa (parents were missionaries) and had no Christmas trees or decorations. It’s not really something that West Africans do…anyway, my Dad cut a fireplace and stockings out of construction paper (using orange and yellow paper for the fire’s flames) and taped them to one of the cement walls in our home. He cut out a tree also and we made ornaments to tape on it. It was fun and such a sweet memory of making do with what we had back then…

  79. Donielle Ruth

    I think I was 10 yrs old and stayed up all night to wait for Santa Claus and then fell asleep by the tree. I never did see him that night! But, it was very exciting waiting for him. I will never forget that feeling.

  80. laxsupermom

    My favorite childhood Christmas memory was the year when my parents realized that girl toys were not for me. I have 2 older sisters and 1 younger brother. I was a tree climbing, football playing kind of girl. I still got dolls, etc. that year, but my little brother got 2 of everything, so that I could play with one. 2 sets of guns with holsters, 2 rc cars, etc.

  81. Mary Beth

    I am the youngest of 3…when I was younger my brother joined the military and was away for Christmas and my sister had just gotten married…so this was the first Christmas for just my parents and I to be together. I was feeling a little down and my parents, knowing I loved to feel “grown up” and do late night things had us go to midnight mass on Christmas eve then to Denny’s for breakfast…when we got home, Santa had come while we were gone (hmmmmm!) and I got to open my gifts at 4 a.m. One of my best memories. : )

  82. Lori

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was the one where we got snowed in on Christmas Day. It was so quiet outside with no traffic, and we just stayed in and were lazy all day without feeling at all guilty! Those Nativity hurricanes have been on my wish list since I first saw them over a year ago. Count me in!

  83. Michelle

    I love them ALL! I hope I win! Merry CHRISTmas!

  84. Iris

    My favorite Christmas memory is getting our first real Christmas tree since having children. We moved to Russia when our oldest (now 5) was only 11 weeks old and here it is nearly impossible to find a live tree until the last week of December (they celebrate the New Year with a tree- not Christmas)- so for 4 years we set up our artificial tree. Last Christmas we were blessed to be in America and enjoyed cutting down our own tree with my sister and my parents and pulling our 2 boys back to the car on the tarp along with the tree. Their smiles were unforgettable and to top it off- there was snow falling that day!

  85. Anna

    My favorite Christmas memory is going to the Moravian Lovefeast on Christmas Eve…we all shared some bread, coffee, and heard the children sing with their precious voices…a simple way to usher in the celebration of Jesus’ birth!
    Thanks for doing a giveaway!

  86. Kim w.

    I love going to church on Christmas eve. It is a tradition and it makes it feel truly like Christmas. The candles and bells are magical.

  87. Deanna

    opening stockings on my parents bed…

  88. Caroline

    Fun Giveaway!!!! Thanks Dayspring!
    I know it sounds cheesy, but for me every Christmas with my family is the perfect memory.
    Merry Christmas!

  89. Susan

    The only Christmas we were able to share with our first baby, Caleb. God took him to heaven the next Easter, but I’ll never forget the hope we had that his life would be a miracle and he would get better. God had other plans.

  90. Kathleen

    Favorite memory is helping my grandma decorate her tree and she would tell me stories about all of her different ornaments that she had collected….many are pre-WWII. She is no longer with us but I have her ornaments and I hang them on my tree.

  91. Tara G.

    My husband had insisted that I did not need to buy a tree stand prior to our move to Ukraine in 2003 (military). When December rolled around, we had a hard time finding a tree, let alone a tree stand (they celebrate in January). He finally found the tree, brought it home on the metro and then asked me where the stand was. I reminded him why we didn’t have one. He engineered one out of a plastic container, car jack, and string. The following year, we found the tree more easily and he even found a stand, but that was all it was- a stand with no way to give the tree water. He again rigged something up so we could have a touch of home. Last year, we had orders to Germany and at the last minute, we were diverted back to Kyiv. The very next morning, we were at the base exchange purchasing an artificial tree!

  92. Sarah

    Hands down, my favorite Christmas memory was when I was about 8. Things were very tight for our family that year and we had no tree barely any food and Mom and Dad were explaining that there would be no gifts. That night we heard a knock on the door and there stood a man and his wife from our church dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus. They brought a tree, enough groceries for a month and a mountain of gifts!! I remember Mom and Dad just sobbing. We never really had much growing up and even when we did I don’t remember those Christmas’s to much. However that Christmas will stick in my memory forever! I love all of Dayspring’s Christmmas decor. Simple yet beautiful!! Thank you for the oppotunity!!
    ~Sarah~

  93. Alison

    My favorite Christmas memories are of being with my grandparents on Christmas morning. My grandmother loved Christmas and always made it so special for all of us.

  94. Arlene

    My favorite Christmas memory is the Christmas Play at out church each year…we did the nativity story then shared gifts from a huge live Christmas tree. Seemed magical to me as a child.

  95. connie tacazon

    Every year we are making new memories with my kids. My favorite so far is having them sprinkle reindeer food on our lawn and really see them believe “santa” is on his way in their eyes sparkling with excitement.

  96. Michele Laramay

    WOW! What a great giveaway! One year I surprised my husband (who had never had a stocking before) with the coolest Grinch stocking all filled up. It was just perfect for him. He loves the Grinch Christmas special. It was priceless to see his face.

  97. Ashley Daily

    This christmas will be the next to last time I get to enjoy my favorite christmas tradition.
    My father is an excellent story teller. He has read out loud to all of his 5 children every night since the first one was born. We love to hear my dad read- it’s a family bonding moment to take a little time and enjoy a simple story.
    Christmas morning, every year, my father reads the story about the yellow calzones (that’s yellow underwear), and the Jesus wallet. These two odd items feature into a story of heartbreak and renewal that, when read on christmas morning, capture the finest spirit of giving and sharing of christmas. Every year, my dad reads this out loud and every year he gets emotional towards the end of the story. This is such a personally touching moment- it’s one I look forward to every year- to hear my father read to his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his friends. This will be almost the last time he gets to do that- he’s sick and is not expected to live for more than another full year. But I’m so thankful for this memory- it will be a bittersweet one in the years to come.

  98. sarah zblewski

    My favorite christmas memory was when I was 8 years old. I came down starts to see what santa had given me to find in front of the christmas tree a baby stroller, baby car seat, and a baby high chair. And then one wrapped present sitting on top of the baby stroller. That was a cabbage patch doll. It was the last time my parents were married for christmas and I got all i wanted.

  99. Monika

    I love the memory of making tiny snowmen with my girls a few years ago. We live in Texas, and just had a dusting of snow, but we made the best of it!

  100. Stephanie

    My favorite Christmas memory is going as a family to cut down our Christmas tree!

  101. April Taylor

    Remembering family and friends gathering at my grandparents. We’d always have a straggler with no where to go or a surprise visit from a old friend. There were many who would come to visit on christmas eve.

  102. Josee

    My favorite Christmas memories aren’t anything in particular but being with my mom, dad and sister…making the 9.5 hour drive up from CT to a tiny village in Quebec where we’re from. My dad was 1 of 12 and my mom is 1 of 8 and I have 46 first cousins so our Christmases were spent in my grandparent’s 200 year old farmhouse, crammed in, singing Christmas songs, eating, laughing and enjoying each other. Our family motto is “everybody talks, no one listens.” My favorite part was when my grandfather Octave would say a special prayer and then pray a blessing over everyone. Merry Christmas!

  103. Doris

    When my children were small, I always enjoyed the quiet of Christmas Eve after all the activities of the day were done, all the preparations for the next day were complete, and all the children were fast asleep.

  104. Adrienne

    There are so many Christmas memories swirling around in my head. My father was the pastor of a church in Central Oregon and all of our family was in Southern California. We were at home – just the three of us – most every Christmas of my young childhood. On Christmas Eve we drove around town, looking at the lights and displays (my favorite was the live nativity made up of family members at one home). Afterwards we returned home to have hot chocolate and Christmas goodies. Then I would tell the Christmas story to my mom and dad using a flannelgraph board and figures from my mother’s Sunday School supplies. After that we gathered together to pray and thank God for sending Jesus – and then it was off to bed to try to sleep! And wait for morning when there would be something special sitting in front of the tree.
    ~Adrienne~

  105. shelly

    Hmmm…best Christmas memory has to be just stitting (or laying) around my Grandmad’s house after stuffing ourselves silly with Christmas brunch. We played games, drank hot cider and just enjoyed the moments!

  106. Melissa S

    I love these hurricanes – I’ve had my eye on them for a while! There are so many wonderful Christmas memories, it difficult to pick just one. I love seeing the wonder in my 7 yr olds eyes as we open gift, bundle up to go to midnight services and finally set out cookies and carrots before going to bed.

  107. Lynsey

    Beautiful decor! I especially love the silverware caddy and the bird pillow!

  108. Katherine

    I love all of my family’s Christmas traditions, and I’m trying to implement some of them into our family now. I think my favorite has to be Christmas Eve – we would go to church, drive around and see Christmas lights that people had put up, come home and open presents, and then eat treat food (everyone got to pick out something yummy – pizza rolls, shrimp, artichoke dip, whatever).

  109. Rebecca

    What a beautiful hurricane set!
    A favorite Christmas memory of mine is going Christmas caroling with my family and my aunt/uncle’s family… lots of great voices singing in 4 parts. Beautiful! I remember feeling the joy of Christmas as we watched the people at the door enjoy the music. We’re going caroling tonight with a youth group. Can’t wait!

  110. Arlene

    Melissa, My sweetest memory by far, is Christmas eve 1990. My Husband , 3 yr and 11 yr old sons were baptized during our church candle light service. The glow of candles and the three of them standing at the foot of the cross will forever be my best Christmas ever.

    Arlene

  111. Beth

    My favorite memory is gong to Christmas Eve service with all the anticipation of the next day. Once we even saw lights in the sky that looked like Santa’s sleigh!

    Beth

  112. DawnJoy

    My favorite memory(ies) are the nights I would be all alone in the living room with all the lights off except for the lit up tree. I would just sit in the peace and count my blessings. It’s never planned, it just happens at some point each Christmas season.

  113. Sheri

    My granny sang “The Twelve Days of Christmas” on a cassette tape. We had a set of ornaments representing each of the twelve days. Because she lived far away and could’t be with us on Christmas Eve, we would play the tape of her singing and hang the ornaments on the tree. This year will be especially memorable since she died in August. I am glad she will still be with us in song and spirit.

  114. Lynsey

    It’s hard to pick just one favorite Christmas memory, but I think some of my favorites are always going to the Christmas eve service at our church and then heading over to my parents house for supper. That really feels like the true spirit of Christmas to me:)

  115. Heather B

    My favorite memory will be this one. This is the first year they have started developing memories, so this is the first year we’ve gone all out for the season.

  116. Shelby

    My favorite Christmas memory was probably this past year, I got to spend it with the family I nannied for.

  117. Katie

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is my mom having me and my sister reenact Mary and Joseph traveling to the inn. She had us dress up and everything. She tried to help us remember what Christmas was really about.

  118. Paula Romer

    My Dad is a Pastor and every year he reads the Christmas story to us on Christmas Eve before we open presents. I will always treasure this memory, especially as he is getting older. We had our first child after 15 years, so I am looking forward to him reading it to our one year old and starting a tradtion him. I would love to win the nativity hurricanes. They are so beautiful and I am always looking for Christ-centered holiday decor.

  119. Sue

    I have many good memories. I loved it when the pianist at our church had our young daughter play windchimes during Silent Night at the Christmas Eve service.

  120. Amanda

    My son Jackson is almost three and he helped me decorate the Christmas tree this year. Every ornament he found was amazing. But, he also found a packing peanut and thought it was gorgeous and put it on the tree as well. It might show up every year now!

  121. Meredith

    I remember wanting to see what was inside a present so bad that I took a gift and wore a hole in the bottom of it with a pencil. I got to see what was inside, but my mom found out and boy, was I in trouble! :)

    • Meredith

      ok, so maybe that wasn’t my FAVORITE memory… I guess I didn’t read that right, but none the less, it’s a funny one.

  122. Heather Odeh

    My favorite Christmas memory was reciting the birth of Christ into my moms old tape recorder. I remember I must have been only about 3 years old and I must have gone on and on. Including the wise men, the drummer boy. . . I remember being so in awe of the story of the Messiah’s birth, and am still today,

  123. Heathahlee

    Okay, I have to enter this one! I’ve been resisting the urge to enter other Dayspring giveaways since I got a lot of stuff at Relevant, but this is too good to pass up! I love those nativity candles!

    As for my memory, The best one I think has to be when I wrote to then-coach Genes Stallings at The University of Alabama to see if I might possibly be able to get a used football helmet for my husband for Christmas (he is a big Bama fan). Long (very long) story short, not only did I get one (for FREE), Coach Stallings even autographed it and put the numbers of the year on it. My husband’s face when he opened it was priceless!

  124. Dana

    My favorite childhood memory is dancing to Christmas music in front of the tree with my little sister. We’d dance so hard that our tree would begin to shake. We were always afraid it would crash over.

  125. Debra

    I have so many wonderful Christmas memories! My favorite is
    that each Christmas eve my father gathers the whole family
    together around the Christmas tree and he reads the Christmas Story, from Luke chapter two. Then he prays, thanking God for sending Jesus to be our Saviour, the most Wonderful Christmas Gift of all.

  126. Adrianne

    We love opening a door on our advent calendar every day and watching our kids enjoy a treat while listening to a part of the Christmas story! It has become a very special time!

  127. Kate

    I think it would be waking up one morning a few years ago to a winter wonderland. It had been green, which is unusual for us in upstate NY, but frankly I was happy with it as the snow is a huge pain in the neck!! But my little ones were missing the snow and we went to bed with a green world and woke up to over a foot of snow and it snowed the whole day, just a gentle, pretty snow. We stayed in and family came to us, and we just celebrated and enjoyed the day and the beautiful landscape that day.

  128. Sara

    My favorite memory is the tiny tree my Grandma and Grandpa had next to the dining room table. After Christmas dinner, we pulled rolled up checks from tiny stockings, always our first present of Christmas.

  129. Sabrina

    What a wonderful Giveaway!

    My favorite memories are always of my childhood when Christmas Day I would get together with all my cousins. We would play and open our gifts. It was the most magical and happiest day of the year!

  130. Hannah

    One of my favorites is wrapping presents in front of the fire the night before, then going in to see my baby sleeping in our dark room with the sound of “Silent Night” playing on the radio.

  131. Sally

    I always loved Christmas Eve at my first husbands’ mother’s house. She was Slovakian and had a lot of Slovakian rituals along with Catholic rituals. The first year I went I was enchanted, we never did anything this magical at home! I was amazed, my then fiance a little embarrassed, but as years went by my son and grandsons came to love it just as much as I did. We will miss those evenings as she has since passed, but we will never forget them

  132. Jennifer Rivers

    Wow, I love all of the Dayspring products~ especially the wooden caddy and the nativity candles. My favorite memories of Christmas are reading the Christmas story out of the Bible on Christmas eve and being a child “reinacting” the story.

  133. Thirkellgirl

    One of our favorite family Christmas memories was leaving Christmas eve service at the little church up the road from us (not our home church) and finding that it had started snowing while we were inside! It snowed all night and all the next day, and we had the perfect excuse to stay inside together for Christmas!

  134. Char

    I have never entered before but read your blog daily! The one memory of Christmas that always comes back to me when someone asks what was your favorite Christmas is the year my parents came to my older Sister and I and told us that there wasn’t enough money for gifts for all of us. There were four of us. My older Sister and I, probably 14 and 10 at the time, both told them to just buy for the younger two siblings (7 and 4). Our parents cried and we both felt SO grown up that year. I don’t know why that is the Christmas memory that always comes to mind when someone asks but it is.

    • Cheryl

      I like to skim the comments after I’ve made mine. Your memory is very moving. Thanks for sharing a very personal story.

  135. Sylvia

    My favorite memory is my mom baking tons of yummy cookies, cakes and other fab treats and sharing them with family and friends. I have several cousins that have told me that Aunt Jeanette’s goody table was better than Santa!

  136. Crystal

    One thing I remember about Christmas when I was small was that we always spent Christmas Eve at my great-grandparents’ home. Everyone had dinner, and it was one of the few times that everyone was together there.

  137. Catherine

    One of my favorite memories is our first Christmas with our first child. That’s when it really hit that this little babe is our responsibility to make sure she knows Jesus.

  138. Leslie M

    My favorite Christmas memory definetely would be when my son was 1 y/o he was so happy with the christmas tree lights, the wrapped presents, the new decorations around the house! he stayed hours sitting in front of the tree!

  139. Kathy

    Those nativity candles are amazing! {There is one picture not showing up Melissa, I think it is the glass dome one.} All my Christmas’ have something that stands out, because I loved to see the excitement on my kids faces Christmas morning. One would be when my daughter was a teen; we were going through that difficult time mothers and daughters can have. I had emailed her favorite author at the time, and my daughter wants to be a writer, too, so I had been telling the woman this. I was able to get an autographed picture of her favorite author with a personal note to my daughter on it. I put it in a frame for her and that Christmas morning was a good one!

  140. Veronica H

    My favorite Christmas memory is getting to sleep infront of the tree with my little brother and dog :) I dont remember falling asleep but I must have!

  141. Alicia Robinson

    One of my favourite Christmas memories is waking up in the morning and seeing new jammies at the bottom of my bed. Quickly puting them on and running into my brother’s room to see what jammies Santa left for him. There was something magical in those jammies on Christmas morning. The feeling that Santa picked out the perfect pair just for you.

  142. Lisa

    One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is gathering together at my Gramma’s house with our whole family. There were lots of cousins running around and people everywhere in her small house. She was an amazing cook and we would all squish into her little dining room for a feast. Oh to be there again for even a moment! Thank you, Melissa, for hosting this lovely giveaway!

  143. kris

    Baking christmas cookies and then sharing them with friends and family!

    Merry Christmas!
    Kris

  144. Janet

    When the kids were little we went to a local restaurant for Christmas Eve that was completely decked out for Christmas, including a train that ran around the top with packages, and a Santa that walked around the tables. Love your blog. Love your giveaway chances. Thanks.

  145. Paula

    last year I was over at my mom’s place…my daughter and she had decorated their Christmas tree earlier in the day. About this time…my mom and dad decided the tree needed to be closer to the window. I went into the kitchen to get a drink and then I heard the yelping and calling of my name. Both of my parents were stuck under the tree as it had leaned over when they tried to move it. Probably the one and only time I have every “rescued” my parents and not the other way around. LOL!

  146. Karen

    My favorite Christmas was the year my son was born. We were able to celebrate Christmas with both sides of the family and with those from very far away. I miss family at Christmas.

  147. Susan M.

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is taking my children to look at Christmas lights in their pj’s and letting them drink hot cocoa in the van — they loved that and it was a special treat to be drinking anything but water in the car. :) The nativity candles are lovely! Thank so much for hosting this giveaway.

  148. Brandi Pittman

    My favorite Christmas memory is getting together every year with my extended family on Christmas Eve for dinner, games and presents. I am so blessed to have so many family in the area and love that we are close all year round.

  149. Julie

    Some of my favorite Christmas memories are making candy with my Mom growing up. I have continued the tradition in my own family with my own children. I love delivering homemade confections to loved ones at this time of year!

  150. Laurie

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my two (now teenaged) boys were little. We had just bathed them and put them in their pjs a few days before Christmas. A knock at our front door brought the surprise of Christmas carolers! The first time my children had seen them. It was lovely listening to the carolers at our door that night.

  151. Gloria

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is preparing the Christmas Day brunch for when all the family and friends come over.

  152. Vicki

    Beautiful!

  153. Vicky L

    My Fave Xmas memory would be the first Christmas with our twin girls when they were 7 months old….back in 2004. Blessed beyond belief!!

  154. L

    I loved going to get our first real live tree with my sister.

  155. Christine

    I just remember one year when I was about 14, me and a group of friends did the 12 days of Christmas for a family in need that we knew. It was really special and really made helped us get in the true spirit of Christmas.

  156. Joy

    What a great giveaway! I’m loving those pillows and especially the wooden silverware caddy. One of my favorite Christmas memories when I was younger was decorating the tree. Each year my mom would give each of us a new ornament that had to do with something special that had happened that year.

  157. Rebekah Steele

    I grew up in a military home. Because of this our address, weather, and conditions changed all the time. But my favortie memories are of Christmas in the Middle East. My mother is the queen of tradition, and no matter where we were, wether in FL with sunshine, Va with snow, or the desert, we had our tree, our favorite foods, our stockings hung somewhere, and our favorite songs playing. We always celebrated CHRIST and He led us from place to place. What a wonderful trip down memory lane. Thanks!!

  158. Carmen E.

    One of my favorite memories is when my parents would let us all open one gift on Christmas Eve. Then anytime after midnight, we could get up and open our stockings. :)

  159. Sharyl Simeone

    Oh Christmas is just wonderful and I have been working so hard this year to make sure my 4 children know the “reason for the season” more then ever. This is a fantastic opportunity from DaySpring and they are the first item on my Christmas wish list this year. Crossing my fingers. Thanks for offering this great opportunity. Hugs! Sharyl

  160. Gina

    Hmmm, I guess the one Christmas memory I thought of was a few years ago my daughter getting a late start, drove home from college and by the time she made it home (5 hour trip) it was snowing and the roads were getting slick so she had to park at my mother-in-law’s house and walk through the woods on the path to our house because we live on a hill and our road was too slick. It felt so perfect when she finally made it home safe and sound to a cozy home. It just didn’t seem like Christmas until she made it home. :)

  161. melissa

    My favorite Christmas memory is from just last year. My parents, my son, his wife and 9 month old son were here Christmas Eve, as well as my daughter who had just married that year and her new husband. I was feeling a bit sad about having to share my kids with their new in laws, and the younger three children were happy to have their older siblings home for just the evening. We had our big Christmas Eve dinner complete with all the fancy china and silver, then exchanged gifts. As the evening went on the snow kept coming and coming. It was beautiful, but with the weather and our country roads it was decided that the married kids should just spend the night. Beds were made up and sleeping bags were found. Christmas morning 2009 I woke up early to make cinnamon rolls for everyone. It was wonderful having all my kids and my mom and dad home Christmas morning. And an extra special treat getting to be there for the baby’s first Christmas morning. After breakfast we all went and played in all the snow. It was amazing and a great memory.

  162. Laura M.

    One of my favorite memories is waking up super early on Christmas morning. My brother and I would promise the night before that whoever woke up first had to wake up the other one so that we could go downstairs together!

  163. Blair

    My favorite Christmas memory is from the year I was 19. For the last present, my mother handed me a box & when I opened it, a set of car keys laid in there. I absolutely screamed & then burst into tears. My brother had the camera going the entire time & the pictures from that morning are priceless.

    An incredibly extravagant gift, but my mother said it was her favorite to give because it was just so much fun for everyone that day.

  164. Barbie

    The last Christmas we had when we lived in San Francisco, we took our kids to Lake Tahoe. It was beautiful and we took a sleigh ride.

  165. Vanessa

    One of my most special Christmas memories is the year that my husband replaced my lost engagement ring with an almost perfect match! I never expected to get another one. It was SUCH a surprise.

    I adore Dayspring’s products — especially their Christmas stuff. But just after buying our first home there isn’t enough money for such pretty extras right now. We are making do with what we already have and enjoying our Christmas nest :)

  166. Kelli

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year my sisters and I got bean bags from Santa…and then one of them exploded all over the living room when we ran and jumped on it:)

  167. Beth

    I love the silverware caddy! And the candles!

  168. Teresa

    I have a great childhood memory of lying under the tree looking at the reflections of the room and the lights in a round glass Christmas ball.

  169. cathy

    Making homemade Italian gravy, meatballs and ravioli with my family on Christmas morning EVERY year!

  170. Shari

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is getting the tree. We would bundle up and jump in the back of a wagon my Dad had hitched up to the tractor. We would drive out into the woods and find a tree and cut it down ourselves. Such a fun time together!

  171. Melanie Williams

    I love your blog! All of my memories of Christmas both happy and sad are tied to my mother, who passed away 7 years ago this week. So many happy childhood Christmas memories and too few that we shared with my first two children before she was gone. I try to honor her and the God who gave her to me by being a good mother to my three children and making new memories and traditions of our own. One thing we do is use an advent calendar that she crosstitched and tied hershey kisses to each year. Every day my sister and I would get a kiss to count down the days til Christmas.

  172. Tara

    One of my favorites moments is from when I was child. We would get dressed up on Christmas Eve and my Dad would take me for a ride to look at the lights, then we would go to the Christmas Eve service, then I couldn’t wait to get home and see what Santa left me!! Such a wonderful time.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

  173. Tina

    Making Christmas cookies with my mom and sisters is a treasured Christmas memory! What fun we had! Baking, sharing and of course, eating!! :)

  174. Elizabeth

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was when my family and I took Christmas to another family that would not have had it otherwise. I loved shopping for the children! We left all the gifts on their front porch with a note that said it was from Santa. I didn’t care about anything I got that year because helping that family was so fullfilling.

  175. Betsy

    One of my favorite Christmas memories: Seeing my daughter’s face when she woke up from her nap to see the Christmas tree lit up for the first time…. priceless.

  176. Bonnie Jackson

    To me Christmas means family and my favourite is the year all my five siblings and I finally had spouses/significant others and we all descended upon my parents house Christmas eve. The tree was piled so high with gifts for everyone you could barely see the tree. But gifts were not the special part. The most special part was having absolutely everyone there. Brothers, sister, nieces and nephews, Mom and Dad. What fun we had!

  177. Amanda

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is that my brother and I always used to try and stay up all night, but we’d end up falling asleep before we heard Santa :) I miss being a kid sometimes :)

  178. Jen

    Every Christmas Eve, my dad leaves the tree lights on when he goes to bed. When I was a kid, I’d always wake up at some point during the night, sneak down to the living room, and excitedly peek at the presents piled under the tree. Then I’d sneak back to bed, eager for it to be 7 am – the earliest my parents would allow us to wake them. Once I was a teenager, my private little tradition changed . I still wake up at some point, early in the morning, and go out to the living room. But, instead of poking at gifts, I wrap myself in a blanket and sit on the couch for a moment. I love gazing at the tree glowing in the dark, and the presents piled under the tree, the lights reflected on the paper and bows. I love the quiet of the house, and the anticipation of my own children’s excitement. I love the smell of my dad’s coffee pot kicking on, which is my signal to go back to bed for a little bit. I just love that still moment, thanking God for all His blessings of the past year.

  179. Kari

    Favorite Christmas memory…being a child and making the trip to Pittsburgh every year to see my grandparents. They always had snow and Christmas decorations EVERYWHERE in their house. The Christmas Eve service at their church always felt like a holy experience w/ singing and plays, reading Scripture and lighting candles.
    Thanks!!!

  180. Taryn

    My favorite Christmas memory are all the “booby traps” my dad would set up for my sister and I so we could not sneak out and peek at Santa. I hope to do that for our kids some day.

  181. Geneva

    When I was a child, my mother decorated the Christmas tree with some kind of chocolate ornaments. In the morning, a lot of those lower hanging ornaments were gone, devoured by a very guilty looking cocker spaniel.

  182. Tara

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was when I was younger my parents would turn out all of the lights in the house except for the Christmas Tree and we would do advent as a family. My brother and I would take turns getting to light the advent candles. We would read the bible by candlelight and enjoy the Christmas season and celebrating the birth of Jesus.

  183. Cindy Dukes

    I love reading the Christmas story and having a “Happy birthday, Jesus” brunch on Christmas morning with lots of finger foods and a birthday cake.

  184. Jenny

    My favorite Christmas memory is waiting at the bedroom door for my mom to tell me it was time to come out – she had to get all the tree lights on, Christmas music playing, coffee and hot cocoa made and make sure it was perfect :) I waited, not so patiently, and it was well worth it.

  185. Jackie Klayman

    My favorite CHristmas memory occurs each year. I sit around the tree with my daughter (now daughters) and we read Luke and act out the nativity story. I’m moved to tears each year and its neat b/c my 5 year old is now “teaching” the one year old the story. So sweet!

  186. Melinda

    My favorite Christmas memory is decorating the tree. We buy ornaments every place that we take vacation, and we open the ornaments one at a time to hang on the tree, and talk about where we got it. It’s just a fun time!

  187. Kim

    Christmas spent at our cabin in the woods. No electricity, just a wood stove , candles, family , food , board games and time spent together.
    Great Christmas memories!!!

  188. Jessica Tenberge

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my mom got me a puppy a cockerspaniel named Tanner when I was 4 or 5. My parents also had the tradition of getting us new pajamas every Christmas Eve. So here I am wearing my flannel nightgown and my new dog thought the ends were a chew toy so we have pictures of the dog relentlessly holding on to the end of my night gown as I walking (dragging) the pup to show off my Christmas presents to my grandparents.

  189. Kara

    My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was a little kid and my Dad and older sisters got up on the roof and pretended to be Santa and his reindeer’s for my sister who’s a year older than I and myself. We thought it was real and we were SO excited. The magic of Christmas and a child’s innocence. Ahhh…memories!

  190. paige whitley

    I really REALLY like the nativity candles. They combine two of my favorite things at Christmas, the Nativity, and candles!

  191. Denise

    I was maybe 4 or 5 and my grandfather soothed me when i was upset that my rather big doll would not fit in my toy baby carriage. I have absolutely no memories of this man who died in his 50s. It’s such a soft memory it’s soothing!
    That nativity set is truly beautiful and soothing in its own way.
    thank you.

  192. Missy June

    One of my favorite memories was on Christmas Eve, my mother would light every candle in the house…it made our parsonage feel like a castle and I was convinced we were the most glamorous people in town!

  193. Kathy R

    These are gorgeous. I love the nativity candles!

  194. Sarah Lee

    this year has been pretty special. our little girls helped us decorate the tree and the house. their excitement is so fun to watch and be a part of.

  195. Rebekah

    My favorite Christmas memory to date was last Christmas when most of my family was together and my son was just beginning to be old enough to know and enjoy what was going on. So precious for me and my husband!

  196. Jackie

    My favorite Christmas memory as a child was decorating the tree as a family and then gathering all around and singing Christmas carols. I’ve continued this tradition with my children now.

  197. Laura

    Favorite memory is as a child- going to my grandmother’s house all day on Christmas spending it with cousins playing and eating- those were the good old days!

  198. Becky

    My favorite Christmas memory happens every year! My father passed away several years ago so we always go to Christmas Eve services at his church to remember him. My mom hosts a Christmas Eve Party for family–with pretty much the same dishes every year! After everyone leaves, we stay up late wrapping presents and watching our favorite Christmas movies. :)

  199. Tessa

    One year we told our kids we were going to Bethlehem for Christmas. We dressed in bathrobes etc. and journeyed to our kitchen, where the lights were off and candles were lit. We ate pita bread, olives, etc. for our dinner. Then Dad read the Christmas story (still by candlelight, so that was tough). Our nativity was the focal point during the story. Our kids love to talk about that “trip.” We have gone a few other times and it’s always fun, but the first surprise trip to Bethlehem is special to us.

  200. Cheryl

    My favorite memories are my childhood Christmas Eve’s. My parents have always been church workers (and still are) and so it was a given that the three of us kids were in the Sunday School Christmas Service each year. When we all got home from that service, Santa had come to our house early and we got to open 1 present that evening and save the rest for the next day. It’s funny because back then, I remember that it was important to me that I got to open the present that Santa had brought on Christmas Eve. Looking back now, what’s most important to me is my parents commitment to the church and how they got us involved in the Sunday School Service each year. God is good!

  201. Libby

    Being a military wife, our best Christmases are the one’s when we’re all home together. It makes our time so much more special knowing that they’ll be days in the future that we won’t have these luxuries- and that, in itself- is a great blessing.

  202. Missy June

    Oh, and I love those pillow covers – may need to check them out!

  203. Andi

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my whole family goes to our church’s Christmas eve candlelit communion service. It just always gets my perspective in check. And, now that we live overseas, far from my family, it makes that memory even more special.

  204. Regina

    I have always loved decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music. Baking and going to see the ginger bread houses at Grove Park Inn. I have so many.

  205. Amy

    My favorite Christmas memory is that when we were kids, my brothers and I would get up super early and sit by the tree, hang out, and wait for my parents to wake up. We were pretty patient kids, I guess :)

  206. Dawn Fritz

    Santa always leaves a small, but meaningful, gift in the car for each of our boys while we are in church on Christmas Eve. It could be an ornament or a framed photo of a cherished memory from the year. He also sends an elf on a test run while we are at church :), who happens to leave new Christmas Eve pjs under the tree. This has kept my kids awake, alert and in anticipation of Christmas Eve service. My boys are now 11 and 12, and while they are definitely catching on, they still enjoy this tradition.

  207. Julie Downing

    LOVE this giveaway! My favorite Christmas memory took place many years ago when my 5 siblings and I were quite young. My dad decided to make this one year very special by placing a paper trail from our fireplace to our tree. He then stuck his work boots in the ashes and made Santa footprints along that paper trail. I remember waking up the next morning and seeing those footprints and how exciting it was – looking back I realize how much my dad loved us and wanted to make Christmas so fun and special. He is no longer with us but he certainly left many, many sweet memories behind and someday we will celebrate the King together for eternity!

  208. Amy

    My favorite memories are when I was a kid/teenager, we would go to my grandparents house every Christmas Eve and they would hire a Santa to deliver presents and visit all of us grandkids. It was a great time!

  209. Julie Howell

    I love Christmas, I remember as a kid going to some friends of the family every year for Christmas and loving every minute of it. We treated their grandparents as our own since ours were so far away and they were always so welcoming to us.

  210. Amber

    I think this Christmas is going to be very memorable for me. I’m pregnant with our second child and I’m seeing Mary’s part of the story in a whole new way. As I prepare for this baby, I find myself constantly stopping to think about what Mary was doing to prepare for the birth of Jesus. How does one prepare to be a mother to the son of God?

  211. Lisa Sickles

    My favorite Christmas memory is going to the candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve and then returning home to some quiet time with the family.

  212. Liz Dick

    Spending time in the kitchen with my mom and sisters.

  213. Michelle R

    This is hard because there are so many that come flooding in my mind right now. Every year we would go to my grandmothers house and I really enjoyed cooking with them. I have taken over the pie making for the holidays. But last year was our first Christmas with our little girl. So very special and wonderful!

  214. Roberta

    My favorite Christmas memory was the year I was getting a divorce and was completely broke and I didn’t have any money what-so-ever to spend on Christmas presents for my two small boys. My sister worked for the police department in another town and she added me to their list of needy families. I was so happy when two police officers showed up at my door with two green plastic garbage bags full of wrapped gifts for my boys. I till cry now when I think of it! My sister was so afraid that I would be mad or ashamed because another family that she had recommended refused the “charity”. I was so thrilled that my boys had Santa come to their house that night and when they opened their gifts it was as surprising and fun for me as it was for them.

  215. Brooke

    My favorite Christmas memory was the Christmas my family and I shared at the beach outside of Galveston. It was a nice change of pace from having Christmas at home… Plus it was the last time we were all together at our beach house before Katrina pushed back the water line and the GLO made us sell the house… We’ll always have our memories.

  216. Karen

    So many memories…mostly they are all good. Loved it when my boys were younger, they got so excited! I think I am ready to be a Grandma! I LOVE Daysprings decor.

  217. Jen E

    I’d have to say my favorite Christmas memory would be when I was a tween, probably 11 or 12 and I was spending the night at my grandmother’s for Christmas, which I did regularly growing up. It was Christmas morning and I got out of bed to head downstairs when my grandmother called from her bedroom, “Santa isn’t quite ready yet. You might want to go back to your room for a little while!”

    I probably could have just gone downstairs anyway, but I didn’t want to ruin the magic just yet, so I totally went right back to my room! :OP

  218. Andrea

    DaySprings things are so beautiful!!
    My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was fourteen and my three siblings and I came across a mysteriously labeled package that was to ”the youngest.” We passed it to my five year old brother, who was disappointed to see a lacy baby bonnet and a blue bib. After a couple of seconds, I gasped and yelled, ”No way!” Sure enough, there was a new youngest on the way. Having four siblings around at Christmas now is so much fun!

  219. Rachel

    I love decorating the tree with my family each year. We have SO MANY ornaments and almost every one has a story attached or came from someone special. So much fun every year.

  220. Crystal S.

    My favorite Christmas memory is the last Christmas spent with my grandmother when she was alive.

  221. Eva

    My favorite Christmas memory was one year a good friend of mine
    invited 10 of her most special friends over for a tea. We had a wonderful time and then she read “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. It ws her gift to all of us. It just proved to me that some of the best presents are not things at all.

  222. Jen

    My favorite Christmas memory is a tradition in our family. Every Christmas Eve four generations gather at my Grandma Jo’s house. After dinner and before presents the young cousins dress-up in hand-assembled costumes back in Grandma’s room. Then, as Grandma reads out of the Bible, they come walking into the living room…Mary and Joseph and usually a couple of angels, shepherds and a sheep or two. For a few moments, these children are still and quiet and holy looking. We all sing Silent Night as Mary places Baby Jesus in the manger.
    We’ve done this since I was a child, and now my children–the great grandchildren get to participate. Such wonderful memories!

  223. Leah

    favorite Christmas memory? the first Christmas my daughter was home (her first Christmas was spent in the NICU) and after opening a few gifts, walking in to see her sprawled out with daddy asleep :) perfect.

  224. Vickie

    A favorite Christmas memory is from 33 years ago when our second daughter was born! She was a month early but healthy and home in two days.

  225. becky

    Last year was the first year our twins really got into Christmas and they opened their Train Sets first. They played with them for several hours and did not want to open any other gifts. So cute. It was also quite memorable in 2006 when we were able to announce to the whole family that I was not only pregnant but pregnant WITH TWINS. That was great memory also.

  226. meeyeehere

    My favorite memory would be when my grandparents were still alive and I was about 8.I was always sick but I was really ill that Christmas and they had really bought way too many presents to make me feel better,also it actually snowed that year and my Dad came to see me and brought a present.That was a good Christmas
    [email protected]

  227. Courtney

    The Christmas before my wedding (I got married on December 31st). The planning was done and I was able to spend time with my family, my grandmother, and my future husband! Lovely!

  228. Jessica Enlow

    I will always remember that, although we did not have much, my Mother always tried to make Christmas so special for us. She would save all year just to get us a few things. One year my sister and I got a tape recorder and we had so much fun with that thing. I still have a few tapes that I listen to now and again.

  229. Jennifer Taylor

    I wish I could read everyone’s memories! They’re so great!

    Mine is that every Christmas morning, my mom would make us wait in our rooms while her and my dad lit a fire, got our hot chocolate ready and turned on Nat King Cole’s Christmas (it was a tape back then)! It was just so special to come out of our rooms to a roaring fire, hot chocolate and the very beginning chords…”Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”

    I can hear the beginning of that song anywhere and it stops me dead in my tracks with nostalgia!

  230. Jane

    We will always remember Christmas 1986 when we were in training to serve as missionaries by living cross culturally with a family in northern Mexico. Hearing the song, Feliz Navidad, always brings those sweet memories back.

  231. Patti

    A cherished Christmas tradition in our family is acting out the Christmas story. As kids my Dad would play the role of the donkey, I would be Mary and my brothers would take turns playing the Inn Keeper and Joseph etc. Now the grandchildren love to participate in keeping the tradition alive.

  232. SarahB

    My favorite Christmas memory is every year on Christmas Eve we have always gone to my Grandmother’s house to eat dinner and open presents. Then we would get home really late and head straight to bed so that Santa would come. I would swear that I heard Santas sleigh on the roof right as I went to sleep. Then the next morning we’d rush downstairs to open all our new presents.

  233. Whitney

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was the year my grandma taught me to make all her special Christmas treats, including her amazing fudge. It was rare one-on-one time with her and I always look back on that sweet memory and smile.

  234. Teresa S

    My favorite Christmas memory is from my childhood. We woke up one Christmas morning to a very white Christmas, only it wasn’t snow, it was ice. Us kids thought this was great fun because we were able to go ice skating on our front lawn.

  235. Susan

    My favorite Christmas was the one after my daughter was born. I watched her, sleeping, and her two older brothers and I just thought…I am so blessed.

  236. Kris

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is from when I was about 9 years old. My cousins from Georgia came to visit the ranch in Nebraska and we had a blast! My cousin was the same age as me and it was fun to introduce her to things like ice skating and sledding. I remember our grandpa bought us all-day suckers and we slept in sleeping bags in the living room all week long as we lived in a minute house. Looking back I can see that it would have been stressful for my mom, but for me it was a magical time!

  237. Lesley

    My favorite Christmas memories are the traditions we have–some of which have carried over from my childhood–picking out a special new ornament every year, rushing down the stairs on Christmas morning to look in stockings, and sharing a leisurely Christmas breakfast before opening gifts.

  238. Judy

    My favorite christmas memory from childhood is when my brother and I thought we saw a runner from Santa’s sleigh in the sky on Christmas Eve.

  239. edie

    I would take a pair of my husband’s work boots. and put baby powder on them to make foot prints in front of the chimmey. In the morning, I would say to my kids, “Look at that mess Santa made!”

  240. Allison

    Those pillow covers are wonderful!! I have too many favorite memories to remember- I think one of my favorite is our Christmas eve dinner with my family- even though we all have family’s now, it is still one of the traditions that has remained from when we were little kids- We go to church, come home and eat a dinner where a Ham & mozzarella stuffed meatloaf is the centerpiece of the meal. Mom said she initially started making it because it was budget friendly, and now the family won’t eat anything else on Christmas eve:)

  241. Shelby Krawczyk

    My favorite Christmas memories are of going to my grandma and grandpa’s house on Christmas day and spending the whole day with all of my extended family. To this day, we still all go to grandma and grandpa’s house every Christmas!

  242. Shannon

    Favourite Christmas memory… easy sneezy! Going for walks in a blizzard on Christmas eve with my dad when I was little. I have lots of favourites but that’s the first one that comes to mind. :)
    Thank you so much for hosting an awesome giveaway, yet again!

  243. Dawn

    What a great giveaway! My favorite Christmas memory was the year my son was born a few days before Christmas….bringing him home was so special.

  244. emilie

    My best Christmas memories is the time spent with my family every year, playing in the snow, enjoying all the good meals, having good laughs.

  245. kat

    I have so many memories but one silly tradition that we are carring on with my girls are opening one present on Christmas eve. They are always are Christmas pj’s!

  246. cassandralouise

    My favorite Christmas memory is slowly being made. We are celebrating my sons first Christmas this year, as well as welcoming a little girl into our family soon. I love that you can start your own traditions with your little family:)

  247. Ronnell

    Oh, my I have so very many wonderful Christmas Memories it is very hard. . . there are the special ornaments, the gifts I have gotten over the years, Christmas Eve Mass and on and on. But, I drive a lot and have been listening to Chirstmas muscie since before Thanksgiving and EVERY single time and Elvis Presley Christmas song comes on it takes me back to when I was a little girl at my grandparents. My uncle had one of those large stero’s that was a piece of furniture and there were always 33s of Elvis playing. Such good times! I can remember dancing in my handmade velvet dress my grandma made for me with so much love! Such wonderful memories!

  248. Melissa Murrey

    One of my favorite humorous memories was the year my little sister was 11 years old. We always opened our gifts with our parents on Christmas Eve, and when the gifts were handed out, one of hers was a really big box, she was so excited she decided to wait and open it last to build up the anticipation. Our mother kept telling her it wasn’t anything special but she was convinced it just had to be if it was in that big of a box. Well, when it was finally time to open her last gift, which was of course the big box, she slowly unwrapped all the paper, then slowly opened the box, and her face which had been lit up like a Christmas tree all evening, had a look of total horror and shock as she pulled a world globe out of the box, and her comment “A GLOBE? YOU GOT ME A GLOBE?” had all of us laughing so hard that we still laugh to this day about the GLOBE!!!

  249. Raquel

    Getting a real tree, the special treats, presents, lights, the kindness and hearing from old friends and family.

  250. Naomi

    I always loved getting up to see the tree with the lights on and the presents under it. It always took my breath away as a kid. It still does as an adult. Definitely the best memory of Christmas for me!

  251. Alexandra

    I have so many lovely Christmas memories… but all my favorites involve singing and music. When I was a kid, at Christmastime we’d gather round the piano (my brother played), and we’d get to request whichever carol we wanted to sing. Guess who requested the most?

  252. Blondefabulous

    One Christmas when I was 15, my father had us all pile in the car to go up North to visit our relatives over 500 miles away. I, being the usual teen, was upset because I wasn’t going to see my friends over the holidays. I sat in my own little world in the back seat of our van, sulking about not having our usual Christmas at home. No tree, no big dinner, no yuletide joy….. I was so depressed. Then, on I-75 in Georgia, there it was. My father pulled into the passing lane to go around a crappy, weird looking Chevette. As we got closer, I made out a huge 8 point deer head sitting on top of the car in a show box that had been decorated with a red, light up nose, ornaments on the antlers, and twinkle lights. The nose lit up when the driver hit the brakes! Then, as we passed the car…. there he was! Santa! Driving the chevette, waving, and wishing us a safe trip and Merry Christmas. At that moment, I realized just being with my family was the best gift and Christmas I could ever have. That was over 20 years ago and I still remember it to this day.

  253. Emily B

    Being snowed in at a Montana ski cabin, stringing popcorn and cutting paper snowflakes to decorate the little tree we had bought in Missoula on our way in.

  254. Keri

    I think the christmas memory that stands out the best is when I was about 12, my father purchased a stereo for me. On christmas morning I went down stairs to be told that my gift was hidden soemwhere in the house. I searched and searched for it, only to never find it. Eventually my father told me where to look. Hidden in my messy closet was my brand new stereo. It had been hidden in my closet for over a month and I never once saw it.

  255. Debby

    My Fav xmas memory is the our family xmas breakfast and dinner that we ALWAYS have. I have grown up with it and we will certainly keep this tradition going.

  256. Alissa

    My favorite Christmas memories are when we’d go to a tree farm to select our Christmas tree and the midnight Christmas Eve service at our church. There was nothing more magical than going to church late, late at night on Christmas Eve!

  257. Anna Kintigh

    When I was growing up, we lived in a large neighborhood. Every December our local firefighters would do a canned food drive. They would put out fliers letting us know they were coming. That night, we would always hear them when they were in other neighborhoods…we would talk about it and wait all night! Then, they would drive through our neighborhood with their trucks and ambulances, all the sirens going and Christmas music playing! They would stop at each house and collect the canned food, giving each child a candy cane. We would stand at the end of our driveway in our jammies, waiting excitedly.
    It was such a fun way to learn, as a child, about giving to others!

  258. Jenny

    My favorite Christmas memories always happen at the Christmas Eve candlelight services. There is something so peaceful and hopeful in those moments. PS I couldn’t wait. I already ordered my pillow cover!

  259. gretchen

    My favorite Christmas is every Christmas since my first child was born 18 years ago. Now, 10 children later, we have always had babies, toddlers, preschoolers and older children at Christmas time. Always fun, always full of beautiful memories.

  260. Genie Blazi

    My favorite memory was my first Christmas as a new mom…I loved being able to hold my baby and think about Mary and what she was feeling that day that she gave birth to the Messiah…it’s a year I will never forget!

  261. Karen Nevill

    Spending Christmas at Disneyworld with my daughter….priceless!

  262. Cori

    Oh I love the Nativity Candle Holders! And the bird pillow cover… so cute!

    I have a couple of favorite Christmas memories. One is that every year when I was younger, my family would drive around on Christmas Eve to look at all the Christmas lights. It was always so much fun and we always made a big deal about it! Another favorite Christmas memory is the last Christmas that my dad was alive. Every year my parents had their own Christmas Eve tradition after we kids went to bed that involved watching the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” and wrapping our presents. A few years ago (which happened to be my dad’s last Christmas) they let me join them. I just feel blessed that I was able to experience that with them, and it gives me one more special memory with my dad.

  263. Sandy Blaxland

    My favorite Xmas memories – Cookie decorating with my girls.
    Thanks for this opportunity to win.

  264. Pamela O.

    Favorite Christmas memory…getting my Cabbage Patch Doll when I was a little girl. There was nothing I wanted more in the world. :)

  265. Dianne

    I loved waking up and seeing all of the “surprise” visitors who showed up just for Christmas morning…aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. It was like magic.

  266. EricaW

    My favorite memory was going to my Aunt and Uncle’s home in Florida for Christmas when I was in high school. We don’t live near many family members so getting to spend a holiday with them was such a blessing.

  267. Sylvia

    I have SO many wonderful Christmas memories, but just spending time with my family every year is precious!

  268. Leah Rixmann

    My favorite Christmas memory is my last Christmas before my son went to be with the Lord. We had barely made it home from the hospital (chemo) to be home Christmas morning. He was only 5 and so desperately wanted to be home with his brothers. Christmas Eve, before bed, we played with the Karaoke machine and sang songs together. Before bed (we have this on video), Timmy prayed in the microphone the sweetest prayer of thankfulness that was ever prayed. It still melts my heart to hear it. What a wonderful Christmas we had.

  269. Brandie

    I loved our HUGE Christmas Eve parties with all of our extended families!

  270. KO

    growing up, my dad directed a men’s chorus and every year they performed a Christmas concert. I always loved the concert, but my favorite was every year my dad performing “Twas the night before Christmas”. He has since passed away, and every year that is one of the things I miss most.

  271. Tami Cooper

    Don’t tell my family I wrote this but the memory that springs to mind is one that happened while we were stationed in Okinawa, Japan. (Go Navy!) On Christmas eve we hosted a large informal gathering of other service members/family. None of us had family in town but getting together to laugh and eat and share a holiday made us close like family. What a blessing!

  272. Tara

    My favorite Christmas memory is from my senior year of high school. It was 1998 and there was a huge ice storm in north LA that knocked the power out for over a week. So my family, my grandparents, and aunt & uncle packed up and drove down to New Orleans. We stayed in hotels and had Christmas dinner at a Vietnamese place because it was the only thing open. It was like something out of “A Christmas Story.” It was very unconventional but a really fun time, and it was sure better than sitting in a freezing house with no heat or power!

  273. Jacqueline Presley

    Favorite Christmas memory:

    Going to see my dad & Gramps in a snow storm.

  274. Amanda

    I remember decorating hundreds of sugar cookies with my grandma and my family. It was a great time and very messy.There was a lot of finger-licking involved. :)

  275. Megan S

    My favorite Christmas memory is the time when I was younger I spent weeks cutting out a ton of intricate paper snowflakes. On Christmas eve while everyone was asleep I snuck downstairs and hung all the snowflakes from the ceiling around the tree. My whole family was VERY surprised on Christmas morning.

  276. teresa

    One of the sweetest memories I have of my children growing up is seeing them sitting one by one in order on the Christmas steps waiting for us to give the okay to come see what was under the tree…so cute.
    What a fabulous giveaway.
    Happy Day

  277. Katie Seest

    My favorite Christmas memory was 1994 and my brand new husband (of 2 whole days) and I were in a hotel room in Charleston, SC wondering how on earth we should celebrate Christmas w/o our families (we both come from good sized, close, fun ones). His mom had packed a tiny decorated tree in our suitcase, the hotel had a lovely brunch and upgraded our room when they found out we were newlyweds. It ended up being a fun (although ridiculously quiet) Christmas!

  278. Leigh Anne

    The Christmas I figured out “Santa” I got to stay up late w/ my mom & wrap presents while my bro & sis slept. I thought I was soooo special. It is a wonderful memory :)

  279. Lisa

    My favorite Christmas memory will always be the year God gave us our 3-week-old beautiful baby girl. It truly was a Christmas miracle! I was preparing to meet my husband at his office Christmas party when my mom called and asked if I wanted a baby girl {excuse me, what?}…she worked with someone who’s baby niece needed a forever family and she knew we would want that little girl! My parents had already hired an attorney and gotten the process all lined up in the 2 weeks prior. Within 3 days of that phone call we had temporary custody & on the 31st day (in January) she was ours forever!! I remember on the day before our first hearing my family was gathered in a circle praying prayers of thanksgiving & asking for God to take charge of the whole process. I literally felt the Father’s loving arms cradling, comforting & loving me. 18 years later, it is still my favorite Christmas memory :)

  280. Karen

    My favorite Christmas memory was seeing the wonder in my children’s eyes the first time the tree was lit up.

  281. Lucia

    Oh, it has to be the wonderful Christmas my 12-year-old son got his motorized go cart! He looked and looked for it, and it was hidden right under his nose in the garage! After opening gifts, he was told to go get the big garbage can in the garage to put all the torn wrapping paper in…and there was the Go-Cart! Never, ever a better surprise! And he is all grown up now, married and he and his wife are expecting their second child! I hope he has wonderful memories like mine, soon!!

  282. Sangeetha

    My favorite Christmas is the first one with my son. I could almost hear the angels singing when he smiled at the tree all lighted up!

  283. Karen

    Favorite Christmas memory…one of many…is just the feeling of being at my grandma’s house, eating pfeffernusse cookies.

  284. Sarah

    My favorite Christmas memory was Christmas 1982. There was a huge blizzard on Christmas Eve and we were stuck in the house for days, it was so much fun. I remember all the gifts being wrapped in newspaper because my parents didn’t have the chance to get any wrapping paper. I remember opening the front door on Christmas morning and the snow was literally over my head. I don’t really remember much about presents, I just remember how much fun we had that year just playing with each other and spending time together, with dad not having to work.

  285. Ren

    When I was growing up, my family went to my grandparent’s house every Christmas. My older cousins would always plan some fun outdoor activity (sledding, hockey, trailblazing, etc.) after we opened up gifts and you never knew what we would wind up doing next year. It was always different. It was always really fun, though!

  286. Sharalyn

    I loved going to CA to my grandparents’ & Great-grandparents’ homes. The whole family would get together on Christmas Eve, and the kids would get to whack a pinata for candy. Lots of love, fun, and family. :-)

  287. Jenna Hilgers

    I remember every year we would get a REAL Christmas tree and while my mom and dad were getting the lights on the tree and sugar cookies baked, us kids were in the other room watching the ‘California Raisin’s Christmas’ video. We always tried peeking into the other room, but as SOON as the video was over we all RUSHED into the kitchen/living room. Then we spend the evening decorating cookies, the tree, and listening to Amy Grant Christmas music on our record player :)

  288. Marla

    One Christmas my parents hosted BOTH sides of the family with great aunts, grandparents, a few cousins, even some people from our church. That little 3-bedroom house was crammed full of people, but wow! The memories bring back laughter, peace, joy, and love STILL that eminated from that gathering!

  289. Amanda L.

    A few years ago after moving from NJ to FL, we found some old crates that had belonged to my Grandpa. Turns out they were full of vintage Christmas ornaments. They’re the star of our tree now, and it feels like he’s with us in a small way.

  290. Diane

    Thank you for this opportunity!!!

    My favorite memory was on Christmas Eve when I was about 8 years old. Sometime in late in the evening our house was lit with the lights of the tree, and an old fashioned candle tree, and candlelight. My mom got out the tall china cocoa pot with violets on it and a two elderly female neighbors came over and we had hot cocoa in tiny cocoa mugs covered with violets and some sweets to eat. It was magical to me. And 47 years later I can remember the scene as if were yesterday. *sigh*

  291. Karen

    My favorite childhood memory was helping my Gradma make cookies and her famous fruitcake. My cousin and I had a very special job ~ it was gathering the walnuts and cracking each one with a hammer. It took forever to get enough walnuts, but it was so fun. I treasure those days spent with my Grandma.

  292. Kim Rowland

    I think my favorite Christmas memory was last year when my MIL and FIL spent the night with us on Christmas Eve. They helped Santa assemble all the difficult gifts, and MIL helped me get a head start on our family brunch items. The grandparents were able to experience our kids as they enjoyed Santas gifts and all of the Christmas morning excitement!
    [email protected]

  293. Debbie H

    I have SO been ‘wanting’ that Nativity Hurricane set! :) My favorite Christmas memory – I was about 8 years old and had just come down with the mumps – so our family couldn’t visit grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins….so we stayed home…and played games. I remember playing bingo and my mom had gathered up some little prizes (probably from garage sales) and we played. It was so simple & fun! May it be a reminder to all of us that we just need to remember the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of family memories AND simplicity! Merry Christmas!

  294. kate

    My favorite Christmas memory is of our second Christmas with our first child – by his second Christmas he was a whirling dervish of fun and every Christmas tradition was brand new. We were able to pass on some of our joy to him – but he increased ours tenfold. There is nothing like a pajama clad toddler on Christmas morning.

  295. Kristen

    Hmmmm…so many. I love the memory of being pregnant for the first time at Christmas. I had a miscarriage a few months before and I was a little bit scared, but thrilled and sick at the same time. That entire season was so special.

  296. Fiona's Mosaic

    OK favorite Christmas memory…….waking up in the middle of the night to nurse the baby to see a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. I got a comforter and set it in the rocking chair, then sat down with the wee one and wrapped us both up in it. The Christmas lights were still on as it was Christmas Eve. That’s one of our Christmas Eve traditions is to leave the lights on all night. The Christmas lights gleamed from under the snow, and I watched the snow fall, in the middle of the night, rocking my baby. I realized then that even though life is hard, that there are those beautiful moments (if we look for them) that are so perfect, and so full of sweetness and promise. I held my baby against my heart and cried a little, just from the sheer beauty of this gift wrapped moment from God. I will never forget it.

  297. Cameron Stimson

    My favorite Christmas memories are when “Santa’s elves” would bring matching pajamas for my brother and me. We would discover them by the tree when we got home from my grandparents’ Christmas Eve dinner every year. It was such an exciting find for us! My mom STILL won’t share how the “elves” were able to accomplish this! :-)

  298. Angie

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is only from last year. We have two boys, one of whom we adopted in March of 2009, after he came to live with us in May of 2008. Well, last year, right around Thanksgiving, God blessed us with a baby girl, who was right around 2 months old. At Christmas, we had this precious baby girl, who got to spend her first Christmas with us. Her adoption into our family will be in early 2011, and we thank God for the Thanksgiving/Christmas gift that He gave us last year!

  299. Casey

    One of my favorite memories is putting up my great-great aunt’s Christmas tree year after year for her….and telling her, please don’t take it down until I’m back and I’ll do everything for you after the holidays! And evvvery year, she’d yank it down and shove it back in the box, lights and all. And evvvery year, it would be a tangled mess and we would laugh and say, no really, this year please wait for me to take it down…and so the story goes :) I adore the elderly, really. Precious.

  300. Kristen

    One of my favorite Christmas Memories is not technically a “memory” it’s a tradition. I enjoy reading “The Polar Express” for the first time each season. Now I am able to share this experience with my son it brings back all the joy! I cry each time I read it!

  301. Samantha

    My favorite memory was with our oldest child when he was about 3. We went to a fabulous outdoor nativity. We wound our way through Bethlehem with all of the people and animals. It was really neat. But then we got to the stable (cave) and there were Mary and Joseph a real baby. He walked so slowly and quietly up to the little rail in front with wide eyes and a sense of awe and just whispered “Jesus.” I can’t even type it without tears. I want us always to have that sense of awe at Christmas time.

  302. Nana K

    My favorite Christmas memory at the present moment is my first Christmas with my husband, 31 years ago. He surprised me with a rocker; I LOVE rocking chairs!

  303. Lorrie

    Christmas memories are so plentiful. But one of my favorites from my own childhood is visiting my grandparents’ homes. They were each unique but the love was the same. And both always prepared brown paper bags of candy, nuts, and and orange for us.

  304. Paula

    My favorite Christmas memory is the first Christmas my husband & I spent together after we married: even though he was an adult – he had never put up a Christmas tree in his bachelor apartment. He just always enjoyed the one at his parents home when he would visit on the weekends.

    He had the absolute best time decorating our tree! He was like a kid in a candy store: we sipped hot chocolate, listened to Christmas carols – & started his ornament collection. Every year I think of how he never shared this tradition with anyone else – & how many years he waited just for me!!

  305. Page

    Love this! One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year my uncle put on a Santa hat and ran by the window, tricking me into thinking he was an elf. Your eyes will play tricks on you when you’re six years old!

  306. Lien O'Neill

    My favorite Christmas memory is waking up on Christmas mornings and eagerly waking my parents up and waiting at the top of the stairs with my siblings for the cue to come downstairs. We always checked our stockings first then went en mass to the parlor to be surprised by the presents under the tree.

  307. Vee

    How nice of Dayspring! My favorite Christmas memory, recently shared on my blog, is of falling asleep listening to my grandparents playing Christmas carols. My grandmother played the piano and my grandfather accompanied her on his violin. Very precious memories of falling asleep in that cozy upstairs bedroom under the eaves…

  308. Karen

    My favorite Christmas memory is the Christmas my husband and I took our 2 sons to London on Christmas day. They were teens and we had rented a flat in the city which made us feel like we were in our own home! It was a wonderful, bonding time to reflect on our close family ties and the good fortune we enjoy.

    Karen

  309. Kristen

    Um, that glass dome is amazing!!
    My favorite Christmas memory is acting out the birth of Christ every Christmas eve. Since I was a little girl we would dress up as shepherds, wisemen, etc. It is wonderful.

  310. Lisa Summerhays

    Every year on Christmas Eve we open a pair of new PJ’s, put them on, then go drive around and look at the Christmas lights and displays.

  311. Jessie C.

    My favorite Christmas memory is the one we had in Japan. Not like the traditional one we had in the states, but very interesting and we enjoyed a big family get together.

  312. Rebekah

    My favourite Christmas memory was one winter when my dad had to work until midnight on Christmas eve, so we waited up for him to open gifts. I killed some time by hopping on my warm fuzzy horse and just sitting in the quiet. It wasn’t really dark because the snow brightened things up , but the stars were out and it was a beautiful, cool night. I’ll never forget that.

  313. Amanda

    One of my favorite christmas memories is going Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve with my entire family. It is a wonderful tradition we started the year my grandmother died. We get such a blessing seeing the joy on the faces of those we sing to!

  314. Julie C

    Gifts wrapped with colored Sunday comics as their was no money beyond 2 homemade gifts. I still have one of those gift 37 years later!

  315. Mary

    Getting out the plastic Nativity scene with my mom.

  316. Kandace

    My all-time favorite Christmas memory was last year because it was the first Christmas spent with my husband as newlyweds. We had fun decorating our own home.

    We weren’t able to afford rings right away so he surprised me with mine on Christmas Day!

  317. KayLynn

    My favorite Christmas memory is also more of a tradition…I love going to Christmas Eve service at the church I grew up in, seeing everyone home for Christmas, singing, and listening to the Christmas story again. I never get tired of hearing about God becoming a helpless baby for us. Amazing!

  318. Joy

    I cherish the memory of our three kids sleeping under the Christmas tree when the were young.

  319. Casey

    Visiting the holiday express that comes through here every year is one of the things we look forward to each year.

  320. Tanya

    So many Christmas memories with my Grandma (miss her so) I remember sitting at the kids table & finally reaching the age of being included with the grown-ups. I want to go back to the kids table lol!

  321. Paige

    One of my favorite Christnmas memories is opening one present on Christmas Eve night…new pajamas! We (my sister and I) are grown up now and don’t live at home with my Mom anymore, but we still get new pjs every year, and we love it!

  322. Jessica

    My favorite Christmas memory is of my mom creating advent activity boxes for us every year. We had 24 little boxes, and each had a slip of paper with an advent activity listed, i.e. making cookies, setting up the nativity, getting our tree. It was an awesome tradition!

  323. Jennifer

    One of my favorite Christmas Memories was last year when we were snowed in on Christmas Eve and we spent the day having a snowball fight, playing games by the fire, and trying roasted chestnuts for the first time!

  324. Jennifer B.

    Oh my goodness! I love those nativity hurricane vases! I’m a newlywed without a large budget to decorate our home for our first Christmas. I did our tree for less than $11!
    My favorite Christmas memories are all wrapped up in the traditions of things. I think my favorite is my grandma’s birthday party each year. Her birthday is on December 23rd, so we go Christmas caroling as a family (in four-part harmony!) in order to bless others and have fun bonding as a family – including aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, parents, siblings, and any friends who happen to want to come along. :)

  325. Katie M

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my parents surprised us with a trip to Disney World!

  326. Melinda

    My parents always made Christmas special. Me and my siblings were always so excited because unlike kids today we ONLY got presents at Christmas and birthdays. We didn’t even know that Walmart had a toy department…hehehe…So we couldn’t wait for Santa!

  327. Lindsey

    My favorite Christmas memory is a new one. My husband and I are celebrating our first Christmas this year. When we got our Christmas tree, we spent HOURS moving and rearranging all the furniture in our tiny apartment, trying to find the best way to squeeze the tree in there. (Finally we decided to get rid of the tv for the time being–it’s in a closet now.) At the end of the night, we plopped on the couch exhausted, but perfectly happy with our first tree. :)

  328. Jessi

    I pretty much love everything about Christmas, but my favorite memory has to be the year our tree fell down (when I was a little girl). Now, my dad always hated having to do the whole tree ‘bit’….seems like every year he’d get mad at the tangled lights, and more than once they went sailing across the room in a fit of frustration. But the year the whole entire decorated tree came down…well, after multiple times of trying to readjust it, my dad came storming in with some huge nails and a hammer….and nailed the durn thing right to the floor!! It didn’t seem like a ‘good time’ in the moment, but every year after that we’d look back and laugh hysterically at dad’s tree antics, and the year he nailed it to the floor. He’s gone now, and we miss him lots, but are thankful for such fun memories.

    And I also ADORE the nativity candles, so I’m hoping, hoping, hoping to win…and even if I won the grand prize, I’d buy the candles!! :)

  329. Eleanor

    One of my kids accepted Jesus as their Savior during a sleepover under the tree.

  330. sandy

    Twenty-two years ago I married my man at Christmas. That has been the best memory!

  331. Debbie

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is that of seeing the delight in my little one’s eyes as they take in the wonder of twinkling lights, Christmas trees & wrapping paper! They didn’t really care about the present inside, but would rather play with all of the wrappings!

  332. christine sloane

    building a fire in the fireplace that we a little to big and we had flames shooting out of our chimney! lucky, no damage done, it was exciting!!!

  333. Tiffany

    Last night my daughter and I were taking out all of my Hallmark Christmas ornaments that I began collecting as a little girl. Most of them dated back to 1992. My favorite memory consists of the day after Christmas, heading to the Hallmark store to buy more ornaments for our collection. It is something I hope to pass to my children.

  334. Cathy Stech

    My favorite Christmas is just having all the family together on Christmas eve at my nan’s.. sometimes this was the ONLY time in the year we saw some of our cousins! Good food and Family!

  335. Montee Wellman

    My favorite memory is mama decorating the tree (my little sister and I helped where we could) with her Christmas albums playing and us singing along.

  336. Celeste

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is from when I was 9 years old. My parents took my sister & I to Chatanooga, TN & we went on a “Polar Express train ride.” It was replicated from the book … complete with the cookies, hot chocolate, and we each got a silver bell. It was such a magical experience!

  337. heidi lynn

    I’ve never heard of day spring before, but I already love them! Beautiful things!!

  338. Nancy

    I loved to set up the handcrafted nativity set every year as a child. My father made the stable and a friend made the figures. I have it now in my home, including the 55+ year old straw in the manger.

  339. Hope Evarts

    We like to do a 12 days of Christmas with our family… with a twist. We choose a neighbor or family we would either like to get to know better or show we love them. Then we proceed to secretly drop off little gifts every day signifying the 12 days before Christmas. (we either doorbell ditch or leave on the doorstep — trying to keep secret!) On the last day, we deliver the final gift with al lthe family. We have made forever friends this way!

  340. Sherri

    My favorite memory is the Christmas my parents gave me a beautiful long, red winter coat. I had seen it in a store – a beautiful red and a perfect fit (and on sale!), but I had to go back home to get my money to purchase it. When I went back to the store a few days later, the coat was gone. I was pretty disappointed. Christmas morning I opened a large package from my parents… and there was my coat!! What a blessing and I still have it!

  341. Karen

    About 8 years old and opened a gift on Christmas Eve with my dad’s side of the family. The box showed it was a Tonka truck – what? There had been a mistake! It was a name draw and so I knew I was only getting one gift that night and this was it…. I pulled it together -eager to please, and smiled and thanked my Aunt & Uncle. I remember adults laughing, drinks and cigarettes in hand – go on…open it they taunted. I wasn’t sure why I should continue the humiliation but I went forth anyway. What – a camera inside? Lordy, lordy – just what I wanted! Shocked for sure. :-)

  342. Andrea

    My favorite Christmas memory has to be from my childhood. My grandmother’s house was always the destination and there was ALWAYS a counter full of snacks and food. Adults played cards or dominoes while the kids played in the playroom upstairs. What’s special about that playroom? All of our parent’s toys from their childhood were still in there. The original hotwheels tracks (the orange ones you know?), actual wooden blocks, etc.

  343. Leanne

    I always love decorating the tree, there is something so magical about a fully lit tree with special ornaments to remind us of good times and loved ones.

  344. Colby

    My favorite Christmas memory is going ice skating on the small little rink my dad used to make in the wheat field in front of our house (I grew up on a farm)! Then coming in to a hot breakfast and hot chocolate made by my fabulous mom! Now that I am grown with my own little one I can’t wait to start the tradition over!

  345. Kristen

    My favorite Christmas memory was my first Christmas with my husband. It was the first snowy Christmas we’d ever had and we got snowed in!

  346. Joan Morris

    I just found you today and I am so inspired by your blog and your ideas. I will be back often to see what you have to offer. Thank you so much for sharing.
    Joan

  347. Jenn F

    Christmas eve candlelight service when I was a kid. We don’t have these at the larger church I attend now. It was definitely a favourite memory!

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  348. KatieJ

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the countdown calendar we used to have hanging in our dining room growing up. It was a tree that had a bunch of felt ornaments (nice ones) and we would take turns hanging the ornaments as we counted down to Christmas!

  349. Rachel

    Thank you for the opportunity to enter. I enjoy your blog and can so identify with you. I love the candles and would love to own them. The pillow covers are very special as well. I love the on with the leaves – Enjoy His wonders.
    ~Rachel

  350. Bronwyn

    My family would often go up to the mountains to cut a beautiful tree in the National Forest. The year I was 13, my mom had a miscarriage and was in bed and my dad was too busy at work to take us, plus he and mom were too low to want to anyway. My little sister and I found a tree on our own property and cut it down. Then my other two sisters joined us to set it up and decorate the house. It’s a bittersweet memory of making a beautiful Christmas for our family during a sad season of life.

  351. Maren

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my grandma would come early Christmas morning and honk her horn as she pulled in. that was our signal that we could run out to the tree and see what Santa had brought.

  352. erica

    Being in the church plays as a kid was so fun! I loved learning my lines and dressing up and putting on the show!

  353. Lauren

    One favorite memory was celebrating Christmas in Colorado. The day was beautiful and we ice skated on a lake with family.

  354. Melissa Lynch

    We drove through a living nativity . Perfect silence is requested until my Dad’s donkey (he had loaned to the chuch) recognized the children. He was bellowing at them and they were screaming MAMA MAMA It’s squeaky!!

  355. bek

    The year our family had gone through a very difficult time and all 5 of us took communion as a family on Christmas Eve. It was wonderful.

  356. Nancy

    I don’t think I could possible choose a favorite Christmas memory. But one that is really high up there is the year I was a senior in high school and we got a puppy for Christmas. I’d been asking for one for the past 10+ years but never thought it would actually happen. Christmas morning my Dad walks in with the most darling puppy ever. It was awesome!
    Thanks for the great giveaway.

  357. Susie O'Connell

    Some of my favorite Christmas memories have always been the church services on Christmas Eve. The decorations, lights, candles and fabulous music about Jesus’ birth bring tears to my eyes every time!

  358. rachel

    one of my favorite christmas memories is the year I got a doll house, after my parents told me I was much too young to have a “real” doll house. Santa pulled though. : )

  359. Adele

    My favorite memory is waiting in the hall, lined up oldest to youngest waiting to go into the family room to see what Santa left us. We always had so much fun in that hallway before Christmas Day actually even started.

  360. Courtney

    I loved driving around looking at Christmas lights with my family. Now, I do it with my own kids…our tradition is to get them milkshakes (which is a big treat!) and drive down a few streets that go nuts with Christmas lights. Now, one of my favorite memories is being continued and becoming a favorite time with my little ones! Getting to see it again through their eyes is one of the joys of being a parent now.

  361. Jodie Reimink

    My favorite memory is one year when my parents gave me skiis. I was totally suprised that they had slid them under the chair and footstool where I was sitting!

  362. punkinmama

    My favorite Christmas memory involves my son singing “The Best Gift”. It took several conversations (about why presents aren’t the best thing about Christmas) before he would sing it, but now he starts right in from the first word!

  363. Erin

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is from my childhood. Every year my mom and my aunt spent two days baking cookies! We basically camped out at my aunt’s house (which actually was pretty common year round…they were closer than any two people I’ve ever known). There were cookies on every single surface!

    I don’t even remember who all they gave those cookies to!

    But me and my cousin would eat cookies until we were sick!! Literally one year! LOL

    My mom died when I was 10 years old…and every memory I have of her involves my aunt. They were so close! :)

  364. Bridget Brecheen

    When I was a young girl , I was a Girl Scout. My father owned a printing company in San Diego, so he printed up tons of beautiful Christmas cards. My troop signed each card and there were hundreds. We took those cards one evening to several nursing homes, passing out Christmas cards to every resident as we sang Christmas carols going from room to room. Their faces lit up as we entered their rooms and began to sing. At the end of the song we would wish them a Merry Christmas and give them a card. It still touches my heart 40 years later.

  365. Angela

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is gathering around the living room while my dad would read the Christmas story from the Bible. It still amazes me. . . . that Jesus would be born for us!

  366. Shelly

    My favorite Christmas memory is sitting in the 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service with my family all around me. I get choked up just thinking about it.

  367. Courtney

    My favorite Christmas memory was chopping down a tree at a tree farm that took you out in a horse-drawn sleigh and then the hot cocoa that was in the shop afterwards. So fun!!
    clsch6(at)gmail(dot)com

  368. Alicia

    It’s fun to read everyone’s memories. My favorite memory is looking for the hiding elf (similar to the Elf on a Shelf.) Whoever found him got to hide him for the rest of the family to find.

  369. Heather

    It’s nothing major, but one of my favorite things about the season is making my grandma’s sugar cookies. I remember being in her kitchen (I could have only been four at the time) and rolling the dough with her, cutting out the shapes, frosting the baked cookies, and wondering if you ate the metal non-pareils. She passed away when I was only five, but that evening I spent in her kitchen is so vivid to me. After that, my mom and I (along with my three rowdy brothers) would always make Grandma’s recipe and decorate Christmas sugar cookies. And now, it’s a tradition with my own son and every Christmas he helps me make his great-grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe.

  370. Melissa

    Wow I love all these new items. My favorite Christmas memories have been the ones that my entire family spent Christmas all together in Colorado. We rent a big house and stay there for a week!

  371. Wendy

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is waking up really early with my husband the day after Thanksgiving when our kids were really young. We had the house decorated and had all their Christmas books, videos, and stuffed animals set out with Christmas doughnuts to eat when they woke up. They were so thrilled.

  372. Kimmie S

    Oh, I love the silverware caddy and pillows!!

  373. els

    Coming from Europe to America my first biggy ever Christmas was when i saw the over whelming amount of gifts. It was amazing to me!
    I had looked at magazines, and watched plenty of tv with American shows. But to actually be part of it… it was over the top amazing!

  374. Heather

    My favorite Christmas memory has to be going to my granny and grandpa’s house on Christmas afternoon. My mom would wrap my hair in pink foam rollers before the 2 hour car ride. Then when we got there she would wisk me upstairs and undo my rollers and put my beautiful dress on. I would then make my grand entrance all pretty and ready to celebrate with my family.

  375. Carmen

    I love the excitement every year of my kid on Christmas morning. It’s magical. :)

  376. Allison

    My favorite Christmas memory…when I was in elementary school, my parents invited a homeless man over for Christmas dinner. My Dad had met the man while running errands one day and was comfortable enough with him to invite him over. He didn’t have any family and was recently out of work. I will never forget my parent’s expression of kindness and generosity to him. As a young child, I learned, in a tangible way, about the unconditional love of God from my parents.

  377. Julie R

    My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve getting into our pj’s, packing home made cookies and driving around looking at all the lights on houses in the surrounding neighborhoods. We listen to Christmas music, munch on yummy cookies and have a wonderful time. Then we come home and get the boys into bed before Santa comes.

  378. kelly

    One of my favorite memories was the first time my daughter and I went to see the Nutcracker Ballet together. =0)

  379. Misty

    One of my favorite memories is of driving around town, looking at Christmas lights and eating homemade caramel corn. It’s cold outside, but warm and safe and even cozy in the car…

  380. cyndi

    I always smile when I remember the year I asked all of the children, nieces too, to perform in some way as a Christmas gift for our family. They did various fun things, played piano, shared a poem, etc. My 7 year old put on a complete Christmas story drama using her Barbies. She had it all prepared, they were dressed according to biblical times and everything. Was quite creative, and inspiring, as we could not have shared the story of our saviours birth with extended family without offending them, but a small child could and did so sweetly and innocently. always amazes me what God can do when the heart is right.

  381. Loraena

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was one of the first dates I ever went on with my husband. We were in college and he escorted me concert put on by a special guest musician to the students. The custom at our school was that students would dress up and give each other little gifts such events. He went over the top and picked me up bearing a fuzzy Christmas stocking. Inside were sprigs of pine needles and a collectable edition of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. That’s when I knew he was serious about getting to know me. =)

  382. Micha

    My favorite Christmas memory and tradition is the lighting of the Christmas Tree. Our Christmas tree remains decorated yet unlit until Christmas Eve when we receive our presents (according to German tradition). We will wait in a bedroom until everything is ready and enter the livingroom to the glorious blaze of the Christmas tree and music playing in the background. Presents really are so very secondary for that special moment :o)

  383. Debby Jones

    I’m the mother of three daughters and over twenty-five years ago our oldest daughter (then 8 yrs. old) decided that there really wasn’t a Santa . Every year we would put cookies and milk out for Santa and a plate of carrots out on the front porch for the reindeer. She didn’t want to anymore being an unbeliever, but we convinced her that her two younger sisters still believed so the tradition continued. This particular year however, a very good friend went out to a friends farm and scooped up cow patties and brought them in to town and distributed in our yard and took a plastic hoof and made hoof prints in the yard. When our girls woke the next morning and the cookies were gone and the carrots were gone and they saw the hoof prints and cow patties, all THREE of the girls eyes were as big as saucers and were believers once more! PRICELESS

  384. Colleen

    Each year when I unwrap my ornaments, I have special memories of the people that gave them to me.

  385. Sarah

    My favorite memories would be our yearly traditions: having different kinds of soup for Christmas Eve, sitting around in a big ol’ circle to watch each person open their gifts, hanging out around the fire just being silly.

  386. Deb Martell

    Lutefisk and lefsa and my nana’s!

  387. Kat Ward

    My favorite Christmases were all in Germany where my Army family lived for 3 years when I was in grade school. Germans know how to do Christmas! One year I got a German dollhouse that I saved and passed down to my daughters.

  388. rachel c

    My favorite christmas memories were last year when my girls and I decorated red velvet cakes for Jesus’ birthday and put the last items on our Jesse tree. We had the house completely darkened except for the advent candles and the lights of the garland where we hung our Jesse tree ornaments – the atmosphere was so special, and it really helped create a feeling of awe as we all celebrated the Savior that was born!

    I’m loving the dayspring stuff – hope I win! :-)

  389. megan

    my favorite christmas memory is the first christmas i spent with the man who would become my husband. we were married 3 days later.

  390. Stacey

    One of my favorite memories was when we were expecting our 2nd child whose due date was Dec. 23rd. I remember snuggling with & singing Christmas Carols to our then-2-year-old while our 2nd child took up most of my lap as we all waiting for her arrival!

  391. Katie Fisher

    Those festive hurricane candle holders with the nativity scene really are beautiful. What a fun giveaway, thanks Saul for offering the gift(s) through Melissa’s blog!

    Growing up I was clueless about the financial strain in our family. I was clueless because everyday my mom would have baked goods waiting for us and my stepdad would have a fire going in our woodstove. My favorite Christmas memory unfolds in this backdrop. I remember vividly coming home from school chilled from the 10 minute walk. I walked into our tiny home ans was immediately warmed by the smell of orange pomanders soaking in water being warmed on the woodstove. My mom had divinity resting on the counter. Of course I couldn’t miss the smell of fresh pine from our Christmas tree. Nothing specific happened that day, nothing big or hugely exciting. I merely love thinking back to how my mom worked so hard to make the entire month of December feel like Christmas by doing small things everyday. Nothing fancy or expensive. So no matter how many gifts (if any) were under the tree, Christmas was always Christmas because of the warm fires, the yummy treats, and decision to celebrate no matter our lot in life. Something I hope to pass on to my daughters.

  392. Heather Kendrick

    My favorite Christmas memory is actually from this year. We had 3 children placed in our home in August for adoption. We had them make a christmas list and look through some catalogs and mark what they would like. These kids are 14, 12 and 10 and it was like watching a group of 6 year olds look through those books. And last night we asked them what they expect Christmas to be like and the 14 year old boy said “Like you see on TV – running in and waking you and Dad and opening stockings, sitting around in jammies, laughing and opening gifts. My last Christmas’ in the group home were me awake playing video games and watching tv while everyone else slept – just a regular day, nothing special.” It melted and broke my heart at the same time. I am SOOOOOO excited for christmas morning this year!!!!!!

  393. Darby

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is from when I was a little little girl. About 4 years old. My Grandparents lived on a farm in North Dakota. So lots of snow. They went to a country church that had luminaries lighting up the driveway into it – that sparkled on the snow for Christmas Eve services. The church service itself was just always full candle light and song. I always imagined that here out in the middle of no where this little church lighting up the darkness – not only in lights from candles but the joy of song.

  394. Wendy C

    Too many favorite memories to think of just one – I just love being together and enjoying family. My current favorite this is attending Church and joyfully singing the songs announcing Christ has come!

  395. Melissa H

    I loved helping decorate the Christmas tree as a child. Maybe it was the creative aspect of arranging the ornaments, I don’t know.

  396. Katie

    I love decorating the tree with our kids the day after Thanksgiving!

  397. Shelly Nissley

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is how our family watched “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” year after year (and most often with another family whom we were all best friends with) . . . and then how in later teenage years we would sometimes skip watching it and just recite line after line to each other and *laugh* til our sides hurt!

  398. Wendy S.

    My favorite childhood christmas was the year Santa brought me a prized cabbage patch kid.Tom Herby.Oh ,I loved that doll so much!I passed him onto my own daughter who loves him just as much as I did. : )

  399. Leah Marie

    My favorite Christmas memory was the year my parents decided to have Santa make an early drop-off at our house. Thinking we would be excited to get to see him. Instead, we were so terrified, we cried! Ahh, the joys of Christmas. Needless to say, that was a trick they never tried on my baby brother!

  400. Carolyn

    My favorite Christmas memory happened just a few years ago. We were really struggling financially and the youth group at our church adopted our family. We knew this was coming and the kids didn’t. The bigger surprise that another family in the church adopted our kids at the same time and some of our dear friends left us and left us an envelope full of money and gift cards so we too could put presents under the tree for our kids. I love looking back at the pictures from that Christmas and remembering how blessed we are. God is faithful and He has put some amazing people in my family’s life!! God Bless and Merry Christmas!!!

  401. Sonya B

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my family traveled to W.VA when I was a young girl. My entire family was there, my cousin got married on Christmas Eve and it snowed tha most beautiful snow I had ever seen that year. The memory of all those things will stay with me forever

  402. Kelly Hollstrom

    Going to Grandma’s after we opened our presents at home. Football playing on TV in the background while we played with our new toys. Opening a small gift on Christmas eve, watching a Christmas movie and eating special treats….of course leaving something for Santa to eat too!

  403. heidi

    Decorating the tree with my children will always be a Christmas favorite for me. We take the time to open each ornament, one by one, and sharing the story about how it came to be a part of our menagerie – some are hand-me-downs from my parents, grandparents, etc; some reflect our life changes (first year married, baby’s first christmas); others show the kids’ art & crafts through the years. I could never give this ritual or the ornaments up, it means so much to me!

  404. Stacey

    Doing projects together as a family-everything from decorating the tree and the house, to making edible goodies as well as homemade Christmas gifts for everyone.

  405. Gale

    My favorite Christmas memory… the birth of my daughter just a month before Christmas!!

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  406. Shannon

    My favorite Christmas memory is from last Christmas. For the last few years, my family has visited a church that depicts scenes from the life of Christ using elaborate sets and church members as actors during the first weekend of December. It is a beautiful event that sets the tone for the Christmas season. Last year was made even more special as my daughter received God’s gift of salvation after seeing this live representation of Jesus’ life and love for us. What a precious gift!

  407. the chatty housewife

    In the afternoon we would go sledding. Sometimes my dad would pull us around the yard on a huge tractor tire tube with the snowmobile and we would try not to fall off. :) Seven youngsters hanging on to a tractor tire tube pulled by a snowmobile…. I sure wish I had a photo of that! So often someone would be running behind trying to get back on. :)

  408. Alissa

    My favorite Christmas memory is a tradition that occurs each year. My sisters and I all get matching pajamas, and we take a picture in them in front of the tree every Christmas Eve. It’s something that I hope we will continue with our children some day.

  409. Kirsten

    My favorite memory is making Christmas cookies with my grandma, then with my mom after my grandma passed away and now with my kids.

  410. domestic diva

    I always enjoyed making Christmas cookies with my grandma.

  411. Cherilyn

    My most cherished Christmas memory is was spent with my two much younger siblings. Money was pretty tight for my my mom but we made the best of it. On Christmas eve we hopped into my 12 year old Chevette(it wasn’t old, it was vintage) and drove around the much fancier neighborhoods looking at all of the decorations with the holiday music cranked on the radio and admired the well decorated trees in the windows. On the way home we picked up a quart of eggnog and oreos to enjoy before bed. We sat around our tree and finished our goodies and headed to bed. We still talk about that Christmas and it’s been almost 15 years.

  412. kari

    Making gingerbread men and gingerbread houses is one of my very favorite traditions. Yummy too.

  413. Kelly Ann

    Favorite Christmas memory:
    My sister and I getting locked (just for a bit!) in the playroom every year on Christmas morning so that we wouldn’t rush out and see all the surprises under the tree at 5 am!! :) Love the anticipation!

  414. bridget {bake at 350}

    Waking up at 4am and hollering down the stairs, “did Santa come yet?!?”

    My parents answer, “no….probably in another hour.” ;)

  415. Emily

    My favorite Christmas memory is from my childhood. Four of my sisters and I would wake up VERY early to see if Santa had come. We had strict instructions not to wake up our parents until 7 am. So after waking up at 4 and rearranging the presents, ooohing and aaahhing over how pretty everything was, checking to see if Santa ate his cookies and the reindeer ate their parsnips (are we the only ones who left those for the reindeer?) we would all go back to my room and snuggle up in my bed. It’s not often that the 5 of us would always get along, but Christmas day was always the exception. :)

  416. Kim

    My favorite Christmas memory would have to be the year I was old enough to remember my first time sneaking into the living room to see the gifts that Santa had left. I ran into my parent’s bedroom to wake them up VERY early!

  417. Cindi

    “Happy Holidays!”
    Your giveaways are the best. My favorite Christmas memory comes from when I was 8 years old. My brother and sister were quite a bit older
    than me…Both of them had explained to me that dad was working two
    jobs and sometimes a third, to make ends meet. In other words, don’t expect much in the way of Christmas gifts. Chatty Cathy was the one
    toy that I really wanted! I remember getting up while it was still dark
    outside and checking under the tree. There was Chatty Cathy waiting for me to play with her! I still have her…
    Many thanks, Cindi

  418. Colleen

    I can’t say I have one favorite Christmas memory but one that springs to mind is when I thought Santa had brought me a two-piece habitrail without a gerbil not realizing that the cat broke apart the habitrail to get the gerbil that had been in there…

  419. Deanna

    My favorite memory happened every year as I was growing up. As I grew up all of our extended family were in other states, except my mother’s parents.

    Every year they would come and stay overnight for Christmas. We were so excited when they came because that was the signal that Christmas had begun. My grandma would sleep in my room with me – and we would talk late into the night. We were usually the first ones up in the morning as well.

    That is my fondest memory!

    Deanna

  420. Carol Ann

    Favorite Christmas memory: Finding a snake in the Christmas tree when it came out of it’s netting. This could qualify as the WORST Christmas memory of all time, except for the fact that you’ve never seen a mom, dad
    and four girls all try to get out the front door at the same time.

  421. Kim

    I’m going to have to go with Christmas Eve 2000, when my hubby proposed! What a gift!

  422. Hannah

    Love it! How can I choose just one favorite Christmas memory? One thing they all have in commmon – Dad’s famous cinnamon rolls! :)

  423. Meredith

    My favorite Christmas memory was becoming engaged on Dec 23, 2004, and being in total bliss on Christmas morning, knowing we’d never wake up separately on Christmas ever again!

  424. Joan

    My favorite memory is the first CHristmas we had in Panama 1977. Being my husband was just in the military we had no money to be spending on gifts let alone anything else. The boy scouts on base sold trees for $1.00 a foot. We managed to buy a 4 ft. tree. We didn’t have the money for decorations or a stand. So we emptied a coffee can and my husband nailed through the can into the trunk of the tree. We filled the can with sand and water for some weight. Then we invited the other American families that lived in our apartment building, off base, over. All of us were in the same boat. No family and no money. But we had a great time. We had the kids make paper chains for the tree and the adults strung popcorn. Someone even cut out paper snowflakes. Our tree was the nicest one I ever had. Maily because it was shared with everyone that year.

  425. Libby

    A favorite Christmas memory for me is when we lived in Germany. It was hard being so far away from family and friends at Christmastime. But it was fun experiencing Christmas in a new culture and in new ways with our 4 children.

  426. Angela S

    I remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning with my younger brother and creeping around the living room trying to see what Santa had left under the tree without waking up my parents

  427. rebecca

    My parents were church planting missionaries in a tropical country; hence, no snow at Christmas time. When I was 12 yrs. old, we were in the state of Michigan for Christmas. We had a beautiful, real Christmas tree, churches had blessed us richly, and our time together just as family was absolutely joyous! My dad has commented how this is one of his most cherished Christmases he has had.

    • rebecca

      What is the meaning of phrase,” Your comment is awaiting moderation.” Im not sure if it means the comment is too long…lol.

      • Melissa

        It just means you have never commented before (at least with this email address) and I need to approve you as a real live person :-) lol Once I decide you are real, I approve you and your comment will appear.

  428. Megan

    What a fun giveaway!! My favorite Christmas memory is when I got engaged of course!

  429. Lisa

    Mine has to be as a young child, we went to my grandparents house, and they loved to dress up as Santa & Mrs. Clause! I loved the excitement from all of my siblings and cousins as they would come to deliver us the gifts on Christmas morning!

    • rebecca

      What a fun and sentimental way to remember and celebrate Christmas!

  430. Marilyn Holeman

    I think my favorite Christmas memory is our Christmas stockings. We don’t have commercial ones–the kids just put out one of their clean socks! And last year, my daughter put out one for me and one for her father and filled them. THAT was fun!

  431. Sheila Atchley

    In the words of the inimitable Nacho Libre:

    “I hwant to hwiiiiin!” Thank you for such a fun giveaway, DaySpring and Melissa!

  432. Wanda

    My favorite memory was going to the midnight service at our church when I was growing up. All of the excitement of opening presents, etc. was over, we had eaten our fill of Christmas goodies, and got the annual privilege of going out at midnight. The church seemed so quiet and peaceful at that hour of the night and after all of the earlier chaos. The serene feeling is one I will never forget – even though this is 50 years later!

  433. Bre B.

    My favorite Christmas memory is seeing all of the stockings hung up at my grandparents’ house. My grandma made one for every member of the family and they filled up a whole wall in her house. Each one was a little different and all were so special.

  434. Melanie

    My favorite memory is seeing my kid’s faces when they saw all of the packages from santa under the tree last Christmas!!!!

  435. Tammy

    All of my Christmases are favorite memories. I cherish the time spent with family and if I sit and think long enough, I can usually manage to remember a little something about every Christmas since childhood.
    Awesome giveaway! I’d love to win!

  436. Jennifer Wedemeyer

    My favorite Christmas memory was the first year we had our daughter, we adopted her from S. Korea and we didn’t think we would have her before Christmas but we got her just in time and we were able to celebrate with her on her very first Christmas, it was AMAZING to finally have her in our life!

  437. Traci Major

    Thank you for directing us to the Dayspring catalogue. It was so enjoyable to see the women featured and their encouraging words.
    My favorite Christmas memory is when our kids were younger going to Grandad’s cabin in the mountains and cutting down a tree amid a silent and peaceful snowfall. Then at the house, having to cut off a few feet, because the tree would not fit even our cathedral ceiling…and having an extension ladder to decorate it!!

  438. Shannon

    Here’s to hoping I might win again! I love the tray I won a couple of weeks ago! Your blog rocks!!!

  439. Arielle

    All such great things! I especially love the hurricanes!
    I loved being able to surprise my husband with our chocolate lab puppy three Christmases ago. It’s really hard for me to keep a secret from him, so it was so exciting to see the look on his face!

  440. Robbie

    My favorite Christmas memory was the year my daughter was born. I had decided to not put up a tree or any holiday decor because 1. I was single and 2. my 3 month old would not know the difference. My middle sister would not hear of it. She went to a thrift store bought me a tree, ordered my daughter 2 baby’s 1st Christmas ornaments and went to Dollar Tree to get me even more ornaments. She then came to my apt and set everything up. Amazing that little cloud of depression was lifted. We still have the tree I put it up every year in my now 8yr old’s toy room.

  441. Bethe

    One of my favorite memories was as a child when Barbie Dream houses were cardboard and required assembly. . .and patience – something that was apparently in short supply one particular Christmas Eve. Remember . . . those were also the days when girls had one Barbie and many outfits. My Barbie had red hair, just like me! I had Skipper and Midge, too. Anyway, apparently it took MUCH longer to attach A to B to C than “Santa” had allowed. My Dad’s head had barely hit the pillow when my sister and I were shrieking at their bedroom door that it was time to go open presents!!!!! It was one of the BEST Christmases ever. :)

  442. susie

    One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is from when I was in sixth grade. I had been begging my parents for some time to let me get my ears pierced. The answer was always no until I opened up a pair of pierced earrings on Christmas morning. It took me a second to realize this meant they were letting me get my ears pierced.

  443. Krissy

    My husband and I got married on Dec. 21st almost 20 years ago, surrounded by beautiful Christmas decorations and traditions (and of course our amazing family and friends). It will always be my favorite Christmas memory!

  444. Julie

    Fave Xmas memory? Hard to choose, but when I was little and EVERY year my dad would shake his gift a few times & guess what it was. He was right every time too! (it’s been 10 years since my dad had passed. I miss those days.)

  445. Jackie

    Memories of past Christmas’….Our first Christmas as newly married, a beautiful snowy night, Christmas eve service at church and coming home to fondue………we try to keep up this tradition and memory!

  446. Erin Malone

    My favorite Christmas memory is driving around to look at Christmas lights with my children every year. We usually bring hot chocolate (or chocolate milk) to drink. They are really sleepy by the time we get home. Good memories!

  447. corey

    My favorite memories are always with my Dad and step-mom. They made Christmas a magical time of fun and love.

  448. Laura

    My favorite Christmas memory was when I was about 7 years old & we went to my grandmother’s for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a snowy, cold Christmas Eve & on our way home from the dinner, the power in our town went out! I still remember exactly where we were on the road when we saw the streetlights darken. We got home & of course there was no power – so we walked around with a candle & got ready for bed by candlelight….I’ll never forget it!!!

  449. Tara

    My favorite Christmas memories are of my family and I baking on Christmas Eve every year…then my parents would let us open 1 gift that night.

  450. Jenn

    Every Christmas Eve my sisters and I all slept together in our matching Christmas pajamas. One year, we kept giggling and cutting up and mom had come back and warned us to go to sleep. The last time she came in to warn us she said if she heard us again, we would be separated for the night. So we cut up some more and I heard Mom yelling my name from the other side of the house. We all hunkered down under the covers and acted like we were sleeping. Mom kept yelling. Finally I went to her, just knowing I was in HUGE trouble. Turns out she had cut her finger with a large kitchen knife and was about to pass out…

  451. Lynette

    I loved going to my Grandpa’s church on Christmas morning. Our own church didn’t hold a service that morning. We’d always bring a new little toy to hold. The choir always sounded so pretty, and everyone was so happy. Then we’d enjoy the day as an extended family.

  452. Ila Jeanne

    My favorite memory of Christmas was when I was about 6 years old, and on Christmas Eve we would have our grandparents, great aunt and uncle, aunt and uncle and cousins over for an sweet time of eating treats, singing christmas carols, and opening up (one present only) the night before Christmas morning. On this Christmas Eve, I choose a present delicately wrapped from my Great Aunt, (we called her Auntie.) In side the box was a beautiful white rabbit fur mitt, with a pretty doll face head on the top, with a felt hat. (Picture if you will with me, it looked like the doll had a mink stoll around her shoulders) The dolls eyes opened and closed when you laid the mitt down for rest. It was the most unique gift I had and the mitt kept my hands warm during winter. A treasued item, I will never forget receiving from a precious elderly person in my life. Never under estimate your own unique kindness betowed to others, and the effect that matters…maybe even years later when reflecting upon it. Merry Christmas!

  453. Pam

    My favorite Christmas was, like so many others here, one that involved sacrifice on the part of the giver. It was a tough year for my family and we weren’t able to do our favorite activity – skiing! My sister and I loved skiing. More than anything we wanted new skis but knew that it probably wasn’t possible. However, my parents scrimped and saved that year and basically did everything possible to be able to put two sets of new skis under the tree with lift tickets to accompany them. The skis were even more special knowing all that my family did to purchase them. Even though I outgrew them, I still have them to this day.

  454. Beth C.

    My favorite Christmas memory would have to be having our first Christmas in our new home last year. Our first house, our youngest old enough to begin to understand what Christmas was all about…it was peaceful and happy and relaxed.

  455. Brandy E.

    My favorite Christmas memory would probably be when I was 9 and we went to Disney World the day after Christmas. My parents waited until Christmas night to tell us, probably so they wouldn’t have to listen to us constantly ask if it was time to go yet. :)

  456. Janice

    My first Christmas with my firstborn child — a son. I remember cradling him in my arms while sitting in front of our fireplace. We have seven children now, so those moments of peace and reflection are fewer ;) … but sitting now in front of that same fireplace with seven boisterous children still makes a pretty good memory for me, too!

  457. Cassie

    Thanks for hosting such a fun giveaway. I just started reading your blog and really enjoy it!
    My favorite Christmas memory is the first Christmas that my husband and I had together when we were first dating. I remember that we had a lovely white Christmas (unusual here in Virginia), and that both he and I were completely in love with one another. It was a fun and romantic Christmas.
    Blessings to you and yours!

  458. Kate

    my favorite Christmas memory is carolling, as a little girl, visiting my Grandma’s neighbors–they always looked for us and we loved it!

  459. Jennifer

    One favorite was traveling from Virginia to Kentucky to spend Christmas with my grandparents

  460. heather c

    My favorite Christmas memory is being surrounded by tradition of being with all of my extended family on Christmas Eve night! No one cared about the presents, just the “presence”!

  461. Miss Behavin

    Hm. I have so many favorite Christmas memories – dating back to when I was a kid and we all gathered at Gram’s big old house on Christmas Eve to the many wonderful traditions I’ve been able to share with my own children over the years – every Christmas seems to leave a little magic. But, if I had to pick only one, I’d say Christmas 2007. I was remarried, had just had a new baby in November, and that Christmas Eve (still a tradition passed from the days with my Gram) my new little family gathered at our home for the festivities. My ex-husband, whom I share two daughters with, didn’t have anywhere to go and so, my generous husband invited him to share the holidays with us, for the kids. I have to say, that was probably one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had. My children were happy to have everyone they love in one place and truly, that made my heart sing.

  462. V. Higgins

    Mine would have to be how my sister and I would sort the gifts into piles for each person while Mom slept and Dad made breakfast. ^_^

  463. Becky K.

    My son’s first Christmas…he was only 9 days old I remember nursing him in the wee hours of Christmas morning by the glow the twinkling Christmas tree lights…having a greater understanding of how Mary must have felt holding her baby, Jesus, and God’s amazing-grace love for his son and all of humanity.

  464. Restorative Living

    My favorite Christmas memory…when ALL of us kids lived at home. Just the chaos of having so many brothers and a sister clamoring around the tree. I love that memory.

  465. Collette

    I am hoping my favorite Christmas memory will be this one! It’ll be the first time we stay HOME in the white winter wonderland that is North Dakota! I collect Christmas decor every year, because it is my absolute favorite time of year; best of all, we will be celebrating as a little family, with our three beautiful children, aged 3, 2, and 6 months!

  466. Amy N

    Christmas Eve was always special at my grandparent’s house with dozens of cousins and everyone going to Midnight mass then home to wait for santa.

  467. Cathy Lane

    May favorite memory is as a child coming into the living room and being enchanted by the tree lights , the presents and seeing the whole room full of balloons. Memory gets better because now I know that everything under the tree was made by my parents. Dad was a student that worked full time also to support us and he had been laid off. When they set out our presents Mom thought it looked so bare and sparse that she cried. Dad went out to see what he could find to buy (though he had only about 5$). He found a gas station and bought the balloons and they spent most of the night blowing them up. Balloons have been our favorite Christmas decorations since.

  468. grammy

    Leaving Santa’s footprints (the outline of my husband’s workboot sprinkled with powdered sugar) and reindeer hoofprints (marks made with a limb-lopper) all over our yard for the kids to find on Christmas morning.

  469. Christine C

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I would watch my mom walk around the house in her bathrobe on Christmas morning. She was busy, busy, busy putting the turkey in the oven, and making us all hot chocolate to drike while we open presents.
    Miss you mom.

  470. sharon

    My son was born on Christmas Day almost 25 years ago. We opened presents then left for the hospital. My gift was a beautiful wooden box with a gold engraved plaque attached. I opened it thinking it was a jewelry box and it was full of silver that matched my mom’s. Every time I use my silver I think of the day my son was born. He’s a gift.

  471. sam

    The year we put a kitten under the tree. It was for my daughter but the kids’ excitement over a box that was moving and mewing was so darn cute.

  472. Crystal

    One of my favourite Christmas memories happened 35 years ago. I was expecting an engagement ring but instead I got a 35 mm camera, wrapped up in paper and staples! The ring came later the next spring, the camera was the start of a love of photography and my husband still hates scotch tape! Thanks for sharing lovely items for the season.

  473. stacy

    my favorite Christmas memory is going to sleep and feeling so magical. Getting so excited for snow, and family and food and prayer, there was such magic to it.

  474. Carrie

    My favorite Christmas memory happened two years ago. It was my son’s first Christmas and it snowed!! Now I know many of you are saying what is so special about that? Well…. we live in Southeast Texas, it snows maybe once every 1o years. It was so wonderful, I know he will not be able to remember it, but the pictures and just the memory that I have is wonderful!

    Merry Christmas everyone!

  475. Michelle

    I love seeing all the kids sitting at the top of the stairs waiting to go see what Santa has brought. :)

  476. Dynelle-MN

    candlelight christmas eve service

  477. Angela

    What a great giveaway! One of my favorite memories is Christmas Eve dinner as a kid–it was always fancy and special and delicious!

  478. Elizabeth

    Eating chili and cornbread on my mother’s fine china. Such a special Christmas Eve with a very simple dinner. :)

  479. Vanessa Ingole

    My favorite Christmas memories, as a child, include laying on the floor under our tree and seeing the reflection of myself and the lights, reflecting on the glass balls, while listening to Christmas music. All of the other lights in our house would be out, except for the tree. It was magical! God Bless, and thank you for all of the wonderful and inspiring things you share!

  480. maggie

    A memory that returns every year is one when I was small and out Christmas shopping late with my Dad. We were walking down the sidewalk in our town and Christmas carols were playing. It started to snow…all sparkly in the streetlights…it was just so magical.
    My Dad passed away 3 years ago and I still miss him so much. Especially at Christmas time.

  481. cristie campbell

    My favorite Christmas memory was 2009. My fourth son was born earlier in the month, actually a year ago today, and my family was complete. All of us there together. My four boys range in ages from 1 to 20 – all from the same marriage. So, it was a beautiful thing to have them all there….my oldest newly engaged and just the feeling of completeness that I felt that day.

  482. Brandy Afterthoughts

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year my husband and I were engaged. He had proposed only a couple weeks before, and we flew to Florida so that I could meet his extended family. I was so nervous! But everyone was very kind. They were a family full of boys, but they sure treated me with generosity, giving me a room of my own that they “decorated” just for me.

  483. debbie bailey

    The memory that gets told and retold at my parents’ home is the Christmas I was eight and chased Santa around the side of the house. My mama had dressed up like Santa Claus and looked through the kitchen window hoping that we would see her (Santa).

    Well, she got her wish, only she didn’t count on me dashing out the front door intent on catching Santa! She fell off the stool she was standing on and ran around the corner as fast as she could with the bulky costume on.

    I only glimpsed a red arm as Santa disappeared. Unfortunately, Mama was faster than I, and that was the last I saw of Santa.

    That happened over forty-five years ago, but we laugh about it every year.

  484. Sarah S.

    Love DaySpring!! What a great giveaway!

  485. Amanda

    One of my favorite memories is opening one present right before going to the Christmas Eve service at church. We each got to pick one present to open. For some reason, it was so much fun!

    I LOVE those hurricanes!

  486. LisaH.

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I was about 18. My family was up in Canada and I wasn’t able to get time off of work to go spend the holiday with them. So I was spending it with my grandparents. My mom had left all of my wrapped Christmas gifts in my parent’s bedroom closet. Since I was home alone, there was no one around to see me shaking each package to figure out what they were. But then I got the really bright idea……..of unwrapping each gift, seeing what they were, then rewrapping each one ;0) No one would ever know!
    Well I drove out to my grandparents house for Christmas, spent the night and opened all of my gifts Christmas morning. I’m sure my grandma was wondering why I wasn’t excited about my gifts! My Mom on the other hand guessed exactly what I had done when I spoke with her on the phone later that day! ha! We all still laugh about that!

  487. Jeannie

    My favorite Christmas memory has to be the very first Christmas my husband and I spent together after being married on December 21. He played in an All-Star College football game and we were many miles from home away from our families. After 42 years of marriage, we have raised three children and love the sounds of six happy grandchildren filling the air!

  488. Barbara McMorries

    I grew up a farm girl in a large family in Kentucky. When I was 12 years old, in the seventh grade, our house burned just a few days before Christmas. We all got out safely but saved almost nothing from our home. Our beautiful tree and the presents underneath were all destroyed. It was very traumatic for all of us, and we children were sent to stay with different nearby relatives. In spite of the disaster, it turned out to be a wonderful Christmas. Our church family, neighbors, and extended family rallied round us, taking care of all our needs, including Christmas present! I
    will never forget the sense of love, warmth, and security that
    surrounded our family in the midst of this difficult time. I am 59
    years old now, wife, mother of four, and a dedicated diy’er. That
    Christmas when God made room for us in everyone’s hearts and
    homes will always be precious to me.

  489. Karina

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I was around 8 yrs. old., getting our humble house ready for Christmas and decorating the Christmas tree with my grandfather. I loved him dearly. He made Christmas so special for me. He died almost 2 yrs. ago. I wasn’t able to go to his funeral since he lived in Ecuador, my country of birth, but the memories I have of him will never go away.

  490. Krista

    My favorite Christmas memory is going over to my Granny and Grandpa’s house when I was about 5 or 6 years old and opening up the big present wrapped in a garbage bag covered with foreign postage stamps…inside was a giant panda stuffed animal that they told me had come all the from China for me! I was amazed and loved that giant panda. Memories like this one are so dear to me now that both Granny and Grandpa have passed away.

    Thank you so much for the chance to win and for your wonderful blog!

  491. Melissa

    my favorite memory is getting my play refrigerator one year that my Mom surprised me with.

  492. Teresa McGuire

    A potent, but not necessarily favorite Christmas memory, due to the events that occurred, was the Christmas I was eight years old. My maternal grandfather passed away at Christmas and two weeks later, my grandmother passed away from what the doctor termed a “broken heart”. My grandparents were in their eighties. I was not allowed to attend their funerals, but stayed with my dad’s parents, instead. That Christmas, “Santa” brought much joy into a little girl’s heart with the gift of a life-sized Patty Play Pal doll. I still have that very special doll and she is my constant reminder of my beloved grandparents.
    Teresa : )

  493. Cori

    I know that my favorite Christmas memory will be this Christmas, because this is my 8 month old baby boy’s first Christmas. I CAN’T WAIT to see his reaction to the big pile of presents that we’ll put in front of him on Christmas morning!! I’ve had a lot of wonderful Christmases, but I have been waiting to have my very own family to share Christmas memories with. Thank you for your blog, it should be titled the Inspired Life!

  494. Kristi Rediske

    Dayspring does have great stuff-I would love to win anything from there-I actually live in the town they are located in-its great!

    • Kristi Rediske

      My favorite Christmas memory is getting things ready for Christmas morning, playing Santa and writing a poem to everyone from Santa-always made sure everyone was mentioned and why they were receiving the gifts that were under the tree. The family all seemed to love it.

  495. Dee

    My favorite Christmas memory is the Christmas we all got knitted booties from my aunt in NM and we made a video for her of us all modeling them as my Grandma played the piano!

  496. Rachel Tang

    My favorite memory isn’t funny or adorable or moving, but it’s my favorite memory because it was the last Christmas I shared with my beloved Papaw (grandfather). It was Christmas 2006 and Papaw was almost 87 and in failing health. He was always been the life of the party and always entertaining. He had a HUGE baritone voice, thick with a southern accent – it was beautiful (and thankfully I can still hear it if I try to recall it). During Christmas 2006 he was on a lot of medication to control his pain, and wasn’t his usual upbeat, joyful self but as we sat down for a dinner (probably a day or two before Christmas day) he began to belt out “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” If you knew my grandfather, this memory would make your heart sing, I promise. He was amazing and I’m so grateful he was mine and that he gave me such a beautiful memory. And, I’m grateful for the chance to recall it. Merry Christmas to you all. (I love you, Papaw) ;-)

  497. Amy Stanford

    Every Christmas was perfect. Just being around family is key.

  498. Elizabeth Finney

    Oh, there are so many… but one is when I was pregnant with my second child and my first trimester was over at Christmastime. My mother-in-law came up from Florida for Christmas, and I put an extra stocking up that year, along with a photo in the stocking holder of the ultrasound, and I got to show her the next day… she was so happy for us she cried. That’s a good, good memory.

  499. Susan

    It’s been a while since we’ve lived close to family so my best memories were just getting to see everyone. Christmas Eve would be at my grandmother’s house with the whole family, Christmas morning would be at our house and then my Dad would take us to his parent’s house with his whole family.

  500. Rachel

    My favorite Christmas memories are at my Grandparents home. It was a small 3 bedroom home (my grandparents had 9 kids) and all the grandkids and Aunts and Uncles were packed in every corner! I soooo miss those days!

  501. Lindsay

    Christmas is my favorite family time of the year so there are so many awesome things to remember. I do love the Christmas that my husband and I announced that we were getting married in poem form for my family. We later had our family picture in matching pajamas. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

  502. Elaine

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is my Nana playing Christmas songs on the piano and all of us around her singing.

  503. Sherrie

    Going to midnight mass and looking for Christmas lights on the way to and from….sneezing at the Frankensense (which I used to call Frankenstein to make my granny laigh).

  504. Mary OConor

    My favorite Christmas memory is waking up before the sun came up to open presents with my siblings!

  505. Monique

    One of my favorite Christmas memories as a child is helping Mom bake the Christmas dinner, especially the cookies and gingerbread!

  506. Neena

    My most memorable Christmas is the one I and my friends spent with the children in the cancer ward when we were in medical school.We decorated the ward,made xmas tree for them and gave them gifts.The smile on their faces even in pain,was our gift on Xmas.

  507. Michelle Smiles

    My favorite Christmas memory is Twas the Night Before Christmas. My dad read it to me every Christmas Eve before bed. We had a difficult relationship through the years but this was one constant. My parents divorced when I was young so some years he read it over the phone. When I got older (high school age and too cool), I kept doing it for him. When I got older still, I believe he kept doing it for me. I remember calling from the bathroom of a bar one year because I didn’t want to miss our tradition.

    My dad passed away just before Christmas 4 years ago. He never got to read the story to my girls. I have taken over the duty and now I read the story every Christmas Eve to my little ones. I hope it becomes a treasured memory for them too.

  508. angela

    As a kid, my brother, sister and I opened the smallest gift under the tree on Christmas Eve after church. The rest were opened on Christmas morning. We’ve carried on this tradition with our kids, however, they’ve yet to catch on to the fact that the present we allow them to open is pajamas! My daughter is 9 – maybe this year she’ll figure it out! xo

  509. Doreen

    The Christmas I spent awaiting the arrival of our first children (twins) was magical. I was surrounded and full of such love and peace. Truly miraculous!

  510. Rose in Ohio

    I’ll never forget how excited my calm and sensible father got when he saw the first flake of snow each year! We lived in NC, but usually saw some flakes during the Christmas season, even if there was no accumulation til later in the winter. I also have precious memories of him carefully cracking walnuts and picking out nutmeats for my mother’s Black Walnut Cherry Christmas Cake. I didn’t like the cake much, but I sure love the memory of my mother waiting patiently for the walnuts and then baking it from scratch….

  511. Shawna

    When my husband took me skiing for the first time and ice skating and then asked me to wear his “promise” ring.

  512. Elizabeth

    One christmas I recieved a cat. We had a huge snowstorm that year. I thought the cat might need to go to the bathroom so I let it outside. The cat didn’t come back and it was pure white, the color of fresh snow. My family spent the rest of the day looking for the cat. My dad found him under his hay trailer protecting himself from the snow.

  513. Bree

    I loved staying up late and talking with my siblings listening for Santa! I loved seeing all my family (and its pretty big) gather at my grandparents farm!

  514. Patricia H.

    When my daughters were still teens and didn’t believe in Santa any longer a nitendo showed up under the tree, every child wanted one in those days, and to this day as grown as they are, both still don’t know where the nitendo came from. It is still really fun. Santa delivered the nitendo…….:)

  515. Linda

    A very special Christmas memory of mine is the Christmas that I was blessed with two daughters. Our oldest was 4 years old and our youngest was only 3 weeks old.

  516. Mary Habres

    My fondest Christmas memory was time spent last year in California with my mother, husband, brother and his family. We did so many fun things and we were all together. It was the best Christmas I ever had!

  517. Beth P

    My favorite Christmas memory as a child was all my extended family getting together at my grandparents’ house for Christmas Eve. So much fun!

  518. Piroska

    My favourite memory was a Christmas when my kids were little. We were so broke, but it didn’t matter. I made all my own ornaments, presents, decorations. Baked cookies. And it was the nicest Christmas ever.
    :o)

  519. Jill C

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was the year my Bible study group “adopted” a family, whose name we got from the Salvation Army. We asked each family member to write down a list of some ideas of a Christmas present they would like. They thought we were going to get each one of them just one gift. We ended up buying everyone everything on their lists, plus a bunch of groceries and a Christmas tree! We had such a fun time, knowing how special it would be for them. It truely is more blessed to give than to receive!

  520. Sandy A

    There are so many happy memories of Christmas for me. Some of the best are when our Gramma and Tante came to stay on Christmas Eve. They brought our favorite brown bread and other treats our Gramma made. Our Mom always made the traditional meal of lefse, lutefisk with melted butter, mashed potatoes and braised ribs. We children didn’t eat the lutefisk so we got to put the melted butter on our potatoes-that was such a treat! We got to open our presents on Christmas Eve–and of course in the morning Santa had always left us the one thing we really wanted and had asked for.

  521. judy

    My favorite memory is of the trips over the hills and through the woods to Grandpa and Grandma’s house on cold, clear nights in South Dakota.
    All the aunts and uncles and cousins together.

  522. marykay weaver

    My favorite christmas memory’s are spending time with family. Seems like the only one time of the year that every single family member gets together to celebrate the same thing at the same time.
    I have always enjoyed one craft that the whole family would do together and that would be to pop popcorn and string it up.
    Families have done this for years. Centuries I would assume. I dearly love doing this simple but fun craft because the whole family gets into it. Popping corn eating the corn and yelling at dad to save some for the stringing. Always a fun blast. I love christmas

  523. Carolyn

    When I was a kid, every year my family and I would make gingerbread houses (this was more of a tradition that would happen on my birthday: December 14th). Anyway, this one particular year, I decided to forgo eating the Gingerbread House I had made so that Santa could have it instead. So on the 24th I left out some milk and the house…the next morning I was surprised and excited to see most of the house eaten! The only bummer of the day was that my dog was ill for the day’s entirety…thanks to my naivete I never put the 2 incidences together until much later in life.

  524. ElaineDavis

    I always loved going to my grandma’s house on Christmas eve…lots of cousins, singing carols, yummy food and a gift exchange.
    Thanks for the opportunity!

  525. Kathleen

    One Christmas my husband,son and I went to a tree farm to get our Christmas tree. On the way home (on a busy highway) the tree fell off of the car. We were singing carols along with the radio and didn’t even realize it at first,until horns started beeping and my son screamed “What happened to our tree?” It wasn’t funny at the time, but now every year we look back and laugh about it.

  526. Morgan

    I have so many lovely Christmas memories . . . I love the story behind each of my ornaments.
    PS I am LOVING the nativity candles!

  527. Sally Hamana

    My Christmas memories are all connected to my older brother, Russ. Even though his birthday was in December as well, he loved Christmas and I was his adoring little sister and partner in crime. I would, reluctantly, assist in the exhaustive search for my parents’ hiding spot for our presents, endlessly shaking packages under the tree and being dragged out of bed way before dawn on Christmas morning. He was my best friend as well as my brother. Russ passed away 5 years ago and tomorrow he would have been his 59th birthday. I love you Russ…Merry Christmas.

  528. Sheila Earhart

    One of my favorites is when I was little and Santa came a day early (On Christmas Eve)! My Dad took us to Mc Donalds and when we got home, Santa had already been there! We thought it was funny that my Dad kept trying to point to the sky and see if we saw Santa and the reindeer so early!

    Happy Holidays!
    Sheila

  529. andrea

    So many wonderful Christmas memories from which to choose. One of my favorites was when our young family had temporarily moved east from California. We woke up to a white Christmas, which was completely new to us. Our two young boys were SO excited!

  530. Karen

    I have so many great Christmas memories from when I was a child and when my children were young. Another favorite is the first Christmas my husband and I spent together. Just the two of us and he surprised me with diamond earrings:)

  531. Lynn Campbell

    Favorite Christmas Memory – When I was 5 I received a collie puppy for Christmas! I had grown up loving Lassie and wanting a ‘Lassie’ so bad, it was all I could think about every day. On that 5th Christmas morning there was a bright red bow attached to the TV in the living room. A letter was attached (from Santa) and he bid me follow the red ribbon to find a special surprise from him at the other end. I did – all through the house and when I came to the end of that ribbon, there in a basket was a precious collie puppy with a bright red bow around his neck! I was TERRIFIED of him because he immediately barked happily at me! LOL! For the first 48 hours I was terrified of him as he joyously chased me, barking. But I quickly overcame the initial fear (it was my first time to be around a real dog!) and that dog and I became BEST friends! I named him Champ and to this day he holds a special place in my heart! A number of years ago I found a book called “The Christmas Collie” and bought that book. It was about a boy who got a collie for Christmas and how they grew up together. The ending was quite sad though, and I could hardly read it to my children through the tears. It brought back so many good memories of my Champ.
    Merry Christmas Everyone!
    Lynn

  532. Juliann

    Favorite Christmas memory growing up is a candelight Christmas Eve service at church. Then a kitchen full of appetizers and desserts, my dad reading the Christmas story from Luke and opening a new pair of PJs to wear for Christmas morning. I now carry on that exact same tradition with my family.

  533. Pam

    My favorite Christmas memory is always having a birthday cake for Baby Jesus (angel food, of course!) when our 3 children were growing up. We even sang “Happy Birthday” to Him. Now we carry on the tradition with our precious grandchildren.

  534. C Wells

    My favorite Christmas memory…..my whole family got together and we made Shepherds Pie and Angel Food cake and celebrated Jesus’ birthday. It was great to finally all be together!

  535. Mary Jean

    My favorite Christmas memory was the first Christmas I spent with my husband when we were just still dating. It was pure magic!

  536. Angie

    My favourite memory is a tradition in our house, and that is opening our stockings once we all pile onto our parents’ bed. Stockings are the most fun at Christmas time, becuase we each draw names and get to buy little gifts for that family member. There’s something about opening up a stocking and finding all the little knick nacks, knowing that that family member thought of you in each little gift! I love it!

  537. Amanda H.

    My favorite Christmas memory was going to my grandma’s house for Christmas Eve. Not one exact memory from that, but every time I think about it, I have a content sigh.

  538. Katie

    Well, I must say that my favorite Christmas memory is just on the horizon..might sound funny, but I think this Christmas will be my best Christmas yet. My husband is supposed to be coming home for Christmas after being deployed overseas! I am so excited to have him home even though it is only for a short period of time! It will be a great Christmas!

  539. Melissa S

    When I was young we would go to my great-grandmothers house on Christmas Eve. She and my great aunt would handmake all of the kids the same thing – or sometimes the boys would get something different from the girls. Instead of wrapping them they would all be lined up down the staircase. I still have so many of those gifts, and that was 30 years ago!

  540. Jessica H

    My favorite Christmas memory is one that took place every year. Every Christmas morning I would have to sit at the top of the steps and wait for my dad to go downstairs and check that Santa had come (turn on lights and music). While he was downstairs my mom would bring me chocolate chip cookies to munch on (maybe that’s why i still love cookies for breakfast!)

  541. Stephanie

    I treasure the memories of every Christmas Eve spent with cousins and my aunt and uncle and grandparents. Grandma always handmade a very special gift for every grandchild. We ate and opened presents and played games and laughed and loved. My grandma and grandpa and aunt and uncle all celebrate Christmas with Jesus now and have for many years. I never knew then what a precious gift those long ago years would be.

  542. Lyn L.

    My favorite Christmas memory is of my brother and I sneaking out of bed to watch mom and dad wrapping presents on Christmas Eve.

  543. Laura Zarrin

    I love those hurricane lamps!

  544. Caroline K

    Delivering Meals on Wheels before opening presents! And our new tradition of going to the Waffle House before delivering the meals.

  545. Tiffani

    My favorite Christmas memory is the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible prior to opening gifts. My dad always put a fun spin on the story by having us fill in the blanks. He would read the story, stopping every 5 or 6 words or so and then my sister and I would supply the next word in the verse. It was (and still is) a fun way to incorporate the really meaning of Christmas into the day.

  546. Christi

    I love the Christmas Eve candlelight at my parents church.

  547. AmberP

    Every Christmas I’ve had with my husbnd and daughter has given me a new favorite memory and it just keeps getting better!

  548. Angela O

    Favorite memory–opening up my favorite stuffed dog as a 7 year old!

  549. Kara Roberts

    My favorite Christmas memory is actually a funny one – my brother had a paper route when we were growing up. One Christmas (during the Blizzard of ’79!) we had to deliver papers before we could open presents. I remember being so mad at my brother for having that paper route. :) But we all came home – got some hot chocolate and opened presents and it was one of the best Christmases ever. :)

  550. Sara DeMay

    My favorite Christmas was about 10 years ago. I lost my job right before Christmas and money was tight. The chaplain’s office at the hospital my husband worked at decided to adopt us. We figured we would be getting a food basket and were very appreciative. When they called us to pick up our stuff, there was a TON of food to completely cover Christmas in high style. Then there were a bunch of wrapped gifts too. When we opened the gifts Christmas morning, each of our family members had received a full “fancy” outfit, including shoes as well as toys for the kids and books and movies for us adults. We felt so blessed and now that we are in a much better financial situation, we adopt families and bless them.

  551. Jeannine B.

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year that we boycotted the normal chaotic rushing from house to house on Christmas day, and just stayed at home in our jammies all day. We played, ate, watched movies until it was time to fall into our beds! My kids have requested that we do it again this year! It must be their favorite too:)

  552. Catherine

    My favorite Christmas memory is sitting on the couch every night with the Christmas tree lit in the dark singing Christmas carols with my little kids. There’s something special about a dark room with a sparkling tree, and something extra cute about carols sung by little ones.

  553. shaka

    my best memory was in sicily, when i drew a landing for santa out of chalk and worked really hard on it. my siblings went out there that night and marked it up to look like he had landed and set a present on it to look like santa “forgot it” i was so amazed!

  554. Wendi

    Two years ago my husband had already moved to start his new job all the way across the country and would not be home for Christmas. We had a bad winter storm that required me to repair some of the roof shingles 2 days before Christmas. Christmas Eve I spent much of the day in ER with my son who was having a terrible asthma attack and pneumonia. That evening I was tracking down a pharmacy that was open Christmas Eve. Christmas morning my in-laws came over to our home and enjoyed the morning with my 2 children and myself. My son was so sick that he had no care to open any of his presents. A week before my mother-in-law came over to take my daughter out shopping and they had had a blast getting presents for my daughter to fill my stocking with as she wanted to make sure that Mommy had a stocking to open on Christmas morning. It was so sweet. She had even snuck my mascara to make sure that they bought the correct color and kind. It was such a wonderful treasure for this Mommy who had been doing so much by herself this Christmas. A wonderful memory that will be remembered forever.

  555. Lou Ann

    I have lots of favorite Christmas memories.
    I think the best ones are when my Paw Paw
    was alive and would play his fiddle for us
    when the whole family gathered. The best
    things are people and the best memories are
    time spent with people you love.

    louann dot rudd at gmail dot com

  556. Michelle valenzuela

    I have just discovered your website just this past weekend and let me say, thanks!!! I’m a single woman (live with the boyfriend) and have found myself to be lacking in the creative department of housemaking. My sister took me to a local bookstore and pointed out a boom that u had written and told me all about you, “she’s great,” she says, “she makes decorating so easy!”. She finished up by saying that you have a blog. “I love blogs,” I said. As soon as I got home, i googled you. And I’m now looking forward to reading your backlogs. And looking forward to decorating!! Thanks!!!!!!

  557. Michelle valenzuela

    I meant, “book”!! :)

  558. Mary

    My favorite Christmas memory was 3 years ago when we moved to Colorado. It was the first move I ever made away from home and we had moved in November and no money to drive home for the holidays. My son surprised me but driving my mother and himself up to Colorado to spend Christmas with us!

    bee blessed
    mary

  559. Shelli

    The music- every year it is the music. Messiah and midwinter, and Bing Crosby, and Mariah Carey all mashed up in a tangled mess of Christmas love. There are special musical traditions that have become must do’s, like caroling, ect. But my favorite memory is finishing up some sewing at 2 in the morning Christmas day, listening to a Christmas music special, with a fire, and all my little ones tucked peacefully in bed.

  560. flybabymom

    I think my favorite Christmas memory is just the happy look on my Dad’s face as I opened my presents. No matter how old I was, his delight in giving was the same. Now that I’m a mom I understand. Thanks, Daddy, for the love you always gave!

  561. Michele

    One of my favorite Christmas memories……bringing home my 3 day old daughter and setting her beneath the Christmas tree with it’s white lights twinkling and thanking Jesus that after a difficult delivery and complications with her, she was the best Christmas gift my husband and I had ever received. That was 16 years ago. :o)

  562. Melissa Collins

    I remember singing Chritmas songs with my sisters and going to church every Christmas Eve. Then we would come home and open alot of Christmas presents. We always got jammies and robes and put them on to go to bed. Great memories!

  563. Aunt LoLo

    Oooh…my favorite Christmas memory? When I was 9, Santa came into my room on Christmas Eve and asked if I could lend a hand. He had brought an heirloom tea service for my mother, and could I help set it up in the formal dining room?

    I felt so very important and special that night…and it really taught me what the whole Santa thing is all about! Magic.

  564. Kim J.

    my favorite christmas memory are all shared with my father who passed away this year.

  565. Leigh F.

    My favorite christmas memory is waking up on day on Christmas morning and it was snowing. I have always lived in Atlanta so that was a special treat!

  566. Sheila

    On special Christmas memory is when my four children were still young and the excitement they had was not about the presents but who would get to read the Christmas story at our family time before we opened presents. The girls would play Christmas carols on the piano and my husband would play his guitar. Even after they were grown and married they still count it an honor to be the one to read the Christmas story on Christmas morning.

  567. Jody

    I think the Nativity hurricane candles are spectacular! They set the tone for Christmas. And those pillow covers– lovely! Please enter me in the draw.

    Jody

  568. Susan J

    I’d have to go with my son’s first Thanksgiving with my parents. They were just in awe of their first grandchild. I loved it.

  569. rebecca b.

    my favorite holiday memories are baking a massive amount of cookies with my mom. she passed away 12 years ago at 47 and I really miss her. at least I have all the great memories.

  570. colleen

    My favorite christmas memory is from a few years ago. All of my family members were together for dinner on christmas day. Everyone who lives out of town were all able to make it home for christmas.

  571. crystal

    favorite Christmas memory are those when all the family is together, sitting round the table and laughing and talking. love my family!

    would love to win :)

  572. Faith

    Too many favorites to count but the smells of Christmas stand out to me…cookie baking with my children, potpourri simmering on the stove, turkey roasting, fresh scent of greenery. Melissa, can you tell I’m still stuck on your post about smell? (: I’m loving all the Day Spring eye candy.

  573. wendyc33

    one of my favorite christmas memories was the time my sunday school class delivered bikes, and toys to this needy family. Delivering these toys to them, and food was so special to me, and seeing their faces light up to get them. I still cannot get those smiling faces out of my head to this day. To me this was one of my favorites., and of course every year with my family is.

  574. Kathy

    Christmas when I was around 8 or 9 yrs. old I woke up, hearing something in the living room. I crept down the hall and spotted my Mom & Dad setting up my new Barbie House! I didn’t want them to know I saw them, so I slowly crept back down the hall to bed, but I was so excited I couldn’t go back to sleep! That was back in the 60’s, so the Barbie House was made out of cardboard instead of plastic. It was a treasured toy for many, many years. And, that was the year I found out who Santa really was!

  575. judy

    The Christmas we spent at Leavenworth.

  576. Lori R.

    I remember finding our gifts when I was about 8 and talking my middle sister into opening them all then carefully re-wrapping them. No surprises that year and Christmas was a big disappointment so we NEVER did that again.

  577. Missy June

    I loved the year my sister and I got a life-sized playhouse outfitted with bunkbeds for our dolls! Whoo hooo!

  578. Laura

    My favorite Christmas memory is my second daughter’s first Christmas. She was three wks old and her older sister was almost 3. We could barely keep the baby awake for the festivities but I remember feeling so blessed to have my two girls with me.

  579. Hailey

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year my first child was born. He came 9 days before Christmas. It was the first Christmas my husband and I were away from our families. We lit the tree up and watched its a wonderful life. We shed a few tears, and celebrated all we had been given. Most of all each other.

  580. Lori Kasbeer

    Dad wanted to make sure we kids did not see the tree with presents before he was with us. Our bedrooms were down a long hallway and he would seal the hallway up with masking tape so we could not peek at the tree until we woke Mom and Dad up on Christmas morning. =)) Oh he also would number our presents with funny numbers so only He knew which present belonged to each kid.

  581. Linda

    When my daughter was two and we told her Santa had come- the look on her face, a mix of anticipation and a little fear (she was scared of Santa then) was priceless!

  582. April D.

    My favorite Christmas memory was going to Washington DC and seeing all the state trees and getting warm by the Yule Log. It was a nice family trip and one that I hope to share with my child when she gets a bit older.

  583. Amanda

    My grandparents would throw a big Christmas party each year with a nice dinner. The tree was hidden until after dinner, once we had eaten we would sing and dance around the tree that had all the presents until Santa would appear. Each child would line up and visit with Santa and get a stocking filled with goodies then the families would exchange their gifts and grandma and grandpa would hand out their gifts to everyone! It made Christmas and I miss it so much!

  584. Diana

    When my girls were in grade school our church had a Christmas Eve service at midnight. The church was dark, except for candles and the Christmas lights; and it was quiet. A wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

  585. Renee K

    I think it just happened last night. We are having some thunderstorms hitting our area this weekend and my 6 year old was completely concerned Santa wouldn’t make it on Jesus’ birthday because of lightning. He was so cute and thankfully I was able to reassure him Santa would not let anything stop him from celebrating one of the most special days of the year.

  586. Abbi

    We always try to stay simple at Christmas time and we make a lot of homemade gifts. A couple of years ago our youngest son was pretty small and he decided to make a bunch of paper rings which he stuck in my husbands stocking. When my husband found them he put them on a wore them and pleased our son greatly.

  587. Molly Kuehl

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was when my Mom mixed up the tags on gifts for my older brother and I. They were footy pajamas. His were about two feet too short and mine were much too long. We laughed and laughed about it. Funny how something so simple can leave such an impression. These is such an aura of happiness and joy around that one simple memory for me.

  588. Shelley

    One of my most memorable christmas’s was in the 1960’s when me and my 3 brothers would wait for santa claus. He would always bring us what we asked for. One year I got a Barbie doll and her dream house, my brothers got a barn and all the animals and tractors. We were in the army so we were never at home by our relatives.

  589. Lauren

    A few years ago when my husband and I were dating, we drove out with his parents and his sister to see “the one house with all the lights”. The three of us “kids” in the backseat (all in our 20s at the time) started reminiscing about christmas songs from childhood and ended up singing silly tunes the whole drive. I remember laughing and really enjoying ourselves that night.

  590. Sarah

    My favorite Christmas memory was when I was about 5 and it was Christmas Eve. My parents were trying to get my sisters and I to go to sleep so Santa could come. I swear to this day my Dad went outside and rang bells so i would think Santa was in the area. They told us he wouldn’t come until we went to sleep. Somehow I managed to fall asleep that night!

  591. Holly F.

    My favorite memory is always reading Christmas stories with the kids (who are bigger now, so it is very rare these days) with only the lights on the Christmas tree and a lamp. Sometimes we sing hymns too. Love it!

  592. Johnna S.

    one of my favorite memories is going to my grandparents Christmas evening sitting around the piano singing Christmas songs then all the kids sleeping on pallets on the floor that evening!

  593. Ashley K

    My favorite christmas memory was when I was a little kid and santa brought the biggest prettiest doll house I had ever seen. I was a happy kid that christmas!

  594. melissa n

    Honestly, this Christmas will be the top – we have a baby due any day now, and my parents are going to make the 10 hour trip down to spend his first Christmas with us :)

  595. Michele

    My brothers and sister & I would wake up on Christmas morning and head right for our stocking. My mom, ahem, I mean Santa would find the coolest little toys, pencils, small trinkets along with some candy. We would dump our stockings out and compare all the fun little surprises we received.

  596. Linda R.

    I still remember the Christmas growing up when my parents, er, Santa, got me and my brother a ping-pong table for Christmas. It was awesome, and definitely more than we were expecting!

  597. dru

    We started making ornaments when my dad was in Vietnam, I still have my felt snoopy as the red baron on my tree, that started our tradition of collecting and/or making ornaments for the tree, each of my boys has a collection too.

  598. Lisa

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the first Christmas after we adopted our girls from Ukraine. They were 9 and 12 that Christmas and after we got together with my side of the family to exchange gifts, one of the girls said “This has been the best Christmas ever…and it’s not even because of the gifts. I have a family and we all love each other and have fun together.” It was such a special Christmas and each Christmas we have had them has been special as well!

  599. rebecca a

    Going to Christmas Eve Communion and riding around looking for “Snoopy’s doghouse” afterwards.

  600. Paula

    One of my favorite memories associated with Christmas concerns a very early on date with my husband to be. I had gone to my Irish cousins that first holiday after both my parents had passed. But more than the European vacation I was so excited to be going home before the new year in order to have a special date on New Year’s Eve. We had only begun to date, taught at the same school and everything seemed to be clicking. We went to see a local band that had made it big – we were both fans, the evening was great fun and that following Valentine’s, yep, I got a ring!

  601. Tamara

    Waiting in a long, long line of cars to drive through the lights in Griffith Park so to indulge an older family member…I have children who never want to see a light display again. :-)

    Oh..a favorite memory…

  602. Valarie

    When I was 7 and thought I’d figured out the Santa thing I told my older sister I was going to stay up all night so I could catch Mom and Dad. She put her mattress in front of my bedroom door and slept there all night so I couldn’t peek!

  603. kimberlyrenee

    my grandparents decided that instead of leaving a will for my extended family, they would take us all to hawaii for christmas. yes. they bought 18 tickets and paid for 2 weeks of hotel for all of us. Amazing. but mostly because I got to see some of my family that I hadn’t for years! and my husband was able to meet some of my extended family that now lives in Australia. :) It was such a blessing and so much fun!

  604. jamie

    my very favorite christmas memory is going to get our christmas tree year after year at the same place. even though we’ve changed since the original {they close} it has been at a gourmet kind of shop that has precut trees. we always get a treat there as well. simple. yet such a fabulous memory.

  605. Rachel K

    One of my favorite memories is one Christmas, when I was about 10, I got Santa’s autograph. I posted a paper next the tree asking Santa for his autograph. The next morning I ran and saw that he had signed it! I was so excited that he signed it just for me!

  606. Karen

    my favorite memory? Sitting on the couch next to the tree seeing my teenage daughter open her first cellphone, priceless! Thanks for the giveaway!

  607. Stacey

    Every single year spending Christmas watching my children embrace the magic of the season and our Savior’s birth makes special memories for me. I also loved when we took them on the Christmas Train-that was so fun!

  608. Katie

    One of my favorite memories is a tradition we do every year now. An elf ( ;) ) ding-dong-ditches us and leaves a new set of pjs for everyone on the front door!

  609. Mary Joy

    Oh wow! The Nativity Hurricane Candles are my FAVORITE thing! I would love to have them. Praying I win! :D

    Favorite Christmas memory…hmmm…that would have to be last Christmas when my husband (then fiance) were all bundled up and sitting snuggled together swinging on the porch swing under the stars on Christmas night at my in-laws house. :D It was an amazing moment!

    Blessings!

    Mary Joy

  610. Liz

    There are so many memories, it’s hard to choose just one. But I love going to church on Christmas Eve, late, candlelight is the best.
    Thanks for the chance!
    ~Liz

  611. Carolyn

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my kids swore that they heard Santa jingling around the house at night. That year they were also certain they could hear his reindeer on the roof!

    Great giveaway!

  612. SnoWhite

    A favorite memory for me is setting up my mom’s ceramic church and Christmas tree each year, singing Christmas songs at the top of our lungs!!

  613. Glenda Childers

    The hurricane nativity lamps are truly beautiful. What a fun giveaway.
    Merry Christmas.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

  614. Lauren Davison

    A favorite Christmas memory, huh? My family went to Mexico the Christmas before I turned 18 on a humanitarian aid expedition. We put all the money we would have spent on gifts towards it. Pretty darn awesome. :)

  615. Natalie

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is from several years ago. My three children, and all the nieces and nephews (there are 17 grandchildren all together) drew names and made gifts for each other for Christmas. We all gathered around the tree at my parents’ house so the cousins could exchange gifts. I loved seeing the face of the cousin who gave the gift as the recipient opened it. It was a wonderful morning. I cherish that memory. :)

    The hurricane nativity candles are so beautiful!

  616. Erica

    One of my favorite Christmas memories… decorating the tree every year, no matter what changes were going on in my family… I always decorated the tree! I continued the tradition this year with my first tree with my hubby, and we decorated together. :)

  617. Hannah

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is when our family all got up early before it was light outside to open presents, it was lightly snowing and the livingroom was lit with only a few lights and the Chirstmas tree lights. Soft Christmas music was playing in the background and we all opened our presents while enjoying tea and scones. It is such a wonderful memory and I hope to do such things with my family this year and the many years to come.
    Love your blog, I read it regularly in my google reader.
    Merry Christmas!

  618. Loretta

    Years ago when I got my first apartment, I had moved into it in September and the Christmas season quickly came on its heels. Here I was living on my own for the first time and it was so quiet and I was a bit wistful and weepy about my first Christmas living alone. One day I came home from work to discover that my Mom had set up a small artificial tree with some sentimental decorations on it and one engraved with the name of my new kitty Mimi that I had just gotten. It was a sweet and wonderful surprise and it made it a whole lot more joyful of a season. It’s those little thoughtful things that make all the difference in the world. Thanks Mom…<3

  619. Marilyn

    The Christmas memory that makes me laugh out loud was when I was about eight. As my great-uncle walked across the room to hand a present to my grandmother, his pants fell down. We laugh about it every Christmas.

  620. Melissa Brotherton

    My favorite Christmas memory is more than just one Christmas. It’s actually about my grandma. She passed away this April, and it’s so strange to be planning Christmas without her. Every year she had her house decorated and trees (yes, plural) up before Thanksgiving. She purchased and wrapped presents for her six children, their spouses, her 15 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. She loved to celebrate, cook and be together as a family. I want to be like her when I grow up…

  621. carol

    One of my favorite memories was a very cold Christmas in my childhood. Our family lived in a very old farmhouse that wasn’t heated well. We gathered in my parent’s room– the warm room in the house– on Christmas Eve for grilled cheese sandwiches Mom made on an electric skillet. Then we opened gifts. Thanks for the giveaway!!

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