Okay…I’ve been waiting all year for this Show & Tell Tuesday with Andrea. I feel like out of all of them, THIS IS THE ONE WHERE I’M GOING TO SHINE THE MOST. Are you ready? Today’s topic is…
Bam.
I may not be good at a lot of things…but I feel rather confident in this category ;). Too bad I couldn’t have majored in Christmas in college. I would have owned that subject. #goals
So, I know you probably all know my traditions and recipes by now…but if you’re new or if you have forgotten or if you need a reminder or if you just want to read my post today…here you go. By the way, thank you for the love and prayers for sweet Ashby yesterday. We’re going to spend today recovering at home and then tonight, we have something extra special and Christmas-y planned. She is pumped!
Here we go…
We kick off each season with a decorated house for the holidays…
To see my Christmas Home Tour post, click HERE.
The weekend after Thanksgiving, our town square hosts their Home for the Holidays event and it’s always one of our favorite events of the year (and especially one of our favorite Christmas traditions!). We love to go to our town square!
Every year, I host an annual recipe exchange and it is SO MUCH FUN! Now, I do this with a group of girlfriends, but you could do it with your coworkers, neighbors, family, etc. To see how I do it, click HERE.
Jammy Cocoa Christmas is a must for us each year! To see pics from our time this year, click HERE. It’s a catchy little name that you’ll hear yourself saying every year as you pile in the car to look at lights :).
A few years ago, I documented our Elf on the Shelf every day for about a month. If you need ideas for your elf, you can see that post HERE. That darn elf is a tradition in our house every year.
Every week, attending church is important to us…but during the holiday season, it’s just extra special. We always attend our Deck the Halls service at church and this year, sweet Ebby Lee and Kensington sang in it. Attending church, having a daily quiet time and really stopping to remember the real reason we celebrate is THE MOST IMPORTANT tradition your family could have.
During the holiday season, we find any excuse to go down to our town square and just walk around and see the lights, the decor and feel the spirit in the air. It doesn’t take much to give us Christmas cheer!
Every year, our town hosts an annual light parade and WE LOVE IT!!
We also love going to visit the big tree down at the Dallas Galleria :).
And sitting in Santa’s lap too!
This year, we had our 7th annual carriage ride on our square. This is something my kiddos talk about all year long and I’m hoping they’re memories that last a lifetime.
And a few years ago, we started a “framily night” tradition with the Slaughter family every Christmas. There are always a ton of laughs…and children.
We love to get cozy and watch Christmas movies every year. I feel like we watch them all. Twice. We cannot get enough! To see my faves, click HERE.
And of course, we’re in the kitchen…
…my family is in the kitchen none stop during the holiday season. To see my favorite Christmas treats…all simple, seasonal, delicious and festive, click HERE. We love making recipes together every day…but especially the days leading up to Christmas.
Now, we also do a lot during the holiday season that isn’t something we would ever post on social media. We want our kiddos to see and understand the real meaning of Christmas and that so many people are not as fortunate this time of year. Ideas our family loves and yours might too includes: supporting an Angel Tree kiddo, making shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, donating to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, visiting retirement homes, making cards for troops over seas, donating canned goods and time to the food pantry, donating items to a thrift store and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. These are private things that I know so many of you also do with your kiddos too. I know it’s always special to see kids serving others.
Whew! That wraps up today’s Show & Tell Tuesday!
And if you missed posts from the past, you can see all of 2015’s Show & Tell Tuesdays HERE and so far this year:
Don’t forget, tomorrow is WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY!!
Ramona Greenspan says
You really do know how to “do” Christmas! I love it!!!
Anna says
Why is it private to do special things for those in need of Christmas cheer? I’d say the opposite – spread the good intentions and the meaning of the season.
Mix and Match Mama says
You know…we just try and keep that a little more private. That feels right for us…but I know everyone does it their own special way. Merry Christmas Anna!
Sharon says
But, honestly you are so inspirational that it really could motivate others to do good. Your blog and social media influence others to do all the “secular” things all the time (nothing wrong with that), but using that influence to “lead” others and show them that it’s just as cool to serve others as it is to wear the latest fashions would be pretty awesome.
As a pastor’s wife, I do understand the icky feeling of putting good deeds on display. However a solution could be as you are doing those things maybe get permission and take photos of others you encounter doing the same service. Giving props to them…or even just a photo for social media while you are engaged in such activity that shows the joyous results. For example, if you are at a nursing home, get a photo of the looks on the faces of the elderly (with their permission of course) as you serve them or as your kids play with or sing to them. The older folks will LOVE that and you will encourage so many in the meantime. Look at it as setting an example to your blog followers instead of a bragging session (which I know is how you probably feel it would come across and why you are hesitant) Just pray over each post about such things before hit the post button and trust me, the seeds will fall in fertile ground. There will always be critics of our good deeds….even Jesus didn’t escape that.
God Bless!
Fenny says
Do tell…..is your husband as in to all this you? Mine is a saint but even he would be saying ‘enough already’! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Hahahahaha! He’s pretty much into it like me…but on occasion, he’ll tell me to simmer down a bit 😉 .
Kelly says
Christmas a college course, awesome idea!;) You could teach it, Shay. What spoke to me about this post is that even with the trials, you find joy and share it with your children. Love it. Merry Tuesday, Shay !
Sarah says
Love this post!! And LOL at the comment about if your hubby is as into as you are! 🙂
My husband also loves the season — we usually drive around looking at lights a few times a week throughout December (his idea!) and he finds us the best houses.
Merry Christmas!!
-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com
Sheaffer Sims says
The Shulls do Christmas up right! And I can’t get over how much I love that picture of y’all in the carriage this year. So festive!
LC says
So glad you mentioned your more private traditions of helping the less fortunate! I love reading your blog every morning. Your seemingly endless efforts to be positive is really inspiring. You also turned me into an early riser! Merry Christmas!
Narci says
Girl, you deserve a PH.D. In Christmas Cheer! Love reading about all of your fun Christmas Traditions! What a fun post!
Elaine Welte says
I love many of your family traditions! Our family has many of the same! I think it would be lovely if you did post on social media how your family helps out in other ways… soup kitchen, angel tree, etc. people want to see that side too and I think it would inspire others to do the same.
Megan says
I love following you family around Christmas time! And please know that the activities you choose to keep private are just as special and meaningful. You do not have to feel like you need to share every charitable or non-charitable thing with the world. Merry Christmas Shull family!
http://www.lettinginthelightblog.com
NerdGirl says
What a wonderful post! You’ve inspired me to step my Christmas game up…next year 🙂
I totally understand about not broadcasting your good works in public. The Bible cautions against it while we live in a society where people feel the need to post and share everything. It can be a difficult balance to strike and I think you’ve done a great job of it.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Aren Cameron says
I’m hosting my first recipe exchange tonight for my girlfriends and I’m so excited! Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Erin Port says
I love Christmas too and the wonder and magic in my kids’ eyes and meditating on the perfecter of our faith, Jesus! Glad Ashby did awesome yesterday…prayed for her! Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!!!
Erika Slaughter says
I’m pretty sure a degree in traditions would have been way more fun than those journalism classes. Right?! Looking forward to our framily night tonight!
Amanda says
I always think how lucky your children are to have these amazing memories – not just at Christmas but year round- to reflect back on as they grow older. But I also know you’re very blessed to have these memories and times too!
Continue to share what you want, and keep private what you want. Not everything needs to be documented or posted for “likes.” I think it’s perfect that you mentioned how right it is to have a servants heart but not needing to document with the world. You’ve mentioned before about the food drives you do, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to your faithful readers how much more you do to spread cheer. It’s not about tooting your own horn, and I think you acknowledge it well!
Thank you for sharing your life with us! 🙂
Brooke Richardson says
Shay, I think your next book should be catered just for Christmas!!! LOVE it!!!!
Laci says
You inspire me to add more Christmas cheer!! Love it!! Merry Christmas Shull’s 🙂
Ranisa says
Best picture-the girls in winter boots and smith in shorts.
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
Christmas is my favorite time of the year because of all of the traditions! I love old traditions and creating new ones! We haven’t had time to go look at lights yet this year so that’s tonight–better late than never?!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
Kayley says
What is the name of the stroller that Madeley is sitting in, in the picture in front of the Christmas tree at the mall? It looks like a nice, durable stroller. Thanks!
julie says
Shay-your kids are just SO adorable, all of them. Love seeing their pictures. In your recent posts, I’ve just noticed how Smith looks like such a big boy! You know when they seem to lose that “baby face” and turn into a little kid all the sudden. Anyway, such a handsome sweet boy, and I just had to point out how especially adorable he’s looking lately! Love your holiday traditions and I hope all of you have a very merry Christmas!
Meg says
I love the build a shoe box idea for my kiddos, thx for the idea!! Merry Christmas ????????
Jenny says
I for one think December needs to be twice as long to fit in all the fun things I want to do. It’s never long enough! Merry Christmas to you and yours! xo
Lexie says
Thanks for sharing, Shay! My friends and I have started doing a recipe exchange with the canned food aspect. I agree with the people saying it would inspire others to do more, but I also understand wanting to keep it more private, not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing and whatnot. Thanks for sharing your life with us. I know it’s hard to find a balance of what’s appropriate to share. Merry Christmas, Shulls.
Julia says
If your special Christmas-y plans tonight involve going out, be sure to remember to set your DVR for Michael Buble tonight on NBC. And prayers for the Buble family, especially for his son Noah.
Alliah says
I think posting about your families acts of service in a non-braggy type way would be wonderful. Its not boastful and it would inspire others to do the same, as well as bring even more awareness to those issues than just a smell mention! 🙂
Heather S says
Shay, we are exactly the same way about charitable contributions in our household. I feel like posting about on social media is so counter productive and impersonal, thus it takes away the point of doing or giving. It’s not about the “likes” ! Good for you for keeping that aspect personal!!
Lesley McFarland says
Oh my goodness I love it allllll!! Christmas is by far the funniest time of the year. And there is NEVER enough time. We start listening to Christmas music October 1st.
Just curious….how far in advance do you have to sign up to be a Salvation Army bell ringer?
I absolutely love serving my community with my family but I must say if people need food, clothes and Jesus in December they probably need it all year. I wish there were more known opportunities to give back other than Christmas. If anyone has any ideas for the DFW area please let me know.
Samantha Stein says
Wow! You have a very beautiful family, Shay! You definitely know who to make Christmas fun for your family. I really like the Jammy Cocoa Christmas. It sounds so fun that I’m going to try it this year. Of course, attending church is also a must this holiday season, to give thanks and remember the real reason why we’re celebrating Christmas.
I’ve created my own list of activities for Christmas too and it’s a short list of activities that our elderly loved ones can also enjoy. I recommend having a movie night with the whole family and watch movies like It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th street, play party games like Christmas Trivia or Marshmallow Toss and my grandmother’s favorite, singing Christmas carols. Here’s my list: http://www.altcp.org/gift-ideas-safe-activities-seniors/. I hope this can help those who are still looking for fun and inexpensive things to do this Christmas.
Lauren says
I love reading your blog each day. But I just started having this problem a few days ago that it isn’t showing me new posts. It’s “stuck” on the Tuesday post. Anything else having this problem?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! If you clear your browser’s cache, it will correct it!