Why Fruitcake?

Fruitcake is the stereotypical Christmas dessert.  I've personally only had it once (never again), but it's still everywhere this time of year.  So during a conversation with my mother on the subject, and amid speculation, I began to wonder exactly why fruitcake is so traditional and popular, even though few people actually like it.  So, I did some research.  And I was surprised and slightly horrified to find that some fruitcake supposedly has a shelf life of 25 years.

Fruitcake actually started in Rome, where it was almost a delicacy, only affordable to the rich because of how rare fresh fruit was in the winter.  Add liqueur to that, and you've got an expensive dish.  Our American version stemmed from the British form of plum cake, a fruity dessert incredibly popular to eat during holidays.  Obviously, it's not nearly as rare and expensive now, so it's not as popular as it used to be.  But it's still iconic.

My personal experience with fruitcake came 3 or 4 years ago, when we visited a location famous for their fruitcake, and was handing out samples.  I sunk my teeth into a bite, even though fruitcake isn't liked all that well and I'm not a fan of trying new foods.  But I figured I might as well give it a try.

The bread was... very sweet, and the fruit was... well, something I tried not to chew too much.  All this to say, no, I don't like fruitcake.  But if you do—more power to you!

Also, don't forget to visit Faith's blog for the other participators and the giveaway!

Memorable Decorations {Part 2}

Last time I talked about the memories behind our Christmas decorations, we ended in the front room.  I'd like to now take you over to the family room, where more surprises await.

First of all, let's hop to the south side of the house, where windows offer perfect places to drape some greenery.  And what better addition to the greenery than snowflakes?  Probably about ten years ago, my grandma patiently attempted to teach me how to do a simple chain crochet stitch, which I promptly left to do other, more interesting things.  Well, finally, a few years ago, she gave me the idea to make lace snowflakes for my mom.  I readily agreed, not knowing how tedious it would be to learn new stitches and put them to use.  But I'm quite pleased with how they turned out!

A hop and a skip away, and once again, we've got a homemade gift that the guys made probably six or seven years ago.  Mom wanted stocking hangers, and so her sweet husband once again surprised her with eight shining, gold-painted hangers.  I remember that we all gave them to her—Daddy and us kids—and though I didn't do a thing, they were still partially from me, and that was special.  Though it made my brothers slightly irritated.

And let's just take a moment to admire these stocking handcrafted by my very talented mother, shall we?  Not only are they simply stockings, but cowboy boots!  Yeah, have I mentioned her love for western decor?

Now let's take a step back from the mantle (where we put the village every year until we decided to put it on the piano this year) to examine Kordell's fascination/obsession with lights.  The dude seriously finds a new place to string lights every year. (Let's not forget that one year Birdo strung garland across the room suspended from the ceiling... but that's another story.)

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Our house is certainly all decked out this year!  How about yours?

Memorable Decorations

Today marks the start of the 12 Days of Christmas blog party!

Come with me, I'd like to take you on a tour through our house.  Our Christmas decorations are put up, and there are some specific ones that I'd like to show you, each with a special meaning or memory. (And thanks to Kara for taking most of these pics!)

First stop is the front yard.  Looking at the house, you'll see a tree covered in lights, and then a star of lights on top of the house.  That star has been on the house every winter pretty much as long as I can remember.  But once upon a time, Mom really wanted lights on the house, and one year Daddy suddenly surprised her with a homemade star.  You can see it from a couple miles away, and it's certainly a major part of our Christmas decorations.

Next stop: front room.   Remember the Christmas tree that I mentioned?  If you turn to the right after entering the front door, you'll find that tree, laden with lights, garland and ornaments.  Have I mentioned that handmade gifts are kind of a thing around here?  Kordell made mom a box of cutout western (western decor is Mom's favorite) ornaments—bull heads, horseshoes, cowboy boots, etc., and Mom then wrote names of Jesus on them.

A few feet from the tree, you'll find Mom's grand piano covered with a ceramic village.  This village has been collected over the years, with my grandma adding to it every year for quite a long time.  It's probably the decoration us kids enjoyed putting up the most when we were little.

Next to the piano, you'll find a short chest of drawers with this nativity on it.  Us kids had our own nativity scene that we were allowed to put up ourselves.  I don't know how many pieces have been hot-glued (have I ever mentioned that hot glue is another of this family's specialties?) back together again.  So if we got to put up Mom's good brown nativity, man, we were privileged! (If you look closely, you can see that the angel's wing has been glued together... yes, we did mess up sometimes)

On a second chest of drawers around the corner lies this nativity calendar.  On each day of December, counting down to Christmas, you open one of the little doors and pull out an item to stick on the scene.  I remember calculating the number of days to see which of us siblings got to open baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.  We alternated every year, even though we argued about it every year.

These two characters are found pretty much anywhere in the house.  Pushing the yellow sticker on the mouse's foot presses a button that activates it to start dancing and playing its guitar and singing Jingle Bell Rock.  Santa has a switch to turn him on, and once that switch is flipped, he sings Jingle Bells any time he senses a loud noise, or when someone taps him.  These two guys were the best white elephant gifts ever!

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Everyone has their favorite Christmas decorations and memories.  What are some of yours?

Also, don't forget to check out Faith's blog for all the links to the other participants in the blog party!  (Also, there's an epic-looking giveaway going on with all sorts of epic stuff like books and music and I don't even know what else.)

Christmas Duet Blog Tour

Hey folks!  I'm here today as a part of the Christmas Duet blog tour, as is obvious by the title.

Why Christmas Duet? Because two books—a duet—are being released, and both books have titles that have to do with a Christmas song! My post is full of bookish amazingness, since the tour is for two books instead of just one, double the goodness, of course!

His Law is Love

About the Book:

Will hate and fear drown the song of Christmas love?

Amelia is eagerly anticipating her first Christmas in the west, but she soon finds that her brother-in-law's worry and her sister's exhaustion reach far deeper than the cares of a ranch and a family. A rash of fires and cattle thefts is plaguing the area, and the three young orphans they've sheltered are under suspicion from their prejudiced neighbors.

As hostilities mount, Amelia seizes every opportunity to help and encourage, but how much can one girl do? Will Reverend Brown win the community over to the true spirit of love? And will help arrive before everything they hold dear is destroyed?

Purchase on Amazon

Author Bio:

Rebekah A. Morris ia a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, Home Fires of the Great War, The Unexpected Request, Gift from the Storm, the Christmas Collection series, and her best selling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favorite pastimes, when she isn’t writing, include reading, playing with her seven nieces and nephews, and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. (Sometimes with the nieces and nephews!) The Show-Me state is where she calls home. 

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O Come All Ye Faithful and other short stories

About the Book:

O Come All Ye Faithful

Edwin wanted to be home, but instead he crouched in a trench. The English on one side of No Man’s Land and Germans on the other. What a way to spend Christmas. Could anything make it better?

Peace on Earth

Emmie and Elana are estranged sisters, torn apart by an old boyfriend five years earlier. Will they survive a night in the same hotel room after a blizzard forces them together or will peace on earth go out the window?

Silent Night

Christmas decorating had never gone this wrong. Jenna had just started when a crazy, gun-waving woman, walks right in the front door and ties her up in her own Christmas lights. Will Jenna even see her family this Christmas?

The Gift Goes On

Four friends and a year to reflect on. The year had been good for Carlotta, but Priscilla, Remus, and Newton all had at least one trial through the year. A mysterious giver the previous year had helped them all out, though. What would this year’s gifts bring?

O Christmas Tree

Gareth loves Christmas. But more than that, he loves Christmas tree hunting. As the family prepares for their annual trip, Gareth can barely contain his excitement. But what are all the spray bottles for?

Purchase on Amazon

About the Author:

Faith Blum is a small-town Wisconsin girl. She’s lived in, or outside of, small towns her whole life. The thought of living in a city with more than 60,000 people in it scares her, especially after some interesting adventures driving through big cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Faith currently resides in the middle of the state of Wisconsin with her husband and their cat, Smokey. She is blessed to be able to have writing as her full-time career with household work and cooking to do on the side. She loves to paint walls as long as she doesn’t have to do hallways or ceilings.

When not writing, you can find her cooking food from scratch due to food allergies (fun), doing dishes (meh), knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, or spending time with her husband (yay!). She is also a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and loves her work there. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her on her website.

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Giveaway:

Grand Prize: Paperback of each (US only)

1st Prize: eBook of each (International and US)

2nd Prize: eBook of choice (International and US)

Doesn't this look like an epic giveaway?  You can enter here.

Tour Schedule:

Don't forget to check out the other blogs in the tour!

November 26

Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory Post

Cover Lover Book Review – Book Spotlights

November 27

Read Another Page – Book Spotlight

Kaylee's Kind Of Writes – Two Book Reviews

Jaye L. Knight – Excerpts

November 28

Lit Aflame – Book Review and Excerpt

Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections – Book Review of His Law is Love

Jenny Berlin – Excerpts

November 29

Frances Hoelsema's Blog – Two Book Spotlights

Rebekah Ashleigh – Review of His Law is Love and Book Spotlights

Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors – Book Review and Spotlight

Salsa And Tea – Author Interviews

November 30

Purely by Faith Reviews – Two Book Reviews

Once Upon An Ordinary – Author Interview and Book Spotlights

In the Bookcase - Excerpts

December 1

Books, Life, and Christ – Two Book Reviews

Maidens for Modesty – Two Book Reviews

Chosen Vessels – Two Book Reviews

Harvest Lane Cottage – Two Book Reviews

Jessica Greyson – Book Spotlights

Twin Thoughts – Book Spotlights

Heart of the Rose – Two Book Reviews

Read Another Page – Book Spotlight and Review

December 3

Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway winner

It's About the Cross

It's not just about the manger where the baby lay,

It's not just about the angels who sang for him that day,

It's not just about the shepherds, or the bright and shining star;

It's not all about the wise men who travelled from afar.

It's about the cross, it's about my sin, it's about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again.

It's about the stone that was rolled away, so that you and I could have real life someday;

It's about the cross.

It's not all about the good things in this live I've done,

It's not all about the treasures or the trophies that I've won,

It's not all about the righteousness that I find within;

It's about His precious blood that saves me from within.

It's about the cross, it's about my sin, it's about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again.

It's about the stone that was rolled away, so that you and I could have real life someday.

It's about the cross.

The beginning of the story is wonderful and great, but it's the ending that can save you, and that's why we celebrate.

It's about the cross, it's about my sin, it's about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again.

It's about God's love nailed to a tree, it's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should've been me.

It's about the stone that was rolled away, so that you and I could have some life someday.

So that you and I could have real life someday. 

It's about the cross.

A Contemporary Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, people.  Like, wow.
To be honest, I'm still stuck in November–y'know, pre-Thanksgiving? XD
Anyway, these aren't traditional songs.  But they're beautiful and... yeah.

Chris Tomlin - Glory in the Highest

Newsong - The Christmas Shoes

Point of Grace - Carol of the Bells/What Child is This?

Barlowgirl - Hallelujah (Light has Come)

Brandon Heath - Just a Girl

Michael Card - Joseph's Song

4Him - A Strange Way to Save the World

~Kaitlyn

A Country Christmas

For having grown up with brothers obsessed with country songs, I kinda learned to hate it.
But I have to admit, there's some really good ones out there.
So here.  *shoves them at you* Enjoy.

The Oak Ridge Boys - Jesus is Born Today

Lonestar - Little Drummer Boy

Kenny Chesney - Thank God for Kids

Josh Turner - The First Noel

Alan Jackson - Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

George Strait (because we can't have a country music post without the King of Country, right? XD) - There's a New Kid in Town

Scotty McCreery - Mary, Did you Know?

~Kaitlyn

Books For the Kids at Heart

Who else loves picture books?

Don't look at me that way; you're never too old to love kids' picture books.

Come to think of it, I can list more Christmas kids' books than I can Christmas books for my age.

Before you think I've gone completely off my rocker, let me say this: if you think you're too old or mature to be reading picture books, then... well, you might as well not read this post.  Because it'd be a waste of your time.

ANYWAY.

In no particular order...

The Candle in the Forest by Joe Wheeler

Eight treasured tales will charm young readers and journaling pages will turn this book into a keepsake.  Gather the family and pass on the tradition of sharing stories of faith, hope, and love.

Containing several different stories, these are perfect for reading by yourself or reading aloud to siblings. ;)

The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Pine Tree Parable tells the heartwarming tale of a Farmer and his family who nurture tiny seedlings into fragrant Christmas trees.  When the trees are tall enough to offer their neighbors, the Farmer's wife plans to keep the most beautiful pine tree for her family, until one snowy December night when a child teaches her the true meaning of Christmas.

Ohh, yes.  A simple reminder that we shouldn't keep things for ourselves—Christmas is a time for giving, and for thanking—thanking God for what He did for us.

The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Rick Osborne, adapted by Pat Matuszak

In this adaptation of the best-selling story of The Legend of the Christmas Tree, little ones ages 4 and under can discover the wonderful story of how the evergreen tree first became a symbol of Christmas and a way to tell people about God.

*Coughs* Yes, that's a board book.  Yes, it does say '4 and under'.  But hey, it's one of the few Christmas book that we've had around the house for as long as I can remember (see how it's worn?); you could say it's a keepsake.  Of sorts. XD

Punchinello and the Most Marvelous Gift by Max Lucado

The Maker-Day Festival brings out the best that Wemmicksville has to offer.  The best cake, the best bouquet, and the best music.  But when Punchinello's disastrous mistake threatens to ruin the festival, all the Wemmicks discover the most marvelous gift.  And they all sing out: "We like you.  We love you.  We all agree—without you, Eli, there'd be no we."

So, this has always been one of my very, very favorites.  When I was little, and I got to pick a book for Daddy or Mom to read aloud, that's what I'd always pick.  Kord, too.

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

Because Joshua the Lamb was different, he often felt left out-like on the wintry night when he was left behind in a Bethlehem stable. This touching tale helps kids see that even if they're different, God has a unique plan for their lives.

Another one that we've had for as long as I can remember.  It's one of Mom's favorites, it's a sweet story, and I love the illustrations. ;)

The Gift of the Christmas Cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall

It's the Christmas season during a time when people had little money to spend.  Cookie jars held pennies, not Christmas cookies.  So when Jack smells something delicious coming from the kitchen, he can't believe his nose.  Cookies!

But his excitement turns to disappointment when he learns the cookies aren't for him.  Instead, Mother is baking them for the needy people at their church.  While Jack helps roll our the dough, his mother tells him the story of the Christmas cookie.  

In a captivating interplay of simple words and beautiful illustrations, The Gift of the Christmas Cookie tells a tender story of giving—not just cookies, but gifts of the heart that last forever.

Ahh, I love this story.  Not only is it a great reminder about what Christmas is really all about, but it's also got cookies.  Sugar, ya'll.  I don't know about you, but I have a weakness for stories with food—especially dessert.  XD

A Child's Christmas at St. Nicholas Circle by Douglas Kane McKelvey

In A Child's Christmas at St. Nicholas Circle, the artwork of world-renowned painter Thomas Kinkade brings to life a story destined as a Christmas classic.

Little Henry and his sister Katie will always remember the Christmas Eve that the mysterious message started to come through the telegraph machine at the town's train station.  Yet after only part of the message had appeared, a winter storm suddenly snapped the power lines.

"Good news - stop an important guest will arrive at St. Nicholas Circle by train to—"

Amazed to think someone important was making a special visit to their little town, the entire community turned out to welcome this mysterious guest.  But it is six-year-old Henry whose faith changed the lives of his family and those of a family of strangers.  The lessons of treating others with respect and sacrificial love come alive, as does the enchanting art by Kinkade.

Hearwarming and thought-provoking, this story brings out the fact that we should welcome everyone—whether they're "important" or not.

~Kaitlyn