Ten Days of Christmas #4: Illumination

 

   Hello everybody, and welcome to the Ten Days of Christmas blog party! I'm very excited to be participating in this. This blog event will be posted every two days. Specifically, December 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 22nd. On each day but the last one, the theme will be associated with a certain letter of "Christmas." At the end of the event (the 22nd), the winner of the giveaway will be announced.

With that brief overview out of the way, let's get started!

Today's letter from C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is "I" for 

 According to the dictionary:

   illumination | iˌlo͞oməˈnāSH(ə)n |         noun 1 lighting or light: higher levels of illumination are needed for reading. • (often illuminations) a display of lights on a building or other structure.
Let's see. What are some of my favorite "illuminations" at Christmastime?   
How about . . .

Christmas tree lights


Christmas lights (in general)



Glowing snowflakes(also a form of Christmas lights)


(Let it be known . . . all pictures that are coming up are not mine, but they are courtesy of the internet.)
Starry nights



Candles


Christmas lanterns


Oh, and here's one more thing I adore but totally forgot to put on the post. I can't bear to leave it out, though, so . . .
Lighted deer


   I love Christmas lights! They're so pretty, and versatile. You can wind them around in different ways to form so many amazing decorations. They're pretty on houses, on garlands, around my neck (just kidding. I don't actually have a Christmas light necklace, though you can buy them for fairly cheap), and more! I put up/helped put up multiple strings of lights this Christmas season.

  Visit Little Blossoms for Jesus, Culinary Scribbles, and Rebekah's Reading Room to see the coordinating posts from the other participants, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Ten Days of Christmas #3: Red, White, & Green

   Hello everybody, and welcome to the Ten Days of Christmas blog party! I'm very excited to be participating in this. This blog event will be posted every two days. Specifically, December 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 22nd. On each day but the last one, the theme will be associated with a certain letter of "Christmas." At the end of the event (the 22nd), the winner of the giveaway will be announced.

With that brief overview out of the way, let's get started!

Today's letter from C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is "R" for

   The colors red, white, and green are a big part of Christmas. They're everywhere. And a few of my personal favorites are:

-Wreaths

-Ornaments

-Tree Skirts

-Poinsettias (Christmas flowers)

-Garlands

(This was my handiwork. ;)

-Random decorations (also my fault)

   And more!

    Visit Little Blossoms for Jesus, Culinary Scribbles, and Rebekah's Reading Room to see the coordinating posts from the other participants, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Please note: all these pictures are my own. Please do not take them without permission from me.

Giveaway

    Hey! This is impromptu, brief, and has nothing to do with the 10 Days of Christmas, but I just want to take a moment to mention a giveaway a friend is hosting. It's her blog's second anniversary, so that's pretty special. Hop on over to Ellen's Musings and check it out!

Ten Days of Christmas #2: Holiday Stories

 

   Hello everybody, and welcome to the Ten Days of Christmas blog party! I'm very excited to be participating in this. This blog event will be posted every two days. Specifically, December 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 22nd. On each day but the last one, the theme will be associated with a certain letter of "Christmas." At the end of the event (the 22nd), the winner of the giveaway will be announced.

With that brief overview out of the way, let's get started!

Today's letter from C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is "H" for 

   I love a good Christmas story. Though I must admit that until recently, I didn't know of too many. But since that's been remedied, I have a few to share with you this holiday season.

The first of them, and perhaps one of my favorites, is:

#1: Carol in Her Heart by Rebekah Morris

   So sweet, and very well-written. I loved the warmth and closeness of longtime, special friends in this story. I'd recommend it to anyone! (And you can buy it right now on Kindle for only 99¢ here!)

Sensitive content: none

Age recommendation: all ages

My rating: 5 stars

#2: A Police Force for Christmas by Rebekah Morris

 

This was was certainly not what I'd anticipated. I mean, I can safely say that I've never read a story quite like that one. And, like all Rebekah's books that I've read so far, it's sooo good. (And can be gotten here for 99¢ as well.)

Sensitive content: none (except that a break-in is mentioned)

Age recommendation: all ages

My rating: 5 stars

#3: Esther Ashton's New Dress by Kellyn Roth

   A short, sweet story of a girl who wonders whether her Christmas will be anything special and ends up with a happy surprise. I enjoyed it. (And you can get it for free here!)

Sensitive content: none

Age recommendation: 10+

My rating: 4.5 star

#4: The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

   A-a-alright. This one is interesting. I haven't read it in a little while, so I can't quite remember it all. But I do remember I liked the first two stories in the book. It's composed of three short stories, you see. The third was okay, but I remember thinking it slightly strange because it has a horse that talks. Other than that little fact (maybe you don't mind animals talking to humans in a fictional story, and that's fine), I liked the book. It was unique.

Sensitive content: see above ^^^

Age recommendation: 10+?

My rating: 3 star

#5: The Candymaker's Gift: Legend of the Candy Cane by Helen & David Haidle

   Even though it's simply a legend, it tells a fun and Christ-centered version of the origin of the beloved candy of Christmas, the candy cane.

Sensitive content: none

Age recommendation: all ages

My rating: 4 star

   Okay, a few things to note here. First of all, I recommend more than just those two books in Rebekah's Christmas collection. In fact, I'd recommend her Christmas book collection in general. I simply haven't read them all, but I sure would love to sometime!

   Secondly, there are more than this, but I can't name every single on on here. Just know . . . if you look hard enough, there's quite a few Christmas literary jewels to be found!

  Visit Little Blossoms for Jesus, Culinary Scribbles, and Rebekah's Reading Room to see the coordinating posts from the other participants, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Ten Days of Christmas #1: Carols

     

   Hello everybody, and welcome to the Ten Days of Christmas blog party! I'm very excited to be participating in this. This blog event will be posted every two days (starting with today). Specifically, December 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 22nd. On each day but the last one, the theme will be associated with a certain letter of "Christmas." At the end of the event (the 22nd), the winner of the giveaway will be announced.

With that brief overview out of the way, let's get started!

Today's letter from C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is "C" for 

   Ah, I love Christmas songs. Thankfully, I've given myself a limit of whatever amount I want to list, so long as it's over five. *beams* Let's get to it!

#1: The First Noel 

(Lyrics can be found here)

I love this song. It's so pretty, and the melody is so easy to sing (for me, at least). It's definitely one of my favorites.

#2: O Holy Night

(Lyrics can be found here)

Beautiful. And I can sing it comfortably in my own voice range! (I'm a 1st soprano. One of the highest, for those of you who don't know what that means.)

#3: O Little Town of Bethlehem 

(Lyrics can be found here)

*wraps it in a hug* That's all I'll say about it.

#4: Silent Night

(Lyrics can be found here)

Somehow, this carol feels homey. I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps it's the sweet, slower, calm tune or maybe it's the "warmth" in the words. I don't know. I do know, however, that this is one of my favorite Christmastime songs.

#5: O Come O Come, Emmanuel

(Lyrics can be found here)

This one kind of has the same feel as Silent Night for me. Warm and beautiful.

#6: Angels We Have Heard on High

(Lyrics can be found here)

This one is pretty popular and is tends to not be sung quite as slowly as some of my other favorites. I like it anyway. Not to mention that it's fun to sing!

I have other favorites, including:

-It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

-What Child is This?

-Carol of the Bells (this one is so-o-o-o pretty!)

-Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

-Away in a Manger (this one is also really well-known, and it's pretty easy for even kids to sing)

-Ding Dong Merrily on High

. . . and the list could go on and on. But unfortunately I can't list every single one out for you. Just know that I like most carols. 

   I've been caroling before, and it's so fun! Besides the fact that my nose can get numb and I have to keep my fingers in my pockets lest they be accosted by the cold as well. :) I remember how we used to go caroling through the streets sometimes, and our voices blended in harmony and it sounded so lovely. It also gives us a chance to cheer people who were otherwise feeling alone or discontent. Not to mention that we were singing about Jesus's birth, and that alone gave an opportunity to get people thinking about what this season is really about. 

Visit Little Blossoms for Jesus, Culinary Scribbles, and Rebekah's Reading Room to see the coordinating posts from the other participants, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!