12: Ordinary Life at Christmastime
This is the story of a how to be a Keeper of Seasons.
We share our favorite do's and don'ts around the Advent and Christmas season. For example, DO give yourself a "get out of Advent free" card if you're a mom of littles or just a weary wanderer like so many of us. And DON'T stress celebrating the season in any way other than works for you and your people.
We each share some of our favorite, most ordinary, most meaningful ways to savor the season we so often rush and stress through. We also remember our very first Christmas at Maplehurst with both our families under one roof.
And we have a special gift for you this season!
Special Free Gift for You: Thanksgiving through Christmas only
An Illustrated Guide to the Four Seasons at Maplehurst.
Like Book Pages Pulled from a Vintage Treasure.
Printed in full color on quality paper, these prints are like illustrations pulled from an old almanac or diary. The separate black and white prints are ideal for adding your own artistic touch in watercolor or pencil.
This illustrated guide, with inspiration for the kitchen, the garden, and the bookshelf, would make a meaningful gift, perhaps with a clipboard for display, bundled with art supplies, or included in a notebook of seasonal inspiration. If you package or display these creatively, I would love to see! Use the hashtag #weareplacemakers and tag me @christiepurifoy on Instagram.
This is a special gift celebrating the upcoming release of Christie's new book: Placemaker. Only available during this gift-giving season. Pre-order your book before December 25 and we'll pop these lovely prints into your email inbox right away!
Click here to get your free gift now.
I just came to say, regarding Advent:
For the last 15 years or so, every night in December, we have attempted to read with our three children from a book called the 25 Days of Christmas (Rebecca Hayford Bauer). Every. Night. Until. Christmas. Day. You can imagine how this has gone over the years. When the kids were little they would squirm and talk over the storyteller and usually cry at some point because they DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS. When we started, our children were 8, 2, and not-yet-born. Now there are only two left in the nest, and these two, ages 17 and 13, still really don’t love the advent book, but if they have to do it, they insist on doing the readings so they can add weird voices and their own running commentary. (Last year the youngest did Victor Borge impressions with all the punctuation. Let me say it again: EVERY NIGHT TILL CHRISTMAS.) Anyway, during Thanksgiving I announced that we would be skipping the advent book this year. The response: Horror and outrage. You’d have thought I’d proposed killing a puppy. I said, “But you hate the advent book!” They said, “BUT IT’S TRADITION! You make us do it! And we complain about it! THAT’S THE TRADITION!” The 17yo is a senior and she has made it very clear that we must do “all the things” this year because it will (read: might) be her last Christmas as a member of the household. I guess the advent book counts as one of all the things. December starts tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes. 🙂
P.S. I am so deeply enjoying this podcast. Every new installment is a refreshing breeze on my spirit. <3
Oh, Kristen! This story. I’m cracking up with laughter. Kids, right??!