Super Laminator Deal

This isn't my normal type of blogpost, but since I am forever grateful for the time I spent laminating my FHE lessons all those years ago, I am passing on this amazing deal I discovered today.

 This deal only lasts through today or until they run out, but I thought I'd let you all know that as of 11:43am EST on December 13, 2013  
Amazon is offering a full-size laminator for only $13.99!!!!!  (***The super sale is now over, but they're still below $20, which is also an excellent price***)

I don't have this particular brand, but it does have good reviews on Amazon and would make for a great Christmas present for friends, family, or for yourself.   You can also add a package of 100 laminating sheets for under $10. 

 Click here to see my tips for laminating and storing the FHE lessons.

Happy laminating!

"The Nativity Song" Printable Posters

My husband has been serving as the primary chorister in our ward for about the past year.  It's a calling he was surprised to receive, but  one that he has enjoyed immensely.  As I'm usually the one in the house doing the cutting and pasting, it's been fun for me to see him use the creative side of his brain in his preparations each week.  

The primary kids are singing "The Nativity Song" in sacrament meeting next week and he thought it would be fun if the children had signs they could hold up during the song.  We wanted to make sure that the visuals were LDS approved, since they were being shown in sacrament meeting.  The pictures (all except the stable) came from the December 2004 Friend magazine.  Below you will find them cropped and enlarged  to fit onto a standard 8.5x11-inch sheet of paper.  ( Make sure you print them the highest quality that your printer will allow.) He decided that that still wasn't quite as large as he'd hoped, so we took the printed pages to Staples and had them color copied and enlarged 155% to fit onto an 11x17-inch sheet of paper (98 cents per copy).   

 He then mounted the pictures onto posterboard and hot glued them to wooden stakes that he got at Home Depot.   Duct tape would probably also work.  

Enlarged that big the picture quality wasn't quite as clear as it ideally would be, but it was definitely still good enough to see from across the chapel. 

All in all, he was pleased with how they turned out and I couldn't resist sharing it here to save  other choristers a little work next time they sing this great Christmas song!  Enjoy! 

"The Nativity Song" Signs

12 Ways to Bring the Spirit of Christ into Christmas

by Lara Goold


1.  Plan your own 12 days of Christmas service for a neighbor or someone who could use a little TLC  (click here for some ideas)

2.  Make this Christmas Scripture Advent Calendar.  Even if it's past December 1st, you can make it today and pick up wherever you're at. 

3.  Christmas in Bethlehem dinner (we usually do it right after Christmas when life has calmed down a bit)

4.  Service chain--Instead of a countdown to Christmas chain, make a service chain out of strips of paper and a stapler.  Family members add a link every time they perform an act of service for someone.  We like to make a goal to have the chain reach a certain length and then we will go on a fun family outing together.

5.  Print off these Christmas Eve devotional books (that include songs, scriptures, and pictures) and spend about half-hour on Christmas Eve singing and reading the scriptures together

6.  Instead of gingerbread houses, make a graham cracker and candy creche scene with graham crackers, candy, royal icing, and toothpicks.

7.  Year by year drawings--Each year have your children draw a Nativity scene, then have them date and sign them and keep them in a binder as a scrapbook.  It will be fun each Christmas  to look back at the progression of their scenes.

8.  Watch inspiring videos and musical performances--if not in person, then on the internet.
Here's one of our favorites this year.  We also like this one and  this one.  


9.  Using supplies and toys you can find around your house, have everyone create their own nativity.  Here's the one my daughter made from Lincoln Logs and her dolls.  Next we are going to try this gorgeous nativity art project. 

10.  Go to the library and check out a variety of meaningful Christmas books and read one each day in December.   (this one, this one , and this one are a couple of our favorites and here is a link to my Christmas picture book review)

11.  If you live near one, visit your temple visitors' center's Christmas displays and performances.

12.  Invite the missionaries to your home to share a Christmas message.  Even better...invite a friend too!