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10 Reasons why you should Journal your Christmas

10 Reasons why you should Journal your Christmas
Journal your Christmas online class

With December starting tomorrow, it almost feels like Christmas morning to me already! The first day of Journal your Christmas makes the Christmas season real for me and I love sharing the holidays with so many others who love to craft, write or both! When I explain to non-crafters what I do this time of year, I come back to the same sorts of points so I wanted to share my top ten reasons for Journaling your Christmas with you today, just one day from class starting. At the end of this post don’t miss the chance to win $50 to spend on scrapbooking supplies and the winner of the last giveaway.

Journal your Christmas online class

Remember why this season is important to you.
Do you remember a most magical time when Christmas filled you with excitement and happiness? Whether that was from circling every toy in the special Christmas catalogue or from the nativity play at church, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t love Christmas just as much as an adult. Journaling your Christmas isn’t just about this year: it’s about all the wonderful memories of Christmas past. (We even talk a bit about how to brighten up the not-so-amazing memories by putting everything into perspective.) Journaling your Christmas brings together your very own Christmas past, present and future – and without any nasty run-ins with a grumpy Ebeneezer Scrooge!

Use what you have and what you love.
You don’t need any special supplies. It’s okay if you haven’t prepared anything. You can jump right in on any day of December with the supplies you have on hand. Embrace your own style – use lots of techniques and spend lots of time if that’s what you love. Likewise, keep things simple and spend just ten minutes a day if that is more suited to you. Your Christmas journal isn’t there to take over your life: it’s there to help you enjoy every minute of the holidays.

Journal your Christmas online scrapbooking class

Learn about holiday traditions all over the world.
Journal your Christmas participants come from more than forty countries. Hearing the traditions from different nations, neighbourhoods and families inspires me every Christmastime. Many JYC participants have made overseas friends and adopted new family traditions as a result of reading the Christmas stories of others. From advent calendars to candle lighting to recipes for special treats, adding new traditions to your old favourites makes each Christmas special.

Write things with a pen.
Actually, you’re welcome to type if you prefer, of course! But writing things with a pen is quickly disappearing from our world. Yet old notes written in the actual handwriting of someone else tend to be very special to us. I’ll save you all the scientific study of how writing with a pen is a different thought process than typing but suffice to say: I believe in the power of writing things with a pen. And that kind of thought process is especially powerful at Christmas.

Take advantage of simple solutions.
Love the idea of taking back Christmas but don’t fancy adding something ‘big’ to your to-do list? There are simple solutions to help. Like a set of 4×6 cards you can print out tomorrow, write on each day, then add some 4×6 photos at the end of the month and have a finished project as simply as that. (The printable cards even include notes on how to make that finished project as your choice of a 4×6 mini book, an envelope book or full-size album pages using divided page protectors.)

Journal your Christmas online scrapbooking class

See the changes from year to year.
Journal your Christmas includes permanent membership – participate as many years as you would like. That means your Christmas journals can track the changes in your life. My stack of journals from the past several years document moving house, meeting my husband, getting married, the arrival of two nephews and all sorts of other life milestones, simply by writing about how each Christmas is unique. Journal your Christmas includes lifetime membership so you can revisit the project as many years as you like and track those changes in your very own life story.

Every way is the right way.
There are so many ways to Journal your Christmas and all of them are fabulous. Want to make daily scrapbook pages? Awesome. Want to write a series of blog posts? Fabulous. You can keep a notebook to write your thoughts and not worry about the crafty option. You can create a digital scrapbook. You can record your voice each day to create an audio journal. Also, there’s no pressure to make daily entries. You can pick and choose the topics you would like to explore. Want to make one or two entries a week? Equally cool as daily entries. You might make each page have its own unique design or you might use a set format and just change the words and photos. Want to just read the prompts and think about things to keep a perspective on the season? Go for it! Seriously, any way you want to take this project is totally the right way!

Journal your Christmas online scrapbooking class

Take inspiring photographs.
There’s so much pressure to get amazing pictures on Christmas morning but often the excitement is there but the photos can’t live up to the real thing. Whether you’re tired of yellowed indoor pictures from dark Christmas mornings or you just want new ideas for photos throughout the season because you’ve taken so many over the years, you’re in for a Christmas photography treat. Every day includes photo tips and tricks and shots from a variety of photographers to inspire you through the viewfinder.

Share the experience with those you choose.
The very first Christmas journal I kept was for my eyes only. I kept it to myself, used it to work out my thoughts during a very rough Christmas season and that was just what I needed. Of course other years I’ve shared every entry in my journal with all the participants in class, and that has been amazing too. Sharing your Christmas journal can really bring the season to life and help you celebrate it fully, but it is always up to you if you share or keep things to yourself. You can share your album with just friends and family, or upload entries to share with other participants on the private class forum or upload entries to your blog, page gallery or Flickr to share with the world. You decide!

Journal your Christmas online class

Take back your Christmas.
Above all, this is what it’s all about. Don’t let some commercial-crazy world tell you that Christmas is all about keeping up and doing this, that and the other thing that you may or may not enjoy. Journal your Christmas gives you a little window of time each day to relax and tune out any outside pressure. Just because you’re the responsible grown-up now does not mean you can’t love Christmas in the same magical way you did years ago – or an entirely new way that is just right for you. You are in control: take a few minutes each day to remember and you’ll discover this season of joy is exactly what you make it.

Journal your Christmas starts tomorrow, the first of December. You can join us at any time! Want to see what participants had to say about Journal your Christmas? The comments on this post really reminded me why this is my favourite class of the year.


win $50 gift card for scrapbooking supplies
And because it’s the season of giving, I have a $50 gift card to spend on scrapping supplies of your choice from Two Peas in a Bucket. I’m going to give it to one of you! To enter, leave a comment on this post with a favourite Christmas memory. You only have today to enter! I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.

And the winner from the weekend giveaway?
Winner of Journal your Christmas Online Class
Congratulations Jennifer! Pick a friend to join you for Journal your Christmas!

xlovesx

PS: I’m hosting a chat on the message board at Two Peas today. It starts at 4pm UK time or 10am US Central time – adjust from there for your own time zone – and finishes about an hour later. When it starts, you’ll find the chat thread here. You’re welcome to come by and heckle say hello and chat!

30 November 2010



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426 Comments for 10 Reasons why you should Journal your Christmas

  1. jo sowerby Says:

    my favourite xmas memory is my first year as a student working on christmas day when all the ward sisters wore their dress uniforms and we were given fresh violets from the consultants,
    Jo xxxx

  2. Bee H. Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is from when I was little. My father would put the tree up on the evening of the 23rd and from then on the living room would be locked. My parents even put huge sheets of brown paper over the two glass doors connecting dining & living room so I couldn’t catch any glimpse of the tree. Then, on Christmas evening after we’d had dinner, my grans and I would go to the end of the corridor and wait there. My mom would switch on the lights on the tree, turn on soft Christmas music and ring a little bell.

    That’s when I’d be allowed in, to see the tree and the presents the Christkind had left.

    Of course once I got older they stopped doing it and never took it up again for my little brother but it’s still one of my absolutely favourite memories that gave Christmas that feeling of secrecy and thrill.

  3. Becky Says:

    my favourite Christmas memory is the first Christmas with both my children, Penny was 7 months and Ben 2 and a half and it was soo wonderful to see Ben getting really excited and showing Penny all his presents and helping her to open hers. Becky x

  4. Jane Says:

    my favourite Christmas memory is buying my youngest a bike for Christmas. We hid it in the garage and then gave him a box with clues to find it. Unfortunately it was so cold in the night the garage lock had frozen and we couldn’t open the door!

  5. Zoe Says:

    I have lots of wonderful Christmas memories, but one that was very special when my girlfriends and I who were living in Sydney and far away from loved ones created our own day – we had a tree and an amazing non traditonal meal and finished the day sipping champagne and sitting by a pool overlooking Sydney Harbour. Now I’m married we celebrate because we got engaged just before Christmas.

  6. Funkipickle Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was from a couple of years ago when my boyfriend and I decided to spend Christmas driving from Arizona to Las Vegas as part of our Christmas road trip. I will never forget the wonderful feeling of driving through the snow, listening to carols on the radio and driving Route 66. The best Christmas ever.

  7. Tinkersdamn Says:

    The morning we came downstairs and not only had all the stockings fallen down (too heavy), my cat had tipped over the tree!

  8. Susy Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is the first one spent with our complete family of four boys. I remember looking at their excited little faces and thinking that this is what Christmas is all about.

  9. Kate Says:

    My favourite memory is of my Grandad bringing the Mr Men sleeping bag up to our house every Christmas eve and setting up the camp bed -I’d sleep on that and Nan and Grandad would have my bed. As soon as that sleeping bag appeared, I knew santa was on his way!!!!

  10. MichelleGB Says:

    I remember being very small and kneeling at the windows at my grandparents house late at night with my brother watching for Santa while everyone else slept…I miss that innocence!

  11. Kirsty Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was the year ‘Santa’ left muddy footprints through the house….when we followed them outside there was sleigh tracks through the snow where Santa’s sleigh had been!!

    Briliant!!

  12. jenna Upson Says:

    Favorite christmas memory was when my dad woke me and my sister up (we were in late teens) and was jumping up and down on our beds like a child saying ‘its christmas, its christmas! Santa has been”

  13. kathy (kathyb) Says:

    For me it was walking downstairs at my Nanna and Grandad’s house on Christmas morning. They’d swithed on a little rose wall light ( that only went on at Christmas) and as I walked into the room, the smell of pine from the tree hit me. I’m planning on a real tree this year so my children can experience the same. Thanks for the chance to enter and Merry Christmas. I’ve already started my journal. The school Christmas Fayre last friday always marks the startof the festiv season for us.

  14. Sara Westhead Says:

    One of my favourite Christmas memories is my oldest son’s first Christmas. I had declared that he had to by him at least one present independent of me every year, and on a visit to New York City, my husband bought a giant stuffed silver-back gorilla and a baby silver-back gorilla. We still have photos of Tommy, then 6 months old, sitting in the daddy gorilla’s lap, surrounded with presents.

  15. Madeline Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories were when I was little and my dad would sit and play with my dolls with me. I think he was just as happy to play with them as I was.
    Thanks for the give away Shimelle

  16. Miss Ellie-Lou Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is … when my sister was only 2 years old, she used to crawl behind the Christmas tree and sit for ages just watching us through the twinkling lights and baubles – all we could see were a pair of pink feet!! She’s 22 now!! A little too big to fit under the tree!!!!

  17. Susan F. Says:

    Our stockings were always left on the foot of our beds. My favorite Christmas memory is waking up and kicking my feet to hear the jingle of the bell tied to my stocking and knowing it would be the start of a magical day.

  18. Natalie Elphinstone Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is the tradition of putting up the tree. We would play Christmas carols and eat shortbread and have a wonderful time as we assembled and decorated the tree. As kids we would take in turns of putting the star on top!

  19. Sally d Says:

    It has to be from childhood, i remember sitting in mum&dads bed watching us all open presents and then opening a new mug from my great Aunt, i don’t recall tge image on the mug, but i remenber vividly that mum made us all a drink of orange, lemin and pineapple squash in our new mugs, and since then (about 20 years ago) the smell if said squash has brought back such fond memories of the love, warmth and wondernent of family christmas!! I hope to achieve this with Bella in years to conme xx

  20. Carolyn Says:

    Our Christmas stocking were always a favorite. They were actually mens tube socks. Santa aka my dad would always fill them with an orange, some nuts, a large peppermint stick and a mixture of other candies.

  21. Lisa-Jane Johnson Says:

    I love your tags! I particularly like the spikey circle punch but I havent seen it anywhere since I used yours in a class. Enjoy the season! xx

  22. laura Says:

    As a child, Christmas was a lot of fun, not least because of our two insane cats running around pulling decorations from off the christmas tree and climbing in and out of the cardboard boxes our presents were wrapped in. So cute!

    As a scrapbooker, I also love the obligatory family photo timer-shot on Christmas day!

  23. rach Says:

    my favourite memory is the first christmas day I spent with my husband – just the two of us, it was lovley

  24. SandyB Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is with my husband, spending our first Christmas together in our new home.

  25. tanja Says:

    When I was a kid, we used to spend Christmas at my grandparents’ house in the north of Finland. Not quite Lapland, but it was reindeer-keeping area. We used to look out the window waiting for Santa and sometimes we would actually see his reindeer!

  26. sharyn Says:

    I am so very excited for JYC to start! One of my favorite Christmas memories is the Christmas Eve service at church when I was a kid. It was a full program where we sang and told the story of Jesus’ birth. And afterward, we got a little brown paper bag as a gift, filled with Cracker Jacks, an apple and an orange. Loved that every year :)

  27. kreativekate Says:

    One of my favorite Christmases was right after my youngest son was born. We went off to the mountains when he was only 2 weeks old and stayed for a month, just the five of us. It snowed almost every day, and we had no agenda or pressure to get things done, and it was magical.

  28. SharonS Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is the delight on my childrens faces when they see that Santa has been! This year will be even better as they are now 6 and 2, I can’t wait!

  29. Kirsteen Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is my being utterly convinced that I had seen Santa’s sleigh in the sky on Christmas Eve just after the Forth Road Bridge on the way to my Gran’s house in Edinburgh :)

  30. linda Says:

    I love how you said every way is the right way! One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my mom and dad joined in on the gift opening one at a time… usually they try to stay out of the spotlight and let the kids go a bit nuts… but it’s nice when everyone gets the love and enjoyment from the holidays… together…

  31. sonja Says:

    My favourite memory was when my brother and I decided to give our parents stockings. We made them and filled them without Mum and Dad knowing then presented them on Christmas morning after we had opened ours. The look of surprise on their faces comes back to me each year I fill my children’s stockings.

  32. marianne b Says:

    one of my favorite memories is from when I was just a little girl. Opening up my stocking in the morning made me feel like Santa had really been watching me and knew exactly what I wanted.

  33. alissa Says:

    choose just one? :)
    one of my favorite christmas memories was one of the few years it actually snowed on christmas eve and we were late to the christmas eve program at church.
    we arrived just in time to see my neice, who was 4 at the time, reciting her part in the program, which was the opening speech.
    that girl is now 25 and is getting married in a couple days… :)
    can’t wait for class to start tomorrow!
    xo,a

  34. Rebecca Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was the first year I celebrated Santa Claus with my son. Growing up my parents never let us believe in Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or Halloween, so it was such a gift to be able to change that with my own children. And boy, did we! Every year now, we have special gift wrap that only Santa’s gifts are wrapped in, and absolutely no gifts appear under the tree until all the kids are asleep on Christmas Eve. They awake to a magical Christmas wonderland full of gifts on Christmas morning, and I love it!! My son that is 13 now still wakes up at about 3 am on Christmas morning to check it out!

    Thank you so much for the chance to win!!

  35. Dayna Says:

    A favorite Christmas tree is spending it with my family – which at the time..I probably took so lightly. Now after being deployed twice in two years and missing MANY holidays with my family..

  36. TiaraHelen Says:

    My favourite christmas memory is listening to the toast before christmas lunch with the whole family and hearing that my s-i-l was going to have a baby (we’d given up hope for any more children in that generation!) It put everyone in such a fabulous mood.

  37. Joy Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was the year my son played Joseph in the Nativity at our local farm museum. The venue was a barn and we sat on hay bales. It was lit by lanterns and it was magical. When my son came into the barn leading Mary on a real donkey, while a choir of small angels sang “little donkey”, I just dissolved into tears! It was a moment I will never forget. On a lighter note, whilst helping with the school nativity production we overhead a small boy singing “keep on bloody onwards…” instead of “keep on plodding onwards..” during their rendition of Little Donkey!

  38. Kathy R Says:

    For our daughters first Christmas, my husband sat on the floor in front of the tree and I took their picture. It was a sweet picture and a wonderful Christmas. Twenty years later he still remembered that photo and we recreated it with our first granddaughter, then again eight years later with our grandson. Such sweet memories.

    Kathy R

  39. Alison Says:

    As the only child in the family for many years, I loved Christmas as all my family would be together, we played games, had christmas quizzes, and lots of parties. I loved all the preparations baking, carol concerts, and have carried on these traditions with my own family.

    Each year we do these things, it brings back memories of Christmases past and I love to see the excitement on the faces of our children each year. It is a constant reminder of the importance of handing down and recording family traditions, from each generation to the next!

  40. cristina Says:

    my fave christmas memory has to be when i was 6 years old and received the most beautiful handmade dollhouse under the christmas tree. i have since passed it on to my own daughter. xoxo

  41. Kim Says:

    Happy memories of childhood Christmasses -how to choose just one? The year I thought Father Christmas hadn’t been because I couldn’t see my presents? Mum and Dad had put up my new Wendy house and all the gifts were inside there! Or the Christmas Eve I was at my grandparents and it started to snow? But far more important are those treasured memories of loved ones no longer here – nothing can take those precious memories away from me.

  42. Vernell Says:

    A favorite Christmas memory is waking up on Christmas morning to the smell of bread that my mother had made and hot chocolate made from unprocessed cocoa from Grenada and my father playing Christmas music. Then we would open presents after which we would sit and have our Christmas morning breakfast!

  43. Jennifer Says:

    On Christmas morning, we were allowed to open our stockings before my parents woke up. I still love stockings and try to wrap everything in it for my son.

  44. Hailey Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I woke up in the middle of the night when I was about 7. The way the shadows in my room were, I was convinced I could see Santa Clause sneaking out of my room! :)

  45. Birute Pilipaitis Says:

    Every Christmas has special memories, but one that makes me laugh is the following: I had been up until the wee hours of Christmas day wrapping gifts and filling stockings. When I finally got my exhausted self to bed, I quickly fell asleep only to be jarred awake by an ENORMOUS crash. Hubby and I raced downstairs to find the entire fireplace mantle on the ground, stockings strewn everywhere! After some quick drilling and hammering, we managed to put everything back in place. Wouldn’t you know it, Christmas morning the children told us how they had heard Santa during the night and he was VERY loud!!

  46. Jennifer Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year my dad came home from Vietnam. He had been gone for a year, and it was so good to have him home, and all of us together.

  47. Liz in MO Says:

    My favorite memory is the first Christmas with our boys. We adopted them in 1999 and it was the most special Christmas I have ever had.

  48. LauraBean Says:

    Hard to pick a favorite, but maybe lying in bed as a child and hearing Christmas music from the record player on Christmas Eve.

  49. Jenny Says:

    My memories are of waiting at the top of the stairs with my brothers and sister waiting (impatiently) to be allowed to go downstairs to see the Christmas tree and presents. We had to wait while Mom & Dad got everything ready. We would sit up there talking excitedly about what we hoped to get. Today, my 3 boys do the same thing…I LOVE passing down traditions.

  50. Karen Says:

    My favourite christmas memory is the year Father Christmas brought us a real tree. When we woke up on Christmas moring- instead of our silver tinsel thing there was a huge pine tree( we didn’t really have enough decorations for it but it was beautiful). Mum and Dad and managed to but it and hide it in the shed without us seeing sometime on Christmas eve then stayed up late getting it in and decorating it. Brilliant

  51. Marcy Says:

    A favorite Christmas memory was from my childhood: waking up to a sparkling Christmas tree with the curtains drawn to see a blanket of white outside. Dad had a fire going in the fireplace and carols were playing on the stereo. A much simpler time in life.

  52. sheena Says:

    My favourite christmas memory is from 17 years ago. Our first christmas married & in our own home x
    priceless xxx

  53. Melanie K Says:

    The year we had a beautiful white Christmas. I hope we have another one!

  54. Kristen D. Says:

    I sooo look forward to Journal Your Christmas every year! I got so excited when the email popped up in my inbox today!!!

    My favorite Christmas memory is from when my brother, who is now 37, was about 5 or 6 years old. Our parent’s home does not have a chimeny so he was convinced Santa had to come trhough the front door. So on Christmas Eve after we were all asleep he crept out to the living room with afghan our grandmother had loving crocheted for him and curled up in the chair facing the door, waiting for Santa. Of course he fell asleep and we found him the next morning all curled up in a ball in that chair, wrapped in his favorite blue afghan!

  55. Julia M. Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory from childhood was waking up to a Christmas tree overflowing with gifts across the room to the fireplace. The tree was at my grandma’s house, so that made it really special too. Thanks for the chance to win.

  56. rkokes Says:

    the first Christmas with our daughter!

  57. Beth Ann Says:

    A Christmas memory that just came into my mind reading here is that when I was little, our stockings always had an orange, an apple and a banana in them – the orange stuck way down in the toe. I think if Santa left fruit for my kids, there would be a rebellion!! thanks for the giveaway. So excited for class to start tomorrow!!

  58. Keitha Says:

    For many years I sang in a church choir, and participating in Christmas Eve midnight mass remains one of my favourite Christmas memories, ever.

  59. MarianneT Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory happened about 20 years ago. Spending it with my family in a different country.

  60. Evelin Says:

    my favourite Christmas memory should be when I was about 7 or 8… Back then, there used to be a Santa Claus on the back of a lorry, passing through my grandma’s street giving out candies. Children were so much easier to please back then :P

  61. SusanB Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was from 2008. My husband’s dad and step-mom gave my oldest daughter a very special gift for her 16th Christmas: a prayer book that belonged to my husband’s mother, who passed away when he was 10. They decided that the book should be passed along to the oldest granddaughter in the family and so they gave it to my daughter. It’s a beautiful book and has some notes written in it by my husband’s mother. We were all overcome with tears ~ what a precious gift!

  62. Anne Says:

    My favorite memory is going into the yard to find the perfect tree. My father had grown several Christmas trees in our yard. I had forgotten that memory until now…but it is extra special because I just lost my father this fall.

  63. Amy Says:

    I can’t remember a specific memory, but my favorite memory always involves my grandmother reading to my sister and me on Christmas Eves when we were little. We always opened our presents on Christmas Eve, so our house was one of Santa’s first stops. So in order for Santa to be able to sneak in and leave presents, we had to “pretend” to go to sleep. So my grandma, sister and me would go to my room and sit on the bed and read our favorite story books (only one of which had to do with christmas.) Then my Mom would excitedly yell “Santa was here!” and we’d run down the stairs to see what he brought. But it’s the reading the stories with my grandma that now means so much more than the presents. For my sister too.

  64. Charlene Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is last year when we got our son the “gift” and he squealed with delight, he seriously could not believe it! Luckily we captured it on video :)

  65. Leah Says:

    My favorite memory is setting up the Christmas creche at my mom’s house. Now that I have my own family, I have a similar creche that my daughter loves to help set up.

  66. Catherine Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is writing my letter to Father Christmas. We used to send them up the chimney and he would write back and leave the letter with our presents on Christmas morning. I have a great collection of these that I get out every year. Really odd how Father Christmas has similar handwriting to my dad… X

  67. Annie M. Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is of putting up the Christmas tree as a child. It was an entire family affair, but my dad was the coordinator. He’d put a couple of Christmas records on our Fisher stereo console (that thing was huge—an entire piece of furniture!). The songs from those old albums are still some of my favorites today.
    Invariably, there was drama with the tree lights and trying to figure out which one bulb was making the entire string not light up. One of my favorite parts was trying to find just the right spot for each ornament until the tree was complete and beautiful.

  68. Emy Says:

    One of my favourite memories is of my eldest daughter yelling “FARMER CHRISTMAS” during a song at her nursery concert :)

  69. Sam Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is the year I had my son! He was three weeks old exactly on Christmas day, and even though he didn’t understand, all our Christmas traditions that had been missing for a few years, like putting out mince pies for Santa, returned and so did the Christmas magic!!!

  70. andrea Says:

    I can’t wait!! A fav memory is back when I was a kid and my sister got these striped full pajamas including slipper feet!!! It was really funny and she got right into the spirit. We were all laughing so hard! My sister was a great sport!!

  71. Gez Says:

    Hi Shimelle Thank You for bringing your wonderful class to us all again this Christmas. It is so lovely to look back at previous JYC albums & the wonderful memories it stirs. One of my favourite Christmas memories is when my baby, only 10 months old, was lifted up to gently touch the trimmings.. & when he did they swayed gently & everytime he touched them & they swayed.. my little one let out a big squeal of delight. I was lucky enough to capture the moment on my phone & it’s one of my most treasured memories. :)

  72. Erika DeMarte Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is of Christmas Eve 3 years ago. It had snowed, and the world was very sparkly and lovely. We came home from grandpa’s house around 9:00pm, the kids (aged 5 and 3 at the time) were in their pajamas. They insisted we needed to leave “reindeer food” out for Santa’s crew. “Reindeer food” is really just dry oatmeal flakes mixed with glitter that you toss all around the yard. So, we spent time on that calm, cold, snowy night filling our yard with love and glitter for the reindeer. It was Magic.

  73. Robin Gibson Says:

    Oddly enough, I think my favorite Christmas memory is from when we lived in a camper, while our house was being built! It was small, and cramped, but we cut a small sapling and had our very own ‘Charlie Brown’-like tree! I even put a bow on top of it. We wrapped presents, and placed them around it. We fixed a holiday dinner (without a working stove!), and just really enjoyed each other’s company. It was the best holiday ever! THANKS Shimelle, for reminding me of that, and for always having the best classes, and giveaways! Happy Holidays!

  74. Deb Klepac Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is when I was about 5 my best friend and I got the same dress and a Mary Poppins doll. Our families celebrated together and it was such fun.

  75. pauline Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was when my little boy (now 11) was 3. He left mince pies and a glass of milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Then Christmas morning him and his sister crept downstairs early to see if Santa had been and came storming back up stairs most shocked and annoyed that Santa had found his smarties and eaten some and left them scattered all over the table!!!!!

  76. Kitty Scrapper Says:

    My favourite christmas memory was having all the family around and opening present, especially as alot of the family are no longer with us.
    x

  77. kim Says:

    My favorite holiday memory is when we all had the stomach flu. Go with me here, I know it sounds weird. But instead of focusing on the presents and the decorations and the food – we all snuggled up with our box of saltines and watched movies all day just the family. No extra visitors and no extra stuff – just us being together. It’s the only Christmas I can remember where it was just the immediate family together without everyone else and it was fabulous :)

  78. Olivia Says:

    All this snow we’ve got reminds me of one Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. I was out sledging with my friend, when we were going down a hill she decided it would be more fun to jump off & roll down instead. By the time she reached the bottom she was soaking right through to her underwear!

  79. Marty Says:

    I think one of my favorite Christmas memories, and certainly a poignant one, would be of lying under the Christmas tree, on my grandfather’s bearksin rug, listening to all the relatives chatting away in the kitchen.

  80. Pamela J Elliott Says:

    A favorite Christmas of mind is when my sister and I took a sled and a saw, walked into the woods, and got a Christmas tree. No tree ever looked as good as that one. (Looking back, I’m sure it was bad, but we didn’t see it that way).

  81. CoCo Says:

    My favourite christmas memory was getting an art set from Santa and about 2 weeks later, finding lots more paper and bits under the plastic packaging. It was like a second gift. I obviously was always into that kind of crafty stuff!

  82. Peggy Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year I got a ballerina outfit from Santa. I so wanted to be a dancer. I still have a photo of me asleep on the sofa in my tutu. And now I appreciate that my folks did whatever it took to find and buy that outfit and make my happy little dream come true.

  83. Marilyn Johnson Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is going to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass every year. The church was dark with all kinds of lit candles and beautiful music. It was almost magical.

  84. Sherri Says:

    My favorite Christmas is when I was in the 5th grade. We were not going to get Christmas because my Aunt (who I lived with) had no money. The people where she worked gave us a basket full of “stuff”. I got a Pumpkin colored Papermate pen. We shared our basket with the people next door. It snowed that Christmas. For a young girl it was magical.

  85. Casii Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year when my mother gave me a handmade quilt.
    My grandmother had died and because I lived so far away, I was the only grandchild who didn’t receive a quilt when they cleaned out her house.

    My mom spent long hours making that quilt. Not an easy task since she was teaching and attending university at the same time. I’ll always treasure that quilt!

  86. Paula Says:

    I have lots of Christmas memories from when I was a child. Our Christmas lunch with my extended family was always my favorite time of the year. Nowadays I love how my girls get really excited around this time of the year.

  87. Susan Brennan Says:

    My favorite year is the Christmas that our daughters told us that our holiday traditions were more important to them than their gifts.

  88. Kathy Nichols Says:

    My favorite memories of Christmas are the grand kids. They make it shine all the more !!
    Thanks

  89. NancyD Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is of a huge red and white striped package under the tree… and discovering it was for me!! Inside was a Lady Lovely Locks castle—pink and purple and oh so dreamy. :)

  90. Kim Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year that Cabbage Patch kids had just come out, and somehow, my sweet Mom was able to get one for me and my 3 sisters. The pictures from that morning are priceless.

  91. Edd Says:

    One of my favourite memories is of the year I gave my father a copy of Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham. My mother insisted that it was really a joint present, and they then argued about who should get to read it first!

    Looking forward to another Journal Your Christmas – and hoping to keep up this year

  92. RellyAB Says:

    My little boy running downstairs last year and then yelling up “Santa’s been … and he’s made a mess!” :D

  93. April Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was my daughter’s second Christmas. She was born prematurely in November (at 27 weeks) and was in the hospital her first Christmas . . . but her 2nd, where she was home and thriving and amazing to watch the joy through a child’s eyes was AMAZING! I loved every second of enjoying that Christmas.

  94. Sharmon Says:

    My favorite memory is a recent one. My son and daughter were getting cookies and milk ready for Santa and as my son set the plate of cookies down on the table, one fell off the plate. He picked it up and brushed it off and set it on the plate. My daughter, who is 4, said “you can’t give that to Santa”, my son said he won’t know. She said he knows if I’ve been good or bad, but he won’t know if the cookie fell on the floor! I busted out laughing!

  95. Melissa Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories are the ones where all our family is together, enjoying good food, great gifts, and lots of laughter.

  96. Jackie Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is from three years ago, when our grandmother was alive. We spent her last Christmas together.

  97. Rhadonda Says:

    It is kind of a funny one. Lots of memories but i always think about the one Christmas when my parents gave each of us kids some cash along with gifts. Cash was a big deal as we had little. After cleaning all wrapping paper up and burning it my brother couldn’t find his cash. It got burned with the paper. From then on my parents wrote checks ( : Thanks!

  98. Jennifer Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is being stuck at home in a blizzard… we ate the potato side dish we intended to share with the big family gathering for all 3 meals, stayed in our jammies all day and everyone was building LEGOs – we had over 3000 pieces that year to build! (ah – good memories)

  99. Lisa Says:

    My favorite memory of Christmas is our family would go skiing every Christmas driving to Aspen from Oklahoma and one year we forgot Santa’s presents and we had to turnaround and go back to get them. Luckily we were only 30 miles away…

  100. Katie S Says:

    One of my favorite memories is kicking off the season watching The Grinch with my little brother every year as kids!

  101. Laura Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was the year I got to tell my parents they were going to be grandparents for the first time! My husband and I had such a joyous season sharing that news!

  102. Kelly Says:

    my wee boy’s first christmas when he was 9 months old. he would roll right under the christmas tree and just gaze up at the lights for the longest time. so glad i journaled about and took photos of him doing it.

  103. Sandy Says:

    My favorite memory is making shortbread with my mom. The kitchen would be so warm and toasty from the oven and the house would smell delicious!

  104. SheilaM Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the first time my son opened his own present and then yelled “Santa knew what I wanted!”

  105. Dawn Cheshire Says:

    My favourite christmas memory was from last year, It was my son’s 1st christmas and I loved the look on his face when he saw the christmas lights for the first time and opening all his presents on christmas day was magical. Looking forward to the festive season this year to see what his reactions are like now he’s older
    Wishing you a very happy festive season xx

  106. Cindi Says:

    A favorite memory is lying in bed Christmas Eve so excited about the next morning I didn’t think I would ever fall asleep. And then waking up way too early, probably just after my parents had finally gone to bed!

  107. Rosemary Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was the year we all went to the midnight carol service at our village church. When we came out it was snowing, and had been for a while, it was early Christmas morning and everything was still and white – just perfect.

  108. scrappysue Says:

    My fav Christmas memory was when I was a child. I tried so hard to stay awake to see Santa; I really did believe I had kept awake and by some magic my stocking had been filled. It was such a special feeling; I also loved that my Mum used a real stocking and it always had an orange, nuts and chocolates in it. Can’t wait for JYC to start, yay!

  109. MaryBeth Says:

    Our family tradition is cutting down the christmas tree at local tree farms. It is something I have done since I was a little girl and my boys are now older and we have continued the tradition. It’s something that never changes and is always an adventure — trying to find just the right tree for the Christmas celebration.

  110. jamie long Says:

    I have always been a control freak when it comes to decorating the tree but last year I let the kiddos do it and to my suprise it was so much fun, and I got some great pics too.

  111. Beth M. Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is last year when we found out we were expecting a baby! It was SO magical and this Christmas is going to be the most exciting ever since our daughter is here!!

  112. Hester Says:

    I love to decorate my house for christmas with my 2 boys, just after dec the 5th when we have Sinterklaas over here.

  113. Nikki M Says:

    Many years ago, my sister and I stayed up all night coloring in our Different Strokes coloring book (remember that show!) waiting to hear Santa’s bells. We each received a Cabbage Patch doll that year. Probably the most magical of childhood memories. Many years later, my hubby proposed to me on Christmas Eve. :) Also pretty spectacular.

  114. Lynn Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories are around making gingerbread houses. We made them as children, I made them with my children and their friends when they were growing up and now do them with the children in the neighborhood and with the elderly where I work. And this year all my children will be home for the first time in years and they want to make gingerbread houses! (One of my daughters is a teacher and dorm parent at a boarding school and she makes them with the girls in her dorm!)

  115. Karen Walker Says:

    I have two special Christmas memories from my childhood. The first is baking cookies with my mom. She made many different kinds and my brother and I spent many days in the kitchen with her. It’s a tradition I’ve kept up. The other is reading Christmas books with my father. He loved to read to us and it was always a very special time.

  116. Cindy R Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory? Oh my, I have so many. I have a picture of all us (my immediate family and extended family) at the dinner table. It was so nice to have everyone together. Now that people are getting older and moving away we don’t see them as much.

  117. jen Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is the year I first met my husband. He came round shyly to my parents house to drop off a card for me, and when I looked out the window to see if he was still there, he had written ‘I love you’ in big letters in the snow all across the street :) 22 years later and we are still together x

  118. Kristin Townsend Says:

    I have so many wonderful memories but I am hoping this year is the best of them all. After a really tough year I am hoping to make all kinds of new traditions with my children and make this Christmas about the reason for the season, Jesus Birthday and not the presents themselves, make it magical. I will let you know:)

  119. Meg Andrews Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is from 2003… my girls were 1 month and 14 months old… they looked at the lights, the tree, the decorations everywhere with more awe than I could imagine. It was a season of true wonder— and having them reminds me of the miracle of Christmas all the time…

  120. Barbara Says:

    When I think of my childhood christmases, the most vivid and impressive memory is the midnight mass on christmas eve, in the small chapel of the nearby castle. After gifts and dinner we walked there, often through the snow. The dutchess herself was playing the organ, only once a year it seemed, she was always out of practice ;-) But everything was so very traditional, old fashioned and comforting, the spirit of christmas in a way.

  121. Jerrie Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year my cousins and I all had our babies (one every 3 months) then taking the babies to our grandma’s house and lining them up on the couch for the annual Christmas picture. A whole new generation to start the tradition. Perfect.

  122. AndreaWiebe Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was when my husband look me to Banff on Christmas Eve to stay at a most gorgeous hotel…it was perfect!

  123. Kim Hopkins Says:

    My favourite memory is making perogies together as a family on Christmas Eve. The kids make giant ones and then try to eat them all…fun!

  124. laura Says:

    A favorite Christmas memory is of my mother who pulled all nighters on Christmas Eve getting ready for the next day. I remember waking up because I was so excited and just sitting and watching and then I would go back to bed. Now when I look back I don’t know how she did those all nighters!

  125. Krista Lund Says:

    My favorite memory is watching my daughter wake up Christmas morning to a beautiful lit tree and a bunch of presents from Santa!!

  126. Sabine Says:

    I am going to celebrate Christmas again with my family this year. I have to siblings and since non of us is married yet out christmases haven’t changed much. The htings that are my favorite memories are the things i get to experience again this year.
    The only difference is: Now all of us decorate the tree together on the afternoon of the 24th. when i was a child my parents would send us to see the new disney movie while they decorated the tree. And then after dinner seeing the tree for the frirst time, christmas music softly playing in the background all candles lit,… it was magical!
    I hope to regain some of that magic this year with JYC

  127. Erin Whelan Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was last year when my then 3yo son went to visit Santa at the mall. I don’t really think he understood until the moment he saw Santa. Then I think something clicked and he filled up with Christmas magic.
    Thank you for your generosity and the chance to win.

  128. Rachel Says:

    I don’t actually remember it as i was born at 6am on Christmas Day 1963. Apparently my father ( a congregational minister) went up in the pulpit and announced to the congregation “ It’s a girl” I’ve been told by many people about this unusual start to a christmas morning service

  129. Saskia K Says:

    I think the most favorite Christmas memory is the first Christmas of our eldest son. We waited so long for him to come into our lives and we we’re so thankfull.

  130. Christina T Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was when I was in 5th grade. I didn’t know what to ask for that year and my grandparents decorated a little fake tree with bills folded like little paper fans. It could have been $10 or $50 and it wouldn’t have mattered because it looked awesome! I love reading everyone’s Christmas memories!

  131. Marilyn Nimmo Says:

    My favorite recent holiday memory is the my great-nephew’s second Christmas. We enjoyed watching him so much we forgot everything else.

  132. Kirsten Says:

    Last year was my favorite Christmas to date. The entire season was just lovely. My three girls (4,6, and 8) were thrilled by each tradition. I cannot wait for JYC to start!

  133. Marty Says:

    I love my Christmas memories! I love living close to my daughter and her family and being able to celebrate together. We get oodles of snow where we live now and it looks like Christmasy from November to March! I love it!

  134. Tracey Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my son was in 6th grade. Every year I battled the lights of the Christmas tree – tangles, a strand not working, you get the picture! Robbie was helping me and I realized one of my two strands of lights didn’t work at all. The entire string was out and I was decorating the tree that day. We lived in a small town far from stores and I just couldn’t run to purchase new lights. My six grader says to me, “Mom, we can just cut the strand here, splice it to this, do that and they’ll work.” I looked at him in amazement and said, “Do you really think that will work?” “Sure!” he said, with all the confidence in the world. I thought what do I have to lose…so I allowed him to splice away, keeping my fingers crossed. Lo and behold, when he was finished, I had two sets of working lights! The working lights were NOTHING compared to the sheer pride of my little man for coming to my rescue. Guess what was the first thing he told his Dad when he got home? :)

  135. Barbara Apfel Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is making thousands of cookies with my grandmother, particularly the year, she was able to share the experience with my children.

  136. Esther Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is two years ago, hearing my little daughter (6 years) saying: “This is the very best christmas ever!”

  137. Lizzie Says:

    So many lovely memories of Christmas to choose… One thing that really means “Christmas” to me is very small, but special – my mother has a musical box, with a model of the Stable and Holy Family in the centre and a rotating section round the outside, on which are the shepherds, sheep and the three Wise Men. The music box is wound up and plays “Silent Night”, while the visitors process round and round the stable. We always got excited when this came out of the box – and we still do!

  138. Cheryl Says:

    When my children were little, our family celebrated Christmas eve with a close group of friends. After the festivities, we returned home and prepared the reindeer carrots, milk and cookies for Santa and read The Night Before Christmas before putting the children to bed. Once they were tucked in, Santa’s work began. My husband and I assembled the toys, pulled the presents our of the hiding places and stuffed the stockings. It was a long but precious evening!

  139. Debikins Says:

    Shimelle this class sounds awesome. One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is driving through the snow to see my aunt’s family on Christmas Eve. The drive was always long and tedious but we’d sing Christmas carols all the way up in the car. A great family activity even when you don’t remember all the words.

  140. Lisa Says:

    One of my favorite memories of Christmas was at my Nana’s house. A live tree sat in the corner of the dining room so you would sit through dinner and wonder what could be in the gifts spilling out across the floor.

  141. Robin Barwise Says:

    SNOW, glorious, glittery, gorgeous, snow…We had a snowstorm the year that we decided to stay in our pajamas for the entire Christmas Day and by nightfall it was well over 6 inches deep. Suddenly about 6PM after gorging ourselves all day on food and gifts, my daughter and I looked at each other and yelled “Get to the sleds!” Quickly we shed our pjs and into our snow suits – including hats, scarves, mittens – Grabbing anything that would slide down a hill, we hoofed it out to…the road in front of our house! We lived at the top of a hill. There had been no plowing done all day and we had the smooth pristene, and gorgeous snow waiting for us to make our paths. The 5 of us spent over an hour going down the hill without interruption by any recent inventions – cars, snowplows or anything else to ruin our fun. As a matter of fact we were so loud and having so much fun, that we were joined by some neighbors. This was a Christams to remember and all 3 of my children often start out reminisces with “Remember the Christmas when we pledged to stay in our pajamas…..”

  142. NancyLee Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory would be back home when I used to play Santa. Everytime I wrap gifts for everybody, it just gives me more great feelings of kindness and for me, that’s what Christmas is all about.

  143. beth Says:

    My favorite time was when my dad would tell the Christmas story the night before Christmas. The house lights would be low or off and everyone would be around the tree to listen to the story.

  144. Heather Says:

    One of my favourite childhood memories is of my brother and I waking up on Christmas morning and opening our stocking presents whilst sat on the end of my parent’s bed.

  145. pidgen Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is that my dad painted or made an ornament for each of us three girls every year. Even though I’m 28, I still expect him to make one for me … though it stopped at 18. My sister is planning to be married by the end of this next year, so my mother divided out our ornaments yesteday, what a special, tangible link to our childhood!

  146. Michellejeanne Says:

    I love the whole season but my favorite would have to be decorating the tree. Growing up we would have popcorn and hot chocolate with candy canes while we unwrapped each ornament and remembered when we bought or made it, what happened that year, who was there, remember when that special ornament broke… It was and is like wrapping up all Christmases into one. I still do the same with my husband and girls.

  147. Deneen Says:

    My favorite memory would have to be of the time we spent Christmas with my late dad and he and one of my girls had a pickle race to see who could eat the most pickles (he let her win) He had cancer at the time and just the fact that he wasn’t feeling good and still put one of his grandkids before himself just reminds me of what a great and giving guy he was! I miss him so very much. thanks for letting me share :)

  148. Sara Says:

    My favourite Christmas memories are of the extended family parties we used to have on Christmas Eve. We’d all drop by my Aunt’s house. There’d be a fabulous buffet spread and different family members coming and going throughout the evening. A fabulous time to catch up with everyone and meet relatives you never knew you had!

    Sara xx

  149. MariClaudi Says:

    My Fav memory was when I was 17 years old and went to Puerto Rico with my Dad and my lil sister. It was great to see my Dad in his childhood environment.

  150. Helen Says:

    My favourite Christmas memories are the ones spent with my family when we ALWAYS play Monopoly together!!

  151. Ann Says:

    My favorite childhood Christmas memory was when I asked my parents if Santa could start wrapping my presents! My gifts were always sitting under the tree unwrapped and in the case of a Barbie dream house all set up. I envied the wrapped gifts my brothers got and I wanted Santa to wrap mine too! :)

  152. cindy b Says:

    hi there. one of my favorite memories is a year that my father did wacky gifts for us girls. he wrapped money around a roll of toilet paper. lol! You have to know my dad, he does some silly stuff but he is a ‘tough’ man when it comes to saying I love you and showing affection. So, for him to do this crazy gift was a sign of his love for us. Crazy i know, but that’s why I love it so much!

  153. Kirsty Smith Says:

    Pick just one favourite? Impossible! Christmas is my favourite time of year so there are so many things I love, so many great memories. I think I’ll go with…all piling into one bed in the morning to open stockings. It’s a great time of day because it’s FINALLY Christmas and there’s still the whole day to enjoy. Lovely!

  154. Lisa Says:

    I used to be just so excited lying in bed waiting for Father Christmas to arrive. There was just no way I could sleep. One year, I was still awake really, really late and my mum was getting really frustrated with me because she wanted to go to bed. She suggested that we left my sack out on the landing or FC would never come and leave my presents. Within minutes I could hear the rustle of presents being put into my sack and I couldn’t believe that FC was right outside my door. I was even convinced I heard the sleigh bells as the reindeers flew away! Wow! What an experience for a small child. I was thrilled!

  155. Jill Says:

    We used to go to my grandparents house on Christmas Eve, and one year while driving home late at night, we saw an airplane in the sky and thought it was Santa. My parents love to tell us that story every year on Christmas Eve!

  156. Emma Says:

    My favourite christmasy memories are making the christmas cake with my mother, each of us kids taking it in turn to stir the cake and make a wish. The recipe came from a stork margarine cookbook she got when she was first married. She still has the book which is so well used it is falling to pieces!

    Now I continue the tradition with my daughter using the same recipe :) Though part of our tradition has become calling my mother for the recipe again as I’ve lost the piece of paper I wrote it on the previous year :)

    Em x

  157. Lola Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is from 1995 when just 4 days before Christmas I gave birth to my second child, my oldest daughter. My son, then 22 months old, was convinced she was his very own Christmas present. The day we came home from the hospital he ran into the house (he’s been staying with my in-laws)and made a bee-line for “his” baby. We were lucky enough to have a camera ready and snap a picture of him hugging her and kissing her as she lay sleeping in her carrier. It is such a precious memory for me.

  158. Tracy Says:

    Hi there, thanks for this opportunity. My favourite Christmas memory was my uncle dressing up as Santa and sneaking around my grans house on Christmas eve. We just caught glimpses of him but we were so excited. What I didnt find out until much later was that when he left the house, my grandfather inadvertently locked him out and he was left outside for hours in his Santa outfit!

  159. Jenn Says:

    So many amazing memories of Christmas but my fave had to be just the expectation. We’d have Chinese food for dinner (no idea why) and then go to church and then come home on Christmas Eve and try to sleep. My 2 sisters and I would all sleep in the same room together and talk most of the night about whether it was time to wake up or not. Love it!

  160. Deborah M Says:

    My favorite memory was spending Christmas at my grandparent’s house with all my aunts, uncles & cousins over. Grandma made lots of cookies (as always) and we got Pong that year – then had to fight my dad & uncle for a chance to play.

  161. September Says:

    When I was about 8, we bought our first nativity set. I thought it was so beautiful… I still have it today, and it is still gorgeous with the lovely creche that my father lovingly built. I had no idea at the time that he built it because, after spending $1 for each piece, there was no money left for that part! My Dad passed on 21 years ago, but I like to think he and I would still giggle at the “watermark” that you can see if you flip the creche over, just as we did every year… :) (It is plywood, stained dark brown, with twigs tacked along the edges. One of a kind, just like my Dad.

  162. Traci Severson Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was when I was a child and our family would attend Christmas Eve Candlelight services at our church but before that we would go to the local Pizza Hut to have a dinner treat and living in a small town with virtually no “big” name restaurants and when eating out was a rarity this was a big deal. Those special times with my family makes my heart so happy.

  163. Lynne Says:

    One of my very favorite Christmas memories is of waking up one December day when I was a little girl, walking to our living room, and seeing my father watching the snow fall from our window. I can still picture him standing there in his blue plaid bathrobe. It’s the simplest things that really stand out. Both of my parents have passed away, now, and I really treasure the memories from long ago.

  164. Nelle Says:

    Pressing ‘reveal’ to check the daily advent calendar on Teletext (pre-Internet days!)

  165. marlis Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year that we left the children in the cabin on Christmas eve, they were older and quite capable of staying by themselves, and our dear friends prompted us to head up highter into the mountains on our four wheelers where we built a bonfire, shared some wine and had the most memorable Christmas eve ever.

  166. Mariangeles Says:

    It’s not really a favourite, it’s the reason why I still want to make my 2007 Xmas journal.
    That was the year I join this adventure. I got ready some stuff but never even started. I was thinking about not doing it, but I have great family pics from that year; that was before my family went kind of crazy and “broken”. So I’ll make an album, as simple as I can, just to reflect the happiness of that Xmas.
    Because, although that will never happen again, I still keep those moments in my heart :)

  167. Denise Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is actually the feeling that I use to get on Christmas Eve, thinking that Santa was coming in that sleigh pulled by the reindeer. I even swore once that I saw Rudolph! :)

  168. carol Says:

    what a great gift!!! One of my favorite memories was when I was little and my older brother woke me up in the middle of the night and told me to sneak downstairs with him. In the dark we snuck out to see what Santa brought us….after that my parents started rigging up a trap every Christmas Eve so we couldn’t go downstairs. To this day we joke about that set up and the efforts my parents had to go to keep us in. I ended up having to do the same for my children ;)

  169. heathergw Says:

    I have two favorite memories… the first was the birth of my DD (our first) on the 22nd of Dec and bringing her home on Christmas morning, the best Christmas present ever… my second memory would be when my son (our second) was 6 weeks old and he gave us his first real smile on Christmas morning.

  170. Peggy D Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year my brother was in the Army, stationed in Germany, and could not come home. We were all so sad, and then thrilled when he arrived at the door on December 23rd. One of the best surprises ever!

  171. Heather G Says:

    My favorite memory is Christmas itself. I have loved making memories for my little guy and enjoying it through his eyes. Starting this journal 3 years ago has done that. I have gone out of my way to find fun and exciting things for us to do all month.

  172. Therese Bradley Says:

    My favorite X-mas memory happened when I was a little girl. We had made frosted, cut out sugar cookies and my cat jumped up on the table and started to eat one. It was a bird cookie!

  173. Diana Says:

    My favorite memory as an adult is just having a day off work to relax with family! Life gets so hectic sometimes!

  174. Sam Says:

    My favourite christmas memeory is when my 1 1/2 yr old got his first Christmas stocking. He excitedly carried the whole thing round with him all day, and repeatedly emptied out and put back all the little toys. So sweet. :-)

  175. Jill Cornelius Says:

    My MOST Favorite Christmas memory is when I was a little girl (about five I think). Those were the times when the entire family, aunts, uncles,cousins got together for Christmas Eve. But this one was a SPECIAL Christmas we had Santa Claus appear at my grandparents house. I just remember that as one of the most special, mainly because it sticks out in my memory so much. I know I’ve had other special Christmases, but when does a five year old have Santa appear before their eyes on Christmas Eve at your house? (and have others there to witness it!) Merry Christmas!

  176. shari walker Says:

    My favorite memory , we got up very very early, opened our stockings and went to church for a 7:30 am candlelight service.. followed by a breakfast in the church class rooms…I sat in the choir and looking out at the stained glass windows with the candles flickering in them. and seeing the snow coming down outside was breathtaking…

  177. Suzan Tiemroth-Zavala Says:

    One of my favorite memories is of my husband, who was a bah! Humbug! sort of Christmas guy, herding all of us to the car to go cut down a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. This was when the kids were young and he had always had such bad/sad memories of Christmas and that year he realized that it had all changed for him and he was our cheerleader, our organizer, and I loved that.

  178. Melissa Mann Says:

    My favorite memory: My mom would always cook a huge breakfast for us on Christmas morning – eggs, waffles, bacon…afterwards, my dad would always read the Christmas story from the Bible and then we would all open gifts. I love that tradition that we had each year!

  179. JennL Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is remembering the get-togethers with my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents on Christmas Eve. To me, Christmas means family…

  180. lilly d Says:

    one of my favorite christmas memories is celebrating christmas eve at my grandmothers house. i have 9 cousins, and we would all pile in my grandmothers bedroom after christmas eve dinner while the adults would clean up. we would watch out the window for santa’s sleigh and read christmas stories to the younger cousins, all the while listening for the jingle bells that my grandmother hung on the door. once we heard them, we knew that santa had come and dropped off his toy sack. then, we would all come running down the hallway to see who would get to pass out the presents that year. it was such a wonderful tradition when i was a child, i will never forget those memories!

  181. Colleen Says:

    I think my favourite Christmas memory is the Christmas jammies we’d always get on Christmas eve and the fun pictures my mum would take of us in the morning!

  182. Judy Says:

    My favorite memory – I am one of seven kids, one year we went to my grandmothers two days before christmas. Mom & Dad were coming christmas eve with all the gifts. And we had a Huge nor’easter with almost two feet of snow. They didn’t get through until christmas afternoon. We thought Christmas would never come! Santa should’ve left the gifts at my grandmothers!

  183. Natalie Says:

    …my brother and I, sitting at the top of the stairs waiting while my dad got the video camera set up… and then when he and my mom called up to say that it was ready, pounding down the stairs and running into the family room… and sitting between masking tape marks on the floor so that we would be in the frame of the video…

    (thanks for the great giveaway!)

  184. Jean Says:

    Christmas without small children around can get a bit depressing. I want to recapture some of that fun and joy with my adult family.

  185. Lisa Chilton Says:

    My family always have a big xmas together. A few years ago, when my brother was in the RAF, he was sent to Iraq over Christmas. We were all so upset – it just wasn’t the same without him. However, whilst opening our pressies on Christmas morning, we heard a familiar voice on TV. A newsreporter had been sent out to talk to our forces overseas, and who does he find? – my brother Matt wearing his reindeer antlers wishing the reporter a Merry Christmas. We don’t usually watch TV at Christmas, but put it on just for some background noise. I guess it was a little Christmas miracle in itself!

  186. Kathy Graybeal Says:

    Each time I think I have nailed my favorite Christmas memory, I think of another. The one consistency is the annual Christmas Eve present delivery, last-minute-item pick-up day with my husband…starting with breakfast at our favorite restaurant, of course!

  187. Antonia S-H Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is the plays my sister, my cousins and I used to put on. All the rehearsing saved us from the endless walks the grown-ups always wanted to go on.

  188. Michelle W. Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories have happened since I’ve had children and experiencing the joy of the season through their little eyes!

  189. Grandma Shelley Says:

    Every Christmas morning since the birth of each of my grandchildren has been my favorite…and that started 11 years ago with my beautiful granddaughter and since then 3 more beautiful babies have arrived…I am so blessed! Thank you for the opportunity to win a prize…can’t wait for class to start!

  190. Karen Says:

    Love your site, Shimelle – really inspirational! Thanks for the chance to win. My funniest memory is of my mother in law deciding to cook the turkey the night before Christmas one year. She left the lovely bird all cooked and golden on the side in the kitchen and nipped next door to see her neighbour. When she returned she was mortified to find that her dog had whipped it off the side and dragged the bird up stairs and over each bed in the three bedrooms. She’d tried to get organised and ahead of herself and ended up with no turkey and a mountain of washing! We can laugh now but she was not impressed at the time!

  191. Catherine13 Says:

    We’ve already started to make some cool Christmas memories for this year…and I can’t wait to journal them. My eldest daughter has been avidly watching Harry Potter and my 4 year old son has caught glimpses…and yesterday he told us (very seriously) that what he really really wants for Christmas is a “flying broom” – with magic powers of course! Might take some doing……:)

  192. Melissa Burford Says:

    I look forward to JYC every year. One of my favorite childhood memories was being picked up early from school along with my younger brother, all because my mom wanted to decorate for Christmas. We entered the house and it smelled like citrus and cloves. There was a crackling fire in the living room and we spent the afternoon listening to and singing carols, drinking hot chocolate and decorating the house for Christmas. It was the best afternoon ever.

  193. Melissa Says:

    It’s hard to pick just one. A favorite from when I was a child was when my parents, my brother and I, my cousins and my aunt piled into our pickup and drove into the mountains to pick out our christmas tree. We kids rode in the back of the pickup (gasp) inside 2 huge appliance boxes piled high with blankets. One for girls and one for boys. When we got to our destination my mom passed out hot chocolate from thermoses for everyone while we hunted down our tree. Now when I look at pictures of that tree it is probably one of the most ugly decorated ever, as my mom let us kids decorate it, but to me it was so beautiful. The memories are priceless.

  194. Kalea Says:

    When I was little, we always went to the Children’s Christmas eve service at church, and when we got home, Santa had always been. I always thought we were very lucky girls that Santa came to our house early. I found out when I was older that the Christmas eve delivery was my Mom’s solution to being woken up at 3 in the morning by excited children…

  195. Elizabeth Says:

    My fav Christmas memory is when my oldest daughter was 3 and we put out carrots for the reindeer (which they ate!) and Santa’s footprints were on the living rm floor walking towards the tree and presents (flour)…she was so excited more so than opening the presents.

  196. Christene Says:

    My favorite memory is the year that Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve… so magical at the time, and it gets even better every time my sister and I talk about it.

  197. Cindy Says:

    One of my favourite memories is cutting our Christmas tree. For a few years we lived on a lake and were able to find trees on our own property. Sweet!

  198. Frances Says:

    Many years, many memories; it’s almost impossible to distinguish one from another sometimes. My favourite though is when my youngest son had been told by his brother that Santa didn’t exist. Later on he was at the end of our road,feeling very sad & heartbroken, when he saw something magical & came running home almost speechless with excitement. “I saw him, I saw him” he spluttered. “Flying down the road very fast with his reindeer!!!”
    And indeed he had – it was the Rotary Club’s Christmas float on it’s way into the town centre with Santa in his sleigh and real reindeer. Wow!
    Now 30+ years later we still tell them that those who don’t believe in the magic don’t get stockings!
    I love JYC for making us remember and cherish our Christmasses.

  199. JG Says:

    I remember the first time I went to see Handel’s Messiah. I consider myself more spiritual than religious. I was so moved by the experience. When I left the theater I thought, “Now that is the true meaning of the holiday.”

  200. Molly Aittaniemi Says:

    My favorite Christmas Memory is from my childhood. We used to go caroling with a group of my parents friends in a Winnebago decorated with Christmas Lights on the outside. The elderly people we sang to would get such a kick out of our lighted camper on wheels! After all the merry-making, we would always end the evening with homemade chili and pie. Such a great memory and a fun, random one at that! :)

  201. Tracy Belling Says:

    Love the idea of the prize, but I have loved reading everyone’s comments more, many made my eyes burn… and I could see my own memories in so many of them.
    This year seems to be the most important Xmas of all my life. Last year we had a family crisis and my husband and one of my children have not spoken for over a year. Two weeks ago, they began speaking again, hesitantly, a few words here and there, and I am overcome with delight. It feels like this Xmas is going to be so special, all of us in our own way, have got together and been decorating the house already like we never have before, with GREAT enthusiasm. There are two different trees already, and one small tree. There are decorations everywhere, even angels on the clock! It feels like my family is so grateful for the lifting of the heavy sad atmosphere of the past year. I feel as if a christmas miracle is happening in my house and I am filled with the most wondrous cheer xxxx

  202. Joanne Says:

    Oh my goodness we have so many fun memories, its hard to pick just one. We do enjoy making cookies for Santa and our 12 days of christmas but we really enjoy the start of Christmas, putting up the decorations and the tree and then having hot chocolate later that day admiring how perfect everything turned out and just getting us into the Christmas spirit.

  203. Georgina Says:

    I’ve just read all 199 comments and there are some amazing christmas memories out there! Y’all getting me excited!

    My favourite Christmas was when I was about 5 years old. My parents invited the neighbours over and we simply had a wonderful day full of laughter – I remember we were in the middle of the living room dancing like we were at a party – we did the birdie dance about 5 times because I loved it and the laughter got louder after each time! Good honest fun! Loved it. I seemed to remember it snowed that year too and we had a massive snowball fight. Good times.

  204. Louise Says:

    I hoping my favorite Christmas memory is this years when my nephew comes out of hospital in time for Christmas

  205. trisha Says:

    one of my favorite christmas tradition that we have been doing ever since i was a little girl is going to midnight mass on christmas eve. then have ‘noche buena’ (have a small feast to celebrate) right after church and have my mom’s special hot chocolate!!! :D

  206. doreen Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was helping my mother and sister put the gumdrops on our gumdrop trees. They were so sweet! :)

  207. karin c Says:

    Wow,what fun and great comments to read. My favorite Christmas memory is always our stockings- lovingly filled with so many pieces of joy – a wonderful memory.

  208. Edie Says:

    My favorite memory is sneaking around with my brother and sister to find where my parents had hidden the presents. We were rotten!

  209. Cyndi Says:

    My favorite Christmas morning: Waking up well before our parents, finding our stockings and sitting on the beds to open up our goodies. Four of us…2 brothers/2 sisters. Even though we were separated widely in ages this was always the one time of the year when we bonded to take some time to remember the Christmas reason.

  210. Shannon Hager Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was when I found out Christmas day I was pregnant with baby #4! I was so excited and it was a total surprise!

  211. Misty Rose Says:

    My Favorite Christmas Memory, has to do with my family when we were still a family. My dad took my brother and my mother plus myself to the snow for the christmas holiday. It ended up being a disaster because my dad had to take his old jeep and the wipers on the thing blew off. When we got there to spend the holiday with family my aunt got drunk and started a fight. And it just progressed from there. It taught me that even though at times my family can be disfunctional and things dont always go the way you planned. You can still love each other, and still have a great holiday. It was one of the last times, that my whole family was together.

  212. Brenda Whitehead Says:

    My favorite memory so far is when my oldest grand daughter was 2, I got a photo of her looking at the tree (after she helped with it) when her daddy turned on the lights! I think this was the first time she would remember Christmas.

  213. Deb L Says:

    One of my favorite memories was the year I was 15… I had asked for a guitar. Christmas morning there was no guitar, and I was disappointed, but knew that it probably wasn’t in the budget… with 9 kids, sometimes it was hard to get everyone exactly what they wanted. But later in the day, my parents suddenly remembered that there was a present missing, and low and behold it was my guitar hidden away in the closet under the stairs!! I think the fact that it came later in the day, made the present even sweeter! And to top it off, the guitar came with lessons! I was elated!

  214. Steph Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was the first Christmas I spent with my husband’s family when we were engaged. It was so much fun to take part in another family’s traditions and incorporate them into our family.

  215. Stacy Says:

    Every year my grandmother reads her favorite book, The Littlest Angel but she never finishes with dry eyes. I never understood why she loved the book so much if it made her sad until last year I realized they were tears of joy because the book shows that Jesus Christ loves everyone no matter what and that they just need to open up and receive salvation.
    Anyway, the most precious moment on Christmas day is the big group hug everyone gives grandma after reading The Littlest Angel.

  216. Christina Clouse Says:

    I always have Christmas with my boyfriend’s family, and one of my favorite memories is the year I made cinnamon rolls for christmas breakfast. The family loved them so much that they have requested that I make them every year since. I really felt like a part of the family, to have been able to create a christmas morning tradition with them.

  217. Lucy :) Says:

    So many memories …
    I suppose the one I want to remember most is Christmas 2005 as it was the last one I had with Mum. She loved Christmas, always said it was the only time of year she knew we’d all definitely be together (me, my brother, Mum & Dad) and she went overboard with everything but in a very homely not showy way. Since mum’s gone, we still try to keep Christmas going, I think Dad finds that keeping things as they always were is one of the only ways to hold on to her still, but it’s just not the same …

  218. Jacky Scales Says:

    my favourite xmas memory is decorating the tree as a child…and I still love it now!!

  219. Jennifer Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is 1985. I was engaged and I was decorating the tree in front of the window and all of a sudden there was a face looking in at me – my fiance had come home early (we were getting married between Christmas & New Year’s) and wanted to surprise me – he did! He scared me, surprised me and made me cry! Great memory…

  220. Sarah Giles Says:

    For our first married Christmas we didn’t have any decorations, so I threaded loops of cotton through chocolate wrappers and hung them on the tree. I came downstairs one morning and found a cute little brown mouse investigating them! :)

  221. Sassy Says:

    Mine? How did Santa always know to stop at our house when we were celebrating on Christmas Eve at my grandmother’s house? He always lit the three lights and left a few presents under the tree.

  222. Katherine Glass Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is from the year when my brother and I had opened all of our presents and my father then told us this elaborate story about how he heard something on the roof, etc. etc. and basically went outside to see Santa pull off the roof. He went on to say that he thought we had been extra good and deserved an extra gift so he threw a rock at the sleigh and knocked an extra present off. It was out in the horse pasture and was this really cool view-master that showed the slides on the wall. We thought our Dad was the coolest!

  223. Alison Waller Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is when Father Christmas used to get confused when I was a child and leave me a tin under my grandparents Christmas tree with a can of coke, a packet of salt & vinegar crisps and something else real nice!

  224. ale Says:

    my favorite christmas memory is the christmas lunch at my grandparents home. all the family used to gather around my grandpa (ojichan). it’s been almost two decades since he left us, and christmas was never the same without him.

  225. furrypig Says:

    I have so many great memories with the Christmas’s in my childhood and those with my children now. I loved the year I got a space hopper! I have loved going to Christmas weddings, my first ever working Christmas as a student nurse on the children’s ward working nights dressed as an elf!! So many memories ….

  226. dogmatix Says:

    cant believe it is the 1st tomorrow already…that flew by so quick!
    My fav. xmas memory is finding the stockings (or large money bags in our case) at the end of the bed full of sweets and treats. Still like a stocking now :)
    Hopefully, i will not be too ‘snowed’ under (sorry, my attempt at a joke lol) to see u all in class this month :)

  227. kathy mancini Says:

    There are so many Christmas memories, but one of my favorite, is Christmas 2000. My youngest was born exactly a week before Christmas and I remember taking a family picture and thinking about the original Christmas family and how they must have felt.

  228. Danielle Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is not just one, but a collection of many years. When I was younger, every year we would drive up to visit my grandparents. The drive was always long and boring, but as soon as we got there, it was worth it! There were always homemade cookies, hot chocolate, amazing decorations and best of all plenty of hugs and kisses from all the family that hand gathered there. To me, it’s just not Christmas unless there is a bunch of family there, happy to see you when you arrive!

  229. Jodie McNally Says:

    Yay! I had forgotten that my membership last year means I can play along again! Woohoo!

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is actually one that I thought would be one of the worst ever…but after time I’ve grown to love the story.

    We were traveling from IL to VA a few days before Christmas with our 6 month old daughter. We were stranded on the interstate for 12 hours – in that 12 hours we only travelled about 70 miles. UGH! We found ways to entertain ourselves and even opened a few gifts in the car. We were saved from driving any farther by some friends of my grandpa’s – who were complete strangers to us. They took us in and let us spend the night, fed us, and treated us like family.

    Like I said, it was AWFUL while it was happening but now it’s one of those “I can’t believe that happened to us!” stories.

  230. Sarah Says:

    My memory is from 2004 when my daughter was learning to walk and took her first few unaided steps across the room on Christmas Eve towards the tree!!

  231. Tracy O'Connell Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is baking cookies with my mom. She would always hide them in the garage so my dad and I couldn’t find them before the holidays. Now I bake with my daughter, and have an annual cookie swap with my friends. Traditions are what Christmas is all about.

  232. Lisa Says:

    Memories…so many favorites. One of them might be when my first daughter was just a newborn. Everything was so new and magical. I suddenly realized I would be directing her Christmas memories for years to come.

  233. donna Says:

    oh i am sooo excited this has started already! i am renovating my house and christmas will be just memories and new memories i suppose, the year my house was torn apart! wreaths hanging from ladders and such! thank you so very very much for hosting such an awesome class! this is my third year i think and sad to say no completely complete album as of yet!!!

  234. Jennifer Says:

    My favourite christmas memory is all the aunts and uncles and cousins all piling into my grandparents house (there’d be 10 adults and 9 kids) squeezing in to sleep in any available space, playing games, eating lots.

    One year me and my cousin Lucy decided to put on a play and we organised (bossed about) all the younger cousins, writing lines and performing a play which involved the nativity and father christmas. I’m impressed all the adults endured our performance! I miss having big family gatherings like that. x

  235. Loren Says:

    Wow, I love remembering the candlelit Christmas Eve services from my childhood in my ancestors old Icelandic Lutheran Church in the country! The hymns we sang were so overwhelming.

  236. Christy C Says:

    I have always loved waking up to stockings on Christmas morning. I love little surprises!

  237. Theresa Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year we got a dirtbike for my 10-year-old. The look on his face when he saw that little dirtbike sitting in the driveway with a big bow on it was priceless!!

  238. Kel Says:

    I have always been protective of my little sister. So much so, that I remember as I got a little bit older, creeping downstairs to check that Christmas had indeed come before waking her to discover it together. It makes me feel a little sad to think of the little girl I was – trying to protect her little sister from disappointment, and preparing for the worst, just in case.

  239. Renee bonuccelli Says:

    My favorite memory is when we had Christmas in Hawaii as a family. My mom got sick the following year and it was our last ‘happy’ Christmas together.

  240. Belinda Says:

    I remember at three years old as soon as I woke up running to check under the Christmas tree. I was sure Santa may come early. I know I did this for at least a week before Christmas. Oh, the excitement I felt!! I couldn’t run fast enough….

  241. k8 Says:

    My favorite recent Christmas memory is from 2007, the first Christmas for my nephew, Julian. Julian was about 10 adorable months old and my sister and her husband had just adopted him from Guatemala a month earlier. I was undergoing chemo at the time and it was going to be nearly impossible to spend his first Christmas with him…until I hit upon the brilliant idea of flying up to NY on Christmas morning so we could spend it with him! I was so happy to have been there – he is still a special light for me every Christmas!

    k8

  242. Carrie Says:

    Nice post – I especially liked learning about other countries, I like to see traditions (& baked goods) from countries my family has come from. My favorite memory is going up north to my Grandparent’s, wood stove, acres of pine trees, Deer & Cardinals – a Christmas Card setting for sure & making garland for the Tree by looping strips cut from old Christmas cards with my Grandma. Thanks for the chance!

  243. Suzanne Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is now nearly 16 years ago. My eldest son was 17 months and I was 9 months pregnant. The baby was due on the 19th of December but waited until the 1st of January to make his appearance. This meant we had a very peaceful Christmas waiting for him. We kept things very simple and enjoyed the anticipation of new life. It gave us a sense of the true meaning of Christmas and I look back on it with great fondness.

  244. kate bucci Says:

    Well I’ve had some rubbish Christmasses but some wonderful ones too…one year I got a fabulous purple coat, which I loved to death. I think it started my love affair with coloured coats – I now have many, and currently am still wearing purple!

  245. Stephanie Russell Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is of one where all of my siblings (I had six of them)All made it home and we got snowed in together. It was great fun. We really got to know each other that weekend.

  246. Chris Says:

    My favorite Christmas is the one when my first child was born. My son was born on the 23th, and he came home on Christmas Eve wrapped in a Christmas stocking. It’s so hard to believe that was 20 years ago this year.

  247. Charlotte R Says:

    One of my most vivid christmas memories from when I was a child is the year i got my bike. I remember being upstairs and so nervous that santa might not have been that i waited for my mum to come downstairs with me. I remember being at the top of the stairs with her and just seeing this bike in the middle of the lounge.

  248. julie aka dusty fairy Says:

    my favourite chrismas memory has to be the first christmas as Pauls wife we had hardly any money for pressies and £1 to put in the gas meter but oh it was a fantastic christmas
    such happy memories xx

  249. Cyndi Says:

    On December 21, 1999, we arrived home from Bulgaria with our new 21-month-old daughter. We had prayed so hard that she would be home by Christmas and we barely made it. We arrived home to find that friends had decorated our house and put up our Christmas tree. It was a magical holiday, our first as a family of four.

  250. yanina Says:

    my favourite Christmas memory is the last time the whole family was together at my Aunt house. Seven years ago. I was great to have everyone there. It is so sad that we all live so far away from each other.

  251. Jamie Leija Says:

    hmm…my favorite holiday memory is a general one. i love how we crowd too many people into my grandma’s tiny kitchen. it just feels so warm and festive!

  252. Vicki-Jane Says:

    I can’t wait for JYC to start tomorrow and your posts over the last couple of days have got me really excited!

    P.S. I have left you a blogger award on my blog

    www.onthemarshwithmarsh@blogspot.com

  253. Bernie Tuffs Says:

    When I was a young child (some 35+ years ago!) there really was a chance of snow at Christmas…that feeling of real anticipation that that COULD happen and we could wake up on Christmas morning to a white world, really made it exciting! That and the Christmas Eve night I woke up and KNOW I heard jingle bells up on the roof!!! Still haven’t worked out that one all these years later, LOL!!!!
    Bernie x

  254. Margaret Anne Clark Says:

    My favourite memory is when we hosted Christmas for the extended family for the first time. We lived in a tiny flat and borrowed chairs and tables form our church to do it – and it rocked. Some of the people who were with us then have passed away, and new people have joined our family ( like my 4 yr old DD!!)but it is a lovely moment of true Christmas !

  255. rinda Says:

    So many memories to choose from – a favorite is gathering with my brothers and sisters at the top of the stairs waiting for it to be light so our parents would get up!
    Rinda

  256. TammyC Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was very small….we thought my brother had been killed in Vietnam (they told my parents he was MIA, but held out little hope of rescue) but he surprised us all by arriving on Christmas Eve. He’d lost both his legs, but none of his spunk or charm. I can still see the absolute joy on my Mother’s face after 40 years.

  257. Sara Worth Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory growing up was baking with my Grandmother and cousin before the actual holiday. We’d make and decorate sugar cookies, brown sugar bars, chocolate chip cookies, and whatever else my grandmother had energy to direct our little hands to make. As our single parent moms usually had us during most of Christmas day, our dads would be hungerly awaiting those homemade goodies! Those plates would be delivered on that same day wrapped in plastic wrap and a bow. I seriously think that may have been my father’s favorite part of Christmas. I’m happy to share that baking tradition with my step-daughter. And now, I have the opportunity to bake for my grandmother.

  258. Michelle Miller Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is with my parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles when I was little. My Uncle dressed up as Santa and came to visit while we were opening presents!! I thought he came just to see me.

  259. kathycw Says:

    One of my favorite memories is hiding under the covers as a child while “Santa” put our toys under the tree. I came out to the living room to find my parents assembling one of my presents; they said that Santa was in a hurry and needed their help!

  260. LizzyM Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is probably from last year, when we took our 18 month old to Christmas Eve service. He loved the music and kept signing “more” after each hymn and carol. It was great.

  261. JenG Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was small, probably 7 or 8 years old. My grandfather made me a doll cradle and my grandmother made linens for it. I realized even then what a special gift it was, from their hearts. Today, my little girl has the cradle and linens for her dollies, and it is such a joy to see her play with it now.

  262. Deb Says:

    one memory sticks out for me. Christmas day was hot that year and my siblings and I got typical summer toys which we loved. We sat together outside on the porch for a photo. It was really funny because all of us had the mumps!

  263. Leanie Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory? I only have one main christmas one; When I was 2 my Dad took a job as a firefighter in the mines in South Africa (no work for electricians in the UK in the 80s!)
    When I was 5 we moved back in the August for me to start school, but Dad stayed behind to finish his contract :( Roll on a few months to Christmas Eve… We were living at my Nanna’s, and there was a knock at the door – you guessed it! Dad had come home, and Mum, my brother and I just wouldn’t let him go, we all clung to him until New Year!
    Thanks for the chance to read everyone else’s lovely memories x

  264. Amy Lynne Lassiter Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the year my parents bought a video camera (it was 1984, and it was giant and clunky). A blanket of snow had fallen outside on Christmas eve, and my dad and I went out to video tape our neighbor’s lights. I pretended I was a reporter,and the resulting video is hopelessly dorky. Later, I baked cookies with my mother, while pretending I was Julia Child (all for the camera, again, hopelessly dorky). I was an only child, and when I look back at those videos, they are so wonderful….because it is the picture of how focused my parents were on me, and how I was their “star,” even for a moment. I always felt so loved, but never more than in those moments.

  265. Sarah Says:

    Favorite memory so far this year… watch my daughter’s eyes light up as we unpack the Christmas ornaments and decorations. The magic of the season for sure.

    I can’t wait to start on my December album tomorrow. Last year I skipped it and really miss being able to look back (at least I have one from 2008).

  266. Kamie Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory involves my grandmother staying at our house overnight (my grandfather did not celebrate due to his religion) so she’d spend the night at our house, we’d get up and have eggs, toast, bacon and leftover birthday cake (my bday is Xmas Eve). I miss those days as she is no longer with us. I always dreamed of her or my own parents sharing in teh same tradition of staying with us but that will never be either.

  267. Meghann Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is when I got my kitchen set when I was a child. I remember a big red bow!

  268. Catherine Christina Says:

    I was around 7 or 8, and I left a note to Santa confessing that I had told a secret and hit my brother a few times over the last year. I asked him to give my toys (I had been bad after all) to other kids that didn’t have any. The next morning there was a special Barbie there. For some reason, this memory popped to mind first. Thanks Shimelle!

  269. Anne Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is all about being taken to a pantomime on Christmas Eve, because it was something to distract me from becoming sick and giddy with excitement. I’m involved with taking 400 primary school children to a pant this Froday, and seeing the excitement on their faces reminds me every year of going myself when I was small, and signals to me that Christmas really has begun.

  270. Nicole Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is of looking out the window after dark, with all the Christmas lights lit up, and watching the gently falling snow in front of the street lights. I live in Winnipeg, Canada, and it almost ALWAYS snows on Christmas night. lovely

  271. Rita Says:

    My favorite memory is when I was about 7. Came into the living room on Christmas morning to see a brand new bike for me. The best part was watching my dad ride it around our large living room. He’s been gone nearly 15 years now… I cherish that memory.

  272. Nicole Says:

    The Christmas before my father past away was the first Christmas in years he was with us. It was so nice having my family together.

  273. Mel Says:

    I don’t think I have any UNfavourite Christmas memories! I love Christmas!! Perhaps my fave of all would be my first Christmas after our son was born – he’s a December baby, so very tiny, but already it made Christmas feel different and special to be sharing it with our child :-)

  274. Amanda P Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is being younger & having a little Christmas tree in the bedroom I shared with my sister. We used to love singing Christmas carols & having our parents video tape us. Those are some FUNNY family videos.

  275. sandie Says:

    A favourite memories is putting food out for rudolph & santa with my 2 year old granddaughter. We then followed a procession round the street, her face glowed with excitement.

  276. Sarah Jay Says:

    Watching my sister’s hysterical theatrics for the smallest gifts.

  277. Veera Says:

    My favourite memory is our whole family being together at Christmas time… I mean REALLY being together! Talking, sharing, playing games, eating well, everyone happy and content! So very simple…

  278. Monica Blain Says:

    When I was little, I never knew what to get my dad for Christmas so I would get him a coffee mug (I knew he liked coffee!). It became a pattern, but the funny thing is that, although everyone else in my family caught on to this pattern I didn’t. It became a huge joke. To this day, I still get my dad a new coffee mug for Christmas every year =)

  279. Jennifer Johnson Says:

    One of my favorite christmas memories from my childhood is watching my mom & grandmother bake cookies & candies. They went all out and I was in awe of all of the beautiful treats they created!

  280. Heather Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory happened when I was 5. We always opened gifts at my grandparents house on Christmas Eve and this year I got my coveted Cabbage Patch Doll. After all the gifts were opened and I was playing happily with my doll I heard Santa’s bells on the roof again. While I was in the front room he delivered a baby shower for me next to the tree. He got me a stroller, clothes, and other accessories for my doll. I will never forget how cool that was!

  281. karen Says:

    my favorite christmas memory is from when my children were very small. we were moving (hubby was in the Army) and we had christmas in the hotel where we were staying while waiting for our flight. it was perfect. no fuss or muss. just spending time as a family. a simple christmas but a great one!

  282. kate blue Says:

    fav memory? My son’s 1st Christmas at home Dec 2005..he had been in the hospital for 8 months, so this extra special for us. He didn’t understand Christmas, but we didn’t care!!!

  283. Sonia Yabiku Says:

    We have decided to celebrate our engagement @ Tokyo Disneyland(Japan) with my brothers and our closest friends on the very Christmas Eve.
    All day there just playing was fantastic. After the fireworks we left Disneyland planning to celebrate Christmas at home but instead we got stuck in a terrible traffic!
    There was no way to get home in time , so @ midnight we all got out of the car opened the champagne , hugged each other and had our own ‘party’
    Needless to say that people in the traffic were thinking we were total nuts!

    It was so good I still remember that feeling….

    This is one of the reasons this Christmas has a special place in my heart : )

  284. Daphne Says:

    my favourite christmas memory was the first one with my niece Judith! She was just like a big doll sitting under the tree with red cheeks – very cute!

  285. Diana Graham Says:

    My favorite memory was when I was alittle girl and my grandparents had strung a elf on fishing line and each year he danced down the tree. We have video of it and i laugh everytime i see it because I cannot believe I thought that elf was real!

  286. Melissa Says:

    one of my favorite christmas memory’s is decorating the tree with the whole family.
    thanks for the great giveaway!

  287. Gail Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the Christmas my wonderful husband of 28 years asked me to marry him. I had two miniature stockings hung from the fake fireplace in my apartment. He put a note in one of the stockings for me, and each year I hang those little stockings on our tree, complete with the original note. I journaled about it in my Journal your Christmas album last year!

  288. amy lapi Says:

    my favorite memory is how each year someone dresses as santa and surprised all the kids with presents. now we do it for the next generation! :)

  289. Miriam Says:

    I have beautiful memories of my mum coming to me for Christmas. One time I overheard her Boxing day phone call to her sister in Dublin, Nellie had obviously asked her ‘how was your day’ “Just perfect, everything was perfect, Miriam’s lunch was beautiful, just like being home” I felt so proud after all the wonderful Christmas’s she had done for me. x

  290. Mary Harris Says:

    Oh wow my favorite Christmas memory was when my oldest daughter was 5 and she wrote a letter to Santa to tell him that her guinea pig died and she wanted another one. I still have that letter to Santa in fact I used it in my Christmas journal last year, anyway Santa brought her a new one and she was so happy and surprised it was so much fun. I love Christmas my favorite time of year!!

  291. Janna Says:

    So far my fav memory is last year when my parents, my brother from MN and lots of other family were here, at my house! My 4th baby was almost 3 months old and it was such a cozy time! Ever year we make new and special memories! Thank you so much for the chance at the giveaway!

  292. cristalfab Says:

    When I was in High School, we lived in Germany. Our 1st Christmas there, it was just the 4 of us – Mom, Dad, my younger sister and myself. It was such a great experience, adding in some German traditions along with our American ones. I still think of the peacefulness that our German Christmas’ offered.

  293. LeaVon Price Says:

    One of my favorit Christmas memories was when my girls were about 2 and 4. Santa had gotten them a new Barbie Jeep with a music radio for them to share and drive around the yard. They loved it…setting in it for pictures and making funny faces. Untill one of them hit the pettel and the jeeped moved. They both jumped out so fast…and never got in it again. For weeks my oldest asked if Santa did returns?

  294. Regina Says:

    Hi Shimelle. one of my favorite memories was the year that the Salvation Army brought toys over to our house for Christmas and there was a used Brownie camera in the mix. My sisters and I were so excited to have a camera and I remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks for the chance. Can’t wait for December 1st.

  295. Christine Crowson Says:

    My fondest memory has to be when my sister and I had baby dolls for Christmas. My mum had made all their clothes and bedding and my Dad had made the wooden cots for them.Fab. X

  296. Heather Beasley Says:

    My favorite memory is being with my mom, dad, sister and brother on Christmas morning… enjoying each other.

  297. Terrie Says:

    A favorite Christmas memory was spending the holiday at my grandparent’s house in the Ozarks of the midwest. The smell of a wood burning stove brings smiles. Thanks for hosting the give away.

  298. Cath Says:

    One thing that I’ll always remember is the excitement I was to open my presents, it was a weird awesome feel, like butterflies in your stomach, sometimes I miss that feeling =) Waking up so early just to open small but thoughtful presents

  299. Christine Ousley Says:

    I have so many wonderful Christmas memories but one of my favorites is from the year that I turned 10. I was on the brink of not believing in Santa. On Christmas Eve, we went to a family friends house and stayed very late. When we got home Santa had already visited our house. Knowing that my parents had been with me at the party gave me some extra thoughts about Santa and if I believed. To this day I still believe in Santa. When my kids ask I just tell them it’s what they believe in their heart that matters. Have a wonderful holiday season!!
    xoxo, Christine

  300. Brenda T Says:

    My favourite memory is the year that my youngest daughter had opened some of her presents, got the favourite dolly she wanted, then lost interest in everything else. She said “Got enough presents now mummy, Lauren can have these ones”. LOL

  301. Shazi Says:

    My favorite Christmas Memory was the time my first son finally expressed his excitement for Christmas, and he was about 4 years old. Any age before that he couldn’t care less about Christmas, the gifts or Santa because he didn’t understand. But seeing how big his eyes got and how happy he was, hearing his screams and seeing how big his eyes got when he saw what Santa brought his is a priceless memory!

  302. Lynn M Says:

    One of my all time favorite Christmas memories was my daughter’s first Christmas. It was the first time that Chicago saw 60 degrees on Christmas day ever. We have a photo of her sitting in her new pink sled in the grass with the sun shining. Very memorable.

  303. CJ Says:

    Childhood Christmas memories include staying up till midnight on Christmas Eve to open presents & the silver aluminum artifical tree that had white flocking on it.

  304. Dee Cummins Says:

    I had four very much younger brothers and a sister. When I reached the age of ‘knowing’ about Santa, I was able to help my parents set up the Santa presents. I remember the excitement of staying up late and making the magic for my siblings. I think I still expected Santa to interrupt us at any moment! That was probably 50 years ago and those wonderful secretive moments still bring back the absolute joy of Christmas for me.

  305. Sharon Says:

    My favorite memory was getting a doll that crawled and walked. I thought about her a lot in the days leading up to Christmas. So it was an expecially exciting morning.

  306. Catherin G. Says:

    One of my favorite memories is my brothers and I packing the Christmas tree box full of blankets and riding it down the stairs as my mom and dad set up the Christmas tree. I remember it feeling like such a thrill although, looking back, those stairs weren’t very long. We just had fun.

  307. Julia Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is of all the family members arriving on Christmas Eve, ready to all have dinner together then go to Midnight Mass.

  308. Renee Lecatsas Says:

    When I was a little girl I woke up on Christmas to see a train yard set up in our spare bedroom. It was on a platform had houses, businesses, tunnels, cars street lights, and people. In an ash tray on the platform was a pipe. I knew without a doubt that Santa had come and set up the train. I knew he didn’t make the train it was ours, but we never ever set it up. It was not a wrapped gift though I had gifts it was better! I still feel the same little kid excitement when I think about it.

  309. kimberlee Says:

    I remember when my brother was 9 or 10 and still believed in Santa. Kids at school were teasing him about it, so he was starting to stop believing. But our teenage neighbor climbed up on the roof Christmas Eve, stomped around and shook bells, and I never saw my brother hurry to fall asleep faster. He was so totally excited.

  310. Christi Says:

    My favorite christmas memory was when i was around 8 or 9. New Kids on the BLock were very popular and my sister and I got New Kids barbie dolls and the big stage along with handmade New Kids outfits and tickets to the concert. That year i was questioning santa and this proved he was real (well at least for one more year).

  311. Mandijane Says:

    My favourite memory was walking on the beach kicking up the surf in Lanzarote a few years ago in the sunshine after Christmas dinner on the beach as the sun was beginning to set…..it was just simply perfect.

  312. Rachel Houltram Says:

    My youngest baby was born on December 20th. We went to church on Christmas Day morning, and I was filled with the same sense of wonder as Mary was, all those years before. The miracle of new birth, the joy of a son, Unto Us a Son is Given – even now it gives me goosebumps to remember it – and he will be 21 this year on the 20th!

  313. Amber Letuli Says:

    So many favorite memories it is hard to chose just one. My mom would start Christmas baking in October, putting up so many varities of Christmas cookies in old fruit cake tins that we would still be eating them come March. I still have an incredible fondness for old fruit cake tins and pick them up when ever I see them at a garage sale or thrift store. It would not be Christmas without them.

  314. Rachel D Says:

    One of my favorite memories is of Paul and my second Christmas together. The first one was so hectic and busy and full of visiting family, so the next year we just stayed home. Relaxed and enjoyed the quiet and calm together.

  315. Nicole K Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is waking up at my Grandparent’s house, opening my Cricket talking doll and then going up to the mountains with them to play in the snow… I was a very lucky little girl in California, so snow was something we normally didn’t see!

  316. Shelly Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is bringing my firstborn to see Santa and he fell asleep in Santa’s arms… I was in my mid twenties and all the magic came flooding back because I was convinced this “mall Santa” was the real deal… He was so sweet and magical and in that moment “i believed”

  317. Audrey Says:

    Favourite memory is properly celebrating Christmas when my son was born. Before he came along, Christmas didn’t mean much to me but since he came along, I went along with the tradition and enjoyed it immensely!

  318. Laura Says:

    This may sound cliche, but my favorite Christmas occurred the first Christmas I celebrated as a Christian. I finally understood the true meaning of Christmas. It has been 23 years and it never, ever gets old. Thanks!

  319. tamara dunkin Says:

    a favorite memory: the year my mom pulled over on the side of the highway as we drove to gram’s house Christmas afternoon. she pulled some things out of the trunk and handed ‘em to me (unwrapped) – they were gifts she had forgotten about!!!

  320. Marian Says:

    My favorite memory is the year that we had a huge snow storm and we all had to stay at the same house on Christmas Eve. We played games and everyone got along.

  321. Andie Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was 2005, the first year my stepsons lived with us. Even though they were 14 and 15, we were so excited, none of us could sleep. I snuck into their room at about 5am and whispered, ‘Wake up – he’s been!’ They both jumped out of bed and ripped open their presents like little kids. I still smile every time I think about it.

  322. Ali H Says:

    I have LOVED reading all these memories – happy & poignant alike. I have lots of happy memories of my Christmas times as an adult but a special one would be the year I was about 7 & the snow fell on Christmas morning & we walked up to my Grandparents house to spend the day & have Christmas dinner together – I remember my little sister riding on my Dad’s shoulders & me holding my parents hands to keep from slipping in the snow ! After our meal we would play board games & cards with my Gran & Great Aunt – with matchsticks instead of money & the adults would drink just a touch too much of Grandad’s homemade wine ! Happy innocent times – can it really be 40 years ago !

  323. krys72599 Says:

    One of my favorite Xmas memories is my little sister running away from Santa in a local department store. She was so scared and SO didn’t want to see him so she ran. She ran around the main aisle, all around the store, until she ran smack dab into Santa who was taking a walk! She froze in place, he recognized her, smiled and ho-ho-ho’d, and she cried!!!

  324. Jennifer L.S. Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was my honeymoon at Walt Disney World! :)

  325. Thea Says:

    I grew up on a large sheep station in western Queensland. Christmas meant spending time in town at my Grandparents’ home, surrounded by cousins, aunts and uncles. A favourite memory is waiting for my other Grandmother to finish eating her piece of Christmas Pudding, as we knew she had the silver charm. She ate that dessert so slowly and the anticipation was gruelling. Then we got presents!

  326. Stephanie Says:

    this should be an entry! but my favorite christmas memory was when i was 5 and my father was in the hospital and the staff there did a toy drive just for us! we were in mountains of gifts and as a kid that was amazing!

  327. Amy Hayes Says:

    My favorite holiday memory is from when my now 5 year old daughter was 2 and we gave her a giant playhouse. We don’t have a yard, so it had to be in our living room. We tied a huge red bow around it and when she came into the living room on Christmas morning her face was PRICELESS!

  328. Mindy O Says:

    I have many wonderful christmas memories. I think my favorites were the years we spent in Germany. I believe their christmas markets epitomize christmas forever in my memory.

  329. Stacy Hamby Says:

    I think my favorite Christmas memory is one year we went hog wild and got my dad a whole big stereo setup….and I only had a tiny little VW that had no heat and we crammed all these HUGE boxes in it with three grown women and sang Christmas songs ALL the way home.

  330. Caroline B Says:

    My favourite Xmas memory is Christmas last year when I was pregnant & looking forward to 2010 and all the uncertanties of being a new parent.
    Looking forward to JYC this year :)

  331. Myrto Says:

    My favorite memory is from a very young age. I is about me and my sister in our nightdresses, at 5 o’clock in the morning,sneekpeeking that Santa came, screaming with joy, waking up our parents and opening a pile?! of presents!

  332. Shirley Bertrand Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was driving to midnight mass with my great-grandfather when I was seven years old. We saw Rudolph’s nose glowing in the sky. He told me, “Santa must be heading our way”. When we got home from church, sure enough, Santa had come. I will never forget that Christmas. Merry Christmas and Happy December.

  333. Katie Johnson Says:

    my favorite Christmas memory is that every year when I was a kid my mom and I would go see the Nutcracker at the local community theater and after the show go get pie! I loved having a night with my mom all to myself without Dad and my brother around :)

  334. Carrie S. Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is going to my Aunt Ginny & Uncle Roy’s every Christmas while I was growing up. Spending the holiday with relatives was always so much fun.

  335. Bonnie Says:

    My most favorite recent Christmas memory is from just last, my brother, sister-in-law and their two little one’s flew in for the holidays!!! It was so wonderful to have little one’s around for all the excitement of santa cookies and stockings and of course Christmas morning, I just loved it, and took tons of photos. I so miss those days, my kids are 15 & 19 so my hubby and I are up earlier than the kids on Christmas morning these days, Last year really reminded me why I love Christmas so much, as the saying goes, through the eyes of a child… thanks for inspiring us Shimelle, I think this is my most favorite class.

  336. Cathy Watson Says:

    My favourite memory was the year I had Christmas in the UK. It just felt right,it was cold,the lights twinkled in the dusk and the atmoshere was just different to what I was used to in NZ.I will never forget it.

  337. Julie Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is of building a HUGE snowman with my sister. It was so big we had to build snow steps up the back of it so we could add more rings of snow. At the end, it may not have looked like a typical snowman, infact it was very lopsided, but we had the best fun ever.
    Julie

  338. Kirsten Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is traveling to my favorite Auntie Linda’s house (sshhh!! don’t tell the others she’s my fave) with my mom’s side of the family and taking my newborn son, who is now 20 years old. Just a simple, happy memory that you made pop into my head :)

  339. Kathy Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is loading up into the family car (seven children) on Christmas Eve and driving around town viewing all the Christmas lights while trying to catch sight of Rudolph’s glowing nose in the sky.

  340. Emma Says:

    My favourite Crimbo memory is from Christmas eve last year . My daughter was 1 and three quarters and her nursery gave her some reindeer food which we sprinkled all over the garden for them to eat while Santa delivered presents. She was so excited about putting the food down for them and seeing it all glittering in the dark as it was made of oats and glitter – it made Christmas feel really magical. Her first question in the morning was ‘have the deers been and had the food Mommy?’ and we could not do anything until we had been outside to check. I can’t wait for this Christmas eve to continue our tradition and to create more magical moments – how exciting! Emxx

  341. Juel Says:

    One of my favorite memories is taking our truck up in the woods to cut down a Christmas tree. The tree would always end up being to big to fit into the car or even through the doorway of the house.

  342. Susan Says:

    I remember being allowed to stay up late on Christmas Eve to watch “The Ed Sullivan Show” because Topogigo was appearing. For you youngsters, Topogigo was a mouse puppet, I don’t remember the name of the ventriloquist, though.

  343. Jeanne Brandt Says:

    Last Sunday the sanctuary at church was all decorated for Christmas. There are so many activities at church in December that I’m excited in anticipation of the wonderful month ahead. Our 6 year old granddaughter is singing a solo in her choir presentation – that’s just one thing I’m looking forward to :)

  344. Karen Huntoon Says:

    One of my very favorite Christmas memories is the year my DH and I gave our sons their very 1st video game system. That simply proved to them that there was a Santa Claus because they “knew” we would never by a game system cause we hated video games. it made us smile all day long listening to them. They were about 8 and 4 at the time

  345. Jamie Bird Says:

    As a kindergartner I insisted Santa bring me bells from his reindeer and sleigh to prove he existed. My favorite Christmas memory was waking up that morning to BEAUTIFUL bells (either from Santa or hand-crafted by my loving father)

  346. Lou Says:

    I have so many amazing christmas memories but one of my favourites was the christmas I didn’t get told to have a nap during the day but got to join the adults in the leisurely walk down to the wharf down the road and back to work off all the food we had eaten. It was so special to be included in that moment and I will miss that so much being here in the snowy northern hemisphere but I am looking forward to making new christmas memories here with my boyfriend and his extended family. : ) So looking forward to JYC and all the fun of a white christmas. xx

  347. Vera Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the last Christmas we spent with my grandfather before he passed away the following month. It was a special time for us.

  348. Claire W. Says:

    My favourite memories are of spending Christmas Day with my grandparents at their house, a converted chapel. It was so beautiful and Christmassy, I loved it there :)

  349. Jo Says:

    My favourite chirsitmas memory was having my nan stay with us on chrismas eve, that was always special. Thanks for the class.

  350. rosalie Says:

    bringing my son my day old son home from hospital on christmas eve nearly 17yrs ago was an amazing christmas, i just wanted to look at him all day long ;0) what a wonderful gift he was that year!!

  351. Fleasbenz Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is my son’s first Christmas. He was only 4 months old and we traveled from Florida to see family in PA. He was the best gift that year.

  352. *cris* Says:

    My favourite memory was when I was about 6 and my mum had made me a furry white polar bear night dress case. Also we told my M & FIL I was pregnant on Xmas Eve 1997

  353. Shay Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories are those when I was able to spend Christmas with my grandparents in Iowa…I remember they had a Mary Poppins record I really loved to listen to in the rarely used living room (the special room for the holidays). Thank you for the chance to win.

  354. Carey Bridges Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my son was lying in bed on Christmas Eve (still awake WAY after bedtime) and heard jingle bells and a “Ho, Ho, Ho!” outside, slammed his eyes shut and fake snored. He knew he was supposed to be asleep for Santa to come!

  355. Angie Says:

    My favorite memory is my first Christmas with my (now) husband. He proposed to me under our Christmas tree!

  356. cheryl brown Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory has got to be when I was little and living in Scotland where my oldest brother would wake me up in the early hours and we would pick up our pillowcases full of presents and take them into my parents room where my mum and dad would be pretending that they had just got up but infact had not even been to bed yet armed with a drink for each of us and toast infront of the bedroom fire. there we opened our presents and after mum and dad got some sleep and we played with whatever santa had left us in our beds until morning. We as a family have carried this memory on all the way through our lives.

  357. Tee Says:

    My favourite memory was in 1977. My dad was working 8 hours away, we were struggling to make rent payments, we didn’t have a tree, no presents, no Christmas dinner…so my mom splurged on gas for our ol’ car and took us for a ride to the airport because my autistic brother loved to ride the escalators.

    We were riding down the escalators when a flight arrived from the North (they had to walk across the runway) and the sight of my daddy caught my eye! I’ll never forget that joy. Best Christmas present ever.

  358. Debbie Says:

    One of my favorite memories is when my brother and I got to play “Santa” for my dad and have a big present under the tree christmas morning that he didn’t expect.

  359. Robin Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is how Santa would not only come down our chimney but also leave his ashy boot prints on the floor. My sister and I would always measure our father’s boots to the prints, but Santa’s were always bigger. This little extra touch by my parents made everything seem special, because someone (maybe Santa) had to have made the footprints! :)

  360. Rene Lewis Says:

    My first bicycle…it was purple and I was so excited! My grandfather taught me how to ride it that day.

  361. Therese Says:

    Reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve with my family. It is so magical to hear those words every year and go to bed dreaming.

  362. gina Says:

    I’ve been counting the days down until Dec. 1st! Can’t wait to get started tomorrow.
    My favorite Christmas memory is going to Disneyland with my parents and sister and loving all the decorations throughout the park.

  363. Kelly Says:

    I remember my dad taking my sister and I to the beach to play in the sand and swim. Mum would go off to work at the hospital and we would have dad all to ourselves for the afternoon playing together.

  364. Sherry Williams Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is last years. My husband decided he wanted to cook a rabit. It was horrible, the kids were crying about the bunnies and he worked so long and hard on a recipe, and he got so super sick. Evidently it was bad rabbit. He was sick- throwing up sick and aching all Christmas eve and Christmas day. You would have to know my husbands silly antics to know this is SO like him. We have so many things he has done, but this one beats a lot of them. The kids would open a gift and then hed run to the bathroom. We’d sing a song, and he’d run off again. It was frustrating and hilarious all at once. Love that guy!
    Nice contest.

  365. Terri Steffen Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is from the 1960’s and we would always pick the one spindly little tree left on the lot near my home in Phoenix. I always wanted the skinny trees because they needed a home, too!

  366. Francine Seal Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory occurred last week. My son, daughter-in-law and one of my granddaughters (not my son’s daughter) came for Thanksgiving. Seeing them read my Journal Your Christmas for 2008 and then seeing my husband look through it as well just gave me a fuzzy warm feeling that it was worth the effort.

  367. dianne Says:

    my favorite Christmas memory was very chill. I spent it with my Mom and a friend. Before dinner we went to the Stanford theater in Palo Alto, CA and watched It’s a Wonderful life. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend this cinema. It plays mostly golden age films. Really fun!

  368. keri Says:

    my favorite christmas memories are the ones i’m making now with my own little ones. teaching them traditions that i grew up doing and beginning new ones with them. thank you for the great giveaway!

  369. Jennifer Clark Says:

    My favorite memory was the look on my kiddo’s faces the first year they had individualized letters from Santa! So awesome!! ~Jen

  370. peggy Says:

    i remember asking for a doll bed and I remember christmas morning there was a doll in a bed I was so happy
    but later realized it was only a box
    It didn’t matter to me it was a doll bed .We didn’t have much but I don’t think anyone did .We were happy

  371. Jessica Says:

    Mine are happening every day, but one of my favorites is last year, when my family was here for Christmas Eve. We ate warm stew and cookies, and watched my boys track Santa on Norad’s website. So cozy and comfortable!

  372. Melissa R Says:

    I love the Christmas my husband saved up and gave each of us a new bike. That was a very memorable day. Too bad the film in my camera did not advance and I did not get any photos of it! Thank goodness for digital!!!

  373. Sherry C Says:

    Last year, we took our children to NYC to experience the magic of Christmas in the city. So many beautiful memories were made, but watching their faces light up while watching Mary Poppins on Broadway was amazing!!!

  374. Elisabeth C Says:

    my fav Christmas memory is the first year we went to get a real tree at a tree farm. There was a fresh snowfall and we walked into this beautiful wonderland of huge pine trees and large firepits surrounded by families roasting marshmellows & hot dogs….there was also the most beautiful Christmas carols being played over outdoor speakers. It was magical:)

  375. Dawn F. Says:

    My favorite memory is from 3 years -telling our oldest son (he was 7 at the time) on Christmas that he would be a big brother. It was so exciting! Thanks for the chance.

  376. Tonya Says:

    Last year when Grandpa wrapped the gifts and put the wrong names on the gifts! It was super funny to open others gifts and he was so shocked, he tried so hard to help reduce stress!!! We all still laugh about it!

  377. Elyse Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory was the 1st year that we got to stay home for Christmas, instead of going to my grandmother’s house. While I loved being at her house, I hated having to travel back and forth between there & home. My mom was a single mom, and even tho I didn’t realize it, we were very poor. We had a small tabletop aluminum tree and I got a Nancy Nurse doll and an Alice in Wonderland watch. Mid-1960’s…still remember it as my favorite!!

  378. Beth Chepil Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is when I received a nurse kit I had drooled over in the JC Penney’s catalog when I was about 8. Most Christmas gifts were homemade when I was a kid. A gift from a catalog was unheard of! Oh the hours I spent curing the family of illnesses and injuries.

  379. Laura Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory involves the many Christmas Eves spent opening gifts and drinking eggnog with my mom and then we would go out for Chinese food and a movie on Christmas day. Christmas was always a big deal to my mom who is no longer with us. I still relish those memories of Christmas with her.

  380. DeniseNoe Says:

    My best memory is of Christmas mornings at home with my parents when we were little. We would stay in our PJs all day and have a big breakfast, watch movies and play with our new goodies. What fun!

  381. Tracy O'Connell Says:

    My favorite memory is baking cookies with my mom every year. She used to hide the tins in the garage so my dad and I couldn’t find them (but we always did). Now I bake with my daughter every year and even have my own cookie exchange with my friends for the past 15 years.

  382. Diane Says:

    My best Christmas every was 1987 when my son Max was born on Christmas day! What a present! He was due Dec. 13 and held out til Christmas Day — maybe that’s why I love Christmas so much.

  383. Jan H. Says:

    My favorite memory which still makes me smile, is picturing how my brother’s christmas gifts looked. He is 12 years older than me and to this day cannot wrap a present!

  384. kim smart Says:

    one of my favorite christmas memories is from when i was about 7 yrs old and my mother and father and i had moved across the country to a new state. my mother and i missed my grandparents so much! on christmas day, our living room was filled with presents for me from my grandparents! they couldn’t be with us but sent sooo many gifts it was ridiculous! by the time next christmas came around we were all moved back home only an hour away from my g-parents!!

  385. margaret Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory from my youth is midnight mass and singing Silent Night to candle light in the sanctuary at church.

  386. Brigitta Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory growing up and as an adult, is driving around after church to see all the Christmas lights! Something so magical about the lights on Christmas Eve!!

  387. Laura Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories was several years ago when we had unexpected snow on Christmas eve. We had many guests over celebrating and all the kids ran outside to dance in the falling snow and catch snowflakes on their tongues. It was magical to watch.

  388. Beth Says:

    Our family Christmas is steeped in tradition. We used to go to midnight mass, come home to open gifts and then cook our shish-kabobs on the fireplace to eat. My father would make ice cream drinks and always started with grasshoppers cause they were moms favorite. He would then make brandy alexanders (his fave) and every year he promised we could taste a golden cadillac. I am much older now, and still haven’t tried one! We would be up all night and sleep a great part of Christmas Day, interspersed with games, puzzles, playing with the younger children, and just being together without any interruption from the outside world. It was magical.

  389. Donna C Says:

    This particular memory is bittersweet, but sticks with me nonetheless. Our daughter was just over 2yrs. old and our son was 9 months old at the time. My mother had been seriously ill that year and I had been running back and forth to see her at the hospital between breastfeeding times and whenever I could get away. I went over to be with her late on Christmas eve and just held her hand. She was comatose at this point, but I thought I felt her squeeze my hand back. I finally went home for Christmas morning around 5am and the phone rang at around 6am. It was the hospital telling me my mother had died. The bittersweet part was that the kids didn’t know any better…to them it was Christmas morning and had big smiles for me. If it wasn’t for my children, I never would have made it through that day. Anyway, I know it’s a pretty depressing story, but sometimes that’s real life. There is beauty, even in sadness.

  390. Susi Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is my first born’s 2nd Christmas. We were stationed in Livorno, Italy and it took forever, but we found a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. We lived in an apartment in Livorno because my husband was only an E-4 and it was my first time cooking a holiday meal in the tiniest oven. We could only afford two gifts a few ornaments and our son was so happy! I left everything in the neck and butt of the turkey, but we had such a wonderful Christmas even though we missed our family. We really felt like grown-ups and it was up to us and we did it.

  391. cassie Says:

    My favorite memory is when my son surprised me by flying home 4 christmas.. tears of joy!

  392. Megan Says:

    My favourite christmas memory is the year that we had to take my dog to the emergency room. That Christmas was really sad – my dad was out to sea, so we spent the whole season trying to make up for the fact that traditions weren’t being followed through. we were all pretty crabby during the day, because we missed dad, and then my little basset hound’s eye started swelling. we had to rush him to the emergency room and he had to wear a cone on his head all day! but, because he is a basset hound, he was very short and the cone dragged on the ground when he walked and echoed in his large ears, making him terrified to take a single step! So all day we walked around with him, lifting the cone up off the ground to save him from the loud noises. It was such a silly situation – we could not stop laughing! He was okay of course, just a bit of eye drops brought down the swelling. But that moment of silliness and uninhibited laughter made us realize that we needed to just find the silver lining in the less-than-ideal holiday. Ever since, we have all been that much more grateful for the holidays we do get to spend together!

  393. stacy Says:

    my favorite christmas memory was being little every year and laying in the dark under the christmas tree with just the tree lights on. i could lay there for hours and hours.

  394. Vicki Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is the matching PJs I made for my son, daughter and 2 nephews and how precious they all looked in front of the Christmas tree! That was over 15 years ago and I still LOVE those photos! Vicki

  395. Nancy Says:

    One of my favorite Christmases was when my husband’s extended family all went up to a cabin in the snow to celebrate. We had 3 generations in the same house and we had a Christmas tree ornament contest, but they had to be made out of things we could find there or around the house. What fun ideas everyone came up with!

  396. Suzanne B Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories are from my childhood. I have a VERY large extended family and every year we would get together on Christmas Eve. It was the one day of the year that we were all together. We would spend the day making tamales and then we’d spend the night eating, chatting, playing, etc…

  397. Lydia Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is from a couple of years ago, when my middle son opened the front door the afternoon of Christmas Eve to find Santa himself standing there. He’s a friend of my DH and gave the boys a personal visit on his busiest day of the year!

  398. Josiane Says:

    My favorite memory is having to wait till after lunch to open gifts. Then it is a free for all!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  399. Torry Schellhorn Says:

    Reading the notes ‘Santa’ left behind complimenting us on our cookies!

  400. Wendy Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory is definitely watching the original “Miracle on 34th Street” with my mum every year. We both love that movie and it was always a special Christmas tradition that we shared together. We still do it now if we’re together at Christmas!

  401. Jules Stevens Says:

    Every year creates a special memory and very difficult to choose….either has to be celebrating Christmas with my parents before they died so young….I would decorate the tree for them in secret and watch my Mums face light up when I turned the lights on. Or in more recent years….sharing the love with my teenage children who crawl into bed with me to open their stockings.
    This is my first year ever to do doing JYC and I feel very excited.
    Jules

  402. Saara Says:

    Just signed to JYC class :)
    My favourite christmas memory: getting a huge teddy bear when I was 4 – my parents still have it and my son loves it! <3

  403. Helen Overton Says:

    Oh no, I think i’m too late to enter! That’ll teach me to check my emails. Going to share anyway.
    My favourite christmas memory is spending Christmas at my grandma’s when I was little, we used to go to her every other year, although she’d stay with us alternative years. There was something special about spending christmas at Grandma’s, especially when my Grandad was still alive, she always made it so special for me as I was growing up. Now that she’s gone too, it makes me think about those special times more.

  404. doverdi Says:

    Now that DS is 24, I miss the innocence of Christmas. How he’d get so excited waiting for Santa to come that he’d go to bed early on xmas eve as he was too excited to stay up. (his choice too!). Then at exactly 6 am (he couldn’t wake me up before then), he’d jump on my bed with our stockings & tell me to get up & open them. Santa was here! I miss that tradition now that he’s grown up. We still open stockings but now it’s me trying to wake him up on Christmas morning.

  405. Chris T Says:

    When I was little my parents would always have a pair of slippers each from Father Christmas and he always got them mixed up & the wrong way around. It never failed to make me laugh. They obviously couldn’t afford a lot but we always had very happy times!

  406. KimM Says:

    One year, when I was about 10, we found out about a family that wasn’t going to have much of a Christmas and my parents helped us pick out a few gifts, and supplies for a full Christmas dinner. We put it all in a big box and then dropped it off on their doorstep, rang the bell, and ran and hid. I was really surprised when the kids from the house came out and got so excited to see all the food because I never really thought much about food or having the basics like that. That Christmas has always stood out to me because I think it was the first time I started to really feel the spirit of giving that is part of Christmas and thought about something more than what toys I was getting.

  407. Kai Says:

    One of my favorite memories is when my dad called up the stairwell that Santa brought us something special… when we came downstairs, my sister and her friends had spent the night on the floor of the living room because of a freak blizzard that trapped them there. What was so special? I had been praying and wishing with all my heart and soul for snow that Christmas… and I got it … and then some!

  408. isabel Says:

    I remember my mom, cooking a yummy chocolate cake, every year… the same smell, the same love…

  409. Chris Says:

    One of my favourite memories – icing the Christmas cake with my mum, back in the days when we used royal icing. It was usually squidged into peaks to save having to spread it super flat!!

  410. Amanda Says:

    My brothers, sister and I used to cut down our own Christmas tree from our woods. They were some of the ugliest trees you’ve ever seen but the memories are some of my strongest! Merry Christmas!

  411. Bee Rozatti Says:

    My family when growing up could never afford the holidays. . .but one Christmas I discovered a large bag of green stamps and books in my Mom’s bedroom closet that she had abandoned! We were a family of six kidlings. . .that bag provided our first Christmas ever! How blessed to shop in a little store especially for green stamps! My sister & I shopped & was able to bring home Christmas for the first time. . .how extraordinary some events can be!

  412. Louise Stevenson Says:

    My favourite Christmas memory was from when I was 5. I was in bed on Christmas Eve and couldn’t sleep due to being over excited. I heard bells and a noise outside my window, and saw a Santa hat shadow on the curtains. To this day I can remember the mixed feelings of excitement that Santa was actually outside my window mixed with the fear that he’d catch me awake and not leave me any toys! Of course my parents said I’d been dreaming when I told them the next day. It took 27 years for them to admit it had been my dad with a hat on a window cleaning pole… lol!!!

  413. Amy Cannon Says:

    My favorite memory is the year that my brother and I found where my mom hid the presents. Only took us till we were 14!!! She was good!!

  414. Carolin Says:

    I think my favorite memory is me, beeing at my first crip rollplay one of the angels…

  415. Lindsey Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is driving in the car with my parents and sisters, searching for Christmas lights. My sisters and I would yell, “Ho, ho, ho!” every time we saw lights. Looking back, that must have drove my parents NUTS. But they never complained. :)

  416. Vicki Says:

    One of my favorite Christmas memories is being outside with my Dad and my brother one Christmas Eve after milking the cows. It was so cold and clear and there were a million stars. We were looking at the sky and my dad spotted an airplane and told us that it was Santa Claus. We were amazed and so excited. (We were pretty little – so milking the cows for us probably meant just standing around the barn and playing with the cats – but that’s how I remember it.)

  417. glee Says:

    I’ll never forget the year my sister and I got a pink cardboard kitchen. (circa 1965) Later i learned my dad and a neighbor had stayed up til the wee hours putting those parts together. how i wish i had a picture of it!!

  418. Katy Says:

    When I was 8, my father told us to keep out of his workshop because he had poisonous chemicals in there. He really was spending months building me a dollhouse from scratch. 32 years later and it’s my most prized possession and I will pass it onto my daughter when she is 8. Last week was the 10 year anniversary of my dad’s death. I’m sad he’s not around for Christmas anymore but he is there in my heart. I know that sounds corny!

  419. luluuk Says:

    last year my then 3 yr old was worried that a shark would eat Santa. That’s quite memorable!

  420. Michelle Says:

    My favorite Christmas memories was staying at my Grandma’s house and barely sleeping all night to open the presents. That excitement never went away.

  421. A Sanborn Says:

    Merry Christmas!

    Believe it or not… FOND or not, It’s a Christmas memory!

    I remember as a child my parents and I traveling home from a traditional Christmas Eve dinner and stockings opening with friends of 30+ years.

    Around 11 PM we decided to call it an evening. We discovered the major snowstorm. Traveling was going fine when Dad decided to take a secondary road home. I remember coming around the downhill bend {major curve with ledges for rock climbers} when there was a state plow truck in the middle of the road! Our vehicle hit a greasy spot and began to go in a sidewards slide towards the plow truck! On my side was a ravine. Dad managed to get the vehicle back under control NEVER hitting the plow or sending us over the side of the ravine. I remember feeling a sense of calm come over me. In retrospect… it was the best Christmas gift that season.

    Love your garland and manifesto.

    {AS}

  422. Jackie Says:

    One of my favorites Christmas memories is 13 years ago, which was the last time DH and I were a couple before we became a Family. Waiting for my son to be born on News Year Eve, was so exiting esp. knowing that Christmas would never be the same again … great memories.

  423. Melanie Mason Says:

    One of my favorite memories was waking up around 3 am one Christmas morning when I was about 7 and talking my grandmother into sneaking into the living room with me to see what Santa had brought. We didn’t turn on any lights, but the tree was lit and it was magical. Santa had left a “just my size” table and chairs and a tea set, among other things and we sat and had “tea” and giggled and carried on. That was 40 years ago and still makes me smile to recall. Happy Holidays to all!

  424. Susan Ringler Says:

    My Christmas memory is going two hours away to my grandpa’s house to meet up with all our cousins. Lots of cousins since my mom had eight brothers and sisters. Crazy Christmas fun!

  425. Rose Says:

    My favorite Christmas memory is when my relatives came to visit from Italy. They brought a cake so large it needed its own seat on the plane! :)

  426. Lisa-Jane Johnson Says:

    Wow! Such a lot of comments! I wonder why….? I don’t think I could pick a favourite memory but something that sticks in my mind is going into a Chinese restaurant wearing only one flip flop on Christmas day because the hostel we stayed at provided really awful food! We hadn’t expected to find somewhere open so one of us was barefoot!

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