I love how you make Christmas gifts so simple and not go overboard!!! I’m trying to do that now with my granddaughters. I also love keeping family traditions!!! Doing all the fun activities at this time of year makes wonderful memories!!! Thank you for a wonderful video!!!
I love your family traditions. I like that you give your kids stockings and are conscious of not going overboard on their gifts. You’re right that they appreciate them more. I used to take some gifts and put them away and they weren’t missed, but around February I’d take them out and they’d be so much more appreciated .
I LOVE that you said you don’t do Santa. My kids are 2 & 3 and I’m not doing Santa. I feel strong in my conviction but the friends and family who disagree are so flamboyant about Santa around me because they’re triggered that we don’t do it. It makes the decision harder!
We don't do Santa, and he's not missed. All though we di joke that daddy is Santa. As the years go on your kids will love your traditions, don't worry about what others say. Mine don't feel deprived at all.
@@Sarah-psalm127 thank you for this. I’m hoping that in keeping the magic of Christmas within the truth of Christmas, the magic will never die. Unlike Santa, the truth stays the truth no matter how old you get. I don’t want my kids to feel Christmas depression because their adult experience can’t compare to their fantasy childhood experience.
We don't do Santa either. My kids are 4 and 9. Our families don't understand why we don't do it, but we haven't changed our minds about it. Our kids don't miss it either!
100% agree!! My kids know of Santa as a fun Christmas fantasy story, but Santa isn't getting credit for all my Christmas shopping!!lol Jesus is the real reason for Christmas day and Who we live for all year ♡♡
What a fun morning they are going to have. I remember getting 3 things each year plus a stocking full of treats. The small was a book, the medium was a board game, and the large was what I had been dreaming of - like skates. Then all the other presents from grandmas and pas and aunts and uncles - still too much. But with brothers and sisters, we had SO MUCH fun playing with all the presents and each other. Less IS MORE!
Because your kids don’t have screen time they can enjoy a parade. God bless you for letting them have a normal childhood. I homeschooled my 2 boys, one for 10 years and the other for 12 years, who are now 45 and 42.
You're such an amazing, fun mom!!! You're so right on not going overboard on gift giving! The gifts are often forgotten years later, but the activities and traditions they'll never forget!! Your family is beautiful!
Waaay cool Lisa. From a family of 11 kids - we were just hillbillies in the country on Oregon coast in a turn of the century farmhouse and never had much in the way of gifts. I gift each and then a family gift. Almost 70 now and mom and dad are in Heaven so I really treasure all of out memories. Also I was just visiting our sons in North Carolina and they have that floor robot. With two kitties it keeps their floors so clean! It was fun to watch it get going as we would leave for our daily adventures. Really cool vacuum! I think this is my favorite 🎄
Lisa, I see your life and your successes and I am thinking, "I wish.......that I could have had wonderful parents like you and your husband are." I am 72, and my life has missed,,,,,,,having attentive, loving, purposeful parents. I look back on my life, wondering how it would have been if .......I had received some guidance, some sharing and caring parents. Your home is the example of everything God intended families to be. You make so many feel blessed by your grace. I pray you and your family will reap the wonderful spirit a job well done this holiday. What wonderful parents you are, what a beautiful home, it is filled with so much love..............the best gift of all.
Be encouraged friend in the life you did have and still have. It’s so hard to not compare. May you find peace and joy in a few memories you can cling to and know that God is our Redeemer and He can redeem the past and 18:45 the years lost. Have hope with a thankful heart and be blessed.
I am a grandma of a 14 and a 16 years old. So we are in the teen years. But I enjoy you and your family. I actually got tears when you put everything in the stockings. I can't imagine the bunch in the morning. Your parents have their hands fun. But full of love. Thank you for sharing. I just subscribed to your sisters post. She is so sweet. You are lucky to have each other. Joyce
God bless Lisa and family. It's easy to go overboard and forget it's all about our Lord Jesus Christ. Well done! Merry Christmas from your Vermont sister living in rural South Australia 🇺🇸🇦🇺
I just discovered your channel and love it. It’s like a warm cozy hug. I’m a stay at home mom of two and really admire how you let your kids get involved in the kitchen. If only I could learn to be as calm and laidback as you!
I like how you are logical with gift giving. I have one kid but lots of other kids to gift, and it gets crazy as is. I can’t even imagine 7 kids under the same roof PLUS loved ones outside of the house! Even for my 3 year old, he seems to get overwhelmed with so many gifts. Talking to my husband, we are going to be more modest with the amount of gifts in our house. I can’t control the grandparents because, well, they’re grandparents. 😆
I’m a grandparent and I think you can ask them to give according to your wishes. Maybe ask them to give an experience gift, like a pass to the zoo or a museum. Or maybe a weekend at Grandma Camp?
@@cynthiafisher9907 - I had my mother do the “experience gift” for my son’s bday. So she took him to Jurassic Gardens near us. 😊 🦖 I honestly think he likes the experiences more than gifts. I was going to suggest the same thing for Christmas, but she got excited before we talked about it and already went shopping. 😆 She CLAIMS she didn’t go overboard. Mmmhmmmmm
@@brikat342 Lol! I’m sorry, on behalf of all grandmas out there. It’s hard to anticipate how much you’re going to love your grandkids and how perfect they will seem to you. I heard a preacher one time say that God gives kids parents to teach them about the law and He gives them grandparents to teach them about grace. The Lord showers His blessings on us through His grace and grandparents only see the children as Jesus sees us through His sacrifice of love and mercy. It’s a good analogy and one I wish I would have heard when my kids were little. I think it would be good for kids to be taught that. The law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. God bless you and your sweet babies! Try to give grace to the grandparents.
My husband and I ask our parents not to gift “toys”. If there’s something they really want to buy for our son they ask us first :) it’s okay to set boundaries. Especially when your home is the one used to store everything 😅
This year I declared I wasn’t buying Christmas gifts for anyone and I asked that what would be spent on the two of us to buy food for their own pantries……..I’m shocked it went over well…. Instead I plan on doing something special with the littles….art day in my studio, wood working with Grandpa, kayaking day with grandpa, flea market shopping day( I did this last year with a granddaughter….I let her buy a gift for every member of her family and she loved the hunt and actually found some unique gifts) The true meaning of Christmas has been lost and we can only stop the materialism by setting an example to the kids. My five children collect money and two of them have their teenagers buy gifts for two needy families….and food…..some of them volunteer at the Salvation Army gift giving , setting up is a week long process and each family is checked out by Captain Laura, making sure needed items are given…… You could request they give a small gift to open and the rest they would spend put into a college fund or car fund. My one grandson did that since he was eight, every birthday and Christmas he asked for money and when he started driving he was able to put a nice down payment on a car and could get a job to maintain it. For years my one daughter bought the gifts her children needed or wanted and I gave her money for them……I wrapped them and brought them to the party so I had that pleasure….this way there was some control of too much or items they wouldn’t use…
After several years of struggling to make gingerbread houses out of baked gingerbread and graham crackers, I saw the idea of just making a candy house out of a cardboard box covered with royal icing. No one ever eats the house anyway and this way you can spend more time decorating it with the candy which is the fun part. I would get a small box and form the roof out of the flaps and then use a toothpaste box for the chimney. I love how you are raising your kids. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family!
LISA!!!!!! Your girl is just darling in the kitchen those houses look lovely. I was wondering how does she keep that floor clean? That little robot is awesome
Love your gift ideas for your kiddos!☆ We always got a new toothbrush & some kid's-flavored toothpaste in our stockings along with candy & small items like Hotwheels, hair accessories, pens, etc. We also got a few gifts besides: always story books, some new clothes/pjs, and maybe Legos or another larger toy. My parents didn't have a lot to live on while raising 4 kids, but everything was heartfelt & appreciated.♡ And of course the best part of Christmas was the Christmas Eve service at church, reading the Christmas story from the Bible at home, and eating Mom's homemade tea rings along with other special snacks & holiday foods. (And my mom made the BEST Chex Mix!!)🎄
I love that you don't go crazy on the gifts for your kids. Honestly I only had one child and I always only got her a few things for Christmas every year and she was so appreciative. She was never overwhelmed with too much stuff. You're right about after a while they don't even know who got them what.
Mine are just 1&2. I saw how many gifts were rolling in from family and we did craft supplies and books for our kids. And one combined large gift they can do some physical kind of play with. Which I think would be fine just with that lol but grandparents 😅
Hi Lisa i love the idea of just the stockings that is good enough because kids today want everything and the cost is out of this world. So Lisa i love your idea. Gypsy from Michigan.
You are absolutely correct in your Christmas gifting! I believe this tradition will make them appreciate the things they get more. Also they will har grateful hearts! Good for you and Merry Christmas!
Love this video! Our hometown has a two day CHRISTmas all out celebration and then the neighboring town has one the next weekend. Love small towns! This video was great.Merry CHRISTmas to you all. 🎄💕🎄
My small town has two rows of center parking right down Main Street, they put up a huge tree right in the middle. Late at night when there are no cars and everything is lit up, it honestly looks like a postcard. Of course there is mounds of snow too ❄️
And your gingerbread houses stay upright. Good for you. Loved the old-fashioned parade and the village decorations and tree-lighting. We do not overdo gift-giving. We can get a few more things at birthdays, when we do not have everyone to buy for, but it is a religious holiday for us thus no need to have the pile of gifts complete with the tree or feasting table or religious rituals.
Enjoyed this video very much! I had 8 kids so I definitely know what you're talking about,with too much stuff! Now I have 22 grands and it can be crazy! Hugs from Blue Springs, Mo.Merry Christmas 🎄 💙
Your town looks like my home town here in central Pennsylvania. I love your gifting ideas. Christmas gets lost in the hustle and bustle and you found a way to keep it simple and memorable
I am right there with you on the Christmas gifts! My husband and I only fill stockings mostly with consumables and they get plenty of gifts otherwise. I love that one of your boys likes to sew, too! My 11 year old son wanted a sewing machine for his birthday this summer and he paid for half and we paid for half. My other two kids are avid crocheters. Makes gift-giving a bit easier now that they all have some kind of handicraft that they really enjoy. :)
I adore that you take the time to make from scratch your gingerbread! One year maybe I will be as ambitious as you! And I totally agree kids only need a couple gifts at Xmas time to really appreciate them and remember. Love the Xmas orange tradition.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Sweet memories you are making. I miss when my kids were young. Now we have 7 grands but they all live in different states unfortunately. If they aren't able to be here for Christmas we facetime with them at least.
Love your stocking tradition. All the kids in my family are grown and when we gather at Mom and Dad’s house for Christmas, we do stocking for our gift exchange. Everyone just buys something small or consumable for each others stockings. Takes the pressure off and ends up being so fun and inexpensive.
My son is 15 months and just starting to help cook (AKA flinging ingredients on the floor for the dog) so we are going to try making our own Ginger bread houses. Start a fun tradition
This brought back so many memories (yes, time flies) of when we had a bustling full home with our four children, homeschooling, etc. We grandparents can be a bit overwhelming with gifts, etc. Our grandkids, at least some of them, are now young adults, themselves, and appreciate monetary gifts and gift cards, so just cherish this time! I know you do! I still have stockings here for any of the family we see. Hoping we are aging gracefully, letting each develop their own traditions. Blessing to you and yours! Marie
Refreshing Christmas video! I started watching your channel while studying up on home births. My daughter is having her first at home in Las Vegas any day now. Your story helped me wrap my head around it. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Found out , years later of course....it is easier to decorate each piece of baked gingerbread and then put them together with the icing....just a tip. Merry CHRIASTmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄
This is so inspiring. I love how everything fits in a tote. Less to find homes for after the day. We have simplified a lot as we have more kids too but this encourages me to do less this year. My first born could not care at all about her clothes but my third born daughter loves clothes. Interesting how if goes eh?
A tip I learned for the roof is the use a paper bag with royal icing on the under side. Let that dry and then attach to the structure. It wont slide and it creates more stability!
When I was a kid the stocking was always my favorite thing on Christmas morning 🎄. My mom would wrap each thing and a week or two before Christmas 🎄 Santa's elves would visit every night and if you were good that day they would leave somthing in your stocking and if you were not good they just didn't leave anything that day and on Christmas morning we opened everything.
Your right kids don't need many many gifts, I get my now adult, kids one really good gift that's it. Mines never ask me for anything specific. So they end up enjoying the food and the togetherness more than things. Let's enjoy our families this Christmas. Merry Christmas from my family to yours.
Even though I’m down to just doing three stockings, I’m finding it helpful to fill a large zip lock bag as I go along, comparable to the stocking size. Then we will just add the stuff to the stockings for Christmas morning. I want one of those robo vacuums!
Consumables in the stockings....now your speaking my language!!!....I too, feel the same way about giving all year and not wanting to shower on one day out of the year....
Nice memories you are creating with your children. My husband carried out a tradition this evening baking Molasses sugar cookies with our granddaughter. He does this every year.
I love how simple the stockings are. What a refreshing idea! And you’re absolutely right, kids only remember one or two things that they really want. Everything else is clutter. Wonderful video, super inspiring!
This was such a fun video! And I love the idea of just stocking stuffers like that, especially from the viewpoint of a homeschool family where it is more common to buy educational gifts throughout the year! As a homeschool kid myself, I don't think I would have minded that in the least growing up.
Wonderful video Lisa! The gingerbread houses are darling. Loved the stockings ☺️. And the town’s Christmas festivities looked like a lot of fun. Great memories🎄👍🏻😊.
Yes! Chocolate oranges are a must…and Terry’s is the only way! They made a special one this year with pop-rocks type candy in the chocolate…it was surprisingly good!
Thank you for this video! I definitely agree with you on the gifts and yes my kids love the chocolate oranges, as well! So good! We also homeschool and constantly purchase things that our children are interested in and (praise God) they still have grandparents and great grandparents. Merry Christmas everyone!
That is so sweet! I too have always gotten my kiddos a chocolate orange (or other flavored). It has been a tradition for a long time! I love that you are doing that as well!
My sister made gingerbread houses in the 1980's, and taught me how to do it. We baked the gingerbread pieces, and let them sit to dry for a few days before building the houses. We also made our own frosting "cement" to assemble and decorate. Beautiful video, this brought back so many good memories.
P.S. I realized what your beautiful stockings remind me of...... Christmas morning with the Ingalls ( Little House on the Prairie )..... the kids stockings were all they got and maybe there was one candy cane in there, an orange & one penny - - but, those smiles! And, how they treasured their oranges. It really is the simple things we all remember on Christmas morning, when we're kids. Love it & thank you for those simple reminders....... I, too, have scaled way back this year and really shopped with purpose ( thinking how all would fit in our home & making sure it would have many uses ). Looking forward to a simpler Christmas morning! : )
Don’t you just love Christmas parades?!! What fun! Love watching the stockings being filled. I also indulge in the chocolate oranges! I miss my kids being little and doing traditions together. I bet your Dad’s shopping spree is a sight to behold! That is so cool! Thank you again for this year’s wonderful farm life videos! I have laughed, learned, teared up at sweet kid moments and been so blessed to have stumbled onto your channel. Thank you so much!
My Mom made us the greatest stockings ever, so many happy memories 🎄 And of course piling in the car after dark with hot chocolate and snuggly blankets to ride around enjoying the lights and decorations.
I wish I would have watched your video before I bought for my 7 kiddos! Such neat ideas you have given. Putting a reminder on my phone to look up some notes I took for my kids’ stockings next year. Again, thanks for blessing me, Lisa!
that brings back memories of when I use to do stockings for my two. Some of the best memories of my life actually. I use to get them too much sometimes in their stockings it would overflow. 😆 I started shopping early so if it got uneven I would have to get something else for the other one and then on and on. But it was fun!
You are such a good parent. Your kids are blessed to have the lifestyle you have cultivated for them.
I love how you make Christmas gifts so simple and not go overboard!!! I’m trying to do that now with my granddaughters. I also love keeping family traditions!!! Doing all the fun activities at this time of year makes wonderful memories!!! Thank you for a wonderful video!!!
What a vibrant and wonderful town!! I hope the residents realize how very rare this has become and appreciate the efforts that are made!
I love your family traditions. I like that you give your kids stockings and are conscious of not going overboard on their gifts. You’re right that they appreciate them more. I used to take some gifts and put them away and they weren’t missed, but around February I’d take them out and they’d be so much more appreciated .
I agree limiting gift-giving to kids . It’s also the thought …
God Bless small town AMERICA. The parade made me cry happy tears 🥹🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
My mom always put fresh oranges and a box of tea in our stockings. So much fun and happy memories.
I love this. In the past, people viewed oranges (and all fruit) as gifts.
@@EE-hi4resadly it’s because people didn’t have much money so a piece of fruit was a treat!
Oranges and apples in our stocking and it was my favourite
You truly have become my new favorite UA-cam channel to watch!!! Can’t get enough of it. Mom of 4 and Grandmother of 7. ❤❤❤
No lie. I hot glue the gingerbread houses. No one ever eats the edges anyways and I don’t have the mental health to build six houses with icing.
Same!!
Same here!!! See, I knew there had to be others that did the same. 😁
Hilarious! I use caramel because it sets quickly and rock hard.
Me too! My kids only pick at the candy.
Good thinking!
I LOVE that you said you don’t do Santa. My kids are 2 & 3 and I’m not doing Santa. I feel strong in my conviction but the friends and family who disagree are so flamboyant about Santa around me because they’re triggered that we don’t do it. It makes the decision harder!
You are not alone! Would love to hear her explain why they don’t do Santa.
We don't do Santa, and he's not missed. All though we di joke that daddy is Santa.
As the years go on your kids will love your traditions, don't worry about what others say. Mine don't feel deprived at all.
@@Sarah-psalm127 thank you for this. I’m hoping that in keeping the magic of Christmas within the truth of Christmas, the magic will never die. Unlike Santa, the truth stays the truth no matter how old you get. I don’t want my kids to feel Christmas depression because their adult experience can’t compare to their fantasy childhood experience.
We don't do Santa either. My kids are 4 and 9. Our families don't understand why we don't do it, but we haven't changed our minds about it. Our kids don't miss it either!
100% agree!! My kids know of Santa as a fun Christmas fantasy story, but Santa isn't getting credit for all my Christmas shopping!!lol
Jesus is the real reason for Christmas day and Who we live for all year ♡♡
I make a giant house out of a box and cover the whole thing with a icing designed to hold the candy. It's beautiful and no wasted cookie
I love your stocking idea! It's like a old fashion Christmas! Things were simple and much more appreciated. I'm glad your doing things this way!
What a fun morning they are going to have. I remember getting 3 things each year plus a stocking full of treats. The small was a book, the medium was a board game, and the large was what I had been dreaming of - like skates. Then all the other presents from grandmas and pas and aunts and uncles - still too much. But with brothers and sisters, we had SO MUCH fun playing with all the presents and each other. Less IS MORE!
Lisa, you are really teaching your children right! They do not need tons of gifts! I am sure they appreciate what they do get! ☃️🌨❄️⛄️🎄💕
Because your kids don’t have screen time they can enjoy a parade. God bless you for letting them have a normal childhood. I homeschooled my 2 boys, one for 10 years and the other for 12 years, who are now 45 and 42.
You're such an amazing, fun mom!!! You're so right on not going overboard on gift giving! The gifts are often forgotten years later, but the activities and traditions they'll never forget!! Your family is beautiful!
Waaay cool Lisa. From a family of 11 kids - we were just hillbillies in the country on Oregon coast in a turn of the century farmhouse and never had much in the way of gifts. I gift each and then a family gift. Almost 70 now and mom and dad are in Heaven so I really treasure all of out memories. Also I was just visiting our sons in North Carolina and they have that floor robot. With two kitties it keeps their floors so clean! It was fun to watch it get going as we would leave for our daily adventures. Really cool vacuum! I think this is my favorite 🎄
Lisa, I see your life and your successes and I am thinking, "I wish.......that I could have had wonderful parents like you and your husband are." I am 72, and my life has missed,,,,,,,having attentive, loving, purposeful parents. I look back on my life, wondering how it would have been if .......I had received some guidance, some sharing and caring parents. Your home is the example of everything God intended families to be. You make so many feel blessed by your grace. I pray you and your family will reap the wonderful spirit a job well done this holiday. What wonderful parents you are, what a beautiful home, it is filled with so much love..............the best gift of all.
Be encouraged friend in the life you did have and still have. It’s so hard to not compare. May you find peace and joy in a few memories you can cling to and know that God is our Redeemer and He can redeem the past and 18:45 the years lost. Have hope with a thankful heart and be blessed.
I am a grandma of a 14 and a 16 years old. So we are in the teen years. But I enjoy you and your family. I actually got tears when you put everything in the stockings. I can't imagine the bunch in the morning. Your parents have their hands fun. But full of love. Thank you for sharing. I just subscribed to your sisters post. She is so sweet. You are lucky to have each other. Joyce
God bless Lisa and family.
It's easy to go overboard and forget it's all about our Lord Jesus Christ. Well done!
Merry Christmas from your Vermont sister living in rural South Australia 🇺🇸🇦🇺
I just discovered your channel and love it. It’s like a warm cozy hug. I’m a stay at home mom of two and really admire how you let your kids get involved in the kitchen. If only I could learn to be as calm and laidback as you!
I like how you are logical with gift giving. I have one kid but lots of other kids to gift, and it gets crazy as is. I can’t even imagine 7 kids under the same roof PLUS loved ones outside of the house!
Even for my 3 year old, he seems to get overwhelmed with so many gifts.
Talking to my husband, we are going to be more modest with the amount of gifts in our house. I can’t control the grandparents because, well, they’re grandparents. 😆
I’m a grandparent and I think you can ask them to give according to your wishes. Maybe ask them to give an experience gift, like a pass to the zoo or a museum. Or maybe a weekend at Grandma Camp?
@@cynthiafisher9907 - I had my mother do the “experience gift” for my son’s bday. So she took him to Jurassic Gardens near us. 😊 🦖 I honestly think he likes the experiences more than gifts.
I was going to suggest the same thing for Christmas, but she got excited before we talked about it and already went shopping. 😆 She CLAIMS she didn’t go overboard. Mmmhmmmmm
@@brikat342 Lol! I’m sorry, on behalf of all grandmas out there. It’s hard to anticipate how much you’re going to love your grandkids and how perfect they will seem to you. I heard a preacher one time say that God gives kids parents to teach them about the law and He gives them grandparents to teach them about grace. The Lord showers His blessings on us through His grace and grandparents only see the children as Jesus sees us through His sacrifice of love and mercy. It’s a good analogy and one I wish I would have heard when my kids were little. I think it would be good for kids to be taught that. The law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. God bless you and your sweet babies! Try to give grace to the grandparents.
My husband and I ask our parents not to gift “toys”. If there’s something they really want to buy for our son they ask us first :) it’s okay to set boundaries. Especially when your home is the one used to store everything 😅
This year I declared I wasn’t buying Christmas gifts for anyone and I asked that what would be spent on the two of us to buy food for their own pantries……..I’m shocked it went over well….
Instead I plan on doing something special with the littles….art day in my studio, wood working with Grandpa, kayaking day with grandpa, flea market shopping day( I did this last year with a granddaughter….I let her buy a gift for every member of her family and she loved the hunt and actually found some unique gifts)
The true meaning of Christmas has been lost and we can only stop the materialism by setting an example to the kids.
My five children collect money and two of them have their teenagers buy gifts for two needy families….and food…..some of them volunteer at the Salvation Army gift giving , setting up is a week long process and each family is checked out by Captain Laura, making sure needed items are given……
You could request they give a small gift to open and the rest they would spend put into a college fund or car fund. My one grandson did that since he was eight, every birthday and Christmas he asked for money and when he started driving he was able to put a nice down payment on a car and could get a job to maintain it.
For years my one daughter bought the gifts her children needed or wanted and I gave her money for them……I wrapped them and brought them to the party so I had that pleasure….this way there was some control of too much or items they wouldn’t use…
I saw a hack the other day was to assemble the houses one night, let them dry and set up. Then the next night decorate them. Love the vlogs!!
After several years of struggling to make gingerbread houses out of baked gingerbread and graham crackers, I saw the idea of just making a candy house out of a cardboard box covered with royal icing. No one ever eats the house anyway and this way you can spend more time decorating it with the candy which is the fun part. I would get a small box and form the roof out of the flaps and then use a toothpaste box for the chimney.
I love how you are raising your kids. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family!
A real old fashioned Christmas 🥰
LISA!!!!!! Your girl is just darling in the kitchen those houses look lovely. I was wondering how does she keep that floor clean? That little robot is awesome
Love your gift ideas for your kiddos!☆
We always got a new toothbrush & some kid's-flavored toothpaste in our stockings along with candy & small items like Hotwheels, hair accessories, pens, etc. We also got a few gifts besides: always story books, some new clothes/pjs, and maybe Legos or another larger toy. My parents didn't have a lot to live on while raising 4 kids, but everything was heartfelt & appreciated.♡ And of course the best part of Christmas was the Christmas Eve service at church, reading the Christmas story from the Bible at home, and eating Mom's homemade tea rings along with other special snacks & holiday foods. (And my mom made the BEST Chex Mix!!)🎄
I love that you don't go crazy on the gifts for your kids. Honestly I only had one child and I always only got her a few things for Christmas every year and she was so appreciative. She was never overwhelmed with too much stuff. You're right about after a while they don't even know who got them what.
Omg - the personalized mug and hot cocoa tradition is awesome! Such a great idea 🥳
I agree with you family tradition. Kids adapt to our way of things. Some families take the money and go on a family vacation instead.
Mine are just 1&2. I saw how many gifts were rolling in from family and we did craft supplies and books for our kids. And one combined large gift they can do some physical kind of play with. Which I think would be fine just with that lol but grandparents 😅
Hi Lisa i love the idea of just the stockings that is good enough because kids today want everything and the cost is out of this world. So Lisa i love your idea. Gypsy from Michigan.
That's great that the grandparents are involved with your children, merry Christmas
You are absolutely correct in your Christmas gifting! I believe this tradition will make them appreciate the things they get more. Also they will har grateful hearts! Good for you and Merry Christmas!
I'm so sorry to hear about your grandma passing.
Really enjoyed this video.
Thanks for sharing your Christmas preparations and traditions with us!
Love this video! Our hometown has a two day CHRISTmas all out celebration and then the neighboring town has one the next weekend. Love small towns! This video was great.Merry CHRISTmas to you all. 🎄💕🎄
My small town has two rows of center parking right down Main Street, they put up a huge tree right in the middle. Late at night when there are no cars and everything is lit up, it honestly looks like a postcard. Of course there is mounds of snow too ❄️
And your gingerbread houses stay upright. Good for you. Loved the old-fashioned parade and the village decorations and tree-lighting. We do not overdo gift-giving. We can get a few more things at birthdays, when we do not have everyone to buy for, but it is a religious holiday for us thus no need to have the pile of gifts complete with the tree or feasting table or religious rituals.
We get the chocolate oranges every year, they are the highlight of the Christmas stocking!!
Enjoyed this video very much! I had 8 kids so I definitely know what you're talking about,with too much stuff! Now I have 22 grands and it can be crazy! Hugs from Blue Springs, Mo.Merry Christmas 🎄 💙
You are just adorable, love seeing what you put into the kids stockings , loved your parade .. I love filling Christmas stockers also
Your town looks like my home town here in central Pennsylvania. I love your gifting ideas. Christmas gets lost in the hustle and bustle and you found a way to keep it simple and memorable
I don't know how you do it,well God has to get you strength lol how could any of us live without him I couldn't but anywho God Bless y'all.
I am right there with you on the Christmas gifts! My husband and I only fill stockings mostly with consumables and they get plenty of gifts otherwise.
I love that one of your boys likes to sew, too! My 11 year old son wanted a sewing machine for his birthday this summer and he paid for half and we paid for half. My other two kids are avid crocheters. Makes gift-giving a bit easier now that they all have some kind of handicraft that they really enjoy. :)
Lisa, first off you are really glowing in this video. So beautiful! Lovely Christmas feelings in your home. Thank you for sharing!
Ohhh how I love the orange chocolates! I trully miss them since I moved to Europe 😣
Merry Christmas and God Bless you and your beautiful family!
I adore that you take the time to make from scratch your gingerbread! One year maybe I will be as ambitious as you! And I totally agree kids only need a couple gifts at Xmas time to really appreciate them and remember. Love the Xmas orange tradition.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Sweet memories you are making. I miss when my kids were young. Now we have 7 grands but they all live in different states unfortunately. If they aren't able to be here for Christmas we facetime with them at least.
Love your stocking tradition. All the kids in my family are grown and when we gather at Mom and Dad’s house for Christmas, we do stocking for our gift exchange. Everyone just buys something small or consumable for each others stockings. Takes the pressure off and ends up being so fun and inexpensive.
My son is 15 months and just starting to help cook (AKA flinging ingredients on the floor for the dog) so we are going to try making our own Ginger bread houses. Start a fun tradition
This brought back so many memories (yes, time flies) of when we had a bustling full home with our four children, homeschooling, etc. We grandparents can be a bit overwhelming with gifts, etc. Our grandkids, at least some of them, are now young adults, themselves, and appreciate monetary gifts and gift cards, so just cherish this time! I know you do! I still have stockings here for any of the family we see. Hoping we are aging gracefully, letting each develop their own traditions. Blessing to you and yours! Marie
Refreshing Christmas video!
I started watching your channel while studying up on home births. My daughter is having her first at home in Las Vegas any day now. Your story helped me wrap my head around it. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Be safe
And Always have your Dr on stan by God be with you all
Have the Dr be on standby
Pray🙏🏻for your child and gandchild
Found out , years later of course....it is easier to decorate each piece of baked gingerbread and then put them together with the icing....just a tip. Merry CHRIASTmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄
Our kids are 14,11,4, and 8mnths. All my older children and myself still love legos!!
Love Christmas Traditions! Your children are going to love their stockings!💐🎄
This is so inspiring. I love how everything fits in a tote. Less to find homes for after the day. We have simplified a lot as we have more kids too but this encourages me to do less this year. My first born could not care at all about her clothes but my third born daughter loves clothes. Interesting how if goes eh?
Great Family story! So nice
I always enjoy what’s going on at your beautiful farmhouse
Thank you for sharing your family holiday traditions🤗
I love that you are a huge proponent of investing in your kids hobbies/interests. They’re all such great hobbies too!!!
So sweet! You are a wonderful Mom! Loved watching this!
You’ve got to get one of those pampered chef molds for making gingerbread houses! I’m gonna try that this year with my kiddos and I can’t wait to try!
Your videos warm my heart. You children are so sweet.
I’m in Springfield MO. Its so nice to see someone on youtube from MO. 😊
You look stunning in the thumbnail btw!
Merry Christmas, and God bless your New Year 🎉
A tip I learned for the roof is the use a paper bag with royal icing on the under side. Let that dry and then attach to the structure. It wont slide and it creates more stability!
Oh BRILLIANT TIP!!!!! THANK YOU!!!
@@cherieannese1132 happy to help! We are serious about our gingerbread houses! We also make Halloween houses in october!
When I was a kid the stocking was always my favorite thing on Christmas morning 🎄. My mom would wrap each thing and a week or two before Christmas 🎄 Santa's elves would visit every night and if you were good that day they would leave somthing in your stocking and if you were not good they just didn't leave anything that day and on Christmas morning we opened everything.
Your right kids don't need many many gifts, I get my now adult, kids one really good gift that's it. Mines never ask me for anything specific. So they end up enjoying the food and the togetherness more than things. Let's enjoy our families this Christmas. Merry Christmas from my family to yours.
Even though I’m down to just doing three stockings, I’m finding it helpful to fill a large zip lock bag as I go along, comparable to the stocking size. Then we will just add the stuff to the stockings for Christmas morning.
I want one of those robo vacuums!
Love the town parade, ours has been canceled 2 times now because of Heavy Rain ☔️. Sad. Good video
Consumables in the stockings....now your speaking my language!!!....I too, feel the same way about giving all year and not wanting to shower on one day out of the year....
Nice memories you are creating with your children. My husband carried out a tradition this evening baking Molasses sugar cookies with our granddaughter. He does this every year.
I love how simple the stockings are. What a refreshing idea! And you’re absolutely right, kids only remember one or two things that they really want. Everything else is clutter. Wonderful video, super inspiring!
I love your videos! Thank you for sharing.
Oh my goodness!! I ordered our chocolate oranges last night!!! It’s a tradition from my childhood as well!!
I always get the orange chocolates for my kids and grandkids because it is Terry chocolate and our last name is Terry. Just a fun idea.
Your daughter is such a good little baker, just like her momma!
My two kids are named Ruth and Eli. You have good taste in naming children! Thanks for the inspiration - I love your videos!
This was such a fun video! And I love the idea of just stocking stuffers like that, especially from the viewpoint of a homeschool family where it is more common to buy educational gifts throughout the year! As a homeschool kid myself, I don't think I would have minded that in the least growing up.
so cozy🎄🎄🎄
Wonderful video Lisa! The gingerbread houses are darling. Loved the stockings ☺️. And the town’s Christmas festivities looked like a lot of fun. Great memories🎄👍🏻😊.
Wow Lisa I LOVE your hair it is so beautiful on you I love the highlights
Yes! Chocolate oranges are a must…and Terry’s is the only way! They made a special one this year with pop-rocks type candy in the chocolate…it was surprisingly good!
Thank you for this video! I definitely agree with you on the gifts and yes my kids love the chocolate oranges, as well! So good! We also homeschool and constantly purchase things that our children are interested in and (praise God) they still have grandparents and great grandparents. Merry Christmas everyone!
So sweet Lisa! You're doing a beautiful job! Texas Nana 😁
That is so sweet! I too have always gotten my kiddos a chocolate orange (or other flavored). It has been a tradition for a long time! I love that you are doing that as well!
I appreciate how practice you are. Cheers to stocking stuffers! They are SO fin!
My sister made gingerbread houses in the 1980's, and taught me how to do it. We baked the gingerbread pieces, and let them sit to dry for a few days before building the houses. We also made our own frosting "cement" to assemble and decorate. Beautiful video, this brought back so many good memories.
What a sweet, little town you all live in...... just lovely!
P.S. I realized what your beautiful stockings remind me of...... Christmas morning with the Ingalls ( Little House on the Prairie )..... the kids stockings were all they got and maybe there was one candy cane in there, an orange & one penny - - but, those smiles! And, how they treasured their oranges. It really is the simple things we all remember on Christmas morning, when we're kids. Love it & thank you for those simple reminders....... I, too, have scaled way back this year and really shopped with purpose
( thinking how all would fit in our home & making sure it would have many uses ). Looking forward to a simpler Christmas morning! : )
Don’t you just love Christmas parades?!! What fun! Love watching the stockings being filled. I also indulge in the chocolate oranges! I miss my kids being little and doing traditions together. I bet your Dad’s shopping spree is a sight to behold! That is so cool! Thank you again for this year’s wonderful farm life videos! I have laughed, learned, teared up at sweet kid moments and been so blessed to have stumbled onto your channel. Thank you so much!
My Mom made us the greatest stockings ever, so many happy memories 🎄 And of course piling in the car after dark with hot chocolate and snuggly blankets to ride around enjoying the lights and decorations.
Merry Christmas to all at farmhouse on Boone 🎄
I wish I would have watched your video before I bought for my 7 kiddos! Such neat ideas you have given. Putting a reminder on my phone to look up some notes I took for my kids’ stockings next year. Again, thanks for blessing me, Lisa!
The parade is similar to what we have in NM, its called the parade of lights, vehicles and people are lit up with lights from top to tail.
So much fun!!
Small towns are the best!!! Merry Christmas!!
that brings back memories of when I use to do stockings for my two. Some of the best memories of my life actually. I use to get them too much sometimes in their stockings it would overflow. 😆 I started shopping early so if it got uneven I would have to get something else for the other one and then on and on. But it was fun!
🎄THIS WAS FUN! THANK YOU!! 🎄