How sweet the sound...

One of the first signs of Christmas is music - commercials, movies, radio.  I have always loved Christmas music and its accompanying sounds. When else does music include happy tinkling bells?!

This month we are going to dig in to grace.  What does it have to do with Christmas, you ask?  I'm so glad you brought it up!  I think we will discover that Christmas is all about grace...God's wonderful grace.  And hopefully, by the end of December, Christian Christmas music will be the sweet sound of grace in your ears.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found.

Was blind, but now I see.

Gift Tags for Children

All the kiddos that will be at our house for Christmas this year are preschoolers.  The oldest ones recognize their names, but all of them love seeing pictures of themselves.  So, I thought it would be a great idea to make picture gift tags this year for the kids.  They are really easy to make and require white and black cardstock, a glue stick, a printer and your computer.  Pull up a Word document and click on insert.  Go down to picture - from file - then click on a picture that you want.  Copy each picture, one at a time, then paste it on your Word document.  If you click on the picture once it's on the Word document, it should show little black squares on the corners.  You can click and drag to make the picture bigger or smaller.  Once you get all the pictures you want on your Word document, put the white cardstock in your printer and print.  I chose to print in black and white - it fit better with the wrapping paper I picked this year.  You can print in color if you choose.  Just remember that it will take more ink.  Cut the pictures apart and mount on white cardstock, then black cardstock.  You can use other colors of cardstock, if you want.  Have fun with it.  The kids will love them!