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Introduction
The holidays are a time of love, joy, sharing and happiness. But how do you feel by the time Christmas morning arrives? Are you happy and excited or are you wrung out and exhausted? Sometimes it feels more like dragging yourself across the finish line than reaching a day of celebration.
We used to experience that in our house every year. December, and sometimes November, became a whirlwind of activity managed by to-do lists and a tired, cranky mom who was leading a tired, cranky family. I recall the second Christmas after my husband and I got married. Sadly, what I remember is stomping up the stairs being very angry at my husband who “wasn’t helping enough” and who wasn’t doing “his fair share”. Never mind that he had no idea what my expectations were, was never asked to do any of these tasks, and that the tasks had nothing to do with preparing myself for Christmas or sharing love with those around me. It was all about expectations; the things I thought had to be done to have a great Christmas.
Having children changed the whole picture. Now we were busy taking care of children on top of all of our prior expectations! In addition to that, we were shopping for gifts for our children, helping the grandparents shop, helping the great-grandmother shop, and making lists for aunts and uncles. The generosity of the family was beautiful, and it was getting buried under a pile of stress.
One year it dawned on me - we have a choice. Our family has a choice! We are not required to do all these things we have on our to-do list. We are not required to buy a bunch of stuff to show each other we care. We can focus on what is important to us, the things we enjoy, that really create the Christmas spirit in our home.
We made some changes that year and we actually enjoyed Christmas again. The next year we made more changes and things got even better. As we shared our story with people they told us how much they loved it and how they wanted to use some of our ideas to make their holiday better. But, oftentimes, when we saw them again, they hadn’t done anything. When I asked why they told me they couldn’t remember the details or they couldn’t figure out how to go about it. Well, those are two problems that are easy to solve so I decided to help others experience the joy we found in our holidays by sharing some ideas and our story in this book.
The book is here to be your inspiration and a guide. We are sharing our story, our memories, and our ideas here in the hopes that you will find your own path to a Heart Filled Holiday.
Take a Peak Inside Heart Filled Holidays
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Table of Contents
7 Acknowledgments
9 Introduction
11 The Beginning
14 Blessings of a Handmade Holiday
17 Celebrating Traditions
29 Creating Magical Memories
36 Giving from the Heart
39 Calendar Magic
41 The Heart Filled Holidays Conversation
43 Making a Difference
45 Putting It Into Action
Appendices
47 Appendix A ~ Our Handmade Gifts
75 Appendix B ~ Gift Ideas
79 Appendix C ~ Favorite Cookie Recipes
82 Appendix D ~ Your Holidays
Heart Filled Holidays makes a perfect client appreciation gift or premium item for marketing your business. Please use the contact button below to email us for bulk order discounts.
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Heart Filled Holidays: Inspiration for Designing Your Perfect Holiday Season
paperback $9.95
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Heart Filled Holidays
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Heart Filled Holidays
Heart Filled Holidays
Creating Holidays filled with Fun, Love and Meaning
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The Joy of Giving
Christmas morning came on the first year of our gift giving. Our girls were 3 and 5 and filled with the magic and excitement of Christmas. We went downstairs and started with our traditions - lighting the fire in the fireplace, lighting the advent wreath, making cinnamon rolls to eat while opening gifts, and opening baby Jesus' gifts. Next we opened the stockings, and then it was time to open the presents under the tree. To our shock and amazement the girls were digging out all the packages addressed to other people because they wanted to see others open the gifts they made for them! It melted my heart when I realized that the girls had found the joy in giving, giving of themselves with their time and their creativity. Now, many years later, they still have the same joy, and they still dig out gifts for others first. It's an incredible blessing that we never saw coming.
Discover your path to a stress-free, meaningful holiday season!
Heart Filled Holidays is your guide to designing a holiday season that warms your heart and feeds your spirit. Lessons are taught with a light-hearted look at one family's Christmas transformation which gives hope, encouragement, and sound ideas for adding meaning and peace to your own holiday.
Inside you'll find suggestions, projects, and ideas that will help you discover your own path and assist you in creating your heart's desire.
What people are saying:
"All too often, the holidays sneak up on us or steam-roll their way into our lives creating emotional, relational, spiritual and economic havoc in the process. What's a person or family to do in order to reclaim the holidays? Look no further! Sandy Fowler, in Heart Filled Holidays, opens the doors to her life and family sharing the power of paying attention to that which is most important ~ embracing the warmth of relationship. In so doing, she serves as a beacon in the harried, often clouded skies that surround our holiday season. Follow her light! She has discovered a way to make the holidays more meaningful. I found myself chuckling, smiling, belly laughing at times, and reflecting on my own heart filled holidays. This book should be at the top of your list as you begin planning for the holidays. Read it! Share it! Follow its soulful wisdom! If you do, I promise that your holidays will never be the same. They will become Heart Filled Holidays as well.
~ Mark E. Hundley, M.Ed., LPC and author of 'Awaken to Good Mourning'
As a wife, mom, author, and business owner, Sandy Fowler knows just how hectic the holidays can be...and just how beautiful they can be when they are lived from the heart. Join her family on their journey and use their lessons to create your own Heart Filled Holidays.
Visit www.HeartFilledHolidays.com to join in the conversation and to share your ideas, suggestions and stories with all those who are determined to love their holiday season.
