on giving

photo: I planted pansies this fall. Suprisingly, they are still alive. I know. I'm shocked too.

I don't know about you, but I've seen this book referenced on a number of blogs lately. It's about the transformative power of giving, and various bloggers have issued a myriad of challenges and creedos and manifestos on giving. For myself, I'm still waiting on my copy of the book to arrive, but some of my seminary lessons lately have centered around sacrifice and placing trust in God over trust in the things of the world...and since I TRY to give the kids real life application, we talked about how giving can facilitate understanding sacrifice as well as helping to loosen our iron-grip on worldliness.

Plus, it's the holidays. I try to teach my own kids that the holidays should be about giving rather than getting.

Then I buy them lots of unnecessary stuff.

I'm aware that I can be the queen of mixed messages.

But I thought it might be interesting to focus on giving one thing each day until Christmas. I challenged my seminary students to do the same. It doesn't need to be a material "thing." It can be as simple as giving of your time, or attention, or kindness.

I'm not going to report on my blog everything I give...because that seems rather like the opposite of giving. However, I will share what I gave yesterday because it was fun, and Christmas-y, and downright exciting.

It was my sister's birthday -- my sister who professes to hate Christmas (and my only sister, by the way). Personally, I don't think she really hates Christmas, but I do think she hates all of the fussy details that Christmas can entail. Let's be real, it's a complicated season for the mom. In the past, for her birthday, I've given her Christmas decorations to try to put her "into the spirit."

This year I thought it would be fun to decorate her living room...set up the tree, pull out the stockings, and add in a few surprises along the way. I enlisted the help of my local partner-in-crime, Debbie, and we got busy.

In the midst of our planning for the room we began to wonder about her tree. My memory of her tree was of a very sad and out-of-order tree. Also, I didn't know where she kept it. So, I sent her a text designed to find out her tree status. I wrote:

"Just saw a great deal on pre-lit trees. Do you need one this year?"

Mostly, I wanted to know if she had a working tree. I had not actually seen a great deal. Turns out I'm a liar AND a giver.

She texted back, "Absolutely, where are the trees and how much?"

Oops. Now, in addition to decorating, we had to research trees.

Best deal? Costco.

I texted her the details and offered to pick up the tree for her. She was totally on board.

So, Debbie and I crafted a few new items, combed our houses for home decor, and arrived yesterday morning ready to reinvent her living room. I had asked her to leave her back door unlocked so we could "drop off the tree."

I don't have any 'before' pics...but I did manage to snap two 'after' shots with my iphone:

We added the stuff in the bookshelves, framed the Christmas subway art from eighteen25, and made the banner and glitter cone trees. See all the details here.

The throw pillows are Debbie's and the stockings and Christmas pillows we found upstairs. After we snapped this pic we ran to Hobby Lobby and bought two green wreaths to hang in the two big windows behind the tree. The tree skirt? One of the first things I ever sewed. Made that in a church homemaking meeting.

After we finished decorating we met Jenny for lunch further into town. It was all we could do to not spill the beans about our surprise.We had to  wait until she was home from work...she said the kids ran around exclaiming over everything just like they'd been in Extreme Home Makeover. Let's just call this Tiny Christmas Makeover.

And now? I've gotten the Christmas decorating out of my system. Not sure what my kids will think of that...

 

 

Comments

[rebecca ellis]

Karen called tonight to ask if I had seen this "makeover blog" and I admitted that I had not. Sooo.....I rushed right to the computer to see your handiwork. Amazing! Jennifer is fortunate to have such a sweet and thoughtful sister and sister-in-law. ...love the room. Just goes to show what a little love, creativity, and MONEY can accomplish.