Christmas Final Touches

Christmas Final Touches ~ Episode 484

The countdown is on with Christmas right around the corner, now is the time for Christmas final touches. It’s time to enlist your family, extended family, and even your friends. In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz will share some last-minute ideas with you.

If you are on our email list, you can find many great for the entire family:

Best Christmas Ever

Christmas Memories

Last Minute Christmas Prep

Christmas Countdown

Sponsorship –

And, as we know those little touches are what make the holiday special. Of course, there is food and decorations, but what about those things that touch the heart? I love small arrangements of flowers on the table, or candles (even if I never light them!). There are things I do each year that are loved by all. A small note or gift does not need to be expensive, but it will mean so much if it is heartfelt.

The key to creating a home that is inviting is to remember that less is more. Decorations can be understated and still look great! And remember that when you buy gifts.

What do you have left to finish before Christmas? Most lists look something like this:

1. Shopping for food.
2. Finish shopping for gifts
3. Baking
4. Cards
5. Last-minute events or get-togethers.

Whatever is on your list give it some thought. Is it something you really need to do? I use to send out over 100 Christmas cards each year to family and friends. Once social media became popular I sent out a Merry Christmas to friends while I still sent out Christmas cards to relatives. My list now is whittled down to about 35 people. This was one of the things I really struggled with and it took me so much time because our relatives expected a Christmas letter with the card. How do you condense your entire year on one page?

Then there are the final touches when it comes to gift buying. Some people are blessed with the wisdom for buying the right thing. My mother-in-law was a great listener, and she would listen to what people said all year long and from that made her gift purchases accordingly. I love to bake and that is something that I was able to take to friends, especially people like my CPA and hairdresser. It soon became a favorite and it was easy to make and so much less expensive than buying a gift card or a gift.

This is why I consider the idea of incorporating the heart of Christmas which is love and self-giving for others. Christmas is a time to tell those we love how much we appreciate them. Who are the people you admire and why? I admire my son in the military because he told me that he makes an effort to make the best out of difficult situations, he has chosen to see the positive and live his life by example for himself and others. That touches me and the idea of making the best out of horrible situations is something that we should all strive for, especially during this time of hardship for many. Showing our appreciation comes in many forms but for me, it is sending a handwritten card and note.

If I gave you a notepad and asked you to jot down the heart of Christmas what would you write? If you can pause this audio and take the time to do so, if not, let me share my list with you.

The heart of Christmas contains words such as:  faith, joy, love, companionship, family, festivities, decorations, and food that might top the list. The main ingredient to include in the final touches of Christmas is the idea of celebration. We are celebrating the coming of our Savior as a child for the salvation of mankind, but not just anyone – you and me. It is an open invitation that we can accept at any time of the year. Our celebration if not Christ-focused will fall flat. My husband and I were listening to a faith-based audio recording lately and it talked about a man who was a well-known atheist and how touched he was when someone gave him a Bible. It didn’t change his belief but he said if Christians believe that Christ is truly God, they should be handing everyone Bibles. That is truly an inspiration for us all.

I’d like to take that one step further. Sharing our faith is wonderful but living our faith is the best thing we can do – we must be an example. The true meaning of Christmas is something that is talked about but not often understood. In a word the true meaning is love. Love for God, appreciation for the gift of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. It is a time for celebration and family whether it is two, or three people, or more. If you have a large family or a small one, it doesn’t matter. Being together is the most important thing of all.

As we approach Christmas Day the final touches that make the holiday special vary from family to family. One of my friends who moved to Florida from up North would spend the day at the beach with a picnic lunch. This is non-traditional but something she and her family enjoyed. If you have listened to my past podcasts about holiday preparations, you will know that I reuse so many items from year to year and minimize the cost of buying things that are disposable. In this way, there is a sense of comfort for my family and those who celebrate with us. They know what to expect.

What are some final touches you will add to your family celebration? Will it be a handwritten note expressing thankfulness or the joy of being part of the family? One year I spoke to my children about the greatest gift and that is the Christ, celebrated traditionally on Christmas. I discussed the fact that each of us has a gift and that we should identify that gift in others. Then we randomly selected a family member’s name and wrote to that person the gifts they exhibited. Many of those gifts were things like generosity, listening, time spent together, gift-giving, kindness, etc. What a wonderful final touch to our holiday celebration to do an exercise like this as a family.

Little children don’t need very much and are often overwhelmed by too many gifts. Making family memories with those final touches is important. It can make the difference between having children overtired and grumpy. Taking little ones out to see the Christmas light decorations in your neighborhood, making hot chocolate and cookies then sitting to hear a Christmas story, playing a simple game, or watching the children put on a play are all things that will be treasured memories in the future.

Of course, the final touches can include food and decorations, but the memories that stay with us year after year are the things we do and events we plan. Gifts come and go and change from year to year, but holiday traditions can begin and grow each and every year. I’d love to hear about your family traditions and the last-minute Christmas touches you will add to your list this year.

May you be blessed this wonderful season of Christmas and I will pray for all of you this year~

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