Holiday Homemaking 2025 week 4
- Allison Weeks
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
![Veselé Vánoce![Merry Christmas!] by Zdenek Guth. Original from The New York Public Library. from rawpixel.com](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c32cfa_85b31c1a29ae4fa39d51c88d8feaba93~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_93,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/c32cfa_85b31c1a29ae4fa39d51c88d8feaba93~mv2.jpg)
My Favorite Christmas Reads
Books and reading are always a popular topic on The Art of Home and Christmas time is no exception. Jenny Nanninga and I talked about favorite reads that get us in the Christmas spirit. Hers are listed below under her photo. Here are some of my favorites:
A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
I listen to this one almost every year. The author reads the audio version and she has the southern Alabama accents down perfectly! NOTE, there is a little bit of language in this one (no s-words and no f-words). Overall, this is a wholesome and delightful story.
Themes: small town Southern life, community, middle age, hope, finding family, humor, & Christmas miracles
Shepherds Abiding: A Mitford Christmas Story by Jan Karon (Mitford Book 8)
Although this is Book 8 in the Mitford series, Jan does such a good job of introducing characters and context you can read this without having read any other Mitford books and you will be just as delighted. Although, I do recommend all of the Mitford books if you are looking for a wholesome, Christ-honoring novel series. Especially if you like the pastoral genre and enjoy a small-town southern setting with plenty of quirky characters. You'll laugh a lot in these books.
Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
New to me last year, this historical romance was surprising entertaining and heartwarming. It's 1957 and a young Queen Elizabeth must make her first Christmas speech when aspiring BBC reporter, Olive, finds herself covering the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk where she not only has a chance to help the queen but also find romance with an old friend.
Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Chronicles by Stephanie Laurens
These sweet books follow the adventures of a group of siblings from the city who visit their grandmother in the English countryside every Christmas. They always find some little mystery needing to be solved each year.
Themes: lighthearted mystery, Christmas through the eyes of a child, family, village life and a bit of romance in there as well.
Mr. Dickens & His Carol by Samantha Silva
Similar plot line to the movie, The Man Who Invented Christmas (highly recommend), this story follows the famous writer as he struggles to create what would become the quintesential holiday classic. Comedic moments balanced with thoughtful glimpses into the plight of the poor, with a tiny twist of ghost story, this tale takes us through the streets of Victorian London along Dickens' journey from writers block to Christmas story gold.
Themes: Victorian London, generosity, redemption, artistic struggle, restoration, poverty
Another annual favorite! This short little book can be read in 2 or 3 evenings by the fire.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Although not exactly a Christmas story, there is a lot of snow in this book and, of course, there's a delightful scene when Father Christmas visits Narnia again after ages and ages of "always winter and never Christmas" begins to pass. And, the bedrock of this story is the Gospel itself, so Christmas is a perfect time to read this classic for kids and even more so for adults, in my opinion.
Themes: Christianity, winter, bravery, honesty, family, redemption, imagination, fantasy, wonder
A few more I've enjoyed:
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (Christmas with the Kranks)
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
https://amzn.to/3MhyEpYhttps://amzn.to/3MhyEpY by Dr. Seuss
Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M White
Christmas at Thrush Green by Miss Read
Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas (Being a Jane Austen Mystery) by Stephanie Barron
Holiday Stories of Home
This episode of Holiday Homemaking features stories of home from Mindy Heiner, Amber Reesor, Jayme Cherry and Jenny Nanninga. Below you will find links for their recipes, favorites and other resources mentioned in each segment.
Mindy's Favorites & Traditions
Mindy has learned to remain flexible with her adult children regarding when they celebrate Christmas. This allows her kids to start making their own family traditions without the pressure of meeting her expectations for keeping everything the same as when they were young.
One thing she has found fun for the family at Christmas time are Advent Puzzles, but rather than putting the puzzle together over the whole month, they do it all in the few days of their visit.
Favorites
Song: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Movie: White Christmas
Recipe: Her Nan's Sugar Cakes (like sugar cookies, but lighter and you drop them rather than roll them out)
Amber's Favorites & Traditions
Since they were waiting much longer than they thought to move from Canada to the US, Amber found herself living in her in-law's home without their family Christmas decorations last year. So, she put up a small tree and created an opportunity to craft ornaments with her two daughters every day after school in December until they had a tree-full of homemade decor! It was so much fun, she plans to continue the tradition even when they are in their own home.
Favorites
Song: The Christmas Waltz & Silent Night
Movie: Miracle on 34th Street (90's version)
Recipe: Her grandmother's butterscotch squares are a core memory and must have Christmas treat for Amber.
Jayme's Favorites & Traditions
Every Christmas morning before the kids come down, Jayme's husband prepares the room by starting the coffee, lighting a fire and setting up the camera to record a video of the children seeing thei tree and gifts first thing Christmas morning!
Jayme also has a favorite hack to avoid last mintue gift wrap chaos on the 24th. Early in December, she pulls an all-nighter by herself, watching Christmas movies and wrapping all of the gifts while her family sleeps. Her husband is available to get up with kids in the morning so she can sleep in. It may not be for everyone, but Jayme says it gives her so much peace to have that finished early and allows here to really enjoy the season.
Favorites
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Movie: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Recipe: Jayme always used to make Buck-eyes every Christmas until one year when she just didn't have the time. However, she did find a recipe for microwave buckeye fudge. Skeptical, she gave it a try and was amazed at how easy it was AND tasty. The fudge was a huge success and now she makes it for every bake sale, potluck and of course at Christmas.
Jenny's Favorites & Traditions
Jenny had so many great traditions to share with us! They always go cut down a tree and one year they saved a cross-section of the tree stump to hold their Advent candles. Her husband drilled some holes in the slice of tree stump for the candles and after many years of use it's covered in wax.
One of my favorites of Jenny's traditions comes from a Tasha Tudor Christmas documentary she loves. On Christmas Eve, her family walks out to the animal pens in the backyard by candlelight. They talk about the birth of Christ in a stable among animals, angels and shepherds and they sing a hymn.
Before she goes to bed on the 24th, Jenny hides 3 special ornaments in the tree, symbolizing the gold, frankinsence, and myrrh given to the Christ child by the wise men. On Christmas morning, before opening gifts, the kids have to find the hidden "gifts" on the tree and they talk about their significance and how that relates to our practice of gift-giving.
Favorites
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Movie: Tasha Tudor Christmas, Take Peace
Christmas Reads:
Christmas in My Heart books by Joe Wheeler (My Favorite short story is "A Candle in the Forest" by Temple Bailey), Published by Focus on the Family
Recipe: She couldn't narrow it down to just one! Here are some favorites.
Quiche: This is my base recipe, but I often change it up, just keeping the essentials the same.
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