Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Advent Reading

November 26, 2016

I know, Advent starts tomorrow so this is later than I had wanted, but better late than never right? Still, any one of these books makes a good Advent read and all give ideas on how to make your celebrations more meaningful.

The first is called “Unplug the Christmas Machine” by Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli. This is all about ways to make your Christmas meaningful and to counter the materialism that ramps up this time of year. It’s an older book dating back to 1991 but I think it’s even more relevant today as more and more people try to live more simply. Each chapter tackles a subject and breaks it down. Then there are questions for you to think about and work through and questions and answers for situations that arise. In the Appendix there are “Resources For A Simple Christmas” complete with recipes and gift ideas. It’s a book that you can read this year and then put some ideas into practice next year. Christmas can be whatever you want it to be and it doesn’t have to be the same thing every year. We have all adults, young adults, and teens now so our celebration is changing. And when spouses and grandchildren arrive it will change again. The one bit of information I read some 20 plus years ago was this: Christmas isn’t an emergency. We know it comes every year and we can be prepared for it. It changed my whole way of thinking about it.

The second book is “A Season of Little Sacraments: Christmas Commotion – Advent Grace” by Susan H. Swetnam. I’ll say right up front that the author is Catholic, but it’s not overtly so. If you are something other, I think you can still find a lot of good stuff in here. I read it this month and I’l read it again as we go through Advent. It’s a book of essays on each week of Advent and the preparation for celebrating Christmas. Lots of humor and some tears, but also lots to think about through the season. It’s not a large book either – short chapters that can be read with morning coffee and then spend time i prayer after. That’s what I’ve been doing anyway. So, you may want to check this one out.

The third book is “The Season of the Nativity” by Sybil MacBeth. This is the one book I have not read yet, but I am starting on it tomorrow. It is a beautiful full-color compendium of things to do during the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. You can see inside it on Amazon so check it out if you need some fresh ideas this season.

The fourth book is “Nigella Christmas” by Nigella Lawson because you need at least one really good cookbook to get you through it all. I love her Christmas shows and, more importantly, I love how easy her cooking style is. Very little is complicated and even the star topped mini mince pies we make every year are quite easy – just a little time intensive. This is my go-to book every year. We are branching out a little more each year to add one or two new things to our Christmas eats. And this year since I have another kid in braces, things like butter toffee are out.

So, those are my picks this year for Advent reading, pondering, and cooking. Enjoy the season!

People look east the time is near
Of the crowning of the year
Make your house fair as you are able
Trim the hearth and set the table
People look east and sing today
Love the guest is on the way.

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» Advent Reading » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Advent Reading

November 26, 2016

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