Away in a Manger- Lyrics

Away in a manager is always the first carol that children are taught. Away in a Manger was originally published in 1885. The publication of Away in a Manger was in a Lutheran Sunday school book and this created the misconception that the lyrics of Away in a Manger were actually written by Martin Luther himself. The author is unknown. The music to Away in a Manger was composed by William J. Kirkpatrick in 1895.

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Deck the Halls : Lyrics

[there is nothing worse than trying to sing a carol to your child and not knowing the words!! my little one LOVES Deck the Halls, I could remember the lyrics until I got to "troll the ancient Yule tide carol" my version was 'something something Yule tide carol' yeah, I know.....doesn't really flow does it?]

The music to Deck the Halls is believed to Welsh in origin and was reputed to have come from a tune called “Nos Galan” dating back to the sixteenth century. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to Deck the Halls for a violin and piano duet J.P. McCaskey is sometimes credited with the lyrics of Deck the Halls but he only edited the Franklin Square Song Collection in which the lyrics were first published. The first publication date of Deck the Halls is 1881. The author is unknown but the words are said to originate in America.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

While I tell of Yule tide treasure,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

my christmas tree

Finally it is up! Still a work in progress, I'm trying to get the tree skirt done before Christmas!!

I will be working on a tree topper over the next year!

(I'm thinking angel, but we'll see where inspiration takes me!)
If you look closely you can see some of the felt ornaments.

Tips on Decorating Your Christmas Tree - What To Do First

[I had to find this article today because I'm finally getting my tree up this weekend. Normally, I like to have it up the weekend after Thanksgiving but between traveling, my etsy shops picking up and prepping for a craft show, this is the soonest I could manage. I always thought garland went on last but followed this instruction last year and it went pretty well. The big question is how a 17 month old will act with a decorated tree. I'll keep you posted!]

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(From About.com)

You've chosen your perfect Christmas tree, but now what?

Our tips on the next pages will give you ideas for setting up your tree, lighting it, keeping it fresh, and decorating it to be beautiful.

• Keep Your Tree Fresh and Green
  Cut the stump of the tree with a fresh cut and set it in water immediately. A fresh-cut tree will absorb several quarts of water right from the start. So it's important to check and refill the water level several times a day for the first week. You can cut down on frequency later. Be sure to place you Christmas tree in a stand that has a large water reservoir and keep it filled.
• Christmas Tree Preservative
  You can prolong the life of your Christmas tree by mixing up a concoction of 1 quart water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon liquid bleach. You can also read information on caring for Christmas trees.
• Putting Lights and Decorations on the Tree
  When decorating your Christmas tree, put lights on first, then garlands, then the ornaments.
• Work From the Inside Out
  Start arranging Christmas tree lights on the branches near the base of the tree. Weave strings of lights along the branches "inside," then move to the outer edges of the branches.
• Placement of Ornaments
  Don't hang all your ornament on the tips of the branches. Place ornaments and other decorations 'inside' your tree to add depth and interest.
• Basic Ornaments for Fill
  Start by arranging the "filler ornaments" evenly spaced around the tree. This would include basic solid color balls that are easily found at discount stores in a wide range of colors to coordinate and enhance your decorating scheme. You'll need about 20 "filler ornaments" for every 2 feet of Christmas tree.
• Special Themed, Collectible Ornaments
  Mix one-of-a-kind special ornaments between the basic ornaments. Plan to use at least 10 special themed ornaments for every 2 feet of tree. As your collection grows, put the special ornaments closer together.

Cute Sugar Cookie Lights

• Prep Time: 10 min.
• Bake Time: 45 min.
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Yield: Makes 18 cookies.

• 4 cups M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies
• 1 18 oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 16 oz. can vanilla frosting
• 1 14 oz. package red licorice laces
• Resealable plastic bags
• Drinking straw
• Christmas light shaped cookie cutter

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• 2. Knead the flour into the cookie dough until smooth.
• 3. Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. By hand, or using a Christmas light cookie cutter, cut out shapes.
• 4. With a spatula, gently transfer the cookies to a baking sheet. Using a drinking straw, press a hole at the top of each cookie.
• 5. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• 6. Separate different colors of M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies, and set aside.
• 7. Spread vanilla frosting on top of each cookie. Arrange a solid color of M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies on top of each cookie.
• 8. Let the cookies dry for 30 minutes. Run licorice laces through each hole, connecting the cookies into one continuous strand.

Santa and his Toy Shop will be forced to close!!

Christmas will never be the same!! Santa and his elves will no longer be able to produce gifts for children under 12 years old due to new toy legislation scheduled to go into effect February 2009. Please read the following article and write your Congressman and Senators to help save Santa and his elves and all the (responsible) independent toy makers in the United States, Canada and Europe!

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/