Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions

Rating:
Summary: Celebrate Simply
Review: Are you one of the many people who look upon holidays as just another deadline in life? For many people the additional financial stress, time pressures, and other factors seem to take the pleasure right out of holidays and other special occasions. Nancy Twigg starts with an illustration of a holiday gone wrong that we can all sympathize with - Christmas. From there she discusses gift giving in general and the "rules" of gift giving that create stress. She shows how these "rules" are not valid in the context of meaningful gift giving.

The remainder of the book examines specific holidays and provides a healthy, historical perspective of the holiday as well as simpler and easier methods to celebrate. Throughout the book her Christian perspective is in the forefront even to the point of quoting several Bible verses at appropriate places. Specific holidays and special occasions examined include Christmas, Valentine's day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, weddings, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and anniversaries. The final chapter gives many selected resources to implement the ideas in the book.

Some of the ideas are wonderful lessons for children. I especially liked the Resurrection Cookies that are part of the Easter Holiday suggestions. Complete with the recipe and suggested Bible verses that apply to the preparation and cooking process it is a truly innovative activity. If holidays represent additional work and stress for you instead of holiday joy and excitement then this book is for you; especially if you are a Christian and want suggestions on alternative ways to recapture the holiday spirit with a religious focus. "Celebrate Simply" is a highly recommended read.

Rating:
Summary: Recapture the spirit of special celebrations and holidays
Review: Are you one of the many people who look upon holidays as just another deadline in life? For many people the additional financial stress, time pressures, and other factors seem to take the pleasure right out of holidays and other special occasions. Nancy Twigg starts with an illustration of a holiday gone wrong that we can all sympathize with - Christmas. From there she discusses gift giving in general and the "rules" of gift giving that create stress. She shows how these "rules" are not valid in the context of meaningful gift giving.

The remainder of the book examines specific holidays and provides a healthy, historical perspective of the holiday as well as simpler and easier methods to celebrate. Throughout the book her Christian perspective is in the forefront even to the point of quoting several Bible verses at appropriate places. Specific holidays and special occasions examined include Christmas, Valentine's day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, weddings, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and anniversaries. The final chapter gives many selected resources to implement the ideas in the book.

Some of the ideas are wonderful lessons for children. I especially liked the Resurrection Cookies that are part of the Easter Holiday suggestions. Complete with the recipe and suggested Bible verses that apply to the preparation and cooking process it is a truly innovative activity. If holidays represent additional work and stress for you instead of holiday joy and excitement then this book is for you; especially if you are a Christian and want suggestions on alternative ways to recapture the holiday spirit with a religious focus. "Celebrate Simply" is a highly recommended read.

Rating:
Summary: Celebrate Simply
Review: If you are looking as I was to take the anxiety out of the holidays, save money, and put Christ back into your festivities, then this book is for you. I started implementing what I had read after reading the first chapter and it saved me dollars and stress, as I had a month where I had to buy three graduation gifts, a baby shower gift, and three birthday gifts. The author, Nancy Twigg, makes the book simple, easy reading, but it is packed full of helpful information. This book is a must-have for each home and church library of those who want to simplify all of the holidays. I highly recommend it to all people!

Rating:
Summary: take a big breath
Review: If you dread the Holiday Season, or keep worrying about what is the "perfect gift" then you're going to like Nancy Twigg's enthusiastic ideas about how to CELEBRATE SIMPLY. She covers all the usual holidays, offering candid stories about some celebration catastrophes. Then she discusses ideas about gifts, sets out checklists & has an extensive resources section on just about anything you would want to know including how to soothe your pre-holiday jitters & the inevitable post-party blues.

While couched in Christianity, RebeccasReads recommends Nancy Twigg's offerings of what your grandmother used to know & which, in this strange new world, we seem to have forgotten.

Rating:
Summary: take a big breath
Review: If you dread the Holiday Season, or keep worrying about what is the "perfect gift" then you're going to like Nancy Twigg's enthusiastic ideas about how to CELEBRATE SIMPLY. She covers all the usual holidays, offering candid stories about some celebration catastrophes. Then she discusses ideas about gifts, sets out checklists & has an extensive resources section on just about anything you would want to know including how to soothe your pre-holiday jitters & the inevitable post-party blues.

While couched in Christianity, RebeccasReads recommends Nancy Twigg's offerings of what your grandmother used to know & which, in this strange new world, we seem to have forgotten.