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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

600th BLOG POST GIFT-AWAY!!



It's giveaway time at 
Three Men and Their Ladies! 

Somehow 600 posts have been published over the past 5 years! Thank you for journeying along with us...
here's our small way of celebrating!!! 
It's a cozy time of year, so all these little gifts will hopefully help you stay that way!  
 
Let's start by spreading out your beautiful new burlap and lace table runner so lovingly created by Lauren over at
Paper Heart Studios 
She is quite the talented event stylist and I'm sure you'll enjoy her website, her inspirations and her products.  Here is a better look at the details of her runner and it's LONG!  It's stunning!


Here's your little birdie mug to be filled with hot drinks.

Maybe you'd like a cup of Starbuck's....

or perhaps you're a hot chocolate lover.

Enjoy your cozy drink while listening to this equally cozy cd by
JJ Heller and her husband, (autographed copy).  
Here's a little taste of their music.
Soothes the soul.

And don't forget to wipe that hot chocolate mustache away, with your new paper napkins, before heading out the door!


Put on your new African handmade necklace and grab your new colorful "hobo" bag and you're out the door.....

These beautiful items are brought to you all the way from Africa by Mosaic Designs, featured under their NEEMA PROJECT. If you're looking for a unique way to give a gift this year, please check out their etsy shop  Their store only has a small fraction of what they have to offer, so if you are interested in other purchases please do contact Faith. 
To enter our giveaway please leave a comment with    
ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS!  

If you'd like to enter TWICE you could share this giveaway and let me know with another comment how you did so,(either via your own blog, facebook, twitter, etc.).  

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my parents told me I get to go with them to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  It was to be my first time on an airplane and we were going to visit my oldest sister Fan and her husband.  They were living down there at the time and I missed them so much.  I remember sitting on my Dad's lap when they told me. I just put my fingers in my mouth and laughed. 
I was seven.

ENJOY REMINISCING....
we can't wait to read them!
All comments, 
from near and afar are welcome..... 

The winner will be picked on
Monday, December 19th. 

54 comments:

Jeane` said...

What are the chances of #1 being picked??? Slim, I know, but it's worth the try! One of my favorite memories of Christmas is giving a concert performance with the plastic holder end of my jump rope as a microphone, gustily singing along with Evie "Come on Ring Those Bells" to my adoring aunts and uncles. The comfort and security of childhood Christmases was a gift of priceless proportion that I could have not possibly understood.

VONDERFUL loot!!

Joyce King said...

My favorite Christmas memory is from loooong ago. Not a specific Christmas really, more the memory of sitting around the table for Christmas breakfast with my family and my dad still alive, making jokes, picking up his hard boiled egg ( a staple with every Dutch breakfast ) and calling it "a Nuf" ( meaning, an egg in French ) He must've said that a million times during my childhood. It was one of his quirks :). We didn't do Christmas gifts when I was growing up, but Christmas was always a time for family, our close nit family. But our Christmas tree growing up puts the biggest smile on my face, it was a fake tree since my sister was allergic to the needles. And it was filled with every odd ball and color imaginable, a theme? What's that.

Joyce King said...

Also sharing it on Facebook :)

Annie Zook said...

when Iwas a little girl my mom used to make a new dress for my doll every Christmas&then it would be down on the couch or somewhere when I woke up!we had a book of cdountdown to christmas!It was about baby Jesus!we always looked forward to opening the last one on christmas day!it was a beautiful scene of the stable with baby Jesus&all.I can just picture it even now!

Annie Zook said...

and i'm sharing on my facebook page!

Jo said...

Every Christmas was so special b/c my mom always had fun surprises for us and was so good at making the celebration stretch on and on. One memorable year, we played a lot of fun games together: leg wrestling, stick wrestling, balloon popping... it was crazy and fun! And then we ate popcorn shrimp in the living room in front of the tv while watching a movie! :) Merry Christmas J! I know you will be good at making Christmas just as special for your kids! ~Jolyn

Sarah Gingrich said...

Growing up in Montana, Christmas Eve was a favorite time to ski as a family. I remember in particular how I'd watch the silent snow-covered forests pass below my feet as I rode the chair lift. Shifting my skis so that the powder would drop sparkling into the quiet below. Magic was thick in the air and my contented breath came out in billowing clouds.

Anonymous said...

Probably Skating. I know we didnt do it on Chritmas every time; so I guess this is more of a wintertime memory! But we would also go sledding. And MaMa and PaPa still sled with the kids on Christmas day if there is snow!! :)

Wilma King

floydnwilmaatfrontierdotcom

Anonymous said...

What a fun idea...my favorite Christmas memory was Christmas Eve service in the Lutheran Church...lighting the last and final Advent Candle...when it was lit, it was time to head home, head to bed and Santa was on his way!! Miss those Christmas Eve services today but will always be special.

Darlene Rose Stoltzfus said...

FAMILY...TOGETHERNESS...I especially remember one wintery Christmas morning Dad n Mom read to us a Bible story "the Birth of Jesus. After that we were asked to go to our bedroom and close our eyes...when we were called out to the laundry room there it was!!! A pony and ponycart hitched to it right there in the house! I wish my laundry would be big enough to do this for our kids:)

Alyssa said...

Almost all of my Christmas memories include my mom's homemade sticky buns that she makes just for Christmas morning. We'd wake up early to open gifts and eat the yummy, warm goodness!

fleurcottage said...

getting up EARLY to see what i got. also, the 1 orange that was the only time we had oranges, the glass candy & the dish of peanuts!

fleurcottage said...

shared on fb!

The Mayos said...

My favorite childhood Christmas memories are walking through the tree farm with my mom and siblings searching for the perfect tree.

simply kae said...

There are so many precious memories from over the years.... The one I'll share was about 15 years ago. We had come home from the candlelight service at church and had full bellies after dinner number 2. At the age of 5, this was my favorite part of the night, receiving gifts from all my aunts and uncles and grandparents. Paige and I received the playskool dollhouse. It was white with a robin's egg blue roof and bubble gum pink floors and windows. We carefully applied all of the stickers and set up all the pieces of the house just-so.... :) xoxo

simply kae said...

re-posted on facebook! xo

Mary June Miller said...

My Momma had a way of making Christmas sooo magical with so very little. I have so many wonderful memories - but I think the very favorite was when she would finally get down that special box of christmas decor that we would put up. It would take hours because she would take a piece out at a time and every one had a captivating story she would tell!
Congratulations to you on your 600th post!!
Love it -love you!
Mary June Miller

mapleleavessycamoretrees said...

What a great giveaway! That bird cup is too cute. One of my favorite memories was when I was in college. It was always such a great feeling knowing Christmas was on its way. I went to school in FL--a long ways away from home. Just the anticipation of going HOME was awesome. And of course spending Christmas with my family was very special.

Unknown said...

the most well remembered memory of Christmas as a child, was having to wait until my dad got in from the barn, from milking the cows, until we could open presents. and he would dra-w that out, get his coffee, relax a little, while the four of us antsy kids would sit as still and quiet as we could around the tree...i also loved decorating the tree each year, and reading the Christmas story as a family on Christmas eve...Merry Christmas!!

Heather Buckwalter said...

Hey janelle, thanks for the giveaway...hope you are feeling well with the little one growing inside!
One of my favorite memories is the year my dad worked for weeks building me a dollhouse and then suprised me on christmas morning! now my girls play with the same dollhouse.
hope you have a great day!love, heather

Adrienne said...

I have so many Christmas memories, but this year as I was making gingerbread houses with the kids, the smells took me back to my childhood. Christmas was so wonderful. We always made gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies. These traditions are so special and I want my kids to always remember them too!

Adrienne said...

sharing on FB!

Krista K. said...

This too much fun not to enter. One of my top childhood Christmas memories is when my parents surprised us with a puppy for Christmas. A sweet little yellow lab complete with a red bow!

Ada said...

Congradulations on 600 posts!!
I have so many wonderful memories from childhood christmases... getting out our christmas cassette tapes, the white nativity set with a blue light that i could so well imagine what it might have been like that first Christmas, hot chocolate by the fire, playing monopoly, getting to let the candles on ALL NIGHT for christmas eve!

Jeane` said...

As of three minutes ago, the Coffee Cottage has hung out your shingle. ;)

Anonymous said...

What a fun contest. I enjoy reading your blog. Our family has gone out to my parents barn and read the Christmas story for as long as I can remember. The most memorable being about 15 years ago with the grandkids waiting in anticipation. When all of a sudden from the back of the barn came Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop riding a donkey they had purchased just for the occasion. Mom-Mom in her housecoat portraying Mary and Pop-Pop leading the donkey portraying Joseph. However, "Joseph" was calling the donkey "not so nice" names because he kept kicking out the back and "Mary" kept screaming, hanging on for dear life. BTW we do have that on video. :) Naomi (cuz)

Anonymous said...

Every year on Christmas Eve, my mom's side of the family all gather together at my grandparents. We all bundle up and 50 plus people march out to the barn. We all sit on little haybales (with "baby Jesus" in the manger) and sing songs, read the Christmas story, and one person from each family brings a rose to baby Jesus and shares something from their year. The most vivid in my mind were the years that we had had tragedies in the family. We would listen to the stories and testimonies and just cry together and support each other. Afterwards we go inside to eat, have a talent show, and open gifts. We have added spouses and great-grandkids and the number just keeps growing- but we still do it every year because of how special it is to everyone.

Rose Leidenfrost

Anonymous said...

My favorite christmas was spent going to the mountains with the entire Yoder family. We would sled down this GIANT hill and my grandpa would pull us back up with his big John Deere tractor. Oh to be able to go back in time and enjoy it all over again :)

Liz Sprenger :)

Anonymous said...

Shared it on Facebook!

Liz Sprenger :)

~Rosanne said...

One of my favorite christmas memories was when we all got fuzzy PJs with the feet and the zipper up the front, we slid around and stayed nice and cozy.

Debby said...

So many wonderful Christmas memories, but one stands out the most because it happened every year. After my Dad hauled in our Christmas tree and set it up, my Mom would get out all of the ornaments and my brothers and I would help her decorate it while listening to "Come on Ring those Bells". It's what I think of every time I hear that song and I love it!

elaine said...

The first Christmas memory I have is coming downstairs and seeing two wrapped gifts on top of the fridge.(no tree at our house)One for me the other for my sister who is 16 months younger.We were in awe!

elaine said...

shared on FB!

Anonymous said...

On Christmas morning my sister, brother and I used to wake up early. Then wake our parents up (of course) so we could make a huge farmer's breakfast and open our gifts! Nothing like Christmas morning when you're a child!

~ Amanda J.

Vickie said...

One of my favs is the year that my parents decided that we would stay in the city (Minneapolis)instead of heading to "the farm" for Christmas. My sister, parents and I spent Christmas Eve at an inner city shelter, feeding and playing with kids that had far less than we did. It is a Christmas I will NEVER forget. It was the first time I understood the REAL meaning of Christmas...I was 11.

Vickie said...

posting on fb!

Unknown said...

This looks fabulous!!! I would say my favorite childhood memory would be baking cookies with my mom. She is now gone, but the memory of that will last forever!

Unknown said...

Just put it on fb!

Sarah said...

My favorite memory of Christmas is waking up and hugging my Mom before we opened presents together on Christmas Day. (My Mom passed away 8 years ago, and I miss her everyday, but especially this time of year :) Love the giveaway items - fingers crossed, here's hoping!

Anonymous said...

What a fun giveaway!
I don't really have one favorite Christmas Day, but more a compilation of memories. Baking Christmas cookies with my Mom was always a treat. I used to look forward to the opening a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve (a tradition I continued with my daughter) - after coming home from the candlelight service at church. We always went to my grandparents house for Christmas dinner, and there are many fond memories of just being together as family. Now that my parents and grandparents are all gone, these memories are so much sweeter.
Teresa (TheBakers4Him@gmail.com)
(I go to church with Angie Stoltzfus and found your blog through hers. I love it - and your style.) Merry Christmas!

Unknown said...

I have so many favorite Christmas memories... But I'd have to say in honor of Grandma Smucker... that I absolutely looked forward to the time all of the Smuckers got together to celebrate Christmas and hang out and laugh and talk. We looked forward to her "Roast" all year long and I loved seeing what new ornaments were decorating her tree (we got to take one home later on). So many good memories with my Grandma and Christmas!

Peter and Kim said...

Listening to the "Jim Reeves" Christmas album on my parents old record player and dancing to "Senor Santa Claus"!! Makes me smile just typing it! ~Kim A

Unknown said...

My favorite Christmas memory was each year the grandkids would trade off reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" an then we would all go caroling together- like 15 of us as a family. It was wonderful to grow up with such great tradition! <3

Unknown said...

Sharing on facebook too :)

G. said...

Christmas at my Grandma's will forever be in my memory. She makes the best food, you can just taste all of the love and time she put into everything, and she always gave the most thoughtful presents, many of them she made. All of our family would gather there and spend time, open presents, eat, and sing songs around the piano. I miss those times and treasure them deeply. :)

Sharon said...

One of my favorite Christmas memories took place every Christmas eve when I was a little girl. My parents would hide our gifts throughout the house while we waited anxiously in the bathroom. When the gifts were successfully hidden, my brother, sisters and I would tumble out of the bathroom and scatter looking for wrapped packages with our names on them.

This is an amazing giveaway and I hope I win. But if I don't, we can still be friends.

Anonymous said...

Making, decorating and most importantly, EATING cookies, with my grandma.

Heidi Stoltzfus

Anonymous said...

Hmm...not seeing my first comment of my FAV memory....but I posted:)...
Also just shared this via my fb too!

-Kendra S.

Anonymous said...

Ok well since I see my 2nd comment and not my 1st, I had written that hearing my dad read the Christmas story every Christmas morning was my FAV!

-Kendra S.

Hope this one works;)

Erin said...

I have a terrible memory, but one of my favorite traditions was getting brand new cozy jammies every Christmas eve. Now it's my children who get the new pajama's every Christmas eve :) .. funny how that works :)

Colleen said...

My favorite Christmas memory is when my grandmother would pull out the cookie cutters, we knew it was time to do Christmas cookie making, and the best part was delivering all of those cookies to our friends and neighbors!

Colleen said...

Tweeted this!

katedeciccio said...

I love your blog! I want to share my favorite Christmas memory from about 9 years ago. It was my first Christmas after being truly awakened in my spirit. It had been about six months since I asked Jesus to come into my heart and surrenderred my life to Him. It was as if I had never celebrated true Christmas before, everything was so amazing and I was so full of thankfullness. Things meant more because I knew why we were celebrating. I went to the midnight mass at the church I grew up in. After the service I stood on the steps and asked if everyone could please give me their attention for a moment. My heart was beating out of my chest I was so scared!! But these people that I grew up with, went to school and church with my whole life needed to know that I met God and that I was different. I said, many of you remember me, and I want to share with you that this year I started reading my Bible and I've come to know God in a way that I never knew was possible. It was the most amazing moment of my life. Everyone looked at me as I went on for a little while--they all seemed to have different reactions: confused, sympathetic, happy, interested. I wonder how many of those people remember that moment. It's one I will never forget. That year family became closer, friends were more special to me, and Christmas was more beautiful than ever before!

Melody Strayer said...

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my parents used to bundle us all up at 4 am on Christmas morning and go caroling.

It was an established group, of course-- we weren't just some quacky family out waking people up at the crack of dawn! :)

It wasn't so much the event itself, but the fact that my parents were very, very intentional about making memories for us. I want to be that way with my girls!