Christmas Nostalgia with Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #156!

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If you're a regular visitor to this blog, then you'll know that my family lives in South Africa. Christmas in South Africa is not like North America or Europe. I spent my childhood growing up in the States and Germany where I experienced the beauty and wonder of all the decorations and sometimes even snow at Christmastime. A couple of our Christmases were also spent with my aunt, uncle and cousins in Switzerland!

Christmas in South Africa is not the same. The decorations in shops are often basic and it's summertime, not winter. That means hot kitchens are to be avoided. And fireplaces? No way!

How could I capture those experiences and share them with Amanda? Her older siblings can remember an American Christmas in 2002 and they've played with snow, but not Amanda.

Well, for the last three Christmases Amanda has received an interactive Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar via email from her grandparents and great-grandmother in the States. This year's one is set in Victorian England. Each Advent Calendar has brought the nostalgia of Christmas to our home.

If you have a child or a grandchild, I think you should check it out. Even though we are part way into December, you can still send the Advent Calendar later in the month and everything up to the current date will be viewable, so no one misses out on anything – and catching up is great fun!

Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar


I'm sharing with you some of the things
that Amanda has created on this year's
Advent Calendar. I'm especially impressed
with her intricate snowflake designs.
The second one is my favorite.

Amanda decorated this Christmas tree.

Amanda chose the stained glass that went
into these window pains.

Here's one of Amanda's snowflake designs.

Here's another one of Amanda's snowflake designs.

Make My Saturday Sweet
At the end of July
I did a neat post
on the topic of "Nostalgia"
with a short YouTube video.
Please take a moment
to check it out!

Nostalgia

- True Story -
In case you missed it,
here's a short video about Breno
who was a Brazilian student at the
YWAM English Language School.

This is the same school where I teach.



Check out this great post:
Nostalgia, Free Graphics & Gift Ideas
by Renee Ann Smith

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Book Blasts with Giveaways:


Princess Madeline Trilogy
with a $25 Giveaway!




Goo and Spot: Do Not Wiggle Riddle
with a $25 Giveaway!




Goddess Girls: Hestia the Invisible
with a $25 Giveaway!




Arthurian Legend - Two Books
for middle grade readers
with a $25 Giveaway!

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Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

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Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

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Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

Disclosure: I received nothing for this post. Any blogs, videos and/or websites that I am sharing about today, I did for my own pleasure.