Enjoying My Time Prepping For Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve!  It has truly been lots of fun prepping for Christmas since I've been off from work.  It's been a lot less stressful with not needing to juggle both work and prepping for Christmas at the same time.  These are the tags that I have been making for the gifts that my family are giving to family and friends this year.

We often do not wrap our presents unless they are small boxes.  We generally put our gifts in bags so by making a tag for the gifts is our personal touch to them.  I choose to make tags each year that has some sort of Christian significance.  This year I chose to have a candy cane on my tag.  A candy cane has many religious meanings. Here a few of them which I think is the most meaningful to me.
First of all, when you look at a candy cane it is mostly white.  White is a symbol of purity.  That should remind us that Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God and that because he came to be the sacrifice for our sin, we can become as white as snow.  Second of all, when you look at a candy cane you notice that it has three red stripes.   The Bible tells us that before he was crucified, Jesus was beaten with a whip which made blood-red stripes across his back.  The Bible says that we are healed by those stripes.  The stripes on the candy cane should remind us that Jesus suffered and died, so that we can have everlasting life.
To make the tag I used several  die cuts that come in a set from My Favorite Things.  Besides the tag, candy cane, and topper die it comes with several other dies that you can coordinate together.  The holly stamp is from an old Stampin Up set.  The set is one of my favorites because it helps add the perfect finishing touch to many of my projects.  As I have been making my tags I have been munching of some of the goodies that friends have made/baked for me.  Receiving Christmas cookies, fudge, etc. is one of my favorite parts of the holiday.   Of course some of them are much too cute to eat. 

Besides making tags and enjoying Christmas treats,  I have been going out to dinner with family and friends. Here are some of my favorites-baby back ribs,

tritips (Both are from Stone Fire Grill.)

and Hawaiian bread French toast from Aloha Café.

Before ending my post for today I'd like to share a picture of our Christmas tree

and to wish all of you a blessed CHRISTmas and 2014.  God bless!