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Welcome to the 52nd issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox -- I deeply appreciate it!​
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We've been decking the halls this week--putting up trees, stringing lights, hanging stockings. I love everything about this season! But I don't just want to prepare my home for Christmas. I want to prepare my heart, as well.

So we also read scripture, sing carols, and share Christ's love every chance we get. And to help with your heart and home preparations this week, I'm sharing the following link list.

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Advent Calendars - Count down the days to Christmas with one of our free printable advent calendars
• ​DIY Nativity Set - Simple paper stand-up facsimiles of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus for you to color, cut out, and assemble.
• ​Embarrassing Moments & Christmas Decor - My husband made a home video but paid no attention to what was going on in the background...
• ​O Christmas Tree! Quiz - Take a break from decorating long enough to take our Christmas tree trivia test.
• ​Watching over Her House Coloring Page - While the verse on this coloring page is not specific to Christmas, it does fit this week's theme.
• ​Home Shows and Show Homes - There's a difference between extending hospitality and "entertaining."
• ​6 Steps to a Stress Free Holiday - My best tips for slowing down and savoring this season, minus the stress

What I'm reading this week:

As I do every year in December, I've pulled out my faithful old Christmas journal, Joy to the World. I'll read through it cover-to-cover in the next couple of weeks and complete a few more pages (finished two last night).

What we're watching this week:

We have a long list of movies we see every Christmas, but the one we watched first this year was While You Were Sleeping. There's a debate in our house as to whether this film should really count as a Christmas movie. The girls say yes; the boys say no. But they've all seen it enough over the years to ace this While You Were Sleeping Trivia Test.​

What I'm loving this week:

Crystal Paine (The Money Saving Mom) has a super Cyber-Monday sale running right now (but only through midnight tonight). Her courses are a fantastic buy even at their normal price, but they're all half-price today. My favorite is Makeover Your Mornings. If you want to get a head-start on establishing some better habits in the New Year, check it out ASAP.

Progress on last week's goals:

I finished them all, plus some: ✅visited family, ✅ wrote report, ✅ finished family letter, and ✅ replaced lightbulbs.

My goals for this week:

I'm intentionally keeping it brief, so we'll have plenty of time for fun stuff this week. Here are my big three --

• assemble, address, and send Christmas cards
• finalize itinerary for our next trip
• finish 6 more pages in my Christmas journal

Another poll for you:

Evidently, this list is full of like-minded sisters. Hardly any of you ventured out on Black Friday. With the exception of one quick trip to a local thrift shop, I stuck close to home that day, as well.

This week's question: What's your favorite Christmas movie? Have you already watched it this year, or will you wait until later in the month?

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