Years ago, I saw someone use this display idea for their nativity scene.
They placed the figurines on top of a large Bible, opened to Luke 2.
I loved the idea, immediately re-created it in my own home, and assumed that I would use it every year for the rest of my life, modestly admitting that it was a borrowed idea when others gasped at its brilliance.
Then I had kids.
While I generally tried to teach my toddlers that certain things were off limits, rather than move everything out of their reach . . . I learned that policing ceramic figurines, placed precisely at their eye-level, was a losing battle.
Especially in the midst of all the other Christmas Decor Life Lessons that needed to be taught.
And then there was the whole Slob Vision thing. The house was usually a wreck, the coffee table almost always had piles on it that didn’t exactly fit the Bethlehem theme, and my ability to not register what I was seeing (or not seeing) until someone was on their way to my house . . . meant that if a figurine went missing, I probably wouldn’t even notice until it had disappeared into the depths of someone’s toybox.
I did try a few years ago with some less-breakable clay wisemen, and one of them has never been found.
Now that my youngest is 4, I called a little meeting while putting out the decorations yesterday. We talked about the significance of opening the Bible to the Christmas story and using it for our display. We discussed how all of these people had to stay right there.
All the time.
And no jumping off the coffee table.
Until after Christmas.
They claim to understand. It’s been 24 hours, and all of the figurines are still on the table. Maybe in different spots, but still there.
Now for my end of this deal. Hopefully with the deslobification progress I’ve made over the last year, my Selective Vision has improved to the point where I’ll be able to consistently see the beauty and importance of the display, and won’t absentmindedly pile things around it.
Hopefully.
--Nony
This is a great idea! I am so gonna do this in my house. Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea!
Hi, funny post.
I looked around your blog (dh and I both let things take over), and I love your method of going through priority rooms with a garbage bag, then again with donations (or yard sale) in mind. I'm going to try it, err, maybe tomorrow!
For real down and dirty cleaning, I like the Mt Vernon method from messies anonymous. Helps me to focus. (Start a one point in a room and clean everything you can reach as you move around the room. Start again the next day/cleaning session where you left off the time before. Apparently that's what they do at MtVErnon).
Enjoyed your blog and I'm following.
Kathy
My name is Sheila and I am a slob. I can't believe I found you. I signed up for your e-mail!
Welcome Kathy and Sheila! So glad to have you join me here.
I just found your blog and I promise I am not here to do a commercial for Little People, but I have found this to be the *perfect* nativity set with small kids solution: Little People Nativity! They can play with it and it won't break and if it gets lost in their toys, it's kind of ok, because it is toys! And I love the Bible idea. . . maybe we'll try it with a children's Bible.
Thank you for having this blog, I am going to read it now, because I am a slob. Ugh.
Sevast, I've seen those and have gone back and forth on getting one. My youngest is now 4 and is moving out of the Little People, but considering that we just decapitated a wiseman, I might need to re-visit that idea!
Our youngest kids are 4, 6, and 8 and they still play with the little people and veggie tales nativity sets we have on the coffee table. They are the most played with toys in the house in December! I do have a nice nativity set that they aren’t allowed to touch, but because we have the ones that they ARE allowed to play with, it isn’t a big issue.
I love the idea of putting the nice set on the Bible. I wonder if my husband would be willing to party with one of his study Bible’s for a month??
We use the Bible that was given to me by the funeral home at my grandmother’s funeral. It’s HUGE!
Haha! Edit that to *part* PART with one of his study Bibles for a month!!
Your typo made me smile three years after it was mis-typed. Loved it.
This made me think of a story.
My parents had a Nativity Scene on their coffee table. A few years ago when my cousin was about 3 or 4 (he’s 12 now), he was looking at it and picked up the camel and started playing with it, saying ‘Spit, spit.’ He looked at all of us and matter-of-factly said ‘Camels spit, you know.’
It makes me giggle every time I think of it. Otherwise, the nativity scene was unharmed.
Thanks for making me giggle 🙂
What a fantastic idea! Thanks, Dana!!!
Realizing you probably won’t ever see my comment I shall post anyway! I have those same three pieces! Our first nativity purchased at the discount store in our little town the year we married, 1977. I have never seen another. I also display it with a Bible, an idea I got from my mother in law. You made me smile tonight! Merry Christmas.
We have two mangers. One is mom’s. No one is allowed to touch it. The second one is 43 years old. The various pieces have been repaired and replaced. Pieces have been located in superhero storage cases and toy boxes.
Embrace the wonder and let them play. It makes it more real for them and you have memories….
My son, when 4, called them “The Jesus People” and mixed them in with his Star Wars figures to play.
I love this idea. I may try and add this to our decor. It will definitely have to go UP though. The 15 m old will be like Godzilla in Tokyo if we don’t. 🤣😂 my family has a funny nativity situation when my now 16 yr old was 5. He was and still is big into Star Wars. He decided to ad the Rancor to the sweet scene and no one noticed for quite a while.