The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Activity Book

Instead of an Advent calendar, try something more interactive by working through this fun and faith-filled activity book with your kids this year! 

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product as a member of Zondervan's Kidz Review Krew in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

We continue to enjoy this storybook Bible because of its fabulous illustrations, so we were excited to see what this new coordinating activity book would be like:

The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Activity Book

'Twas the Season of Advent, by Glenys Nellist

A beautiful 25-day devotional to help your family wait, prepare for, and look forward to the arrival of God's son, Jesus!

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product as a member of Zondervan's Kidz Review Krew in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

We have a lot of Christmas picture books in our holiday stash, but I was super-excited to add this one, centered around the time of Advent:

'Twas the Season of Advent

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu

Take time this Advent season to prepare your heart to worship Jesus as never before with this lovely new devotional!

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own. 

Even though we have plenty of wonderful Advent and Christmas traditions around here (see this post to learn all about our Shepherd on the Search and Celebrate the Season fun!), I'm excited to discover something new to add in to our days that I can enjoy during some "me" time:

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus

Introduce Your Family to Shepherd on the Search This Year and Turn Up the Holiday Fun!

It's not too early to start thinking about the holidays and this is one Christmas-season tradition you won't want to miss!

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received free products for this post from Dayspring in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

Today I'm also over at Pam Barnhill's site talking about The Blessings of Holiday Traditions for Preschoolers. If you're already starting to feel frazzled by the thought of all you have to do this holiday season and are wondering whether it's all worth it, be sure to click on over to find the answer to that question.

But over here, I'm sharing some great updates to one of our favorite traditions and if you haven't joined us on the journey before, you'll want to be sure to read everything I share before you leave today!

Do you remember the new Christmas ADVENTure I introduced you to last year?

The Shepherd on the Search's Amazing Journey Around the World!

Looking for a way to keep the focus on Christ this Christmas, but still want all the fun build-up of something like the Elf on a Shelf phenomenon? 

Then get your hands on these fabulous resources - you'll have the best of both worlds!

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

OhMyGoodness, I was super-excited when I wrote this post telling you all about the new Shepherd on the Search tradition I'd discovered, but now that we've been actually using him for days, I'm even more excited than ever!

If you haven't read the background post, pop on over here and get up to speed, then come back to find out how "Hezzie" has been bringing extra faith-filled fun to our house this year!   

Shepherd on the Search Companion CD

Have you heard about The Shepherd on the Search yet?  It's a wonderful new tradition that keeps the focus on Christ at Christmas while still having fun with all the build-up before the big day. Today I'm sharing the fantastic companion CD with you!

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

Last week, I told you how excited I am about using The Shepherd on the Search with Gv this Christmas.

I seriously cannot wait until all the fun starts this weekend and this little guy begins his trek through our house to find baby Jesus!

Besides the fantastic kit that I introduced to you last week, you'll want to grab this fun companion CD, as well.

Shepherd on the Search - A New Christmas Tradition You Won't Want to Miss!

Looking for a way to keep the focus on Christ this Christmas, but still want all the fun build-up of something like the elf on a shelf phenomenon? Then get your hands on this fabulous resource - it's the best of both worlds!

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

I received a free copy of this product in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

Next week, after you finally emerge from your turkey coma, you'll probably start thinking about pulling all those Christmas decorations down from the attic (unless you're one of those people, who's so on the ball that you can flip your decorating scheme over in the blink of an eye!)  

If you have kids, you'll most likely be pulling out something special to help count down the days or follow certain traditions, as well.  

Many families use an Advent calendar, some put up a Jesse Tree (did you ever see this fabulous version that I wrote about?), there's Truth in the Tinsel, or you might even follow along here with our Celebrating the Season fun.  

Perhaps you're already wracking your brain to come up with the antics that your Elf on the Shelf will be up to this year, or you've started your RAK lists for your Blessings Buddies or The Kindness Elves, instead?

All of those activities are such fun to revisit each year.  Some years, it's fun to just continue with the old traditions and others, it's fun to change things up a bit and switch out the old for new -  or just add a new tradition to your holiday list of standards.

That's what we'll be doing this year and I am SO EXCITED about it - I can hardly wait!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

No, not really.

In fact, it hardly ever looks like the traditional Christmas card around these parts, but now that Halloween has passed, the time has come to start thinking about thinking about this season's celebrations.

I'm definitely firmly entrenched in the "don't flood me with Santa Claus and reindeer until after Thanksgiving" camp, but a girl's gotta plan, and so my brain has already been hard at work - lying in bed at night dreaming up how things will shape up, holiday-wise, this year.

Last year, I came up with my Celebrating the Season concept and we all enjoyed adding another sticker to the trees hanging on the fridge, while focusing on a different Bible story each day and talking about how Jesus fulfilled the Law.

We'll definitely be repeating that tradition this year (and you can, too - click on this link to read all about it and download your free printables), but now that Gv is a bit older and into Cutting All The Things, I thought it might be fun to introduce a new aspect to our festivities and finally create a Jesse Tree for our house.

Imagine my excitement when I met my new bloggy friend Jen from Faith and Fabric and she began telling me about the cool new book she was working on that not only walks you through the steps to create your own Jesse Tree, but gives you all kinds of options for how to do it!

She patiently explains how to create this awesome stitched felt version (which I'm hoping to do when Gv gets a bit older in a few years, so we can work on it together):

But then she also talks about how you can choose to just glue the felt together, to cut everything out from construction paper or craft foam, to print the ornaments out to cut and color, or even to just print and laminate her photos to hang!

She even gives directions on how to make an adorable little felt tree to hang everything from!

This year, my plan is for Gv and I to create an ornament a day using the construction paper and glue method.  We'll probably just hang our ornaments along the mantel, or maybe we'll scout out our stick pile the backyard and find the perfect branch to use as our "tree" (like we did here).

In a few years, when Gv is a bit older, I plan to go full-out and sew some ornaments for a more permanent collection, but I'm really excited for us to get started on our temporary edition when Advent starts at the end of the month.

I lucked out, because Jen generously shared a pre-release copy with me to review, but you can get your own copy of this fabulous book here.

I'm so excited to get working on this fun project - which type of ornament matches up with your craft skills?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great tips like this and all the fun around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox.

Pintabulous Moms Christmas Linky

Celebrating the Season: Birth {Day 25}

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

Welcome back to Celebrating the Season!  If you're new around these parts, be sure to catch up on all the other posts in this series here.  Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of the fun from here on out, sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post, as well as some free printables, delivered right to your inbox.

Songs to Get You into the Spirit of the Season

Michael W. Smith has plenty of great Christmas albums, but this one is my favorite.  I adore pretty much every song, especially Lux Venit, Anthem for Christmas, and Christ the Messiah, but my absolute favorite is Gloria.  I even used it to choreograph a group number for a bunch of skaters in our winter ice show one year, just because I was inspired by about ten specific notes in this song.

An Activity to Add to the Jolly Atmosphere

Tonight is all about focusing on your family's traditions.  When I was growing up, Christmas Eve meant a candlelight service at church, a ride home along well-decorated streets, then fun snack food at home while we opened our presents while Christmas records played in the background.  I'd finally trot off to bed way past my bedtime, while my poor parents still had quite a bit of work ahead of them.

My Christmas Eve with G is still solidifying (especially now that Gv has joined us), but we follow church up with a special meal of fancy (for us) food (think imported cheeses, prosciutto, olives, bubbly) and then watch our final Christmas movies before heading to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads. 

Some Reading Sure to Garner a Great Response

You know you have a book problem when you discover you have seven copies of a book that gets read only once a year.  

Not that I know anything about that.

Oh, no.

So between the copies that were mine as a child and those we've gathered in the past few years, this adaptation is probably my favorite.  It's a really cool pop-up book and since every version of this story includes the same original poem by Clement C. Moore, the treatment of the illustrations in the book really make a difference.

A Movie to Get You in a Merry Mood

This was always shown on television around the same time as Frosty (same animators), but I haven't noticed it so much these days.  'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a fun cartoon with a clever storyline focusing on some mice and a clockmaker and belief in Santa.  It's short length is perfect for keeping the kids occupied while you get your evening's festivities set up.

Faith Focus to Put You in a Festive Frame of Mind

If you haven't downloaded them already, make sure to grab your free coordinating printables to go along with this portion of the series.  

Day 25 - Birth

Read Luke 2:1-20 to get the full narrative of Jesus' birth and focus your family's heart amidst all the presents.


Add your baby in the manger sticker to the tree to serve as a reminder for today's verses.

What will you be doing to observe this twenty-fifth day of Advent and what do your Christmas Eve traditions look like?  I'd love to hear!  Leave a comment or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Join me throughout the rest of this season for more great ideas to incorporate into your family traditions to help celebrate this special time of year.  Be sure to pin the series landing page so you can find every post, or better yet, sign up for free updates so you don't miss a single suggestion and to get your free printables!

Celebrating the Season: Shepherds {Day 24}

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

Welcome back to Celebrating the Season!  If you're new around these parts, be sure to catch up on all the other posts in this series here.  Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of the fun from here on out, sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post, as well as some free printables, delivered right to your inbox.

Songs to Get You into the Spirit of the Season

Lincoln Brewster applies his amazing guitar skills and a variety of song formats (including rap, rock, and a full orchestra) to create a stand-out Christmas album floating in a sea of sameness.  Joy to the World brings you some of the greatest music from this popular worship leader and will be one you turn to time and again.

An Activity to Add to the Jolly Atmosphere

Get out and see some lights!  When I was growing up, there were always these three specific streets that went all out and had amazing lights decorating all the houses.  

I think only two houses out of maybe a hundred didn't join in on the fun.  We'd drive over and check these out each year and I can still remember singing along with the Carpenters into my seat belt (you come up with ideas like this when you're an only child) and bouncing up and down in the backseat, pretending to be on a sleigh ride with Leroy Anderson headlining our driving soundtrack.

We'll probably just take a stroll around the neighborhood to see some great decorations this year, but I'm thinking about turning the activity into a scavenger hunt.  Gv is a bit young for the game, but I'm not!  I've found a couple of cute ideas here and here for you to check out for inspiration. 

Some Reading Sure to Garner a Great Response

It's the right night to read this silly story of all that can got wrong during Christmas preparations  The Night Before the Night Before Christmas is a fun take on the Clement C. Moore poem and its comical illustrations just add to the quirkiness of the story. 

A Movie to Get You in a Merry Mood

Snuggle up with your favorite first lobster and watch a movie that's bursting at the seams with huge stars, loads of laughs, and endearing moments.  I can remember when Love Actually came out in the theaters and the previews made me think that it was the last movie I'd ever want to see (I'm more of a mobster/spy/silly movie kind of gal), but somehow I finally did and it has become one of my favorite movies ever, as well as a special movie for me and G (he even recreated a personalized version of the messages-on-the-cards-at-the-door scene for me soon after he proposed.)  Is Christmas all around you?  Do you feel it in your fingers and your toes?  Either way, go watch this movie!

Faith Focus to Put You in a Festive Frame of Mind

If you haven't downloaded them already, make sure to grab your free coordinating printables to go along with this portion of the series.  

Day 24 - Shepherds

Read Luke 2:8-20 to see how important it was that even a bunch of shepherds in a field received the greatest birth announcement ever, first-hand.

Today's study also includes a prophesy fulfillment.  Read Psalm 72:9, then Luke 2:9 to see how Jesus lives out Matthew 5:17 (see verse in graphic below) by being worshiped by those who dwell in the wilderness.

Add your sheep sticker to the tree to serve as a reminder for today's verses.

What will you be doing to observe this twenty-fourth day of Advent?  Can you think of any other good Love Actually quotes?  I'd love to hear!  Leave a comment or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Join me throughout the rest of this season for more great ideas to incorporate into your family traditions to help celebrate this special time of year.  Be sure to pin the series landing page so you can find every post, or better yet, sign up for free updates so you don't miss a single suggestion and to get your free printables!

Celebrating the Season: Bethlehem {Day 23}

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase something, I'll receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting my efforts with this blog!

Welcome back to Celebrating the Season!  If you're new around these parts, be sure to catch up on all the other posts in this series here.  Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of the fun from here on out, sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post, as well as some free printables, delivered right to your inbox.

Songs to Get You into the Spirit of the Season

This group brings its unique sound to a Christmas album.  I love that there is so much variety in this collection.  There are common standards, uncommon standards (In the Bleak Midwinter makes me think of a certain "good" family I know and love), and several original pieces, some instrumental and some with wonderful lyrics.  While many people would consider Christmas Songs to be haunting or meditative, I feel it imparts a feeling of reverence to my music mix and I think their version of Little Drummer Boy is the best ever!

An Activity to Add to the Jolly Atmosphere

Fire!  Fire!  (Anyone else out there willing to admit you just read that in a Beavis and Butthead voice?)

Tonight, turn up the heat and head outside to build a bonfire (if you live at a sweltering latitude, like we do) or gather around a roaring fire in your fireplace to take the chill off.  Whip up a batch of hot cocoa to sip as you watch the flames lick the logs and take a few moments to just relax and catch your breath amongst all the hustle and bustle of the season.

If you really want to get fancy, turn this little activity into a great get-together and create an amazing hot chocolate bar like this one. 

Some Reading Sure to Garner a Great Response

I just discovered this book this year and I already absolutely adore it!  I love how the illustrations resemble an old, cracked, masterpiece painting, but my favorite part is the absolute joy that radiates from each page as all of creation cries out in celebration of the greatest news ever.  It reminds me of one of my favorite verses, Luke 19:40.  Song of the Stars is definitely one of those "special books" that you'll want to own as a hardback copy, to treasure for years to come.

A Movie to Get You in a Merry Mood

Ah, yes.  Such serious music and reading material for today, so of course I had to shake things up a bit with today's movie selection.  I often list this movie as my all-time favorite.  It is goofy and ridiculous and I can pretty much quote the entire thing by heart.  Any time someone starts to choke, they're "yakking on a bone" and I'm not even going to try and count how many times I've repeated a certain line while my dad is emptying the black water tank of his RV out at the dump station.  Christmas Vacation cajoles you into wrapping up your cat and green jello mold and joining your loved ones to celebrate what the holidays really look like.

Faith Focus to Put You in a Festive Frame of Mind

If you haven't downloaded them already, make sure to grab your free coordinating printables to go along with this portion of the series.  

Day 23 - Bethlehem

Read Luke 2:1-7 to learn what prompted Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem.

Today's study also includes a prophesy fulfillment.  Read Micah 5:2, then Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-5 to see how Jesus lives out Matthew 5:17 (see verse in graphic below) by being born in this special town.

Add your city sticker to the tree to serve as a reminder for today's verses.

What will you be doing to observe this twenty-third day of Advent?  Does your thermometer tell you to build your fire inside, or out?  I'd love to hear!  Leave a comment or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Join me throughout the rest of this season for more great ideas to incorporate into your family traditions to help celebrate this special time of year.  Be sure to pin the series landing page so you can find every post, or better yet, sign up for free updates so you don't miss a single suggestion and to get your free printables!