Christmas Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist

Experience a heartwarming & unique picture book focused on 7 stories surrounding the birth of Christ! 

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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 added this Advent book by Glenys Nellist to our collection last year, so we were excited to enjoy another holiday selection by the author this season: 

Christmas Love Letters from God

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

Journey to Bethlehem Movie

A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it!

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Disclosure: Many thanks to AFFIRM Films, Inc. for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

I was asked to review a new Christmas movie and didn't even have time to finish reading the title before my little sidekick spotted the word "Musical" and begged me to accept it:

Journey to Bethlehem

The Best Birthday Cake in the History of Ever! by Jennifer A. Hill & Mary M. Walker

A unique Christmas book that will introduce your children to activities designed to help them remember the true reason for the season!

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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.

This new book is full of fun ways to celebrate Jesus' birthday with your family:

The Best Birthday Cake in the History of Ever!

A Very Fiona Christmas by Richard Cowdrey

A heartwarming adventure featuring Fiona the hippo and all her lovable friends at the zoo as they look for the true meaning of Christmas.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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 Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

We didn't know a thing about Fiona the Hippo from the Cincinnati Zoo, but this colorful, sparkly-glittery cover had us falling in love with her before we even cracked open a page:

A Very Fiona Christmas

A Christmas Gift for Santa by J. Theron Elkins

A sweet, rhyming bedtime story about Santa's own special gift!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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 Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

Our holiday book collection continues to grow, but Gv was really excited about adding this cute bedtime story book:

A Christmas Gift for Santa

The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling by Mike Berenstain

Gather around and sing along with the entire Bear family as they enjoy an evening of Christmas Eve celebrations!

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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 Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

I've shared before how much we love The Berenstain Bears, so Gv and I were super-excited to add another of their books to our collection:

The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling

A Savior is Born by Patti Rokus

Crack open this unique holiday book and discover how an entire story can be told using simple, nature-filled artwork!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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 Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

I kind of subscribe to the view that one can never have to many holiday books (although the flimsy shelf I keep them on would disagree!), but even if you choose to keep your holiday book collection at a more minimalist level, this ingenious new book is one you'll definitely want to include:

A Savior is Born

Merry Christmas, Nighty Night by Michael W. Smith & Mike Nawrocki

Make falling asleep on Christmas Eve easier with the help of the Nighty Nights in this sweet new book!

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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 Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

I'd had no clue that Michael W. Smith and VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki had teamed up to write books:

Merry Christmas, Nighty Night

The Beginner's Bible: Jesus is Born

The story of the birth of Jesus combined with basic language, word repetition and whimsical illustrations -- ideal for sharing with your emergent readers!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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 Z Blog Squad in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

I remember how excited Gv was to pick up an "I Can Read!" book and read through it all by herself for the first time, so I just love that the series has added this title to the collection:

The Beginner's Bible: Jesus is Born

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!

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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?

Love Jars: A fast, frugal gift idea for your sweetie!

Quick! Do you need a last-minute gift idea for your Valentine?

These easy, frugal Love Jars might just save the day!

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I mentioned this little gift idea in my 5 After 5, Ways to Show Your Spouse Love post the other day. 

Even though I had planned to share this idea with you ever since I gave it to G this past year for our anniversary, I realized today that it would be the perfect last-minute gift solution for Valentine's Day.

5 After 5, Christmas Movies

O Christmas Movie! O Christmas Movie! How I love to watch you nightly (in December)!

Here are some of my favorites; I can't wait to see yours!

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It's time for another round of 5 After 5!  In case you missed it, last week's list was favorite Christmas traditions and if you're new to this series, you can read more about it here - then catch up on all the old editions here.

Today I've got my list of 5 to share, as well as next week's topic for you to stew about over the upcoming days.

And this series is a link party, so be sure to scroll down and join in all the fun with us this week!

List 5 of your favorite Christmas movies

In case you didn't see it or your brain is anything like mine and can't remember 12 minutes ago, much less 12 months, I wrote about my 5 Favorite Christmas Movies last year.

The thing is, I really really really like Christmas movies, so the next five in line are pretty much just as much favorites as those others...

5 After 5, Christmas Traditions

Our Christmas traditions continue to evolve, but these five are some of my favorites!

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It's time for another round of 5 After 5!  In case you missed it, last week's list was favorite Christmas goodies and if you're new to this series, you can read more about it here - then catch up on all the old editions here.

Today I've got my list of 5 to share, as well as next week's topic for you to stew about over the upcoming days.

And this series is a link party, so be sure to scroll down and join in all the fun with us this week!

List 5 of your favorite Christmas traditions

I've shared some of these before and some are new, but these five things are sure to make my holidays merrier:

5 After 5, Christmas Goodie Edition

We are definitely in full-swing Christmas mode around here, but I usually save my baking until we get a little closer to the big day.

I may not make it that far  this year, though, because I'm already craving the goodies listed here!

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It's time for another round of 5 After 5!  In case you missed it, last week's list was everyday chores and if you're new to this series, you can read more about it here - then catch up on all the old editions here.

Today I've got my list of 5 to share, as well as next week's topic for you to stew about over the upcoming days.

And this series is a link party, so be sure to scroll down and join in all the fun with us this week!

List 5 of your favorite Christmas cookies or treats

I have fond memories of Christmas-cookie baking days with my mom and grandma when I was growing up. We'd whip up our standard sugar cookie/frosting recipe and then go to town cutting out stars, trees, Santas, snowmen and angels.

The most fun was when we'd take the freshly baked cookies out of the oven and discover that a few angels had suddenly lost their wings, the mittens had fallen off some of the Santas, or, gasp - some of the Frosties had lost their heads!

"Calling Dr. Kildare! Calling Dr. Kildare!" we would shout - and then immediately begin patching up the affected cookie with a dab of frosting glue.

So far I've stuck to simple stars and trees with Gv, but I might just have to hunt up a more delicate cookie cutter shape this year to add this little bit of drama to our baking fun...

Oriental Trading Company: One-Stop Santa Shopping!

Wondering where to go to find great gifts for everyone on your list?  Here's a site you might not have considered before - you won't believe what you can find there nowadays!

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I was sent free products in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are my own.

Have you figured out what you're giving your kids for Christmas yet?

G and I were excited last month when we realized that we already had everything we needed for Gv's presents this year.

My mom had saved several of my favorite toys from when I was a kid, so we'd decided to package up my old doll clothes and toy dishes for her to unwrap - making our budget ho-ho-ho-happy at the same time!

But then there was the Santa problem.

No, we don't have a problem with carrying on the Santa tradition at our house, but every year until now, the big "Santa gift" has been easy for us to come up with.

Not this year.

This year, we just couldn't figure out what to have the jolly old man bring Gv. 

Then, I got a call from the North Pole:

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!

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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!   

Stocking Stuffers from A to Z

Christmas is coming - and if you're one of Santa's chief stocking-stuffers, then you're probably already starting to wonder what on earth to fill those socks up with this year.

I teamed up with Guilty Chocoholic Mama to bring you this handy list of ideas...

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‘Twas a few weeks before Christmas

and all through the house,

all the creatures were stirring

(including a mouse!)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

in hopes that the mom would stick something clever in there...

...which is where this alphabetical assortment of items comes in!

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!

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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.

Bear Stays Up - Easy Quilt Craft

Books become even better when you pair them with fun activities!  See what we did to go along with this month's Monthly Crafting Christmas Book Club selection!

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My bloggy pal Hilary over at Raising Fairies and Knights started a fun new Monthly Crafting Book Club this year - a challenge to create activities to go along with some of the most beloved children's books.

We've really had some great fun so far this year, just take a look:

January - Animal Action Dice Game for the book Barnyard Dance.
February - Cause & Effect Box for If You Give a Moose a Muffin.
March - an alphabetical scavenger hunt for Dr. Seuss's ABC.
April - handwashing fun to go along with The Piggy in the Puddle.
May - 5 Little Monkeys Fold 'Em Up for Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.
June - pinecone princess & Cozy Sweater Warrior Paper Dolls for The Princess and the Pony.
July - lantern craft for Curious George Goes Camping.
August - mini backpacks & dress-a-doll fun for Froggy Goes to School.
September - pumpkin fun for It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse!
October - monster shape-sort bags & other crafts for Have You Seen My Monster?

Now it's November, and each blogger picked a Christmas-themed book for the month.  

We chose Bear Stays Up for Christmas: