It's that time of year!

Christmas is here--one of my favorite times of the year. I love the family times, the memories, the baking, the traditions, and the decorating. I also love the books. Every year, I buy a new Christmas book for my children. My oldest daughter is eight years old, so we have quite a few books by now! Every Christmas, I pull them out of storage and put them in a basket in the living room. The kids love reading through all of books like they are brand-new. :-)

This year, I received a book in the mail from Anthony DeStefano. He is an aspiring author, who has written several books, and has now tried his hand at a children's Christmas book. He asked me to take a look at it and give a short review here at Toddler World. He even sent an extra copy, so that I can offer it to one of my lucky readers. ;-)


The book is focused on the story of Christ's birth, although written in a fictional way about another aspect of the story. Mr. DeStefano personifies the star that shines over Bethlehem, in a way that children can connect with. It is a light-hearted story about an insignificant character who finds a way to show his gratitude.

And you may be able to read this book to YOUR kids......just leave me a comment, telling me what your favorite Christmas book is. (I will draw a winner's name on Thurs. night, Dec. 16th)

Sitting isn't always procrastinating

Time has slipped by again! Wow.

Has this Christmas-time gone by faster than usual for anyone else?
I feel like I blinked and it was gone.

It kind of makes me sad. I love to savor Christmas time.....I love reveling in the music, spending hours working on the baking, reading the Christmas story over and over, enjoying the joy of others opening gifts and seeking out all of the after-Christmas clearance goodies. But I have not really savored any of that this year. :-( It has slipped by, and I did not take the time to enjoy it.

It leaves me a bit depressed. And when I read this article, it made me realize why I had missed it all. I had not fixed my focus in the right place, so everything beautiful just flew by.....like melting snowflakes. So often, I imagine that I can "manufacture" ways for life to turn out wonderful. But it all goes back to my focus--and it must be on GOD.

I cannot go back and change this Christmas season. But I can begin the new year with a renewed focus on God's importance in my life. I can savor each special moment over the next year, if I face them armed with God's wisdom and peace.

Are you taking time to sit at His feet?

Weekend Circle Time: Christmas Shopping Edition

Only a few days left to finish your Christmas shopping......are you ready?
I have a few more on-line gifts to buy, and a few more stocking stuffers to purchase....
and I am done!

Here are some ideas that might help, if you are stuck:

1. I always make gifts for our neighbors each year.....one of these ideas just might work! :-)

2. I am not a huge hairbow person....I always wanted boys so I wouldn't have to fix their hair. lol But this stinkin' cute bow holder just may convince me to buy a whole lotta bows for my girls. And what a great PERSONAL gift this would be for some little girl on your Christmas list!

3. Here are a few ideas for alternative gifts....remember, you don't always have to give the biggest and the best!

4. Just stumbled on this blog (which I will promptly be adding to my blog roll :-).....she had a list of some Christmas crafts that she has made this season. Some of them would make great gifts for grandparents!

5. One more site that always provides a laugh and some info.....she shared a bunch of great gifts that she had found. Some of them crack me up a little. :-) Or she shared this idea (which one of my friends kindly shared with me), which would be so fun to make for our kids! In fact, we may do it together as a family this New Year's, to play with next year.

It's beginning to look alot like.....

I can't believe it is December already!! Every year I promise myself that I will get my decorations up by December 1st....

.....and every year I fail. :-)

As I prepare for Christmas, I am putting together a list of favorite children's Christmas books. I buy a new Christmas book for my kids each year, so I am always look for one with a slightly different take on the season. And ones free of Santa....lol. We are not huge fans in this house.

So, as you keep the "Santa-free" guideline in mind, I want your input on Christmas books. Which ones are family favorites around your house? I will share my list next week, but I wanted to add some "reader favorites" to the list.

Enjoy getting ready for the Christmas season--it's my favorite time of year!

(Be sure to check out my other blog--Woman Shall Not Live by Coffee Alone--for this week's Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Sometimes Santa needs some help.....

It's that time of year again.......

Christmas shopping!!!

I love Christmas. I love giving. But I am really developing a hate for Christmas shopping. Wanna know why?

Because of all the crowds....At the mall. And Target. And Kohl's. And Toys R Us.

(You get my point.....)

So, being the helpful sort that I am, I thought I would offer you an alternative--a way to avoid the madness and frustration and overspending that accompanies traditional Christmas shopping.

I sell children's books.

ONLINE.

So you can shop in your pjs after the kids are in bed. You can even buy books and send them to all the children in your life, without having to go to the post office. :-) Don't thank me now though....wait until you find all of the fabulous unique gifts and wrap them up. Then you can express your appreciation for my help.

Check out our Christmas sets, as well as all of the other great books and products we sell on a regular basis! And each week until Christmas, I will feature one or two of my favorite items on ToddlerWorld and give a short review.

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Enjoy Christmas shopping, whether it is on my site or not!
But I still think my way is much less stressful....... :-)

Shop til you drop! (in your pajamas.....ahhh.)

Starting tomorrow, Toddler World will be hosting a Holiday Shop-o-Thon.

If you need last-minute Christmas gifts for your family or friends,
look no further!

I am running a sale over at my Usborne site, Sarah's Bookshelf.....when you order, click on "Sarah's show" so it credits to the holiday sale. If you order $40 or more, leave a comment on here with your email and I will send you a free Christmas story book!

And......my friend, Chastity, will also be holding a sale over on her blog. She just started a business~~Sweet Bella~~and makes adorable flower hairbows for little girls. If you need a little extra something for the sweet girls on your list, these would be perfect! Stop by and check them out! Just leave her a message if you would like to order some.....she will do them in custom colors for you! :-)

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Because it is Friday, I am going to list my five favorite Usborne books. This was a hard task, since I love most of them!--but these are the 5 that I always buy for gifts or for my own kids.

Top Five Usborne Favorites at ToddlerWorld:

1) That's Not My.....series (I love em all! They are so fun and my kids love to read them and touch them.)

2) Big Book of Fairy Things to Make and Do

3) The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales (It has the most charming pictures.....)

4) See Inside Castles (I love flap books.....probably as much as my kids do! :-)

5) A Squirrel's Tale ("There's A Mouse About the House" is actually my favorite, but due to its immense popularity, it is out of stock right now. :-( This one is 2nd best though....)

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If you need gift ideas for specific people, leave me a comment here or email me. There are topics for every reading level and every interest. Even cool craft books for teacher gifts!

And what an easy way to shop......in your pajamas. :-)

Teaching the ~TRUE~ meaning in a (sometimes) meaningless world

As we head into December and all of our preparations for Christmas, I always take a deep breath before "taking the plunge". As much as I love Christmas time, I also dread it. Between all of the gift giving, decorating, partying, card writing, program practicing, wrapping, traveling, baking, listening, and shopping.......I always end up feeling drained and unprepared to focus on Christmas Day.

To focus on Christ's coming to earth, being born as a human and yet still God,
and to dwell on the miraculous events surrounding His birth.

And I wonder if my children can focus on that either, amidst all of noise and clamor of our Christmas "preparations".

Don't get me wrong--I think all of the preparations are wonderful, and help exemplify the true spirit of Christmas to my family and friends. But am I taking time amidst all of the chaos (for lack of a better term) to remind my children of the quiet event that happened 2000+years ago, the TRUE REASON why we even celebrate Christmas?

As I was thinking about all of this over the weekend, I decided to do some investigating. Here are a list of resources I found, to help those parents who desire to instill the true knowledge of Christ's birth in their childrens' hearts and minds. If you have others that you use, please leave a comment and let me know what they are.

***Some activities to help focus your heart on the meaning of Christmas: here and here
(I also like the idea from "Being Frugal" about buying 24 Christmas books--scroll down to pg.8.....I buy my kids a new Christmas story book about Jesus' birth every year.)

***Some advent calendars that I really like: this one and this one and this one and this one.
(We personally use this one.....it is simple and easy to use with small children.)

***Some great resources for guiding your thoughts towards Christ's birth: here, here, here, and here.
(You should also check out my friend Gretchen's blog--she has some good thoughts for this season.

And as you prepare for this Christmas 2008, I pray that the real reason why we celebrate will be alive in your mind, and that you will daily be affected by it. Jesus came for me and you.......

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

It has been forever since I have posted (shame on me!) --I wanted to make sure I wished you all a wonderful Christmas tomorrow! Our house is not as prepared for Christmas as usual--as far as decorating and baking and shopping is concerned--but somehow I do not feel upset by this. It has been a peaceful few weeks, focusing on Jesus coming to earth and the impact that had on our lives and our futures. The girls really understand the reason for Christmas this year, and it has been so nice to celebrate that!

I enjoyed Sara's house tour on her blog.....perhaps I will do that next year. But I did not have the time to think about it this year, so here is my Christmas spirit in pictures.

My favorite Christmas treats this year~!

Our little Christmas tree (we never got around to cutting one down!) :-)

We don't have a mantle, so we make do.....I think this is my favorite part of our decorating

Our little family

Merry Christmas, everyone!!! Enjoy this season of family and giving, always being mindful of where this event culminated--at the Cross! Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!

The long-awaited pictures :-)

I told you all I would post some, so here they are! We love our new camera by the way and are so happy to be able to capture precious moments again. Whatever did people do 20 years ago, without digital cameras??? :-)


We spent Christmas day with Josh's family, then headed to southern WI to a lodge for a few days after Christmas. Most of Josh's dad's family comes to the lodge, so it is a fun time with lots of cousins, etc. We are able to hike, hang out, and eat (of course!). It is a nice get-away, provided by his grandparents.


Anyways, I know it is way past Christmas--but I had to stick to my promise! Enjoy!