Christmas Countdown ~ Half Way There

Last year at this time I was actually just getting started on our Christmas countdown.  I’m pretty sure my pregnancy has actually helped me to stay on top of it this year.  Well, that and the fact that I decided to take a break from our preschool schedule. Oh and then there is the whole blogging thing, that has pretty much flown out the window.  It is a lot easier to get things done when other things have been cut out.  Am I right?

This year I’ve mixed a few of my favorite activities together.  You can read more about that here. 

So far everything has been going smoothly.  We did have to combine a few activities because we just didn’t get to some days.  But that’s the great thing about these resources.  Even with combining activities it still doesn’t take a lot of time, but my kiddo is learning about the true meaning of the season.

Here are the things that have worked for us:

• Used an alternate schedule from Truth in the Tinsel and then spread it out over the month.
• Only used the printable ornaments from Truth in the Tinsel.
• Selected Family Activities that we were already planning on doing from Everyday Emmanuel.
• Watch the Big Question videos (they’re only a few minutes long) from Everyday Emmanuel on the computer while we sat at the table and ate dinner.
• Broke down the Birth of Jesus lessons from Grapevine Studies into even smaller segments and used it with the lesson section of Truth in the Tinsel .

All in all I am very happy with how the first half of our Christmas Countdown has gone.  Now with baby brother due any day I can’t promise that our last half will be as smooth, but I choose to be optimistic. 

How have your first 12 days gone?

A Mommy Talks Disclosure:  Please be aware that affiliate links are present.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a percentage to my family…thanks!

Our Countdown to Christmas

I’m so excited to start our Christmas countdown this weekend. 

With the new baby due in a couple weeks, I wanted to get everything prepped and done.  I didn’t want to miss out on this time to focus on the birth of Jesus because of an infant in the house. 

I am truly grateful for some great resources that have help me to make it all possible without having to spend a lot of time getting it all planned and put together.  Truth in the Tinsel, What’s in the Bible and Grapevine Studies provided all the tools I needed.  All I had to do was print, cut and organize it. 

As you can see from the calendar above, I’m not doing everything.  I’ve mixed and match parts because there were elements of each that I loved. 

For example, I loved that What’s in the Bible? – Everyday Emmanuel focuses on the traditional advent activities, which incorporates the Advent Wreath.  Not only that, but I also love how it tackles some big questions about Christmas by providing online videos for us to watch.  And lastly, I love the simple family activities that inspire just being together as a family.

Since we are incorporating Everyday Emmanuel I’ve decided to use the 12 day alternate schedule from Truth in the Tinsel.   We did Truth in the Tinsel last year and I absolutely loved “the Talk” and “More” sections.  But instead of doing the crafts, I’ve decided to just use the new printable ornaments.  Talk about making things SIMPLE!

To really help my son retain the bible stories I’ll be using Grapevine Studies: Beginner Birth of Jesus.  By incorporating this my son will not only be hearing the word, but he will be seeing it through the my stick figuring as well as creating it with his own hands.  And research says that you can enhance your ability to learn and remember by incorporating as many senses as possible.

Most importantly I love that I will be able to learn about Jesus even when were at the hospital!

A Mommy Talks Disclosure:  All opinions expressed are my own. Please be aware that affiliate links are present.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a percentage to my family…thanks!

Favorite Christmas Books

 

Candy Cane Stories

The Legend of the Candy Cane is a fabulous story for the Christmas season.  It is about how an owner of a candy store spread the message of the gospels using the candy cane.  This story is a little longer and some young kiddos may not be able to sit through it, but it is very well written and the illustrations are beautiful. I highly recommend reading it to your children.  If you have to, just skip the first few pages to jump right in to the candy cane symbolism.

More books:

Stories Just for Fun

Merry Christmas Curious George is another fun tale about how curiosity gets George into a mess, but as always comes out on top.  In this book, George is shopping for a Christmas Tree with the man in the yellow hat. He ends up getting separated from him and on a truck headed to a children’s hospital. Of course, George ends up causing some trouble when he tries to decorate the tree, but in the end he gets out of it. Lil’man is a big fan of Curious George in our house because he just thinks George is so silly.  If your kiddo likes Curious George then they’ll get a kick out of this Christmas one as well.

More books:

A Mommy Talks Disclosure:  Please be aware that affiliate links are  present.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a percentage to my family…thanks!

Favorite FREE Christmas Preschool Packs

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, some of you may be already planning your December preschool units.  So, I wanted to share a few of my favorites.   There are plenty of options here to get you through the whole month!      

From 1+1+1=1	From 2 Teaching Mommies
From 2 Teaching Mommies	From Homeschool Creations
From Homeschool Creations	From 2 Teaching Mommies
From 2 Teaching Mommies	From Living Life Intentionally

Have you done any of these units?  Which one was your favorite? 

Our Favorite Family Holiday Movies

With the holidays quickly approaching I thought I would share a few of our favorite family holiday movies.  Most of you will probably recognize some of them, since they would come on TV every year, at least when I was a kid. There are also a couple you’ve might not have had the chance to see, so make sure and check those out.  I love being able to pull these shows out for our family movie nights. 

VeggieTales: The Ultimate Christmas Collection ~ This set contains VeggieTales’ entire Christmas collection. (The Toy That Saved Christmas—a lesson in giving; The Star of Christmas—a lesson in how to love; Saint Nicholas—a story in joyful giving; It's a Meaningful Life—a lesson in being content; and The Little Drummer Boy—a story about hope, love and forgiveness.)

We were just introduced to this collection this year and it is already a favorite with the boy. It delivers like most VeggieTales do.  It offers equal parts fun and faith.  I love the central message of these videos, putting the focus where it should be at Christmas.

It’s available only in DVD.

 

Peanuts Holiday Collection ~ Includes the following titles: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown/ A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving / A Charlie Brown Christmas and more.

We love this collection.  Every October, November and December we pull them out and watch them more than once.  They have definitely become a family tradition. A matter of fact after our Thanksgiving meal the kids head downstairs to watch the Thanksgiving episodes while the adults skim the Black Friday ads.  It is perfect set-up.

It’s available in both DVD and Blue-ray formats.

 

Buck Denver asks…Why Do We Call it Christmas ~ With humor and tact Buck Denver and his puppet pals cover everything from cutting down trees, hanging stockings, Santa Claus and what all of these things have to do with Jesus' birthday.  Want to know more? Check out my review from last year.

It’s available only in DVD.

 

More Christmas Favorites

Here are a few more of our favorites, but some younger kiddos may not be so entertained. A lot of these movies can be found in both DVD and Blue-ray formats.

Special Note:

Use your discretion on what is appropriate for your child.  These movies are merely suggestions and you should read and consider reviews of these movies before watching them.

Be sure and check Netflix, Amazon Instant Video or another provider if you have an instant streaming option.

A Mommy Talks Disclosure:  A few of the featured products were provided to me, at no cost, for the sole purpose of product testing. All opinions expressed are my own. Please be aware that affiliate links may be present.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a percentage to our family…thanks!

The Shoebox is Off

This weekend we finally pack our shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.  We decided to pack a box for a boy between the ages of 2-4. 

  

Lil’man had a lot of fun going shopping and picking out things he thought the little boy would like to get for Christmas.  It’s amazing how much you can actually fit in a shoebox.

We picked out several toys we thought he might like, as well as some necessities we thought he might need. 

	Here’s the items that were included: notebook, coloring book, markers, paddle ball, yo-yo, play-dough and play-dough tools, crayons and Cars stickers.  Plus Lil’man went through all his Halloween stash and picked out all the hard candy to send.
The necessities that we included were: a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, wash cloth, socks and a cookie monster bandana just for fun.
	One of my favorite parts this year was the coloring page OCC provided.  Lil’man loved coloring in the pictures and answering the questions.  We are going to be following our box to see where it ends up.

This week various Drop-Off Locations will be collecting shoeboxes, but  you still have time to put a shoebox together even if you’re starting from scratch.  It doesn’t take long.  Decided what age and if you want to shop for a boy or a girl.  Then just head out to your favorite dollar store or hit up the dollar spots.  Use the ideas from How to Pack a Shoe Box page to help you pick out items.  Go home, pack it all into your shoebox and print of your shoebox label or if you want to follow your shoebox just submit your info online.  Finally find a drop-off location near you and drop it off. Its that easy. 

Don’t miss out on blessing a child this holiday season.

A Mommy Talks Disclosure:  I was not asked or compensated to write this post. I just think this is a fabulous organization and would love others to join me in supporting them. All opinions expressed are my own.

Favorite Christmas Studies & Countdowns

This month I plan to share a few of my favorite things to do over the holidays.  To start off I wanted to share some resources that will make your life so much easier and help you to focus in on the true meaning of Christmas.

A few specific things I love about all these resources:

• They all focus on the true meaning of Christmas and make it easy for parents to teach it to their kiddos.
• All can be purchased as PDF downloads, so you’ll get them immediately.
• A lot is provided for you to make your life simpler.

Grapevine Studies – Birth of Jesus: (Focus Bible Study and Stick Figuring) This 7 lesson bible study is a perfect to way to learn more about the Birth of Jesus.  Preschool and kindergarten students will travel back in time to study the events that surrounded the Nativity.  They will study each lesson by listening as you read passages from the Bible.  They will then draw each section of Scripture, also known as stick figuring. (Stick figuring is using stick figures, symbols, colors, charts, and words to illustrate each Bible passage.) This method allows students to interact with the Bible passage and be as creative as they desire.  On top of there is very little prep, making it a plus for busy moms.  I plan to include several of the lessons into our Christmas countdown.

Use the following coupon code MT2012 and receive a 20% discount on all items not already on sale until November 30th!! (Make sure you grab the Teacher & Student edition.)

Truth in the Tinsel: (Focus Bible Study and Crafts) Impress the true meaning of Christmas, while counting down to December 25th with your kiddo at the same time.   Spend December impressing God’s Word on your kids’ heart! You’ll get 24 days of Scripture reading, ornament crafts, talking points and extension activities. Plus fun printables and templates!  Read my full review here.

Amanda just released PRINTABLE ORNAMENTS!  This is a new additional supplement for when you need a quick craft or a break from your normal activity.  To purchase just scroll down to the bottom of the page.  These printable ornaments are not mandatory for using Truth in the Tinsel. 

What’s in the Bible? – Everyday Emmanuel: (Focus Family Time, Advent Devotionals & Big Questions About Christmas) Is a fun, easy-to-use family Christmas Countdown experience designed to help families make the most of Christmas and better understand the true meaning of the season.  It includes Countdown to Christmas Calendar, Weekly Advent Devotionals & Ornament Activity, Weekly Big Questions About Christmas & Discussion Guide, Family Activity Ideas, Seven “print and use” activities, Online access to videos & additional resources, and Helpful tips to save you time & money.

Also make sure and check out Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Call It Christmas? It's the perfect companion to Everyday Emmanuel and makes a great Christmas gift, too! Besides that you can score a great deal if you buy them together. (Apply discount code on the last page of checkout.) Read my full review here.

What are you favorites?

A Mommy Talks Disclosure:  Please be aware that affiliate links may be present.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a percentage to our family…thanks!

Sale Today Only: TRUTH in the TINSEL

I have some exciting news for you!!  Truth in the Tinsel is running a "12 Days TIL Christmas" sale for 20% off the book PLUS a free 12 day alternate schedule featuring the best 12 crafts!!! (A link will be included in the download.) It will be 24 hours only with code 12DAYS.

So, its not too late! For those of you who didn’t have time to get everything ready or you just weren’t able to start on Dec 1st (like me), now is the time to jump in! Get your Truth in the Tinsel today! 

Need More?

• Check out my review post.
• Get a free day just by spreading the word.

Don’t Miss Out:

• BUY IT!  20% off regularly price of $4.99 with the code 12DAYS! Today only! (12/12/11)
• PARTICIPATE.  Join other families as they go through the book by sharing your experiences on the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook page.

 

Disclosure:  I am an affiliate, so if you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a percentage to our family…so thank you!