3 hours ago
Reading can get a little difficult for me during the school year, but I was able to knock out quite a few of the books I had going over Christmas break. It's time for another book update! I wish I could read consistently enough to do these updates monthly instead of sharing a huge chunk of books all at once, but honestly, I'm just glad to finish books whenever I get the chance. Lots of winners on the list, mostly because I started quitting books that I knew I wasn't going to like! Highly recommend doing that to keep yourself out of a reading rut.
A Tangled Web by L. M. Montgomery - I really enjoyed this book from Anne Of Green Gables author, L. M. Montgomery. In this book, there are two very large extended families that are connected by a bunch of marriages, and they all are after Aunt Becky's old jug. They come to a will reading, and we get a peak at a myriad of different characters who all want the jug for different reasons, and we follow their stories through the rest of the book. Notes: I've noticed that in Montgomery's lesser-known works, she does seem to have references to occult practices or witchcraft scattered here and there, and it was the same in this book. Also, the book ended on rather a cringe note as the last sentence of the book has a racial slur that was much more commonplace back in Montgomery's day.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (along with A Worldview Guide To Frankenstein by Canon Press) - This is the first time I've read Frankenstein, though you can hardly live to be my age and not have some idea about the plot. I can see why it's a classic, though I found Shelley's writing a little tedious to listen to (the narrator did a great job though). I very highly recommend reading this particular worldview guide along with the book, as it was really enlightening to Shelley's background and possible state of mind while writing the book. It convinced me the message of the book is alot different than I've been told my whole life (some nonsense about the monster representing Shelley and her daddy issues) - instead I now think of Frankenstein as a tale about the monsters we ourselves can create when we are driven by passions to throw aside the natural constraints that God has placed on us. Really interesting.
The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda - I've liked some of Miranda's thrillers in the past, and this one was particularly spooky to me since we had an unreliable narrator, and lots of unexplainable events (until the end of course). Arden was swept away in a flood as a child and trapped in a pipe before being found three days later, but she has no recollection of it. The resulting media attention ruined her life, so she changed her identity and moved away. But now, a character from her past shows up dead in her neighbor's yard, and she has to figure out what is going on. Notes: Some bad language in this one, and really messed up family relationships.
The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay - This book starts with a funeral - Madeline's aunt has died and left her a failing bookshop. She hasn't visited her aunt in a while, but her life as a big time lawyer isn't going as planned, so she puts her plans aside and tries to see if she can get the bookshop in the black before selling it. Along the way, she becomes friends with two of her aunt's employees as they all reevaluate their life choices and work in the bookshop. Overall, really cute and cozy, with normal-type problems that all work out in the end.
Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill - This is a middle grade novel that I don't think has gotten nearly enough hype. Rose and Thomas are twins, but have almost nothing in common aside from their birthday. Rose is tall, Thomas is short. Rose is advanced and taking classes at community college at the age of 12, and Thomas struggles through his school work. Rose is working to become a professional cellist, and Thomas...starts growing a huge pumpkin with their neighbor. Rose's piano teacher and mother decide Rose should be more involved in this project, and she reluctantly agrees - until a terrible accident ruins her cello plans. As she is forced to slow down and connect with her neighbors, the pumpkin keeps outrageously growing. I enjoyed every minute of this book, it was a perfect before-bed read to calm me down after a long day! I'll probably have my kids read it next fall. One note: A female "pastor" is mentioned one time (but isn't even a character in the book).
Deeper Heaven by Christiana Hale - This book is an in-depth analysis of C. S. Lewis's space trilogy, which in case you didn't know, is not really about actual outer space at all, so we will call it the Ransom trilogy. Hale gives us background information about Lewis and his life as a professor of medieval literature, and that backdrop makes all the difference in understanding the Ransom trilogy. Lewis's ulterior motive for the trilogy was to give us a vivid picture of how a medieval person would have viewed space and the cosmos, and Hale guides us through the different symbolism and messages in each of the books. I loved this analysis, and honestly wouldn't even consider recommending the Ransom trilogy without having a copy of this book right alongside it. Excellent.
Prayer by John Bunyan - I've been trying to read the Puritans over the last couple years, and this is the 4th or 5th Puritan book I've read. Bunyan gives an in-depth theological look at what it really means to "come to the throne of grace", as well as Christ's work as a sacrifice, priest, etc. What does that have to do with prayer, you may ask? I admit, I was struggling to find the connections with everything he was saying, but in the last chapter he tied it all together into a beautiful picture of what it means to pray. I do find myself more drawn to prayer when I consider his points in this book, and so it was a success.
Holiday By Gaslight by Mimi Matthews - This was a really fun Christmas novella. Sophie is courting Mr. Edward Sharpe, but decides to break up with him, because it doesn't seem like they are connecting. He is very difficult to talk to, and she wants to marry someone she can learn to love. However, when she sees the effect her decision may have on her family, she decides to give herself and Mr. Sharpe one more chance to get to know each other. I thought this book was really cute, and a great, short Christmas-y read for the busy holiday season, Notes: There were a couple uses of curse words.
Bambi by Felix Salten - Like so many kids, I watched Bambi as a child and found it all rather sad. But as an adult, I discovered that old Disney movie is actually based on this book. One of my kids was asking to read it, and I decided to pre-read it for them. I actually quite enjoyed it! The book, as always, was better than the movie - one of the main differences is that there is more of the Old Stag in the book, and more of the animals erroneous beliefs about "Him" (ie. man). I thought one of the last scenes of the book, in which Bambi finds out that Man is not all-powerful, but is a creature as well, was an unexpected development that added some depth to this book. The deer's obvious conclusion that there is a Creator over all, man and animals, was an interesting development in the story, but could also see someone taking the final message in an anti-God way. However, I took it as poignant that the animals know there must be an all-powerful, all-good Creator, they just needed to learn that Man was not Him. Notes: Some of the animals definitely die, so this book wouldn't be suitable for sensitive or younger kids. As a hunter myself, the book seemed less anti-hunting than the movie, but obviously any book involving hunting from animals' perspective is going to seem that anti-hunting to some extent. But as someone who has my wildlife management and conservation philosophy firmly established, I didn't find this book offensive or annoying. Opposition to hunting was clearly not the point of this book, at least to me.
Homecoming by Kate Morton - Morton's latest book is perhaps one of her longest, but I also feel like it hearkened back to some of her earlier books in a good way. Jess must fly back to Australia to attend to her injured grandmother - but when she tries to figure out what her grandmother was doing when she got hurt, she stumbles upon a family tragedy that is rife with secrets. Alot of the reviews of this book mentioned that they thought it was too wordy or long, but I didn't feel that way at all. It was enjoyable from beginning to end to me. Notes: Plot involves some infidelity, etc. Mild language.
He Rules The World by Ben Zornes - I listened to this Advent devotional and quite enjoyed it. I wouldn't say this is a Bible-based devotional, more just Christmas thoughts and inspiration from a Christian viewpoint. I loved the encouragement to enjoy all the trappings of Christmas to the glory of God.
Rejoicing In Christ, The Newborn King by Taigen Joos - This was our family Christmas devotional this year, and I loved it! The devotions were short and sweet, based upon different Scriptures, very theologically grounded, and each devotion ended with a hymn recommendation we could sing together. Reading this took less than five minutes each day, but added alot to keeping our Christmas focused on Jesus. Loved it, and will probably read it again.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by Jonathan Gibson - I bought this book for myself to read over the Christmas season, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Each day of advent includes a "liturgy" for family or personal worship, including hymns to sing, Scriptures to read and meditate on, quotes to prompt prayer or praise, and psalms to sing with a tune index in the back. I loved going through this from the beginning of Advent through epiphany, and found so many wonderful quotes and encouragement in it. The book itself is also gorgeous, with cloth binding like an old hymnal with a fancy sleeve cover that makes it look lovely on the shelf. The publisher is going to send me the next book by this author, and I'm very excited to dive into it, because I loved this one!
Forbidden Child by Gwen Newell - In this book, Piper has grown up on a ship since the world flooded 40 years ago. The ship is run as a dictatorship, where all the citizens exist to serve the ship and it's "godmother". Piper is on a task force to find those breaking the rules, and then one day she stumbles upon the greatest offense of all - a baby that was born without permission, an "illegal organism". She must decide whether to turn the baby in, or turn her back on everything she has ever known and find a way to rescue the baby. I was very unsure about this book because I don't really like the "global flood" plot point, since obviously as a Christian I believe God promised He would never flood the earth again - but this book ended up working for me since you can't really trust anything the godmother says anyway, and the ending resolved that conundrum for me in a really satisfactory way. I completely loved the ending, and definitely had a "book hangover". Enjoyed it alot.
Five Lies Of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield - I had read Butterfield's other book, The Gospel Comes With A Housekey, so I was excited to find this book at my library. Butterfield has so much insight and wisdom to share about our culture's current conflicts, especially as it relates to feminism, gender issues, etc. This book is very rooted in Scripture, and Butterfield draws from the Bible and her personal experience to challenge ways that our culture, and the church, have been willing to accept subtle lies. I don't feel I am doing it justice with this description - I highly recommend it if you need some encouragement as a Christian living in our anti-God culture.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I re-read this book with my two oldest this year, and it was such a fun experience. First of all, if you have never read A Christmas Carol aloud, I recommend it. It's so fun to do the different voices for the characters in this book. My kids also enjoyed it much more than I thought they would, and we can officially watch the movie now since we read the book first.
The House Of Love And Death by Andrew Klavan - Sometimes Klavan's books get a little too graphic for me, but I have enjoyed this series enough in the past that I wanted to pick up the next book. I really like how this one turned out. Cameron Winter is a literature professor, but he has a "strange habit of mind" that helps him solve crimes on the side. In this book we find out more about Winter's past, and I think we see the light at the end of the tunnel of his inner darkness, which was a heavy theme in the other two books. In this book, he must solve the mystery of what happened to a family that was murdered in a house before it was destroyed by a fire. Notes: Definitely some crude language and curse words, violence, and infidelity/fornication are involved in various parts of the plot.
What was your favorite book of 2023?
My top non-fiction books would be:
-Musing On God's Music by Scott Aniol
-Deeper Heaven by Christiana Hale
-The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
-Counterfeit Kingdom by Holly Piveck
-Five Lies Of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield.
Top fiction:
-Tales From The Perilous Realm by J. R. R. Tolkien
-Homecoming by Kate Morton
-Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie H. Hill
-Glitch by Laura Martin
-Meet Me In The Margins by Melissa Ferguson.
Total: 71 books (approximate, since I don't really do a clear cutoff between January and December). Better than I thought I did, honestly, and most of them were actually good since I quit forcing myself to read books I wasn't enjoying or knew I wouldn't be able to recommend! Life's too short to read bad books.
You can read all about all the other books I read for 2023 in these posts:
(This year I noticed the sun shining on our tree every morning like this, and I so enjoyed it.)
It's been quite a while since I sat down to write a "just life" sort of post, and since I've spent the last few days sitting on the couch and dreading every time I have to eat or talk, I figure now would be a good time for an update!
To make sense of that last sentence, I got a gingival graft last week - which basically means they sliced a square of gum tissue off the roof of my mouth and patched it into the lower front of my mouth. I'm not allowed to brush my lower front teeth, drink very hot liquid, exercise, eat chips, or pull my lower lip out to show anyone my Frankenstein-esque wound. Jury is still out on whether I'd recommend this particular surgery or not, but if your dentist ever has to recommend it for you, you have my full sympathies.
In contrast to this not-very-fun start to my January, our December and Christmas was very nice. A few of the highlights were a Christmas light trail with my family (always so impressive), our Sunday school Christmas party (which I volunteered to help plan on a whim), a snowshoeing trip with the kids in new-to-us mountain town (our first time trying snowshoeing), and a visit to the aquarium (a rare occurrence). I got a good head start on present shopping and wrapping, so I actually had a time to do a few Christmas crafts with the kids in December too! Crafts are always something that falls by the wayside, so I was pretty satisfied that we finally made a couple happen. I also got this game for a December surprise, and we really enjoyed playing it as a family! It's simple, but oh-so-hilarious for the kids, and seeing them so happy made me happy.
We saw both sides of the family the weekend before Christmas, and then stayed home on Christmas Day, and it was relaxing and laid-back. My big gift was a new coat, which I've been window-shopping for the last few months. Derek heard alot about what I like and don't like when it comes to coats, and he did quite well on applying all my random requirements! It's a nice army green wool coat, knee length, with two buttons and robe tie. I feel just the right level of fancy when I wear it with jeans. I love it.
I'm going to confess right now that my no-buy project suffered in December, and I did cheat on it a little bit, but I'm back at it in January. I want to take a few steps to keep myself more on track, so I hope to start a no-buy project journal to keep track of my goals and successes, and I am going to read a couple books about shopping wisely/saving money (starting with this one).
With my graft making talking so difficult, we are still on a sort-of break from school. I'm having the kids do a few independent assignments to sharpen up their skills, and hopefully we'll get back to regular lessons next week. I'm trying to be okay with not getting anything done this week - I had so many things I wanted to accomplish before we got back to school, but I find myself just sitting on the couch, zoning out with a book or video. My body just feels exhausted. I suppose all the energy is going to healing my mouth. Either that, or the lack of solid food is taking a toll.
One thing on my list though was writing this post, so that's something that is getting accomplished at least.
One more bit of family news before I finish this up - my husband talked me into another puppy! We stay in touch with the people who gave us Lulu, and in December they texted Derek to say that Peanut (Lulu's mom), had another litter of puppies. I was unaffected, but Derek decided this was the time to get Lulu a little pal. He eventually talked me into it. We've noticed that Lulu is so happy whenever she gets a chance to play with my extended family's dogs, and we thought it would be good for her to have another dog around. This little one is her full sister, though they are such different colors! Her name is Dot, and she's very cute. I'm not loving the whining keeping us up at night (especially when I'm trying to heal), but her puppy snuggles during the day make it worth it. Now I have more company on the couch.
(A comparison photo of Lulu and Dot around the same age. Ignore my weird smile in the Dot picture. I literally can't move my face properly - I'm afraid I might need physical therapy just to smile normally again. The puppy versions of Lulu and Dot are cute though, no?)
Hope you all are having a brighter start to the New Year than I am! Happy Twenty Twenty-Four!
A couple years ago I shared a list of our favorite Christmas picture books to read together. The kids and I love a beautifully illustrated Christmas book while sitting near our Christmas tree and having a treat! I've expanded our favorites list quite a bit since then, and have sorted through nearly two hundred Christmas picture books to make this list!
The list is broken up into three sections, depending on what you’re looking for. The books related to the Nativity and the Christian faith are listed first, and there are some beautiful books in there for believers. Not every Christmas book labeled as “Christian” has a biblically solid message or points to Christ, but I feel that these ones did a good job of pointing to the true meaning of Christmas - Christ’s birth!
The next category contains books that focus on Santa. I know some families that like to avoid or minimize the topic of Santa Claus at Christmas, so the ones with a story centered around Santa are separated out for your convenience.
The last category are full of just general Christmas stories, focused on the celebration of the holiday itself. Some of them may reference Santa briefly, but he’s not a big part of the story.
I hope this list is useful for you as you look for Christmas books that resonate with your own family! You can also see my original book list here, which contains different titles than this list. And don’t forget to scroll to the end of the post for a printable list that you can take to the library - which includes all my picture book recommendations for Christmas from both posts!
Christian Christmas Stories:
The Spider Who Saved Christmas by Raymond Arroyo - This is a Christmas fable, about a spider who saves the lives of Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus as they are fleeing to Egypt. This book is very sweet, and I love that it focuses on the Nativity - I do make sure to tell my kids that this story is not in the Bible, it's just an imaginative story. Also note that the story does involve fleeing the soldiers who were killing the baby boys in Bethlehem, so make sure your kids are ready for that part of the story.
The Gift Of The Christmas Cookies by Dandi Daley Mackall - I loved this book! A mom tells her boy about how Christmas cookies got started as a way of telling peasants about the Nativity, and the boy realizes he can use Christmas cookies to spread the good news of Jesus's birth the same way. I think this would be a fun and meaningful book to read before a Christmas baking day, especially if you have nativity-shaped cookie cutters!
Song Of The Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones - A lovely book highlighting all of creation rejoicing in the birth of Christ!
Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer - A funny story about a camel who loses his greatest treasure - his carpet-blanket! But in the end, he meets the Baby Jesus and gives up his greatest treasure for the King of kings. Very sweet and humorous twist on the Nativity story.
Fear Not, Joseph! by Julie Stiegemeyer - The Nativity story from the perspective of Joseph. This book sticks pretty close to the biblical narrative, with a few details filled in. It seems like Joseph is often left out of the story in Christmas picture books, so I liked that this book focused on his perspective! Great notes from the author in the back too.
The Legend Of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackall - I love this version of the story of the real St. Nick. A boy is wandering through a mall, thinking about everything he wants to buy for himself, and then hears a mall Santa telling the story of Saint Nicholas and his gift-giving. In the process he refocuses on the joy of giving at Christmas. Very well-done book.
The Little Shepherd's Christmas by Carol Heyer - A beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas story from a shepherd boy's perspective.
Christmas Is Here by Lauren Castillo - The words of this book are just the Scripture text from the KJV, but the illustrations are lovely. The book starts with a family visiting a living Nativity, and then flashing back to what happened on the night Jesus was born.
A Star For Christmas by Trisha Romance - A carpenter moves to a new place and works to build a house in the woods. The local villagers comes to help him, and so he decides to make them a very special gift for Christmas. A sweet story that points to Jesus's birth.
A Churchmouse Christmas by Barbara Davoll - Christopher Churchmouse wants to make something to celebrate Jesus's birthday in this sweet story told in rhyme. If you've read any of the other Christopher Churchmouse books, this one is especially fun as all the characters make an appearance.
Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson - A mouse named Mortimer finds a house that is perfectly sized for him - the problem is that it's filled with statues! He just tosses them out and enjoys the comfortable manger - until he learns the Nativity story. Very cute story, and a creative way to point to the Nativity.
‘Twas The Evening Of Christmas by Glenis Nellist - Written in the metre of “The Night Before Christmas”, this book focuses on the story of Jesus's birth instead. I love this one!
The Lightlings by R. C. Sproul - A gorgeously illustrated, imaginative retelling of the story of God sending His Son to save us. The additional discussion questions in the back are excellent for guiding a discussion about Jesus's birth and the gospel, complete with Scripture references!
Santa Stories:
Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger - A little red sleigh wants desperately to be Santa's sleigh and help bring joy to children everywhere, but on her journey to the North Pole she learns that things in life come more gradually. She brings joy to a little girl as she goes sledding on Christmas Day, and Little Red Sleigh realizes she is already fulfilling her purpose.
The Night Santa Got Lost: How Norad Saved Christmas by Micheal Kerne - This was a great find for us this year! The book is written as a twist on "The Night Before Christmas", but the real treasure is the history of NORAD's tradition of tracking Santa on Christmas Eve, and the other Christmas-related military history stories in the back. We found it delightful, and this book would be a great jumping-off point for other studies about history and the military, writing short stories, etc.
Mouse's Night Before Christmas by Tracey Corduroy - It turns out there was a mouse stirring on Christmas Eve, and this book shares the story of how a mouse helps Santa, and Santa helps the mouse find a friend. Very cute!
Rudolph Shines Again by Robert L. May - Rudolph starts to feel sorry for himself as all the reindeer pick on him for being Santa's favorite...until one day, Rudolph's nose stops shining. This is a cute story about the "continuing adventures" of Rudolph beyond the traditional tale!
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett - All of Brett's illustrations are so Christmas-y, and in this story, Teeka must train the reindeer to pull Santa's sleigh.
Truffle's Christmas by Anna Currey - Truffle can't decide whether to ask Santa for a hula hoop or a blanket. He settles on asking for the hula hoop, but the next night he gives up his blanket for the baby mice. So he goes on a journey to see if he can change his request to a new blanket instead. Really cute little story!
The Finest Christmas Tree by John and Ann Hassett - A quirky story about Farmer Tuttle, who was a Christmas tree farmer until his customers started to dry up. Then suddenly he gets a note, and tiny little figures carry off one of his Christmas trees!
Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day - In this book, the dog Carl is tasked with watching the baby while the parents go out (not realistic, but cute). He takes the baby on all kinds of Christmas adventures through the rest of the book. This is a wordless book, so it would be a fun writing project to have kids write their own words for each page.
Fletcher And The Snowflakes Of Christmas by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher is a classic in our home at this point, and in this book the little fox Fletcher worries that Santa won't be able to find the home of his rabbit friends, since they just moved to a new burrow. This is a sweet Christmas story, highlighting friendship with beautiful illustrations.
Other Christmas Stories:
The Christmas Owl by Ellen Kalish - In this story, none of the animals know what Christmas is, until an owl's tree is cut down and taken to the big city to be a Christmas tree. He is sent to an owl rescue and shown kindness and care by the humans there, and afterward he thinks he understands a little better what Christmas is.
A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe - A large pine tree is never picked as a Christmas tree, and tells his woes to the forest creatures. They appreciate the big tree, and set out to show him how much they love him by making him into a Christmas tree. Really sweet book about friendship.
Fletcher And The Snowflakes Of Christmas by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher is a classic in our home at this point, and in this book the little fox Fletcher worries that Santa won't be able to find the home of his Rabbit friends, since they just moved to a new burrow. This is a sweet Christmas story, highlighting friendship with beautiful illustrations.
Mistletoe by Tad Hills - Mistletoe loves to be outside in the snow at Christmastime, but her friend Norwell likes to be warm and cozy - so she sets out to make him a present that will allow them to spend more time together. Cute illustrations, and fun for knitters!
The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro - A tree grows in a Christmas tree lot right next to a train track, and loves the feeling of the trains whooshing past...until a family comes and takes the tree to their home. Will she ever see a train again? This is a cute one for kids who love trains.
Finding Christmas by Leslie Evans - In this story, Hare, Mouse, and Squirrel find a wounded Sparrow, and give up all their presents to help a creature in need. I loved the reference to the Bible verse in the very back, and stories that highlight sacrifice and selflessness at Christmas are always welcome.
The Perfect Tree by Corinne Demas - Bunny wants to find the perfect Christmas tree, and all his friends tell him what to look for - but when he finds it, he can't bear to cut it down. This is a basic finding-a-Christmas-tree story, but we enjoyed it!
A Christmas Wish For Corduroy by Don Freeman - If you like the original Corduroy book, you'll enjoy this Christmas backstory that explains how he got his cute green overalls!
Lighthouse Christmas by Tony Buzzeo - Two kids, who have moved to an island with their dad to be the new lighthouse family, try to figure out how to celebrate Christmas with no resources, since their supply ship is delayed by the weather. The information in the back of this book about the "flying Santa" program that brought Christmas cheer to lighthouse families was especially interesting, and would make a great Christmas research project for homeschoolers who do "Christmas School"!
I Love You More Than Christmas by Ellie Hattie - An adorable book about a bear family enjoying all that Christmas brings. Younger kids will enjoy all the interrupted endings of the poem!
The Magic Of A Small-Town Christmas by Megan Alexander - Cute illustrations depicting Christmas traditions in a small town. I enjoyed this book since my little town has some unique Christmas traditions as well.
The Peterkins' Christmas by Elizabeth Spurr - My kids know the Peterkins from A Peterkins Thanksgiving, and so they were greatly amused by this zany Victorian family's Christmas hijinks. This is a longer book, but also pretty fun!
Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan - An old man finds himself lonely at Christmas, until a lost mare reminds him to always to keep hope - in an unexpected way! This is a sweet Christmas book for horse-loving kids!
Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant - A beautiful picture book about a Christmas train that brings presents to poor boys and girls in the Appalachian mountains - and how one of those boys grows up and finds his way back to Appalachia. This book makes me want to cry for a reason I can't pinpoint - we loved it.
Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray - An old woman and a boy decide to plant a Christmas tree farm - and after ten long years the trees are ready to sell. This book is an imaginative look at what it would be like to grow Christmas trees, and as a homeschool mom I noted that the built-in math problems abound!
An Orange For Frankie by Patricia Polacco - Get ready to tear up at the end of this book. A sweet story about a boy named Frankie, who loses his Christmas orange - but his family pulls together and creates an orange for Frankie.
Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Harry Devlin - We rejoin the gang of Cranberryport, as Mr. Whiskers tries to save the skating pond and also get his house ready for a visit from his sister. The "Cranberryport" books are all delightful, and this is a fun Christmas story!
Christmas In The Country by Cynthia Rylant - A little girl shares her favorite parts of celebrating Christmas in the country with her grandparents. The illustrations in this are very cute, and all the traditions shared are sweet and nostalgic.
The All-I’ll-Ever-Want-For-Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack - A story of a family in the south during the Great Depression. A little girl wants a Baby Betty more than anything - and she gets one on Christmas morning! The problem is, there is only one between herself and her two sisters. A sweet story for a reminder that people are more important than things. Some Santa talk in this one, but that's not the focus of the story.
The Story Of Holly And Ivy by Rumer Godden - A doll in a toy shop wants to be given to a little girl, a little girl wants to spend Christmas in a real home, and a woman wishes she had a child to pour her love on at Christmas - and all these stories come together in this adorable and sweet book.
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett - This book along with the next two are a trio of books about Gingerbread people! This book is a fun play off of the traditional gingerbread man story - but the Gingerbread Baby is not obnoxious and gets away in this one.
Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett - In this one, the Gingerbread Baby is lonely when the little girl leaves for school, so he goes in search of a friend.
Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett - In this book, a whole gingerbread band joins the Gingerbread Baby and plays sweet music in the town square...until someone decides the band looks pretty tasty!
Construction Site On Christmas Night by Sherry Duskey Rinker and A. G. Ford - Very similar to the classic 'Goodnight, Construction Site', except a Christmas version!
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff - In the same tradition as If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, one thing leads to another in this Christmas version!
The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry illustrated by Robert Sauber - A beautifully illustrated version of O. Henry's classic Christmas tale!
A Cowboy Christmas by Audrey Wood - Evan's cowboy friend, Cully, is a big help around the ranch ever since Evan's father died - but then at Christmas, Cully doesn't come home one night and Even and his mother must go looking for him. A sweet story that gives a peek into what life may have been like in the Old West. This one has a sweet ending.
The Christmas Crocodile by Bonnie Becker - A crocodile causes chaos for a family at Christmas, until the family sends him away - or so they think! A humorous Christmas book!
A Christmas For Bear by Bonny Becker - This is a funny book about a bear who has never hosted a Christmas party before. His friend Mouse arrives and is worried that there are no presents - only pickles! I highly recommend reading the bear with an English accent.
Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble - A story about a terrible blizzard that brings down a family's apple tree. One of the daughters is heartbroken, because the tree used to be her "art studio" - but her father finds a way to bring the feeling of the old tree back for the girls. Sweet, old-fashioned Christmas story.
Suzy Goose And The Christmas Star by Petr Horacek - Suzy Goose spots a star in the sky and goes on a journey to see if she can snatch it for the top of the animal's Christmas tree...until she gets lost! A light, simple Christmas story.
If I Could Give You Christmas by Lynn Plourde - This book features a sweet Christmas-themed poem from a parent to a child. What really makes this book shine, in my opinion, are the absolutely beautiful illustrations of animal kids and parents.
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry - This delightful book features Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree, which keeps getting chopped smaller as small animals use the cut-off top as their own Christmas tree. Very cute and humorous for the kids!
Merry Christmas, Anne by Kallie George - A cute Christmas story surrounding Anne of Green Gables, and inspired by the book! Our family just read L. M. Montgomery's classic together, so this is a fun picture book to add to our stack this year.
The Queen And The First Christmas Tree by Nancy Churnin - This story is based upon the life of Queen Charlotte. The title is a little misleading in that I’m not sure she can claim the first Christmas tree, but she was the first to popularize Christmas trees in England. I love this for a Christmas history tie-in!
For a printable Christmas picture book list, click here!
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas until I write again!
A few weeks ago I shared the reasons why I decided to do a no-buy project. With the Christmas sale season coming up, temptations will abound, so this is a good time for me to review and share my personal no-buy rules here, for those of you who may be wondering what that looks like.
First of all, I think some may term what I'm doing as more of a "low-buy" than a "no-buy". I'm not refraining from purchasing anything at all for the next three(ish) months, but I am refraining from buying certain categories of things that are a particular problem for me. I think the great part about doing a project like this is that you can adjust the rules to whatever is going to be the most impactful and practical for yourself. So these rules won't fit for anyone else, but they do apply to what I want to work on with my own buying habits. I'm sharing them here as a way to give you some ideas of the way a no-buy or low-buy could look, in case you find yourself wanting to try something like this. Sharing also gives me a little accountability, and a place to review my own rules!
Without further ado, here they are:
Things I Can Buy:
1. I can buy things for my kids. I will be keeping this rule as long as I can stay reasonable about it - if my shopping habits in this area become a problem I may adjust later.
2. I can replace makeup, skincare, or household products that run out or that break. The key to this rule, is that I have to be completely out of that item! I find myself often buying new products before I'm completely finished with the old ones, and I end up wasting product, so I'd like to completely run out of something, to the point that I can throw it away, before I purchase a new one.
3. I can buy supplies for creative projects if I will realistically use those items within the next month. I would like to shift some of the satisfaction that I sometimes find in shopping into more productive avenues, so I will allow myself to buy craft supplies, yarn, embroidery thread, etc. However, I don't want to end up with a whole cabinet of craft supplies that I have never used, which is why I added the qualification that I must use those things within a month! This will give me a healthy pressure to actually get started on my projects too, instead of feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating.
4. I can buy gifts for others. This was obviously a concession that had to be made.
5. Photo organizing and framing things are okay. One project I would love to finish is getting photo albums updated and some of our pictures/art framed, so this is one area that I will allow myself to still spend money.
6. I may buy home organization things, if I've decluttered the area in question first. I would like to work on cleaning out some neglected corners of our house, and get more organized during this period when I am hoping to not add as many new things to our home. If I find that I need some organizing items in that process, I can buy those.
7. If I receive any cash for holidays or birthdays, I may use that money how I wish. This is a like a little pressure-release valve that I think will help me to be successful, but the fact that I can only buy certain things with gift money will help me be thoughtful about what I purchase.
Things I Cannot Buy:
1. No clothes. This is the biggest area I am trying to restrict over the next year, and I explained that a little more in my last post.
2. No candles. Excuse the cliche here, but I definitely have had a "scarcity mindset" in the past when it comes to candles. I find a scent I like, and I feel like I need to stock up before it's discontinued! In the process, I have amassed a pretty good candle collection, and I absolutely don't need to buy any more candles until I've used up my stash (and that could take me quite a while, since I actually don't burn candles as often as I always think I do).
3. No makeup or nail polish (except replacing empties). I want to completely use up an item before I buy a new one, and I'm not buying extra "fun" makeup or nail items at all, just replacing basics (like mascara or topcoat).
4. No extra skincare. By extra skincare, I mean anything that I am not currently out of. I want to completely use all items I've already purchased, and all the free samples I've amassed over the years, before I purchase a replacement.
5. No perfume or lotions. I don't know how exactly, but I always seem to have a cabinet full of Bath And Body Works lotions and body sprays, and I need to use what I have (and get rid of the ones I don't use anyway)!
6. No curriculum (unless I evaluate and discuss with my husband first). This is a big one for me, because I can always justify a new school-related purchase, and there probably will be times when I think we need to get something over the next few months. My brake on these items is going to be that I need to discuss the purchase with my husband first and see if he thinks it's necessary or a good idea - only if he gives the green light, will I be allowed to purchase curriculum items.
7. No decorative home goods. This is another area that I need to reset. I don't want to buy any decorative items like pillows, home decor, throw blankets, etc. However, I will allow purchases of practical items that we are out of or actually need...for example, I can buy new nice-scented cleaners, if we've used all our other cleaners first, or I can replace things like towels or sleeping pillows if they've worn out, etc. But I will be trying to be strict with myself on those things too.
Special Rules:
1. At the end of each month, if I have any leftover money, I will save half of it, and I am allowed to use the other half to purchase books. This will give me a little leeway on books, with some pretty set limits.
2. Truly free things are okay. I occasionally get a no-purchase-necessary coupon for certain items, and if I really don't have to spend anything to get the freebie, I can do that.
3. I will check in at the end of every three moths, evaluate how I did, and see if I need to tweak any of my rules to be more or less strict. With the short time I've been doing this challenge, I can already see that if I need to make any adjustments, it will probably be needing to make my rules more strict. I think the next month or two is going to be particularly difficult leading into the holidays since I may be able to justify certain purchases as gifts, etc. This has already been a challenge, so I may be tightening these rules as I go to make sure I stay consistent and can be successful at this project! But if one area really does turn out to be somewhat impractical for whatever reason, the three-month evaluations will allow me to find a rule that works better.
Overall, I'm hoping to do some form of a no-buy for the next year, while allowing adjustments along the way - we will see how it goes!
I hope seeing my rules stirs some ideas for yourself if you are considering a no-buy, and I hope you'll root for me as I try to stick to these rules over the coming months!
Missing...all the beautiful fall leaves! I think we would have had longer fall color this year, but a snowstorm a couple weeks ago took down all the leaves in one fell swoop. Any that were left clinging to tree branches have turned brown. We did get to go out and enjoy the leaves this fall quite a bit, but it still feels like our time was cut a bit short. It's full-on winter in the mountains now!
Thinking...ahead to Christmas season, particularly what books we want to read during December and fun things to incorporate into school. I came up with a bit of an advent morning time plan for our family last year, and I'd like to tweak that and use it again. I also requested an absurd amount of new-to-us Christmas books from the library, and my plan is to sort through them to figure out which ones actually look good enough to add to our Christmas reading plan!
Planning...to start planning out our Thanksgiving Day meal. This year we are hosting my husband's side of the family at our house! This will be the first time I'm hosting a full Thanksgiving dinner as an adult, and I have never before cooked a turkey. I feel this is a rite of passage of sorts, and I'll be researching all the turkey-baking tips and getting everything planned out in the next few days. I feel I'm already cutting things a bit close.
Buying...not alot, since I'm still doing a no-buy project for myself (more on that coming this week). However, I don't like to save Christmas shopping for December, so I need to get moving on purchasing presents. It's weird to be Christmas shopping while still being on guard against buying my no-buy items, and I'm realizing anew how much stress shopping actually adds to my life. But, alas, it must be done, and like it or not, I'm the one who has to do it.
Wanting...to knit each of my kids a scarf for Christmas, but I'm realistic enough to know that is not going to happen. I finally picked up knitting again after a ten-year break, and it's come back to me quite well! I found this book at our little library down the road, and it's giving me all kinds of ideas for cute scarves. I think I am going to start a scarf at least, and perhaps if I work at it I can give all the kids a homemade scarf next year. Why does knitting take so long? I found these funny tags, and these, and after starting to knit again I understand.
Reading...too many books, as always. I am still working on Homecoming by Kate Morton, and I am almost done with The Giant Pumpkin Suite, which is turning out to be pretty good. I would really like to start a Christmas book or two, and I also started reading the Emma M. Lion books after seeing them too many time on Bookstagram (they sounded right up my alley, and I'm enjoying the first book so far). Another book roundup post will be coming once I finish a couple more!
Enjoying...a Veterans Day visit with my childhood friends! Yes, the ones that own a ranch. It's always wonderful to visit with them, and they teach the kids so many things it's practically like a field trip. I always leave wishing we could sell off everything and buy a ranch on the plains! I know how hard my friends work and how much knowledge it takes to be successful ranchers, and I admire how generous and hospitable they are even with all the work they have to do daily.
Loving...quiet weekends at home. Our weeks have been so busy lately, but we've been able to protect our weekends, and it's been so nice. I've been able to breathe a bit and enjoy taking the kids to the park, or reading to them, or getting caught up on laundry. Those are little things, but they give me so much peace of mind in a busy season. I love it when we can work in some weekend adventures, but sometimes you just need to be home, and it's been nice to have a quiet month of weekends before the holiday madness starts.
For several years now we've celebrated Reformation Day, and while we could do the same things each year and my kids would be perfectly happy, I like to change things up a little to keep the day interesting for them. So this year, the night before Reformation Day, I locked myself in my room for a couple of hours and threw together a spur-of-the-moment plan.
I had been mulling over our options all day, and the idea for this scavenger hunt just came to me. Everything in this post I threw together in an hour, and I was a little unsure if it would come together, but my kids loved it and it also led to some good conversations about theology and the gospel!
You can read more about why we celebrate Reformation Day here. All of my Reformation Day posts, including many more ideas for marking the day, can be read here.
Organizing The Scavenger Hunt
For this scavenger hunt, I hid a series of clues that when put together spell out the word "REFORMATION". On each slip of paper I wrote a household scavenger hunt clue adapted from this website, but any household clue hints will do! Hints like these led the kids from clue to clue, but in between searching for each clue we would pause and do activities related to the corresponding letter in the acronym REFORMATION.
The activités for each letter of the acronym are listed below. I also created a printable of all this information which you can download below, but keep in mind you may want to get all the links opened in your browser ahead of time so you have them ready before your kids start finding the clues.
Resources You Will Need
1. Reformation ABCs. In addition to the printables above, you will need the book Reformation ABCs by Stephen Nichols. I centered the scavenger around this book and you will need to read the corresponding pages in the book for several of the acronym letters. If you are willing to put a little work in to research some of these topics yourself, you could make do without buying the book, but it is a fun one to have around!
2. Optional: Another book or video about Martin Luther. For an optional book option, you can also get another book about Martin Luther to read to your kids so they have more background information about this central figure of the Reformation. We read this Martin Luther pop-up book, because I think it is a great one to introduce Luther and the Reformation to my littler kids in a way they can more easily understand. You may also consider watching the Torchlighters Martin Luther episode, which is a great introduction for kids!
3. Optional: Printed Music For Hymns. I included three hymn options in this scavenger hunt, and I have the lyrics included in the printable I created, but it's sometimes nice to have the sheet music. I recommend downloading "Hymns To The Living God", which is a free hymnal from G3. All three of the hymns are included, and you can print out the corresponding pages by referencing the index at the end of the hymnal. You'll need:
-A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
-O Worship The King
-O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
4. My Reformation Day Scavenger Hunt Printable. This document includes all the information below which you can print as your parent "cheat sheet", the REFORMATION acronym that you can cut into strips and hide for the clues, and lyric sheets for the hymns.
5. Optional: Supplies for the fortress craft. I was excited to find this great craft (originally recommended to me in this blog post), you'll want to get the supplies for that ready ahead of time if you choose to use it. One significant item is toilet paper rolls, so start collecting those before Reformation Day!
6. Candy or another easy snack reward. To keep my kids excited about the scavenger hunt, I built in some small snack moments. We used candy, but any quick snack food will do!
7. Dirt/worm pudding, or another Reformation Day treat. There are lots of ideas out there, but worm pudding is a favorite of our family! You could also do marshmallow hammers, or door-shaped cookies, etc. This is a fun final reward to wrap up the scavenger hunt!
All the rest of the information for the scavenger hunt is included below, or once again, you can download the printable that includes all this information here!
R is for the Rhine River
-Read “R is for Rhine River” from Reformation ABCs.
-Locate the Rhine River in an atlas and see which countries it runs through.
-Eat one candy from the reward bowl!
E is for Erasmus
-Read this: Erasmus published a version of the New Testament translated into Greek and Latin directly from old manuscripts, because of a movement called “ad fontes”, which means “back to the sources”. This was an idea popular at the time of Luther - many thought to get the most accurate information, they should go as close to the original source as possible, especially regarding ancient documents. This movement eventually led to the reformers searching for the truth about what was going on in the church by going back to THE source - God’s Word! Erasmus unintentionally influenced Luther and the Reformation.
F is for Fortress
-Luther wrote the great hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. Let’s do a fortress craft together! Younger kids may also enjoy this coloring sheet.
-Read Psalm 46 and talk about how God is our fortress in times of trouble.
O is for Oxford Martyrs
-Read “O is For Oxford Martyrs” from Reformation ABCs.
-Read Acts 5, and take note of Acts 5:41. Why do you think the disciples, and later on the Reformers, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus?
R is for Reformation
-Look up the word "Reformation" in the Websters 1828 dictionary.
-Now read about the Five Solas of the Reformation on Got Questions.org. How did the Five Solas address different problems in the Roman Catholic Church?
-Luther hoped to reform the Catholic Church and bring it back to God’s Word. Was he successful? Do you think there are any things in Christian churches today that need “reformation” to be more in line with God’s word?
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
M is for Martin Luther
-Read “M is for Martin The Monk” from Reformation ABCs.
-Optional: Read another book about Martin Luther or watch this Torchlighters Martin Luther episode.
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
A is for “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
-Let’s sing Luther’s great hymn!
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
T is for Tyndale
-Read “T is for Tyndale” from Reformation ABCs
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
I is for Indulgences
-Read “I is for Indulgences” from Reformation ABCs.
-One of the major complaints Luther had for the Catholic Church was regarding indulgences. He rightly thought it was disgraceful that the clergy were telling the people they could purchase a proverbial “ticket to Heaven” (ie: less time in Purgatory) with money. Read the Five Solas again if necessary, and discuss the what the gospel is. How are we truly forgiven and saved? In light of that, can you see why indulgences were such a terrible distortion of the true gospel?
O is for “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” or “O Worship The King”
-Let’s sing one (or both) of these hymns together!
-Read about some of the ways that Luther changed church music (scroll down to where it says “Church Music”). Talk about how we have some wonderful hymns, like the one we just sang, because of the reforms Luther made in music.
-Watch a video about how Luther changed the way we sing in church.
N is for “No Other”
-One of the greatest moments of the Reformation was the Diet Of Worms, when Luther declared:
I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.
Let’s discuss that quote - what did Luther mean when he said “Here I stand, I can do no other?” (As some versions of the quote are rendered). What was he standing on?
-Read the “B is for Bible” page of Reformation ABC’s. How is the Bible like a treasure map? And what (or who) is the great treasure it’s meant to lead us to?
-Let’s pray and thank God for His word, for how the Reformers bravely stood on the Word of God and recovered the gospel. And let’s thank God for saving us by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!
-Finish up with our Diet Of Worms treat (or other special Reformation-themed snack)!
You can download a printable with all this information here!
Enjoy!
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