Our Most Loved Christmas Stories

Every year as we prepare for Christmas some our favorite traditions like so many people is to decorate the tree, put up the nativity scene, and open all the decorations. It really never gets old getting everything out and putting it up, although I have learned how to make that whole process easier for me. In years past the more children I have had the harder it has been to get excited about putting up all the decorations. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and I love getting ready and celebrating with my family. I just get weighed down by the burden of “stuff” everywhere. I can only handle it for so long and then I want my house back to normal. So last year I decided I wasn’t going to make it a burden, I was going to love it and the way I did that was not haul up bin after bin of Christmas decorations, I was just going to bring up what made us all happy. My home was very festive and is again this year but there isn’t stuff everywhere! I know some people LOVE that but not me for some reason. Maybe later in the week or next I can share how I have decorated, now that I have you all curious. But one thing has stayed the same despite the changes I have made and that is our Christmas story collection which seems to grow and grow each year. Even though it adds some unwanted clutter, all the books come up no matter what and though I cannot share them all with you I want to share some of our very favorites! Out of our 40 some and growing collection I have chosen our 13 favorites!

In no particular order here they are! This first one is a new one purchased this year and was one my mom read to me and my siblings growing up. I was looking for it last year on a few different websites and found it but because the book is out of print it runs $30-$50! Crazy I know! But lucky for me I found it just the other day when I was rummaging through the Christmas books at Goodwill. I found it in almost perfect condition for $1.99! So keep your eyes out for it, you won’t regret it.

Santa and the Christ Child by Nicholas Bakewell

Each of my three younger children have received a book for their very first Christmas’. This next one was given to my daughter Adelaide.

Mouse’s First Christmas by Lauren Thompson

This one was given to my son Colton for his first Christmas.

Bear’s First Christmas by Robert Kinerk

And this one was for our youngest son Leon’s first Christmas.

The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman

This next book we have had since Adelaide was very young and we have read it from cover to cover every single year and the kids never get sick of it. It is really a cute book, it is all about Santa and how everything works in the North Pole and it gives you a lot of Santa’s secrets as to how he makes Christmas work. It explains a lot of the questions kids have about “How does Santa do this and do that”.

Santa Clause by Rod Green

Here is a book that was mine as a little kid and always loved, it is short but sweet.

Claude the Dog, A Christmas Story by Dick Gackenbach

Here is one that is more of a winter story but cute.

Skating with the Bears by Andrew Breakspeare

Here is a silly one that is about what our snowmen may be doing while we are sleeping.

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

This story is so beautiful I think we read it a dozen times each year. It is about a Christmas tree at a tree farm who is too large to be chosen anymore and how all the woodland animals decorate him to show him how special he is to them all year long.

A Wish to be a Christmas Tree by Coleen Monroe

This is a really sweet nativity story.

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

Here is a sweet little story about a mouse and his first Christmas and first snow.

The Very Snowy Christmas by  Diane Hendry

This is another book I was always read growing up. It is a really sweet story and has beautiful pictures.

The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger

 

And last but not least!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

I hope you have enjoyed going through our family’s list of favorite Christmas stories, I hope there are even a few you haven’t read yet and will add to your family’s collection!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

~Bonnie

Other fun posts from Bonnie

Christmas Cookies

Finding Christmas Spirit

The Gift of Snow

20 Best Children’s Books

Also find me on Facebook!

Finding Christmas Spirit

In all the hustle and bustle are you having a hard time finding true Christmas spirit? Don't get me wrong, I understand that everyone has different beliefs about what this holiday season is for and how to celebrate it. But I find myself looking for Christ in Christmas and wanting to pass that on to my children too. I think some of the distaste comes from the retail push to buy buy buy! It seems like every year they push Christmas on us a little earlier. I do have almost all my shopping done and I did even before Thanksgiving but that’s because I wanted my focus and that of family on the Christ Child. So I have been asking myself what can I do to share that with my kids and also bring out the joy and want to celebrate out in my life. So I want to share with you what we are doing as a family to do just that. I not only want to share with you what we do but at the bottom of this post I would love to hear what you do with your family!

The first thing we do every year is find a cause, find someone or a group of someone's, who's needs are larger than ours. Every year it has been different and never the same cause or same end goal. In years past we have done things as simple as an ornament off the giving tree in the mall.  This year our goal is to feed 300 people, and the most amazing lesson is that it only costs $18. It is teaching my children that for some a little goes a long way. Now that my kids are a little older and are understanding the point of giving a little more we have added to the raising of this money. Instead of just saving random coins we come across the kids do little odd jobs around the house and earn quarters to add to our savings jar. This is teaching them that little giving's of themselves are going to help others. 

One other thing we have done is an advent calendar with little stories leading up to Christ's birth and then hanging the stories on our once Thanksgiving Tree.

We have turned out Thanksgiving tree into an advent calendar/Jesse Tree. This a fun, simple way to count down to Christmas!

  

We have also made our nativity scene the focus of all of our Christmas decorations. Every year I go crazy for days setting up Christmas decorations and as the years go by I find myself wanting to less and less. So this year I have decided less is more. We are getting out all of our favorites and making our home Christmassy but slowing down and enjoying the season instead of creating stress.

 

I wrote this post in hopes that one, I am not the only one wanting to lessen the stress of the season and two, that we can embrace what the true meaning is for us and share that with our children. Please share below how you and your family lower holiday stress and celebrate what Christmas is to you!

Also introduce yourself on my Facebook page and share your favorite holiday tradition with us!

Bonnie

Christmas Cookies

 

If you are anything like me as Christmas is drawing near I am on the hunt for some new Christmas cookie recipes. I have my family favorites that have been made since I as little but this year I was in search of something new and something fairly easy since I am pretty busy. Do you have a go to person in your family if you need cooking advise or a new recipe? Well I do! That go to person for me is my dear older sister. She always knows how to cook anything and everything and always has great recipes. So she was the first person I called when I wanted a few new recipes for a cookie exchange I had signed up for. So both of the recipes I am going to share with you I had never made before, but let me tell you they are both incredible and fairly easy!

Cake Batter Cookies

2 Tablespoons milk

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 (3.4oz) box vanilla instant pudding

3/4 cup yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

colored sprinkles

I used red and green for Christmas.

You don’t want to use sugar crystals, use either the little beads/balls or even the jimmies I think they are called.

I made two batches and used both kinds and they worked equally well.

Preheat oven to 350*

Mix: flour, salt, and baking soda.

Cream: butter and sugars.

Add: pudding and cake mix.

Add: eggs and vanilla.

Add: flour mixture and sprinkles.

Roll into 1” balls and place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

I used my Pampered Chef cookie dough baller to make nice even cookies.

 

Also I always bake things in my oven for several minutes less than a recipe calls for, it may be my oven but I think I only cooked them for 8 minutes.

We also prefer our cookies soft, not crispy.

 

 

These were my favorite of the two, they taste just like brownies!

Chocolate Crinkles

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled (melting in the microwave works best)

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling the balls in. I used quite a bit more than a 1/2 cup though.

Mix: oil, chocolate, sugar, and vanilla.

Stir in eggs one at a time.

Chill dough for a couple hours or even over night. You want the dough to be think and able to roll into balls.

After chilled, roll into balls and and drop into powdered sugar until covered.

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes in a 350* oven.

I wanted then soft and chewy so I think I only baked them for 10 minutes and they came out perfect.

Take off cookie sheet immediately and place on a cooling rack.

I sure hope you enjoy these two recipes, I would love to hear what you think of them.

Head over to my Facebook page and introduce yourself and let me know what you think!

Have a wonderful time preparing for this most beautiful holiday season!

Bonnie