Like many of you, I've worked in the days leading up to Christmas. I'll be taking a break on this blog until January 2. Hope you will share in the comments some things you would like to see at Christmas Year Round in 2024.
Wishing you a happy and healthy new year!
If you are searching for a way to share Advent with your little one, then Jesus Calling Advent & Christmas Prayers by Sarah Young is the perfect choice. Geared for children ages 0 to 4, this simple retelling brings you and your child on a journey through the book of Isaiah, into the Gospels of Luke and John, and ends with the wonderful gift found in 2 Corinthians.
Along the way, artist Katya Longhi brings the story to life with her stunning artwork in soft and warm colors. Pastel yellow circles throughout the pages offer 25 short prayers to encourage daily prayer time and to help you and your child celebrate the birth of God's greatest gift to the world.
Everything about Jesus Calling Advent & Christmas Prayers is wonderful, beautiful, and touching. Young, who passed away earlier this year, was a well-known name in Christian publishing. Reading this book for little ones, it's easy to see why.
Highly recommended!
Rating: :) :) :) :) :)
I downloaded a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Here are some ways to help keep your family safe this winter:
2023 Product Recalls from Safe Kids Worldwide
Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter from the CDC
Winter Weather Preparedness from the National Weather Service
Essential Winter Travel Tips to Keep You Safe and Cozy from Lifespan
The Prince and Princess of Wales recently released their annual family Christmas card. A tastefully done black and white photo of the royals with their three children casually dressed in white shirts and jeans. Then some eagle eyed viewers caught what appeared to be a photoshop fail. Prince Louis seemed to be missing a finger. Here is an article about it: https://petapixel.com/2023/12/11/no-this-picture-of-the-royal-family-isnt-photoshopped-its-just-odd/
What do you think? Photoshop fail or is his middle finger tucked back? I have to be honest, I tried it and didn't find it that easy to tuck my middle finger back.
Did you hear?
Sixty-five years after its release, Brenda Lee's 1958 classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" hit Number One on the the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Though not the first Number One hit of Lee's career, it is the first time since its release that this snappy holiday tune topped the Billboard charts.
Found these 2023 posts showing some definite errors, flubs, and fails.
A heartwarming tale of the season is what you'll find in Scrapper's Christmas Story by Maria J. Andrade.
An angel tells the story of Scrapper, the smallest dog in a pack of street dogs, without a home. Kind Mr. Rosario feeds them, but all of them run away when he comes too close. But on a snowy Christmas Eve, Scrapper steps in to help someone, which might just lead to all his dreams coming true.
If you like sweet holiday stories, Scrapper's Christmas Story is definitely one to add to your list. I can't give away too many details without revealing the plot, but Andrade's story is one that embodies the spirit of the season. While not a faith-based book, there are what some would call faith-based elements within the story.
I would have appreciated an editor's final touch on the text to fix a few punctuation and grammar errors, and the formatting for the e-book is not quite right when read on my Kindle or with the Kindle app on my laptop. Those didn't, however, take away from the story for me.
Besides the unfolding tale, the beautiful artwork by artist Julie L. Weaver makes this a book worth exploring. Snowy scenes throughout the city, featuring its many apartment buildings, the pet shop, the church, and even the alleyways, are brought to life through Weaver's illustrations.
If you know a child who likes dog stories, touching Christmas stories, or even stories with happy endings, then Scrapper's Christmas Story should be on your list to buy.
I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Congratulations goes out to Jessica! She won the four children's book in our most recent giveaway. Thanks to all who participated. If you're enjoying this blog, we hope you'll share it with your friends.
There are 28 weeks or 200 days until Black Friday. As we in New England are planting our gardens, that seems so far off. But it will be he...
