Our 2014 Advent Book List

Hi Friends!

Christmas is upon us! I can hardly believe it. We are pulling out the decorations tonight and I am SO excited!

We're starting a new tradition this year. An Advent book basket!

Have you seen this idea floating around? I've seen it so many places that I don't even know where to link to! Basically you take Christmas books, old or new, and wrap up 24 of them. Then, each day, the kids get to open a book and that is your bedtime story! By the end of the month you have a basket full of books, an a month full of memories. Love it! 

Our basket is quiet the mixture. We have some old books, but I hadn't really started much of a collection. I snagged a few from my mom, but mostly I used this as a chance to build our Christmas book collection. For as long as I can remember, my mom has had a huge basket of Christmas books out every year, and I want that for my kids, too. We have faith-based and secular books in there. Lots of new family favorites. One of the things I love the most about this new tradition is the chance to involve Daddy in the process. So many of the things we do, advent calendars, crafts, get done during the day and he misses them. This will be the way we end our day every day.

I found books all sorts of places. I have a few favorite Insta-shops that I love buying used books from (@alicesbookwonderland, @dibbleanddash and @livingbooknook), so a few came from there. And thank goodness for good ol' Amazon! I few of our books are still in the mail, but we have enough to get us going.

{Christmas Blessing Opportunity!}
Could you help me out? I'm sure many of you have seen affiliate links on your favorite blogs. They are a great way for bloggers to partner with brands and earn some much deserved income. Amazon is a huge one! Now, I can't be an Amazon affiliate (thanks State of IL!), but I am trying to bless a friend of mine. Tabitha works tirelessly, and without pay to help thousands of bloggers reach their full potential through the Inspired Blogger's Network . I would love to bless her a bit this Christmas. Please, if you are planning on purchasing any books, could you click on here affiliate link HERE? She will earn a percentage of your purchase, and I would be eternally grateful! Anything you put in your cart and purchase for 24 hours after clicking the link will be credited to her!
Thank you!!

Here is our list:

What is Christmas?
The Small One
The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree
Christmas in the Manger
The Night Before Christmas
The Forgetful Bears Help Santa
A Christmas Goodnight
Arthur's Christmas
Once Upon a Northpole Christmas
If You Take A Mouse to The Movies
Merry Christmas Curious George
The Pine Tree Parable
The Legend of the Candy Cane
Little Porcupine's Christmas
A Jolly Christmas at The Patterprints
Mr Willowby's Christmas Tree
The Animal's Christmas Eve
Olive the Other Reindeer
Angelina's Christmas
Bear Stays up for Christmas
Tractor Mac Saves Christmas
Humphrey's First Christmas
Mortimer's Christmas Manger
God Gave Us Christmas
The Jesus Storybook Bible

For the most part, the kids will be able to choose any book they like from the basket. However, The Jesus Storybook Bible will be saved for Christmas Eve. Abbey is still young enough that reading straight from the bible doesn't hold her attention very well, but I still want Christmas Eve to be about scripture. This bible is one of our favorites! We will be reading several portions of the Christmas Story from it.

This is a box full of treasures, but my favorite one has got to be my mom's copy of Mr Willowby's Christmas Tree. It is her childhood favorite, my childhood favorite, and hopefully a soon-to-be childhood favorite of Abbey and Owen, too!

Do you have a favorite Christmas book?
Have you done an Advent basket before? How did it go?

Be blessed!
Heather