A few years ago, we decided to turn our growing Christmas Book Collection into a real Advent Calendar for our girls. Now, our 25 books of Christmas tradition is one of my absolute family favorites. It starts with a giant, wrapped, stack of Christmas themed books artfully arranged on our mantle, and ends in our master bed with Daddy who reads the final book (his childhood copy of The Night Before Christmas) on Christmas Eve. This was as simple to do as gathering up the holiday books we already owned, pairing them with quite a collection of holiday books that were Brandon’s as a child, and finding a few new fun ones to add to the mix. Over the years we retire the “really, really, old” books, the ones that get read so much they are falling apart, and we add to the collection with new Christmas books that I’ve found throughout the year. I love ordering books on Amazon (great prices) but also pick up such cute titles at craft stores, the grocery store, Barnes and Noble -duh- and even Costco. Purchasing 25 new books is daunting (and expensive!) but if you spread out the purchasing of new books over the course of a few months or even weeks, and add them to any existing holiday or Christmas books you already own- this idea is totally doable. And yes- I realize 25 books = 1 extra but I’ll let the kids open a book Christmas Eve morning to read while we drink hot coco. Because how could they possibly wait until Christmas Eve night?! ha 😉
I wanted to share a few of my favorite titles incase you need a couple new ones to add to your list! All three girls napped at the same time yesterday so my Mom and I could wrap them all up! I used butcher paper last year but it was annoyingly thick and not “pretty” in Lilly’s opinion so this year we used regular wrapping paper. I can’t wait to set them all out on the mantle for the girls to see. My little book worms will squeal, I am sure. 😉
*(Affiliate links will take you to the cheapest price I’ve found on Amazon. They link directly to the books we own or to the most recent version of a series. Hope you love them as much as I do!)*
The Night Before Christmas: A Magical Cut-Paper Edition
Auntie Claus, Home for the Holidays
Bear Stays Up for Christmas (The Bear Books)
There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!
A Christmas Carol: A BabyLit® Colors Primer
Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas! (Oversized Board Book)
Peef the Christmas Bear (Peef the Bear)
Charlie and the Christmas Kitty (Charlie the Ranch Dog)
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
I love how they look all stacked up!
xo
-J
Cristy says
This is one of our favorite traditions. Just took some photos of ours last night. Wish I had seen your post before love how the books look stacked like that.