One good thing about early Christmas sales is that it makes it easier and less stressful for me to get prepared. A few years ago we began using a Jesse Tree in our family rather than the typical advent type activities. I bought the book and the first year we colored paper ornaments. The second year I tried to make them out of polymer clay. Let me just say that my polymer clay talents need some work. This year I am carrying a list with me of the ornaments I need so that when I am out and about and see one I need I can grab it. I love the idea of a Jesse Tree and it is a great tool to help remind my kids what Christmas is truly about. But I often wonder if my youngest "gets" it.
Last year we stumbled upon a program called The Truth in the Tinsel, created by Amanda White of Impress Your Kids and Oh, Amanda. She too wondered if her kids were "getting" it, and decided to create this awesome advent program. Every day you and your child can read a scripture, talk about the story and then create a craft to hang on your own advent tree as a reminder, and it all points to Jesus.
Each day consists of 5 parts, the clue (a printable picture and word clue to hint about the topic of the day), the Scripture, the Talk, the Ornament, and more (additional scriptures, songs to listen to, DVD's to watch etc). The book includes a supply list at the beginning so you can be sure you have what you need for the entire month, and if you have a preschooler in the house you probably already have most of the items on hand! Amanda even goes a step further and also breaks it down into a daily supply list so if you don't want to buy it all at once, you know what you need for each day. And if your schedule is hectic, don't freak out. Amanda includes alternate schedules so you can do a weekly advent, one which focuses on the highlights etc.
To top it off she has created a Facebook community so you can join up with other parents and see what they are doing to teach the message of Jesus. The awesome thing is that you can see some of the crafts there as well. Even if you aren't a crafty momma, these are EASY PEASY to do with your child. I can tell you that after going through the advent with my then 3 year old, she really was focused on what Christmas was about and who was the main person of the season, and let me tell you that isn't Santa Claus!
You can get your own copy of The Truth in the Tinsel today. Amanda is offering it as a PDF download that you can read on your computer or you can read it on your e-reader of choice. Well worth the small fee! Click here to find out more and to order.
Until next time,
