Booklist // Christmas Books for Little Ones

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I don't know about you, but I love seeing what other people are reading. Booklists are not only fun, but they often inspire me to check out a book I may not have heard of or read otherwise. Today I want to share my favorite books for little ones that we love to read throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Who is Coming to Our House? is a delightful tale of the many animals who prepare a place in their home for Mary and Joseph. The story, told in rhythmic verse, and the beautiful illustrations make it a delight for young readers.

Christmas in the Manger tells the story of the many characters present for the first Christmas. From the ox to the wise men, we hear the part each of them plays in welcoming Jesus. One of our very favorites!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Christmas 123 is a simple counting book for the littlest readers, starring children's most beloved caterpillar character. With Eric Carle's characteristic bright illustrations this book is sure to bring a smile!

Mortimer's Christmas Manger is the book Saint Nicholas brought to our son this year! Mortimer is an endearing little mouse who learns the importance of making room for Christ in our lives – a lesson for all ages to remember.

My First Christmas is a lovely book for the youngest readers in your house. With Tomie dePaola's classic illustrations, your little one learns the signs of the Christmas season.

Little Blue Truck's Christmas is a fun book to have in your collection for any of fans of the Little Blue Truck series. Readers help the Little Blue Truck count the Christmas trees and deliver them to his friends. The last page has twinkle lights, too, for added delight!

My First Prayers for Christmas is a beautiful book of prayers for children. We pray from this book nightly during the Christmas season. A great addition to your collection! (We love using this book throughout the rest of the year.)

Red & Lulu is a welcome addition to our library this year. Red and Lulu are two cardinals who live in the evergreen which soon becomes the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. With beautiful illustrations, this New York City Christmas story will be one we enjoy for many years to come.

The Legend of Saint Nicholas tells the story of this generous saint. This story is admittedly too lengthy and advanced for our toddler, but we look forward to reading this one as he gets a bit older. A wonderful picture book for our collection!

Joy to the World is a collection of some of Tomie dePaola's well-loved Christmas stories, including The Night of Las Posadas, The Story of the Three Wise Kings, and The Legend of the Poinsettia. This collection also includes the music for some well-loved Christmas carols. A gem!

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is sure to be a favorite for any Pete the Cat fans (my son can't get enough of Pete!). With a focus on giving to others and doing your best, this cute tale should bring out the holiday spirit in your family.

Country Angel Christmas tells the story of three little angels who get an important job from St. Nicholas. I love that he lives in heaven with the angels in this story which ends with everyone reflecting at the manger scene, including St. Nicholas. So beautiful! While currently out-of-print, it is well-worth purchasing a used copy to add this Tomie dePaola book (can you tell we are fans of his work?) to your collection.

So, what am I missing? What are your favorite Christmas books? Please let me know in the comments! I would love to hear from you.

Wishing you cozy holiday reading snuggled up by the Christmas tree with hot cocoa...

5 Favorites {no. 12} & WWRW - First Trimester edition

Today marks sixteen weeks with this sweet blessing in my belly. So I wanted to share five of my favorite things - must haves, I might say - that helped me through that dear first trimester.

{1} Camelbak water bottle // Momma's gotta have that H2O! Having a water bottle helps me stay more hydrated. I also use my fitbit app to keep track of how many ounces a day I'm drinking (and I needed a lot of ounces that first trimester in Texas!).

{2} PsiBands // These not-super-fashionable bands were a lifesaver for me with the nausea and all-day sickness I experienced for several weeks. Totally worth it.

{3} Tums // Heavens to Betsy, hello, heartburn! Oh my goodness, friends. I had horrible heartburn during the first trimester. It didn't matter what I ate. And may I just say, heartburn is not a nice thing to have in combination with anxiety. Yikes. But these Tums did the trick! Something tells me I may be needing these later on, too...

{4} Rainbow Light prenatal vitamins // These vitamins are awesome. They have not given me nausea a single time. And they're really not too bad to swallow either. Winning at all the things!

{5} A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy // This book has been such a blessing. Each chapter is a different week of pregnancy with information, prayers, and a mystery of the rosary for the week. It's truly a beautiful way to "walk with Mary from conception to baptism," as the subtitle of the book says. Highly recommended. Would make a great gift for a newly pregnant momma, too.

What were your key pregnancy survival items? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Linking up with Mary Kate for five favorites and Jessica for WWRW.

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5 Favorites {no. 11}

It's been a while since I've done a Five Favorites post! Here are five of my current faves I'd love to share with you:

{1} fresh sugar face polish // This is definitely a splurge, but goodness do I love it. Two of the main ingredients are brown sugar and strawberry seeds, so it smells amazing. Most importantly, it makes your face soft, smooth, and exfoliates any dry skin you might have. So great.

{2} bath & body works wallflowers // Have you ever used these? I love the way the Bath & Body Works Wallflowers freshen up my home, and the seasonal scents are so much fun. Just plugged in my Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Wallflower for a feeling of fall.

{via}

{3} the mrs. & the mr. mugs by lindsay letters // I love pretty much all of Lindsay Letters work, but these new mugs are so sweet. The back of the mugs read "good morning, gorgeous" and "hello, handsome" accordingly. What fun it would be to share a cup of coffee in these mugs with my love.

{via}

{4} homemade cinnamon ice cream // One word: YUM. Michael & I have tried this recipe several times and it never lets us down. So, so delicious. {pictured with blueberry crisp - also yum.}

{images via}

{5} puffin in bloom collection // I have a thing for beautiful books, and these are some of the most beautiful I have seen. So excited about the debut of this collection with artwork by Anna Rifle of Rifle Paper Co. Swoon. I've never read Anne of Green Gables, but I think the time has come!

Linking up with Heather for five favorites and Jessica for wwrw.

Happy Wednesday!

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Summer Reading

Ah. Those two words bring back a lot of memories for me. From Hester Prynne to Holden Caulfield I met a lot of characters in my summer reading assignments. Some books I loved and some I struggled to finish (not mentioning any titles...coughcoughGreatExpectationscough). I thought it would be fun to make a summer reading list for myself this year. Here it is:

{currently reading}

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

This book is about a boy and his dog. I don't want to tell you too much because I personally don't like to know too much before I read a book. (I'm the type of gal that would never ever read the end of a book before I get there!) I will also say that I don't consider myself a huge dog-lover...I mean, I like dogs, I just don't LOVE them...and I am enjoying this read so far. I'll keep you posted. 

{a bit of history}

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Word on the street (from my husband and some close friends) is that this is a great read. I could use some history in my life, and this book won the Pulitzer. I'm looking forward to sitting down with this!

{summer reading re-reads}

             
To Kill a Mockingbird & A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

These two books were assigned summer reading in high school, and I'd love to go back for another read of these classics. I don't read very many books more than once, but sometimes with a classic it's great to re-read the book at a different point in your life with a whole new perspective.

{for life}

Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage

I've had this book on my shelf for a while now, and I am hoping to finally read it this summer. (Kimberly Hahn also wrote Life-Giving Love : Embracing God's Beautiful Design for Marriage, which I highly recommend, as mentioned here - see question 4.)

The Little Oratory: A Beginner's Guide to Praying in the Home

I still need to purchase my copy of the book it seems everyone in the Catholic blogosphere is reading and loving.

As I write this post, I realize my list could go on for DAYS! I keep a running list on my phone of books I would like to read. The list currently has over twenty books on it, and all the books I mentioned in this post aren't even on that list...and I have books in my brain that aren't on the phone list either. Oops.

Anywho! That's my summer reading list. (Or at least a start.) I'd like to add something to my list that's just fun summer reading. Do you have any recommendations?

Linking up my list with Jessica at Housewifespice for what we're reading wednesday {aka wwrw}!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links--thank you for supporting {in endless song}!

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