24 Days of Christmas Books

{ Titles are listed below. }

Last year I saw on Pinterest (of course) the idea to have 24 Christmas books to count down to Christmas.  The idea is that the books are wrapped under the tree and each night the small humans can open one book and we'll read that book for bedtime.  

Our Christmas books only come out at Christmas time, so at most, we read them once a year (some of the more favored books get read two or three times in the Christmas season.).  I have quite a stock-pile of Christmas books, some the kids have received as gifts, some I have collected over the years, and some came from my mom's Christmas book collection.  Last year I headed over to Barnes and Noble for their day after Christmas sale to supplement my supply for this year.  I stock-piled a few books at a deeply discounted price, which was awesome (because I'm cheap and I'm pretty sure our Library would frown upon me wrapping up their books and leaving them under my tree for the month of December.).  I did not buy 24 new books, although I easily could have, but I tucked the special new books away in our Christmas totes and proceeded not to think about them until I started digging around downstairs for some decorations last week.  And then I remembered my plan for this year!

Below is our list of books in no particular order:

1. Froggy's Best Christmas - Jonathan London
2. The Christmas Magic - Lauren Thompson
3. Huckleberry Hound and the Christmas Sleigh - Little Golden Book
4. Little Golden Book: Christmas Favorites
5. The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree - Little Golden Book
6. The Last Straw - Fredrick H. Thury
7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Little Golden Book
8. Santa's Toy Shop - Little Golden Book
9. Jingle Bells - Little Golden Book
10. The Night Before Christmas - Jan Brett
11. The Littlest Elf - Brandi Dougherty
12. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bell - Lucille Colandro
13. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss
14. Mooseltoe - Margie Palatini
15. Christmas Trolls - Jan Brett
16. The Wild Christmas Reindeer - Jan Brett
17. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (movie version)
18. Olivia Helps with Christmas - Ian Falconer
19. A Cars Christmas
20. Bialosky's Christmas - Leslie McGuire
21. Bear Stays Up for Christmas - Karma Wilson
22. Room for a Little One - Martin Waddell
23. A Very Mater Christmas
24. The Christmas Baby - Marion Dane Bauer***

The kids always get a book in their Christmas stocking, so December 25th will find a new book for each of them.  This is clearly geared more towards Finneaus, but Abby likes to listen to bedtime stories occasionally,  too.  I have very fond memories of being read to as a child and later of reading the American Girl series to Abby when she was just a small girl.  My favorite time of the day these days is a snuggle and a book with Finn (and it happens often, not just at bedtime!).

There is something about being read to; I think reading out loud is my love language.  

Tomorrow our Elf on the Shelf pal, Reginald VanWinkle, will make his grand debut in the Hefter home, so I will share my calendar of Reginald VanWinkle's events and a few pictures of what I have planned for this season.  Hoping for a Christmas tree hunt this weekend and maybe some snow time outside on the trails if Finn is feeling better...enjoy your weekend!

***This is my most favorite book this holiday season; I can't read it without tearing up.  I will neither confirm nor deny that I cried in the middle of Barnes and Noble reading this.  Obviously with a new small human on the way in a few short weeks (not mine!) it is perfect for our family, so I sent it to my sister.  I believe that she cried, too, but she's pregnant, so her tears are expected.  If you happen to be at B&N, go to their children's section, pull it off the shelf, find a relatively private corner and proceed to have plenty of kleenex handy while you read.  Or maybe it's just me and I'm too emotional when it comes to babies, in which case, ignore the kleenex advice.