Christmas is my absolute most favorite time of the year! I especially love the joy that it brings to my children! As part of the holiday season, I love planning fun little holiday activities for them through the month of December and this year is no different! In fact, my latest discovery, The Christmas Angel, will definitely play a part in our Christmas celebration this year!
What is The Christmas Angel?
The Christmas Angel is a fun, creative storybook set designed to help you create a fun family tradition centered around the true meaning of Christmas! It is a wonderful tool that helps remind children about the joy of giving to others!
From the Creators:
Check out the video from the creators Lisa and Patrick Dorough explaining The Christmas Angel and how it came about!
What Comes in The Christmas Angel Set?
The Christmas Angel Storybook Set comes with a cute plush angel, a beautifully illustrated full-color hardback book, and a packet of gold glitter (aka golden dust). To top it all off, the set also includes a keepsake tin to store everything so that the set can be treasured and used year after year!
The Story of The Christmas Angel
The story of The Christmas Angel is a beautiful story about a little girl who awakes to an angel sent from God. The angel tells her about the birth of Jesus and then encourages her to spread the joyous news to people everywhere! The angel explains that God gave us His special gift, Jesus! In the same spirit we should also give to others!
Choose to GIVE Today!
So often my kids get caught up in what they will receive during the holiday season. I love that the story of The Christmas Angel encourages the children to find creative ways to give to others, showing the true spirit of the Christmas season!
The book even suggests ideas for giving…making Christmas cards, singing Christmas carols…
…giving candy canes to neighbors and spending time with them to tell them of God’s love…sharing your toys with children in need…
I have been doing some of my own brainstorming and I am very excited to get my kids involved in focusing more on the giving than the receiving this Christmas season!
Hints in the Golden Dust
In the storybook, the Christmas Angel leaves hints in golden dust. This is where the glitter comes in! The Christmas Angel visits YOUR child and leaves hints in the golden dust about what THEY get to do to share the gift of God’s love with others.
Simply pour the glitter into the lid of the tin to leave hints about how you will spread the gift of God’s love to others for that day! (It reminds me of the salt box we made for practicing penmanship!)
Hide the Christmas Angel along with the hints in the golden dust. Send your little ones off to find the angel and discover what fun what they will share the true spirit of the holiday, giving!
How we will use The Christmas Angel:
First, we will read The Christmas Angel storybook on November 30th and I will get them excited about what surprises are in store. Each day in December I will have an activity for the kids to spread Christmas joy to others through giving!
As much as I love the idea of writing in the golden dust, I have a backup plan in case one of my kids just happen to accidentally knock over the glitter in their excitement! Yes, I can TOTALLY see this happening! So, thinking ahead, I used a bit of the glitter to decorate an envelope with the word GIVE. I will write the hints in gold ink on an index card and place it inside the envelope.
Each day I will hide the angel along with the glittery envelope filled with a hint written in gold ink! The kids will run around the house searching for the angel, excited to discover how they will get to bless someone that day through giving!
I am excited to use The Christmas Angel with my kids this year! I know they will be thrilled searching for the angel but I will be even more thrilled that they will be learning that the greater blessing is to give than to receive!
Purchase The Christmas Angel
Would you like to begin a new Christmas tradition with your children by restoring the true GIVING spirit of Christmas? Purchase The Christmas Angel for the special little ones in your life for only $29.95. For more information, be sure to visit The Christmas Angel website or find them on Facebook or Twitter.
Win a Christmas Angel Storybook Set
Would you like to win a Christmas Angel Storybook Set? You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below. (If you are reading this post via email or via a reader and the giveaway widget does not appear below, visit the actual blog post or click the link below to enter.) Giveaway is open to anyone. Giveaway ends 11/11/12. The winner will be emailed and announced on the giveaway widget. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be selected.
Even More Ways to Win 
Want another chance to win a Christmas Child Storybook Set plus some other great prizes? Be sure to check out the iHomeschool Network Christmas Facebook party on Tuesday, November 13, 2012!
For even more ways to win, be sure to stop by the bloggers listed below who are also hosting giveaways:
This product was given to me free of charge. I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was compensated for my time invested in reviewing the product. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.
Mama Jenn
Thanks for sharing Cherie! I’m about to google it now!
Jennifer Blake
we love reading our advent book each night leading up to christmas and the kids love making a prayer chain. We read one persons name off of it each night. That is a favorite of mine
mamaanna
Our Christmas tradition is to do a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child every year. We also have an Advent wreath and do daily devotions.
Mama Jenn
My parents put oranges in our stockings too! 😉
Cortney
When I was a child we used to always get oranges in our stockings. To this day (I am now 32) it just doesn’t seem like Christmas unless I have an orange in my stocking.
Cherie Pieklik Harris
The book we use is “A Family Advent: Keeping the Savior in the Season.” We have a 12yo & a 5yo so we wanted to find something that worked for both children. We’ve used it for a couple of years now and really enjoy it!
Darla Bunyan
I LOVE this idea!!! Our family traditions are always based on serving others. We usually find needy families and help them have a nice Christmas. This year we participated in Operation Christmas Child as well, and it is a tradition we all agreed we would continue year after year! It was amazing to see how excited my children were in doing something for someone else. They also begged to do multiple boxes, and asked to take from their own Christmas budget! I was proud. I believe this will be an exciting addition to our family!!!
rcxo324
oh that sounds wonderful. thanks for the great idea =)
Mama Jenn
Thanks for sharing Cherie! Do you mind sharing the name of the Advent book you use? I would love to check it out!
Mama Jenn
Sounds like fun! My kids always love having hot cocoa and driving around looking at the Christmas lights!
Krissy Matlock
My favorite tradition is on Christmas Eve. We pass out homemade goodies to our neighbors and I love making the kids wear Santa hats while they do this. A few hours before bed, we make hot cocoa to go and drive through the park to look at the Christmas lights. Then, the kids put on their p.j.’s and they get to open up one present before bed. I love Christmas Eve.
Cherie
We have an Advent book that we read every night after dinner. It has devotions, crafts, and ways to serve during this season. We also try to say no more to different commitments so that we can slow down and remember what this season is truly about.
Mama Jenn
Oh yes, we love looking at all the Christmas lights as well!
juliea
we’re all about the cookies!!!
Kala
we make a birthday cake for Jesus, drive around looking at lights, and open 3 gifts (always pjs, christmas pillow case and a special ornament). We read the Christmas story from the Bible before bed.
Jennie Mason
This sounds like an awesome way to celebrate the birth of our Savior!
hervin02
What a cute idea! I definitely like this better than the Elf on the Shelf.
Mama Jenn
Um, yeah, I think I would try to leave that one behind too! LOL!!
Mama Jenn
What a neat tradition!!!
Mama Jenn
Oooohhhh…Waffle House!!!!
Shannon Diaz
We always have a birthday party for Jesus.
Jennifer H
our favorite tradition is eating at Waffle House on Christmas Eve and then driving around to look at lights!
Heidi Meinecke-Smith
we don’t have any “hard-and-fast” traditions but I do always hang the Christmas ornament from my parents first Christmas together. It’s old and battered, and they aren’t even married anymore but it is where I came from and to me it resembles home…
Laura Haggard Witten
cute! i like this better than elf on the shelf 🙂
Kelly
I love making cookies with my kids.
Rebekah Gorden
We have a special Christmas blanket. One child uses the blanket Dec. 1 and then passes it to the next child for a night and they keep taking turns all the way till Christmas Eve night, then they put it under the Nativity scene to get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birthday because He was born in the night.
Julie Campbell
So many traditions and adding new ones all of the time. Getting up at 3:00 in the morning has become a new “tradition” for my 2 little ones the last 2 years! Now that is one I am hoping to leave behind this year.
Mama Jenn
What a neat tradition Rebekah! Thanks for sharing!
Rebekah Kuriakose
We have an 8 inch wooden cross that we always hide in the middle of our Christmas tree…usually around the height level of the kids. It is a constant reminder of why Christ came and how we choose to put Him in the middle of our Christmas.
Kathy Balman
We love doing our truth in the tinsel advent its our newest tradition. we also do gingerbread houses every year.
Jennifer McCann Legg
To ease the anxiousness of our children we have a tradition of opening one of our stocking gifts every night for 5 nights before Christmas!
Mama Jenn
What a neat and practical way to teach your kids about giving and sacrificing for others!
Tammy Cooke Dowell
One of our traditions is to make a Jesse Tree with ornaments to tell the lineage and story of Jesus’ birth.
Tammy Cooke Dowell
I simply love the idea of the Christmas Angel!!! What a wonderful idea! Thanks for the opportunity to share and teach our children more about giving.
Valerie Wade Blaisdell
We have a favorite book – The Kings Christmas List by Eldon Johnson, which is based on Matthew 25:40 – we start the Christmas season with that book and then as a family pick a goal of giving from the Samaritans purse “catalog” – and set a goal to give ???? (4 chickens) and then pick out something we’d give up. Then the money we save from doing that goes into our giving stocking. Last year we gave up “drinks” and any money that would’ve gone to soft drinks with dinners out, or to buy to have at home was saved and used to send gifts to those in need. My kids have already asked when we’d come up with our giving plan again.
Mama Jenn
I absolutely L.O.V.E this idea…I might have found another addition to our Christmas plans!!! {grins}
Mama Jenn
What a fun tradition!!!
Cheryl Prether
What a great idea! Thanks for the chance to win.
Tap Katie Hornor
We always bring our gifts down on Christmas eve to put under the tree, all jumbled up, but Christmas morning when everyone wakes up they have “magically” been organized in beautiful rows under the tree!
Melissa Peterson
We have a tradition where everyday in the month of December we open a ‘new’ (or put away since last Christmas) Christmas book and then do a Christmas activity (throw a bday party for Jesus, put $ in Salvation Army bucket, give to toys for tots etc.). This would be a great addition for us!! 🙂
Stephanie Hale Eidson
My favorite Christmas Tradition started when I was very young. As far back as I can remember my mamaw would pull me to the counter and we would mix up some cookies together. We would decorate them with icing and share them with the family. She passed right after my first baby was born and I was lucky enough to inheirit her cookie cutters that we used to bake those cookies. Each year my children and I bake up a batch of those cookies and remember her!
Rhonda
We give the kids (and us!) new Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve for them to sleep in and we take family photos in the morning in front of the tree. This year, since we’re adding another kid, we’re not buying pajamas for the parents, but we’ll wrap up a new Christmas movie with some popcorn and hot chocolate mix.
Kelly M Wooten
I love this!! We are looking to start a new tradition with our little girls and this is so much better than Elf on a Shelf!!!
Mama Jenn
My kids LONG for the day after Thanksgiving when all of the Christmas shows start coming on TV. I think that is about the time that our DVR gets completely full! LOL!!
Mama Jenn
Yep, Christmas music and decorating the tree rank pretty high on the list for me!
Mama Jenn
We have done the birthday cake and sing happy bday as well! One of our traditions before opening presents the kids act out the Christmas story!
rcxo324
On Christmas Morning BEFORE opening presents the lil’ ones put baby Jesus in the Manger and then we take out the birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. It is important to remind the that Jesus is here bc of God’s love for them and that He’s the greatest present and the reason we celebrate!!! I love traditions and we even celebrate the Epiphany; the Christmas Angel would be an amazing addition to their learning and sharing of the Good News!!
Sara Grant
um I don’t think i have a ‘set” tradition. I have read the birth of christ out of the bible to things that tell why we have Christmas. or both this year Im thinking about doing jesse tree. and maybe this.???
Bethany
I love reading the Christmas story from the Bible each Christmas Eve with my family. Also, decorating our Christmas tree with Christmas music playing in the background!
beachmama4
Our favorite Christmas tradition is baking cut-out sugar cookies!
Jaclyn F.
We give the kids new pj’s every Christmas and they get to open 1 gift on Christmas eve.
Kimberly Nelson
I read about this last year but ran out of time to get one. We already have an elf on the shelf, but I love the angel idea with a mission to do for others each day. Thanks for the opportunity!
Jessica Evans
I’ve been telling everyone I know about this angel, it’s such a wonderful alternative to Elf on a Shelf!! I’m going to spend the next $30 I have on one, but winning one would be wonderful!!!
Calley Sassin
Wow! HOw neat!!!We make a birthday cake for Jesus and cards every year telling Jesus why we are thankful He came.
ticiaM
We always watch Muppet Christmas Carol the day after Thanksgiving.
For a more Christ oriented tradition, we have several Advent traditions we started last year, reading the story of how God moved in history so Christ could come.
Mama Jenn
I have a friend who does new Christmas PJs too! I love that idea, but have just never implemented it! We are still planning to do Truth in the Tinsel this year PLUS The Christmas Angel! I’m super excited b/c this is my most favorite time of the year!
Mama R
I love this! We started the Truth in the Tinsel last year because you recommended it. One of our favorite Christmas traditions is after Christmas Eve service at church, we come home and everyone gets new pajamas to wear to bed and into Christmas Day. We usually have some eggnog or hot cocoa by the fire before bed and spend time together as a family.
Mama Jenn
Monica! This is perfectly fine! As long as you leave your comment telling my your tradition, it is all good! 😉 I have never heard of the Noel Calendar. I’m gonna have to check that out!!
Mama Jenn
Yep, being with family is one of the best parts! Believe it or not, that was one of the motivations of me wanting to have so many kids…so we will hopefully have a house full every Christmas! LOL!
Mama Jenn
Love it! A family craft day sounds like fun!
Mama Jenn
Caterina, I agree! We did Truth in the Tinsel last year and love it! I am excited to do it again this year…but we will be doing something special with the printable ornaments. (I don’t think our tree could handle anymore ornaments hanging on it!) I am also excited to use the Christmas Angel, because it will be there perfect way to get the kids excited about some of the activities that I had already planned to do with them this Christmas season!
Caterina Mangano
This looks wonderful! We began Truth in the Tinsel last year. Which was great. We had a lot of fun and experiencing the true meaning of Christmas time. This is so important. This would be another wonderful tradition to begin. Thanks for the chance to win, Caterina
Lora Gaul
We started a tradition of a family craft day a few weeks before Christmas. Just a nice family time together.
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Marcia Singleton
I’m not sure if I have a favorite tradition, but I love getting together with extended family that i don’t see often and enjoying them.
Amy Cooper-Arnold
I love this! My favorite Christmas tradition is lighting the Advent candles.
sandy
I love Christmas traditions with all of my kids and can’t wait to start some new ones this year!
Jackie
Thanks for sharing this, Jenn. I am looking forward to reading this with my family!
Monica
I think I have done something wrong in entering the giveaway. I wanted to live my comment about favorite Christmas tradition but somehow marked I did it before I did it. So can I say it here? Smile! We have a “Noel Calendar” from Desiring God Ministry that we do each day and it is super. Each day you put a symbol on the Christmas season and tell the story up to that symbol. By the end the kids can easily tell the whole story!
Monica
[email protected]
Jennifer
We like to do different things each year but last year we did the Jesse Tree for the first time. This has become our new tradition. This year, instead of paper ornaments we are going to make sturdier, permanent ornaments so the tradition can continue.
Mama Jenn
I never did the elf, but I am excited to do this with my kids! I know they will love it! FYI, if this is supposed to be your entry for the giveaway, be sure to come back and tell me one of your favorite Christmas traditions!
Bonnie Adams
Such a cute idea! I like it much more than the elf. 🙂
Jennifer
What a great idea! I love it!