Reading........Family Holiday Favorites

Snow, snow, and more snow! Today we have a temporary break from all the snowy weather and even a bit of sunshine, but things are expected to whiten back up over the next few days. For the most part, I enjoy winter (although I think technically this is still fall, right?), and snow is beautiful and magical of course, but this bitter, bitter cold is trying my patience a bit. It was 4 degrees this morning. In North Carolina, that is too cold. This has been an "enjoy from the window" sort of snow, not a "build a snowman and frolic and play" type of snow, which is sort of a shame for Miss Kate, who is (much like her Mama) itching to be outdoors. Oh well. Being stuck indoors has a few perks. For instance, ample time to snuggle up by the fire with our favorite Christmas picture books.


I'm excited about our new "seasonal" book box. It's actually an old kindling box made by my Grandfather (on my dad's side). He died when I was 8 years old, and although I do remember him, those memories are growing more vague and blurry as time goes by. My dad recently found a collection of these old boxes in my grandfather's toolshed. They were a bit scuffed and dirty, mostly used to store tools and such, but with a quick cleaning and polishing they took on the rustic simplicity that suits our little cabin perfectly. We have one on the porch to use for kindling, and then this one is an ideal size for storing the seasonal books I want us to have ready access to, without having to dig around on the (overcrowded) bookshelf. I love that we are able to have this tangible connection to my grandfather through something he made with his own hands. Bringing it into our home to use on a daily basis brings a bit of his spirit and memory back as well, which is so important throughout the year, but especially resonates at Christmas.

And so, I thought I would share a few of our favorite family Holiday books that fill the book box. I expect this list will grow and change each year, but these are the books in heavy rotation this year.

Our copy of the Little Golden Books Christmas Story was mine when I was a little girl, and I'm sorry to say it is in pretty bad shape, including a last page completely covered with brown crayon which I can only attribute to my toddler self. Or perhaps I'll just blame my little sister (in the way big sisters so often do). But, it's a beautiful book nonetheless, and the simple language and gorgeous, vibrant illustrations really bring this special story to life for us.

Kate and I love Eloise anytime of the year, but the Christmas book is one of our favorites! It's "drinkles and sklinkles of fun!"

This is a new book for us this year, but it's already a favorite. We've been enjoying Elsa Beskow's books for awhile now, and this summer we were first introduced to Peter and Lotta et. al. when Kate fell in love with Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Lavender. This is a delightful Christmas story, full of simple, old fashioned Swedish customs. We love the notion of a Christmas goat!

This is a lovely book for dog lovers, featuring bright, colorful illustrations. It's a sweet story about Olive, a dog who joins Santa's reindeer and uses her special canine talents to save Christmas.

Of course this book is on our list and everyone else's. It's a classic for a reason.....

What are you reading this holiday season?