I cannot believe it is the first weekend of December! Today is the first Sunday of Advent and we are so excited! I love incorporating more and more of our faith into our lives as I learn more. Keeping the Christmas season more spiritual and less commercial can be a challenge sometimes. I fall prey just like everyone else to the hustle and bustle of this time of year!
This year, as with others, I really want to keep the focus on Jesus and how he would want us to celebrate his birthday. Knowing his giving spirit and the true love he has for everyone, my husband and I have been especially focused on giving this season!
One of the easiest and most kid-friendly ways we have found to do this is with The Giving Manger. If you haven’t heard of this yet, you have to check it out. It is the sweetest little set that comes with a book to read together as a family, along with a little wooden manger, straw and baby Jesus. We purchased this set a couple years ago for ourselves but it would be a great Christmas gift as well!
PROMOTE GOOD DEEDS
The basic story behind it is to promote your children to do good deeds and to ‘earn’ a piece of straw for the manger. As the month of December passes, with each good deed the manger gets more and more full with soft straw, awaiting the birth of baby Jesus!
Not only do the good deeds teach our children the importance of doing good for others, but it also teaches the true anticipation of Christmas. It helps them be learn to be patient for their results…which is a huge thing we are working on with our 3-year-old right now!
We promote good deeds and fun activities with our Advent calendar too. Read about our DIY Advent calendar here!
CHRISTMAS MORNING
On Christmas morning we place baby Jesus in his manger and relish in all of the great works we have done over the last month. It really is a beautiful sight!
The Giving Manger is the perfect gift for your family and it isn’t too late to start! Learn more by visiting their website, www.thegivingmanger.com.
SERVICE IDEAS
Also, this year The Giving Manger has created a great printable with service ideas for the kids. This is perfect for our older kids who may not always know exactly what they can do. There is something for everyone on here, big and small tasks, some for family and for our neighbors too. It’s available for FREE on their website!
Jesus wants us to treat everyone with great love. We impress on our children the importance of treating others how you would want to be treated and to always help the less fortunate. Gratefulness should be our motto!
Merry Christmas and Happy Advent!
-This isn’t a sponsored post, just a mom sharing a great product she loves!
