The holiday season is so much fun with kids. It really is.

I recently read a blogpost that contained tips on how to color coordinate your Christmas decorations for the perfectly styled tree.

Nope, that’s not us.

Our tree is decorated with an increasing number of handmade ornaments which the girls are ever so proud of. We also have snowflakes, texas stars, a&m and clemson globes, and a menagerie of Grant’s childhood ornaments.

Ah yes, the tree is just right. Perfectly styled. All colors represented. Even if the bottom of the tree is sparsely decorated … because Charles.

Along with the girls enjoying our tree this year, here are a few other things we’ve been loving in the Castleberry home.

The Snowman. Have you read this book? Or I guess I shouldn’t say “read” since there aren’t any words. Grant’s Aunt gave this book to us a couple Christmases ago and it is so sweet. The girls also LOVE the movie which is just like the book. It’s also wordless and is a wonderfully imaginative film.

Christmas Carols for a Kid’s Heart. Love this series and the Christmas Carols one is no exception (thanks to my sis-in-law who gifted it to us this year)! It comes with a CD that we put in the van and listen to when we drive around and look at Christmas lights.

The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung {how the snake crusher brings us back to the garden}. Grant picked this up at a conference a few weeks ago and it has been an evening tradition. I also saw a copy at the public library!

Call me a granny but nothing says  winter vacation quite like a puzzle.  I would never take the time to put together a puzzle in regular life when I have laundry, and cleaning, and life to be living. But I have a little girl who LOVES puzzles and so our mother/daughter Christmas project is putting together Santa’s Workshop. Costco has 100, 500, and 1,000 piece Christmas puzzles right now for $7.99. The same ones retail on Amazon for close to $20.

Prepare Him Room. I mentioned this CD last year and I am loving it again this year. We also have the accompanying advent book though the girls are still a little young for it.

I’ve also been enjoying baking Christmas cookies with the girls to gift, talking about Jesus’ birth, Christmas movies and books (many we checked out from the library), and playing with our Fisher Price nativity set.

I would love to hear what you are enjoying with your family this December!