It’s time! Our Truth in the Tinsel Challenge and advent-ure begins today! Today’s scripture is from Isaiah 9:2, “The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them. “ What a beautiful way to start this Christmas season–with the Light of the World! I can’t wait to hear how you and your kids like Day 1 of Truth in the Tinsel.

If you haven’t joined the Facebook page, please do so! I am already so inspired by everyone there–everyone is posting fun ways they’re using the book, cute advent calendars and just adorable pics of their kids!

If you haven’t bought the book yet, don’t worry! It’s not too late! I have included lots of alternate schedules. You don’t have to do it every single day if your schedule won’t allow. But I do encourage you to do SOMETHING! Don’t let December pass you by without spending focused time on Jesus!

Oh, and I don’t know how to tell you this but, I’m leaving for Disney World today. Can you believe that crazy timing? When we planned the vacation, I had not planned on writing a book! But we are taking our ornaments with us and our cute paper chain. We’re gonna do it vacation-style! So, watch the Facebook page for how we hack our adventure for a hotel room!

I have to tell you–I don’t bring my computer on vacation. I don’t want to set the precedent. And my phone is just too old and dinosaur-ish to update on facebook or twitter. So, today, my husband came home with a brand new iPhone for me. Just so I could keep in touch with the Truth in the Tinsel fun this week! I know that is so first-world, but I am so honored by his generosity and thoughtfulness! So. I will be updating and checking in on what’s going on! Yahoooo!

Merry Truth-in-the-Tinsel!

***Impress Your Kids has some new digs at ohAmanda.com! Come visit us there for all the Impress Your Kids archives and all our new posts–including our Easter newsblast with fabulous tips for celebrating a meaningful Easter with your kids!***

It’s Black Friday–and more importantly, it’s the day Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands is released! I have literally been nervous for over a week waiting for this day! Everyday the count of fans on the Facebook page has gone up (almost 900 on Thanksgiving night!), the emails with positive feedback have been coming every day and lots of great reviews being posted tomorrow. At the risk of sounding trite, I am so thankful for all of you and your excitement! Thank you for getting the word out about the book. I could not have done it on my own.

Remember, during our 31 Days, I talked about making holidays HOLYdays? I wrote, “I have discovered that Christmas and Easter are my biggest and most flamboyant vehicle to teach my kids about God.” (Is it tacky to quote yourself? Oops.) I haven’t been able to get that word out of my mind–flamboyant. I love the idea of being flamboyant about teaching our kids about God. I get the feeling that most people just send their kids to church, buy a few Veggie Tales movies and hope their kid turns out ok. I want to do more than that. I want to be flamboyant, purposeful, deliberate and AWESOME in how I teach my kids about Jesus.

And Christmas, I think, is the best vehicle to do so. Just tonight, on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt’s house the kids were oooohing and aaahhhhing over Christmas lights. Their excitement has already started!  If I take a few minutes to plan it out and to think about it I can ride that excitement and make a huge, living impact in their lives about Jesus’ birth.

Will you join me? Will you take the first 24 days of December to  impress your kids? Will you give your kids 30 minutes a day for 24 days?  Will you turn down the attention and energy put into the elf on the shelf, the presents and bows, the Santa and his reindeer and pump up the focus and excitement on Jesus? Will you be flamboyant in teaching them about the greatest gift of all this year? I’m challenging you this December to help your kids find the truth in the tinsel, to experience Christmas and to get to know Jesus.

Join me and several of my friends along with a host of other moms (and dads) as we go through the Christmas Story with Truth in the Tinsel! Buy the book, collect your craft supplies, get a Bible and do the book with us! We’ll be updating on the Truth in the Tinsel facebook page with pictures of our crafts (yes, even if they are failures!), funny things our children say and miracles that are taking place in our kids’ hearts. It will be a place to get encouragement, tips and stay accountable—a little community, if you will. We’d love for you to join us!

The book is regularly $4.99 (which is a crazy deal when you see how good it looks on the inside!) but on Black Friday it will be just $2.99! You could buy them for every mom you know and still have cash left over to go Black Friday shopping!

I’ve been praying for the families who go through Truth in the Tinsel this year and I believe it’s going to be a significant experience in your child’s life!

So, are you in? Will you take the Truth in the Tinsel challenge?

***Impress Your Kids has some new digs at ohAmanda.com! Come visit us there for all the Impress Your Kids archives and all our new posts–including our Easter newsblast with fabulous tips for celebrating a meaningful Easter with your kids!***

Now that Christmas is past, here’s a peek at some of the Advent Activities I didn’t have time to show you…

Our Happy Birthday Jesus Party

Legend of the Candy Cane Craft

The Star Scavenger Hunt & Star

Our Daddy Christmas Cards {sent to Daddy, Grandpa, Papa and two uncles!}

Sticker Nativity Scene
{I got this for 50% off last year and put the stickers in our advent calendar each day!
Baby Jesus was the last day–the kids were so excited to see him!}

We did miss several of the activities I planned, but I knew that would happen. I liked that I had so many ideas to choose from—and that they were all so different! We were always focusing on the theme and always talking about it. However, Lydia asked me about 5 times, “Can we do ornaments next year? So we can teach Asa about the Christmas story?” So, we’ll see what happens next year!

***Impress Your Kids has some new digs at ohAmanda.com! Come visit us there for all the Impress Your Kids archives and all our new posts–including our Easter newsblast with fabulous tips for celebrating a meaningful Easter with your kids!***