*SNEAK PEEK* 2012 Holiday Gift Guide ~ "The Sparkle Box" Review & Giveaway

As you all may or may not have noticed, I am hosting my first-ever Holiday Gift Guide this year! I have never done one in the past and am very excited to bring you some of the best and hottest gift ideas that are out there for this up-coming holiday season. Today, I am giving you a little sneak peek into what this Gift Guide holds for you and what better way to start than with a fabulous gift idea for children!

Books are things that every child loves. Whether it is sitting down to flip through board books, or reading chapter books, children enjoy the thrill and excitement of what awaits their little minds within each book. My children LOVE to read; we visit our local library at least once a week and get out several books for them. Jacob, my two year old, really loves the books about trucks and heavy equipment. Although he cannot read, he totally understands the pictures and "reads" in his own little way. My daughter enjoys any book, but especially books about children, families and pets. She is a very inquisitive little girl and needs to be kept busy all the time...books have been our answer for her!

With Christmas a little over 9 weeks away (!!!) it is not too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts for your little ones. We don't believe in Santa Claus so naturally, we don't teach our children about him. We teach them that Christmas is a time of year that is set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So many people get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas that the true meaning is totally lost in all the hustle and bustle.  That was the inspiration behind "The Sparkle Box".

Jill Hardie, the author of this fantastic children's book saw materialism taking over her family during the holidays and turned it around to helping others. This is the inspiration behind this book. Here is a bit more about Jill...

Author Jill Hardie, her husband, and their two children began the tradition of placing a Sparkle Box for Jesus under their Christmas tree approximately six years ago. The first time they opened His gift, the commercialism of the season melted away and they experienced profound peace and happiness. It's Jill's hope that The Sparkle Box book will ignite a new Christmas tradition that helps center Christmas in the true joy of the season.

"There are many traditions that help us remember the remarkable and beautiful story of the birth of Jesus. My hope is that The Sparkle Box will help us remember Jesus as he is today – in the present. It encourages us to ask the question,  'What gift can we give Jesus on His birthday that will bring Him joy?'

Jesus taught us that whenever we do something for someone in need, we do it for Him. I think loving and caring for each other in His name is the greatest gift we could give to honor Jesus on His birthday."

– Jill Hardie

Because of the fact that we are Bible-believing Christians, we love books that teach our children about Jesus and how serving Him brings peace and joy. "The Sparkle Box" really excited me as it promised to be a great teaching tool for my children.

So, for this review I was sent "The Sparkle Box" to read to my children and to share with you! It arrived the other day and I just had to review it now!!

 First of all, the cover is gorgeous. See the pretty wrapped box? It has like a 3-D glitter look to it but none of the glitter rubs off. My daughter LOVED this sparkly box...she could not WAIT to read the book! (You can't see them in these pictures but my children were fighting me to get to the book...I had to keep telling them to move away from the table so I could take my pictures. Ha ha!)

Oh yes, and the book comes with a sparkle box that you can unfold and make into your very own box and yes, it is glittery too!

I just love all of the beautiful pictures that are found in this book. They are all very colorful and really portray the story well. The illustrations are drawn by Christine Kornacki and she did a really fantastic job. What I think I love the most about this book is that there is no mention of Santa Claus at all so I don't have to "ad-lib" any parts.

So, as soon as I was done with taking my pictures of the book, my children RAN with this book to the couch and settled in for a story. Here is a quick synopsis of "The Sparkle Box"...

Sam can’t wait for Christmas! He’s excited about the parties and the food and, of course, the gifts. One present in particular has Sam curious—a sparkling silver box on the mantel. Sam’s parents will only tell him that they will open the gift together, but that they need to fill it first.

Throughout the holiday season, Sam and his family participate in various charitable acts together. Gradually, Sam starts to see how fortunate he is and how important it is to help others.

On Christmas morning, Sam rushes down the stairs to open his gifts. When he and his parents open the Sparkle Box, all he sees are strips of paper that record the family’s acts of kindness. Sam is confused, but his mom explains:

 “[Jesus] taught us that whatever we do for people in need, we do for Him. . . . Each year we’ll think of some special gifts to give Jesus. We’ll write down these gifts and put them in the Sparkle Box. On Christmas morning, we’ll open the box and read out loud the gifts we gave in honor of His birthday.”

This story will inspire readers to adopt this tradition and to experience the true meaning of the Christmas holiday.

Being a parent, I am constantly trying to instill good values into my children and this book has given me a wonderful idea on how I can do that. I plan to use our Sparkle Box for this upcoming holiday season and I think I am going to focus on the children doing nice things for each other and then writing those things down and putting them in our box. They are having a hard time learning how to be KIND and this would help encourage them to be kind, and in turn, make Jesus' heart very happy. What a great way to teach them how to love and care!

"The Sparkle Box" retails for $19.99 and can be purchased at any book store. You can also purchase it online by clicking HERE.

So, in my opinion..."The Sparkle Box" is a fantastic book and would make a wonderful gift for any child this holiday season. I love the values that are instilled and taught by this book and look forward to reading this book to my children in the weeks, months and years to come!

One of you can WIN your very own copy of "The Sparkle Box"! This giveaway will end in time for you to give this book to a special little person in your life. So get your entries in and scratch a name off your shopping list!
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Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free book for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the "The Sparkle Box" website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.