Day #2 in the great Smarty Toy Giveaway is here! Today we present you with the sweetest way to help your explain the real meaning of Christmas to your little ones: My Secret Angel and Me book and angel doll.
My Secret Angel and Me was written and illustrated by local moms, Ashley Adorno and Rachel Hernandez. They were searching for a way to tie in Santa and Jesus and were truly inspired by God. This book has the most beautiful illustrations I have seen in a children’s book . The writing is amazing – you’ll find yourself tearing up as you read it – promise! What I love most about it is the focus on Jesus and tying it into your family by the angel who visits God every night. It’s brilliant and beautiful all in one fell swoop!
Each 40-page hard-covered book is packaged inside a keepsake hard-covered bound box along with a Secret Angel Doll. You can find this book set locally at Barnes & Noble in SouthPark/Arboretum/Carolina Place, Brilliant Sky Toys & Books in Blakeney, The Buttercup, John Dabbs, Cutie Pies, Goodness Gracious Gifts at Myers Park United Methodist Church, The Good News Shop at Christ Episcopal Church, Blackhawk Hardware in Park Road Shopping Center, Three French Hens in Strawberry Hill, Magic Windows in Phillips Place, The Milky Way on East Boulevard, Bucketts, and Cokesbury Christian Bookshop on Tyvola Road, .
Our family angel, “Angie,” is “Shepherd’s” (Elf on the Shelf) BFF – they are always side-by-side each morning after visiting heaven and the North Pole.
Here’s the good news: THREE lucky Smarty winners will win their very own Secret Angel book and doll – trust me, this is one family tradition you’ll want your kiddos to remember. For the rest of us, buy your Secret Angel book today because last year they completely sold out! Visit their website to order online or check out a list of retailers who carry it.
Here’s how to enter to win:
1) You must be a subscriber to our e-newsletter for your chance to win a My Secret Angel and Me. We will verify – you can be a new or existing subscriber, we’ll love you either way:-)
2) Share this on your Facebook wall and let us know in the comments below after you did. Go ahead and click the “like” button in the upper left corner too:-)
3) Post a comment below about what your fave holiday tradition was as a kid.
That’s it! Good luck and don’t forget to keep checking CSP every day for the latest holiday toy guides for each age AND a toy giveaway! We’ll pick our lucky winner on Tuesday, December 4th! The winner must live in the Greater Charlotte Area.
Ashley Adorno has a passion for God, children and the arts and has spent her career as an art educator for children ages 4 and up. She is a Charlotte native, but now lives in Charleston, SC and spends her time raising her 3 children, Tyler, Ayla, and Cecelia together with her husband Sean.
Rachel Hernandez is a former television news reporter turned stay-at-home mom. She is currently working on her Masters in Biblical Studies at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, GA. She lives in Atlanta with her husband Pete, daughter Bella and her Italian Greyhounds Giorgio and Pia.
31 comments
I shared! One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was attending the midnight church service with the wonderful music and inscence! And then we would come home and put cookies out for Santa!
I shared! My favorite holiday tradition was my grandmother putting her nutcracker soldiers along her long staircase. I love doing that at my house now too ( as long as my children leave them alone).
I shared. My favorite holiday tradition was our family elf way before there was “An Elf on the Shelf”. My parents had our elf and then my Dad also would ring sleigh bells throughout the neighborhood and leave candy on all of the kids doorsteps about a week before Christmas and we were all sure that it was Santa checking on us.
My childhood memory is driving around a neighborhood known for tons of lights and decorations. Each street had a “theme” – so neat! : Prestonwood Forest, TX!
My favorite holiday tradition was riding around in the car just to look at lights. They were not all over the place like they are now, so we really had to drive around out of our way to find them, but it was always fun & special!
I also liked & shared this post on Facebook. Thank you!! This sounds like such a sweet book!
Shared!
My favorite holiday tradition was baking cookies and goodies with my Mom.
All home made and stored in tins. The smell of the butter and chocolate still are inside those cookie tins!
Shared! My favorite tradition was sharing cookies with friends and neighbors after hours of baking.
I shared. My favorite Christmas tradition was waking up Christmas morning and going into my parents room and my parents would make of show of going to check if Santa had been before we were allowed into the living room, and then we would see all the presents and our faces would light up then we would sit down together and take turns to open presents one at a time.
subscriber already, liked, shared. would LOVE this. it has been on my list since a friend told me last year. Favorite tradition would be staying up as long as I could with my sisters watching nick at night reruns in the playroom to try to make it until midnight and catch Santa coming down our chimney.
I shared on facebook! My favorite tradition when I was in elementary school was going to the midnight church service with my grandmother. It was special time with just the two of us.
Shared on FB! I have a lot of special traditions, but this one is one of my most memorable.
My parents and our neighbor’s began a tradition of having a neighborhood ornament exchange in the late 70’s. Each year, six families on our street would get together and we would go out to sing Christmas Carols to all of our elderly neighbors. Afterwards, we would all have an ornmanet exchange. Each year every child would draw a name of another child for the ornament exchange, and each child would give the child they selected an ornament that recognized a special milestone, sport, organization, etc from that year. This tradition has continued, but now we have 3 generations that still meet up each year for what is now known as the “Village Christmas Party”. What started out as 11 parents and thier 17 children has now grown to 11 Grandparents, 29 children & spouses, and 30 grandchildren! I love unpacking my ornaments each year and recalling memories about these special parties, memories, and friendships!
I’m a subscriber!
I tweeted!
Shared on facebook, and liked too!
I don’t know if this would be my favorite holiday tradition, but it’s a tradition that is part of our household now, and my kids love it just as much as I do. We make something called “Christmas Tea”, which consists of fruit juices, tea, and red hots. The bottom line of the story that goes with it is that Jesus (who later shed his blood while dying on the cross for us…can be worded carefully so it’s not terribly disturbing for younger children. Mine only had to know that he died for our sins when they were small. There are excellent bible verses that can be used too, like “by His stripes we are healed”, for example.) made everything better for us when He died for our sins, and so on Christmas day we celebrate His life and the opportunity that He gave us, and His father’s sacrifice. In recent years we realized it tastes virtually the same if you just heat apple juice, and add the redhots to melt, and maybe a little pineapple juice. Oh the Easter story with apple juice and “the blood of Jesus”! It’s a fun and tasty reminder for these holidays, or just a yummy recipe for some!
Shared! I think my best memories was going to the Christmas Eve service every year and sharing our time with others in the church who may not have a lot of family to celebrate with at home. It always left a huge place in my heart.
Shared! My favorite family tradition is baking Christmas cookies with my sister and Mom. From when I was little until we got older and stayed up baking and talking.
My favorite Christmas tradition as a kids was going to the the Christmas Eve service and then eating Christmas cookies!
Liked on fb. As a child I loved decorating the tree. I made Christmas real.
I shared on Facebook. My favorite holiday tradition was caroling with some neighborhood families. We would meet up for a holiday party, grab some hot cocoa and our hats and gloves and knock on neighbors’ doors to sing. I never hear of people doing this anymore!
My favorite holiday tradition was always going on a family walk at night in the snow…everything was so beautiful and peaceful and we would sled down the streets! Miss that!
Shared on FB and liked!
Each year my great Aunt gave us an advent candle for the Christmas season.neach night starting December 1, my sister and I would take turns lighting the candle. We had to watch it closely to make sure that the candle didn’t burn past the next day, so there was always a lot of back and forth to check the candle. She even left a candle when she passed away for the next Christmas, so it was a very special year and we didn’t want the month to end!
My favorite memory is going to candlelight church service with my whole family and opening gifts that evening of Christmas Eve. I shared on FB.
Shared. My favorite holiday tradition was going to the mountains and cutting Dow our Christmas tree.
My fondest memory of Xmas was taking the money I earned and buying our family a fake fireplace and the little drummer boy album for my family!
shared on fb!
One of my favorite memories is picking pecans off our pecan tree with my grandmother. She would then teach me how to make the BEST pecan pie in the world!!!
Shared and Liked
I am not on FB….my daughter and I are doing this together..fun!! I would say just being with all 4 of my children…sitting around the table, playing games and eating wholemaid pies!!
I on not on FB. I agree with mom. My best memories are just spending the day eating lots of mom’s good cookin:) playing games with my siblings!