Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A Gift For Kids: The Sparkle Box by Jill Hardie Review & Giveaway {Holiday Gift Guide}

**Product received for review.



About The Sparkle Box - A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas Sam is so excited about Christmas! He's thinking about his Christmas list, looking forward to holiday parties, and puzzling over one very mysterious gift: a sparkly box sitting on the mantel. In the midst of the festivities, Sam and his family participate in various acts of kindness to others. On Christmas morning, when Sam finally opens the Sparkle Box, he finds only slips of paper that record the family's good deeds. Sam's mom explains that the things that they've been doing are, in fact, a gift for Jesus, for Jesus said that whatever we do for those in need, we do for Him.

Author Bio
Author Jill Hardie and her family began placing a gift for Jesus under their Christmas tree as a way of bringing more meaning to the holiday.  The first time they opened His gift, the commercialism of the season melted away and they felt a profound joy and peace.  Jill hopes that The Sparkle Box will spark a new Christmas tradition, bringing light into thousands of lives.  

Illustrator Bio
At a very early age, Christine Kornacki developed a love for painting and bringing stories to life.  After receiving a BFA in illustration from the University of Hartford, her dreams of illustrating children's books began to take shape.  She spends her days painting in her studio, which adjoins a charming cafe in New Haven, Connecticut.  


My Thoughts:

We love the Christmas season in our household. The trees, the lights, the songs, the movies, the shopping...but with everything that goes along with the holidays, it can be easy for the real meaning of the season to be lost in the shuffle. Especially for kids! As a mom, this has always been a concern of mine...how do we teach our children that while everything else is great to, helping others and giving are the even greater gift? How do we honor Jesus in our festivities?

The Sparkle Box is a beautifully written story that serves as the perfect reminder. I loved the message that our helping others is a gift to Jesus, but more importantly I loved that it was written in a way that my child was able to understand as well. But the greatest part of all? The book actually includes your very own sparkle box. I am certain my son is not the only kiddo in the world who love recreating things he's seen on tv or in books...he loves doing the same things his favorite characters are doing in real life. This truly makes it easy to create a sparkle box tradition in your own family during the holidays. I love it, because it's a positive message to give my son and a reminder to give to Jesus...and my son loves it because it's just like the book!

The Sparkle Box has already become a bedtime staple in our house and is the perfect gift for all the little ones in your life this holiday. Kids get so many toys that get played with for a bit then forgotten about, but this is a story they can enjoy now and as they grow, and a message that will follow them throughout their life.

To find out more, or to purchase, visit the links below:

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/IdealsBooks
And I'm thrilled to announce that one very lucky reader will be winning a copy of their own. In the spirit of the book, we're going to keep this giveaway very simple- just two easy entries, that's it! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below:





Winner will be contacted via e-mail after giveaway ends, and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. One entry per household, winning entry will be verified. Odds of winning depend on valid entries received. A Modern Day Fairy Tale is not responsible for prize delivery. US only.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I have received no monetary compensation for this post.

11 Comments:

  1. I am always donating clothes and things to the salvation army. I love to pick up extra little gifts all during the year for Christmas.

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  2. I donate to my local food pantry during the whole year.

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  3. I help get baskets together for needy families ,natbelinsky@verizon.net

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  4. I "adopt" a child every year to get gifts for. And I always donate to toys for tots.

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  5. We keep Jesus our number one focus during Christmas because it is ultimately only about Him and because we keep Him our number one focus during the rest of the year as well. We do read more about His birth during this time of year.

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  6. We have always kept the focus of Christmas on Jesus and not on gifts or Santa...my kids were never told that Santa brought them presents. I would like to focus more on giving to others this year.

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  7. I have always offered help to anyone who needs it. whether this be physically or spiritually.

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  8. We always make sure to participate in Operation Christmas Child. And we always read the REAL Christmas story first thing Christmas morning. :)

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  9. We'd love to begin a regular family volunteering day. I'm in the process of finding an organization in our area that would work for our family. We are very fortunate to be healthy, happy and have things we need, so I would love to give as much as we can within our means to others throughout the year, not just at the holidays.

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  10. I have donated my time to Habitat for Humanity several times, we donate our time to pet shelters, and more recently we have donated a lot of goods to our local shelters to hand out to the needy. :)

    There's always a need, and if I can fill a little of it, I love to! :)

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  11. I am always giving to those in need, whether it be to my kids school, the local pantry, or pet shelter.

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"Pleasant words are as a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24