In true spirit of the holidays, I am honoring this Black Friday with a gift idea post!  I am sure most of you have seen this item, but I wanted to highlight it because it was one of my favorite gifts last year.  My mom gave this Hallmark Recordable book to my children last Christmas.  She gave them this version of “The Night Before Christmas” as an early gift on Christmas Eve.  When the kids opened the present, they were ready to throw it aside as a “boring book.”  But, Nana had them sit next to her, as she opened the cover and pressed the button.  Instead of hearing an anonymous voice read this story to them, it was Nana herself!  The children were glowing with excitement.  They listened intently to the recording and turned the pages as Nana’s voice read to them.

I was, of course, all teary-eyed watching and was so touched to have this incredible keepsake for my children to cherish.  We all know that events in life are unexpected and we never know how long any of us will be around to spend Christmas with our children.  My mom has been battling ovarian cancer for ten years now, and each year is such a blessing.  When she gave my children this book, all I could think about was the fact that no matter what happens in years to come, Nana will always be able to read “The Night Before Christmas” to my children on Christmas Eve.

You can view all of the book options here.  I went in Hallmark this week to double-check the inventory, and they had a plethora of these books from which to choose.  I think this is a great gift for a child of any age.  I think it would be fun to have a brother or sister make the book recording as well.

If you are ready to dive in to the shopping spree today, this is my vote for a gift purchase that your children will always treasure.