12 Days Day 5: Nutcraker Holiday

Every since I first heard the story of The Nutcraker it's been a part of my holiday celebrations. There is something that just touches my heart about the story, and I have a variety of nutcracker collectibles. Have a family member or friend who loves Nutcrakers like I do? Here are some great gifts to consider:

                       What are some of Your Holiday Obssessions?

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12 Days Gift Suggestion: Nutcracker Themed Reads

The Nutcracker is one of my favorite Holiday Traditions. Every year I find a new way to bring this classic story into my life. This three books are wonderful for Nutcracker fans of all ages.

I had no idea Whoopi Goldberg had written a series about young ballerinas of color! The characters in this book are so authentic and each girl has  fun character traits that make them real to the reader. A quick but satisfying read.

The illustrations in this book are so lovely! It definitely has the potential to be a yearly tradition. Tallulah is excited to get a role in her studio's Nutcracker. Her confidence however is shaken by the crowds and makes a minor error that leaves her despondent.

However the company rallies around Tallulah to make her feel better. 

 Zombelina's debut novel showed her journey towards reaching her dream of being a dancer. Now she is taking on the role of Clara in th Nutcracker. I relly love how the creators in this book show Clara's confidence and the support of her family.

Al of these books would make stellar gifts ! I hope you check them out.

Star Wars Memories: 5 Trading Cards

                   

My very first Star Wars trading card was one like the X-Wing below. They came from Wonder Bread. I ate som much bread that summer! I still have a few of these in my card collection and they make me smile. The edges are worn but they are priceless to me because they take me back to the joys of swapping cards with friends.

From Wonder Bread I moved on to the wax packs. 1978 prices meant my allowance money went pretty far with pack purchases. I can still recall peeling open those small packs. The aroma of that weird pink gum in the air. Of course the hard gum had to be consumed, it was a part of the ritual.

Now two Products are reawakening my passion for cards :

The Journey To The Force Awakens card packs have images from all the Star Wars movies, including some from the upcoming movie. I'm loving these cards so much! They have a similiar blue border to the cards from the 70's. There are several different ways to collect these cards and many different parallels that can keep you hunting.

 I've also been enjoying the digitial card trading app from Star Wars. If you are a member of this app look me up at Yogikai for trades.

Having Star Wars cards while growing up not only helped me relive one of my favorite movies but they also inspired me to take  a closer look at other forms of Science Fiction around me. I started including my cards in my book reports. Topps has created a powerful tool to inspire nostalgia and create a digital means to celebrate the movies to come