About this time every year I remind people to grab a copy of my favourite Christmas book: How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T Smith.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s October. You’re like, “Calm your farm, lady.”

But you see this book is an ADVENT story. Starting on 1st December and finishing on 25th December you read a short chapter every night to your kids. Or your dog. #nojudgement

It’s one of my FAVOURITE Christmas traditions and we’ve been reading this book every December for years now. My kids still LOVE it.

See, kids will sometimes roll their eyes at family traditions but the truth is they love them. Traditions and rituals have a habit of comforting us and energising us at the same time according to habits expert and author Gretchen Rubin.

Other favourite rituals of mine are seeing the Christmas window displays in the city. Making brandy and cinnamon panacotta and spiced Christmas cookies. Donating a hamper of food to the Salvos. And having a chocolate fondue and watching The Polar Express on Christmas Eve. (On Christmas Day we play a vicious game of Trivial Pursuit with lots of sledging, mainly from my mother. And then we watch Die Hard. Don’t judge me).

Anyway, back to the gorgeous mouse book.

It can be tricky getting copies of Winston but I’ve tracked it down at Riverbend Books — the links are below.

How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T Smith https://store.riverbendbooks.com.au/p/christmas-how-winston-delivered-christmas–8?barcode=9781529010862&search_key=Winston

Or you can find the paper back here: https://store.riverbendbooks.com.au/p/how-winston-delivered-christmas-a-festive-story?barcode=9781529080858

How Winston Came Home For Christmas by Alex T Smith (this is the sequel) https://store.riverbendbooks.com.au/p/how-winston-came-home-for-christmas-db424aa6-336c-4d24-b0b8-e747cbddc079?barcode=9781529041576

If you’re looking for Christmas traditions and rituals — I have a free list of them here: https://rebeccasparrow.com/christmas/

https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/JrOq07