What's In Our Easter Baskets {Shining Light Dolls + Book GIVEAWAY!}

Lent seems to go in three phases around here:

1) Overzealous: "I'm going to give up bread and coffee and sugar and Facebook and TV and laughing and chocolate and alcohol. And gossiping and complaining. It's going to be my BEST LENT EVER!"

2) Despondent: "Why am I alive? Why am I so desperately weak? Jesus went 40 days without food or shelter in the desert, and then died on the Cross, and I can't even make it through an entire day at home with my kids without tearfully contemplating cocktail hour. I'm a miserable human being."

3) EASTER BASKET SHOPPING. Also coincides (at least this year) with tolerably warm weather and actual living things popping out of the ground.

We're deep into phase three, I'm happy to report, having barely survived phase two. And I wanted to share the contents of our baskets with you! I also have an opportunity for three (3) lucky winners to receive the three latest Shining Light Dolls (Our Lady of Kibeho, Our Lady of China, and Our Lady of Aparecida), and a copy of "The Virgin Mary Around the World," a board book created by the creative genius behind Shining Light Dolls, my sweet and talented friend Chantal Baros.

Inside our baskets:

Anne (3):

• The Complete Illustrated Children's Bible. We have a few books of Bible stories, but I was looking for one with longer stories, and a lot more. Most of ours have somewhere in the range of 15-20, and this version has almost 300.
• This little tub of farm animal figurines. I think she'll get a kick out of them.
• Easter sticker and activity book!
• Random stuff from Target: Hatch-n-Grow Spring Eggs look so cute!
• Chocolate cross and lambs, Anna and Elsa jelly beans, and a Peeps lollipop.

Eleanor (almost 6 months):

• I Am A Bunny
• Peek 'n' Peep Eggs
• A St. Catherine Labouré felt saint softie.
• A new sippy cup and some puffs.

We're also going to give them the three new Shining Light Dolls. Faith formation for little kids seems to be most successful if it's just mixed in with everything else, like it's not a big deal. An undetectable part of their family life. Among my girls' toys, you will find the usual suspects (Anna and Elsa, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel), along with Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Patrick, and St. Nicholas. Our religious books are mixed in with all the other picture books. Conversations about faith happen naturally that way. I like it!

Shining Light Dolls are beautiful, sturdy, and safe and fun for all ages to play with! Baby Eleanor loves them as a teething toy and Anne loves to use them to play pretend games. We love love love them! The designer, Chantal, releases a few more designs a couple times a year. She is doing such a great job, filling a gap for beautiful, cool toys that teach kids (and adults) about our faith. While I'm teaching my daughters, I'm also learning! I had never even heard of the majority of the apparitions of Mary featured in the book. There's always more to explore, and the book and dolls are just a jumping off point.

I'll also say, with all the hubbub lately about Barbies and other dolls in different shapes, sizes, and colors, these dolls are a breath of fresh air for my impressionable girls. Body shape? Irrelevant (hooray!). Cultural diversity? NAILED IT. 

Enough talking. You NEED to see them!!

Our Lady of Kibeho:

Our Lady of Aparecida:

Our Lady of China:

You want them, right? OF COURSE YOU DO. Jump in the Rafflecopter to win - make sure to get your entries completed by midnight on Tuesday! Three lucky winners will be chosen on Wednesday, so they'll get to you in plenty of time for Easter. Good luck!

{UPDATE} The giveaway is closed! Congratulations to Heather, Maryann, and Trish! Check your email for details on how to claim your prize! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway