Our Advent Calendar

 I love Christmas. No really. I do. I am one of those people that still believes in Santa. Not the guy with the presents and the reindeer, but the spirit of him. Really I'm all about it.


A few years ago I bought this advent calendar on super sale from Target. It was damaged and it was after the holiday season, so it was super cheap. Previously it was blue. Which to me said "Christmas" about as much as the Easter Bunny. So this year while my in-laws were in town over Thanksgiving, I refinished it. They were here until the Monday after Thanksgiving so we roped them into helping us decorate. The advent calendar project was done in bits an pieces over a few days, so there are no pictures (sorry!). But here's the after:

I just love it. It says homemade, a little bit rustic and all family. Just the way I like it. Behind each door is a piece of candy for D, 2 M&M's wrapped up for K (Yes I encourage my children's love of chocolate. Sue me.), and a family activity card. Last year we did it with just candy for D since K was too small.


Each of the family activity cards is something that we can do together so we are building memories and not just eating chocolate. I printed out the cards on photo paper and then laminated them. This way I can use them for years to come. So far it's a total hit. Here's what we included:

1. Decorate cookies
2. Play a game
3. Make ice cream
4. Go out for a Christmas treat
5. Drink Apple cider
6. Read "The Night Before Christmas"
7. Drive around and look for Christmas lights
8. Color a Christmas picture
9. Go visit Santa Clause
10. Dance around to Christmas music (or any other music)
11. Have a camp-out in front of the Christmas tree
12. Call grandma and grandpa and sing a Christmas song
13. Make a graham cracker house
14. Dress up for dinner
15. Watch a Christmas movie and eat popcorn
16. Read a Christmas Story Book
17. Make a Christmas craft
18. Do something nice for someone
19. Make a new Christmas Decoration
20. Play a Christmas game
21. Have breakfast for dinner
22. Build a snowman or hang up paper snowflakes
23. Tell your family you love them
24. Make a gift and take it to a friend
25. Make hot chocolate and stir with candy canes

These are put in to the house in (somewhat) random order. I admit I fudge this a little bit. For example the graham cracker house was put in on a special day so D's friends could come and do it with her. And read The Night Before Christmas is on Christmas Eve, because it's tradition. But other than that, random. 

This year the order has been

1. Do something nice for someone- we gave D's teachers $5 Starbucks cards and took balloons to the pediatrics floor at a local hospital. 

2. Drive around and look at Christmas lights- There are some people with REALLY involved lights. Wow!

3. Make Ice cream- We made vanilla gelato. 

4. Dress up for dinner- according to D this meant dress up in costumes, not be fancy. So here we are in our costumes:

5. Play a Christmas game! 

6. Tell your family you love them

7. Have breakfast for dinner 

8. Camp out in front of the Christmas tree
9. Play a game
10. Visit Santa- It was the first time K went to see Santa. It was D's second time (we missed it last year. K had just gotten out of her 2nd stay at the hospital, and I was in no mood to brave mall germs.) So cute!!
11. Make a snowman or paper snowflakes. Since there is no snow on the ground, we made snowflakes. Here's a little side note about that. First let it be known that D's favorite holiday is Halloween. For the snowflakes, I was cutting and she was unfolding. She suddenly exclaimed: "Owls and witch hats! Mommy thank you!!" I, of course, have NO idea how I did it, but I'll take the mommy hero badge just the same. Here's the witch hat snow flake:

I'll keep posting about the cards as we go through them. So far I'm so thrilled with this idea, I can't even tell you.