We have made an advent letter box and each day there is a letter in there with the activity we are doing for that day - here is my advent calendar - I am sooo excited about it:
1st - Gift for both kids - Christmas sticker book with Christmas story to do together.
2nd - Going to Lollipops with Grandma
3rd - Making Christmas cards
4th - Making rumballs
5th - Take the kids Christmas shopping for each other
6th - Christmas treasure hunt
7th - Making Christmas presents for family (DD1 is painting some plain canvas shopping bags I ordered over the internet and DS is painting some pictures for some photo coasters I got from Big W)
8th - Gift - Textas and colouring in Christmas book
9th - Going to the Movies
10th - Gift - Story of Christmas magnetic story book
11th - Making a gingerbread star tree
12th - Going to a waterslide park and picnic
13th - Carols by Candlelight and dinner at the beach (with Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles and Cousins)
14th - Making Christmas wrapping paper (I bought some stamps and got some butchers paper to do this)
15th - Going to the Beach with a picnic
16th - Making a decoration for the Christmas tree
17th - Dinner at Sizzler and looking at Christmas lights afterwards (extended family activity)
18th - Pizza and Christmas movie night
19th - Visit to Reef HQ and Museum of Tropical North Queensland
20th - Stable on the Strand
21st - Cooking marshmallow Christmas trees (Superfood Ideas Dec 09)
22nd - Gift - Christmas decoration to put on tree
23rd - Wrapping up Christmas presents and putting them under the tree
24th - Christmas eve breakfast out and Christmas eve party at our house
I am more than a little excited about December. Some of my friends just do a present everyday for December but that is a lot of presents and then Christmas is a bit of an anti-climax. I really like the idea of doing Christmas activities everyday. I also like that their presents, when they have them are all related to the Christmas story.
We have one letter box that we made with number on the front (on post-it notes) and we tear one off each day. We found the calendars, even the ones we make ourselves a bit too small or a bit too space consuming.
Anyway, that's what we are doing for advent. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!
We received a felt advent calendar from the MIL. It has felt character's and little pockets at the bottom with the date on it. I bought a 25 pack of mini chuppa chups and I'll put one in every day
I really like my kids making Christmas presents for the family as well. They make the wrapping paper and cards to attach to the presents. I also take a photo of them dressed up in their Christmas outfits and print off a copy to put in each gift. I really want them to learn that it is fun to give and it is not always about getting.
For their first Christmas, I bought canvases stretched over a frame (they were $2 each from spotlight on sale for 12"x12") and they did a finger painting. They really look amazing and most of my family have them hanging in their houses or offices ... even some of our friends do. We have also got some porcelain paint (they come as pens as well) and bought a plate for each family member and the kids have drawn a picture on a plate and we have done those for presents as well. They cost about $4 a gift. My family really like them because they are practical art - they are something they can use. The canvas bags I bought this year were $20 for $12 and the coasters were about $5 for a set of 6.
Not really on the topic of advent but just in case anyone was interested.
It's funny I just stumbled across this thread this afternoon. When I was little my grandparents in England used to send us an advent calendar that was more about the Christmas story than about Santa. Now I can't see those ones in the shops anymore. I remember when I was older and the grandparents stopped sending the advent calendars (probably because they weren't selling those ones anymore) I begged for the chocolate ones. What a disppointment. Often I didn't feel like the chocolate..... and I certainly didn't like the taste of the chocolate (have never been a fan of cheap chocolate!!) and often we would get a few hot days and then all the chocs would be melted or soft or just taste worse after they reformed!! So I decided that one day when I have kids I was going to make an advent calendar that could be reused each year and then I could put whatever in to it myself.
I did't do anything last year because Jett was just too little and even though he is still too little to understand this year, I thought I would make it ready for next year if I don't get it finished this year. So I've decided to do mini stockings as I saw them in the Spotlight catalogue at the back of this months Better Homes and Gardens. I like the idea that I can rearrange them each year so it will be a hunt to find the right numbered stocking rather than just going in order or being in the same place every year.
So this afternoon I went and bought the materials (I'm not making them exactly the same as the one from BH&G - theirs were felt) but I am going to make mine from all different Christmas fabric and embellish them in whatever way takes my fancy!!
But I absolutely love what you are doing Justme. That is exactly the sort of inspiration I needed. I knew that I didn't want a toy for every day but I didn't know quite what I would be putting in all the others. So well done on being such a clever and thoughtful and inspirational Mummy!
Mummy Tummy - I saw those advent stockings too and did think about them for next year - if I get motivated enough. Did you notice though that they are missing some numbers. They look really good though. DH used to have an advent calendar that was 24 little drawstring bags all on a string. They were all made from different Christmas fabric too. Happy sewing and decorating!
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well done on being such a clever and thoughtful and inspirational Mummy!
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