I was determined to try and be a memory making mom this year for Christmas and I've got to say I did better this year than last with our christmas activity advent calendar. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of everything but all the little things we got to do together was really really fun. Having something to do that the kids enjoyed made it a lot easier for me to stay sane during this particularly difficult month for me. A couple of years ago I picked up a little shelf that I thought would be perfect for an advent calendar. There were more than 25 little cubbies but I made do. Next year I will probably repaint this again and leave out the numbers. Don't look too closely but I actually skipped a number, lol. I made do by covering some of the numbers up with the presents. It was also hard to find little boxes that would fit the cubbies... so next year I'll probably go out and collect match boxes (why I didn't think of that this year I don't know) or make a few of my own.
Some of the boxes had treats in them (chocolate kisses or something like that) but most of them just had a strip of paper with the activity on them. Just the act of opening a little gift got the kids all giddy. We also had a Christmas book countdown this year, so I would usually take turns with the kids and they both had something to open in the morning.
Here are the things that were included on the list:
- Pick out Christmas Tree for playroom/bedrooms (Wal-Mart or Big Lots)
- Live Nativity
- Pick out New Ornaments for family tree
- Christmas Devotional
- Southern Lights @ KY Horse Park
- Put together packages for friends and family, take to post office
- Mad Potter to make mugs, plate and cup for Santa’s Cookies and milk (we didn't get to this one-maybe next year)
- Make paper snowflakes and hang
- Grinch Day
- Ward brunch with Santa -Nutcracker with Joselyn, Autumn and my mom
- Nativity Festival/Cookie exchange?
- Decorate Christmas cookies
- Take Gifts to teachers at school, wear new Christmas shirt to school, Polar Express story time at Nicholasville Library-6pm
- Make gingerbread houses
- Donate old toys, coats and blankets
- Make Salt Dough Ornaments
- Landen’s Birthday party/Joselyn’s Dance Recital
- Family Birthday party for Landen
- Gifts for Jesus FHE lesson- wrap gifts and put them under the tree
- Make snow globes with Melanie
- Wake up and drink hot chocolate from new mugs, sing and dance to Christmas music
- Snowman Day- snowman crafts and snacks
- Make reindeer food, watch family Christmas movies
- Leave out cookies and milk for Santa, New PJs and Slippers at Noe’s
- Christmas day- talk about the true meaning of Christmas.
I already have fun new things I want to add to the list next year. It's going to be fun with 3 little ones!! I've always had newborns at Christmas time so it's going to be different having an almost 8 month old baby instead!
A few things in the picture I will some day blog about- my new cabinet in which all of this sits that I inherited from my mother!! (LOVE it so much) and the Family Rules I made a few months ago!
