Our Advent Calendar

My sister, Coree, bought us this adorable advent calendar last year. My intent was to collect some really neat (and really small) toys and trinkets to put inside the small doors. Well you know what they say about good intentions.......I haven't had the time or remembered to look, when I did have the time, so here we are on December 1st with nothing to put in the calendar.

Blogland to the rescue!!!

Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day! had this wonderful idea to have an activity advent. Your family does a different activity to get ready for Christmas each day. Along with a small gift or candy, there is a note detailing the activity. I found another blog (but of course can't remember what it was called) this woman didn't decide on the activity until that morning. That way she could either choose the activity that best fit the weather or what activity she felt most up to doing. GENIUS!

This is the list of activity possibilities for us:

1. Write letters to Santa
2. Make Christmas cookies and surprise a neighbor or two with a plate
3. Sing Christmas Carols together
4. Write Christmas letters to relatives we won't be seeing during the holidays
5. Watch a Christmas movie
6. Visit Santa
7. Take a drive to see Christmas lights
8. Make a gift for your teacher
9. Make some Christmas Candy
10. Play a game, the winner gets to pick their favorite Christmas song for the family to sing
11. Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
12. Sleep under the Christmas tree
13. Do a secret service for someone in the family or neighborhood
14. Make a gingerbread house
15. Read an extra Christmas story
16. Make some reindeer food for Christmas Eve
17. Read the Christmas story of Jesus' birth
18. Listen to Christmas music
19. Set out cookies, milk and reindeer food for Santa and the reindeer
20. Watch a Christmas special on television
21. Make spiced cider
22. Host a Christmas Cookie decorating party with your friends
23. Stamp and mail Christmas cards
24. Make Hot Chocolate and listen to Christmas music
25. Go Caroling to neighbors and give them their Christmas gift.
26. Make a popcorn garland
27. Drink Hot Cocoa and read Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
28. Open a gift
29. Sing (or listen) to your favorite Christmas music in the car all day
30. Eat out at a festive restaurant
31. Tell stories of childhood Christmas around the Christmas Tree
32. Have a movie party (classic Christmas movies)
33. Have a traditional breakfast while listening to Christmas music
34. Watch a Christmas parade
35. Get and decorate the tree
36. Have breakfast for dinner

As you can see there a lot more than 25, but I am a little fickle and might need some substitutions. Most of these are activities we do every December. I just thought it might make those things that much more special.

But, don't worry the girls still get chocolate........