Advent Calendar

This is the first year we've done an advent calendar. We did a week long countdown tree with boxes for Halloween and it was fun. I made our advent calendar last year in a class at Scrapaganza. It was finished last year before Christmas but with Reese just being born I wasn't organized or feeling up to adding one more thing in our life at that time.

The kids are getting into the swing of doing this each day. The little boxes are matchboxes covered in paper attached to sheet metal with a magnet. I write a little note everyday and put it in the box.

So far we the notes have read:

*Look for something to use for dinner under the tree (snowman plates)

*Open a family gift (Our Elf on the Shelf)

*Hang our stockings with care

*Look under your bed for a surprise (Christmas placemats)

*Make popcorn and watch the movie Elf

I am trying to focus on doing activities rather than give little gifts but I have some gifts/treats to use when plans fall through to do something else or Aaron and I aren't up to doing an activity. Tomorrow we are shopping for gifts for their class gift exchange and for a boy and girl on the angel tree at Walmart.

It is fun if only I can get the kids to understand Christmas will be here when all the boxes are gone. We sometimes have tears because it's not Christmas yet!

There are lots of advent calendar ideas out there that are easy and fun. I like my calendar but the boxes are probably not going to make it with the kids since they are basically paper. I am really liking this idea and might use it next year:

There's tons of ideas out there on the internet especially in blogland. I saw advent calendars made out of paper cones and regular envelopes clothes pinned to a line. How cute and simple!

Even white envelopes with a red number on them would be cute.

Watching "Elf" as a family was really fun!

Even Reese watched for a while . . . well until all her snacks were gone!