I wanted to share with you guys how I made my advent calendar in case you want to make one for yourself (yes I know it's too late for you to do one for the whole month...but you could do "the 12 days of christmas!")
I wanted our advent calendar to focus on activities, not things or candy.
I also didn't want to spend very much money to make it...I'd rather put that money towards the activities.
I only spent $1 on the envelopes and the rest was just paper I had laying aroud and I used my stamp set for the numbers.
This was so easy to make and I like that it's not horrible to look at like a lot of the ones in the stores.
The hardest part was coming up with all of the activities. I wanted to include things that our kids would look forward to doing each December. I looked around the blogosphere for ideas to put on the cards and I made some up myself. Since I had a hard time coming up with 24 ideas I thought I'd share mine with you guys, because chances are that you will too if you make one!
go christmas tree hunting
cut out snowflakes
go out to dinner
make a card for daddy and put it in his stocking
decorate the tree
wrap a toy and take to a charity tree
do a christmas craft
have a treat
read about the birth of Jesus
decorate christmas cookies
take cookies to friends
have some hot chocolate
unwrap a new book to read
drive around and look at christmas lights
watch "a charlie brown christmas"
take a silly family picture
go out for milkshakes
make a winter treat for the birds (cover a pinecone in pb and birdseed)
make a gingerbread house
turn up the christmas music and have a dance party
go to Zoolights
have a family christmas movie night
go to the library and check out christmas books
I put it on some baker's twine and hung it on our mantle. Truth be told we forget to check the envelope most days, but I still make it a point to do the activities. I'm sure next year B will be all over checking the envelopes.
Let me know if you guys make one, I'd love to see it!
You seem to get so much use out of that stamp set and I love everything you do with it so I asked for one for Christmas.
I hope you and Bennett have a great time with your activities!
I am so going to make one next year! I just was not on top of it this year with a newborn... Next year Alomae will enjoy it more anyways ( i.e check it so I don't have to!) great job!
So fun and easy! I've been wanting to make one for Blake but just didn't get around to it this year so I'm gathering ideas to have one made by next Christmas.
Love the calendar and the idea of using activities instead of the usual!