Advent Calendar

Since I love our Advent Calendar, I thought I’d share a little about how we use it. It took me a while to find one that I liked. Pottery Barn has some cute ones, but they are more than I want to spend. I finally settled on this one, and it looks so much better in person than it does online.

I bought ours last year when Gabriel was 2 and he enjoyed opening a door everyday.  This year though, he is really into it.  I made the mistake of getting it out several days before December started and he asked me everyday (multiple times) if he could open one of the doors.  I finally put it away until December 1st, for both our sanity!

Behind each door I have tucked away special things.  First, there is a Hershey’s Kiss.  Then, there are either one or two slips of paper.  (I leave the slips in there from year to year so I don’t have to remake them.)  There is always a short passage of scripture to read that will lead up to the Christmas story, written on one of the slips.  On the days when there are two slips of paper, there is something special to do that day.  Today’s was “Sing a Christmas Song”.  His request was “Jingle Bells”, so Johnny and I started singing.  Here are what some of the other slips say:

• Decorate the Christmas tree
• Put together a box of donations
• Sing “Joy to the World”
• Make Christmas cookies
• Watch “Charlie Brown’s Christmas”
• Make and a treat to share with the neighbors
• Drive around looking at Christmas lights in our pajamas
• Listen to Christmas music during bath time
• Choose a needy child or family to buy gifts for
• Open one gift early
• Write a note for each family member’s stocking telling them what you love most about them