Ringing in the Holidays

It's that time of year again!! This year I have decided that we need to create more fun and tradition in our household, so I put together a couple advent calendars to go along with the nightly spiritual reading for the season.

I found this first one in a magazine, although, I have seen it in quite a few other places. It is really simple, but adds to the fun and decoration. You need 24 Christmas socks and clothes pins. I wrote the numbers 1-24 on the pins and hung the socks. In each sock is a scroll of paper with an activity written on it to do that day.

Some examples are: Cutting out snowflakes, drive around and see the lights, make treats and take them to friends, color Christmas pictures, making sugar cookies, snow painting (can't wait to do that one), watching "The Polar Express", Decorating the tree, Making thumb print reindeer, or what we did today... Make doughnuts while decorating for Christmas. And being the bad mother that I am I let Jefferson eat as many as he wanted...he is on his fourth!! What can I say, bring on the Holidays!!!!

The second advent is Santa Claus and his missing beard. Click on the picture to read the poem at the bottom. Essentially, we will add a cotton ball to Santa's beard everyday until it's full (24) and that night Santa with come. It's cute and very cheap, so why not. Jefferson already loves it. He asks if he can touch Santa all the time.



Here he is putting the first of Santa's beard on this morning. I have a feeling Santa's beard is going to be of an unusual nature:)

Lastly, be have a book called "A Christmas Treasury for Latter Day Saint Families" It is full of stories and quotes and such to read each night for 24 days, focusing on qualities to develope during the holiday season, such as, hope, gratitude, wonder, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, courage, contentment, etc. I really enjoy it.

I hope everyone is having fun ringing in the beginning of the Holidays!!!!