Happy Advent

So I'm a little early with the Christmas stuff.  Sister Suzie has invited all to her home for Thanksgiving and I'm having Christmas... therefore, it's OK!

Here's one of my latest projects - an Advent Tree!  I got the idea from here (she has great stuff).  Mine isn't quite finished yet.  Pics to follow.  For now, I'll share the "gifts" that M and I came up with for each day.  I'm even sharing them in the order I did them  - the more detailed gifts on weekends, easy ones on nights we have activities, so on and so forth.   A few of these things may seem very simple to some people.  However, to our kids, THEY ARE HUGE!!!  And I am very, very proud of THAT!

Theoretically, the kids open an envelope/gift each morning and in the evening we do the activity together.

Here you go.  You've got 8 days to put yours together.  I'll share photos tomorrow night.

1. Mom does horse chores - night off for the kids!
2. A small package of gum for each child - they LOVE gum!
3. Let's have a "Coke" with our supper - the kids love the Coke cans with Santa on them
4. Help Mom with Christmas Cards
5. Christmas Shopping for the siblings
6. Write letters to Santa together
7. Go get our real live Christmas Tree - we always try to get our tree on or around Dec. 8th.  This is the day that M lost his mom.  This is our little way of celebrating her life.
8. Let's do a Christmas craft - every year we each make a new ornament together for our tree
9. A piece of candy for each child
10. Everybody gets $1
11. Help Mom wrap gifts
12. Let's make cookies
13. Let's go out for supper
14. The boys get to pick 2 games to play
15. Another Christmas Craft Night
16. Mom & Dad get to pick 2 games to play
17. A piece of candy for each child
18. Let's make a birthday cake for Jesus
19. Make Gingersnaps with Dad - Dad is the official Christmas Gingersnap maker.  I hope we're done with harvest by this night!!
20. Let's go swimming! - we have access to a beautiful indoor pool that we don't use enough.
21. The girls get to pick 2 games for tonight
22. Each child gets a Christmas T-shirt to wear for their last day of school
23. Let's make cookies!
24. Together we'll read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and share some Hot Chocolate.
25. The final gift is, of course, the Baby Jesus to be unwrapped and placed in the Nativity.

Hope you've enjoyed our ideas.  This is another reason to get my decorating done early - now I can spend atleast 25 joyful days doing fun "Kid Christmas" stuff.

Be creative.  It doesn't have to cost a dime.

Blessings- B