our advent calendar

One of the things I love most about this time of the year is traditions!  It’s the stuff memories are made of!  I know everyone does it a little differently (which is awesome!) but I remember some of the things we did growing up.  For Christmas, our family tradition was to all stay up together on Christmas Eve, singing Christmas carols and eating (something included in every Filipino tradition!), and enjoying each others’ company.  Once the clock struck midnight, we would open all our presents!  It was Christmas!!  Once the presents were all opened and hugs and thank you’s were exchanged, we’d all crawl into our beds and sleep well into the morning.  The next day we’d enjoy a big family brunch together and stay in our pajamas all day.  It was the best!

I want my kiddos to remember happy Christmases together too.  I know when they grow up, they’ll probably start some sweet traditions with their own families, but for now, I love that we’re enjoying these ones together!

A couple of years ago, we made an advent calendar.  Nothing too elaborate, just an envelope each day with an index card inside.  Each card has something for us to do together to celebrate the season.

Branden made me this frame when we first moved into this house.  It is backed with chicken wire and perfect for hanging things up with clothespins 🙂

There was a tutorial I had found online to make these envelopes out of scrapbook paper, but I looked for it last night and couldn’t find it :/  Maybe I’ll recreate it for you someday 🙂  For now, you can find a lot of great tutorials for making your own envelopes online (thank you Pinterest!), or just go pick up some cute ones from the store that are already made!  #easypeasy

I used some stamps to number the envelopes 1-25, wrote out a card for each day, placed them into the envelopes, and hung up them up in order with some clothespins.  Each morning we took down an envelope and enjoyed the activity together!

Here’s what’s on our calendar:

1. decorate the tree
2. watch the movie “elf” (my favorite 🙂
3. buy family presents (just for the four of us)
4. wrap family presents
5. make christmas cookies
6. put up the nativity set
7. hang stockings
8. make a gift for daddy
9. watch the veggie tales movie “saint nicholas”
10. read “god gave us christmas”
11. make homemade ice cream
12. read “a charlie brown christmas”
13. hang mistletoe
14. learn about and eat candy canes
15. drive around and see christmas lights
16. make a gingerbread house
17. drink caramel apple cider
18. make paper snowflakes
19. make another present
20. make christmas pancakes
21. watch a christmas movie
22. drink hot cocoa
23. go sledding
24. read the christmas story
25. celebrate jesus’ birthday!!