ShabbyShe

Advent Season already??

I can’t believe how December has crept up on me this year! Had a slightly panicky moment getting the advent calendar ready on Friday evening, last minute again!

I’ve gone for a different theme this year – instead of each evening putting a mini toy, stickers or sweeties into the small compartment for that day (quite a challenge with one for each child) I’ve stuck little folded cards in with various messages. There’s a mixture of challenges (eg. put on a Christmas show for mummy and daddy), visits (already in the diary – eg. let’s go and watch the Christmas play), crafty things (make a sparkly picture with your holiday stencils) and just 3 or 4 lucky dips (sweets, little pencils etc). I had a look at Netmums for inspiration – there are always loads of fab ideas on there.

The advent calendar itself was given to us by our neighbours – it was one of those wall mounted shelf units for displaying little ornaments, such as thimble collections I imagine. Their kids had played houses with their little character toys with it. As it was plain wood I painted it with acryllics and then numbered some foam sticker shapes and stuck them in. Voila – a repurposed ornament display enjoying a new lease of life as an advent house!

I hope the little ones appreciate the effort!

They both immediately got in the holiday spirit by dressing up in their Father/Mother Christmas outfits and dancing to some Christmas pop tunes (today’s musical challenge) and as their daddy lit the fire it was a really cosy start to the advent season!