Christmas Countdown

I love advent calendars! We had one like this when I was a kid.

I loved it.

The problem when you have lots of kids is that each kids needs to have their own calendar to open everyday, taking turns just doesn't cut it. Every year we get the really cheap Advents from Trader Joe's for each of our kids. Inevitably, someone breaks into theirs when I'm not paying attention and eats all of their chocolates in one sitting. Sometimes they also open someone else's prematurely. Hopefully this year I will be smart enough to remember to buy a couple of "stand-bys". Yes, I would replace the one for the kid who ate all of theirs early. Bad behavior is rewarded in my house, actually it would be hypocritical to punish them since they probably learned it from me. (I always opened my Christmas presents early and learned to skillfully re wrap them so no one could tell, or so I thought. One year my brothers wrapped a box of "Lump of Coal" candy to teach me a lesson. I cried when I opened it, but didn't learn my lesson. They did give me a real present, a jewelry box, that I still have.)

Back to advents, here are some great ideas I've found. Some are more simple that the kids could be involved in, some are more fancy.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10635
The kids could help with this one, I think it has the potential of being cuter than the sample though.

http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/12/17/homemade-chocolate-advent-calendar/

You could use any type of little box template to make this one. I think it would be easier to print the template directly onto decorative paper.

http://bringinggoodhome.blogspot.com/2006/12/celebrating-advent-home-made-advent.html
I like this idea because it helps the kids think about recycling. I would cover each tube with tissue paper, and put the number on the outside. Remember that game from "The Price is Right', where they punch holes and grab money. This would be similar.





http://meandmyinsanity.blogspot.com/2008/11/counting-down-christmas-advent-calendar.html
This is the grown up version of the previous one.


http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/advent_calendar/
This would be for those with some serious scrap booking skills (like, Audrey)

http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?p=1244

These are very similar. The top one I think could hold a little gold coin. I can't find the link to the bottom one but they had different quote, or maybe it was the verses from the Bible telling the story of the birth of Christ.

http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2007/11/advent-calendar.html

This one was one of the first blogs that I bookmarked last year. It's definitely time consuming but would be a great family heirloom. I like the idea of my kids having something like this from their childhood. My Grandma made lots of her own Christmas Decorations that were passed on to me when she died. I love having mementos that were handmade by her.

http://ididntsaybanana.blogspot.com/2008/11/id-love-to-make-these.html
I love the simplicity of this one.