Monday, November 29, 2010

Christmas Countdown Paper Chain

I had high hopes this year of making a super cute advent calendar like the ones I have seen onHomemade By Jill, but alas, here it was the weekend before December and I still hadn't made anything. Maybe next year? While browsing some favorite blogs, I saw a super cute and easy one at d. Sharp's Journal, and really like the idea of having your advent calendar be activity based, instead of treat based. We all get PLENTY of treats this time of year, and I love the countdown without the sugar. Growing up, I always made paper chains, I don't know why I had so much fun making them, but I loved it. So the "quick & easy" in me took over, and I decided to make a paper chain to count down with activities written for each day. I found some super cute double sided paper at Pebbles for my chain.I wrote a fun Christmas activity for each day, some are big, some are small.
I haven't the perfect place to hang my chain yet, above the pantry is where it currently is, but I don't love it there. It needs to be high enough so the baby can't rip it apart, but still in a fun spot.
Below is a list of my activities, they are Christmas traditions from years past, and some new ones we want to start as a family. My family has a "Christmas book" with Christmas stories that my Mother has collected over the years, so we have reading out of that book on a couple of different days. What are some of your traditions? I would love to hear them, please leave a comment below, I want to incorporate different things each year.

Countdown to Christmas activities:

01: Write a letter to Santa
02: Read a story from the "Christmas Book"
03: Watch one of the Christmas Classic movies, Rudolph, Frosty, etc.
04: Church Christmas Party
05: Drive through the neighborhood and look at lights
06: Go caroling at a nursing home
07: Make Jingle Bells
08: Buy a soft toy from IKEA and donate it to Toys 4 Tots. (IKEA donates $1 from every soft toy sold to UNICEF, 2 good deeds in one!)
09: Bake treats and give to the neighbors
10: Go to Temple Square and see the lights
11: Go to the family Christmas Party
12: Read a story from the "Christmas Book"
13: Make candy cane reindeer
14: Visit Ogden's Christmas Village
15: Read a story from the "Christmas Book"
16: Watch Elf
17: Listen to Christmas songs as we travel to Grandma's house down south
18: Christmas dinner with Grandpa & Grandma B
19: Watch home movies from Christmas' past
20: Read a story from the "Christmas Book"
21: Watch Charlie Brown's Christmas movie
22: Make snow globes
23: Bake gingerbread cookies
24: Read the Christmas story from the bible and talk about Christ's birth.

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