As I am putting away the Christmas decor, I am trying to take note of the things that were good and the things that were BAD (never to be redone) and the things that were a huge hit!
The best idea (taken from Pinterest – I do love that site – was doing something for the advent calendar instead of getting a piece of chocolate. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I looked at our calendar (noting travel days, party days, etc.) and made a plan for something Christmas related and fun for every night leading to Christmas. It included everything from coloring Christmas pictures to drinking hot cocoa to going to see Santa and seeing Christmas lights to strategically planned Christmas movies for travel days. Full list is below – but it is recommended for future years to be made to include your favorite fun things to do at the holidays.
This is the advent calendar that we use – I got it at a consignment sale a couple of years ago for super cheap! (whoo hoo!)
Our list from this year:
1 Make Christmas cookies
2 Make Christmas cards for Grandma and Grandpa
3 Read our Christmas book “Night Before Christmas”
4 Color a Christmas picture
5 Family game night
6 Eat a candy cane
7 Do a Christmas craft
8 Go Christmas shopping for teachers and other kids
9 Color a Christmas picture
10 Do a Christmas craft
11 Go See Santa Clause!
12 Family game night
13 Open the gift under the tree with the number 13 on it. (Christmas book)
14 Watch a The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on the way to Aunt’s house
15 Go to a Christmas party
16 Watch a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the way home
17 Eat a Christmas Treat
18 Do a Christmas activity pack
19 Drink hot cocoa
20 Open the gift under the tree with the number 20 on it. (Christmas themed game)
21 Open the gift under the tree with the number 21 on it. (Christmas PJs)
22 Go see Christmas Lights
23 Make ornaments
24 Open the gift with the number 24 on it (Christmas movie). Don’t forget to put cookies out for Santa!
Do you have any holiday traditions that I can remember for next year?
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Blogging is my own therapy. Don’t judge. Just grab a glass of wine and share your stories.
We ended up only doing maybe 3 or 4 of the things I planned. For us, it was just too much work to get home from daycare, get them fed, cleaned up and ready for bed and still find some time to do something fun. Next year I’m either going to have to be way less lazy or way less ambitious. I’m thinking a little of both. Still, the kids had fun and that’s all that matters.
Initially it was going to be way more complicated, but Ace reminded me how complicated the season gets without adding anything – so our “fun things” weren’t always as much “fun” – but were something to do every day. The key was planning each activity along side the work, social, holiday and travel calendar. That way I didn’t have a huge mess of a project to do the same day we are leaving on a trip.