Advent One and All!

To invent our advent calendar (inspired by Motherload's Advent Calendar), we came up with a list of family activities to attempt the month of December! Hopefully we can make them all, but if not - no worries. Some are duplicates, because in our tiny town, it seems many things happen on one day and then nothing for a week! We've no formal advent calendar, but I am inspired by the downloadable free one at Mibo Studios, the home-sewn one by Homemade by Jill, and the dual treat-and-giving calendars by Girl Con Queso. Maybe next year.

Here is our list of December activities:

1. Light a fire in the fireplace & decorate the house/Attend Noel Night/Pix with Santa

2. Watch "How the Grinch stole Christmas"

3. Write a letter to Santa

4. Decorate the tree, String Popcorn

5. Ski together

6. Write Christmas Cards & mail, with packages

7. Read "The Night before Christmas"

8. Pick out holiday books at the Library & read. [Update: This year's picks: Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner, Merry Christmas Mom & Dad by Mercer Mayer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss and, to mix it up, Seuss' There's a Wocket in my Pocket]

9. Listen to local carolers

10. Color a Christmas Scene

11. Watch Tree Lighting in the sawuare

12. Make a gingerbread house

13. Make snowflakes

14. Read a holiday book

15. Roast chestnuts [update: couldn't find anywhere!]

16. Kiddo bubble bath with holiday music

17. Host holiday get-together and/or go to holiday party

18. Make a Snowman & Snow Angels

19. Drive to see holiday lights

20. Bake cookies- sugar, gingerbread, bourbon balls & rice krispies

21. Deliver cookies to neighbors, local service people

22. Sing carols together

23. Light luminarias

24. Christmas Eve mass, Open 1 gift, cookies for Santa & carrots for reindeer

25. Celebrate Christmas!

26. Watch a family movie

27. Build a sled course in the backyard

28. Drink hot cocoa

29. Make NYE banner & decorate

30. Snowball fight

31. Celebrate NYE, watch torchlight parade down ski mountain!