One of the best things about being a Mum at this time of year is being able to create special Christmas traditions for my girls. This year, I'm keen to try and make my own Advent Calendar. As well as having a visual countdown, I want to include a whole bunch of fun activities for us to do together, as well as a few treats for the girls to open.
I've been thinking back to my own childhood and bugging Paul for memories of his own so that I can include some of these onto the calendar I make. I love that we're able to come up with a unique own set of Christmas traditions now that we have a little family of our own. Christmas Eve will definitely be 'open one small present', just as both of us were allowed to do on the night before Christmas and the first day of December will be 'put up the Christmas tree'.
As for the calendar itself, I haven't decided yet which style I'll go with. I love the look of the tree one above, made from paint sample cards but the ready made one below from Create Lovely on Etsy is enticing too. With only 23 days left of this month though, I'd better hurry up and decide...
Which Christmas traditions did your family have when you were growing up and which ones have you continued with your own family today?
Image #1 from A Simple Nest
Image #2 from Create Lovely
We have created a few new traditions with the girls, having Christmas lights and the most important being the calendar with activities each day to do together which they look forward to each year. We didn't have really too many traditions that I can remember but we always used to put the tree up on the 1st of December which we still do and we always had an advent calendar, the paper ones with pictures each day to discover, they were the best. I really love that second calendar of red and white. Enjoy creating new Christmas traditions with your girls, it is such a fun thing to be able to do with them. xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda, we have lots of Christmas traditions but one the kids really look forward to is Rudolph leaves them a wrapped pair of new pyjamas on their beds on Christmas Eve. He even leaves a bit of fake snow on the bed and their window sills. My husband used to ring a small bell from another room when they were in the bath and we'd both pretend we hadn't heard it when my kids used to say they had. They would run in their bedrooms and get really excited saying the bell must have been on Rudolph's collar. My son will be 15 after Christmas but still goes along with it - he said recently that when Rudolph comes on Christmas eve could he bring him some new slippers this year instead of pyjamas! I love how he still goes along with it for his soppy Mummy!
ReplyDeleteI love both advent calendars but really like the simplicity of the first - you could write a special message or a treat/activity on the back of each tree x
I love the advent calendar at the top, simple but lovely. I'm not sure what tradtitions we have. We never opened a present until Christmas morning. For us it is more about Molly dog as she loves unwrapping pressies.
ReplyDeleteps for memory Amanda from Small Acorns has a nice family advent calendar :)
Great idea Amanda!
ReplyDeleteThe only little tradition I've tried with the kidlets is to buy them a lovely Christmas decoration each year so they have something to put on their own tree. Hopefully they'll last that long.
I've also bought a few things on Etsy that have their names and dates on them so they have something to remember
Lesley
xx
what a lovely idea to create traditions for your girls...
ReplyDeletecan i ask you what you plan to do regarding your christmas tree and a small toddler who might decide to pull off every bit of sparkle that she can get her hands on? or is it just me that has a child who i *know* is not going to leave that tree alone!
did you have any issues with grace trying to climb it or pull things off?
we don't actually have a christmas tree...and i'm not sure whether to buy a big one this year, or just buy a little table-top one. someone suggested using a play-pen to put around the tree to section it off.
i'd be really interested to hear your experiences!
when my grandaughter was a toddler i only put gold ribbon bows on my tree.they looked wonderful and no harm to my princess if she decided to touch.they were only attached loosely so they came away easily if she pulled them. she didnt bother with them after the initial curious few touches.
DeleteIm really keen to make an advent calendar this year as well, although I dont have little ones so it will be for me and my partner to open! I remember being allowed to open a gift on Xmas Eve too which was really special. And packing a picnic and going to carols by candelight too, when I was small and also with friends. Both great experiences :)
ReplyDeleteThey have little red patterned paper bag packs in Ikea at the moment Amanda to make up your own advent calendars. I was so tempted to buy them but then I got realistic and decided an advent calendar just for me is a bit ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about traditions too this year now the the twins are old enough to really enjoy Christmas. We had our Christmas tree on a table last year and i think we may have to do it again this year with little hands still curious although i will be making some little salt dough ornaments and decorations with the girls to hang on the tree....i miss doing this with Miss Teen so glad to be getting back to those sort of traditions!
ReplyDeleteWe do the 1st of December set up too. And the bikkie and milk for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer...things we did as children. We've added the drive around and look at the Christmas lights and I made an advent calendar which we pop little things (often Christmas craft related) into for the poppets to discover. It is such a wonderful time and having babies means you get to relive it all over again. I hope you Friday is a lovely one.
ReplyDeleteSTeph :) x
thisbrownwren.blogspot.com
My elf on a shelf has arrived so Im very excited to be beginning that tradition - so much fun!! Cassie
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the idea of making my own advent calender and my mind is buzzing with ideas every year! And then, before i know it - it's DECEMBER!!!! And I end up buying Ella a $2 chocolate one from Coles!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe'll be away for the first 6 days of Dec....but I'm still keen to make something for the remainder of the month. I think it'll be nice to come home & settle into a new tradition....something handmade :)))
I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!
x
I made an advent calendar last year from covered matchboxes with stickers and trinkets on the front(its on the blog somewhere) and the kids just loved it!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope its still ok wherever its so safely packed away
Although I find new traditions really exciting, I usually stick to the old ones I brought from my family and I just can´t get rid of them!
ReplyDeleteThis has really got me thinking! We would always put the tree up on Dec 1, so that's one for sure. We also take the boys into the city to see the christmas windows and buy a beautiful ornament each. I guess I see them leaving home in the future with a suitcase full of special ornaments. We also visit the Christmas lights - do you have those in Perth? Here in Brisbane, there are streets upon streets of houses that rather ridiculously and outlandishly lavish their homes with lights, fake santas, snow, elves, reindeer on roofs, and so on. It's a sight to be seen, so see it we must! Watching the Carols by Candlelight is another (one day I'll substitute watching them for actually going!). We also do a christmas cooking day, and a christmas crafting day, so there's another couple. What a lovely idea Amanda - I might have to get on board! x
ReplyDeleteI like the second advent calender. Which one did you choose? They're both so simple but pretty. Why or why did I choose something hard. I haven't finished mine for this year. Not to worry.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy creating magic for my family. And that's why I love Easter and Christmas so much :) I think it's one of the best things about being a muma.
xx