I love Christmas and all the excitement and joy it brings. However, the busy-ness, the crowds and the stress I'm not such a fan of. Come December, I purposely try to keep our days as slow as I can. There are still catch-ups with friends, errands to run and food to buy and our calendar is definitely filled more than usual. But for the most-part we pass our days with time spent close to home enjoying Christmas activities and treats.
Last year, I put together a simple little Advent calendar for Grace and on Saturday night, I brought it out again and strung it up. With my gift buying so close to being completed (just a few small 'finishing off touches' to pick up), I am looking forward to days spent baking Christmas biscuits, wrapping presents, crafting... and soaking up all the magic of this season, a season which feels all the more special when viewed through the eyes of little ones and enjoyed at their less hurried pace.
Each envelope on our Advent calendar contains a card with a special task for the day.
Some are for Christmas crafts and cooking, others are for outings such as visiting Santa or the Christmas lights.
A handful contain a small treat such as stickers, tree ornaments or a chocolate.
I'm the same Amanda, I tend to cram all of the Xmas shopping into a week and then have the rest of the month spent with nothing much to do. Love a relaxing December. Love your idea for the Advent Calendar x
ReplyDeleteI like your approach to the holidays, Amanda. It's the best way to spend the season. Cute advent calendar and what a nice assortment of things you put in each envelope!
ReplyDeleteClaudia
i've felt that as i've grown into an adult, each year i lost a little more of my 'christmas spirit' -- until having kids...and now each year as they get bigger i'm starting to regain thst spirit. this year olive is really starting to enjoy everything festive and i'm really excited too! (except for the christmas shopping at busy shopping centres that i have to tackle on my own on saturdays this year because i refuse to take an energetic toddler & a four month old!! that's more of a nightmare than a busy saturday on my own!)
ReplyDeletei love your advent calendar! such a sweet idea to have tasks such as cooking and crafts -- much better than lollies & treats all the time.
i'm interested to know if you planned the day of the christmas visit to santa? did you do the online booking with myer? that to me actually sounds like a good idea -- and a friend said yesterday that when she went into the city on saturday that the line for santa was huge but the online line was empty! definitely something to think about...
Last year, I knocked off all my shopping in one day when my aunty kindly offered to watch my girls so I could do so. This year, I've done all my shopping pretty much last week, a bit each day with either Sophie in tow, or both girls with me. Not easy or fun for anyone but I've had a list each day which has made things easier. Just have two small things left to buy but I can get them from a gift shop and avoid the busy shopping centres. I don't plan on going there if I don't have to over the coming weeks!
DeleteI didn't know you could book a Santa visit but sounds like a great idea!! I've popped 'visit Santa' into one of the envelopes, but I have a kept a list of what I have put into which day's envelopes so as it gets closer to that date, I'll switch the card to the date we plan on going. Similarly, if I change cards to suit myself eg. popping a less time-involved/energetic one in an envelope if I don't feel up to a mammoth Christmassy task :)
Love it! I love that you "try to keep your days as slow as you can".... something I really want but need to try harder to achieve. P.S. Christmas Bazaar this weekend! xx
ReplyDeleteLovely simple advent calendar! And good thinking to make sure you put activities in as they might suit for certain days... Today is day two of incessant rain so my plans to shop for tree lights have been sidelined. I can imagine the tantrums if the kids had pulled out a let's go out Christmas activity card and I had to say no! Quietly swapping to "watch a Christmas dvd" might be a better plan!
ReplyDeleteHey Amanda, hope you don't mind me including a link to this on my own advent calendar post? I finally got around to getting one together today :)
DeleteOf course not!! thanks :)
DeleteLoving your advent calender Amanda. I love the idea of having a 'daily task'. Today ours is write letters to Santa and post, and bake Gingerbread Cookies {that our elf left last night}.
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year.
C xx