Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's that time of year....again.  Christmas is such a mixed bag of emotions.  The excitement and anticipation of the holidays but the overwhelming-ness of the holidays.  It feels like from the week before Halloween until after New Years (and this year until February because of A.'s birthday) we are non-stop.  Baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, activities....

As I started thinking about and planning Christmas for this year, I had a huge change of heart in terms of how I parent during the holidays.  A. and C. will never remember what gifts they got for their 4th and 1st Christmas', even though they may eventually.  What I can give them in memories will be better than any other purchased gift I could ever think of buying.  I was really dead set on an Advent calendar this year.  The ones I really wanted were too expensive and the ones in my "price range" weren't what I was looking for but I knew I could make one that fit what I needed. 

So here it is...

Now, don't ask me to hang pictures in your house.  I can hang neither straight nor level, but with a little creativity and time, I made the Countdown to Christmas I am really excited about.  So these are six 12 x 12 pieces of scrapbook paper and on each piece of paper are 4 envelopes.  The envelopes came from a very nice employee at Target who gave me 24 of their gift card envelopes.  I bought a package of 5 x 7 Christmas paper so all the 24 envelopes are a little different but coordinating.  Attached Christmas stickers and hung them together with gren ribbon.  All in all, I think the entire project cost me less than $20.  Here is a close up of the envelopes.

My most favorite part of all....the cards inside!!  It took planning and some thinking, but here is our Countdown to Christmas 2011:
-set up Nativity and read the story of the birth of Jesus
-make and hang snowflakes
-decorate the Christmas tree and drink eggnog
-enjoy a special treat and watch a Christmas movie together
-prepare hot cocoa jars
-St. Nicholas Day
-write letters to Santa
-Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens
-baking with Mommy
-family game night
-visit Santa Claus
-special treat
-deliver cards to neighbors
-wrap Christmas gifts
-school Christmas party
-Polar Express movie night with hot cocoa
-drive around to see Christmas lights
-ice skating
-pick a special treat
-Imagine Art Studio
-edible gift for the birds outside
-baking cookies for Santa
-read Twas the Night Before Christmas