Do you make or buy your Advent Calendar? What else do you do for Advent?

[athomemom]

Yes, I know it's early, but I need to figure this out. :D Normally, I buy a LEGO Advent calendar. However, my guys are getting older and this will be the first year of many that I am not making that purchase. I would love a calendar that has a little more than just chocolate in it, but that may be my best option.

 

We have read through the Jotham series as well for Advent. I need help in that area as well.

 

Any and all help appreciated! We are pretty low key really about Advent, but this is new to my family in many ways. We've only participated the last 4-5 years or so.

[Catwoman]

We always bought the Lego and Playmobil Advent calendars.

 

We don't actually do anything for Advent, but my ds liked the idea of opening the little gifts every day.

[Whereneverever]

Along with the church services, we do daily devotions and an advent wreath.

[*Michelle*]

This is what we did last year. This year will probably look very similar. I'm thinking of getting a felt Advent calendar, though.

[happi duck]

We use The Advent Book.

http://www.adventbook.com/

Edited August 27, 2012 by happi duck

[Susan in TN]

We try to keep things as simple as possible for Advent, but at the same time make it the "focus" of the season, kwim?

 

We don't do a calendar or candy. We've tried different daily things like that and a Jesse Tree, but they just seem to make things more hectic and complicated than I like. Maybe some day.

 

On Sunday evenings of Advent, instead of the usual bedtime snack and story, we have a family advent time which includes readings for that Sunday, lighting the candle in our advent wreath, singing, and special desserts - Christmas cookies, Walker's shortbread, lefse, etc., and hot chocolate in special Christmas mugs.

 

During the week in our usual family devotion time, we focus on traditional Advent hymns and readings.

 

I try to incorporate traditional Christmas books or stories into read-aloud time, and keep Christmas picture books out for "browsing" :).

[Caitilin]

We do advent calendars, wreath, and books. My favorite book for children is this one.

We also fast during advent, and listen to Christmas CAROLS, not songs. :D

[MrsMommy]

I love Advent! It's my very favorite time of year. I do buy a Lego Advent calendar every year, but we also do a Jesse Tree and an Advent Wreath. This post sums up most of our Advent resources (although it is almost two years old...I can't remember if I've added anything else since I wrote it!), and this one gives an idea of how the routine actually works on a daily basis.

[Chris in VA]

We love Advent!

My mom made us a felt calendar so we hang one little felt object up on a felt tree every day. We light the Advent candles on the wreath every night at dinner--ours are 3 purples and a pink. Sometimes I have a white one that we put in the center on Christmas. We do extra readings/devotions, but sometimes we aren't good at that.

It's so important to our faith to prepare for the Christ Child. :001_smile:

I love Lent, too.

[Dustybug]

Last year, we did Truth in the Tinsel and my children LOVED it. I plan on using it again this year, but we saved all the ornaments we made last year, so I'll probably add on something fun as well.

[Starr]

You're stopping the Lego Advent Calendar ? :svengo: My ds 16 would die. We make wreathes with 4 candles and greenery and pretty *stuff* at church that we take home with accompanying devotions. And a paper calendar with chocolate glued on for each day of Advent. Our tree is put up closer to Christmas. We celebrate Advent and ease into Christmas.

[twoxcell]

My dh made us a really neat wooden Advent calendar with pull out boxes. The 24 boxes are around the outside and there is a nativity in the center. I put candy, scripture and a daily activity in each one. We also do an advent wreath along with scripture reading and learning traditional carols.

[Acorn Island]

We usually order our advent calendars from this company:

 

http://www.vermontchristmasco.com

 

They are paper advent calendars, with a Christmas themed picture - there are little numbered doors that you open - with a surprise drawing underneath.

[justLisa]

I have a big quilted wall hanging with pockets for each day. I put little things in it for the kids on certain days.

[Sneezyone]

I coveted the Pottery Barn Telluride Advent calendar but didn't want to pay to get one for each child so....I made my own, complete with hand embroidered felt pockets. I used the online photo to make a giant template and had it printed at Kinkos. It cost me about $40 bucks to make one for each child. Lemme see if I can find pics...

Edited August 27, 2012 by Sneezyone

[bettyandbob]

You're stopping the Lego Advent Calendar ? :svengo: My ds 16 would die. We make wreathes with 4 candles and greenery and pretty *stuff* at church that we take home with accompanying devotions. And a paper calendar with chocolate glued on for each day of Advent. Our tree is put up closer to Christmas. We celebrate Advent and ease into Christmas.

 

I was thinking this too. I plan to mail one to ds at college. For him it will be the Star Wars Lego calendar. It will be fun thing to have while he prepares for exams.

[Momof3littles]

We've done small gifts, we've done a book per night (wrapped and then they open one each night; most books were found 2nd hand), we've done PM, and we've done activities. We've sort of settled on putting in an activity every day. Some are service oriented, like shopping for Toys for Tots and the food pantry. We include reading holiday books and watching holiday movies, things like decorating cookies, making gifts for grandparents and extended family, driving to look at lights, going for a walk in a neighborhood with nice lights, attend a holiday parade, etc.

[justLisa]

That's so cool. I envision a fried chicken advent calendar. :lol:

 

I saw some chicken wing and bacon fabric at the quilt shop. I bought one yard of it and have no idea what to do with it.

 

This is the quilt:

 

Except I used a different fabric line and 5 inch squares instead.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I used to buy the chocolate ones from Trader Joe's, but last year, I made fancy little boxes.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I've done a variety of things and I don't necessarily do it every year. I've bought the chocolates calendar, the Lego calender, I've filled a big Advent calender house with different things every day (fun but hard), and I've completely skipped it some years. The boys have enjoyed every single one of them; even the chocolates from Cracker Barrel. :)

[PinkInTheBlue]

I used to buy the chocolate ones from Trader Joe's, but last year, I made fancy little boxes.

 

I bow to your awesomeness! LOL Those are incredible! I wish you were my mom... LOL :)

[LaxMom]

Last year, the boys go Lego advent calendars. For my daughter, I used a "card holder" template (like a french fry box) from The Toymaker website, cut out of Christmas patterned card stock, and added small gifts and notes.

[twoxcell]

I went to my blog and clicked on the tag advent. Here are some posts about things we have done for advent. There may be a few pages worth, so click older posts if you want to see them all.:001_smile:

http://bobandabbies.blogspot.com/search/label/Advent

[justLisa]

Awww, how pretty!!

 

The chicken/bacon fabric might make cool aprons. Or bed sheets. :lol:

 

And it's realistic looking not like cartoon-y. Can you imagine sleeping on bacon LOL!

 

Maybe potholders. I didn't really think when I only bought a yard of it. And I thought of you when I saw the bacon one :lol:. I had to have it.

[momofkhm]

Yes, I know it's early, but I need to figure this out. :D Normally, I buy a LEGO Advent calendar. However, my guys are getting older and this will be the first year of many that I am not making that purchase. I would love a calendar that has a little more than just chocolate in it, but that may be my best option.

 

We have read through the Jotham series as well for Advent. I need help in that area as well.

 

Any and all help appreciated! We are pretty low key really about Advent, but this is new to my family in many ways. We've only participated the last 4-5 years or so.

 

We do buy the chocolate calendars still! For the last 2 years someone got ds the lego calendar as well. He has really enjoyed them. Then we try to read this book. It was written by a lady at our church and is great for families with young children as well as empty nesters and everyone in between. I say try because we do it when everyone is home for dinner and dd works closing a lot.

[justLisa]

Kitchen curtains!!! I'd totally put that in my kitchen.

 

:lol::lol:

[justamouse]

Jesse Tree, and I think I'm going to do Advent stars this year, hung like a garland. Advent wreath.

[myfunnybunch]

I made a lapbook version of this one:

http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/12/free-printable-christmas-advent-calendar/

 

We have a tree-shaped advent calendar with wooden figures in numbered boxes that we use yearly. We also have a hanging fabric advent calendar with nativity figures. I need to make a replacement angel and a replacement myrrh before we hang it this year.

 

Cat

[Delirium]

We did the lego advent last year, and if I can get it at a reasonable price at Fry's again this year, probably going with the star wars lego set. Beats the crappy chocolate kind!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I coveted the Pottery Barn Telluride Advent calendar but didn't want to pay to get one for each child so....I made my own, complete with hand embroidered felt pockets. I used the online photo to make a giant template and had it printed at Kinkos. It cost me about $40 bucks to make one for each child. Lemme see if I can find pics...

 

Ooo, that's cool!

[Sneezyone]

It looks really cool too hanging in the dining room at Christmas. I put scriptures or discussion points in each day, sometimes a treat (like a gold coin/chocolate) to reinfoce the message of the day. ETA: Only one of them is up at any given time but each kid has one. I wanted to reduce the wear and tear!

[Shellers]

I coveted the Pottery Barn Telluride Advent calendar but didn't want to pay to get one for each child so....I made my own, complete with hand embroidered felt pockets. I used the online photo to make a giant template and had it printed at Kinkos. It cost me about $40 bucks to make one for each child. Lemme see if I can find pics...

 

Wow! That is beautiful!

[athomemom]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies! I'll have fun looking through the links. Some of you are so crafty and your calendars are beautiful!

 

I gave my boys the choice of the LEGO calendar. They declined. :D

[jenangelcat]

I made mine. The first time I made little felt envelopes two years ago I upgraded to little pouches strung on a red gingham ribbon.

 

We're not religious so for us it's just a fun way to spread out the Christmas excitement over the entire month. I made 31 pouches so it runs from the 1st to the 31st.

[Tammi K]

We do different things year after year. But, one of the most memorable ones was this:

 

For each day of December, I had a small package. Some nights it was a story book, sometimes a CD tape of Christmas music (this was a few years ago!), one night it was a cookie cutter and a recipe for making cookies. Each night it was something different. The kids had to dig through a large box to find the gift for the night. then we would open it and do whatever was indicated.

they still talk about that Christmas.

[Sneezyone]

Just to be clear, that was the inspiration calendar from Pottery Barn. I have a pic of mine but it's not online so I can't link to it. It's a good imitation but I didn't embroider all the numbers. I used pocket-sized cards for that. Laminated, of course. :D

[athomemom]

I am sitting here looking through all the links. Wow! Great stuff.

 

Has anyone tried the Advent calendars from Aldi? I know from first hand experience that their chocolate is awesome! :D The Vermont Christmas Co. made me think of it...

[chiguirre]

We always do Geraldine Macaughrean's Jesse Tree book. I made felt ornaments several years ago and got a tiny artificial tree from Target. We all love to decorate the tree ornament by ornament.

[Incognito]

We use this advent book http://www.amazon.com/Advent-Jesse-Tree-Devotions-Christmas/dp/1426712103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346177708&sr=1-1&keywords=advent+jesse+tree+smith. I don't do ornaments of the things, but we put things on our mantle. So I put a globe up there for the world one, a firey furnace the kids made for shadrack, etc.

 

I also have a 24 pocket wall thing that I put activities in. For this year I've also downloaded the free Calendar Connections Christmas thing - there are a couple of typos in it, but it is overall quite neat. http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/CalendarConnections.html You scroll down to the Christmas one. :)

 

We also pull out a ton of Christmas and winter themed books, decorate around Thanksgiving, and celebrate St. Nick's. It's all wrapped up in Advent to me - St Nick's is about explaining the santa tradition and why it is spiritually significant.