It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Each year I like to make an advent calendar full of activities that we can participate in as a family. This year I’m realizing that we’re BUSY before we even start adding Christmas activities so I’ve tried to make a more realistic list for us as a family and schedule the “big” things on the dates that work for us. Also, while the liturgical calendar has us actually starting the season of Advent today, we’ll be doing the typical 24 day countdown. Here are the activities we have planned (in no particular order):

1. help mom put together neighborhood Christmas gifts and deliver
2. bless the Advent wreath and light the first candle
3. bake cookies
4. make Christmas ornaments
5. make paper snowflakes
6. tell each family member something you like about them
7. write a letter to Santa
8. bubble bath followed by Christmas colors mani-pedi
9. go for a drive and look at the lights
10. play a board game after dinner as a family
11. decorate the Christmas tree and set out the nativities
12. read a Christmas book together before bed
13. family Christmas jammie night
14. watch a Christmas movie and have popcorn
15. have a breakfast for dinner night
16. make sure to leave out your shoes for St. Nick
17. donate food/diapers to the local food pantry
18. go for a walk together before bedtime
19. deliver cards/ornaments to the nursing home
20. make gifts for family members at Santa’s Workshop
21. attend your school advent program
22. draw a picture or write a letter to a loved one far away
23. donate to the Salvation Army bellringer
24. go through your toys and closets to find gently used items to donate to a local shelter