Advent 2017

This is my plan for this year in case you're looking for ideas (includes affiliate links):

Dec. 1. Unwrap a “First Day of Advent” gift. 

 Adventures in Odyssey Countdown to Christmas - my goal is to listen to these at night during dinner

Dec. 2. 7th annual Birthday Party for Jesus

Dec. 3. Get and decorate Christmas tree

Dec. 4. Open special ornament and put it on the tree

Every year I buy each kid an ornament that is indicative of something they enjoyed or did that year

Dec. 5. Buy presents for your siblings

Dec. 6. Write/color/make something for Judie (our Compassion International child)

Dec. 7. Paint/decorate ornaments 

Buy cheap clear ornaments, squirt paint inside, swirl around - hours of entertainment

Dec. 8. School Christmas program

Dec. 9. See The Star movie

Dec. 10. Church Christmas program

Dec. 11. Make tea light snowman ornaments

Dec. 12. Dinner with Great Grandma and Grandpa, see the trees and trains at Frederick Meijer Gardens

Dec. 13. Make treats for the mail lady

Dec. 14. Special Christmas dinner

Set the table with goofy Christmas placemats I got at the dollar store, make red and green food, etc.

Dec. 15. Watch Elf and have hot chocolate

Dec. 16. Extended family Christmas party

Dec. 17. Make gingerbread houses

Dec. 18. Do Christmas mad libs/find our elf names (here and here)

Dec. 19. Paint nails red and green

Dec. 20. Lunch with friends? RAK

The girls have a half day of school, so we might go to "the play McDonald's" with friends. Then do this Random Act of Kindness somewhere.

Dec. 21. Read Christmas books in front of the Christmas tree

Dec. 22. Lego Christmas creations (some ideas here)

Dec. 23. Make Christmas cookies

Dec. 24. Christmas treasure hunt 

The girls are obsessed with treasure hunts. I write up clues and hide them around the house leading toward a treasure (usually a sucker or something lame like that). I'm going to attempt to make an elaborate one for Christmas Eve that ends with their Christmas pajamas. 

This year we're going to do a "follow the star" theme. Every night I'll hide a star somewhere in the house with that day's activity on it. The girls will have to find it in the morning. On the back of each star will be a verse that highlights why we needed Jesus to come, some of the prophesies promising his coming, his birth, his purpose, etc. I haven't chosen all the verses yet, but I'll probably rely heavily on this resource. 

So that's the plan! We never actually accomplish all 24 ideas, so I'll report back as we go. This is the 6th year I've been doing this with the girls. Sometimes it's just added stress, but hopefully they will treasure these memories as they get older!!