Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Countdown To Christmas

This year along with the 24 books, I decided to start a new tradition. I took my daughters out and let them pick out Christmas fabric they liked (I did not tell them what it was for) and made pillowcases for them to open December 1st along with their first book! They loved it and were so excited to curl up in their beds with them and read our first book!
The second I saw this fabric I was over the Moon for it!

We have one of the big Pottery barn advent calenders that we use every year, but as soon as I saw the post on the punch board I knew I wanted to do it! For ours we pull it off the fridge and punch it. Also this year instead of getting candy each day for the countdown I made ( except for a few above) handmade gifts. Little things that I have seen on pinterest and saved for later. I wrapped Lilly's in green tissue paper and Raley's in Red so I would not have to guess when they pulled their gifts out since some of them were not the same. I have another post coming with the rest of the gifts that I have made, I could only get a few out to take a quick picture before Lilly wandered in.. Also each day in the advent calender they get a piece of paper that has a series of scriptures on it that follows His life, so we get out our bibles and read them together. Lastly they get a second piece of paper that has a Christmas/Jesus Activity to do.  Hopefully tomorrow I will get our list up of the activities we do!

The pillowcases follow the pattern here

For the Advent Calender here
Jesus Scriptures here
Friendship Bracelets here
Mrs.Potato head here
Crayons in a box here
Hello Kitty Softie here but I did not put her's together so she could sew it
Jacks Straws and Rhyming dominoes  here
The ball of yarn is for finger knitting. The Chalkboard books I just painted old board books with chalk paint.  Fox mask I free styled out of felt. Journals, bracelets bought at target.