I hope your holidays are off to good start and that the stress that can come along during this time of year is not getting the best of you. For me, our Advent calendar has been a source of stress the past few Christmases. As D got older, I found it challenging to find small gifts that generated enthusiasm each morning leading up to December 25th. The forgotten toys and trinkets became accumulated junk, a reminder of an unsuccessful advent calendar.

Now that D is older, we've switched our Advent focus from "getting things" to "doing things" where the activities are inclusive and all of us can participate and enjoy. This year's calendar consists of little cards with envelopes, courtesy of my Silhouette machine, hung from a branch. Doc or I handwrite the day's activity in the dark morning hours while D is asleep.

With a little planning, 24 activities aren't as challenging as you might think. Here are some activities in our line-up:

"A Christmas Story" movie night with popcorn and eggnog
Writing Christmas cards to our soldiers
Ice skating and burgers
Make hot chocolate kits for cousins
Gifts from the kitchen
Decorate Christmas tree and house
Dinner around the tree
Donate new toys and books

So far it's been a success, and watching D's excitement each morning as he locates the day's envelope has been so fun.

Happy Holidays,

F&N