Christmas Projects

I know Thanksgiving is still next week and I keep talking of Christmas already, but I can't help it. It feels like there is so much I have to do to prep myself for the holiday season so it's not super stressful in the middle of it all.

I thought I would share some of the things I am working on or thinking about for the holidays and pass on the fun-ness. :-)

I had heard an idea on an advent calendar last year and determined to do it for this coming one. I am not a fan of the store bought ones necessarily, where you just open the window and eat a piece of chocolate everyday. (Although, seriously, why would anyone in their right mind knock that!) I think the idea of "something to do that is Christmas-y" everyday is WAY more fun. The one thing too that I liked about this idea was that I could swap the notes out according to my energy level the next day based on what I thought I could handle.

Here are some of the things I am going to put in for each day.

Listen to Christmas Music during all our meals
Bake and decorate cookies together
Buy a gift for a needy child
Watch a Christmas movie
Go to Library and check out Christmas books
Take treats to our neighbors
make a Christmas craft

Those are just some ideas. I have a bunch more. Some take effort and some are pretty simple. Great memory making and festiveness for the holiday season is really what I am striving for with the kids. I am really excited to see how Little Girl responds. Baby Boy will only think it is fun because he is watching LG scream and get excited, but that is o.k. He can stay little and oblivious as long as he wants. :-)

So - for the cuteness factor. Look at how I'm going to do it. I found this site that I can now no longer locate, but here is the baby sock advent calendar I am going to do. It's a Martha Stewart idea and I am sure it is going to be adorable. I am heading to Consignment stores today to start tracking old socks and also looking through the kids drawers, although I don't think I will find appropriate colors in their drawers such as Christmas green and Cranberry red. So - shopping I shall go.

I will show pictures once it is done. I wrote out all my ideas last night of what to stick inside each sock for the 24 day December Countdown to Christmas.

Oh, and I am also heading out to buy the kids some Christmas pajamas today too that they can open on Thanksgiving night. This way they can wear them the whole Christmas season and enjoy them fully. In the spirit of thanksgiving and thankfulness and sharing with the kids how blessed they are - we are also going to be wrapping and sending another pair of pajamas out to a special little girl that we have never met, but will come to know over the years. We have signed up to sponsor a child through Compassion International for the first time. We are excited to share this with the kids and start teaching them about giving and loving other people in this world who don't have much and who may not know Jesus. I will share more on Compassion later.

I better hop off. Little Girl has preschool this morning and my son who keeps walking past me screaming seems to have an odor trail. Duty calls. Have a great Thursday! I will - because tonight is date night!!! :-)