Advent Calendars - Dec 1st

We didn't make advent calendars this year. I think as the kids get older there's not so much excitement about getting a candy treat each day -- especially when they're old enough to go get their own treats! LOL!

Jessica and I are KINDA doing an advent with activities, though. She wants to help me with these December Dailies. I'm sure it'll be fun!

Okay, so for those of you with young children, here are some advent activities:

Book Advent
This is one we did for many years when the kids were smaller. I'd wrap 25 Christmas/winter books and each night they'd open one for me to read before bed.

Game Advent
I love this idea for older kids! Wrap their favourite games! We would totally have enough to do this!

Cute Santa Printable
With this free printable, the child would add a cotton ball to Santa's bead each day before Christmas.

Christmas Bucket
Another great idea! Helps focus on spending time together, rather than getting gifts every day of advent.

Another Santa Beard advent
Here's another easy one for kids to make themselves It's in Italian, so you'll have to hit the translate button -- but the pictures are self-explanatory.

I'm changing up the way I'm doing our advent. No more candy!! It's too tempting to eat it throughout the day. I found a blog that gave acts of kindness suggestions so I think I'll do something like that. I'll be sure to check out your links. Thanks!

I did advent calendars for the boys for years... last year I stopped.... Stuart couldn't care less, but George would still want one.. in fact, he asked yesterday.. "Mom, where are the advent calendars?". I felt kind of bad, but he is 22 now!! LOL!! Maybe today i will go to shoppers and get him one of those .99 ones! LOL!!

Advent was always the biggest part of Cmas prep for us. We had candy sometimes but we focused on Cmas prep for the house and doing things as a family.

Helen get that kid an advent calendar! One of these days he'll be gone and you will wish he's around again. I miss my kids a lot at this time of year.

Last year was the first year that gd had an advent calendar. She got to open "da widdow does" after she'd eaten all her dinner including her vegetables!

I know what you mean, Helen. Jessica asked me yesterday is I had bought advent calendars. Guess I gotta make a trip to the store. Hopefully I can find some Lindt ones, or I might just have to make my own calendar.

Besides the fact that it's Lindt, is the chocolate different? Thinking of your new eating plans and all....

just curious..

I had a felt gingerbread village wall hanging and the kids added a piece to the picture each day. the pieces were in a glass bowl and they got to choose which piece to add. I don't think we ever did the candy thing!

Kelly wrote:

Besides the fact that it's Lindt, is the chocolate different? Thinking of your new eating plans and all....

just curious..

No, Lindt doesn't really fit with the new eating plans..... but chocolate is a treat! I don't like the cheap chocolate

That makes total sense, Carla. Use your calories wisely.

I also love Lindt chocolate over "pedestrian" chocolate.

Lindt chocolate is my favorite, I keep them in the freezer! Out of sight, out of mind!

Did you know that you are never supposed to freeze chocolate? I can't remember where I read it but apparently it breaks down some of the molecular structure and dries it out. Interesting eh?

I freeze it all the time or I would never be able to buy it, unless it was drive thur - eat and go!

Well if I dared have any Lindt around, I'm sure I'd come up with all sorts of scenarios wherein I would need a frozen Lindt! Bad, bad, bad...

I bought myself one of the lindt calendars too its such a tiny piece of chocolate, but somehow being that it is lindt it is pretty satisfying.. No matter how good I am managing to be I always need a piece of chocolate a day. I stock up at halloween and into the freezer it goes I pull out my piece at the end of the day and since its frozen i have to suck on it instead of chewing it right up.. Takes longer to "eat" it and I find it way more satisfying and most days don't feel the need to go back for a second third or fourth piece LOL....