Homemade Advent Calendar

My little advent calendar - far from perfect, but DONE and ready for fun.

(The whole point of this post is to hear your favorite Christmas traditions. Feel free to skip my rambling and just leave a comment.)

I'm terrible at starting projects and then abandoning them just shy of finishing. I guess the excitement wears off and then I'm easily distracted by new ideas. And pinterest has not helped this habit!

Pinterest is a great online resource, but for me it can also cause creative overload. For example, I spend my freetime absorbed with pinning for several hours and nothing else gets done. Or, I have so many great ideas that I can't decide what to start. Then I start 20 and finish 0.

So I forced a Pinterest fast last week - and surprised myself by proving I'm not as addicted as I thought. It reminded me of my fifth-grad television fast - just doing it put me back in control of using it more moderately.

Then I made myself stick to the next project I wanted to complete - a Christmas Advent calendar.

Whew, this was tough! I had to overcome a couple roadblocking challenges:

1. How to get it done before Christmas (this one, not next Christmas):

• I took advantage of hand sewing and my hot glue gun, which are both tools I can use while watching tv. My sewing machine takes too much time to set up when I feel lazy - which is pretty often. I also opted out of attaching numbers to each pocket. Instead, I'll print them on pieces of paper with activity ideas for each pocket. I'll have them stick out like a tab.

2. How to use what I have

• I almost stopped in the middle of this project to go buy more supplies to make cute little pockets. I was also distracted by wanting cute little felt pictures on each pocket. But my budget stopped me - and my guilt for all the craft supplies sitting neglected in my house. It took me half an episode of Castle before I determined to use a bagful of Yo-yo's I made when pregnant with Lucas. I sewed the sides and bottom, leaving the top open like a pocket. 

3. How to accept imperfections and move on

• My mind never stops thinking of ways to improve the things I make, but at some point it needs to stop. If not, stuff will just sit in my sewing basket forever. And if its not to be used, then what's the point in making it? So I let go that I couldn't find my wooden dowels to hang it from, or my red and yellow felt, or that it didn't say "Merry Christmas," or that it could look cuter with some additional snowflakes or presents stitched around it. I'm done. Time to use it.

Before I hang it tomorrow, there are 25 little Christmas activities to stick in the pockets. I'm hoping a few of these will become Christmas traditions. I'd love to hear if anyone has their own family Christmas activities to share.

Advent Calendar Activities: (in no particular order)

Decorate Christmas Tree

Watch Joy to the World and set up our Nativity Scene

Shovel snow and make snow angels

Send Christmas cards to Grandparents

Play Secret Santa to someone who needs holiday cheer

Make Christmas Doors

Go for a sleigh ride
Watch Frosty the Snowman, make hot chocolate

Make our own Frosty the Snowman

Make our own Christmas Decorations to share
Go Christmas shopping for Daddy
Make Christmas cookies for friends.

Drive around to see Christmas lights

Donate canned goods

Go to the Old Fashioned Christmas in Idaho Falls

Make a gingerbread house

Decorate sugar cookies

Go see a seasonal movie

Wrap Christmas Gifts

Donate a toy for another child

Go see a Nativity Scene

Write letters to Santa

Make Carmel Corn with Daddy
Go out for Hot Cocoa

Make a Snowscape with shaving cream and action figures