It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

CHRISTMAS!

Last year, while I was reading my friend Lesley's blog (yes, she is the same person from whom I stole got the idea for POTD) I discovered a countdown to Christmas that I knew I would try this year.  In this post, she explains wanting her kids to have a greater appreciation for what they have and to begin to understand and practice both gratitude and generosity.  Amen and amen!  Now, I know that kids get excited about Christmas because of the presents (hello, they're human, right?!) and believe me they will get plenty of presents!  However, that's not at all what Christmas is about!  Christmas is about the gift of Jesus Christ, born to be a sacrifice for our sins!  At the very least, Christmas should be about the giving not the getting.  With that in mind {and while it was still November!}, I began to think about activities that we could do together each day to foster gratitude, generosity and good old family togetherness (oh and to keep track of how many days are left until Christmas!).  Enter our homemade Christmas countdown...

Step 1:  I enlisted the kids to help by handprint painting a Christmas tree.

Step 2:  L added some 'do a dot' lights and a star.

Step 3:  I cut out 26 ornament circles and wrote an activity on each one {most of which came from (you guessed it!) Lesley and actually, most of the ornaments are still blank as many days will take a bit of planning on my part}.

Step 4:  Each day we turn an ornament over to see the day's activity which we complete as a family {Yes, we've already started our countdown.  No, there aren't 23 days left until actual Christmas, just 23 days until our first Christmas (we have many!)}.

Day 26:  Deck the halls!

Day 25:  Write letters to soldiers (you can find more info here)

L signed her name on each card...

before D or I added a note of thanks and signed for the rest of us. 

Side Note:  Admittedly, L (and for sure I Man) was a bit young for this activity but it is definitely worth doing whether or not they understand!

On the docket for tonight..."Watch a Veggietales Christmas movie."  L chose The Star of Christmas...should be a good one!

And if that weren't enough work Christmas fun, I've also wrapped up just about every Christmas book we own...

and the kids are enjoying opening a 'new' one each day

See?

Disclaimer:  If I had seen this post just a few days earlier, I would have saved myself a lot of time and it might still be doable for some of you (you're welcome!).  Also, I'm not sure if I'll post often {or at all!} about our daily activities so here's the list of some activites I'm working off of in addition to the ones listed above:

Empty the pantry and take items to the food shelf

Family game night

Put $ in the Salvation Army bucket

Bake and Decorate Cookies

See the Christmas lights

Make gingerbread houses

Be someone's secret Santa

Make Christmas goodies and deliver to the neighbors

Go to the Dollar Tree and pick out a gift for each member of the family

Buy a Christmas gift and donate to a needy child (toys for tots)

Read the Christmas story from the Bible

Write a letter and color a picture for someone of your choice

Make a special Christmas treat

Make a Christmas ornament

Go sledding or build a snowman (we're gonna need snow for this one!)

Donate old toys/clothes to area thrift store

Have a picnic dinner in front of the tree

Make gifts for friends/Sunday School teachers

Sing in the Christmas program

List 10 things you are thankful for

Throw Jesus a birthday party

Open presents from mom and dad