With holiday install wrapping up at work, and Thanksgiving rapidly approaching I remembered (with a twinge of panic) that I needed to fill the advent calendar for Nad and Mi before December 1st. This is the third Christmas I've filled the calendar for the girls, and I have no doubts that it will continue to be loved and used until it finally gives out. It is after all only made of paper...

I love the idea of a tiny surprise waiting to be discovered. As a child, the anticipation of what I might find tomorrow felt like a best kept secret. As an adult I love to share in this excitement with Nad and Mi. We try to fill the calendar with something other than plastic junk with Hannah Montana's face plastered all over it, so I picked out some alternative treasures:

*glow in the dark wind animals because Nad is all about animal facts

*chocolate coins, a holiday must and favorite of both girls

*wooden necklaces to string, because above all we girls love to craft

* puffy butterfly stickers

* rubber stamps (of animals)

Our advent calendar was made of large matchboxes cut in half then compiled into a "chest of drawers" like format. Its was pretty simply and fun to embellish. Here are some other great advent calendar ideas I love...

from purlbee

from country living magazine

from canadian family

Really, the sky is the limit. This would also be a great thing to do with a partner too. I made a birthday advent calendar for Aaron and he still looks at it 3 years later.

Girls Night

Friday night it was just me and the girls. We played games, made paper poofs in orange and black for Halloween, and most successful was our chocolate project. The girls picked out chocolate molds and we spent nearly an hour mixing colored chocolate, painting the molds and creating white chocolate frogs and teddy bears in all colors.


Its a quick and easy project to do with kids as little as two or three. Even better, both girls were occupied and happy and I was able to sit with them and make white chocolate leaves while they carefully chose their palette and discussed when the candies would be ready to eat. We had so much fun!

A Bedtime Activity

The girls always want a project, but its especially important on nights where its just them and me. Tonight we did a quick painted chocolate project that was lots of fun and none too messy!

By using white coating chocolate, chocolate dies and a plastic mold, the girls created these pink and yellow painted bee chocolates, which are absolutely adorable!

Clean up was minimal and we even got out the paint brushes!