Gearing Up For Christmas

Wow, the Christmas season is upon us again – I can’t believe another year is almost over!

We worked hard this weekend to get the Christmas decorations up and we’re almost done; of course NONE of the outdoor light strings worked out of the box this year so I still have to get those up but otherwise we’re set.

We started our advent calendar on Sunday – we made one a few years ago using assorted tea and candy tins and it attaches to our fridge with magnets.

advent magnet cans

I fill it with a mix of candy, little gifts and notes about any fun Christmas experiences we have planned for that day. I also include a few larger gifts in the advent (holiday pajamas, a holiday movie, a new book) which they find via scavenger hunt clues.  The kids absolutely love the clues, but by the end of the month it does get hard to think of good hiding spots – plus I didn’t do myself any favors by starting with rhyming clues, so it’s expected now.

advent calendar magnets

I’m not sure what homemade gifts I’ll do this year but I usually like to do at least something little for people so I’ve got to get on it. Are you making any gifts this year?