DIY Activity Advent Calendar

I decided early on that I wanted to do an advent calendar that included little activities to do throughout December---which, I realize now, miiiiight have been asking too much along with the Power School schedule. Its amazing how quickly your hour-and-a-half-with-your-husband-on-weeknights goes by! But anyway...

Still determined, I came up with 25 activities to do--some quick and easy, some more detailed and involved. I settled on a sort of "advent tree" idea, hanging the numbered activities on the branches. I picked up some decorative floral branches from Michaels (50% off, what what!) and tossed them in a vase I already had. I printed the activities on card stock, then attached to kraft paper gift tags--two bucks for exactly 25. Next, a little twine to hang the tags from the branches.

Some of the things we planned:

- Read the Christmas Carol (spread over a few days)

- Make gingerbread houses

- Take cookies to neighbors

- Go shopping for presents to donate to children in need

- Go ice skating

- Have a dinner Buddy the Elf would love--french toast and hot chocolate

- Check out the Christmas lights in Charleston

- Watch the First Presidency Christmas devotional

- Make peppermint hot chocolate

- Have a PJ swap

- Watch a favorite Christmas movie

Then each day we take off the tag for that day's activity and replace it with a snowflake ornament. As the "tree" fills up with snowflakes, we get closer to Christmas!

The finishing touches were some cinnamon pine cones in the bottom of the vase and a little extra ribbon from the wreath I made to hang on our front door. Way cheap and super easy.

There you have it!

What kinds of things do you include in your advent calendar?