Advent Calendars: Let the Countdown Begin

It’s almost December 1st do you have your Advent Calendar ready?

A couple years ago I created this advent calendar inspiration board. It was such a fun project and gave me tons of ideas for some holiday DIY projects.  Unfortunately, I created it mid-holiday season which was a bit too late to really put to any good use. This year I decided to showcase it again since December first is right around the corner.  If you don’t already have an advent calendar in place, there are some wonderful DIY ideas above.

This year I actually have two advent calendars in place to help me and my family count down the day till Christmas.

The first calendar was a gift from my mother-in-law (aka: Gama). It is a simple design but I absolutely love the cardboard numbers and the clothes line design. The red and white “bakery” string reminds me of the NYC Italian cookies my cousin would bring to Christmas Eve dinner.  I have hung this advent countdown from my mantel in our family room.   I feel it is the perfect location as this is where Santa will magically sneak into our house on Christmas morn.  It keeps things in perspective for my anxious and impatient little boys.  Sitting above the advent countdown is my beloved Norman Rockwell print of Santa mapping out where all the “good boys” live on the globe.  This is another good reminder for my children that Santa is checking his naughty and nice list. The overall feel of both the advent calendar and print gives an old fashion and nostalgic vibe which I personally love.

My second advent calendar is a small wooden house that I purchased 5 years ago. At the time, it was so difficult to find an advent calendar that would last.  Most of the advent calendars were cardboard and hid little chocolates. I paid over $80 for this little house and it was money well spent.  It is hand made, each little woodland animal is hand painted and there are 25 adorable doors.  It is still one on my most treasured holiday finds.  One of the reasons why it is so dear to my heart is because my boys love this holiday decoration.  Each year, when we begin to decorate the house, it is the first thing they ask about.   They cannot wait to get their hands on it and when they do, they carefully review each animal and strategically place them behind each numbered door.  This year, my youngest son Lincoln hid his favorite animal the Bald Eagle behind the number 5 which also happens to be his age.  He is so cute!  It is those little memories that make this one of my favorite holiday things.

How are you counting down to the big day?

Thanks for stopping by~