Advent Calendar

I wanted to do some sort of Advent Calendar this year to count our way down to Christmas.  After perusing Pinterest (for hours, LOL), I decided I wanted to make mine activity based.  I began working months ago on coming up with a list of activities, some pretty in depth and some extremely simple.  I printed them out onto red card stock.  I then set out to make my own decorative envelopes to put them in.

I had a stash of Christmas scrapbooking papers left over from my scrapbooking years, so I pulled out 5-6 coordinating sheets.  I wasn't sure what to use as the actual envelopes.  I came up with the idea to cut standard envelopes in half (after sealing them closed).  This gave me perfectly sized, inexpensive envelopes.  I covered my envelopes in scrapbook paper and numbered them (my numbers were from a scrapbook paper that I cut apart).  

I went through the calendar and added activities that were date specific.  I also tried to put simpler activities on Sundays, since we're usually so busy that day.  I also used scriptures from this site, and added one to each day.




Here is a list of the activities I have listed for ours:
(I also have several snow related ones (snowball fight, make snowman, go sledding) that I will add in place of some of these - if we get any snow in the next month).

1. Choose Secret Santas
2. Visit Bethlehem Marketplace
3. Make Paper Snowflakes
4. Watch a Christmas movie and eat popcorn
5. Make a Christmas craft
6. Play a game
7. Go on a Christmas Hike (this one will depend on weather)
8. Do an act of service for someone in need
9. Watch Elf
10. Make Hot Chocolate
11. Make a homemade gift for someone
12. Make Truffles
13. Make a Christmas ornament
14. Go shopping for your Secret Santa
15. Make a gingerbread house
16. Have a family camp out in front of the Christmas tree
17. Go Caroling
18. Make Sugar Cookies
19. Decorate Cookies
20. Go to mall and see Santa
21. Plan and act out the Christmas story (& video it!)
22. Make cookies and deliver to neighbors
23. Go see Christmas lights
24. Watch a Christmas movie and eat caramel corn