DIY Advent Calendar

Growing up, we always had an Advent Calendar. I remember it had little doors on it and every day of December, leading up to Christmas, my two sisters and I would take turns opening the door and seeing the surprise treat behind it. It was a great way to celebrate the season and got us excited in the countdown to the birth day of Jesus.

Now that Emmalyn is two years old, she's starting to understand the concept of Christmas a little more. I wanted to make something that would get her excited in the same way I did when I was little. After scouring Pinterest and blogs for ideas, I headed to Michael's and Target to get my supplies.

 

I bought Emmalyn a miniature tree of her own. I wanted her to open a bag each day that had a small ornament she could put on her tree every morning. 

I found some mini clothespins and sparkly scrapbooking paper at Michaels. I cut thin strips of paper and used double-sided tape to stick each strip onto the clothespin.

 

I made a quick template on the computer and printed them out on a piece of cream card stock. I trimmed the edges so they looked like little hang-tags.

I put an ornament in each paper bag and added one peppermint M&M (which, by the way, was the first time I had seen them in stores. People, if you have not had them, you are seriously missing out. Go get yourself some NOW!)

 

I strung some jute rope and red and white bakers twine to hang all the bags from. Every morning, when Emmalyn puts her ornament on the tree, I put the empty bag back on the twine. I like seeing them all together, and plus I plan to reuse them in the years to come, so putting them back helps ensure that I will not lose them.

Photo bomb by this blonde cutie - hey there!

 

 

Supplies:

Ornaments - $5 (Target)

Bakers Twine - $1 (Target dollar bin) 

Peppermint M&Ms - $4 (Target)

Paper Bags - $3 (Michael's)

Clothespins - $5 (Michael's)

Jute Twine - $2 (Michael's)

Two sheets of Scrapbook Paper - $2 each (Michael's)

Cream Cardstock - Free (already had at home)

Total Cost - $22

Have any of you attempted DIY projects this Christmas season? Do tell!

Toddler Activity: Packing Peanuts & Boxes

Emmalyn and I have a bit of routine during the week. I pick her up from my in-laws after work, around 5:30. We go home and spend about 30 minutes playing before dinner time. I'm constantly on the look out for games that are a change-up from her everyday toys. We got a package in the mail a few days ago, so I saved the big box full of packing peanuts.

At first she took the peanuts out one by one and placed them on the outer flaps of the box.

Then it was on to putting the peanuts into the different size boxes.

I brought out some big kitchen spoons and we took turns "stirring the pot". She used the spoons to put the peanuts into the different size boxes.
 

My favorite part about this activity? It was free! It kept her busy and she was able to work on her sorting and fine motor skills, plus there was very little clean-up when we were done.

Do you have any favorite activities for your toddler?

DISCLAIMER

Always supervise your child during activities, especially when they involve small pieces. Please use your own judgement in choosing activities that best meet the capabilities of your child.