Advent Count Down

    It's the first day of Advent...did you have your Advent Calendar ready?  I did...at 11:30pm last night.  Yep that is when I officially called a "wrap" on my Advent Calendar Count Down.  I've seen so many super awesome and super cute Advent Calendars that I just had to have one for my son.  Who, at 19 months has no idea of any of it but maybe after 25 days of getting a little gift he will be ready to open all the gifts at Christmas!?  I didn't grow up with an Advent Calendar or Count Down or anything like that but you all have convinced me!  However, with Advent starting I did not have time to get done with what I'm really wanting so I compromised this year.  I've played with so many different ideas in my mind; Gregory eats fruit out of these little cups that have lids.....like a plastic baby food jar if you will.  Perfect....I could cut out a Christmas Tree and paint up the little baby food cups and lips and they could be ornaments on the tree....great idea if I do say so myself.  WAIT....stop brainstorming process.....I definitely DO NOT want Christmas to be all about getting a bunch of gifts even though yes there are always lots of gifts....I really want to hone in on the TRUE meaning of Christmas.  A Nativity....okay so how to display...well lets just say I have an idea but I can't give it away or say much about it because I haven't even gotten started on what will be our permanent Advent Calendar.   So this year I still went with that theme...again...very important that we make this way more than just gifts.  So.....I thought about putting little tidbits of the Christmas Story with each gift but came across this Advent Calendar in blogland..... SweeterThanSweets: Advent Calendar to teach the True Story of Christmas.  

I printed out her daily printables and cut them apart to wrap each one in separate days gifts. 

She did awesome because her gifts go along with her printout....mine don't b/c I had already bought my little gifts before finding this so I tried my best to match gifts up with printouts if I could.  Again time crunch but I'm hoping that with next years I will have my own personalized printouts.  But either way Gregory will hear the story of Christmas!

So my Advent Calendar Count Down is taking place on my Shelf Hutch display. 

Before all the gifts

This little fiberoptic tree I got a few years ago at the dollar store for $3, the garland has been on it for a while...this tree used to sit on my desk when I worked in an office....I placed the bells on it this year when we decided not to put them on our big tree this year, I bought the little stocking this year for about $4...I know....I'm so bad but Gregory loves Mickey and I couldn't didn't resist!  The flowers came off a bunch of silk flowers I got at Walmart for $.94.

This glass piece I showed you here.....the little wreath I'm not really sure where I got it but I've had it for a while and again we decided not to put it on our tree this year.  The picture frame was given to me as a gift last Christmas to put Gregory's picture with Santa in!

This adorable Nativity was given to Gregory last year as a Christmas gift.  Yes it came with Baby Jesus....you will see what I've done with Him in a minute!

I wrapped all the little gifts and made little pockets or envelopes (tutorials for them to come) for the candy and stickers, numbered them with permanent marker....yeah I didn't do sticker numbers this year.  Placed them around the Nativity as if offered to the Baby Jesus.  Notice the BEST gift of all....number 25!

 I've decided the little stocking is perfect to hold the gift of the day

So far in life Gregory has not really understood the whole opening gifts thing.  So I got him started and once he saw that what was in there had wheels....

He figured it out....  he even went back ready for another one!

I read the piece of paper to him about how the Angel Gabriel approached Mary and told her she would be with child and give birth to a son, and name Him Jesus!  He may not understand yet; but one day he will!



Inspired by Advent Calendars everywhere!



Parties I'm attending:

Homemaker on a Dime: Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop

Creative Spark

Bunny Hop

Beyond the Picket Fence: Under $100 Linky

Gluesticks: Get Your Brag On