Easy Advent Countdown

This year, we are going to be visiting family for part of the holiday season.  Also, Mike just did a major drywall replacement job in the basement.  If you put these two factors together, you would most likely also come to the conclusion that you should only really decorate for Christmas with a few things that you can pull out easily without having to move the junk that needs to be sorted in the New Year.  At least, this is the conclusion that we came to. 

Don't get me wrong, we have a wreath up, a few "homemade" Chloe decorations, some ornaments, and we're going to put lights up this weekend...it definitely won't look like the Grinch is residing here, but it's not our normal "Christmas just threw up in my house and I love it" decor feel. 

So, I decided that LB and I would make a "Christmas tree."  We used some finger paints (note: I now have to spell p-a-i-n-t, and if I don't, I'd better be prepared to do it because it's a favorite here) and some butcher paper (thanks Kelley!) and got to work:

In her T shirt smock (works like a charm) showing me the "peeeeaint!"

We used her handprints to make a tree shape and then I let her paint with the brush too.

Helping to color in the tree stump.

After we painted, I added a stump and a star and taped it up on the shelf.  Festive! 

Pretty simultaneously, I was reading blogs and thinking, maybe we should do an Advent Christmas Countdown!  Yes, again, I know, LB will probably not understand a true "countdown" but she definitely understands routines and loves new activities and little treats, so what the heck, right?  I didn't have time/ energy/ materials to be too crafty with it, so this is what I came up with:

I un-earthed a gift bag from said junk-filled basement and decided that each day leading up to Christmas, I'd place either a sticky note with an activity or coupon or a little treat inside for LB to discover.

December 1st bag: Foam stickers for decorating the tree!

Dec. 2nd bag: coupon...see below

We did, it was fun! 

I have some more ideas for the little gift bag: stickers, coloring book, cookie cutter, coupon to watch a Christmas Mickey Mouse or Sesame Street special, go shopping for our Salvation Army stocking, etc.  I like that we're using a gift bag, because I can either stick a post-it with the activity inside, or add a little treat.  It's also portable, so we can keep up the countdown no matter where we are.  Stay tuned for more Advent bag reveals!