Golly, it's December, where has 2011 gone? Today I have hung our new Advent calendar, our countdown to Christmas. Advent Sunday was last week, when churches light the first candle, for
Hope, on the Advent crown, but throughout December we mark each day in a small way. As a child I had a traditional paper Advent calendar with a little door to open each day to reveal a small picture, a star, a crib, maybe a donkey or my favourite, an angel. Calendars then started to contain chocolate in each window and a wide variety of fabric calendars, wooden chest of drawers calendars, Advent candles.....appeared. And who could forget the wonderful
Blue Peter Advent crown, a wonder of tinsel, wire coat hangers and almost safe candles? This year I made this calendar with a printed panel and we are going to use it to make a charity donation.
Each day we will put money in the appropriate pocket according to how good the day has been (a variation on the "well-fed" jar we have where we add a few coins if we have eaten well that day and the money collected helps those who don't eat well daily). Today, the 1st December, we are going to the historic city of Lincoln, meeting up with DD and my scrumptious Sam, having lunch out and maybe doing a little shopping - that's going to be worth quite a few coins to kickstart our collecting.
At the weekend I will start to decorate the house, before that I have a little production line going:
not seasonal colours and thankfully not needed for Christmas...
I suppose within a few more years I will have made Advent calendars for eachh of my kid's homes. I carved wooden decorations to hang on the tree but I like your pocket idea much better.
ReplyDeletethat looks interesting, what is it? go on tell us
ReplyDeleteLis, what a great idea. I like it a lot. I will be putting something in my advent calendar as well and by Christmas I hope to open a new KIVA account for someone who need it more than me. Blue for Japan so blue it is - hugs Nat
ReplyDeleteLis, that is a beautiful advent calendar.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, I like your Advent calendar, pretty colours and pattern.
ReplyDeleteThose silk envelopes are gorgeous.
I like that idea of the advent calendar and putting something in it instead of taking something out. Its a beautiful calendar too! I have reused the same calendar for years that is just like the one you mention and the one I had as a child. Just open a little window to see a picture....no chocolate. Why would you hype the kids up first thing in the morning???? This year we have a virtual advent calendar done by Jackie Lawson designs who make lovely online animated cards. Its a beautiful London scene that reveals a new part of the city each day. My brother lives in London so the boys feel they are connecting with their cousins which is really nice. I was only thinking Sam would probably enjoy it but maybe in a few years time unless he is computer savvy? Most kids are these days. Enjoy the count down to Christmas :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, a lovely way to use the advent calendar
ReplyDeleteGiving instead of taking is such a good idea in this country where we have so much compared to others. Do you know of others who do this? I think you should spread the news and turn this tradition on it's head. Help children to learn that life's not all about taking.
ReplyDeleteTeresa x