I can’t believe it is December 1st already! The fall always flies by, and then December speeds by even faster. With Christmas shopping to do, holiday parties to attend, and Christmas cards to write, this wonderful, festive time that should be about family and friends can go by in a blink of an eye.

This year, despite the typical busy schedule, I am determined to slow down and appreciate each day with my kids. How am I going to do that? This year, we are going to try an advent calendar.

I found some really great DIY ideas on Pinterest. For the calendar itself, I’m going with the punch-a-cup idea (we did something similar for our Halloween party, and my kids loved it). Just put a little surprise in a solo cup, cover with tissue paper and tape to the wall in shape of a tree. Voila! Advent Calendar complete.

Well, almost complete. Now what to put inside? It would be easy to just put treats, stickers, and little toys in there, which I will. But borrowing another idea from Pinterest – more specifically a blog called Mess for Less – I’m also going to put in a little note with a holiday activity for the day.

We’ll start out with some easy ones, like “Sing a Christmas Carol” and “Write a letter to Santa”. Then work our way up to the bigger, more time-intensive ones like making ornaments and gingerbread houses and baking Christmas cookies. And I hope to throw in a few adventures, like a Christmas tree hunt, a drive to look at Christmas lights, and a trip to the holiday train display at the local museum.

We have so many plans for December already, and we won’t even be home for half of it. But I think by spending a little time each day as a family thinking about the holiday, we will hopefully look back on the month not as a complete blur but as a true celebration:)

I’ll check back in after the New Year to let you know how it goes. Until then, I’d love to hear all the ways you’re trying to slow down and appreciate the holidays.