Countdown to Christmas: Homemade Family Advent Calendar

Last year, my daughters and I 

made this Family Advent Calendar

to countdown to Christmas.

Each envelope contains a daily family activity

to help us slow down and enjoy 

the month of December. 

We can't wait to set it up again this year.

In case you want to make your own, 

I wanted to post again this week so you would

 have time to make one before December 1st!

Here is our Harris Family Advent List

1. Candlelit bath for the girls!

2. Make Paper Snowflakes and Decorate the Windows

3. Make a CD of Christmas Music for the playroom/mom's minivan.

4. Rootbeer Floats!

5. Bake something yummy with Mama

6. Make Christmas Cards for Friends/Family

7. Have hot chocolate with marshmallows.

8. Make a pipe cleaner candy cane or wreath.

9. Make a Paper Chain.

10. Use puppets to tell a Bedtime Story.

11. Have an indoor picnic.

12. Family Game Night (Wii, board games, puzzles?)

13. Make and Decorate a Gingerbread House.

14. Dance and Sing to Christmas Music.

15. Set up the Mouse Nativity.

16. Make a Christmas Craft.

17. Make a Christmas Ornament.

18. Dress Fancy for Dinner tonight.

19. Fashion Show with Clothes made out of gift wrap!

(Recycled from opening presents with grandparents)

20. Make and Hang Edible Gifts/ornaments for the Birds and Squirrels.

21. Surprise a neighbor with an act of kindness.

22. At Home Pedicures!

23. Watch a Christmas movie with popcorn.

24. Pick your Favorite Christmas book for mom (or dad) to read aloud.

25. Open Presents!

Happy Countdown!

Fondly,

pink and green mama, 

Homemade Christmas Tree Advent Quilt

I've been wanting to make a wall-hanging

Advent Quilt like this for a few years now.

I've seen similar ones at places like Pottery Barn

and various stores over the years. 

I finished it on the third day of December 

but we can catch up, right?! 

I wanted it to be colorful,

whimsical,

and handmade. 

Something that would be fun to make

and that the girls would be able to

enjoy and create memories with for years to come.

I had the felt and buttons in my stash.

The turquoise fabric (1/2 yard) and one package of 

red quilter's binding/bias tape are goodies I picked up at Walmart.

The backing was made from a funny little 

green polar fleece baby blanket that was

taking up space and not being used by anyone in our house

but the cats lurking in our linen closet!

I used a combination of machine stitching

and hand stitching with embroidery thread --

mostly just to get'er done

more than for an aesthetic reason!

Note: Learn from my mistake:

I learned that if you use

fabric glue to attach the numbers and little outside 

felt squares to the bigger felt square pockets --

DON'T pin them right away with your 

straight pins to the quilt. 

I glued my pins inside each pocket and 

had to use pliers (and my hubby's brute strength)

to remove several of the pins!!

I actually had this little dowel rod and finials

in my crazy art supply stash.

I painted them with acrylic craft paint. 

Each pocket contains a little miniature 

ornament to hang on the tree's buttons

with a gold star pin on the 25th to top the tree. 

Happy Homemade Holidays!

Fondly,

pink and green mama,

Homemade Christmas: Homemade Nativity

Get ready for my latest favorite craft project! 

How stinkin' cute is this little Nativity?! 

This mama has been down for three weeks

with the Worst. Cold. Ever.

Long story short -- my new hobby is "coughing."

It has meant a lot of time spent indoors

so we've been keeping busy with 

art projects and crafts

 made with 

stuff that's already in the house. 

"C" (age 3.5) and I decided to make our own 

homemade Nativity last friday.

My kitchen table still has glue gun glue

and glitter residue on it but it was totally worth it.

"C" did a great job and it sure is cute!

We made the manger with the 

Shutterfly box our Christmas cards arrived in.

I cut out the front with a knife and she and I 

worked together to glue popsicle sticks to the outside.

We left a hole in the top to stick our

pencil angel. 

"C" drew faces for Joseph, Mary, the Angel,

and Baby Jesus. 

I love Joseph's soul patch

and Mary's Eyelashes!

We made Joseph and Mary by wrapping

toilet paper tubes with felt and gluing

fabric scraps on them.

The Angel started with a cardboard

shape I cut out of the leftover box front

with a fabric scrap dress.

 "C" cut out and added doily wings

and another sweet face.

I glue-gunned a colored pencil

(that never worked well anyway)

to the back of the angel

so we could stick her in the top of the manger.

Yes, we used a wine cork

to make Baby Jesus.

(I thought it was kind of funny)

We wrapped and glued a swaddle

of scrap fabric and added another cute "C" drawn face.

For the cradle, we used another toilet paper tube

with two pieces glued to the bottom for feet.

Added another scrap of fabric inside to 

make it "fancy" 

We didn't have a sparkly star

so we added glue and gold Martha Stewart glitter dust

to a foam craft star

that mama glue-gunned to the top of the manger.

We glued some raffia in the bottom of the manger

to be the "hay." 

When it was all dry, 

"C" set up the manger with visiting ponies,

sheep, and unicorns. 

Gifts of gold rocks, gems, and presents 

from the three wise Polly Pockets.

If you look carefully at the last photo

you might be able to see that she also

glued some doily snow flakes

on the back wall of the manger.

She worked so hard to cut them out carefully

and said they had to be there because, 

"Baby Jesus was born on a cold winter night" 

"C" loves her new Nativity set and so does 

our whole family. 

I think I'll be setting this one up for 

many, many years! 

Happy Celebrating!

Fondly,

pink and green mama,

Preschool At Home: Jingle Bell Activity

"C" likes to be given challenging little activities

and it's handy to have a few tricks up my sleeve

(like this one) when I'm trying to get something

done like get dinner on the table before bedtime!

I set her up in her Learning Tower

(greatest thing ever!)

at the kitchen counter with a work tray. 

I set out chunky Jingle Bells (from the Dollar Tree)

Sparkly Pipe Cleaners

and two empty glass Cheese Shaker things.

First she laced each bell onto a pipe cleaner

(this was tricky for both of us!)

Then, she poked one end of the pipe cleaner into 

a hole in the cheese shaker lid.

Then, she decided to poke the other end

of each pipe cleaner into another hole. 

It held her interest and 

was really good for her little 

fine-motor skills!

Why can't three year olds 

ever do natural smiles for the camera?

It's always the forced smile

with Mad-Scientist eyes!!

Her finished project!

Good job kiddo,

you practiced your fine motor skills

and momma got the dishwasher unloaded

and dinner started!

Fondly,

pink and green mama,

Wishing You A Happy and Healthy 2011!

Shimmering Snowflakes Holiday 5x7 folded card

Turn your holiday photos into holiday cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.