Its December!

December 1st! I love the holidays, and my hips don't lie. I love the food and the desserts and the chocolate! As most know today starts the first day of candy out of the advent:) Years ago my sister, being the fabulous barista she was, bought me this advent from Starbucks ... it has little boxes that you fill with candy every year and when you turn the box around it makes a cute picture!
I grew up on the chocolate advent calendars that you can buy at any walmart or cvs type place...

did any of yall have these? I loved them!

Next year, when I plan more and have more time, I will make one like this....

Seriously. Awe-Some. Cheri at iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com is seriously my DIY, cool mom, hero.



*So the hubs has to make a run to Target before he gets home to fill up our bad boy with some candy!
We definitely made up a super cheesy song to go along with the opening of each advent box, which I will not share, and you will thank me for.*

Another great, more important advent idea is the Jesse Tree. My husband and I started last year to do a Jesse Tree with the boys. Now, at the time Miles was 1 and call me crazy, but I waited till he was sleeping to get down with the bible stories. BUT this year they both are old enough to get it! And I am super excited about that! (Or at least Miles pretends to, because his big brother is into it:) For those that dont know what the Jesse Tree is, its gets its name from Isaiah 11:1. Jesse was Abrahams father, who is ya know, the father of all nations. Hes kind of a big deal. So the tree is kind of the lineage of Jesus, but moreso a tool to explain God's progress of redemption to our little tots (and it also is as exciting as the advent!) You can be super crafty and make ornaments out of felt and other materials, or what I do it print up coloring sheets and the kids color them, put them on a red or green card stock, hole punch them, string em, and hang them on their own little tree. If you want the print outs this is it dce.oca.org/assets/files/resources/jesseTree.pdf. It is such a great tool to teach your kids and get them excited about something more than just presents and Santa, which is all we seem to talk about this season. Dont get me wrong, if I had cable ABCFamily 25 days of Christmas and FALALALA Lifetime would be a constant in my house, but lets put a little effort in making Jesus the reason for the season!!

Have Fun!