advent calendars

This is what I wanted to do for my kids for our advent calendar this year:

I was going to make bags like I did for Audrey’s birthday favors using my chevron printable paper, then create cute number stickers and hang them as a banner in the kitchen.  I would fill them with trinkets and treats and they would open them with delight each morning.

Instead, they are getting these:

Store-bought $2.99 calendars with a crazy looking Santa on them and cheap chocolates hiding in each cut out.

To tell you the truth, they will probably adore the chocolates and won’t know the difference between a handcrafted advent calendar and one that I picked up at the craft store. The point is, it’s a countdown to the best holiday of the year and gives them something to be excited about each day. 

This blog post was not supposed to be about my deep thoughts around crafting advent calendars. I was going to show all kinds of great advent calendar ideas in case you wanted to put one together before tomorrow. But sometimes you just have to go with it when your heart takes you elsewhere.

Here’s the thing: I know my kids appreciate when I put extra effort into creating things for them. But most of the time, they could not care less if their gifts are wrapped beautifully or their birthday treats for school have hand-painted fondant flowers on them {okay, clearly I have not made these for my boys, but you get the point}.  The over-the-top parties and themed bedroom remodels are amazing, but I’m not convinced that’s how children receive love. I’m pretty sure they just want us to hang out with them.

How often do I do something for the kids that really is just for me? 

There is a balance to be found because I am all for creating and making life more beautiful through handmade details.  But was my advent calendar idea really for my babes? Or was it because I thought it would look cute hanging in my kitchen? {it was the latter, in case you didn’t guess}. 

I have abandoned the advent bag idea mostly because I just couldn’t get it put together in time. But now that I think about it, I am realizing that the whole point of an advent is to spend time  together anticipating the celebration of the birth of Jesus.  We don’t need a fancy calendar to do this.

Nope, we’ll happily be eating cheap chocolates from the crazy Santa calendars this year.