Advent Balloons
Every year I am determined that I am NOT going to lose the enjoyment of the Christmas season in the hustle and bustle. My intentions are good, but it always seems that Christmas has come and gone in another blur of time.
Three years ago, we started a new tradition that helps slow the blur and allows more focus on His "presence" and not the "presents". We take the advent calendar to a whole new level.
I was so thrilled to find these precious tags from Ashlee Proffitt Design. Inside the balloon, is a Scripture card with our own activity written on the back. On the outside is the tag that shows what day the balloon is for.
Before making the balloons, I sit down and make a list from 1-24. With calendar in hand, I come up with 24 family activities to put in the balloons. Of course, the weekday activities are less time consuming than the weekend activities. I have listed a few examples of activities below:
*Make hot chocolate and watch a Christmas Movie
*Read your favorite Christmas book by the tree
*Go out to a Movie
*Picnic by the Christmas Tree
*Christmas crafts
*Minute to Win It, Christmas Edition
*Play a board game
*Decorate outdoors
*Drive to look at Christmas lights
*Do a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) & report back at dinner
*Make teacher gifts
*S'mores by the fire
*Make reindeer food
*Wrap Christmas Presents
*Bake a birthday cake for Jesus
*Open Christmas Eve Gift (always pajamas)
The balloons are hung from the ceiling, throughout the house. So everyday, they hunt down the one for that day.
This has been a wonderful way to ensure that we don't lose the sense of family during the Christmas season. We have a dedicated family time every evening to do our activity. The kids love it! It is also very easy to adjust the activities as they get older. Although some activities will always be on the list no matter what their age. And maybe I will even get to watch them carry on the tradition with their own families.
I hope you will get to try this, or even some version of it with your own family.
Many Blessings,
Erin
Three years ago, we started a new tradition that helps slow the blur and allows more focus on His "presence" and not the "presents". We take the advent calendar to a whole new level.
I was so thrilled to find these precious tags from Ashlee Proffitt Design. Inside the balloon, is a Scripture card with our own activity written on the back. On the outside is the tag that shows what day the balloon is for.
Before making the balloons, I sit down and make a list from 1-24. With calendar in hand, I come up with 24 family activities to put in the balloons. Of course, the weekday activities are less time consuming than the weekend activities. I have listed a few examples of activities below:
*Make hot chocolate and watch a Christmas Movie
*Read your favorite Christmas book by the tree
*Go out to a Movie
*Picnic by the Christmas Tree
*Christmas crafts
*Minute to Win It, Christmas Edition
*Play a board game
*Decorate outdoors
*Drive to look at Christmas lights
*Do a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) & report back at dinner
*Make teacher gifts
*S'mores by the fire
*Make reindeer food
*Wrap Christmas Presents
*Bake a birthday cake for Jesus
*Open Christmas Eve Gift (always pajamas)
The balloons are hung from the ceiling, throughout the house. So everyday, they hunt down the one for that day.
This has been a wonderful way to ensure that we don't lose the sense of family during the Christmas season. We have a dedicated family time every evening to do our activity. The kids love it! It is also very easy to adjust the activities as they get older. Although some activities will always be on the list no matter what their age. And maybe I will even get to watch them carry on the tradition with their own families.
I hope you will get to try this, or even some version of it with your own family.
Many Blessings,
Erin
