Christmas is Coming. . .

Much to Brett's dismay I usually start thinking about Christmas around this time of the year, I've even been known to play holiday music while cleaning the house the whole year through, but I try to do it when nobody else is around. There is something soothing and happy about it, it makes me work better too.
Anyway, as I was contemplating the holiday (yes, while listening to Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas album) I found this cute idea online for an advent calendar which I liked. You hang various children's socks for each day of December with numbered clothespins (a good use for those socks without mates), and each sock contains a note listing an activity for that day, or including a candy, a game, or a book to read as a family. You can include reading stories like The Tale of the Three Trees, or Twas the Night Before Christmas. You can plan a night of writing letters to Santa, decorating a gingerbread house, making cookies for neighbors, caroling at a nursing home, driving around to look at the lights, visiting temple square, or watching favorite holiday movies with popcorn and hot cocoa.
As this will be our first Christmas actually spent in our own home, I plan to start this new advent calendar, hopefully as a new tradition in our family to bring the spirit of the season into our home daily. If anyone has a tradition to share or an activity that is special to your family please share-25 nights are a lot to fill!!!