Our advent calendar!

Can you believe we don't own an advent calendar?  Me neither.  It is something I want to buy/make every year, but never can decide which one to get cause there are so many cute ones, so I just end up with nothing.  But I couldn't let another year go by without counting down the days with the boys, so when I saw this version over at eighteen 25, I just knew I had to make them.  So I stayed up till 12:30 cutting and taping, and this is what we ended up with.  I'm really happy with them!

Since Noah is not a candy fan, I knew I couldn't put that under the trees.  And on top of that, my boys would totally get into them before they were supposed to!  So I have been putting little strips of paper with clues written on them, to find some sort of Christmas surprise.  The first day's clue told them to look for a new decoration on our bed.  Once they figured out how it worked they were pumped.

I love Noah's face on this picture!  I got these cheapo nut crackers half off at Hobby Lobby, and they love them!  Lots and lots of playing.

I wish I had pictures of the next day.  The note read, "Make sure to take your bath early, cause we won't be home tonight.  Where are we going?  There is a clue hidden under the train table."  Those boys were under that table in a flash and found a picture of Santa's Wonderland.  When they realized they were really going, there was lots and lots of jumping and screaming.  I'll blog that later this week!