plockh

Why would any of you want a chocolate advent calendar?? Escapes me, when you could make one (or have one made) that has pockets for ornaments for the kids to put on the tree from December 1st-25th....yikes!

My "kids", 38 & 35 still talk about the advent banner I made & had for them all their growing up years. It has impacted their Christmas forever in terms of heritage/tradition. I have now made them for my grandchildren. Make a 39" banner with a loop for a dowel out of quilted Christmas fabric. Cut out out of felt a 18" Christmas tree with 4 branches and a trunk, sew it to the quilting. Then make 25 pockets at the bottom each large enough to hold a 1 1/2" ornament, applicate, or glue numerals to the pockets, pin each pocket with a straight pin . Fill the pockets with small ornaments...Dec. 25th being the star. Each day of December they will quiver with excitement to pin the ornament on the tree...even with a large family when they have to rotate days..it is a joy to watch them rush to see the ornament and do their pinning.

Since I am a senior...a parent & a grandparent...my ideas. TIVO...many elders have favorite shows that come on after 9-10pm or when they are active during the day...way to record them so easily...we love ours! Be mindful of their hobbies...golf, art, woodworking, hiking, games, gourmet/arts&crafts/sports magazine subscriptions, cook books/new cookware, and always hand made items like a mosaic pot with herbs, or herb garden, mosaic frame with special beads, colors, sayings...for your children's or family pictures to be preserved in. Just observe & be creative..we who can purchase whatever we need financially can be bankrupt with special spiritual, well thought-out gifts that we would never buy ourselves. Hope this helps.

I so agree...our SIL's mom is single, so she has been invited for the past 13 years to either our home or the kids for Christmas week...it is awesome!

HEY, HEY...I'm a parent & a grandparent. We found we were going way overboard with adult presents, us, daughter, SIL, son, DIL plus SIL's mom...took us hours to open presents because we were going by wish lists...and feeling a need to fulfil them. All of us are successful and buy whatever we need/want year round.Our opening was on Christmas eve, apart from the grandbabies...it was obnoxious. Now, granted there are only 6 for each to buy for & we truly hated drawing names...so this year we did set a $40 limit for each gift...$50 per grandchild plus whatever we choose to put into their 29 plans for college.These are minimums...thrifty buyers are rewarded! Part of my old conditioning was liking/needing lots of presents under the tree as I only had 1 gift for me as a child/teenager. I like encouraging your site, e-bay and home made gifts in the interest of the recipient...so fun.

Other websites to check out...some more spendy than others..some more personalized than others. I did this for my grandsons last year...will do it again this year but with a different letter...also will look into dollar tree kits...sound great. Sites are. www.letterfromsanta.org; www.santaletters1. tripod.com; www.santaclaus.itgo.com. Good joy to you!

Christmas eve as a tradition for our family was homemade soup and cheesebread...Soups varied each year,ie cheesy potato, clam chowder, lobster bisque, taco soup, onion soup, white chilie, chicken, minestrone.. but the cheesebread is made with a good sourdough crusty loaf, sliced. Mix butter, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, dash of worchestoshire sauce and dollup of mayo..Spread on cut slices and broil until melted in the oven. If you're doing ham go to the cheesy hashbrown potato recipe in a previous recipe thread...yummy with fresh asparagas, or fresh green beans with almonds & bacon, fruit salad, candied yams and rolls...Pies for dessert..yeah!

Our kids are grown now with kiddos of their own but thru the years we had lots of traditions. One important one to them..was I made a banner about 38" long by 28" wide of quilted Christmas fabric, sewed on a 20" felt tree with 3-4 branches & a base. Then below made 25 pockets big enough to hold a 1" ornament...an advent tree that every day they got to take out an ornament & we pinned it on the tree..I have now made them for my grandbabies..it increases their anticipation and glee. We let them open 1 gift Christmas eve, left milk, cookies, carrots..my husband would soot up the fireplace in the shape of a boot. Then we woke up early so we could capture on film their faces as they raced to the Santa toys (unwrapped) plus all the other gifts. While our grandchildren are little..5 mos-4 1/2 we adults open our presents Christmas eve so the whole focus is on them Christmas morning. We are great friends with our kids inlaws so we all have Christmas together...not wanting the kids to be shuttled to & fro...lots of nog, munchies Christmas eve then the big traditional dinner Christmas...I love Christmas!! Bless you and yours.