Gifts for Neighbors

One of our Advent Activity Calendar activities was to make treats for the neighbors. I started doing this last year after thinking about it for years. We have a lot of older neighbors that I see and chat with all the time. I love seeing them and bringing them treats at Christmas time.

Molly and I had a great time making sugar cookies for the neighbors and then I decided to add a few treats without Molly's help. I made fudge and cinnamon almonds and then added some chocolates to the boxes.

After nap one day, Molly and I headed out around the neighborhood to deliver our treats. Molly thought it was a grand way to spend an afternoon and our neighbors got a kick out of seeing Molly in action.

Do you have any holiday traditions or activities that you like to share with your neighbors and friends?

Advent Calendar Activities

I've always loved the idea of the Advent Calendar and now that I have a 2-year-old, I'm really into this idea. I knit the Smitten Advent Calendar Mittens this year and decided to fill them with chocolate and activities. 

Initially I was going to just fill the mittens with chocolates but then a friend (with a toddler and a newborn) said she was going to do activities and I decided I couldn't go the lazy route. Really the activities are the cool part of the advent calendar along with all the memories we'll be making! (Thanks for the inspiration, Kelsey!)

I'll be cataloging our activities in a Flickr Set which has already gotten off to a fun start! 

Advent Calendar Activities

1- Visit Swansons Nursery  to see the Reindeer

2-Make Cinnamon Ornaments

3- Draw/Color a picture of Santa Claus

4- Make a Christmas Card for Teacher Janice

5-Make Christmas Treats for the neighbors

6- Visit Westlake and Watch the Christmas Carolers

7- Visit Santa Claus and Watch the Christmas Ships

8- Have Dinner with Ruby and Check Out the Zoo Lights

9- Make Christmas Cards for Grandparents

10-FaceTime with Grandpa B for his birthday

11-Make Paper Bag Reindeers and Eat Reindeer Poop (Chocolate)

12-Sing/Play Christmas Music

13-Visit the Sheraton Gingerbread Village and have lunch with Daddy

14- Visit the Greenlake Pathway of Lights

15- Drive Candy Cane Lane to look at Christmas lights

16- Listen to a reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas

17-Drink Hot Cocoa at Starbucks

18-Watch Christmas Monkey (Curious George) Movie

19-Take pictures of Christmas Tree Lights with Mommy's Camera

20-Make a Paper Garland

21-Have a Holiday Adventure with Daddy

22- Visit the Bellevue Botanical Garden Christmas Lights

23-Buy Christmas Cookies for Santa at Larsen's Bakery

24-Christmas Eve Church Service