Home made advent calendar

The boy loves Christmas - he's been desperately waiting to get his advent calendar out so he can start counting down the days.  The calendar he uses is the same one I had growing up, and of course he has a chocolate one too (who doesn't love having a chocolate a day?)

This year the boy & I made one for his Dad too. Starbucks was selling a packet of 25 of their instant VIA coffees, and I originally bought it to be part of his Christmas presents. But I got to thinking that he might like his own advent calendar, and these would be perfect for it. 

I had just bought myself a new pair of boots, so I had a big box I could use for it, and then I had to put my thinking cap on to figure out the rest of it. I eventually came up with the idea of using paper towel rolls as the holders for the packets of coffee.

I cut the holes in the box (while having that SNL 'Christmas' song running through my head) by myself and then the boy helped with the rest.

Step 1: Cut a hole in the box....

We attached the tubes, filled them (the boy made 'ornaments for his Dad - basically cut up pieces of paper he drew on) and then we covered them up. 

Tubes waiting to be filled up

We just cut squares of construction paper to cover the holes up. While shopping at the dollar store the other day I found a cute countdown garland that I bought and cut up to use on the calendar for the dates.

Tada! Finished project

All in all, I think for a non crafty Mum with a 4 year old helper, it turned out o.k. I think my husband will love it, because the boy helped make it, and now I won't feel so guilty if I buy myself a chocolate advent calendar on Dec 2 when they're on sale!

Who needs Christmas presents? (or the boy's imagination)

People always say that kids love the box as much as the toy that came in it, and the boy is no different.

Recently he & his dad got new winter boots and the boy has commandeered the boxes they came in. They have been cars, garbage trucks, crushers, contraptions, and inventions. This afternoon he decided they were police and fire trucks, so he had to draw the flashing lights on them.

Decorating the boxes

  He then proceeded to drive (push) them around the living room making siren sounds.

The police car on its way to help someone

Reckon that 'Santa' could get away with just bringing the boy some empty boxes?

Potatoes!

We planted potatoes in the garden this year. They weren't proper seed potatoes or anything, just some I had in my cold room that were starting to sprout. 

We planted them with the thought that even if they didn't produce anything they would at least help to churn up our heavy clay soil so that it would be better for next year.

Now that the weather is getting colder, we figured it was now or never to harvest them, so armed with his shovel, the boy set off to dig them up.

(Please ignore the ugly old air conditioner)

And here they are the fruits (vegetables?) of our labour

The boy was thrilled to have 11 little potatoes grown by himself, and is already planning where he's planting them next year.

We haven't tried them yet, I think they'll be a side dish to dinner one night this week. A very small side dish, but hopefully a tasty one.