Tons of Fun: November 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Advent Chain

Here is our quick and easy Advent chain

I had C paint 4 pieces of construction paper which I cut into strips when they dried.

On each strip I wrote the date and a simple activity. Most are things we can do at home since we live in WI in the country. We never know when the weather will keep us home. Some of the ideas I got from The Activity Mom's list, others are ideas from when I was a teacher or from ideas I have found online.

1. Make cookies with Grandma

2. Ornament Shadow Match (I bought these ornaments at the Dollar Tree a few years ago)

3. Brown Reindeer, Brown Reindeer Book

4. Christmas Garland (I will post pictures when we make it, C made me a fall leaf garland and I loved it, so will do the same with winter and Christmas shapes)

5. Advent Wreath but the wreath will be a handprint wreath

6. Counting Presents

7. Shop for Toys for Tots

8. Position word Tree

9. Tree and gift shape match

10. Handprint Santa

11. Santa Dice Game

12. Hand and footprint Angel

13. Bow and Gift color match

14. Christmas Tree Shapes

15. Drive around to see lights (I plan to do this on the way to Awana, so we will be out and about anyway)

16. Fireplace and stocking ABC match

17. Hand and foot print reindeer

18. What is in the stocking game (I will put different toys in the stocking and C will feel and guess what is inside, without looking of course)

19. I can color Christmas book

20. Candy Cane pattern

21. Rudolph Rudolph Book

22. Make cookies with Mommy

23-25 - those are blank since we will be traveling for Christmas. Not exactly when or if we would get to activities :)

And here is the chain hanging up. When C saw it, she stood under it and said "I am at a party!"

(ignore the half painted doorway, we live in a "work in progress" home which hasn't been "worked" on much since we had children)

Sites with great Christmas activities

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Shutterfly Christmas Card Promotion!

I have used Shutterfly for storing and printing photos for several years. In fact, looking back, the oldest folder in my account dates back to 2004! I have used them for printing many items, from our "Save the Dates" for our wedding, making a photo book of my trip to Washington DC a few years ago, to the precious photos of our two girls. I have always been happy with what arrives in the mailbox!

This year I plan on using Shutterfly to print our Christmas cards to send to friends and family! They have so many beautiful designs to choose from. Here are a few of my favorites. It will be a hard choice to make.

I may also order my parents a calendar featuring C and J! And later make a photo book of J's first year (and maybe one for C too!)

Now, all I have to do is get both girls to look at the camera...at the same time. Wish me luck! Go check out Shutterfly how bloggers can earn 50 free photo cards.

Disclosure: I will be receiving free photo cards from Shutterfly for this promotion. The above is my honest opinion!

Friday, November 19, 2010

What we have been doing..

I guess I haven't posted in awhile. Mostly because I just didn't take pictures of what we have been doing. That, and baby J hasn't been taking long afternoon naps lately.

I thought I would share some pictures of seasonal things I have out.

The felt turkey, the feather counting and color matching (made from paper) are leftover from my teaching days.

(sorry about the dark pictures)

Pumpkin toss - I made a stuffed pumpkin and C tossed it into a waste basket

Felt board turkey

Counting feathers

Matching feathers

This isn't Thanksgiving related, but I finally got around to making the button snake I have seen around blog land. I recently saw this post on Activity Mom using felt pieces shaped like leaves. I probably won't get around to making leaves, but I do plan on making felt trees for Christmas.