Holiday Bliss 2010 - December 2

For the month of December Our Homeschool Reviews will be participating in "Holiday Bliss" hosted by Brenda at Garden of Learning.

To participate, I'll be sharing favorite holiday recipes, crafts, traditions, things we do during the month, thoughts on Christmas, pictures of our family during December, or just anything that has something to do with this blessed holiday season.

Today I thought I would share what we do to celebrate Advent.  Each year it seems like I find something different, so hopefully what I have found for this year will be continued.

Two years ago I requested a free Countdown to Christmas booklet from Unity.  It looks like they still offer free resources but they are in PDF form.  It was a perfect little booklet for my then 5 year old.  Each day of the booklet contained a word of the day that reflected a spiritual idea and a short message about how your child can relate to that idea.  There were also activities and crafts each week.

This year a friend sent out a link to A Holy Experience - Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Book.  To receive the booklet you need to subscribe to updates and look to the bottom of the post in your reader or email and you’ll see your gift link.  I subscribed and printed out the ornaments but the devotionals each day were a little too much four our daughter.

Then Tracey at A Slice of Smith Life posted about Holy Heroes.  This is definitely more our level!  Again, you subscribe and get email updates with links to the daily videos.  We have enjoyed watching the children talk about the meaning of Advent and how they celebrate.  Here is our Jesse Tree so far. 

I also picked up the following two Advent calendars at DaySpring last year at their after Christmas clearance sale.  

This second calendar is actually used for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  The bottom is a drawer that holds all the cards.  They you add the cards that correspond with the current season to the numbered boxes.  Each day you pull out a box, read the card, turn the box around to the correct picture piece, and read an excerpt from the book that comes with it.  Once all 12 boxes have been turned around, they form a picture for the season.  

Lastly we have our homemade Advent Wreath, which is still on the process of being made. It's a painted paper plate and four pieces of a paper towel roll.  Once we glue them on, we'll use tissue paper as the light on the candles. 

So that is a look into how we celebrate Advent!  Hope you enjoyed and maybe you got some good ideas to use as traditions in your home!