Make your own "no sew" Advent Calendar

 Christmas Is My Favorite Holiday/Holyday

Preparing for Christmas can be almost as fun as the season of Christmas!

Today I'm going to share with you a fun tradition you can start!

Make your own Advent Calendar!

Last year I hung them on a ribbon.

We are hanging ours on the tree this year!

So I started doing this because my kids love those chocolate advent calendars!

I think the chocolate taste like wax so I decided to make my own!

I needed a pocket that would hold 5 treats.

 

 

Here's What you will need!

 

 

First Iron your material to the length you want your pockets to be -mine are 4in long.

 

The crease you just made will be the bottom of your pockets

 

Cut the material to make 25 pockets.

 

 

Glue the sides leave the top open

 

use the glue to "write" your numbers

 

cover with glitter

 

Shake off the extra

 

 

 

If you have little "strings" of glue

 

Wait for them to cool and then use your finger nail to scrape them off.

 

If you have a glitterfobia you can also use sequence or beads

 

 

I glued stuffing and rickrack to the tops to make them look even more festive!

I used mini clothes pins to hang them!

 

I hope you have fun making this countdown to Christmas!

 

 

 

 

Panning for GOLD!!!

We Panned for Gold today!!!

So Much FUN!!!

 

I was a little worried that it would be too hard but even the little ones found some gold!

 

 

 

We bought the pans and pay dirt on Amazon...of course.

Pan

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Pan-Diameter-Riffles-Plastic/dp/B00IKY42AW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416159742&sr=8-6&keywords=gold+panning+kit



Dirt

http://www.amazon.com/Yuba-River-Gold-Panning-Paydirt/dp/B00HL0WPW8/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1416160255&sr=8-18&keywords=gold+panning+kit

 

 

We have been reading the Little House books and doing some Prairie Primer activities with a few of our friends!

http://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Primer-Literature-Studies-Utilizing/dp/0965251101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416612112&sr=8-1&keywords=Prairie+Primer

 

 

It took some patience to get down to the black sand where most of the gold was!

 

Then I moved them over to the table to pick through!



 

Here are the boys who had to wait till the girls had their turn...Ladies first!

 

They put the gold flecks into glass vials ...yup you guessed it Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JV6976/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

When they were done picking they had an appropriate snack of cornbread and bacon!
First I baked the bacon in the Oven and then used that pan to bake the cornbread! Yum
Cornbread
4 cups Corn Meal Mix (self rising)
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 Large eggs
1/2 cup veg oil

Mix then bake at 400 for 30 min in a 9x13 baking pan.

ENJOY!!
 

 

 

 



Pigs Can't Fly!!

I love crafts that go with books!

 

I will have my big kids read to the littles while I prep a craft!

 

Sometimes I just have them pick out a book and then come up with something that will go with it!

 

This is the result of one of those times!!

http://www.amazon.com/Pigs-Cant-Fly-Ben-Cort/dp/0764155326/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415390174&sr=8-1&keywords=pigs+can%27t+fly

This is a fun activity to go with the book!

Here's what you will need!

 

 



I like to make my own play dough it is super easy and lasts forever!

Here is a link to a great recipe and instructional video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9Qmm6FfkM

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cream of tartar
1 cup salt
food coloring

*It's a good idea to wear gloves when kneading color into dough.

First I make a pig out of play dough!

Roll a big ball for the body and a little ball for the head.

Roll some smaller balls

then squish them to make the snout and legs!

Use straws, toothpicks, or paperclips to hold the pieces together

 

You can make a tail by rolling a "snake"

 

then twisting it!

 

make his snout by using the straw to make holes

 

Googly eyes make everything more fun!

http://www.amazon.com/Chenille-Kraft-3435-Wiggle-Bonus/dp/B000CBUR9Q/ref=sr_1_4?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1415390915&sr=1-4&keywords=googly+eyes

I have them make the pig walk on stilts with the popsicle sticks!

Then put the leaves and straw on to become like an elephant!

I twist paperclips into "springs" to jump like a Kangaroo.

Lil bitty also thought they should have hats :)

Give them feathers to stick in to "fly" like a bird!

My kids loved acting out the story!
I hope yours do too!!

Fall Hand Trees

This is a fun one to put in the memory bin/scrapbook.

 

 

So nice to have the little hand prints!!

 

 

Here's what you need!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Washable-Kids-Paint-Bottles/dp/B00004UBH3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415237078&sr=8-1&keywords=washable+kids+paint

 

To prepare, first cut out a tree trunk shape out of the brown paper

 

You can glue it down for them or let them do it.

It is great to "paint" the glue on...see my cute little bunny craft.

 

 

Next pour paint onto separate paper plates.
 

 

Dip their hands into the colors then onto the tree!

 

Start with Yellow

 

 

 

Then Orange

 

 

Finish with Red

 

 

This is a super cute craft to hang up as a fun Fall decoration...

 

Everyone who comes over will think you are such a fun mom!
 

 

You're Welcome!