DIY Advent Calendar

December has officially started, and with it the holiday season has now begun in full force. I love seeing the streets fill with lights, seeing Christmas trees everywhere I go, and even listening to carols. Ever since I was little, the holidays have filled me with such joy, and I get all giddy with the excitement and the good energy this time of the year brings. 25 years old and I still enjoy Christmas like the next kid. My 3-year-old is now a lot more aware of the festivities, too, and therefore excited about what's to come, so I set out to find something special and meaningful, something to start creating magical memories for him about this time of the year.

That's when I suddenly started seeing hundreds of DIY advent calendars popping up on my social media feeds, such as here, here and here. Even though I am not very crafty, I was adamant that I wanted to recreate them and make my own calendar for him. It is definitely not as pretty as the ones you'd find at the store, but there was something so special about sitting one afternoon with Sean and making this for our kid. It made me really proud when it was finished, and I couldn't wait for Tommy to start opening the little pockets (most of them are little chocolates or candy, some are other small surprises).

Making it was easier than I had envisioned, and it only required some wrapping paper, some sort of cord (twine is great, but if like me, you only have wool available, that works too!), and somewhere to hang the pockets from (we just went downstairs and grabbed a branch!). From there, it was only a matter of wrapping the little presents and hanging them from the branch. It doesn't get any simpler than that (although it could get a little prettier haha). I'm certain Tommy will enjoy it as much as I am, and hopefully this can be something that we do every year.

Here's to hoping that your holidays are filled with laughter, love, compassion, smiles and lots of yummy yummy food!
Do you have any special plans for the holidays?  what is the most meaningful holiday tradition you have?