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5athome
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I am an advent calendar junkie. I just love the little windows, sweet pictures, etc. I recently bought a great one from Aquinas and More
advent
I love:
- the size is huge - over 17 inches diameter
- made in Germany
- has sweet, simple picture with minimal glitter
- windows to open are around edge so picture of holy family is undisturbed as calendar is used
- Santa and sleigh on bottom edge
- reverse has identical image that can be used as decoration in subsequent years
Has anyone come across others they love?
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Margaret
ds '93, dd '96, ds '99,
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JodieLyn
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It's not a calender per say.. and it doesn't have cute windows or pretty pictures.. but I've found something that works really well for our family and I enjoy it.
We make pink and purple paper chains.. and take off one link every day with the last link coming off on Christmas Eve when we put up Christmas decorations.
Realize that my house is SMALL and the older kids insist that even the babies have their own paper chain.
My living room starts out covered in pink and purple and really makes it obvious that we are in Advent.
For the older kids I write the scripture references from the Jesse tree on their links so that is an additional thing to do. And even the littlest have a visual of how long until Christmas.
But I really like how it transforms the whole room in a way that the smaller Advent calenders don't do. That and many of the "Advent Calenders" that are easy to get annoy me by being countdown December calenders (start dec 1, not first sunday of advent) though I know it's possible to get real advent calenders.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Mackfam
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I love German Advent calendars! They're so pretty...and I have a HUGE weakness for German chocolate.
We use a wooden one we've had forever. It has little doors for all of the days in Advent and we like to tuck little blessed medals in there, sometimes tiny pieces of paper with the Jesse Tree verse folded and placed inside a compartment, the Sunday boxes usually have a Hershey's Kiss for each of the kids. Rob and I always have a great time figuring out the different little treasures to put inside the compartments each Advent. I like putting in little slips of paper that say "_____child_____ gets to choose their favorite Advent story for storytime tonight" and "_____child_____ leads the family Rosary tonight". It's lots of fun filling in the Advent boxes.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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folklaur
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didn't someone do an advent 'calendar' with matchboxes last year? I am sure that I saw it on a blog from someone here.
I loved that idea, and wanted to do it this year...
I love advent calendars. My kids prefer ones with chocolate - I like the old fashioned ones from Germany. I had some really gorgeous ones growing up, large with movable parts...can't find them quite like that anymore...
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marihalojen
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Laura, could you find one similar to what you remember here? Richard Sellmer has 120 different ones to choose from including some reprints from the 1940's and 1950's. Look for Cathedral, Moonlight Village, Little Town and Little Chapel on the left sidebar. I'm having trouble linking directly this morning.
His calendars featuring German castles (like Castle Rheinstein and Neuschwanstein just to name two) are amazing!
Margaret, your circular one is lovely!
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TxTrish
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I remember that too, Laura. And there was one made from toilet Paper tubes and scrapbook materials someplace that was amazing.
Here is a photo: http://www.edgren.com/wordpress/2007/12/12/wfmw-advent-calen dars/
Here is another one, WOW!
http://www.artchixstudio.com/create/classroom/class_adventca lendar.htm
More fabulous ideas along this same line:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozrob/1909098528/
http://kiddley.com/2006/11/22/fill-your-advent-with-activiti es/
http://scrapability.squarespace.com/scrap-rants/2007/11/22/c rafted-advent-calendars.html
http://craftlog.org/craftlog/archives/001992.html
http://www.onehourcraft.com/?p=660
http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?p=1244
I have been trying to decide what to do during the Advent season this year, too. I think I am going to have a gathering at my home with the homeschoolers to do some type of fun crafty thing, and talk about the season and all the great things to do with our families.
TxTrish
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Tina
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We were excited about this idea from Dawn
last advent. But instead of using the cards, we used the pink and purple paper chain and wrote something fun for each day. Only doing a week at a time helped me because plans change (like illnesses coming into the house or unexpected visitors). So I could plan each week's activities accordingly.
Margaret~ That is a beautiful advent calendar! I had never seen one like that before. I love how it's circular. So many calendars just have windows that you open sporatically, all over the place and that makes no sense to me.
Jennifer~ Where did you get your calendar? It sounds lovely! Do you have any pics of it on your blog?
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mom of 3 girls and 1 little man
The Best of Times
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Mary G
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marihalojen wrote:
Laura, could you find one similar to what you remember here? Richard Sellmer has 120 different ones to choose from including some reprints from the 1940's and 1950's.
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Thanks so much for posting this site -- the Verlag calendars are the ones we always got growing up and I've had such a hard time finding good Catholic ones that aren't all toy-pictures or chocolate behind every door!
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MaryG
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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nissag
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Maybe you'll enjoy this one.
Blessings,
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Nissa
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Mackfam
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Nissa - that is a lovely Advent calendar project!
Tina wrote:
Jennifer~ Where did you get your calendar? It sounds lovely! Do you have any pics of it on your blog?
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Tina - I don't think I have any pics of our Advent Calendar on my blog...it was a gift from my mom right after we were married (16 years ago) and it was originally from LL Bean. They don't make them any more or I would link you.  It is about 18" x 24" x 2"deep with 25 wooden compartments with doors. I like most that we can fill it with special treats appropriate to the days - tiny chocolates, paper "coupon" treats, small medals, treasure hunts, anything small. And, like Nissa's above, the small compartments are just large enough so that each child can have a special treasure tucked inside and it doesn't always have to be a chocolate treat (though I love those!)
Good luck searching out/making an Advent calendar for this year! 
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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5athome
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If you plug "advent" into a search at www.target.com they have a few choices on the wooden calendars with little doors.
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Margaret
ds '93, dd '96, ds '99,
ds '01, dd '04, ds '06,
ds '08
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SylviaB
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I found this one. You take a magnet out of the drawer each day to count down and Christmas and make a nativity scene.
Think my kid's will love it.
http://www.stpatricksguild.com/browse.cfm/4,11451.html
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cvbmom
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WOW! Those are beautiful!!! Maybe one day...
God bless,
Christine
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sarahb
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That is just gorgeous.
I ordered 3 paper ones from Angelus Press, because they reminded me of one I had as a kid. I am going to get chocolate ones too though. 
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JennGM
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I just remembered MaryM's Advent Calendar. I think it's just too fabulous!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Mackfam
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That is a really lovely way to approach Advent, Mary - I love the idea of placing a piece of the Nativity out and linking that to the Advent calendar...how did I miss this, Mary? Thanks for linking it, Jenn!
I have a tiny (miniature) Nativity set from Michael's, but I never thought of putting the pieces in the Advent boxes! How wonderful!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mary G
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Mackfam wrote:
That is a really lovely way to approach Advent, Mary - I love the idea of placing a piece of the Nativity out and linking that to the Advent calendar...how did I miss this, Mary? Thanks for linking it, Jenn!
I have a tiny (miniature) Nativity set from Michael's, but I never thought of putting the pieces in the Advent boxes! How wonderful! |
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And it's one of those things that is even more impressive in real life! Woohhoooo MaryM 
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MaryG
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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MaryM
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Just got it out to start opening in the morning. 
Hey, I just read this little book which was recently reissued from the 1920s - The Christmas Rose - that is a picture book and sort of an Advent calendar with story. Starts with Dec. 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and goes through Christmas Eve. I posted about it in more detail in the picture book forum. Should appeal to those of you who mentioned enjoying the German calendars.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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tallulah23
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What great suggestions! I'm going to talk to my hubby and see which one he likes. I'm all about being crafty :)
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Maria B.
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For a different "spin" on Advent calendars, check out The Crafty Crow.
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Maria in VA
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Advent Calendar
