ADVENT CALENDARS - TODDLERS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

When our three daughters were little, I would get them these wonderful chocolate calendars.  Every morning they were so excited to get up, and see what shape of chocolate was behind the little door displaying the number for that day.  Was it a stocking? a star? a tree???   These were the days - the best of all....... when they believed that Santa came down the chimney with presents just for them.

The girls were getting older and maybe a little old for the chocolate advent calendar.  I spotted these wonderful wooden advent calendars at Restoration Hardware, and of course, carted three home with me that day.  The girls loved them, and every year I would display them in their bedrooms.   The first thing they would do when they got up in the morning was open the little door to see what their surprise was for that day. 

Now, all three of our daughters are in college. Like most Moms, I wanted to carry on doing the same things I did for the girls when they lived at home. Well, none of us liked the idea of sending the wooden calendars in the mail, and I was also discovering that not many items fit in those really small doors.  I started wrapping all the items in tissue, enclosing the gifts in cellophane bags and tying them with a ribbon.  Having to do that seventy five times became very tedious.  Last year, I was shopping in Old Navy and spotted these adorable little stockings in holiday colors (The little reindeer stocking I bought at a local boutique)  Not only were they colorful and in a variety of sizes 2T - 5T, they were only $1.75 a pair - just perfect for my advent calendar.  Now, I put all of their gifts in these little stockings, and close them with miniature clothespins from Michael's.  I purchased inexpensive holiday designed boxes at Home Goods.  I place everything inside the box, along with garden string and hooks if they want to hang them, and mail them at the end of November.  (If I had a boy, I would use small burlap bags with a number displayed on each bag.)    With all of this said, treasure those days with little ones - when they are so excited to get up in the morning, and open the little door on a chocolate calendar to discover their surprise for that day.