Is it just me, or did people seem to get in the Christmas spirit a little earlier this year? I am ALL for earlier Christmas celebrating! We always get our decorations out on November 1, and it was so fun to see so many people start their celebrating early! I think it’s just been one of those years… really 2 years haha. After 2020 and 2021, I think people are seeking the peace that Christ brings, and it just seems natural to welcome that feeling in by hanging up the lights and getting into the holiday season a little early. I love it.

I love to make December a little more special, and I try to make a special effort to spend quality time with my little family. One of my favorite things we do is our Christmas activity advent. A couple years ago I shared this beautiful Santa advent my mother-in-law gave us, but it’s totally worth sharing again.

Our advent changes every year, depending on what’s going on in our life. There’s definitely some activities that we keep the same, but each year is unique! I thought I would share what our advent will look like this year, in case you’re looking for some activity inspiration!

A little disclaimer- this will definitely change again. It’s just how life goes! Something always comes up, but by having a basic plan in place, it’s pretty easy to shuffle things around when needed- and you’ll definitely do more than you would have done without a plan!

December 1: Color in our Christmas coloring books. Some years I buy new ones, but not all years; however I always buy a big box of new crayons and/or colored pencils to go with this! We love to turn on Christmas music and color by the tree.

December 2: Pull out our Christmas books. Of course, we read some by the tree. And then I leave them in a basket that they can enjoy all month long.

December 3: Make paper snowflakes. We hang them on our double doors in our dining room.

December 4: Do a Christmas craft (I bought some cute wooden gingerbread houses from Hobby Lobby for my kids to paint).

December 5: Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints always puts on a devotional the first Sunday in December and it’s such a great way to kick off the season.

December 6: Visit Grandma (my grandma, their great grandmother).

December 7: Read/Listen to the Polar Express while drinking hot chocolate.

December 8: Deliver goodies to the neighbors!

December 9: Go Christmas shopping. (I’m already done with my shopping- this is for my kids. They draw names and then we take them to the dollar store where they can pick something for their siblings, and mom and dad if they want ;) ).

December 10: Go to the ward Christmas party. (It’s our church’s neighborhood party!)

December 11: “Holly” Days! Our town has a Christmas celebration with concerts, food trucks, etc. Our daughter will be performing, so of course we’ve got to make this a priority! ;)

December 12: Watch White Christmas. We always pull out a Christmas puzzle to do while watching and it’s perfect for our kids. That way they don’t get too bored during all the dialogue but they can enjoy all the dancing!

December 13: Wrap presents! The kids love helping with this. And it makes sure that Mom and Dad aren’t waiting ‘til the last minute to wrap everything ;).

December 14: Red and Green Day. We wear red and green and I make red and green food all day- things like red velvet pancakes, pesto spaghetti, chips with guac and salsa, etc.

December 15: Read the Legend of the Candy Cane. We talk about what the candy cane represents and then of course, eat candy canes!

December 16: Watch old videos. I LOVE watching videos of my babies and toddlers through the years. My kids do too! And it’s actually a great way to foster love between my children- they see the best of themselves and I love it.

December 17: Go to Temple Square. This year, Temple Square in Salt Lake City is going to look a little different, but there’s still fun things to see and do! We also might go to the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork. This is one of those things that will depend on weather and how packed my to-do list is ;).

December 18: Drive around and look at lights. I like to look up where some of the really decked out houses are and we go and see them! And of course, we listen to music and eat some snacks!

December 19: Listen to The Christmas Carol, read by Patrick Stewart. He does a phenomenal job! We color and eat popcorn while listening to this classic story.

December 20: Puzzles and Game Day. Exactly what it sounds like- a day of playing games and doing puzzles!

December 21: Christmas Tree Picnic. We lay a blanket by the tree, turn off all the lights except the Christmas tree, and we have grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s one of my favorite things.

December 22: Nutcracker Day. My girls are going to the Nutcracker in Salt Lake with their Grandma and Grandpa. They are going to LOVE IT. Since my boys will be home, I bought some Nutcracker Reeses and we’ll watch a version of the Nutcracker on YouTube.

December 23: Birthday! It’s my son’s birthday, so we celebrate him all day long :). He loves having his birthday so close to Christmas- it’s like 3 days of partying to him!

December 24: Christmas Eve program. We have a special program on Christmas Eve. Each of the kids sing or read a poem, we read one of the stories written by my father-in-law, we read Luke 2- it’s a really special way to remember our Savior.

December 25: Christmas Day! Say a prayer of gratitude for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

I hope that whatever you decide to do this holiday season, that you find time to be with family, and to celebrate our Savior. Have a Merry Christmas!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com