Anyone else feel as though the holidays are one big rush of madness? The problem is, I keep adding to it and getting myself into trouble by doing the fun things first (i.e. putting up the Christmas tree, sewing new Christmassy pillow slip covers, and scouring DI for a white cable knit sweater to use for a hurricane cover {I'll be posting on that cute creation later...}, blogging...) before doing the not so fun things (i.e. laundry--loads and loads and loads of laundry; and finishing the kitchen cabinets so we don't have to keep checking the rubbermaid storage bins in the living room when in need of utensils, tinfoil, or plastic lids). It really would be much more pleasant around here if I'd just get those things done, but as explained in my previous post, I have a sorry track record for doing things in their proper order. Besides, I always get a little obsessed with glitter at this time of year. I just can't rest until my living room has some LOTS of glitter in every single nook and cranny. Why do I all of a sudden relate so intimately with the dog on UP? Squirrel!
To top it all off, I just added to my list of things-to-do after watching my friend, Tausha, on a segment of Studio 5 last week. I've already taken advantage of her creativity with an Advent Canister I swapped her a tie for. The kids will get to take turns pulling out a paper and doing whatever fun activity she came up with. This concerns me a bit, since I have no idea what came out of her pretty little head and onto the papers my children will be reading and consequently acting out. BUT...I've decided it's worth the risk. Know why? Because now I only have to come up with 2 more advents before Wed....but I digress...
Tausha's full of great ideas, so I'm using her expertise again and making my own "Good Deeds Jar" for each of the girls this year. Good deeds are printed on strips of paper and put into a cute little jar, decorated with all sorts of Christmas ribbons and paper and yarn and stickers and (OF COURSE) glitter! Then you pull one strip a day, and do whatever is printed on the paper. At the end of the day, you write what you did and how you felt, sign your name, then put it into a little box under the tree. On Christmas morning, that box becomes your gift to the Savior, and you take turns reading what everyone has written about their experiences during the month. I'm excited to see what the girls will write, and I'm looking forward to having such a great way of bringing all the gift-giving back to its source. Doesn't that sound neat? We did these for FHE tonight. Here's how ours turned out:
The List:
Shovel your neighbor’s walks.
Purchase a can of food to give to a local food bank
Give a dollar to Humanitarian aid on your tithing slip,
Write a Christmas letter to a soldier who is overseas
Clean your room without being asked to
Write a thank you note to someone who has done something nice for you lately
Bring a small bag of candy (such as Hershey Kisses) to give to the people who help you every day
Deliver a small package of homemade cookies or candy to the neighbors
Do all the dishes after dinner
Take out all the trash in the house
Bring your dad a cup of hot chocolate when he comes in from working outside, or comes home from work
We rolled up the little strips of paper around a pen to make cute little curly-q's to put in the jars.
The List:
Pick out something from your closet and give it to someone who needs it.
Shovel your neighbor’s walks.
Purchase a can of food to give to a local food bank
Give a dollar to Humanitarian aid on your tithing slip,
or put some change into
the Salvation Army’s red bucket.
Write a Christmas letter to a soldier who is overseas
Clean your room without being asked to
Write a thank you note to someone who has done something nice for you lately
Bring a small bag of candy (such as Hershey Kisses) to give to the people who help you every day
crossing guards, bus drivers, teachers, librarians, etc.
Deliver a small package of homemade cookies or candy to the neighbors
Do all the dishes after dinner
Take out all the trash in the house
Bring your dad a cup of hot chocolate when he comes in from working outside, or comes home from work
Tell your sister(s)/brother(s) what you like best about him/her.
Be kind to someone who is hard to get along with.
Tell someone the story of when Jesus was born.
Give everyone in your family a hug!
Clean your room without being asked.
Write a Christmas letter to a faraway aunt/uncle.
Smile and be cheerful today.
Talk about the REAL meaning of Christmas at dinnertime.
Help Mom wrap gifts.
Write a thank you note to Dad for everything he does for us.
Go all day without arguing or fighting with anyone.
Start the day with a prayer of thanks to Heavenly Father for the birth of His Son.
This is the tag we put on our box under the tree. Sorry it's not clear, but you get the idea.
I printed this onto adhesive nametags and just stuck them right onto the pint jar.
I found these keys at Walmart for $1. For the lesson, I asked the girls to tell us what they wanted for Christmas. Before we had a chance to sit there all night going through everyone's wish list, I brought up the real meaning of Christmas. I asked what Jesus would want for Christmas if we were to have been there the night He was born. "For us to be nice to everybody, no matter what!" came the first answer....I have such great kids! :) I explained the concept of the Good Deed Jar and told them that the "key" to having a happy Christmas is in doing good for others.
I'm also using this activity for our Activity Days Girls this week. I really wish I was a graphic artist and could make some adorable printable for you to attach to your sufficiently glitterfied jars, but alas, I am not. If only someone from The Fickle Pickle or A Bushel and a Peck had this idea first so I could snag their always cute stuff, but we're stuck with mediocre me. Oh well.
