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Advent Pocket Calendar DIY

November 29, 2012

I told him to pull something out of the pockets, and he went straight for Day 23!

He told me it said “Good morning Gabriel one two six.” Not exactly, but close enough;)

Did you have an advent calendar growing up? We had an ornament one that we would re-stuff with the same ornaments every year just for the fun of opening those doors each day. My mom had a Jesse tree for us as well. I wanted to continue the advent countdown with my family so I actually made this advent calendar a few years ago. This is the first year little Gabriel really understands what Christmas is (“a big birthday party for Jesus”), so Gabe and I are looking forward to introducing him to all the wonder Christmas can bring. I filled these pockets with sweets and a daily gospel passage. By Christmas Eve, the whole nativity story will be read. Its a simple way of keeping the advent focus of preparing for the best day of the year! (Advent actually means coming in Latin, so its a whole four weeks to prepare for the “coming” of the King.) I hope he comes to love this tradition.

Supplies:

Burlap Fabric (28 in. wide x 44 in. long folded in half)

24 Muslin Drawstring Bags 3.5 x 4.5 in. (find some here or here)

Red cardstock or linen paper

Circle or scallop punch

Hole punch

Wooden rod (3 ft.)

Ribbon

Gold ink (optional)

Instructions:

1) Fold your burlap in half and spread your pockets evenly across in rows.

2) Hot glue the sacks on the back edges (place paper or something inside so it doesn’t glue top) to fabric.

3) Punch the red paper with a shape you like, and add number stamps (or hand draw).

4. Hole punch the scallop circles and loop through and tie to each bag in sequence.

5. Decorate your muslin bags. I used the end of a pencil and carved a triangle to stamp gold patterns.

6. Place calendar over wooden rod, tie ribbon on each end and hang wherever you like!

7. Fill with surprises of your choice. If you would like to use the daily gospel readings, I made a printable sheet you can download for free here.

Do you have a fun advent calendar post you want to share? Leave the link:)

Hope you all have a happy advent season!

Love, Anna

The Advent Conspiracy + Gift of Time Certificate

December 9, 2011

I saw this for the first time last year, and it really changed my game plan for the Christmas season. This is worth the 2 minutes and 39 seconds of your day….

I posted this again on facebook this year, and my friend Marisol had this super fantastic idea. She asked me to create a gift certificate of time to give her loved ones this Christmas, since she has been so busy lately. I realized that this was something we all could use from our loved ones, and could also in turn give to loved ones. I created this certificate to share with you, in hopes that it comes in handy this advent and Christmas, as we attempt to slow down the crazy world around us and make time for those who matter most.

You can download your own to print for free. I set it up so that you can print three to a page!

I hope this helps bring back the true meaning of Christmas to someone in your life!

Wishing you all a very beautiful advent season!

DIY Advent Calendars Part I

November 29, 2010

(From the top: loretoidas and aliedwards via ohhellofriend, bethproudfoot, pottery barn via pinterest, bowerpowerblog)

I am kind of crazy about Advent Calendars. I am in the middle of making one for my little fam as a surprise on the feat os St. Nicholas this weekend. Shh! Don’t tell! Advent calendars a great way to build anticipation and excitement for Christmas (not that you need much help)!

The word advent means “coming”….my family always used advent calenders as a time to gather around and reflect about who was coming– the Savior – the infant King! As a child this helped make Christ’s birth more meaningful…and hence practice the true meaning of Christmas.

Do you have any Advent Calendar Traditions??

CHEERS to 365 days of Adventure!

October 12, 2010

photos: city cradle, i art u, allthemountains, bunting: puglypixel

One year? Really?! Its been one year since I started my new adventure as a small business owner. My blog came just a week after! So its time to celebrate a few things:) What a snowball effect it has been this year…. I can only sit back and be amazed reflecting on how God can bless the smallest of efforts and allow them to surpass your wildest dreams! Moved from Atlanta to small town, KS and decided to keep the new beginnings going and start something new. I attended my first craft fair and started my etsy shop one week later!

I look at what was accomplished this year and thank God for allowing me to do something I love and pay off some loans in the process;) I look forward to this coming year with new goals and aspirations and can’t wait to see what the next mile marker will look like.

THANK YOU to each of you reading this who have supported the blog or business. I can’t tell you how many times it was the words of encouragement from a customer, friend, or reader that kept me going.

SO CHEERS to you!!

*I will be sponsoring a few giveaways to celebrate! Stay tuned!

What to do in Nashville: Family Edition

June 15, 2022

We visited Nashville many summers growing up, but now that we live here it’s easy to settle into our local neighborhood area. We worked on a family friendly Nashville summer bucket list that includes a mix of things we have enjoyed with our family, and things we hope to check out over the next few years!

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Father’s Day Gift Guide

May 31, 2022

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE // TEN // ELEVEN
TWELVE // THIRTEEN // FOURTEEN // FIFTEEN // SIXTEEN // SEVENTEEN

I rounded up some ideas that I have gift to Gabe or my dad in the past, as well as what I am gifting this year. Also included a few options little ones can gift. On Father’s Day the kids make breakfast and hand drawn notes for their dad, and then we spend the day outdoors. I love the opportunity to celebrate Gabe because he pours so much into our family and home. I had him pitch in on some ideas too!

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A new year letter: Staying the course.

January 5, 2022

A fresh new year. I have written my way though the past decade here on IHOD, which is hard to wrap my mind around! At the beginning of 2021, I wrote out some very clear guidelines I knew I needed to re-visit for the year. After hitting burnout year after year, I was coming to realize the pace of consuming, creating, and sharing on the internet was taking a toll. As social media came on the scene, we continued to adapt and change to keep up, and I slowly felt the time and energy suck take it’s toll. We no longer were creating and sharing in a way that was serving our mental health well, which affects every area of your life. I created a list of boundaries for myself, and it made room for much more peace and contentment than I had ever had. Despite the many difficulties the year brought, I felt better equipped with the tools to stay focused on our purpose and priorities.

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