It’s Advent!

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It’s time to prepare for Christmas. This year the Christmas season might look different. I think it will be easy to let that get us down, but perhaps there is a silver lining to it. Maybe fewer events will mean fewer distractions so we can better focus on preparing for Jesus’ coming. Here’s what we’ll be using to help us in this season.

Jesse Tree

We pulled out our Jesse Tree today and started the first day. I love this Jesse Tree that we made last year. It is made from a Melissa and Doug advent calendar but instead of the ornaments that came on it I replaced them with Jesse Tree ornaments.

To make the ornaments I printed these free jesse tree ornaments from shining light dolls at 56% and cut them out using a 1.25″ paper punch. I mod podged those to 1.5″ wood discs and put magnets on the back so they would attach to the tree. I would love to claim this idea as my own, but it was not mine originally. Someone in the Shining Light Dolls facebook group originally shared this idea in December of 2018. I’m so happy they did, because it worked so well!

The past two years we’ve been using the book “A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse” by Sarah V. Park for our readings with the Jesse Tree and we’ve really enjoyed it. It has discussion questions after the readings which usually at least Animal Lover likes to discuss.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Jesse tree, you can read more about it here.

Gifts for Baby Jesus Advent Calendar

I made this advent calendar for the kids that they will use by coloring a present for each good deed or sacrifice they make during advent. (There’s one gift for each day.) Similar to the idea of the placing pieces of straw in the manger for baby Jesus as a way to prepare during advent, but this way I could give them each their own. If you’d like a copy, there’s a button to download below the picture.

Advent Wreath with Banners

And last but not least, we’re praying and lighting our advent wreath. I made some banners to hang over the wreath each week to represent each candle. Today I hung the hope banner for the first week. There is also a banner for love, joy and peace. There are buttons to download each below the pictures. Side note- Does anyone else end up with wonky candles every year no matter how you rotate? No? Just me?