Advent: Our chance to celebrate life and giving

So it's December 1st.  I stayed up late working on a homemade Advent Calendar idea I found from the site Mr. Printables.  So cool but I had to create activities or prizes for inside.  Since we want our kids to appreciate the little things and have a giving spirit...I didn't want to have a monetary or candy prize for everyday.  I wanted to focus on things we could DO together or ways we could help others.  So here is our list.  I added a Bible verse to everyday as well since that why we celebrate Christmas.  I used the Christmas story from Luke and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.  That gave me a big head start and I also picked others that focused on love, forgiveness, letting our light shine, helping others, etc.

Here's my list so far...I still have 11 more to add but we're having fun with it so far!  Enjoy!

Our snowman...The boys LOVED this!

Our Advent calendar almost ready to go.

1. Make Mama and Daddy into a snowman.  Use winter hat, scarf, etc and toilet paper.  :-)
2. Do something kind to help someone else in the house. (Including your little brother).
3. Write letters or draw pictures to people you love.
4. Go shopping for Operation Christmas Child or another charity.
5. Wrap Christmas presents!
6. Make Christmas ornaments with glitter (Glitter is a big deal here!).
7. Find our old mittens and scarves and sneak them over to a needy families house without them knowing!
8. Make a list of love and appreciation for each other.
9. Make ice candles.  Fill a bowl with water.  Fill a tin can with rocks so it sinks halfway down into the water.  Freeze.  Remove can and ice.  Set ice bowl cube in a larger bowl and light a candle in the center.  Have a candlelit dinner.
10. Make a birthday cake for Jesus and freeze for His birthday!
11. Make Ice Ball ornaments for the sidewalk.  Fill balloons with water.  Add food coloring.  Freeze.  Pop balloons and set on edge of walk to decorate.
12. Make homemade bouncy balls.  I found a recipe here. Mom to 2 Lil Posh Divas.
13. Have a scavenger hunt. (I'm hiding our Nativity Scene figures).
14. Make snowflakes for our windows.
15. Camp-out in our living room in our tent!
16. Play flash light tag (hide and seek in the dark with flashlights).

So it's 10:30 and I need to get to bed.  I'll add the rest as I finish them and post pictures.