Inside the Advent Bags

I made these basic goodie bags last year to count down the days of December with the kids. It's my version of an advent calendar. I used plain white sacks from the craft store and Martha Stewart's holiday paper collection.


We have the perfect walls, separating our foyer and living areas, from which to hang them. The spacing is just right for 13 bags across, so My Sweets had the genius idea of doubling up. For example, bag #1 is also bag #13 {on the back side}, and bag #12 is also bag #24. It works out, since the peppermint-colored rope can only handle so much weight anyway. After day 12 I simply turn each bag over on its clothespin. Takes two seconds, and it's OH SO MUCH FUN for the wee ones.


Every night before bed I drop in one treat for Buby and one for Bleu. Or sometimes I fill three or four bags at once. It's the first thing the kids want to do when they come downstairs in the morning. That and the holiday book basket.


Several of you have asked what I put in these advent bags. Sometimes it's a physical gift and other times it's a handmade coupon for a good time, a walk to the coffee shop, a clue to finding an even bigger 'get'. I don't like small junk in the house, but I do make a few exceptions for things I KNOW for sure that the kids will absolutely love... and USE. There are a handful of necessities that I'd buy anyway, like colorful bandages, that they go hog wild over. Here's my list of tiny advent treats:

• Mini play-doh container in child's favorite color {at supermarket}
• Glitter-filled bouncy balls {at craft store checkout counter}
• Holiday stickers {buy one get two free from the local Just-A-Buck}
• Ticket for one free cookie from the bakery
• Love note from me
• 100-piece puzzle from Target's $1 bin {Buby spends a lot of time on these}
• Snowmen and gingerbread stampers from the $1 bin at Michael's
• Individual boxes of goldfish crackers {a treat, for sure}
• Invitation to a snowball fight
• Lip balm {both kids have their own brands}
• Dinosaur flossers
• Pooh bandages by Nexcare
  
• Ornaments to paint for others
  
• Wallet-size photo of someone they love
• Travel-size tissue {Bleu's fave}
• Movie voucher {anything from our DVD drawer}
  
• Fancy marker {I'll buy a five pack and just give one at a time}
• Granola bars
• Fruit chews
• Box of raisins
• Cool hole punch {Buby is into these in the MS line at Michael's}
• Clue to finding a holiday coloring book in the glove basket