I love making playlists to go with any event or task like cooking, and hanging clothes, am i alone in this? lol no/yes well we had all the christmas jams on all day, despite the fact that Pedro thinks its all rubbish (he still doesn't love this time of year like i do) but he still goes along with all of it, because he know it makes me happy, but i think deep, deep, way deep down he might, just might like christmas a little bit! heheheh or eventually he will have to right?  i was actually thinking that maybe i could put together a christmas playlist and share it on here so you can all enjoy the christmas funk, what do you think?  

I love this this of year so much! and one of the funnest things is to countdown the days till Christmas morning, as a kid i always had one of those chocolate calendars, it was always so much fun to wake up every morning and rush to open up that days flap to reveal a little chocolate in the shape of christmassy thing, just the thought that it was almost time to wake up to a tree filled with presents and tables full of yummy foods and just happiness,fun and so much love all around was amazing to me, when i became a mama i knew i wanted to pass all the christmas spirit to Petal, so every christmas we have an advent calendar too, in the past years she has had the same kinda chocolate calendars like the ones i had as a kid, and one year i wrapped up 24 little gifts and everyday she would unwrap one, but this year i wanted to do something different, after searching around the internet, and getting lost on pintrest far too many times, i put together a sort of crafty advent calendar, so everyday there is an activity the we have to do together! I have to be honest this advent calendar is going to take it all out of me, but i really want to make an effort to spend more time with Petal. I feel since she started primary school in september that we haven't spent as much time together making stuff like we used to, i guess between school, after school activities, work, keeping the house clean, making food, and all that other stuff we have to do, there just isn't enough hours left in the day to just go have fun and make stuff or go exploring, so i got my planner out and matched up the days we have activities to do something easy and the days we have free especially during the christmas school holidays, i have chosen bigger activities or family outings. back in November on a walk home from swimming, i told Petal about what i was thinking of doing and she was so happy! i guess she feels the need to do more things together as a family too. 

I found this super cute advent kit in flying tiger, and then cut up and old planner i had and wrote down all the activities, i then got the kids to help me stick the days on the bags, and Petal help me by holding up the string as i thread each bag one by one, we then we found a good spot to hang up our calendar, and decorated the area with some branches still with pine cones on them that we had from last year, and some fresh green foliage from our local market. 

  

Here are all the activities i have chosen to do this month. 

1. Enjoy your cozy new christmas socks ( i got them new christmas anti-slip socks, and they were super happy!! who knew socks could make a kid so happy) 

2. Make a christmas wreath for the front door. ( we made ours a day late, but we did it!)

3. Put up our christmas tree.

4. Write Santa a letter. 

5. Make a 3d cardboard tree.

6. Draw and cut out paper snowflakes for the windows.

7. Call a family member you haven't spoken to in a while.

8. Lets read a new X-mas book, pick a page and draw it.

9. Make salt dough ornaments.

10. Go ice skating and visit the Christmas Village in Cascais  

11. Make paper chains to decorate the house.

12. Make christmas cards for friends and family.

13. Make our own wrapping paper.

14. String popcorn to make a garland for the tree. 

15. Dance around the house to Christmas music and make snowmen with marshmallows.  

16. Make sugar cookies.

17. Go x-mas shopping for friends and family and buy a gift to donate. 

18. Make a gingerbread house out of cardboard.

19. Wrap gifts.

20. Search for leafs and make a leaf crown.

21. Go see the Christmas lights in Lisbon. 

22. Make popcorn and have a family Christmas movie night.

23. Christmas lunch with friends.

24. Family day at grandparents.

25. Open presents and spend day with family!  

P.s. Do you have any fun christmas traditions that you always do with your family? or any suggestions of cool places we can't miss this season in Lisbon? tell me i want to hear it all :)