You could use this for your older kiddos too.  Like your elementary school-aged kids.  Little Monkey loves to play matching games.  Particularly on my tablet.  I figured we’d try a real-life version with the hope that maybe it would hold his attention a little longer (simply because you have to do all the turning yourself, which takes a few more seconds…).  I made one version that has Christmas themed pictured and one that is a whole bunch of Christmas trees.  You know, to make it even harder.

Little Monkey hasn’t actually played the matching game yet, but he’s had fun throwing all the pieces around… fun for Mom.  He does like to look at all the different pictures though.

You can print these files from 4shared.com.  Simply download, save and print.  Then, just cut the squares apart.  You’ll have to print TWO copies of each page, though, or you won’t have matches.  The images show up funny on 4shared, but they should all be there.  I know it looks like it’s missing some pictures, but it all showed up when I tested it out.  If you have problems, let me know.  By the way, there are three religious photos on the Christmas Match set.  If you don’t want to play with those, just take them out.

First, I’m sorry I’ve been so awful at posting this week.  It’s been crazy.  Not only have I been trying to get everything back in order from our trip (who doesn’t love vacation laundry, right?), but all three of us got sick while we were gone.  Like can’t-eat-for-24-hours-or-you’ll-throw-it-back-up kind of sick.  Ugh.  Little Monkey had it Thanksgiving day.  I got it on my uncle’s wedding day and had to miss all the hoopla (which was the actual reason we went over for Thanksgiving).  And My Mr Right spent the last three hours of the car ride home and all night with a plastic baggie or a trash can gripped in his hands.  So, I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving.  As for us, well, there’s always next year…  Anyway, let’s move on to the good stuff.

My Little Monkey doesn’t completely comprehend Christmas or Winter at this point.  He just thinks mommy is the meanest meanie that makes him stay inside all the time.  And as far as the real reason for Christmas, well… the boy barely understands who Santa is, so the deeper doctrine of Christmas is kind of lost on him.

In order to try and stave off some of the boredom this month, I have concocted an activity advent calendar.  I threw most of this together in about two days, but there are parts of it that aren’t quite finished.  Basically, the idea is that Little Monkey will get to open an envelop every day before Christmas.  Inside the envelop is an activity we can do that day.  There are a lot of simple things (like make a snowman out of marshmallows, glue cotton balls on Santa’s chin, color and make a lace up stocking) along with a little more involved activities (helping to set the Christmas tree up, for example).

My Little Monkey is of the opinion that if he isn’t moving 500 mph, he’s not moving fast enough, so there are a lot of busy activities too.  Like Snowman Bowling and a Snowball Toss.  Because there is soo much involved with this, I will be breaking this down into several mini-posts, so you’ll see this snowman again…

You can get the whole list of activities HERE.  It’s a Word document.  If you have trouble, let me know.  I’ll email it to you.  All you have to do is print, cut them apart and then, if you get the itch to be an overachiever, glue them to card stock and put each one in an envelop.

Our first activity we will do tomorrow will be to set up and decorate the Christmas tree.  I’m a little apprehensive to let Little Monkey help.  I’m not sure he’ll like that he can touch while we decorate, but then after that it’s a hands-off deal…  Guess we’ll see.  Come back for that adventure…

I’ll do another post (hopefully tonight) with some more explanation of the other printable files I’m using with this activity advent countdown.  There’s a bunch of them up on 4shared already, so feel free to browse and try to figure some of it out.  They are all my original creations, so feel free to use them.  Please don’t redistribute them though.  If you want to send people here to get their own copies, great.  Please don’t post them on your own site though.  Here’s the links.

http://www.4shared.com/photo/KQnVp_BL/Wreath_blank.html
http://www.4shared.com/photo/wdq21Z9U/stocking_outline.html
http://www.4shared.com/photo/oi3aMzal/Snowman_Bowling_Wide.html
http://www.4shared.com/photo/GSdbVCq9/Snowman_Bowling_Wide_blue.html
http://www.4shared.com/photo/hVwyFrwj/Snowman_Bowling_Skinny.html
http://www.4shared.com/photo/5IHqmuK0/Nativity_Puzzle_Photo.html
http://www.4shared.com/document/nuBDPI3B/Christmas_Tree_Match.html
http://www.4shared.com/document/UjiU2Tlp/Christmas_Match.html

And if you’re looking for gift ideas (I know I’m madly combing the internet…), check out the WHWN Gift Guide.

I am a list kind of girl.  To-do lists, shopping lists, menu plan lists, ideas lists, address lists… it goes on and on.  Especially when I’m busy… and who isn’t busy during the holiday season, right?  So, I decided to try and save myself some sanity and begin this crazy season a little more organized than I normally am.  Enter the Holiday Hubbub Binder.  Well, mine is actually a folder, but it has already saved me a few headaches.  Or at least it’s kept all my scheming in one general place.  In my folder I have pages that I designed to help me organize my holiday planning.  There are budget sheets, menu plan calendars, calendars for the everyday stuff, lists of gift ideas I’ve been collecting, addresses I need to send out holiday cards, lists of my family and their clothing sizes, hobbies and things they like.  There’s even a page for me to write down things I want (in case My Mr Right should get stumped this gift giving season) and a place to keep receipts (in case anything needs to go back to the store).  My folder contains 19 pages.  And it’s been a lifesaver!

        
For your free downloading enjoyment, I have an abbreviated version of my organizer available HERE.  It contains calendars, a page to organize your gift lists, an address collector, the thank you list to keep track of the gifts you are given, and a to-do list.  If you’re having a hard time with 4shared, make sure you are logged in.  Don’t have an account?  It’s free to sign up and then you’ll have access to download things hosted on the site.  (P.S. I’m not affiliated with 4shared in anyway.  I just like the user interface for their site and so that’s what I use.)

If you would like the whole 18 page version of my organizer, it’s available HERE.  It’s a printable and I will email the file to you within 12 hours.  It contains everything in the free version, plus a RECEIPTS page, a budget organizer page, wish list page, menu plan calendars, gift buying guide information sheet, and individual gift organizers. 

     

Happy Holidays, may they be organized and stress-free!  Or at least a little more organized and a little less stressful.