Four rules of the perfect home-made advent calendar

Countdowns are one of the best ways to stay present and focused during those crazy times before the holidays, and Christmas season is almost impossible to skip. This year I decided to start a new holiday tradition in our house - the advent calendar full of activities and surprises. The main goal is to spend a lot of time together, doing something fun and creating memories. And planning ahead (which the advent calendar is all about) makes it much easier.

As I prepared all the things, I thought about how to make the whole experience go along with our daily life, so it won't be hard to manage or look like we are trying too hard. I also wanted it to be all about making the new traditions as a family, sharing moments of surprise and fun, doing most of the activities together.

So, if you are interested in creating an advent calendar with not only small presents, but memorable time with your loved ones, here is my list of most important things to consider:

1/ Know your schedule. There is a lot to think about when you plan something for every day of the entire month. The holiday season is full of wonders outside our homes and the good thing - they can be used to surprise your family. If you already bought tickets for a Nutcracker ballet - put it in the calendar and make it a secret till the date. Or you have a great place to visit: a Christmas Market, a Light show or a local street full of themed displays - go for an adventure, but don't forget to "schedule" it in your advent calendar.

2/ Keep it personal. If you have all the days figured out and know what you want to do every day of your calendar - congratulations, your knowledge of your family is absolute. But, if you like me, need some extra help with ideas and go to the almighty internet for some research, don't forget to put them through your own personal filter. What I mean is - with all the interesting activities out there, try to choose something that you personally and your family would enjoy. Don't put any "bake cookies" in, if you hate to cook and all you can think about is cleaning after. Buy the bag of plain cookies, some sparkles and decorate them together instead. It's supposed to be all about fun and not making dough and feeling miserable.

3/ Keep it simple. I love how I'm always super confident when it comes to planning. I think I'm ready to roll every day and feel cheerful. But then comes the reality of the daily routine and work, and you just don't have time or energy. And I've learned my mistakes after I scheduled two major museums to visit on the last day of our trip to New York. It wasn't disappointing at all, since I really wanted to see both of them. But the sad thing is, I have almost no recollection of the second place. Like, if I didn't have pictures on my phone, I would not believe that I was there that day. So I would suggest taking your time off, by doing something simple between the big events like festivals and long trips to the Christmas market.

4/ Get ready for tomorrow. This is the best thing about creating your own calendar. Of course, it takes time to make, but the best part is that you have the power to change it along the way. Just check the next days slot the evening before and think if you have everything in place (along with your energy level) for that activity or if you need to do something different. Then get ready or simply swap it for another idea. And if you feel a little down, just put some candies for the kids with "Tell someone that you love them" as a quest and you will have a day off with lots of hugs and kisses.

And voila! I had some small toys and other things ready in the box, where I collect that kind of stuff all year around exactly for the occasions, when I need something new and quick. So my calendar took me about an hour to make. We've already started to unwrap all the adventures and it's been such fun! Sometimes it takes so little to make a big smile on the faces of our friends and family. Have fun!