(UN)pinterestable

 Lately, I've been making an effort to embrace my unpinterestable spirit. I've been letting my kids decorate the back door. With no pattern. And I let them decorate their own Christmas tree without forcing them to finish or worrying about whether the lights matched.

After hours scouring the web for ideas- to purchase or copy- this year's advent calendar is at the very top of my unpinterestable list.

It cost approximately nothing.  KJ and I measured, cut and tied the string.  Cbug made all of the numbers and I even let him cut them out without regard to whether any of them were the same size or shape.  We even stuck holes in the wall with thumb tacks.  GASP.

I used a hodge podge of websites and google images to make the nativity characters we are adding each night.  And I stole the wording from the advent calendar my brothers and I used as children.  Finally, written on the back of each character is our daily "family activity" for counting down the days until Christmas- other unpinterestable ideas like making nativity scenes out of playdough.  (you can read about our 2011 and 2012 countdowns here and here for unpinterestable ideas to share with your family.  I'll post a recap of this year at the end of the month-ish.)

And voila, an advent calendar that is absolutely my very favorite ever.

It is hanging right smack dab in the middle of my dining room where everyone who enters my home can see it.  It is placed like a treasure because we love it that much- not because anyone else would see any value in it.

It is unpinterestable.  And it is so very perfect for our family.

So here's to you.  Whether pinterestable.  Or un.
Find JOY this Christmas in using your talents to embrace the holiday season.
And find ways to share that joy with others.

 ABL