Advent {Good Deed} Countdown Calendar

This year for our Advent Calendar I decided to make it homemade with the girls.  I looked up several design options on Pinterest.  Instead of the usual chocolates behind each door, Andy and I decided that we needed to teach the girls a little more about gratitude.  Our middle, Sophia (7), has gotten darn right spoiled acting.  We have told her that wanting is always a good thing and to keep on wanting but she needs to think about others a little bit more.  But, we can't blame this on her because we started thinking that we really haven't given her enough opportunities to give back.  So, this Advent Countdown is a step in that direction.

First off I printed out some circle templates on card stock.  The girls cut them out and I finished the edges with pinking shears.  They decorated and numbered them all to countdown to Christmas Day.  We punched holes at the top of each one too.

Later that night when Andy got home we sat down and decided all the nice deeds that we were going to do on each day.

Some examples:  Hug Someone, Pick up the tab, Leave a good tip, Do something Nice for a Neighbor, Call a Relative, Volunteer, Smile, etc...

It's fun to come up with them all together as a family.  I was pleasantly surprised how many awesome and sweet things that Sophia came up with.

Some days it's hard to do the one that is assigned so we either trade a day or double up on some days.

Here's another idea for Advent that my girlfriend and I want to do with our kids.