The power of an inspired "everyday"

This holiday season, I made a concerted effort to be "done" with Christmas prep by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday. This included all gift making and buying, ordering Christmas cards, making travel arrangements, sending holiday party invitations, etc. I did a pretty good job of it; I even had the gifts wrapped and ready to go under the tree when we put it up the first weekend in December.

One new tradition that I started this year was to add daily advent activities from December 1 through the 24th. We have always treasured our advent tree made by my mother-in-law and I was determined to make it just a little more special. I printed out little slips of paper with small activities for each day and Boy Wonder would have me read the note as he placed the advent ornament on the tree.

The thing I had underestimated was the anticipation and togetherness that would come from this one addition to our holiday routine. BW would awake each morning and run downstairs to hang the ornament and find out what we'd do that day.

The first evening we all sat around the table and made paper snowflakes. We're not talking anything fancy here! Just some recycled office paper and a few pair of scissors (and a little trial and error to remember how it was done). We then attached fishing line and hung them at varying lengths throughout our living room.

This one little activity set the tone for the entire season. We talked and laughed while making our snowflakes and still have them up well into January, when all the other decorations have come down. BW and MrRit told me repeatedly throughout the season how much they loved having those snowflakes. Nothing extravagant. Just a little bit of inspiration in our everyday.

And what a powerful difference it can make.