Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who purchased advent calendar drop-ins from me! I sold 120 sets and raised over $700 towards our pledge for Home of Hope India. I was a busy bee cutting paper and assembling the sets for several weeks in November! I am glad they are all shipped out and delivered, and I hope everyone enjoys sharing the story of Christmas with their little ones this year.

As for us, we stuck with our little bags from last year as our "advent calendar." I dropped two gold coins and the little scroll in each bag. I also purchased some small Christmas ornaments that look like miniature presents from a craft store and dropped them in to a few of the bags to let the kids know that on that day they have a small present to open. For their gifts during advent I purchased a few Christmas books (like the Grinch Stole Christmas, Berenstein Bears and the Joy of Giving, and so on). So, on a few lucky days when they open their bags they will have a little gift to open!

Happy Holidays!

Children’s Advent Calendar Drop-ins For Sale!!!

Last year I broke down the story of Christ’s birth into 25 short, simple readings to drop into each of day of Sydney’s Advent calendar. After reading each day’s sentence we would glue it to a piece of construction paper and assemble the story of Christmas over the course of Advent. By Christmas Eve we had the entire story pasted together and we could read it together. She and I both enjoyed it and I thought other parents who would like to make sure the story of Christ is an important part of their Christmas season might also like to use our little story.

Because Brett and I have pledged a contribution to help build a new orphanage for the young girls from Home of Hope India, I decided to make and sell my “Children’s Advent Calendar Drop-ins” for $5 each to raise money for our pledge. I hope you will consider buying them for your loved ones this Christmas! The price includes:

• 25 short daily readings recounting the story of Christ’s birth with a short prayer for each Sunday in Advent.
• 25 ribbons to tie each reading into a little scroll to easily fit into the pocket of an advent calendar.
• A small book of colorful paper in which the children can glue their daily readings and create their own “Story of Christmas.”
  

All money raised from the sale of these Drop-ins will go to help purchase a “stepping stone” to build a new orphanage for the young girls living Hyderabad, India through a charity called Home of Hope India. Right now these girls are sleeping on concrete floors at night and they have nowhere to play, so they really need our help!
http://www.homeofhopeindia.org/
http://www.100stepstohome.com/

This is a great and inexpensive gift to give for children, grandchildren, godchildren, nieces and nephews over the Thanksgiving holidays. It is written in language most appropriate for younger children (toddlers through age 10).

If you don’t have an advent calendar, there are SO many ways to make one creatively, or you can buy one at places like Land of Nod, Pottery Barn Kids, etc.

Last year, we bought small, inexpensive Christmas gift bags and wrote a number on each bag from 1-25 and hung them around our breakfast nook. Inside each bag was a small piece of candy and our daily reading. (The little chocolate “gold” coins you can buy are a great sparkly filler to accompany the scrolls.) You can also buy miniature stockings for very little money and hang them on a rope with clothes pins.

Here are some photos of creative do-it-yourself advent calendars if you need some inspiration:

If you would like to order Drop-ins for your loved ones, please email or call me to tell me how many and send a check for $5 each to:

Claire Burkhart
7545 McCrimmon Parkway
Cary, NC 27519

I will have them all completed before Thanksgiving, so please place your orders early in November. Please add $1 for shipping if you are not in Cary or Wilmington (where I can deliver or you can pick them up).

Remember that all money from these Drop-ins will go to build an orphanage for young girls in India!

Thanks!