The Arrival Of Advent With Its Wreaths, Calendars and Cookies

By now I have made a fair few mentions of Advent and the traditions that go with it here. Since last week I have been busy as a beaver with all sorts of crafts projects as well general making and baking, with the result that the house looks great and smells delicious. 

My Husarenkrapfen - jam-filledhazelnut biscuits

I'm quite content in myself knowing that, come what may before Christmas, the house has a basic level of festive appearance and there is always something tasty to be eaten with a cuppa. The nearer we get to Christmas, the more the scent of a cinnamon and clove candle will fill the house and the flicker of my real-log-fire dvd in the will be noticable in the background. (Oh, how I miss a real fire in Winter!). The Christmas decorations and the tree will be put up, visitors will begin to arrive and those cups of coffee will be replaced with mulled wine. 

But back to the here and now - last week I wrote about my salvaged shutters and how I hoped to turn them into some form of decoration for the house throughout Advent. I was sure, as I am with every project I begin, that I would find the time to decorate in leisure. By Saturday one of the shutters had been dusted, scrubbed and freed from as much dead ivy as possible. Then came the hard part - how to decorate it. 

My head was buzzing with ideas of my own as well as with inspiration from my Pinterest boards. And so Sunday morning saw me sat on the living room floor surrounded by ribbons, wreaths, stars and snowmen, candles, jars and pine cones. I spent a happy hour or so fiddlling about and trying to bring my ideas to life. My original plan to go with a green and silver theme just didn't look right in our red and white living room. The end result is more cosy chalet than sleek elegance, but I like it. It works here. 

The following day, Monday, Operaton Advent Calendar kicked off. Since moving into our house five years ago, we have built up a lovely Advent calendar tradition. I decorate the stairs in ribbons, fairy lights and a garland and, once the children are in bed, on the eve of December 1st I hang the homemade Advent calendar. 

This year the calendar is filled with a mixum-gatherum of toffees, chocolates, Christmas tree shaped pasta, mini bath salts and a few tiny little toys. Other years it has been filled with Playmobil figures and their tiny accessories or with collectable stickers. 

Seeing the boys go to bed excited and wake the next morning even more excited about something so simple is wonderful. It gives me a lovely warm, motherly feeling to know that they love this tradition of ours as much as I do. It is a little like a rehersal for Christmas Eve.