This month I have put myself on a 12-step program to help me kick my “Christmas Overkill” addiction. This week I am on step two.

Step Two: I accept that just because somebody gave me a wonderfully thoughtful gift, it does not mean that I am under any obligation to store it for the rest of my life.

Over the years I have managed to collect six advent calendars. Until now I have felt bad about getting rid of any of them. But last year the whole thing had gotten kind of ridiculous. Keeping six advent calendars current for the entire month of December is no small task. By the time we had gotten to the second or third calendar, my kids had totally lost interest.

Growing up the advent calendar was a source of joy and excitement as I saw Christmas approaching. But for my kids it had become a daily drudgery. I found myself begging them to do the next calendar. By the end of the month I was keeping them all current by myself and my kids didn’t even really care.

So this year, I whittled it down to two. And joy of joys! My kids are excited about the advent calendars this year! I still feel a little guilty about getting rid of some of them because they were really wonderful gifts, but I will just cram my feelings of guilt down with some homemade fudge.

The ones I kept are actually the ones I grew up with. They are vintage advent calendars that my mom made for us when we were young. And they come with so many wonderful memories! We didn’t grow up with a lot of money and my mom put so much effort into making things for us. So much of my childhood was shaped by the things she created. She has been a huge influence on my life. And she came up with all this stuff before there was Pinterest or the internet!

Santa Candy Advent Calendar

As a kid, this was a favorite Christmas tradition. And no surprise, my kids also LOVE it! Who doesn’t love candy?! It takes a bit to tie all the candies on there, but for me it is worth it. And my kids are now old enough that I can hang it without worrying about them stripping it of all the candy.

Nativity Advent Calendar

I have to admit that as an adult this one is now my favorite. I love the focus on the coming of Jesus and it is a great way to remind my kids of the meaning of Christmas. Every day we move Joseph and Mary up closer to Bethlehem as we get closer to the birth of Christ.

I also love that it is felt! I love felt! Even though this thing is decades old, it has held up so well. And it is a good fit in my house because I love vintage Christmas decorations.