Last year my youngest receive a bag of Reindeer Food from her best friend.  It was the sweetest little gift.   

I’m going to make some with the kids this year and have created a few tags (FREE for your to download, see below) to attach to the bags.

What you will need

• Raw rolled oats
• Jelly crystals
• Snack sized bags/zip lock bags
• Ribbon
• Paper or cardstock

How to make it

1. Add 1/2 cup of oats to bag
2. Sprinkle jelly crystals  of glitter, as much as you like
3. Close bag
4. Attach ribbon
5. Print tag
6. Add tag with a little ribbon

Note:  Glitter was used in the bag above, but as a reader suggested last year jelly crystals would be more friendly for the wildlife.

Isn’t this a cute idea!

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A very big thankyou to reader Kerry T for sharing her version of a Christmas countdown/advent calendar.   The image can be personalised with your child’s name, print image then each day add a cotton ball to his beard.  Very sweet! 

Download personalised version:

 Kerry found this wonderful countdown at Kaboose, download original here.

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I made this last year for the kids bathroom, in the spirit of Christmas being sprinkled throughout the house. 

Christmas Hand Soap Bottle

I removed the label, added some Christmas stickers and then ribbon to embellish

Simple and the kids love it!  

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 There are so many wonderfully talented people on the web, today I have put together a collection of FREE Christmas tag printables for you.  

Make sure you have enough colour print in your printer.  Visit the blogs of these wonderful printables, donwload the tags then print directly to cardstock, punch a hole and then add to your gifts with ribbon.

From my lovely friend Cass at Putting on a party

Upload images/files

The TomKat Studio 

Kelly Medina Studio

Orange you Lucky

Fresh picked Whimsy

 Fresh Picked Whimsy, labels for wine bottles

The Twinery Blog

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart 

My Boy’s Custom Cards.com

A Farm Girls Dabbles

Raggedy Scrappin 

Family.com

eighteen 25

Lovely Design 

Miss Pickles Press

The Pink Ink Doodle 

Linking up with

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One of our family Christmas traditions is to build a Gingerbread House together.   It’s so much fun building and mostly decorating.  We find though one lolly for the house one for the mouth, lol.  This is a fun tradition and one I know we will continue for many many years.

First year we started the tradition I made our ginger bread from scratch…I burnt it and it broke, but we still managed to put something together.  The following year I found a ginger bread kit which was so much easier.  I have purchased a kit every year since.  

Gingerbread house kits can be found at Target, Aldi and I even saw some at Pillow Talk recently.

2010

2009

More inspiration – decorated Gingerbread Houses

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1 pack red baubles from Big W for $2

1 packet of Rhinestone strips from KaiserCraft outlet (most craft or dollar stores) for $2.50

 Idea found on pinterest originally from bhg.com

 Linking up with Blossom Heart, Pinterest Make Me Challenge 

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We have a gorgeous advent calendar that we have used for years.  As I mentioned yesterday, you can purchase or make you own.  In our advent calendar I place small inexpensive gifts, a lolly or note with an activity we will complete that day.  If the gift I want to give them is too big I write a note and place that in the drawer with a clue where it maybe hiding, it then becomes a treasure hunt….this is loads of fun. 

Remember to keep track of your purchases, using the Advent Calendar gift page in your The Organised Housewife Christmas Planner.

Advent Calendar Activity Ideas

 Suggested activities to place in advent calendar

• Decorate the Christmas Tree
• Open this years new Christmas ornament
• Go for a drive to look at Christmas lights
• Have photo’s with santa
• Write letter to santa
• Do some Christmas crafts
• Do some Christmas baking
• Give to charity
• Play some Christmas music
• Read a Christmas book
• Watch a Christmas movie
• Make a gingerbread house
• Wrap presents
• Attend a Christmas Party 
• Attend a Christmas Concert
• Christmas shopping
• Do a family christmas tradition
• Donate toy’s to a local charity

© 2010 The Organised Housewife | All rights reserved - This post {Christmas Planning} Items to put in Advent Calendar is provided for the convenience of The Organised Housewife readers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.