a family tradition

One of my favorite memories as a child was opening up the days on our family's Advent calendar every December, although waiting until the 25th was always such torture (it was the fanciest door, of course!).

I've been on a quest for the past couple of years to find one for my family, now that Aidan is getting old enough to remember and make his own memories. But good quality Advent calendars appear to be few and far between these days. Sure there's a plethora of crappy cardboard ones, but I want something we can keep from year-to-year.

Ideally, I'd love to find a Nativity-themed calendar, but so far, no dice.

But here's a mix of some of the better ones I've seen.

Next project ... finding an Advent wreath with taper candles to light -- another beloved memory from my childhood.