Giving The Gift of Love

I am really excited about our advent calendar this year. 

The theme is LOVE.  Love in all the languages of LOVE.  It's beautiful!  I am giving my children the gift of love each day.

It works like this...  There are 24 days in the advent calendar.  There are 5 love languages plus we need a little chocolate.  So, in days 1 - 5, there will be one gift for each child on each day from a different love language.  Day 6 - chocolate for everyone!  And then we start again.  At the end of the month, everyone will have received 4 gifts from each of the 5 languages and 4 days of chocolate.  Follow me?

Words - An affirmation.  A love letter.  I am writing them each a letter.  Scott will write them each a letter.  I'm asking each of them to write their siblings a letter.  

Time - Special 1 on 1 time.  Whatever they want to do or talk about.  They get to stay up 15 minutes past bedtime with either mom or dad.  An extra book, time with mom or dad.

Gift - An item.  A toy, an ornament for the tree, a new book or stickers.  

Service - This one is a gift for mom.  Clear the table after dinner.  Make the beds.  Pick up the toys.  Put away the laundry.

Touch - Hugs.  A foot massage.  A back massage.  An extra cuddle.  This one is easy.

When I told the kids about the calendar they were very interested in the 5 different love languages.  Right away Lily started helping me with the house chores and telling me that she was doing it because she loved me.  It's beautiful.  It's going to be a fun month!

I bought special hand made cards for the love letters.  I'm using a scrap of of wrapping paper to write the notes for extra time or service or touch and then rolling them up into a scroll and tying them with a little ribbon.  The gifts are easy, just wrapping them and the chocolate is easy too.

I found this calendar already made for pretty cheap and I thought it'd be perfect!  The pockets are large, about 3 inches wide.  I can fit everything I need in it.