Christmas Countdown: Stockings & Books

I've been trying to figure out how to countdown to Christmas with the boys this year.

Since baby girl is due soon, I wanted to make it really simple on everyone. 

Here's what we've got:

First, I taped numbers on candy canes.

Next, I hung up 25 mini stockings on a string using clothespins. Then I put the candy canes in the stockings.

I got the stockings for like $0.10 each after Christmas last year!! (You could also use socks, or make your own stockings from felt or something. OR just use the candy canes without the stockings! So many options.....)

Each day we'll take a candy cane out for us all to share while we read a Christmas book together.

I collected Christmas books from the thrift store throughout the year and wrapped them up. We'll open one each day until Christmas.

And that's it!

If I wasn't about to have a baby, I had some other fun ideas for spicing the countdown up a bit:

Like putting a clue in each stocking sending the boys on a treasure hunt to find that day's Christmas book.

Or

Doing a craft each day that goes along with the Christmas book we read.

But, I guess there's always next year! 

Merry Christmas!