Lego Advent Calendar {and the life lesson it brings}

As a child I celebrated Advent every year with my mother. She had a sweet little set from Unity that we would listen to (on a cassette tape!) and we would light the candles on our wreath. The memory is a dear one and I wanted to recreate that feeling of closeness, reverence and gentility that my mother had with me. I had really considered doing a cute little one that I had to fill myself (ha maybe next year) but when we visited the Lego Store last month in OKC with Girl Scouts I found two Advent Calendars there and opted for easy and fun. Something I knew that would entice them into this celebration. You could make a cute one and fill it with Lego's though and that would be pretty awesome too!

So far, it's love at first open! They had two options in store and I picked both so that the boys and girls can take turns opening one each day. As they opened their first one (littles got to go first) the excitement was palpable. It was then that I realized the main lesson it was teaching them, patience. Patience, something we are not born with but must learn and practice.

It also teaches so many other things. In our case, there was graciousness of the older kids, allowing to let the younger ones go first. It teaches them that they do not always have instant gratification and that its okay when you don't! They will also have to share the sets once they are complete, which isn't anything new when it comes to Lego's, but a good lesson to reinforce nonetheless. I also love that it fosters the anticipation of something and then having to be patient in order to get it. The lessons all tie together and are interwoven. They may not realize what the tradition is teaching them right away, but what they learn from it will spill through in their daily life for the rest of their lives.

You can check out all of the Advent items The Lego Store has to offer here. I could spend all day looking at Lego's, shhhhhh don't tell the kids though!

Mason Jar Makeup Brush Holder DIY

I did this project over three years ago, so I can say with conviction that it lasts. I didn't used to wear makeup consistently, especially when I was staying at home with my kiddos. Now that I have been in the workforce and I'm getting older I almost always wear something. This was one of the easiest little projects. Antique white spray paint + little jelly mason jar = fabulous makeup brush holder. You could spray it with any color and I am sure it would be just as fab. I sprayed the inside and the outside. I have since added a cute little tie.

This would make a really cute gift for a tween or teen! Makeup brushes and a cute little holder along with some new makeup. Okay maybe it would make a cute gift for an adult...I love mine.

Without the tie. I love the texture of the jelly jars.

With the tie. I like that you can change it up!