ADVENT CALENDAR

Here's the fun gift I've been working on for Nathan this year: an advent calendar.  I bought the patterns from the Designs by Sick website. I think mine turned out larger than theirs, lol.  I had a dowel rod, but it didn't fit in the tube that I mailed this in.
Here are some of the fun things I put in the pockets:

• McDonald's gift card
• Red Robin gift card
• Taco Bell gift card
• YooHoo drink mixes
• sticky note pads
• tiny bottle (maybe to put sand in from 'The Sound' as a keep sake from his mission)
• packs of gum
• boxes of tick tacks
• mini hand sanitizer
• breath mint strips
• tiny plush animal
• chocolate coins
• Santa's Coal gum
• chap stick
• little hand towel

Other ideas I've thought of are:

• certificates from Restaurants.com 
•  mini highlighters or pens
• tiny calculater
• tiny flashlight
• cash
• CTR ring
• stickers

Anyway, what a fun gift for a missionary!!  Here is another fun advent calendar.  I don't have time to collect the TP rolls this year, but thought it would be fun to make to send to other missionaries or to give to our local ones.  I may try to remember to start saving empty TP rolls as this looks fun, fun, fun!  Plus, the gifts could be a bit larger than the pockets on the calendar I made. It would also make a nice gift from the ward for their missionaries:  the members could fill up the tubes. :)

With Nathan's, I we will either use it when his brother goes on his mission, or Nathan can save it for his future family as a keepsake. Either way, I do hope he enjoys it!!