Happy December.1st!

 Traditions, Eatons, A Christmas Story and Advent Calendars

Oh the Christmas Season.  The excitement I had of Santa, presents, going to Eatons to see the Christmas Floor (how I miss the 9th floor of Eatons, those from Winnipeg may remember what I am talking about) and always eating today's and the next day of my Chocolate Advent calendars.  Such bliss when you're a little one.
Now, I'm going to get a little sentimental because Hudsons Bay and Sears should be ashamed of themselves. Where's the magic and fun of window displays? HBC does have a nice set up on Queen St. But I am still bitter one cannot buy toys there anymore because Lord and Taylor took over. I miss Eatons, it was my childhood and fond memories of Santa and their toy display.
Every toy that was available was in that window on Portage Ave.  Think a Christmas Story (of course I had to include my favorite movie clip, watch it) when all of Alphie and his friends run up to the Christmas window.
Eatons went from 5000 employees to 17000 employee's at Christmas time and those lovely decorations in Eatons? The puppets, the ornate window displays were made by Eatons. Built in house by Neil Cooper who also made the parade floats. I don't know why I found that so cool, maybe if you knew what the 9th floor looked like in Winnipeg with the displays of Disney Vignette puppets, the Fairy Tails as you walked through Santa's Village was amazing and all made in house. Again. Cool.

On display from November 12, 2011 to January 8, 2012 at the Children’s Museum.

If I was in Winnipeg or could come home for Christmas, The Children's Museum is where I would head first with Charlie just so I can see this again. Yes, as a kid and because I am a sentimental fool I miss this and I'd love to see the excitement and wonder on his face that every kid in Winnipeg had seeing this.

Please click {here} to see more, it is magical. I think this will mean more to Winnipegger's.  : )


History of the Advent Calendar:

The origin of the calendar, like so many of our Christmas traditions, started in Germany in the 19th century. Different methods of counting down the days to the celebration of Christmas were used.
They used to draw a line with chalk to count the days to Christmas....thankfully things got yummier and is more based towards kids and chocolate.

Some of favorite Advent Calendars.

Well my son is a huge Kinder Surprise fan (please note this not a sponsored post from Kinder) and there's a Kinder Advent Calendar I might have to run and get.
Why I like  Kinder? When I was doing blogging for them I had some questions about the plastic being used in the eggs.
I was delighted and want to tell you in case you are curious or didn't even think about the plastic used in Kinder Eggs this:

• Both capsules & toys are made with new (non-recycled) material
• Capsules & toys ARE recyclable
• Capsules & toys are free of PVC and of phthalates
• Capsules are free of BPA

I also love the German brands of chocolates that come out so it's a toss up?!

But what inspired me to write this post was what I came across on MomsNet.
Here you can find printable Advent Calendars. You can make it healthy if you wish I guess. Once it's coloured in maybe give them a Christmas Orange, you know those cute little Mandarins that you can buy by the box.
Or whatever else you'd like?

Here are some fun print outs!
Click {here} to print out your own Advent Calendars.
Click {here} to print out the Eatons Christmas Parade Colouring Book!


I hope you liked this post. My blog has been taken over by reviews and giveaways for the past year so this is a nice change for me.