Getting ready to count down

As we turned the calendar to December, our thoughts have moved ahead to Christmas.  Talk of activities and events, traditions and food has been echoing through the halls.  It's a great time of year!

While we aren't a religious family, I do like the idea of counting down to Christmas Day in a meaningful way. I'm not sold on the chocolate advent calendars I see at the grocery store, and I didn't have time to make an advent calendar with little surprises hidden behind doors and windows or in little pockets (though I would like to one day - maybe for grandchildren).  So, we're starting a new tradition with something that is doable for us.  We'll be reading new-to-us Christmas stories before bedtime every night until Christmas arrives.

So, what's sitting on the ottoman waiting for us these frosty winter evenings?  I found a book while we were on our summer vacation - Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery.  I also picked up a book at the library that looks promising - An Atlantic Canadian Christmas Reader:  Stories and Traditions by various authors.  And then there's the stack of other books that only come out at Christmas time.

How are you counting down to Christmas?