Countdown to Christmas- The Advent Calendar

As long as I can remember we've always had some sort of advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas, and with 9 kids in the family (now 10), there were occasional squabbles over whose turn it was to have the honor of marking the day in whatever fashion that particular calendar required.  As a child it added to the excitement- that impatient eagerness that made Christmas so magical, and sometimes made us feel as though time had indeed come to a screeching halt and the day itself would never arrive.  As an adult I began a cross stitched version when my first child was less than a year old, with 24 tiny cross stitched ornaments that attached to a tree with tiny velcro circles- each tucked into it's own numbered pocket.  Since then I've made a chalk board version with painted snowmen, and most recently this one made from a 24 cup mini muffin pan with magnet backed squares to hide treats behind.  Just a note to anyone wanting to attempt this- don't use a non-stick pan, the paint won't stick!  Whatever pan you do use sand it well and spray prime with a good primer, then be sure to let your final coat of paint dry WELL before you attach the magnets.   I will admit I have supplemented our regular advent calendar this year with a special treat for my 8 year old- the star wars LEGO advent calendar.  As big LEGO fans and Star Wars geeks it's sure to be a big hit.