Why My Elf is Staying on My Shelf ~ Guest post by Jen

Whether you like the idea of having a cute little elf in your home at Christmastime or you loathe that little creepy thing staring down at you, pressuring you into yet another marketing scheme, I’m sure you have heard about the elf on the shelf. That is of course unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple years.

I’m not here to persuade you to get an elf for yourself, or to tell you that yes, you are the best parent in the world because you participate in the elf on the shelf tradition. I share to explain what the elf represents in our home and what he does not.

Our family has an elf visit our home for the month of December every year. I heard about it in 2010 and thought it would be a lot of fun for my kids. This of course was before the huge elf on the shelf craze, and before I knew what I was really getting myself into. We read the book with our kids and they named him Jasper. I started out by just moving him to a different spot every night. My kids thought it was great fun and loved finding him every morning. In the next couple years the elf became extremely popular on blogs and pinterest, showcasing different ways for your elf to get into trouble or do something wildly creative. I’ll admit, being the creative person I am, I jumped on the bandwagon and our own elf, Jasper, had some pretty wild adventures. Including: roasting marshmallows, coloring in a Christmas coloring book, having a marshmallow war and going for a joyride with Barbie.

I had A LOT of fun coming up with a new adventure every night. Equally my kids loved finding what nonsense Jasper had gotten into while they slept. I did this not to show off how creative I am or how I could outdo my friends by one upping our elf adventures against theirs. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to say, this is the most important advice I can give you on this whole elf on the shelf craze: DO NOT do it just to keep up with "The Joneses". I hate that it has been portrayed as this. To tell you the truth, if I had not gotten an elf when we did, I probably wouldn’t now. Only because of what it has become for so many people.

I understand that some people don’t want an elf because it shows your children the elf is a spy, or it teaches your kids naughty behavior. I truly believe that in whatever way you present the elf and what it represents, is how your children will perceive it. If you show your kids he is more of a spy, they will believe that. If you show your kids that he is fun and make it out to be just that, they are going to respond accordingly.

Our elf is not a threat to our children. We have never threatened them by saying, “the elf is going to tell Santa you have been naughty!” or, “the elf is Santa’s spy to see if you have been naughty or nice.” I think of our home as a safe place for my children and would never want to jeopardize their sense of security in any way. Especially by having this creepy elf watching every move they make and tattle tailing on them every night to Santa. That would scare any child! Heck, I’d be scared! Wouldn’t you hate it if someone told you that the elf watched you sneak those extra cookies after the kids went to bed? Or that you left dirty dishes in your sink all day and because of that you would not be receiving gifts on Christmas morning?

Yes, I get caught up in all the holiday madness and at times think, do I really need to add another task to my already long list? Some nights I dread that little devil in red, smirking at me, knowing that yep, I have to think of yet another creative adventure or somewhere to move him. Some nights I wake up in the middle of the night remembering, "Dang! I forgot to move that flippin elf!"  Do I sometimes want to just say, forget it, I’ll leave him in his same spot, saying to the kids, “you probably touched the elf and he lost his magic for the next couple of days.”All in order to give myself a day off? You bet I do! In fact, this year I have not been very creative with our elf at all. He usually just moves to another spot. And guess what? That’s okay! Because, honestly, this elf is not what Christmas is. Let me repeat that. This elf is not what Christmas is.

Would my kids lose all sense of faith and joy without him? No. Is the elf the only thing we use to teach our children about Christmas? No. But in our house, he represents the SPIRIT and MAGIC of Christmas. The sense of something magical happening. Christmas is about being a child again. Having the awe and wonder about all the things happening around you. The innocence of being a child again. Believing. Whether in Santa or God. The magic of it all.  That’s what it’s all about. It’s why I do it.

Now, you are all adults and can decide what holiday traditions you want to participate in. If you want to do the elf on the shelf, great! If not, great! I’m not saying that without the elf on the shelf your children won’t have that magical experience during Christmastime. But for our family, it is one of the things that bring joy in the kid’s eyes, and mine, as they experience the magic that this season brings. And however you chose to display that is up to you. Don’t let anyone, including a little stuffed elf dressed in red; influence your decision in any way.

-Jen

Monogrammed Memories- A Christmas Tree Ornament Tutorial by Guest Author Cara

One of my most favorite memories growing up always started at the beginning of the holiday: decorating my step-mom’s house for Christmas. She is the type of woman that used to (and still does) go all out for Christmas. It always started the same way, every Saturday after Thanksgiving-by unpacking her Christmas closet… yes, closet. We were blessed to have a gorgeous home with very tall ceilings, so we always got a tree that was 9 or 10 feet tall. This, obviously, means that decorating said tree was a two, if not three person job. 

Every year, my step-mom would let my dad and I put on the lights while she unpacked the ornaments. And every year, she retold the same stories about who gave her each ornament, and when-sometimes down to the date. In my childhood years, I never understood her appreciation for her hand-made collections. And when it came time to put the ornaments on the tree, I always got the same speech: “Be careful with that one, so and so gave that to me,” with almost everything I picked up.

Now that I’m older, I have my own tree, and I am starting to understand what her mild obsession with these ornaments involve; a little bit of love, for those handmade from family and friends, a special memory, for those purchased on vacation or a trip somewhere special, and even a little place in her heart, from the ornaments given to her by relatives who are no longer with us. 

Before my biological mom passed, she made ornaments for her family and friends, and gave them away each year. In the 20 years since her passing, some of those friends and relatives have given these ornaments back to me. Since my mother died when I was so young, their value to me is increased tenfold-it’s almost like having a part of her with me each Christmas when I go to hang them on my tree.

So last year, I decided that I would carry on my mother’s DIY ornament tradition, and I set out to make a special ornament for everyone on my Christmas list. I, of course, took to Pinterest for some design inspiration, and that landed me here.

I loved the way these ornaments looked when finished, and the cool marbled effect it created. But I wanted to take it up a notch, and make the ornament personal to every family I gave it to. My solution?

Monogramming!

Monogramming is the best way to give a gift that is 100% original-it really tells the receiver that you thought about them specifically when making it. But if you’re blessed with a family large enough to fill a high school gymnasium, giving a monogrammed gift to every single person can get expensive. So rather than making one of these little babies for every person in the family, I gave one to the household, and used their last name for the monogram initial.

So here’s what you’ll need:

• Acrylic Paint
• Clear Ornament
• (you can use round or flat, I went with flat because I wanted the monogram to lie evenly)
• Sticker or Paint Pen (for monogram)

Start by dripping the lightest color paint into the top, leaning the opening of the paint lid against the inside of the ornament so you get as much on the side as possible.

Work your way from lightest to darkest, filling in the gaps around the top of the ornament. When you have covered the lip of it on the inside, cover the opening with paper or cellophane (or your fingers, just be prepared to get paint on them), and start shaking that baby. I turned this one on its side and tapped it on the table to get the paint to move where I wanted it.

This was the end result. You can continue tapping until you get more of a color combination like the original one, but I really loved the way this one looked.

Then, pick the side you like best, and add your monogram.

I highly recommend letting the excess paint that is inside drip out before you put the stopper back into the top of the ornament. I inverted mine into a Kleenex box with some paper towels in the bottom of it to catch the paint.

When it’s dry, carefully stick the metal top back into the ornament, and you have a beautiful gift under $5.00. I have already given some of these to family members we see before Christmas, and the looks on their faces when I told them I made them myself meant the world to me. This project is also easy enough to let the kiddos get involved! My 3 year old had a blast “helping” mommy swirl the paint around.

Now, when they hang this ornament on their tree each year, I know that they will think of me.
And isn’t that what this season is all about?

1,000 thanks to Jessica for letting me share this with you all! If you feel so inclined, feel free to visit me more often over at my blog (www.things-that-glitter.blogspot.com).

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

-Cara

The 10 day Count Down to Halloween: Fun Family Activities!

I looked in the mirror and jumped back at what I saw. 

“What am I again?” I asked my dad. 

“You’re supposed to be a mime." 

“Oh…ok,”  I said slowly trying not to hurt my dad’s feelings. 

“Everyone’s going to love it!” he quickly added. 

Yeah, if they don’t run from me first, I thought.  

As I stepped back from the mirror, I felt like I was one of Dr. Frankenstein’s creations, a guinea pig really to one of my dad’s crazy experiments of Halloween make-up “artistry”. Being only 10, I wanted to be something a little cuter, like a fairy, or maybe a princess. But my dad wanted to try out some cool face paint for a mime costume that he and my mom had put together for me. While I can’t seem to find a picture of what I looked like after that memorable make-up session (honestly, what a bummer)…I vaguely remember kind of looking like one of these guys:

Or maybe a little like her. 

Needless to say, I wasn’t crazy about that year’s costume, but I have to say, I never did forget it.

Years later, I now smile at the thought of all of those funny costumes and botched make up attempts, the tummy aches from all of the candy we ate and the hysterical memories of my dad trying on silly costumes in attempt to make us all laugh until it hurt. 

  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because my parents truly did make it so special for all of us. 

My dad always took us trick-or-treating and helped with our costumes. I cherish the time I spent with him. The memories we all made together laid a foundation of what I wanted my own kids to experience. When BBH and I finally had kids, we promised we would make the holiday season always memorable and exciting for them just as we had experienced as kids and even better, if possible. 

With Halloween only 10 days away, I found it befitting to share some of our little family's top 10 Halloween and Fall bucket list activities. I'm almost positive (and hope) a few will make your list as well!

10-Decorate your haunted haven with some fall flair- Kick off the autumn season with some fall decorations! There are lots of great ways online to decorate your home without breaking the bank. Little by little and year by year you can add to your fall decorations. Last year I made a version of this:

Image credit: cjaneblog.blogspot.com

And this:

Image credit: myheartsdesireblog.com

9- Conjure up your costumes together- Finding costumes for a family of four or more can cost a pretty penny! Take some time to brainstorm a few months in advance and gather materials to make your own creative costumes together with your family. Check out this awesome website for ideas on how to find or make costumes while on a budget. There are also great deals at consignment shops or hand-me-downs from friends and family members.

Image credit: funcheaporfree.com

8- Promenade down to the local pumpkin patch- Many cities have local farms with pumpkin patches and offer organic produce at great prices. Take a weekend to go check out one or two and take advantage of the perfect fall family photo opportunities, too!

7- Have a pumpkin carving contest- Make it a yearly family tradition to carve or decorate pumpkins the week before Halloween! There are a lot of free jack-o-lantern patterns online. Here are some free ones from Pumpkin Masters and Orange and Black Pumpkins.

One of our carved pumpkins from last Halloween!

6- Support a local family 5k or 1-mile fun run- The fall & holiday season not only kick off lots of fun activities, but also many sweets, goodies and heavy meals. Look for a local community fun run that will not only support a great cause but will help your family stay fit and healthy throughout the months.

5- Make Halloween Treats together- Come October I'm ready to start smelling the warm aroma of baked goods and especially that familiar smell of pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Here is an amazing recipe to try from Two Peas & Their Pods. Mini-me and My-girl are already becoming accustomed to my love for chocolate and baking. Wrap a loaf or two up and swing them by a neighbor's or friend's house. They will love you for it!

Credit Image: Two Peas & Their Pod

4-“Boo” your neighbor- Try this fun take on a "Secret Santa" and make this a new Halloween tradition with the fam. To start a Halloween "Boo", leave a small gift basket, a "Boo" poem, the instructions and a "Boo" sign at a neighbor's doorstep. The neighbor receiving the Boo posts the "We've been Boo-ed" sign on their window (so that others know they've already been "boo-ed") and is then asked to "Boo" two other households, which leads to a spooktacular neighborhood chain reaction of neighborly love.

Image Credit: Organized home

3- Make Halloween crafts-Enjoy your time with the kiddos by making a few fun crafts to frame and add to your fall decor. Here is one we'll be making soon: 

Image credit: Makegreat.wordpress.com

And here is a wonderful site with lots more for you and your family to try: 100- Fall Activities & Crafts for the Kids.

2-Have a pumpkin party with the family. Have a pumpkin-themed dinner and party with your family and friends! Here are a couple of websites to get some ideas flowing:

-Homemade Simple

-Wants and wishes design

1-Watch Halloween movies- Nothing makes me more happy than eating caramel-covered popcorn while cuddling up with my loves and watching a Halloween movie. I’m typically a big chicken, but I love a good Halloween kid flick. Some of my favorite movies were It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Hocus Pocus. Here is a list of some of the best Halloween movies for the kids, ranked from the least to most spooky from Reader's Digest. 

Image credit: Best Halloween Movies for Kids from Reader's Digest

Happy Halloween!!