All Things Christmas

Christmas is in full swing at our house and I am LOVING it! The music, the goodies, the parties and the snow! That's right-we've had snow here in good old VA. But that's a post on it's own.

It all started on December 1st. I had been having a bit of trouble with general crankiness and fighting/arguing with my children recently. I told them I was going to have Santa send us an elf to keep an eye on them and to help them to remember to be good. I had heard of Elf on the Shelf and it has been so much fun. I put the book and our personal elf in the living room while my kids were in the shower and then I brought them down and introduced them to our very own elf. They were in awe and all of their faces were priceless. I had to excuse myself out of the room for a minute to keep from bursting into laughter. I read the book to them and they could not contain their excitement. They chose a name for our elf (Oafie) and quickly brought him their letters to Santa to have him deliver them that night when he went to make his daily "report" on the children's behavior. They also made sure to tell him just how very good they had been that day and how good they would be for the remainder of the month.

Oafie has been fun, although it is a little challenging to find a new hiding spot every night. And I love that all I need to do is remind that Oafie is watching and will tell Santa about any tantrums or misdeeds. It cleans up any child's act just like THAT!

We also went to a tree farm and picked a freshly cut tree that smells oh-so-good. The kids had a blast decorating and actually did a pretty great job.

Another favorite tradition in our home is our advent calender house

The kids love finding which day it is and opening the little door to find a treat for each one of them!


We have had such a wonderful season thus far learning about the true meaning of Christmas, giving service to those in need, and spending time together as a family. It has been lovely. And I'm sure it will continue to be so as I have several more activities planned for us before Christmas comes in a week.

A WEEK! Are YOU ready???