no elf here but gave me an idea

[MrsPooh]

Ok, dh and teen dd both think the whole elf idea is too creepy (esp. dd) although I personally think it sounds fun. I think our youngest would find it very exciting.

Oh well, I'm not going to creep out half of the family over an elf. Also, I wasn't sure about doing the elf because I really try to focus the family on the true meaning of Christmas and add a more religious slant to activities around our house. For that reason having an elf wasn't sitting well with me - I thought we'd focus on the antics of the elf rather than advent activities.

Nothing wrong with the elf - I think it is the coolest idea I've heard in awhile - just not a good fit for our family.

But the fun ideas in the thread got me thinking and I have a plan. I am planning something fun - even if it is something small - for each day during December. These are not religious but are fun things for the family.

Some ideas I have...I got some frozen ice cream treats that are Christmas tree and star shaped (peppermint flavored) on sale for really cheap - they'll be a dessert surprise one evening.

Another night I'm going to use frozen bread dough and a holiday cookie cutter I found at Goodwill to make Christmas dinner rolls to go along with dinner.

Some days we'll just color holiday pictures, watch a holiday movie or maybe go out and look at lights. I've researched online and found that many of the local municipalities and libraries have free, fun holiday activities.

I plan to take photos of each day's activities and on Christmas eve I'll have them printed at a one-hour photo and make each child their own memory photo album for Christmas morning.

This is such a better fit for our family. All will be activities that will allow us to spend time together and create memories.

Anyone else doing something fun but not an elf?

 

[thebeesknees]

My kids are making countdown to Christmas chains using the verses from Luke 2. We are going to print one verse on each strip of paper, then make paper chains with the strips and they can tear off one strip and read the verse each day. I also have a pretty extensive Nativity set, so we spend one Saturday setting that up and the kids like to rearrange the pieces every couple of days or so. There is a Christmas fire truck parade here in the middle of December. Our friend owns an antique fire truck and invited my kids to ride on it in the parade and toss out candy. They are super excited about that. We will be making Christmas cookies to share with our friends. When they get a little older, we will read A Christmas Carol over the course of a week or so like my parents did with us, but since they are too little for that yet, we will be watching Muppets Christmas Carol this year. Every year, I let them choose a wooden ornament from the craft store and decorate it with paint or markers. It's fun to see how their creativity and skills improve from year to year, and when they move out, they will take their ornaments with them for their own trees.

 

[pommfrites]

The elves were ugllllyyyyyyyy...so I got a stuffed gingerbread girl to perform behaviors throughout the holiday season.

She's much cuter anywho!