Advent Calendars, Toddler Trees & Elves

One of my besties launched a storm of debate when she proposed the simple question on Facebook: Do I Elf on the Shelf or not? People passionately wrote profoundly about their position using exclamations, capitals and pictures.

ENOUGH is ENOUGH! 

Parenting in this age is crazy!!  ...And I'm sure my Mom said the same thing when I was only a wee thing. And she was right. But this time it is my turn, and for different reasons.

Pinterest is both a blessing and a curse. 

I love to search on Pinterest for fun crafty, witty parenting things, foodie things, or whatnot. Being fabulous is so much easier when you can borrow fun ideas and inspiration from others.

But CURSES! It sure can make you feel like you're not doing enough! 

My child is TWO. It's time for us to begin molding our Christmas traditions. With so much craziness going on during Christmas I've had to draw a line to keep my sanity in check.

Elf on the Shelf: 

NO. Perhaps when she is older we can create silly scenes for the elf together. But the Elf will never be "magical" in my house. I know me. Throughout the whole season he'd probably only be in about four different poses... maybe five.

Advent Calendar: 

YES. This was my big project this year. And honestly, with all of the Pinterest inspiration it wasn't even that time consuming. Every day we get a chocolate kiss and a note. Each note has a different activity and a Bible verse. The activities are family focused or service focused. I also consulted my calendar and made sure certain activities such as 'See Santa' fall upon days that work for us.

An added benefit of the Advent Calendar is that
it teaches the child to be patient. No we can't have a 
treat right now. 
No we can only have one.  ~~ I like it.

And a Bible verse because, well, that's the whole reason we have Christmas. There are two ways to go with the Bible verses. Either tell the Christmas story, one scripture at a time or include a list of favorite verses to remind us of the message of Christ. I chose the latter. When she's older I may change my mind. I'll also need to change out some of the activities. I look forward to swapping out some of the activities to be even more service and giving focused.

Toddler Tree: 

YES - But in my own way. On Pinterest people craft beautiful felt trees with felt ornaments. The idea is that kids can decorate and redecorate these colorful, but flat trees and leave yours alone. I almost fell into this Pinterest trap. I started worrying about when I'd get to the store to buy the felt to craft a tree. But then the light bulb went off. We already own a small 4 foot tree. We also have a bag of handmade knitted Christmas ornaments from Peru. So, now my toddler has her own little tree, in which she can decorate and redecorate to her hearts content. And I love it!

Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!

Footnote: This makes 7 posts for 2014. More than doubled the number from last year. woot woot!