Remembering the days of the “Elf on the Shelf”

The "Elf on the Shelf"

Have you heard about the “Elf on the Shelf?” If you haven’t, it is a little material elf about 8 inches in height that comes in a keepsake box with a hardcover book you read your children called “The Elf on the Shelf.”  The book explains all about the elf and how he is Santa’s helper during the holidays. The elf watches each day to make sure the boys and girls are being good. At night, while the children are sleeping he reports back to Santa about how the kids were that day. When the kids wake up the elf is usually in a new spot somewhere around the house. It is somewhat of a family tradition during the Christmas holiday for many and the fun part for the kids is finding out where the elf is hiding each day.

When my girls were 3 and 5 years old is when we got him. We read the book, named the elf and registered him online. And that night the elf started playing the hide and seek game. Well, it didn’t last long, and my girls were frightened of the “Elf on the Shelf.”  We ended up telling the girls the elf had to go to the North Pole to help Santa and wouldn’t be back that year. The girls were happy he was gone.

We brought him back about three years later. The girls were helping me put up the Christmas decorations and found the elf packed away in a box with our Christmas stuff. They begged to have him out again and for us to re-read the story.

Since the girls were older ages 6 and 8, my husband and I thought we would have some fun with the elf.  The girls were in elementary school and both of their teachers had an “Elf on the Shelf” in their classrooms. Their teachers told the students the elf would be watching the class, so the kids needed to be good.

That year, my 8-year-old daughter became a little obsessed with our elf. At first, she was skeptical about the elf being “real” because she told me he’s just a stuffed animal with a tag. But after her teacher brought out the elf in school and told the kids the elf was “real,” she wanted her elf at home to be “real” too. She decided she would leave her iPod out and ask him to make her a video. She had seen other videos online other elves had made. She also wrote him a note. That night she couldn’t sleep. She kept waking up to see if he moved, to see if he wrote her a note back or if he did a video. She was a little afraid and excited at the same time. She hardly slept. The next morning, the elf was in a different spot and wrote her a note. She was so excited and couldn’t wait for the next night.

The next day and night were worse, as far as my daughter’s obsession with the elf. All she could think about was this elf and where was he going to move and how he moved. If that wasn’t bad enough my 6-year-old daughter, who by the way didn’t really care one way or the other about the elf, played a trick the older one. She moved the elf during the day, wrote a note from the elf and even made a video with the elf moving. This really had older daughter nervous. Even though the younger daughter admitted to moving the elf, my 8-year-old couldn’t sleep that night and my husband finally had to box up the elf and ship him back to the North Pole.

The elf came back last Christmas, when the girls found him hiding in our garage in one of the Christmas boxes. Even though they were 10 and 12, they decided to give him away to my nephew who was looking for an elf of his own. We joke about the elf and I think the girls kind of miss him, but secretly I think they are glad he isn’t in the house.

A new world of ICE! at Gaylord Palms Resort

The Family at Gaylord Palms ICE! in Orlando, FL (2016)

Me and Graci bundled up!

Exciting news..... one of my family's favorite places to go during Christmas time is in Orlando at Gaylord Palms ICE! It is always a blast and cold! Last year my whole family (19 people) went to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday! Today they announced the theme of this year's ICE! It will be ICE! featuring Christmas Around the World, showcasing different cultures and their wintertime festivities. 

“We’re excited to bring this theme to Central Florida, especially since the Orlando area hosts millions of visitors from around the world each year,” said Johann Krieger, General Manager for Gaylord Palms Resort. “We feel this year’s ICE! theme and our other holiday events embrace cultural diversity and our unifying similarities, celebrating love and peace during this special time of year.”

Cirque Dreams Unwrapped

Cirque Dreams Unwrapped

Artisans from Harbin, China, home of the world’s largest ice and snow sculpture festival, travel more than 6,000 miles to hand-carve more than two million pounds of colorful ice into larger-than-life sculptures. When guests enter the nine-degree attraction this year, they will discover holiday scenes from various nations and two-story ice slides surrounded by sculptures and international tidings, all before ending with a trip to the North Pole to experience Santa’s toy workshop. The ICE! experience ends with the Frostbite Factory live ice carving showcase  and the traditional Nativity created with crystal clear ice.

What I also love is at the end of your ICE! tour is the nativity scene reminding us about the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birth! We also really enjoyed the Cirque Dreams Unwrapped - reimagined by Broadway director and renowned Cirque Dreams founder Neil Goldberg. We had a blast doing the other activities as well, which will all be back!

RETURNING FAVORITES

The kids posing
with Charlie Brown at breakfast

Award-winning buffet restaurant Villa de Flora brings back the hearty and heartwarming Breakfast with Charlie Brown & Friends, allowing guests to pose with Snoopy and hang out with Charlie Brown and Lucy. In addition to the Peanuts Gang meet and greets, the breakfast includes a delicious morning buffet with themed dishes, such as Charlie Brown’s Build-Your-Own-French-Toast Station with Snoopy’s Maple Syrup, Pig Pen’s Dirty Hash Browns, Lucy’s Flap Jacks and Woodstock’s Granola.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms invites guests to return to the festive Alpine Village, the central hub for holiday happenings. In addition to ICE!, the area is home to various attractions; shows; seasonal food, beverage and retail locations; and Photos with Santa, where holiday memories can be captured inside his toy workshop. 

Graci and Randi enjoying all the
festivities!

Gingerbread Decorating Corner presented by Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas continues to be a deliciously fun holiday tradition. Guests may select a gingerbread house or a themed cookie kit to enjoy a sticky and fun interactive experience, creating sweet souvenirs that can be carried home unless someone eats them first! The delightful larger-than-life gingerbread pair, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, will also be available for toasty hugs and holiday photos.

Randi making cookies!

Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions brings the First Lady of the North Pole back to Gaylord Palms as she leads a half-hour interactive show. Guests enjoy classic holiday stories and a sing-a-long, plus a delicious finale as the holiday hostess presents everyone with warm cookies and a glass of cold milk.

Santa’s Snow Throw puts real snow in the hands of guests as they show off their pitching prowess by tossing snowballs at a variety of interactive targets. Bragging rights go to those with the best aim!

Snow Tubing sends guests zooming down an eight-lane tubing hill covered in real snow. This all-ages attraction offers both single and double tubes to accommodate children and parents. Evenings are enlivened with Cosmic Tubing, complete with flashing LED lights and high-spirited holiday music.

Mark your calendars for Christmas at Gaylord Palms which is open daily from November 21, 2017 – January 7, 2018, including holidays.

Here's information for booking!!!

The best way to experience all of Christmas at Gaylord Palms is with an overnight stay. One-night packages start at $240 plus tax, resort fee and parking. Packages include ICE! tickets for two (with option to add additional adults or children) plus a souvenir family photo. Overnight guests may also schedule a visit to ICE! during the daily hotel guest-exclusive Extra Cool Hour from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.  Make the holidays merrier and extend the package to stay for multiple nights! For additional information and to book packages or tickets, visit ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com.

The beautiful nativity scene at the end of ICE!
A wonderful yearly tradition!

Enjoying Christmas in the WILD

Christmas in the WILD at
Lowry Park Zoo

I love going to the theme parks during the holiday season. It is beautiful to see everything decorated and all the sparkling lights. This year we decided to go and see the Christmas in the Wild at Lowry Park Zoo. We went the first weekend it opened. You couldn't have asked for a better night. The weather was perfect!

Carollers performing
Christmas songs.

We have been to the zoo quite a few times, especially when my two girls were younger. They are 10 and 12 years old now and this was the first time my husband and I took them to a night event at the zoo.  It was a different experience because it was dark, but there were twinkling lights throughout the park with Christmas music playing. It was also different because you don't see as many animals as you do in the day time, but we still saw quite a few animals.

Randi feeding the giraffe!

One of the girls favorite parts of the night was feeding the giraffes lettuce. In my opinion, giraffes are some of the most interesting and beautiful animals. When you feed them at Lowry Park Zoo you are right up next to them on a platform and they eat right out of your hand.

Checking out some of the animals.

There are several animal encounters you can attend throughout the night. They include one called Presents for Primates with the Bornean orangutans and one called the Elephant Enrichment Social with the elephants. There is also one where you can say good night to the penguins.  And the one we really enjoyed was the Christmas Show. This was a show outside with some of  Santa's elves who brought out different animals for the kids to see including a snake, bunny, goose, turtle and goat.

Ready to ride the roller coaster!

The rides are also open during the night, so the kids were able to have fun going on the roller coaster and merry-go-round.

Riding the roller coaster!

Here's a money saving tip if you are planning on purchasing food or drinks at the park, the best way to go is with the couples or family dining plan. You can save at least $10 for five meals or refreshments or $34 on a ten meals or refreshments plan.   

Randi and Graci having fun with
one of Santa's elves!

Our highlight of the night was seeing Santa. They have a new location for him this year under a hidden tree canopy in the zoo called Santa's Tree Top Lodge. We tried to see him right when we got there, but the wait was about 45 minutes, so we decided to go back later in the night, which was a good idea because the line was shorter and about a 25 minute wait. We were greeted by a funny little elf who took us to see Santa inside a beautifully decorated house. The girls were each able to talk to Santa and give him their wish list. It was fun and we had a family photo taken with Santa and all the festive decorations.

Here's another tip...the photos with Santa are cheaper than the other photos in the zoo. At least they were the night we were there. Another nice thing about the zoo is the parking, it's free to park. So, if you are looking for a place to take the kids this holiday season I recommend the zoo. You can get some great holiday photos and it's a fun time for the whole family.

The zoo is still open during the day. The Christmas in the WILD runs select nights until December 30 from 4pm to 10 pm. To find the exact dates and  more information about Lowry Park Zoo visit their website at www.lowryparkzoo.org

Merry Christmas from our family
to yours!!!!

Ringing the bell for needy, an experience a child won't forget

Graci and her grandfather collect donations
for the Salvation Army 

Every time we go to a store and there's a Salvation Army red kettle, my 9-year old daughter Graci asks me for change to donate. Sometimes I give it to her and other times we just walk by and say hello. I think my perspective has changed after hearing my daughter told me and the family about her experience as a bell ringer.

For the past several years, my dad has been volunteering with his Rotary group ringing the bell and collecting money for the Salvation Army. This year was no different, so I asked my daughter is she would like to go volunteer with her "Pa" and ring the bell. She was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Really, I get to ring the bell and collect money for the needy?"

She couldn't wait. She went on a Saturday afternoon for a two-hour shift.  She dressed in her Santa shirt and was ready to ring the bell with her Pa and another member of the Rotary.

They gave out candy canes to everyone who walked  by, even if they didn't donate. Graci said they gave out the candy canes to be in the Christmas spirit and make people happy. They went through more than 20 boxes of candy canes. Most people according to Graci were generous in their giving which ranged from few cents to their biggest donation of the day, a $20 bill.

Graci told us all about her day. She said they ran out of candy canes, and had to buy more.  She said some people told her they don't celebrate Christmas, so they didn't want a candy cane. Others took the candy canes and were delighted.

There were some that Graci said didn't take a candy cane maybe because they felt bad because they didn't give money. But Graci was quick to tell us that's not what it was all about. It was to make people happy.

Some people walked the opposite way of the kettle. Others like one 80-year-old woman, told her she never went past a bell ringer without giving something. Graci thought that was so cool!

Graci also got a few compliments that day. One lady made her day by telling her she was the cutest bell ringer she had ever seen. Graci said she couldn't believe one person pretended to give money into the kettle.

Overall, she loved ringing the bell and collecting money for people less fortunate. She said their kettle was filled to the top with money when they left.

Did you know the kettle idea started in 1891? It's true and this campaign is seen throughout the world. There are more than 25,000 red kettles manned with Salvation Army volunteers soliciting donations during the holiday.

This past year more than $144 million was raised according to the Salvation Army's website. This money helps the Salvation Army provide food, shelter and social services to nearly 30 million Americans in need.

If you ever get a chance to help ring the red kettle bell take the opportunity. I know it was a great experience for my daughter and is always a wonderful time for my dad. It also taught me a little something. I will always try to put a little spare change in the kettle because I know it is making a difference in people's lives.

Tis the Season to be Busy

We all know how busy the winter holidays can be, especially if you have kids. It seems like even before we had our turkey dinner for Thanksgiving this year, we were getting ready for Christmas. Did you happen to have both Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations up at the same time? We did! At least we didn't put up the tree before Thanksgiving, we waited. I did see a lot of trees up and even heard Christmas music the week of Thanksgiving.

It felt like the holidays collided this year. Maybe it's because Thanksgiving fell closer to December this year?  I am not sure.

Now the rush is on to buy presents, send out Christmas cards, make cookies, attend holiday parties and see our children in their school holiday concerts.

Have you felt the rush yet? I did on Black Friday. My two daughters and I went shopping to see if we could find any deals and buy a few presents. The first mall we went to was actually not too crowded. I even made a comment to the girls that this year Black Friday shopping wasn't so bad. We got a front row parking spot. The girls had their photo taken with Santa and we didn't have to wait in line. (Money Saving Tip: Bass Pro Shop takes free photos with Santa.)

We decided to leave the mall we were at and try the outlet mall. This is when we saw the madness up close. We couldn't even park it was so crowded. As we left, I decided I was not going to be a part this holiday craziness.

I want to enjoy the holidays. I don't want to be so exhausted and miss having fun and making memories with my family. I want to make life more simple. How about you?

Here are some ideas to make the holidays more enjoyable and stress free.

-Don't put up a ton of decorations this year, be selective. It will cut down on the time you spend taking down the decorations.

-Have fun with your kids making Christmas gifts. Homemade gifts are the best and Pinterest has tons of ideas. You will also save money.

-Pick and choose a few parties to go to, rather than saying yes to every party.

-If you and your kids love making cookies, give the cookies as gifts to family and friends. You can buy the ready-made dough to make it even easier.

-Take the kids for a drive or walk to look at lights. Several neighborhoods like Lakes Parks Estate in Seminole, Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo and local recreation centers have beautiful decorations and lights on display. The cost is usually a donation.

-Take time as a family to roast marshmallows, have hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols.

-Spend time helping others as a family, like feeding the homeless.

It's the time of year for Christmas family traditions

The holidays are a time of family, friends and holiday traditions. Yes, family traditions passed down from generation to generation can make the holidays fun and entertaining for your kids.

Most of you probably have at least one family tradition you do for the holidays. One of the reasons I love family traditions is because I get to experience and re-live some of the memorable moments I had when I was a kid. In my family we celebrate Christmas, so some of our traditions take place before Christmas leading up to December 25.

 

Our first family tradition for Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving, it's baking cookies. My mother-in-law actually started this family tradition with me. We spend an afternoon baking dozens of homemade cookies to give away to friends and family during the holiday season. My girls love doing this and can't wait to decorate and of course eat the cookies. We do this every other year, since we rotate spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family and my husband's family each year.

On the year's we have Thanksgiving with my family, we usually go shopping the day after Thanksgiving for Black Friday. Since the kids are off of school for a week during Thanksgiving, we usually take time to decorate the house that week. We put up an artificial Christmas tree, lights and hang stockings along with festive decorations throughout the house. I tried putting out the Elf on the Shelf a few years ago, but we had to send the Elf back to Santa. My girls thought it was a little scary having something move around the house each night.

A fun family tradition I know a lot of people do is sending out Christmas cards. My mom always sends out a family photo Christmas card, so when I started my own family, I continued the tradition. When the girls were younger I used to take them to see Santa in the mall and get a photo. I remember sitting on Santa's lap when I was little and he would always give out candy canes.

I know Santa is probably a tradition quite a few of you have in your home. The tradition of Santa bringing gifts on Christmas morning has been passed down for generations in my family. My girls also like writing letters to Santa and sending them to the North Pole.

A new tradition I started with my girls is a video from Santa. He delivers it to my email for them. The video is high tech with real reindeers and Santa personalizes the message specifically to each of my daughters. You can have your own message for your children for free by going to www.PortableNorthPole.com.

Ever since I can remember, as a child I was allowed to open one present on December 23, my dad's birthday. My parents now let my kids open a present on my dad's birthday.

Another family tradition is we open all your presents on Christmas Eve from family and on Christmas Day from Santa. My husband's family has a different tradition and has a family Christmas Day brunch and opens family presents.

One of my favorite traditions is going to church on Christmas Eve, singing "Silent Night" by candlelight and hearing about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ. I love seeing the church decorated with green trees, twinkling lights and beautiful red poinsettias.  On Christmas Eve, our girls sprinkle the lawn with reindeer food made from oatmeal and leave milk and cookies for Santa. 

I asked my friends what some of their favorite traditions and thought I would share some of them with you. Several friends had some of the same traditions as my family, like sprinkling reindeer food on the front lawn and setting out milk and cookies for Santa. Others had different traditions like stringing fresh popcorn around the tree, looking at lights on Christmas Eve, eating oranges with a candy cane, and playing BINGO with the family. One friend says each year she has Christmas Eve dinner with her in-laws and then the family flies out on Christmas to see snow with her family. Another friend's family tradition includes a Sweedish Christmas Eve dinner with lutefisk (a dried salted whitefish.)

This year think about your holiday tradition and if you don't have one maybe start one.