Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Christmas is magical with kids. This was the first year our family has done the Elf on the Shelf and boy am I glad we jumped on the elf bandwagon. I have read several articles and blogs about why some are against the elf and for the reasons I have heard, I can agree. However, Christmas is about Christ and that will always be the center of our celebrations and secondly, our elf that we named Ruby, is not naughty. She does not toilet paper or play dirty little tricks, which if you search for elf on the shelf ideas there are plenty of... Our Ruby is sweet. She brought us treats and activities, she made us laugh at the innocent and fun things she got into like eating a bowl of cereal or reading our books or playing a game. With all honesty,  I was really sad to say goodbye to Ruby on Christmas Eve. She has added a fun spark of magic to our home. I already miss waking up and hearing, "Let's go find Ruby!!"Below you will find several ideas that I hope will be a help. We will miss our Ruby. She just may need to pay a couple surprise visits through the year! We love our Ruby. 

Ruby's grand arrival!

coloring

sleeping under the tree with baby doll bed, blanket & pillow.

Ruby helped herself to some cereal and wrote the girls' names.

fishing for goldfish.

watching a Christmas movie and having a little snack.

cooking in the girls' kitchen. 

Ruby brought us donuts one morning complete with green milk. 

Ruby likes playing Candy Land. 

And she is quite the architect! 

She also brought us all that we needed to decorate christmas trees!

She followed us to grandma's house. 

Poor Ruby caught a cold, but she got well quick. 

She left us some hot chocolate to drink.

Ruby wanted to make a reindeer footprint also. 

One morning she left us chocolate coins in the cash register. 

And she wanted us to play a game of Holiday Matching.

She made us some beautiful snowflakes.

Ruby left us a message from Santa.

Ruby's goodbye letter on Christmas Eve, 

Santa lifted her magic for a few minutes so the girls could say goodbye. 

Tis the Season for a GIVEAWAY!

I feel like I have been missing in action and probably will be for the next couple weeks. We are thoroughly enjoying our Christmas Season around here. I hope you are too! My Christmas gift to you is a GIVEAWAY from the very talented LEXI RAE PHOTOGRAPHY! She has taken my children's yearly photos, blessing photos as well as family photos and I am always impressed! She is so much fun to work with and is incredible with kids. She captures personalities beautifully and is so patient. She has so many fun props, backgrounds, outfits/hairbows! Below you will find a few photos of her work, but please visit her blog at www.lexiraephoto.blogspot.com to see all of her amazing work!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Lexi Rae Photography is graciously offering one free child studio session- up to 2 children, excludes newborns. ($165 value) The giveaway will run Tuesday, December 17, 2013 and will close Monday, December 23, 2013. A winner will be randomly selected and posted Tuesday, December 24th by noon. Session will be valid 2014 and must be used by July 1, 2014. Lexi Rae Photography is located in Highland, Utah. 

HOW TO ENTER: Visit both Motherhood in the Major Leagues and Lexi Rae Photography's Facebook pages and must be followers of BOTH pages. Simply "LIKE" each page and then comment below on this post that you have done so. 

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: For an additional entry share this giveaway on your Facebook wall or blog and then comment on this blog post letting me know you have done so, IN A SEPARATE COMMENT THAN THE ENTRY ABOVE!!! 

ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED! 

Ultimate Gift Wrapping Ideas & Tips that include gifting money & gift cards

Giving money?

Follow this to learn how to origami a dollar bill!

Gift Wrapping

Love this gift wrapping tutorial. Are you gift wrapping skills up to par?
Also, love this post on how to tie a perfect ribbon!

Gift Card Giving Ideas

Mason Jar filled with candy and tied with a ribbon. 

Mint box. Use scrapbook paper to decorate. 

CD cover. 

Elf on the Shelf

Our elf's name is Ruby and she is very loved in our home. I think we get just as excited as our two year old! Here are the first 10 days of Dec. Check back as I will continue to add ideas. What is your elf's name and what has he/she done? Would love to see your ideas! Please leave a comment!

Christmas Books Top 10

I would love to wrap up 25 books and open one each day to read... someday we will have a Christmas collection to be able to do that. I think that would be a fun tradition. My husbands mom however, gives each family (us and his sibling's families) a Christmas book each year. This year we received The Sparkle Box and we are so excited about it. It is already made our "favorites list". What are some of your favorites? Here is a list of our top 10. 

Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley, but he is always alone and never smiles. No one knows about the mementos of his lost wife and child that he keeps in an unopened drawer. But one early winter’s day, a widow and her young son approach him with a gentle request that leads to a joyful miracle. 

Sam is so excited about Christmas! He's thinking about his Christmas list, anticipating holiday parties, and puzzling over one very mysterious gift -- a sparkly box sitting on the mantel above the fireplace. In the midst of the festivities, Sam and his family participate in various acts of kindness to others. On Christmas morning, when Sam finally opens the Sparkle Box, he finds only slips of paper that record the family's good deeds. Sam's parents explain that the things that they've been doing for others are, in fact, a gift for Jesus -- for Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him. This heartfelt story will inspire readers to adopt this faith-centered tradition in their own homes.

Christmas is supposed to be a season of love, warm feelings, and happy hearts. But with the children's constant bickering, pretty packages and a sweet-smelling tree don't come close to filling the McDonald home with the true spirit of the first Christmas.

Then Mom remembers an old tradition of building a soft bed for Baby Jesus -- one straw at a time. Each time someone secretly does something nice for another family member, he or she gets to add a single straw to the manger. Soon the children's quarreling and negative feelings subside and the homemade crib is overflowing. But for one family member, a required act of kindness becomes more than he can take.

Jingle All the Way is the tale of a loveable, obedient pup who wants nothing more than a place to call home for the holidays. 

Year after year, children and adults alike are baffled by the mystery of how Santa really knows who’s been naughty or nice. After much urging by the elves and Mrs. Claus, Santa has allowed his biggest secret to be revealed in The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition. At the start of each Christmas season, the elf appears to serve as Santa's eyes and ears, traveling back to the North Pole each and every night to make a detailed report of the day’s activities.

With a message of friendship to warm the coldest nights, Bob the Snowman captures the hearts of adults and children alike. "A Snowman Named Just Bob" is a magical family storybook written by Mark Kimball Moulton and illustrated by artist Karen Hillard Crouch. The playful yet powerful message of friendship will dance off the page and into your heart in this beloved Holiday Classic 

A weary old man (Micah) travels to Bethlehem and sees Mary & Joseph along the way. Once he reaches Bethlehem he also finds there is no-where to stay. The innkeepers wife gives him a blanket and a poor family gives him some bread. He then comes across the stable with Mary, Joseph & the Newborn Jesus.  They invite him in and he gives them the bread & blanket. For some reason I find this story really touching. That those with almost nothing to give (the Innkeepers wife, the family, then Micah himself) gave what little they could. Also, the illustrations of the baby Jesus are just beautiful.

The classic. The bookplate for this one says that we hope they always "Hear the bell." I love Santa & that magical (too fleeting) part of childhood and that this book celebrates it.

A really beautiful story which is also appropriate for Easter.

Every home should have this book.

The great American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is revered for his classic literary works. His poem “Christmas Bells” has become one of our most well-known and beloved Christmas carols, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” What is less known, though, is the story behind the poem.

Reeling from the tragic death of his wife and the war wounds of his son, Longfellow penned the words to “Christmas Bells” during one of the darkest times in American history. And while the words of the poem reflect his obvious despair and grief, it is the triumphant message of “peace on earth, good will to men” for which this song — and Longfellow's personal story — is remembered.