"MOM, HE'S BAAACK!" Much to my kids delight, our Elf on the Shelf has joined us again. My kids are so excited that they even made him a little welcome back sign. This time my plan is to have Zac (the name we chose for our little Elf) encourage healthy habits, good social skills and wonderful manners! All of his missions are simple and easy to recreate. They also offer 'teachable moments' to talk to your children about kindness, respect and character development. What do you need to get started? Just download these FREE printables - , and . Cut out each mission and tape it to a craft stick. There are sixteen ready-made missions and a blank page to create your own. The possibilities are endless! Ready to get started? Mission 1 - Healthy Habits A little reminder to take … [Read more...]
12 Days of Christmas Crafts for Kids
With only weeks until Old Saint Nick flies his sleigh until town, it's time to start thinking of how you'll occupy idle time with the little ones. When school lets out for Winter Vacation you'll want to be prepared for the "I'm bored!" that is sure to flow from their lips. Today I have a collection of 12 Days of Christmas Crafts that will keep the kids busy crafting AND will help you decorate your home. It's a win-win! /1/ Scrapbook Paper Santa Claus - No Christmas craft making session is complete without Santa Claus himself. Your kids will love curling this jolly fella's beard! /2/ Paper Plate Elf - There's something about an elf at Christmastime that makes me very happy. These paper plate elves are absolutely no exception. I dare you to make one and not smile! /3/ Felt … [Read more...]
Fun and Quirky Elf on the Shelf Ideas
{image source} It wasn't until a couple of years ago did I notice this little elf pop up EVERYWHERE in my social media feeds. He was all over Twitter and Instagram. You would be hard pressed to miss him on Facebook or Google+. It was like Thanksgiving 2011 brought an army of elves to my daily broadcasts. {Upon further research, I discovered The Elf on the Shelf was actually created in 2004. Who knew?} I witnessed through photos these little elves do silly things and naughty things and sometimes just regular things. Crazy enough, I found myself looking forward to what the elves would do next. Each morning I'd run to Instagram to see the shenanigans. I'm so excited to show you some of those elf shenanigans today. You can recreate these ideas in your home with your elf. You can almost … [Read more...]
