The Elf on the Shelf

When you still believe in Santa, the traditions supporting this belief are what make it so special and fun. I was introduced to a new tradition this past weekend while visiting my sister's family in Colorado.

Anyone heard of Elf on the Shelf? I hadn't until Saturday, when a box mysteriously appeared on the doorstep for Will. In this box is a book and an elf doll. Patricia read the book out loud to Will, and then Will got to name the elf (first he named her Mrs. Claus, but changed it to Dora).

Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously.  

Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa and visit with elf friends where they will tell stories about their beloved families, play with the reindeer, and of course, sneak some of Mrs. Claus’ cookies!  Source

Each morning, the elf then appears in a different location to watch the kid's behavior throughout the day. Will was so excited every morning when he found Dora in a new spot.  A couple of times he started to get cranky and on the verge of whining, and he would stop, look at Dora, and immediately pipe down.And when he did something good, like nicely kiss Baby Ryan on the forehead, he would make sure Dora knew about it so she could report back to Santa.

Will's elf, Dora

From a publishing standpoint, this idea is a gem.  Their marketing team has done a fantastic job promoting the brand through various outlets. For example, there is an Elf blog, Christmas movie, interactive website, and Santa Store with elf apparel. And even better, the idea has staying power. It's promoted as a family tradition, and with its popularity, I think it will remain as a favorite tradition. It'll be so fun for the Tanners when Ryan is bigger and Will can explain all about the Elf to him.

Question: What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions, from when you were Santa-believing kid or right now? 

My sister, mom and I always decorated the Christmas tree while listening to Anne Murray's Christmas Album, and Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers' "Once Upon a Christmas." Both on cassette tape, naturally.

One not-so-fun but extremely effective "tradition" was a clever idea my mom had.  Whenever my sister or I were bad, my mom would pretend to call the operator and get Santa's number.  She would write the number on a piece of paper and stick it on the fridge, telling us she would call him if we were bad again.  As I said, very effective, and very terrifying. haha

Reasons to smile today

1. It's my last day at Swartz Campbell.

2. I am being lazy tomorrow and sleeping in, and getting a facial at the Aveda school on Friday.

3. This article made me laugh the first, second and third time I read it.  And then I read the whole site and laughed harder.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be doing the Leo Strut all the way to Happy Hour.

                              CHEERS!

In love

I can't wait to post all about my long weekend spent with my family in Denver, but for now I'll leave you with some pics that my sister took of the boys.  I have loved every second spent playing with Will, and cuddling with Ryan.

Look for a post on Monday or Tuesday, chock full of pics and a summary of the weekend. It's been a fantastic one!

Will and Ryan- my boys!



This guy loves to sleep. He takes after his aunt.



Words can't describe the cuteness of his personality.

Shopped till we dropped

As I've told you, I'm not much of a shopper. My mom has taught me all the secrets to smart shopping, which I use enthusiastically, but I still lack the overall dedication and endurance.  My sister inherited that gene from Mom.

This year, I decided to join my sister and mom and brave the stores on Black Friday. We didn't go too crazy- no waiting in line at midnight for us. But we were out the door by 7:15 a.m. on Friday and hit several stores over the next few hours. 

(Keep in mind I have a hard time dragging my butt out of bed at 8:00 a.m. during the work week. I woke up at 6:15 a.m. on a day off. That's dedication.)

I'm happy to report we got LOTS of amazing deals throughout the morning, and really didn't have to deal with too much craziness or long lines.

We went to:

- Bath & Body Works- When we pulled up, the parking lot was empty, and we could see about five B&BW employees waiting for us to walk in.  My sister and I were cracking up- I really expected them to burst into song.  Instead they all just squealed "Welcome!!! Are you here for the VIP bags????"  Got lots of candles, lotions and bubble bath...enough to last me another year, at least.

- Kohl's- My sister saved $503 with her coupons and the sales.  If that is not impressive, I don't know what is.

- The mall: The Body Shop, Gap, Dillards, Macys, Hallmark, Disney Store. Whew!!!  I think we spent about an hour in The Body Shop alone. We left the mall with tons of great stuff, all bought on sale or with coupons.

Today my parents and I went to an outlet mall between Denver and Colorado Springs.  We spent about three hours there, and I got some new work clothes from The Loft.  Can't wait to wear them for my new job. :)

Question: Did you go shopping on Black Friday? Did you score any good deals? What time did you hit the stores?

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Just a quick post to list all the things I'm so thankful for in my life right now.

- My nephews, Will and Ryan.

- My parents, sister, and brother-in-law

- Rhett- my love and favorite guy for going-on 7 years

- My life in Philadelphia- including all the friends I've met and the memories we've created.

- My health, and my family and friends' health.

If I wasn't healthy, I couldn't run

I feel like I'm forgetting some important things...

Oh yeah.

Questions: What are you thankful for today? What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

I love you, Green Bean Casserole. Be still, my heart.

Burnin' love

Last night, Rhett and I ate my favorite make-at-home meal: turkey tacos.  Made with lean ground turkey meat, a little bit of taco spice, peppers and onions, this is a quick, easy, yummy way to eat my favorite genre of food....and about 100x healthier than going to a restaurant for the same meal.

Usually I dig into my tacos with reckless abandon. I try to eat slowly and savor each bite, I really do, but they are simply too delicious. 

But lately, eating turkey tacos- or any other spicy food, for that matter- has been fun only for a short bit.  I've started experiencing a strange, foreign, and extremely disappointing sensation in my chest afterwards. It is called heartburn, and there's a reason for that. It burns my heart.

I say disappointing because I've noticed that all my favorite foods have been doing this to me.  Pizza (because I love those chili flakes sprinkled on top); spaghetti and turkey meatballs (again with the chili flakes, and also the acidic tomatoes in the sauce); three-bean turkey chili (my heart breaks and burns when I eat this). 

Common sense tells me to just stay away from spicy foods. As does my doctor.  But I am stubborn. These are MY FAVORITE FOODS. These foods make me happy. I love preparing them, savoring them, and then eating them again the next day as leftovers. 

There's also the small issue of my relatively recent discovery of spicy foods. And really any foods other than pizza or peanut butter. I was the girl who once ordered a hamburger at a Mexican restaurant in high school. 

(Judge all you want.  It is shameful.)

I think moving to a new city and then a new country really made me explore outside my comfort zone and try new things. None of these things are particularly brave or astounding, and I know most people were eating these foods years before I did.  The two best examples: sushi and Thai food. Once scary-to-me foods, now two of my truest, dearest loves.

So I think that's why I'm being so stubborn. I just found these foods. I love these foods. I don't care if they make my chest burn, they are delicious and I'll eat what I wanna eat!

On that note, I'm off to Rite Aid to secure some heartburn medicine...as I just had leftover turkey tacos for lunch.  Will I ever learn?

Answer: No.

Short week blues

Yeah. You read that title right.

I've got the short week blues. 

That doesn't mean I'm sad that it's a short week.  The exact opposite, in fact.  I am thrilled, ecstatic, blissful, and thankful it's a short week. Because it means that at the end of this short week, I'll be flying to Denver to see my family and meet Baby Ryan, and eat a huge delicious meal and take a turkey nap, and shop and visit and cuddle with nephews. WHEW!

There is a problem with short weeks, though.

They

take 

FOR

EV

ERRRRRRRRRR...

How am I supposed to smile and relax when so much excitement awaits me???

Welcome to one of my biggest challenges. I struggle with not looking back or forward, and just focusing on and experiencing the moment right now.  Weeks like this really test my ability. Blame it on my laziness mixed with severe impatience. If I had my choice, I'd curl up in my bed and nap and read and lounge until Thursday arrives, taking a break only to pack my bags.

So, what to do, then? How do I make this time pass more pleasantly?

Easy. I fill my time up with lists of chores and things to pack, intense workouts, favorite TV shows throughout the week, and lots of quality time with Rhett, friends, and cats.

For anyone who experience the same ants-in-your-pants as I do, just take a deep breath, and try to enjoy yourself. :)