everything which is yes

focus

We find, among all the hub bub and whirlwind of this time of year, it can be easy to lose focus.  Or rather, to focus on the things that aren't especially important.  The getting, rather than the giving; the crossing off of to-do lists, rather than the pausing to enjoy moments; the scramble, rather than the peace.  And so as part of our hopes of keeping our focus on what's most important to us, we decided to do a Jesse Tree this year. 

I remember Jesse Tree ornaments on the tree, growing up and it was a special little something extra and a special reminder to us of what the holiday is all about, really.  This year, when we went to get our tree we also had Bugga pick out a little bitty tree.  A Charlie Brown jobby, just the right size for a special little storytelling Jesse Tree.

And amazingly, as if she was reading my mind, Jacque Larsen at The Lilypad released these fabulous Jesse Tree goodies:

 

And so we made little ornaments.  They are too adorable!

And for a bit of extra reinforcement, I attached some thin chipboard backings (obviously with tons of thorough attention and care to detail)...

then we punched holes and threaded them with yarn and easy peasy we were all set! 

Looking forward to adding a new ornament to our tree every night.

elf magic

This year, during the holiday season, we decided to add an extra element of fun to our experience.  Last year I followed the escapades of Elf Magic on a friend's facebook page and I stored that away in my brain as something I wanted to do with and for Bugga this year.  Elf Magic is a bit like "elf on a shelf" if you've ever heard of that, but it's not really about our elf "watching" Bugga or "reporting to Santa"...it's more about our elf having fun with Bugga and embarking on adventures while she's visiting.  And the whole adventure plays into what's most important to us about the holiday season.  Our hope is that it will bring us all together in fun and create a special memory for Bugga.

Sooo...shortly before Thanksgiving we wrote a letter to Santa, asking if one of his elves could stay with us during December in the time leading up to Christmas.  We had heard that some elves do just that and they always have tons of fun.  So we wrote and we left out some ice water and crackers (which apparently are the favorite eats of elves) and then we waited patiently to see if the elf would arrive.  And sure enough, today she did!!  When Bugga woke this morning, there she was!  Waiting for her in the living room (forgive the horrific photo).  Her name is "Rachel", which we thought was pretty special because Rachael was my grandmother's name. 

And so, every night until Christmas, we will leave some crackers and water out for Rachel and we will sprinkle her with "magic snow dust".  Then, while we're sleeping she will come alive and have some kind of fun or adventure or who knows what in our house.  We are looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us.