• parented.
  • ate.
  • created.
  • learned.
  • gave thanks.
  • About Me
  • Home

kindness elves

Goodness Gnomes, 2014

Posted by Carolyn on December 17, 2014 2 Comments

As I said last year, I’m going to do something as an alternative to Elf of the Shelf.  My inspiration came from the Kindness Elves.  My reality is still evolving (more on that later), but for this year, I settled on Goodness Gnomes.

They made their first appearance earlier this month.  As luck would have it, the girls got a package in the mail from my aunt Kim.  When I shook it, I could tell it was something Christmasy – I figured ornaments or something.  I decided it would be cool if the Goodness Gnomes delivered it to Alma and Hattie as a fun introduction.

When they girls woke up in the morning, they found that two gnomes had come through the fairy door with a package.

aIMG_5259They also had a note saying that they should name the goodness gnomes.  Alma named the red one Tasty, and Hattie named the blue one PuBa.

They loved the goodness gnomes.

aIMG_5271I thought to myself, “Yes!  It’s working!  My girls are amazing and I will be able to teach them all about kindness and goodness and giving!”

They opened the package and for the most amazing Christmas hats.  Seriously, my aunt is a knitting genius.  Hats with jingle bells.  I can’t even.  They are gorgeous.

aIMG_5261We had lots of fun that day.  Alma wore her hat to school.  Hattie kept hers on much longer than she usually keeps hats on.  We did lots of jingling.  And playing with Tasty and PuBa.

aIMG_5297 aIMG_5301But… the day was sort of hard on Tasty.  Alma took it upon herself to give him a shave.  He almost lost an arm.

aIMG_5543He has gone back through the fairy door.  He has not come back.  He might send some (more sturdy) friends next year (or maybe the next…) to continue this tradition.  For this year, my girls got a taste of magic and some amazing hats.  Good enough for me, I think!

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Posted in: a little moment, created., holidays, learned., parented., parenting tips and tricks | Tagged: Christmas, goodness gnomes, kindness elves, Parenting, puba, tasty, traditions

Christmas Traditions (for the future)

Posted by andthenthey on December 4, 2013 6 Comments

Making Christmas More About Giving than Getting - andthenthey.wordpress.com

I have been thinking a lot this year about how to make traditions for my daughters.  I know that it is very important that they grow up with special traditions – especially at Christmas time.  We already have some fun traditions, like going and cutting down our Christmas tree, doing Advent calendars, eating dinner by the light of the Advent wreath, going to the Festival of Trees, looking at Christmas lights… there are so many ways to build traditions.

Image

One thing I want to do is create traditions that are focused on giving to others.  Most of these won’t work until they are older, so I thought it would be good to put them in writing so I won’t forget about them!

Here are a few things we’re going to do:

1. Christmas Stockings:  I want this to be more concretely connected to Saint Nicholas.  Instead of filling my daughters’ stockings with little toys and candy, I will fill it with gifts for others.  Some ideas I have are putting in a roll of quarters – they can keep half, and give away the other half.  They can leave them on a playground and watch as other kids find the small treasures, they can leave them in the offering plate at church, give them to homeless people, whatever they want as long as they are giving them away.  Another idea is to put a gift for their sister in their stocking that they will give when they notice their sister doing something nice or generous.  The other idea I have is to buy a small ($10 or so) gift card to our grocery store that they can give to another shopper on our next shopping trip.  I’m sure I’ll get more ideas over the years, but that’s a start.

2.  I want to do something for the homeless on the day of the Feast of Stephen.  What better way to unwind from the craziness of Christmas than by helping out those who are less fortunate the following day?  I’m sure this will change as the kids get older, but it will always revolve around helping homeless people.

3.  We are going to do the Something you want, Something you need, Something you wear, & Something you read gift giving idea.  I love this to stave off some of the hyper-commercialism around Christmas.

4. Kindness Elves.  The idea of Elf on the Shelf never really felt right to me.  I don’t like the idea of having an elf come into our home and be a bad example for my kids.  This idea of kindness elves feels right to me.  They come and give ideas of how to be nice and helpful.  They compliment my kids on being nice and helpful!  What a lovely idea for Christmas time!

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
Posted in: gave thanks. | Tagged: Christmas, Feast of Stephen, giving, kindness elves, St. Nicholas
If God said, ‘Rumi pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,’ there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, nor any act, I would not bow to. -Rumi

Recent Posts

  • 3 for 1 Pumpkin Brew Fest (2019, 2021, 2022)
  • Pumpkin Beer Fest 2020
  • SEPTEMBER 2019: Currently
  • Dear Harriet, Age 6
  • OCTOBER 2018: CURRENTLY

Archives

Categories

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2023 and then they....

Theme by ThemeHall.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.