Urban Suburban Mommy – Page 7 – Urban Suburban Mommy

30 days of wellness starts now – give back!

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in The Best You .

So Elisa and I have decided that we at Urban Suburban Mommy are going to embark on 30 days of wellness starting this January. Well we are now January 1 and there are no excuses – it’s time to start today. What does wellness mean – well so many things. Not only doesn’t it mean eating right, exercising, taking care of yourself, being the best you but it also means contributing to the wellness of others.

I am so inspired today. My neighbor and dear friend Ana messaged me this morning and asked me where she could donate her hair.

Yes she cut 11 inches from her hair and is ready to donate it to a charity that creates wigs for children who suffer from cancer. As you may or may not know, cancer is a cause dear to my heart.

I am totally blown away by this act of kindness. And Ana looks fabulous! I am empowered to also do something (and hopefully several things) great this year in terms of giving back.

Charity is so important and it definitely is integral to not only one’s mental well-being but it also helps others. In this case, a child battling cancer will feel good because they look good. I love this!

We will be launching an exciting project soon and a portion of a our proceeds will go to charity. What will you do to contribute to the wellness of others?

If you are interested in donating your hair just like Ana, please get in touch with some of these great organizations.

Canadian Cancer Society

Angel Hair for Kids

Brain Tumour Foundation (lots of great links here)

Locks of Love

Thank you and happy 2017. It’s going to be a great one. xo

Please add to the comments if there is a specific topic you would like us to cover pertaining to wellness. 🙂

New Year’s Resolutions for Parents

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in The Struggle is Real .

Let’s play a game. It’s called New Year’s Resolutions for parents. Since parents don’t get paid for parenting, we figure it’s the perfect time to strategize an income stream.

Don’t ask me whose paying for all of this, but parenting is hard, it deserves a six-figure salary, and this is how it will work: Imagine if you could get paid for keeping these New Year’s Resolutions. How much would your parenting salary be in 2017?

Will not yell at the kids $2,500
Will not threaten the kids with taking away toys $2,500
Will not use food as a bribe $2,500
Will not use toys as a bribe $1,000
Will not give in to the kids just to avoid parenting $5,000
Will make them clean their rooms $1,500
Will make them do their homework $500
Will not do their homework for them to get it done $1,000
Will not give them treats to make them like me $2,000
Will not hide in the bathroom eating ice cream or chocolate $10,000
Will not hide in the bathroom to eat their Easter chocolate $5,000
Will not hide in the bathroom to eat their Halloween candy $5,000
Will not fight with spouse/partner in front of kids $10,000
Will not finish off whatever food the kids leave behind instead of wrapping it up $2,500
Will not consider the leftovers to be dinner in lieu of preparing a proper meal $5,000
Will make bedtime a priority $1,000
Will read more to the kids $2,500
Will make more time for myself $5,000
Will make time for my relationship $5,000
Will skip cleaning up in favour of play time $5,000
Will skip cleaning up in favour of a little me time $2,500
Will not make two dinners because the kids are fussing about the meal $1,000
Will not sweat making extravagant meals and instead focus on simple and nutritious $2,000
Will stop putting junk food in their lunches $500
Will stop buying junk food for myself with the justification that it can go in the kids’ lunches $1,000
Will not steer their friendships based on which parents I like $5,000
Will let them dress themselves, even if they look crazy $2,500
Will show them instead of doing it for them $5,000
Will give them a chance and then follow through with consequences $10,000
Will give them the opportunity to redeem themselves $5,000
Will be their parent first, their friend second $10,000
Will not ask medical advice on parenting forums/Facebook groups $5,000
Will not start parenting wars on parenting forums/Facebook groups $5,000
Will not confine my boy to “boy toys” or my girl to “girl toys” $10,000
Will make them take responsibility for pet care $500
Will not lie about why they can’t have a pet, “Because I don’t want one” is good enough $1,000
Will limit screen time to what I *actually* tell people I limit it to $500
Will fess up the real amount of screen time I give my kids when asked $2,500
Will not embarrass them on the schoolyard because I need another kiss goodbye $1,000
Will start lengthening the leash and not hover $5,000
Will not tell them to “Stop It!” when they start with the “But why…” $10,000
Will not lie about stores being closed so you don’t have to buy something $50
Will do more activities, arts, crafts and games and less family TV time $5,000
Will not feel bad about falling behind on laundry $2,500
Will make time to get sandy at the beach or wet in the snow $10,000
Will worry less about wrinkles and embrace laugh lines more $2,500
Will not set the clocks back for an early bedtime $1,000
Will do better to hide the evidence of throwing away school art and projects $1,000
Will say “Yes” more and “No” less $2,500
Will stop getting angry at that sound they like to make, and noise in general $3,000
Will balance parenting with my own identity and needs $50,000

So, what’s your income and what is your big resolution of the year? Any that we’ve missed?

Create a cozy bedroom

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in The Best You .

This week from The Modern Curator: Creating a cozy bedroom

Photographs courtesy of HomeSense. Velvet Drapes/ Chest of Drawers/ Tufted King Sized Headboard/ Velvet Club Chair/ Tufted Bench from HomeSense.

Let’s face it, come winter, we spend a lot more time inside and in our bedrooms!

Hibernation mode, right?

Our bedrooms become much more than a place to catch Z’s. The bedroom becomes a place to binge watch Netflix, cry over a good book, indulge in bed-nics (picnics in bed!) and a quiet sanctuary to recover from party season.

Follow these tips to make your bedroom a cozy and inviting space that will quickly become the favourite room in your house.

Bedding Look for bedding that is soft (no scratchy materials please!) and durable, such as 100 percent Egyptian or Pima cotton. “Each bedroom should have a premium down comforter. Investing in quality bedding basics is key to comfort,” says Tamara Robbins Griffith, HomeSense Design Expert. “From there, you can be flexible and have fun with your top of bed fashion by swapping in and out new patterned sheet sets and duvet covers.”

Velvet Throw Cushions/ Floral Duvet Set/ Velvet Coverlet/ Ruffle Trimmed Cotton Quilt from HomeSense

Pillows Besides your mattress and bedding, Tamara points out that good pillows are the key to sleeping well and achieving a comfortable bedroom space. Once you have your sleeping pillows chosen, add accent pillows in varying sizes, colours and textures that will flow with your space and add extra snugness.

Luxurious Throw Tamara suggests introducing layers of bedding to add warmth and texture to your bed. Think faux-fur or thick cable knit to give you a luxe, cozy feel.

Wool and Viscose Rug/ Faux Fur Throw/ Mirror-Framed Art Work from HomeSense

Area Rug The right rug can keep your room looking stylishly inviting while keeping your feet warm!

Create Vignettes Use your bedroom to surround yourself with items you love such as an art piece, vintage mirror, favourite book and bouquet of flowers. All these special items help to achieve a calming and personalized space.

Wooden Tray/ Coffee Table Books/ Scented Candle from HomeSense

Lighting When it comes to achieving a relaxing atmosphere, choose side lamps for your bedside tables with soft lighting (low-watt bulbs). Or, create low lighting by putting your main light on a dimmer switch.

Brass Task Lamp/ Antiqued Gold Mirror from HomeSense

The Modern Curator

Sara Duck
TheModernCurator.ca
@SaraDuck

The Modern Curator

The Modern Currator

These are not the waffles you are looking for

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this about my family (Urban Mommy Elisa here), but we love Star Wars family. My husband is a true Star Wars guy and he’s taught our boys everything he knows. My wedding vows actually included promising him always to break him out of carbonite and always to help him do the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs, among other references, so you might say I’ve been lured over to the dark side.

And so, today, after a very Star Wars Christmas where most presents and all of the wrapping paper revolved around Jedis, Darth Vaders, Tie Fighters, Yodas, Death Stars and Kylo Rens, we heard the gloomy news that Carrie Fisher – better known as Princess Leia – had passed away at the age of 60.

We had just finished brunch that included Rebel Alliance waffles made on the brand new Star Wars waffle maker that we were given from our thoughtful family.

I’ve had so many Star Wars moments, and seeing my husband share his love for Star Wars with the boys has been heartwarming. The passing of Carrie Fisher has saddened us all. It’s funny how something like a movie franchise can have such an impact on your life.

Thanks Ms. Fisher. You showed little girls that they could be heroes too. You proved that we could be warriors, that we could be strong. You got the guy, you got the gun and you got the moves too. Your books, your theatre performances, your career – you achieved a lot of amazing things during your lifetime, and your appearance in The Force Awakens last year was every bit as good as your original movies. We can forgive that kiss – you didn’t know he was your brother at the time, but this #TastyTuesday, which was supposed to be all about the Star Wars Waffles, will instead be about you.

Talking to Sophie Nélisse

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

There are some great books – stories that you just connect with. There are books on my shelf that I like to visit, like old friends. I’ve got a few of those from my childhood, and The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson is one of them.

I love the characters and the story. Do you remember it? If you need a refresher, grab the book off your shelf – or sit down and enjoy the movie!

Recently released by Search Engine Films, the film adaptation stars Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, Julia Stiles, Octavia Spencer, Bill Cobbs and Sophie Nélisse as Gilly.

At 16, Nélisse is an award-winning seasoned actress. She took on the role of Gilly Hopkins and made the character come to life. If was fun to get a chance to sit down with this talented actress and hear about taking on a role of such a well known and well loved character.

“It was an amazing experience, an amazing cast,” Nélisse told me when I asked what it was like to work on this movie. “I love the character. I realize how fragile she is. You think she’s tough, but you realize it’s a front. I try not to judge people and understand what they’ve been through before judging them.”

Nélisse gave the character of Gilly some true dimension, and says that, instead of first reading the book, “I followed the script and followed the director,” and really connected to the story. It’s clear she did a fabulous job with the overwhelming emotion of the character.

While shooting in The US, she was happy to find that even though it was a large production, it was a small set so she could get to know the cast and crew. Working with big names, Nélisse hung out watching hockey with Glenn Close (who she loved from 101 Dalmatians) and found that her co-stars were all very down to earth – so that’s what it’s like to work those stars!

: Sophie Nélisse with Glenn Close

: Sophie Nélisse

: Kathy Bates with Sophie Nélisse

: Sophie Nélisse with Clare Foley

: Sophie Nélisse with Zachary Hernandez

: Sophie Nélisse

I asked Nélisse if anything funny happened to her on set, and with a laugh she told me the story about a dinner scene that actually took a whole day to shoot. Nélisse started out hungry, and so digging into the food was easy – she had to be eating in the scene. But it wasn’t long before she was full and it wasn’t so tasty. And after 8 to 10 hours of eating, she wasn’t feeling so well at all. “So many shots, so many angles!” she says, “By the end I had a spit bucket. I didn’t eat for 2 days.”

The hardest part of making a movie? “The saddest part was leaving and not seeing them,” she says of the cast and crew that had become close. But Nélisse is back at home in Montreal, going to school, hanging out with friends. Her friends just treat her like a normal person. She’s an incredibly talented but very well-adjusted young woman who has done a fair bit of growing up in front of the camera.

If you loved the book, you’re going to love Nélisse’s portrayal of Gilly, she does it justice. If you haven’t read the book – grab a copy, the movie is a must-see. It’s a perfect family movie and a great way to have a family movie night.

Photos: IMDB Sophie Nélisse

The perfect last minute holiday gifts

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

I used to be that girl that would leave her shopping to the very last minute. I would run out to the mall on December 24th racing against the clock. Things have changed now that I have become a mom. Shopping now involves more lead time and planning.

But, I have realized that even with all the preparation, my baby brain still trumps time and time again. I thought I was done all of my shopping for this year – but ugh looks like I have forgotten a couple people on my list (sorry). And I really don’t want to hit the mall at this point.

Consequently, we have put together some amazing last minute gift ideas that should satisfy everyone on your list – you don’t even have to go out to the mall for these awesome finds – here goes:

FOR KIDS

Thermos Funtainers

Absolutely love this licensed product line including branded lunch kits. Just in time for the release of the new Star Wars Movie Rogue. Send your kiddo back to school in January with some new and cool lunch gear – we love these ones!

From flowers and fire trucks to Barbie and Spiderman, Thermos stainless steel bottles, food jars and snack jars are durable and come in an assortment of amusing designs for the kids. The vacuum insulation technology assures maximum temperature retention and the extra wide mouth is easy to fill, eat from and clean.

You can buy the Thermos brand at most retailers across Canada and the US. Give Target a try – they now even ship to Canada.

SoapSox

We first discovered this fun bath product when watching an episode of Shark Tank. Then my sons tried out their own SoapSox character in the tub and had an absolute blast. They love putting soap in the stuffie’s mouth and washing themselves which is a bonus for mom!

SoapSox®, the adorable plush friends that kids can take from playtime to bath time, are now available in Walmart stores and online across Canada! Kids can snuggle, cuddle, and play with their SoapSox all day and when it’s bath time, bring them into the tub! A patented soap pocket transforms each lovable SoapSox into a sudsy wash cloth – just add soap and scrub! It’s the way kids want to wash! SoapSox is the next generation of washcloths for kids!

FOR MOMS

Hey dads – listen up…!

Ruby Ribbon

Ruby Ribbon We just recently found about this awesome shapewear company that caters to small and bigger sizes. The shapewear is super comfortable, fashionable and sexy. Ruby Ribbon encourages women to ditch their bras for their camis – I have ordered one and it is on the way so I can’t wait to see if this works for me!

I had a look through their catalogue and their products are gorgeous and functional – have a look!

FOR DADS

MPG

My husband is one of the hardest people to buy for – he loves fashion – he loves tech. When I came across MPG’s Utility Hooded Backpack I thought it was such a cool product and checked all the boxes.

This fashionable yet functional unisex backpack features a unique, stow-away hood, detailed dual entry and water resistant fabric. This versatile gift for fathers, boyfriends and brothers caters to city commuting, travel and outdoor activities alike.

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Pair of Thieves

My husband loves his socks – he could buy socks every day of the week – it’s his thing and he loves funky socks.

They offering fun, functional and matching socks for moms & kids and dads & kids. How cute are their designs!

Pair of Thieves blends bold designs with high performance elements to make socks & underpants that are Ready For Everything. Founded by 3 friends (and Dads), Cash Warren, Alan Stuart & David Ehrenberg, who decided they just couldn’t stand a mediocre product, especially socks that got “drunk” and fell down. They spent 2 years developing a better men’s sock, then a better kid’s sock, an incredible boxer brief, and now women’s. Pair of Thieves is here to make basics a lot less basic using performance fabrics, construction, and features to keep you dry, cool, comfortable, chafe-free, and happy, to further their mission to make “The Most Fitting Socks & Underpants in All the Land.”

Who’d You Rather

As a kid we used to play lots of board games together as a family including Monopoly and Balderdash. I love board games and when we learned that Who Would You Rather was invented by two Torontonians we were all ears. Ellen has played it with Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Kimmel and Kris Jenner, to name a few. Who’d You Rather is a celeb based, twisted fantasy party game. You can buy the game here.

Here are some funny ones…Who’d you rather read you a bedtime story?
A. Bruce Springsteen or B. Chris RockWho’d you rather have a food fight with?
A. Ivanka Trump or B. Tina Fey

Who’d you rather play naked Twister with?
A. Snoop Dogg or B. Dr. Phil

The Great Gilly Hopkins DVD

Featuring Hollywood’s heavy hitters such as Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer, Kathy Bates, Julia Stiles and Sophie Nelisse and based on the award-winning novel of the same name, The Great Gilly Hopkins is a must-watch for the whole family and perfect gift for the holidays. Read our review here.

Have any other last-minute gift ideas to add? Please feel free to add your comments below 🙂 Happy Shopping! xo

Thanks a lot, winter, like I needed that.

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

Know what my least favourite part of the day is? I bet it’s yours too.

Those painful minutes trying to get your kids out the front door every morning.

photo: L.C. Nøttaasen

Seriously, at the best of times it’s like a game of Simon Says being played by squirrels with nobody trying to win. Here’s what my average morning sounds like:

Put your coat on. Where’s your lunch. Give him back his shoes. No, the cat doesn’t want to go to school. Leave your stuffie at home. Leave your beyblade at home. Put your brother’s Lego guy down. I saw you sneak your beyblade into your backpack. Why is your shirt dirty? You forgot to brush your hair. Where’s your hat? Put on your shoes! Not that jacket, the other jacket. No, you don’t have to change your underpants, the orange ones are fine.

And that’s a good day.

It’s hard enough to get them out of the house on time with all of their belongings in nice weather. The winter exits are probably going to be my undoing. I feel like I’m going crazy – and I actually feel like I deserve a reward when I get them both out of the house and to school on time, with their backpacks, lunches, indoor shoes, wearing boots, snowpants, jackets, hats and gloves.

Backpacks
Lunches
Indoor shoes
Boots
Snowpants
Jackets
Hats
Gloves

It’s only an 8 point checklist – times two boys – now how could that go wrong?

Seriously, raising children in a cold-weather climate is frustrating.

I have learned three tricks. They don’t make mornings any easier, but they keep mornings from getting harder.

Trick # 1:

I don’t care how many kids you have, if they are remotely able to wear the same size hats and gloves, go out and get numerous identical sets of hats and mitts. I like the mitts to be weird colours and patterns so that they’re easy to spot in the lost and found or lying around the schoolyard. In the morning there are no fights about “I want that hat! He took my gloves!”

Because no.

And if you’ve ever experienced trying to buy gloves in February, you’ll know they’re all gone and off the shelves. Buy early, buy often. I buy 10 pairs of the same mitts. Lose one? No problem, there are still 9 more to match the survivor.

Trick # 2:

Neon. I try to find neon jackets – or at least brightly coloured jackets. This year one is orange, the other is aqua. Do you know how easy it is to find your kids in the schoolyard, on the playground or at a winter festival when they’re in technicolour? If they leave it anywhere it’s easy to spot, just like the gloves. You’ll thank me.

Trick # 3:

Wall hooks. Each child has his own set of wall hooks by the door (we have no front hall closet). There’s a hook for the snowpants, a hook for the coat, and a hook for the schoolbag. “Mitts in the hat, hat in the sleeve” is my morning mantra and evening mantra, and I drill it into them in hopes that my dozen (did I say 10? Maybe make it an even dozen. A baker’s dozen, just to be safe) sets of hats and mitts make it through the winter. There is no searching around for stuff in the morning. It is by FAR the most organized area of my life and one of the only routines that is remotely followed. Not always, sometimes I find a coat in the mudroom and a hat on the kitchen table, but when there’s a basket of 15 sets of mitts and gloves by the front door, it’s an easy remedy in the morning.

Bonus: Trick #4:

Move to Costa Rica. 36° in the shade, you’ll never have to rummage through the lost and found for another pair of snowpants ever again!

Golden Margarita

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

I have to admit, I’m not much of a ‘fancy drink’ kind of girl. Maybe it’s the “urban” in me?

I like vodka, bourbon and scotch. You’re more likely to find me ordering a well-aged single malt than you are to find me with something that requires a garnish – unless it’s extra olives for a dirty martini.

But I recently discovered margaritas, and that all changed.

It’s something about the salt rim, the pucker of the sour lime, the sharp tequila kick. They’re refreshing on a hot day – like adult lemonade – but I don’t hate having one with dinner when we’re out, either. It’s a big change for me, the margarita is a great addition to my repertoire!

But a good margarita takes some skill.

It’s about real lime juice and not just bar lime. It’s about nice, big, chunky ice cubes that don’t melt on contact. The salt rim has to be just so – thick so it doesn’t melt down the side of the glass after the first sip. And it’s about good tequila.

Really really good tequila.

I just found this recipe and am in love with the idea of gold powder, so I’ll have to pick up a bottle Allaire Cristal Age Tequila – the former bartender in me is thrilled!

What you need:

– 2oz Allaire Cristal Age Tequila

– 2oz Fresh squeezed lime juice
– Lime circles

– Dash organic agave (the sweetener from the same plant which produces the ingredients for tequila)
– Ice
– Rim salt

– 24k edible gold powder

What you do:

Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and then dip it into salt, creating a thick salt rim. Fill glass with ice. Add tequila, lime juice and agave, but don’t come up close to the salt rim or it will melt. Garnish with gold powder on the surface. Coat a lime circle in gold powder and use to garnish the glass.

¡Salud!

Contest: Win your own copy of The Great Gilly Hopkins on DVD

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Sponsored Post .

We love the book, we love the movie and we love to share!

Enter now for your chance to win one of five DVDs of The Great Gilly Hopkins! (Check our our review of the movie HERE)

Prize consists of 1 DVD of the movie The Great Gilly Hopkins, including shipping.

So many ways to enter, you can’t help but give it a try.

You’ll get 5 entries for each of the following:

Share on Facebook with the hashtag #GillyUSM

Share on Twitter with the hashtag #GillyUSM

Post on Instagram with hashtag #GillyUSM

You’ll get 10 entries for the following:

Tag a friend in the contest post on Facebook. Each friend is worth 10 entries. A bonus 5 entries for each one that likes Urban Suburban Mommy’s Facebook page.

Share your favourite part of the story on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtag #GillyUSM

Rules:
One prize per household.
Contest is open to residents of Canada.
No limit to entries.
Contest closes December 20th, 2016.
Five winners will be selected by random draw on Decemeber 21st, 2016.
Winners will be contacted via social media.
Winners must answer a time limited skill testing question.
Prize has no cash value and must be accepted as awarded.
Urban Suburban Mommy is not liable for any loss or damages associated with this contest.
This contest may be ended or discontinued at the sole discretion of Urban Suburban Mommy.
All decisions are final.
All rights reserved.

The Great Gilly Hopkins – movie review

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Sponsored Post .

Do you remember reading The Great Gilly Hopkins when you were a kid? The book, by Katherine Peterson, came out in 1979 – and it was a definite must-read.

With two boys, I’ve all but given up on passing on my beloved childhood library, but the new movie adaptation with a star-studded cast including Kathy Bates, Glen Close, Billy Cobbs, Octavia Spencer, Julia Stiles and 16-year-old Sophie Nélisse as Gilly, herself, had my whole family completely under its spell.

Released October, 2016, it’s now available on DVD, just in time for the holidays.

Courtesy of Search Engine Films

You may want to add this one to your holiday movie list!

If you love the book, this movie won’t disappoint. And if you’ve actually somehow not read it, you’ll enjoy the well-spun story and endearing characters set against beautiful backdrops. The movie has already won The Heartland Film: Truly Moving Picture Award, and, of course, the story won numerous awards when it was released too.

I’m a cryer – and this one has more than one tear-jerker moment. It stirred up the same emotions it did when I originally read the book some 30-ish years ago, only as an adult, there are so many nuances of the story that I really didn’t get as a pre-teen girl. And it was so nice to visit with a childhood fave.

The movie is a great watch. My boys loved it, my hubs loved it, and I watched it a second time after they all went to bed. The characters bring the story to life. You cheer for W.E. You feel for Gilly. You are surprisingly annoyed by Agnes.

Sophie’s talent is obvious as she brings her character to life. You start off hating Gilly and end up loving her, while your fondness and respect for Trotter just grows and grows. Hollywood has done this one up with heart and charm. It’s modernized the setting without stripping anything back from the story.

Grab it from iTunes: The Great Gilly Hopkins
Or Amazon, released December 13, 2016: The Great Gilly Hopkins

Nationwide you can pick it up at HMV and Walmart; in Quebec only at: Archambault, Renaud Bray & Superclub Videotron.

I will not elf my shelf. Or shelf my elf.

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I love my kids and I’d do anything for them.

Except Elf-on-a-Shelf.

I had never heard about Elf-on-the-Shelf until it started to appear in my Facebook feed a few years ago. I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s creative.”

And then, as my kids got bigger and life got even busier, I realized just what an undertaking this Elf-on-a-Shelf is. You need to remember to move the Elf every night. You need to come up with new and fun spots and predicaments. Some of the ideas that come up through my Facebook feed are nothing short of AAA Tableaus staged by master set decorators! And they do it times 24 nights leading up to Christmas in December.

In my house, we consider it a win if the Tooth Fairy shows up within three days of a tooth loss, I can not fathom shelfing that Elf every night.

Occasionally my husband and I have played funny pranks. I’m exceptional at making sure Santa’s milk was sipped and that a trail of cookie crumbs proves he ate the cookies we baked – I even chop up the carrots we leave out for the reindeers and throw them along the lawn (and into the neighbour’s lawn) so that they can see that Santa was indeed at our house.

My husband and I have been known to freeze action figures into ice, making it look like they got trapped in our front yard. We have lawn gnomes that will occasionally end up in crazy vignettes. We fill water balloons and add food colouring to surprise them with magic ice crystal balls. We mount surprise water fight attacks – but we can’t be trusted to Elf our shelf every night. It’s setting us up for failure.

I have nothing but respect for parents that can – just like I’m always impressed by people that can live Pinteresting lives in great detail, but nope, not us.

It’s good to know your limitations. Holidays are busy, we’ve got more than one tradition going on at a time so it’s fine juggling act to begin with, and the Elf would just topple our precarious balance. My son has started asking, and so my husband explained it by putting the little guy on the shelf.

Our own Elf on our own Shelf – it’s been enough to keep him from pushing the issue… this year.

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