Happy Friday, friends!!! TGIF, amen?!?!?! :)
Next week is exam week - so this week has been NUTSO! I am ready for a week of testing like nobody's business. hahaha
If you're linking up with us today - be sure to grab our graphic, link back to one (or all!) of us and then share your Friday Favorites!
First up on my list is Elf on the Shelf! I will admit - it's one more thing on our plates - which are PACKED this time of year - but seeing the MAGIC on a daily basis through my kids eyes is totally worth it. I read this on a blog this week and it pretty much sums up my thoughts on it... "Is Elf on the Shelf a cheesy popular holiday trend that's possibly shallow and sometimes annoying? Sure. But it's also just a toy elf with a made-up story that inspires the imaginations of my kids... and I'd never want my grownup cynicism to harm my kids' spirits. As their daddy, I want to be a champion of their imaginations, an inspirer of their creativity, and a proponent of their childlike joy-filled delight."
So on that note - here are a few of our FAVORITE elf antics from the last week or so.
Buddy drew a mustache on the mirror (with an Expo marker) and then "mustached" Luke to have a fabulous day :)
We found him in the middle of a game of cards with his friends ;)
Hanging from the cabinets, drinking syrup from the bottle...
He wrapped the boys bedroom door like a present.... and made a little bow tie to match!
This one was awesome!!! Sunday night we colored the kids noses with a red crayola marker. Believe it or not they didn't even budge!!! Then Dave and I colored our own noses and went to bed. When Luke came in our room in the morning he goes, "What's on your noses?!?!?!" and we go, "What??? What's on YOUR nose?!?!?!" and then ensued a lot of giggling in the mirror :) We found Buddy sitting with a marker and the Rudolph the RED NOSED reindeer book. They're STILL talking about this! WARNING! We still had slightly red noses when we went to church.... despite some scrubbing.
Buddy covered the cabinets in bows and then hung out on top...
.... and he "pooped" chocolate chips. hahaha
This is SUCH bathroom humor, and something that 6 years ago I would have said I'd NEVER do.... but hearing the boys giggle and laugh made it totally worth it. Life as a kindergarten mom you have to bust out the potty humor every once in a while :)
Banana minions!!!
And camping by the kitchen tree. Yes.... that's ketchup. You do what you gotta do.
If you're wondering how Buddy does some of the things he does, it's because I made him bendy last year :) You can read about how I did it HERE. I promise it's way easier than you think :)
Next up is my new favorite brand of books - Usborne. A few weeks ago, Usborne sent my kids a box full of ADORABLE books. Like, seriously adorable.
Next up is my new favorite brand of books - Usborne. A few weeks ago, Usborne sent my kids a box full of ADORABLE books. Like, seriously adorable.
The boys got a pirate book that has a windup ship that actually goes around the pages. SO CUTE!!!
Griffin LOVES the That's Not my Princess book...
And she pulls out the touchy-feely animals book on the daily.
This search and find pirate book is PERFECT for detail-oriented Luke ;)
They also sent the Big Book of Dinosaurs - which has been Luke's "you can read for 20 minutes before lights out book" for the last several weeks.
Every book is super fun, great quality and you can search by age and/or topic. Books will ship out immediately in plenty of time for Christmas! Click HERE to shop!!!
And how awesome is this.... Usborne is giving one of you a $50 shopping spree!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Every book is super fun, great quality and you can search by age and/or topic. Books will ship out immediately in plenty of time for Christmas! Click HERE to shop!!!
And how awesome is this.... Usborne is giving one of you a $50 shopping spree!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Last up, this video is my absolute new FAVORITE thing ever. As I wrap up my Christmas Card season I can relate more than I'd like to.... I watched it at least 6 times and laughed super hard each time. Trust me - you want to watch it.
Love your elf ideas, we didn't do the elf this year because we have an 11 year old (who is 'too old' for it) and an 18 month old who wouldn't 'get it'. I love the ideas for next year though.
ReplyDeleteAlso I would love to win the books! My little would love them!
Robin
My two year old would love that mini machines box set!!
ReplyDeleteLove those books!!
ReplyDeleteSamt824@yahoo.com
Love reading your blog!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win some books for my kiddos!
ReplyDeleteThat video--I saw it yesterday, and it is hysterical!! Also, those books look amazing! So fun!!
ReplyDeleteThat video parody is hilarious! It's so nice to start the morning with a good giggle! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJill
www.dousedinpink.com
My son loves the "That's not my...." books and I know he would like the search and find ones. I love Usborne books and have been wanting to get more. This would be perfect!!
ReplyDeleteI would pick a dinosaur book and an eye spy book for my boys!
ReplyDeleteLove their books!
ReplyDeleteI am so so thankful that so many people share their elf ideas, I admit this elf thing can be a little stressful but I absolutely love how "real" Olivia thinks it is....have a great weekend!!!
ReplyDeleteYour elf ideas are so cute!! Do you think Andrew will let me color his nose red tonight? Hmmm...I'm going to ask :). Happy Friday friend! XO
ReplyDeleteMy son loves pirates so I'd get him the wind up pirate book. Ahoy there, matey!
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win. xo
ReplyDeleteI've totally stolen some of your elf ideas! Love them. Our kids also love usborne books and that video is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteWe love Usborne books at our house!
ReplyDeleteDYING at the video! Soooo cute! Andrea, I think you need to make a video. :)
ReplyDeleteAny board books- my 1-year old loves to read! **I love your Elf on the Shelf! I can't wait until next year when my daughter will "get" Christmas more. (She just turned 12 months this week.)
ReplyDeleteBecky
Thanks for the elf ideas! Love easy but cute ideas for the elf.:)
ReplyDeleteThose books look great. Would love some for my kids!
Those elf ideas are genius! Storing them away for next year! I would love to win my little guy some new books! :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of Us borne books for our schooling- a neat company!
ReplyDeleteLove all your elf antics!! We love usborne books already, but we don't have that's not my princess, so that is one I would get for sure. They are great books! Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteGreat elf ideas!! Those books are awesome! I have a little girl who would also love that's not my princess book!
ReplyDeleteI did the potty elf after seeing yours and my kids got such a kick out of it! You have great ideas. I have 4 kids so I would have a hard time picking which books to get! My 2 year old could use some fresh board books and my 7 year is a HUGE football fan so those football stories look real cute!
ReplyDeleteLove Usborne here, too!
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome with your elf shenanigans!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the red nose idea! We don't do elf on the shelf but if we did, I would definitely put that one on the list! My kids would love these books (ages 6, 4, 1). Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Rudolf idea-doing that tonight for sure!! Also, I love that you do the elf on the shelf too. I have seen other blogs putting it down and saying it is not "Christian", however, I feel like as adults we over think it. My kids adore it and still know the real meaning of Christmas. A side note: Finding our elf every morning is the one thing that can get my kids dressed and ready the quickest-so it is staying! #score
ReplyDeleteI would choose a seek and find for my oldest and Cow Takes a Bow for my 2 year old. :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely "A Football Story" for my little boy:) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy kids would love the step-by-step drawing book! I've seen that Taylor Swift parody video and thought it was funny and relatable!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the video!
ReplyDeleteWe have the Usborne wind-up helicopter book that travels through the pages and love it! My five year old son loves hidden pictures and pirates, so Luke's book that you featured would be perfect in our house as well!
ReplyDeleteLove all of this!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been stealing your ELF ideas, thanks for posting! :) Love Usborne books as well, we need a few more girly books in this house.
ReplyDeleteLove those books!
ReplyDeleteMy little guy loves books ! What a fabulous holiday gift :)
ReplyDeleteAnything pirate or princess with two 6 year old boys and a 2 year old girl. But I loooove the box of early reader books. Reading for one of twins has been a challenge and I am always on the hunt for fun easy readers to keep his interest and encourage his growth as a reader!
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog!! Thanks for the elf on the shelf ideas!
ReplyDeleteLove these books!
ReplyDeleteHow great are these?!! I'd get some new board books and also the Puzzle Tin
ReplyDeletethe books look awesome!
ReplyDeleteI love Usborne books! Our library has them for sale periodically, and I always get a few when they do. If I won, I'd get the Look and Find Pirate book for my 5 year old! :)
ReplyDeleteThis would be awesome! My 8-yr old loves to read!!
ReplyDeleteI would pick the princess activity pack for my girls! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think the Dino book would be awesome for my little guy!
ReplyDeleteI love books as a teacher and former reading soecialist! Great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy 6 year old and 3 year old would LOVE this!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed love books!!!! Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteLove these books! I'd take the learning to draw books that my 5 year old is currently obsessed with
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten into the Elf on the Shelf for my kids, but I love seeing all the cool things other parent's come up with for theirs!
ReplyDeleteI would get the Christmas musical books for my kiddos!
DeleteLove the "That's not my..." books!
ReplyDeletel really like the baby's first touchy feely books for my nephew who is 7 months
ReplyDeleteLove Usborne books! I have a 14 month old that would love some books for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteYes, the video! It's one of my favorites as well!! Happy Friday :)
ReplyDeleteLove the books!! The princess one would be a must :)
ReplyDeleteWe love Usbourn books. My son would love the seek and find pirates!
ReplyDeleteI would love some new books for my niece and nephew!
ReplyDeleteI love love love your giveaway!! I graduate tomorrow in elementary education and will be a teacher someday:) I would love to get books to start my classroom reading area:)
ReplyDeleteYour Elf is SO creative!!
ReplyDeleteMy kids love those books too!
ReplyDeleteLOVE reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteI love that pirate book! I would get that one for my son. We tried the elf last year with my then 3 yr old and he just wasn't into it at all. If he had been I totally would be doing all the elf antics too. This year I just made a countdown board and he gets to open one small bag each morning and it has a $1 toy or piece of candy each day. He loves doing that! I guess his love language is gifts LOL.
ReplyDeleteI love these books for my grandsons! The Dino book would be a welcome addition!
ReplyDeleteI also love Usborne books! My son LOVES all of the sticker books, especially the dress-up ones! My daughter loves the "That's Not My..." books. Anything she can touch and feel! So cute! :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE the elf on the shelf ideas! It won't be until next year when we can start it, but I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI have been looking for some new books for my daughter, it would be nice to win this! Thanks for the opportunity!
Happy Friday to you!!
ReplyDeleteLove all the elf ideas! I will be borrowing a few next week. :-)
ReplyDeleteAndrea I love your post. You are so creative with Buddy the elf. And Griffin with her hair tied in a "top pony tail" in adorable, happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteWe love books in our home and I think those pirate books would be a hit here as well :)
ReplyDeleteThat video...too funny! Those girls are hilarious and now I've wasted tons of my morning watching videos!!
ReplyDeleteWe love Usborne books! I bought my niece The Story of Jesus for Christmas...I hope she loves it:)
ReplyDeleteI just watched that Blank Space video yesterday and laughed so hard....so true!!!
ReplyDeleteMy 4-year old would LOVE that search and find pirate book!
ReplyDeleteI would pick the Nativity flap book!!
ReplyDeleteOh I love the Sticker books that Usbourn has!
ReplyDeleteI would totally love that wind up pirate ship book for my son! He would go crazy!
ReplyDeleteAlso, so impressed with all your elf adventures! How, oh how, did you ever wrap their door without them noticing? You're so sneaky!
Oh gosh and I totally forgot to comment... I saw that Taylor Swift parody yesterday and LAUGHED so hard! SO TRUE.
ReplyDeleteBoth of my children loved the "That's not my...." books! I kept special ones in our diaper bag for emergencies!
ReplyDeleteDana A.
Yummy little cookbook looks like fun!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the elf ideas! :-)
ReplyDeleteThose books look awesome! My 6 year old daughter LOVES books.
ReplyDeleteThe red noses are hilarious! I hope I win the books for my sweet girl!
ReplyDeleteI want the books for my 5 kids . .. but I just died about the video! My 9 year old girl watches the real video so much that i knew the song..... but the Barista making it rain makes me swoon and laugh
ReplyDeleteFun giveaway! Would love to win books for my sweet kids!
ReplyDeleteI love the rhyming books like Cow takes a Bow!
ReplyDeleteYou have the best elf ideas. Cracks me up! :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to have all the books, but my boys would love the Big Book of Dinosaurs!
ReplyDeleteEileen B.
My boys would absolutely love any of the pirate or dinosaur books!!
ReplyDeleteall of those books look awesome, such a fun giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWould love a pirate book!
ReplyDeleteLove your Elf ideas! Great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI would get the book on pirate ships
ReplyDeleteMy son loves That's Not My Train… That is the first thing he grabs every visit to the library!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter would like the "That's Not My Princess" book. My son would probably like some of the science books.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this!!
ReplyDeleteMy little bookworm would love all those books!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to get my daughter some more Christmas books, especially Advent ones!
ReplyDeleteWe love usborne books! Getting any of them to add to our library would be great!
ReplyDeleteI definitely need the dinosaur book. Actually, any dinosaur book :)
ReplyDeleteLove all of the books! Donna
ReplyDeleteThose princess sticker books would keep my girls quiet during church. :-)
ReplyDeleteLOVE all of the books!
ReplyDeleteI love their girly books and think my daughter would have so much fun with them!! Your Elf on the Shelf ideas are darling!! I agree that people over think it and it's really just something fun to do the month of December for the kids.
ReplyDeleteThe bows on the cabinets is a great idea! My 5 year old would love the search and find books.
ReplyDelete-Bradley Lindsey
THank you for being such a positive inspiration to me. And the pirate books would be a huge hit with my three boys!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your blog!!! These books are so cute. Thank you for this opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI so love your blog! You always have great ideas and my boys love all books!
ReplyDeleteLove the neat ideas for the elf. I can't wait to copy these. And the books...we love books! My boys read all of the time.
ReplyDeleteI just shared that video on facebook! so hilarious!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteChristmas books are my weakness! We would have to get the nativity flap book and the stories of Santa!
ReplyDeleteWould love to win the money and would get my girl the Cowtakes a Bow
ReplyDeleteBooks for infants!!
ReplyDeleteLove your adventurous elf! All of the books look great!
ReplyDeleteLove usborne books!
ReplyDeleteLove your Elf ideas!!
ReplyDeleteI would definitely get some of the "That's not my..." Books for my youngest! So many to choose from - maybe the elephant & dolly ones. For my oldest - 1000 animals!
ReplyDeleteI would love to get my daughter The First Thousand Words in French book. She has become obsessed with all things French lately. Thanks for your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. I would pick a princess or I-spy book!
ReplyDeleteLove the Hide & Seek book of Animals! Perfect for my niece!
ReplyDeleteI'm just starting out in teaching so I would love to pick out some books for my future classroom! And your elf drinking syrup is my favorite. :)
ReplyDeleteMy nephew loves all things about outer space, and Usborne seems to have quite a few that he would love!
ReplyDeleteI like the board books for the littles.
ReplyDeleteWe love all the "that's not my...." books.
ReplyDeleteLove the elf ideas and all the books!
ReplyDeleteThose books are darling! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThose books are darling! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSo much fun! I need some of these books! Katie A
ReplyDeleteAs a 1st grade teacher....I love books! AND my 3 little grands love them too! ;0)
ReplyDeleteThey had a booth at the last craft fair I attended and thought they were so cute! I would love to add to Ellie's library!
ReplyDeleteSuch cute elf ideas!!!!! That video is so true and so very funny!!!! Hope y'all have a great weekend!!!!:)
ReplyDeleteI'd love a "that's not my elephant" book!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog! We would love to win!
ReplyDeleteThose books look great! And love the bendy elf tutorial and your ideas!
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this giveaway!
ReplyDeleteLove this giveaway! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHannah D.
Love the early reader books! My oldest loved all the "That's Not My..." books when she was little--now her sisters do too:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway!!! My girls LOVE the "It's Not My..." books!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love these books. As a mama of two boys, I love the Big Book Collection (dinosaurs, Big Tractor, Star and Planets, etc.)
ReplyDeleteMy boys would live the pirate book with the ship! Love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteMy boys would love the pirate ship book! Great elf ideas too:)
ReplyDeleteMy boys have been loving Usborne books for years! The "that's not my monster/puppy/train..." books are great!
ReplyDeleteMaureen.zachary@yahoo.com
I would love to be able to get books for my granddaughter who loves books!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest would love all the 1001 things to find books!
ReplyDeleteI love getting all my nieces and nephews books to read. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLove the doodle boos, my 2 oldest are obsessed with coloring and drawing. I would like one of the touch and feels for my youngest!
ReplyDeleteLove the books! Your elf ideas are so fun!
ReplyDeleteThese would makes the best gifts!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Usborne Books. The director of my school is British so we have a LOT of their books in our library. (Usborne is UK based I believe?) My students love playing their card game "Snap". My favorite book is "What the Ladybird Heard" by Julia Donaldson.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Usborne!! How can I choose just a few?
ReplyDeleteOk a few:
1001 Pirate Things to spot, 1001 Things at Sea to Spot, A Garden for Pig, and last but not least, Dinosaur Lift Flap Book!
I would pick the princess book for my daughter and the pirate ship book for my son :)
ReplyDeleteI would love these books!
ReplyDeleteYour Elf on the Shelf ideas are awesome!! I might need to steal some ideas for next year. And I would pick some toddler specific books for my daughter, she loves everything from animals, dinosaurs and construction books. Not so much into girly, princess books right now.
ReplyDeleteI would love these books for my baby girl ;)
ReplyDeleteMy son would love the Dinosaurs collection.
ReplyDeleteMy son would LOVE the first reading set and the Dino books!
ReplyDeleteWe have 6 or 8 of their books and love them all. I carried That's Not My Tractor in my purse/diaper bag for about a year with my oldest!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing that my 2 yr old daughter loves more than reading! She would loooooove this! So awesome of you! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCute books!!
ReplyDeleteOh I love your blog!! My kiddos love Usborne books!!
ReplyDelete