Deck the Halls

Meet Rudy. He's our new reindeer wreath. He's made out of driftwood and I hung him on the chalkboard door in the kitchen and did a Christmas countdown on the board.

Across from the chalkboard door is our bulletin board where we post our photo Christmas cards and below that is our new advent calendar. I'd been eying this string of knit hats and mittens from Garnet Hill for awhile. Each day I put a little something in it for Ellie and James. So far, it's been mostly notes telling them that today will be the day we'll get our tree or today is the day we'll decorate the tree. It's the second thing Ellie checks every morning when she gets up.

Ellie's dollhouse people were given a tree this year. There was actually a note in the advent calendar one day for her to check out a Christmas decoration in her dollhouse. She thought it was pretty cool. The fact that the tree was a little sparkly added to the coolness factor.

Above is the tackiest Christmas decoration I could ever imagine and I can't really believe I've allowed it in my house. Ellie and I found this pink tree at Target this week and I thought it would be fun for her to have her own mini tree in her room. It actually looks kind of cute with all of the pink, green and yellow in her room.

and last but not least is Bailey. Bailey is the Elf on the Shelf that we were given last year. I can't remember what his name was last year but Ellie renamed him Bailey this year after her friend in school. I think it's a perfect name for him and one that I'll be able to remember year after year. I know that many people like the Elf on the Shelf because they think their children behave better when they are being "watched." I like it because it makes Ellie want to get out of bed in the morning which is usually not the easiest thing. The first thing she says when she wakes up is, "Did Bailey move last night?"