Our Elf came back today. To some that might get an eye roll or maybe even cause some stress because that means plans must be made for every day of December, but for me—it brings joy. Since having kids December has easily become my favorite month of the year. From the Christmas crafts and advent calendars to the Elf on a Shelf…I love it all. Our elf is named “Elf Snowflake.” He just got the name upgrade last year, so yes, that does mean for 2 years his name was simply Elf. Whether or not you are on the elf train, I wanted to leave you with a little list that might help you make it through the month. These are tried and true activities that are free or cost very little to get you to Christmas morning feeling like an absolute champ! Before I get to that list though, I want to tell you a story and I hope at the end, you realize that the magic and wonder of the holiday season is simply made that way by sharing it with the people you cherish most.

It snowed in Kansas City last weekend. At first a light dusting, but by morning the yard was covered with a white blanket and the trees had faint white accents sparkling in the sunlight. It was such a beautiful scene that first thing in the morning when the kids woke up, I had them run to the window and tell me what they saw. “SNOWWWW, Mommy. It snowwwwed!” My son immediately asked if we could go outside. I don’t know if it was because we had just put up the tree a couple of days before or because I had to work later that day, but my husband and I looked at each other and said, why not? We soon realized that each snowsuit we had was about 2 sizes too small for each of them. It didn’t matter. We layered up and headed out the door, all three dogs in tow. While we were out there, we made snow angels (which was a bit risky…there could have easily been dog poop under the snow layer). We threw snowballs that exploded into snow dust before ever reaching the intended target. Tucker and I played an epic game of hide-and-seek and we raced each other to the fence line and back a few times. I’m not sure if it was partly because of the beauty of the yard—the way the sun was hitting random pockets of snow through the shadows of the trees mixed with all the laughter. Or maybe because the fresh air felt so good after the long week and a half of being inside while my father-in-law healed from his recent hospital stay. Whatever the reason, at one moment I remember I stopped and just took it all in. Smiling from ear to ear as everyone moved from one activity to the next leaving a trail of footprints in their wake. I made sure to remind myself to be fully present. I got misty-eyed as I focused on how grateful I was for such an amazing morning with my family. Until my thoughts were interrupted by being told it was my turn to count. A morning that wasn’t planned. A morning that didn’t cost a dime. A morning that will stay in my memory for years to come.

I wanted to make a point to tell you that story because I want to paint the picture outside of the lens of social media. I want you all to walk into the holiday season confident that whatever family traditions you have, gifts you plan to purchase, or elf tricks you have up your sleeve, you remember what the biggest blessing we all could give to our children truly is. Uninterrupted time. Our full attention. To focus on them. To ENJOY them. To love them.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget to mark your calendars for next Sunday the 10th at Busy Bean Play Café. It’s a book launch party you won’t want to miss. There will be character aprons included with your 2-hour playtime purchase. There will also be cookies to decorate, and I will be reading T-Rex and Tuck Explore the Kitchen to an audience for the first time.

Download the December Elf Calendar below.

Happy reading!