Ariel The Elf

Tis the season to start brainstorming for fun "Elf" ideas.

I get that this isn't everyone's thing - and MOST nights I just consider myself successful having moved her at 4am when I'm awoken in a panic because I fell asleep and forgot to do the cute thing I had planned.

& when I DO forget? I just apologize for being up so late editing that Ariel fell asleep.

This year I'm 1000% going to blame the kitten if I forget to move her.

Here are a few ideas I have done already, and some I plan to do this year.

WHY am I posting this today of all days? Because the internet and social media are scary and stressful and while at The Dollar General I found this little box in the Christmas aisle and thought it would be perfect for some tiny letters/drawings of Ariel's trip from The North Pole to here (and a good excuse to brush up on my geography to do so accurately). Probably gonna make a small map also since we are learning about maps in geography.

So here's a few I have photos of (and I'm including their original captions because I'm lazy and don't want to retype them (copy and paste for the win my friends).

Ariel the Elf told them they should have tacos for dinner tonight, ready these "Dragons Love Tacos" books today, and "Taco 'bout" why we are celebrating Thanksgiving next week! Toothless held the books for the Elf so she could hold her taco with the special seasoning loved by alllll Elfs... glitter. Our tacos tonight will not have glitter, though.

2. Instant pancake mix + sprinkles = two happy toddlers but I only make it every now and then. Kinda had to since Ariel told them to ask me nicely for rainbow pancakes and they did.

3. Panties in the tree - click here for the video.

The girls thought this was HILARIOUS.

4. In case you wondered what happens if you eat your weight in candy canes. The toilet paper holder is pipe cleaner around the jar and a tiny scrap of cardboard wrapped with a tiny piece of toilet paper. Super easy. Paaps (my dad) ate these the next day and they still talk about how he ate her poo.

5. Ariel goes fishing - video here.

6. Ariel travels with us (thanks, Barbie back pack and camera) - video here.

The twins thought it was super funny how annoyed I was Ariel emptied my jar of noodles. HOW DARE SHE.

7. Sneaking candy.

8. She tied herself to my laptop so I couldn't edit AT ALL (even though it's editing season in photography world) and told me to just play all day - so we did! - we do this one every year and they love it the most.

9. My mom always decorated our tree with real candy canes - and Ariel didn't want us to forget them so she left several boxes for them to do and started us off.

10. She made an ornament in each of their fav colors and then one for her (their colors mixed up = purple). Then she left the supplies out. Tiny scissors, PS, from a sewing kit.

11. She decorated our bookshelf for Christmas.

12. An "Ariel" party.

13. Sleeping in their Barbie house with a teddy bear.

14. Barbie bath and marshmallows for a bubble bath fit for an elf.

15. She hung the first magnet on the advent calendar. We love this BTW - it's a Melissa & Doug one and we've had it since they were two. Somehow we haven't lost any magnets.

This year I'll try to do better about taking photos and add them here, but these are some of our ideas for THIS year (2020):

Ariel holds their DS controllers so they can’t play all day if (okay, WHEN) I find them on the floor with a note about leaving them on said floor.

Fishing (we did gold fish cookies once and a toothpick and fishing like but recently they got a tiny “Let's Go Fishing” game with a pole and magnetic fish that’s super small and elf sized so gonna try that and then leave out the original which we also have.

Ariel is bringing the Lego Elf set on December 23 to do before she leaves on Christmas morning. This was going to be a regular Christmas gift but they'll have more fun with it if it's from Ariel I think.

She’s going to draw a picture of Floof and her together (poorly because Elves can’t draw, y’all).

*Friends with Barbie dolls - so many options.

Pool party with the Barbie/friends in their dream house.

Slumber party in their dream house with real popcorn in tiny bowls.

Road trip to their play room in the Barbie Jeep with the Barbies, proably going to tie a tiny Christmas tree to the top.

Playing with / hiding from their “hard toy” (Schleich) dinosaurs with Jurassic Park Barbies.

Riding Barbie horses.

Sitting in the middle of all the Pusheen toys.

Playing disc golf (gonna have to see if I can make a tiny basket and disc aka maybe ask Nick).

Writing Christmas style word problems for the twins to solve, "If two elves get into a car with four elves how many elves are in the car?" type things.

Taking a selfie with my extra camera which I’ll leave pointed at her (and the memory card will have pics of her on it).

Hiding in the Christmas tree (honestly - she’ll do this several times because #lazy).

Setting out Christmas movies and popcorn for movie night. We have the "Classic Christmas" Movie set and the Grinch movies.

Setting up a tiny tree (Target sells mini trees and ornaments and lights) on their dresser. We got ours at KMart years ago, but I've also seen them at Michael's & Hobby Lobby.

Sneaking into the fridge to eat Christmas cookie dough (missing bite will be my pleasure).

Letters about how smart and creative they are with specific examples from the last year for each kiddo (probably typed, going to sit her on my printer by the paper).

Drop your ideas or favorite Elf adventures you've seen in the comments. I would love to have a few more!!