I know you’re all done with your holiday shopping and just have no idea what to do with your spare time between now and December 25th, right?!?!? Well, you’re in luck! Keep reading for some great ideas to keep you busy between now and then:
Take a trip to Key West aboard the Sea Key West Express – $99 Rountrip Holiday Sale!
Have you always wanted to go to Key West and see Ernest Hemingway’s house? Or pop into the legendary Captain Tony’s Saloon? Or take a lazy stroll down Duval Street, and watch the sunset at Mallory Square? Here’s good news then for those of you who live in the Southwest Florida area: You can board the Sea Key West Express boats at Fort Myers Beach or Marco Island and take a gorgeous, relaxing three hour ride there – spend your day sightseeing – and then sit back and enjoy the boat ride back home. All for less than a hundred bucks! By car, it takes more than 6 hours to get to Key West from here and a few tanks of gas. So, what are you waiting for? Click here and enjoy your trip!
Elf on the Shelf: Start a New Family Tradition for the Holidays!
My family started this tradition (our first!) this past Thanksgiving evening when Mr. Elf flew to our home from the North Pole to meet our boys, Jack and Jake. They were mesmerized with wide-eyes and open mouths as we read the story about the Elf of the Shelf. Then, when the story was over, we ran through the house to see who could find the Elf on the Shelf first. Well, the boys found him at the same time and giggled/shrieked with excitement as soon as they did 
It was really, really awesome to start a family tradition with our boys. If you’re interested in doing the same – keep reading!
An excerpt from Elf on the Shelf:
From My Family to Yours,
This charming tradition began for our family when my children were very small. Like most children through the ages, they wanted to know how Santa really knew who was naughty or who was nice. Their answer, as in my own childhood, came in the form of a small pixie-elf.
The first time the elf arrived at our home, my children officially adopted him by giving him a name. Each year he would arrive around the holidays, usually at Thanksgiving. His sole responsibility was to watch the children’s behavior and report it to Santa each night. The next morning after the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the North Pole and was now resting in a new and different place. My children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to spy him in his new position.
Over the years the tradition was perfected and rules were introduced. For example, to better preserve his mystique the children were not allowed to touch him but talking to him was a different matter all together. My children shared many secrets with the elf, and while he was under strict orders not to talk to them, the elf was under no such orders where grown-ups were concerned.
Unwittingly, the tradition provided an added benefit: it helped the children to better control themselves. All it took was a gentle reminder that the “elf is watching,” for errant behavior to be modified.
I never dreamed this simple tradition would lead to so many treasured Christmas memories for our entire family. It is my earnest desire that The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition will bring as much joy to your family as it has to mine.
Enjoy this tradition, and MAKE IT YOUR OWN!
With my best wishes for you and those you love,
Have a safe and happy weekend everyone!
