Is There and Elf on Your Shelf?

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Santa Claus sat in his workshop at the North Pole, thinking. He knew he needed to get presents to all the good little boys and girls across the world, but how would he know who had been good that year? One day, he had a wonderful idea. He gathered his elves around him and delivered an important message. He was going to send each of them to a home with young children, where they would live from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. Each night, the elves were to travel back to the North Pole and tell Santa everything the children had done that day and if they had been good. Each morning, the elves would arrive back at the house before the children awoke so they could hide in a different place. The children would excitedly seek them out once they awoke, so they could whisper their Christmas wishes to the elves.

So goes the story of a delightful children's book, written by a woman named Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell. Since its publication in 2005, The Elf on the Shelf has won multiple awards and inspired many families around the world to begin their own Elf on the Shelf Christmas traditions.

The Elf on the Shelf has become a wonderful source of inspiration for all of us at Ornaments for Keeps. We fell in love with the story the first time we heard it, and we have loved getting to participate in this adorable family tradition through the creation of our personalized elf ornaments. 

This year, we invite you and your family to join in the fun! Our customized elf Christmas ornaments make the perfect elves for your children to search the house for every morning. Though we live in an increasingly digital world, we don't want the next generation to grow up without the same sense of imagination and wonder that filled our hearts when we were young. It's through fanciful traditions like these that we help keep our children's imaginations alive.

We hope you'll start a new family tradition this year by inviting the elves into your home, and we would be honored to get to be a part of it. If you're looking for some more creative ideas, check out our Elf on a Shelf Pinterest board!

Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Pinterest

Follow us on Google+

Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

Six EASY Ideas to Help Start Your Family Tradition!!

Creating family traditions can be simple and effortless - don't get stressed trying to create an elaborate plan.  Remember the point  is to bring the family together for some quality time. 

Here are some simple ideas to create your own family traditions that will be easy to continue year after year.

1. Drive through area light displays together.  Tune in some Christmas carols on the radio and you are ready to be fascinated by the twinkling displays.
2. Make Dough Ornaments with the Family - Check out my EASY Dough  Ornament Recipe!  
3. Movie night!  Watch your favorite holiday flick together...whether it's Miracle on 34th Street or A Christmas Story it will be something to share with each generation.
4. Hand print an item with every family member. Choose a cloth laundry or grocery bag or table cloth and have each person put there hand print on it. One can be made for each member of the family and added to as it expands.
5. Family Pot Luck.  You can choose an overall theme that everyone can bring an appropriate dish or have everyone bring a course.  Have everyone email you the recipes in advance and you can put together a booklet for each guest attending.
   
6. Have an annual ornament exchange.  Each person can draw a name and get an ornament for that family member.  You can incorporate themes or other ideas to spice it up from year to year.

These are just some ideas for you to share with your loved ones.  Traditions that can be created so easily and can last a lifetime!  

Happy crafting and I hope these ideas help!  Since my first craft show in 1981, customers here at home and from around the United States continue to add to their collections and to buy these personalized gifts for family and friends.

Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas! 

Like us on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter 

Follow us on Pinterest

CONTACT US

Phone: (573) 893-3272
info@ornamentsforkeeps.com

It's Never Too Soon To Think About the Holidays

     We've all heard the moans and groans from the people who hate to see anything Christmas before Halloween. But why not? Summer's end is the perfect time to start thinking about the holidays. Taking time to plan ahead now can make for a much more enjoyable holiday season.
1.There is just too much about Christmas to fit into one month. I'm not saying to fully deck out your décor now but having a game plan can only help. When stores first put out the holiday decorations get in there right away and take advantage of the savings. If you're like me I try and do a different theme every year. When I finally decide what that's going to be, buying the ornaments, ribbons, garland and everything else can be much cheaper this time of year. What about your holiday parties? Whether you're the host/hostess or just plan on attending, have it thought out. Decide early what food and beverages you'll be serving or taking, what fun games you'll be playing and what the theme will be. And then there's the Christmas cards. This can be a very challenging task. Getting that perfect family picture, picking out the card style and if you write a letter each year about what your family has been up to, have it all ready. The lead up to Christmas can be so fun!
2. 'Tis the reason for the season. In our religion, Jesus is a pretty important guy and celebrating his birth is the entire reason for the season. Think of ways to honor this special event, there are so many ways to give back. Choose a family in need from the angel tree and help them to have a special holiday. Serve at your local shelter and I know it may sound cliché but sometimes just a simple smile at someone can make all the difference.
3. Giving the perfect gifts. Putting extra thought into each person can make it all that more special. Sure, giving in general is great but when you find something that makes a person's face light up with joy, that's so much better. All it takes is a little thought and starting early can save you the stress of just having to pick up something at the last minute. Did I mention the sales? Get it early to save.
4. Personalized Christmas Ornaments. Of course I had to throw this in here:) Get your ornaments early. The new ornaments for 2016 have arrived and they're in stock. Whether you're starting the tradition of giving a personalized ornament every year or have been doing it for decades...the sooner the better!
ornamentsforkeeps.com
5. Christmas only comes once a year and is so magical, enjoy it!


Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Pinterest

Follow us on Google+

Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

Hats Off to the Graduates of 2016!

    Once senior year rolls around graduation is the main event. As our news feeds fill up with graduation posts, announcements, and party invitations we know that spring is here and summer is just around the corner, yay! But back to graduation, there are so many event filled years that lead up to these final days, the excitement is overwhelming.
    Time flies and many details will be lost in the hustle and bustle. Don't let this memorable occasion pass without giving something to document all the blood, sweat and tears it took to get here. A personalized Christmas ornament can do just that.
    As they build their lives, start careers and families of their own, being able to bring a little memento out every year can remind the grad that they did it! We have a great selection of ornaments to be personalized for the special grad in your life. Get a glimpse of our full selection here.
    Want to customize your graduation ornament? We can do that too! Give them a gift they will treasure forever from ornamentsforkeeps.com.

Congratulations to all the graduates out there!

Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Pinterest

Follow us on Google+

Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

    
   

A Very Special Confirmation

     Our family had such a special day on Sunday...my Goddaughter was confirmed into the Lutheran faith! Confirmation is the public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful instruction. The goal is always to provide a significant base for a growing faith and to continue the things learned and put ones faith into practice.
      To celebrate we had a big family dinner after church. Channing was showered with gifts and love! Of course my mom turned up with an adorable package. Adorning the envelope tied with beautiful ribbon was one of our children's cross ornaments, hand personalized with her name and confirmation date. What made this unique was on the back. The bible verse that Channing chose was John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The verse was wrote on the back so that she will always remember the scripture that was most important to her at this time.

     This just goes to show that there are so many wonderful ways to use personalized ornaments as keepsakes to remember all life's special occasions. Want creative ideas on how to use personalized ornaments for all your life events like baby showers, bridal gifts, or even something like a Thank-you gift...contact us, we're here to help!

Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Pinterest

Follow us on Google+

Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

  

Chalk Painting 101

     By now I'm sure you've seen an old piece of furniture that has been beautifully repurposed and painted using chalk paint. Curious about this? Well we were, so we found an Annie Sloan chalk painting workshop through our local Southbank Gift Company.
     Annie Sloan developed this unique paint that can be beautifully done in several techniques but the item you're painting does not have to be primed or sanded and is easy to use and quick to dry, and it's super durable. She called it chalk paint, which is her patented name, because of it's velvety ultra matte finish.

   Before taking this workshop, I have to say I had my doubts about how different this paint could really be compared to your typical latex...wow, was I shocked! We were taught 5 different techniques using pieces of plain wood trim. We did everything from a normal one color all over finish, to layering multiple colors, different brush strokes, sanding to get the distressed look and learning to use the wax that gives it the perfect finish. There are 33 colors to choose from and all the colors can be specially combined to practically any shade you can imagine. So much fun to finally learn about this!

     If you have an old piece that you've thought about painting or want to go thrift shopping to acquire that perfect piece, I would highly recommend finding Annie Sloan chalk paint in your area. This stuff is amazing!








Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Pinterest

Follow us on Google+

Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

The month of LOVE!

February is the month of LOVE! Although Valentine's Day only comes once a year there's never a bad time to tell the one you're with how much you love them.
    Some may view this holiday as being commercialized by card, candy, and flower companies to do nothing more than sell products, however, if you're that true romantic it can be so much more than that. Bigger is not always better.
     This day does not have to be all about spending, as some will say, sometimes it's all about the small things. Leave a love note and their favorite candy, make a romantic candlelit dinner at home, or maybe something as simple as taking a walk around the park.
     Then there's the other end of the spectrum with the gift of jewelry, roses and fine dining. If you're looking for something extra unique ,Ornaments for Keeps has a great idea...a personalized couple ornament. This is a gift that will be brought out year after year to remind that special someone just how much you love them. Whichever you may chose, make the most out of this special day!

Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Pinterest

Follow us on Google+

Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com