Chirstmas Angel update

Ok, so I've been a bit lax posting about Daisy lately. She's been up to a few antics.

Fishing in the bath.

Playing on the space hopper

Tucked up in mummy's bed with a book.

And some without photos, diving headfirst into the cereal box, standing in Mischief's shoes with an invite to go to Birmingham Christmas Markets with mummy and daddy, tucked up in bed with dolly, buried in the teddy basket. Some days she's had coins, some days hair clips, most days just the verse. Each day Mischief's been eager to go find her.

Salt Dough Angel Garland

One day last week Daisy, our Christmas Angel, suggested we made salt dough angels to decorate the fireplace. I finally have a pic. 

We used this recipe:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup water

Cinnamon

Mixed it altogether until smooth, rolled and cut. We zapped a few at a time in the microwave for 2 minute bursts in high until hard. We turned them over several times to prevent puffing up. 

Once cool we decorated with paint, glitter, glitter glue etc. When the paint was dry I used a  Pebeo metallic paint pen to add the letters for MERRY CHRISTMAS. I threaded onto rustic string and Mischief's daddy hung it on the fireplace for me. 

I'm really pleased with the effect and Mischief's nanny wants one too. 

8th December Christmas Angel

Today Daisy was just sitting around talking with the birds...a couple of chickens for Mischief's farm.

7th December Christmas Angel

Seems like our angel likes Lego...

The Lego town has been built over the last week by various members of the family.

6th December Christmas Angel

Relaxing in mischief's microwave today with some hair clips. 

5th December Christmas Angel

Daisy has found all the Christmas books and was discovered this morning reading them to Taz. 

4th December Christmas Angel

Mischief wore her Christmas PJs last night. 

Daisy found Mischief's stocking and hung it up last night. She was found clutching a little scroll saying

Dear Mischief

Let's make salt dough angels to decorate the fireplace.

Love from Daisy

So we did, no pics yet but we used this recipe

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1/2 water

Good shake of cinnamon

We bleated them in the microwave for several 2 minute bursts and voila. This afternoon we painted them and as by some fluke we had the exact number to spell Merry Christmas with a spare for start, end and middle when the paint and glitter was dry I added e letters in metallic paint. Once dry, I'll thread onto gold ribbon and hang. Pic to follow.

Christmas Angel Day Three

This morning Daisy was snuggled in a little box in our reading area on the landing with some very festive Christmas PJ's for mischief! I think she was very taken with them.

Day Two with Daisy the Christmas Angel

This morning Daisy was to be found presiding over the nativity scene she'd assembled. She had the second verse and a hair clip for Mischief. 

She's also donned a halo.

Meet Daisy, our Christmas Angel

So the morning of the first of December our Christmas Angel was to be found on the chair in Mischief's room with her poem and clutching the first verse of our advent story (I got the verse printables from Abby at Just a Girl and Her Blog here). Mischief was thrilled to meet our angel and chose the name Daisy.

A the month goes on she will acquire more features and her outfit will slowly be completed. By Christmas we will have the whole story held together in a binding ring. We're so excited!

Here is her poem

I am a Christmas Angel sent by God from Heaven

I'm here to share the story and the blessings that can beckon

The very first Christmas God sent an Angel to Mary

What he asked her to do sounded quite scary

But God wanted to give the world his only son

Having him in your life can really be quite fun

Each day I'll have more of the nativity to share

And maybe some fun ways to show that we care

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving love

And peace and happiness and all good things from God above

But not everyone is as fortunate as me or you

So let's find some wonderful things that we can do

To bring some Christmas cheer and blessing

That means much more than window dressing

Each morning find me hiding somewhere in the house

You'll have to look quite hard as I'm quiet as a mouse

No Elf on the Shelf for us

I have a confession, I'm not ashamed to admit it but I know I'm risking the wrath of mummies everywhere. So here goes, I seriously dislike Elf on the Shelf. There it is.

Ok, so I've never actually read the book but I know it originates from an American book and this elf comes to visit for December and he is Santa's spy reporting on whether the little boy or girl is being naughty or nice. The elf then gets up to mischief each night so the child hunts him down in the morning to see what's he's been up to. Some mums really go to town and have really elaborate set ups each morning. 

I'm not sure what I dislike the most, the fact that he spies on you, the fact children are being bribed into 'good' behaviour, the fact that he's naughty overnight (tell me how is a child expected to be good if the elf isn't), or just the fact that he's vaguely creepy. 

I know you'll tell me it's all just a bit of harmless fun and the kids love finding him each morning and seeing what he's been up to but I just find the whole concept wrong. 

So I've opted out. I want to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. I want to take out the commercialism and gimmie gimmie gimmie culture. I want Mischief to take the opportunity to share blessings with others and enjoy the love of Christmas. 

With that in mind I've come up with my own take on the elf, our very own Christmas Angel. She arrived on the 1st December with a poem explaining why she was here, a very from scripture and a coin for Mischief's money box. 

Each day she'll hide somewhere new and have the next verse of the nativity so in the end we'll have the whole story to read. Some days she'll have a little gift for Mischief and some days a suggested activity, such as baking cookies for the neighbours or just a fun activity for all the family to enjoy. 

I bought an artists wooden mannequin for our angel, I thought this was perfect as she could then be posed. I asked Mischief what her Angel would look like if she had one (red hair, green dress) and set to work. She's a work in progress and I actually like that her outfit will develop as the month goes on. 

I'm really quite excited by it as I love Christmas and the anticipation and really hope that Mischief loves her too.