Family traditions are so important and that's why we fell in love with the Elf on The Shelf book set. Inside the book set you will find an antique-style Elf, formed to sit on a shelf or perch in your house, as well as a book that explains what the Elf is for. He has an important job. This Elf is assigned to watch over your family and report back to Santa each night about who has been naughty or nice that day. By morning he's back but he's in a different place in the house for a daily hide-and-seek ritual that will delight your kids and adults alike.
It is a fun tradition to sit down together at the beginning of the Christmas season and read the book. We chose to start this on Thanksgiving weekend. Your kids can name the Elf and enter the name on the certificate at the back of the book. You can also go online and register your Elf on the author's web site. (Interesting side note, as researching this tradition I found that the Illustrator is a local, she is from Cincinnati. Her name is Coe Steinwart.)This Elf is a fun way to bring the family closer together at the hectic Holidays and remind us of the good ol' fashioned Christmas spirit. We all know that the elves work for Santa. But who knew you could have one work in your own home?
If you have small children, grandchildren, or you just know a child, Elf on the Shelf is fun for a child of any age. Every morning when they get up they would race downstairs to see where the Elf was that day. As we learned, you had better have a story in your hip pocket to explain why the Elf is still in the same spot after you forgot to move it before bed the night before.
Here are some other fun ideas:
- Use fake snow to leave a trail around the house, to show where the elf has flown around.
- Dribble cookie crumbs on the elf and leave him next to the cookies, as if he ate some.
- While I could go on and on about holiday traditions or ways to decorate your home for the holidays, lets talk about something else...
How about how to prepare and get your home ready for market. How do you make your home a Buyer's Desire?!?
So to incorporate the 2 subjects we will instead of singing the 5 Golden Rings from the "12 Days of Christmas"...lets sing the 5 Tips to Home Staging!
Staging Tip #2
If it's dirty, clean it!
If it can't be cleaned, paint it or replace it!
Q-Tip clean is the goal! Leave no crack dusty much less gooey!! Clean walls, floors and fixtures! Wash windows, decks and sidewalks! Professionally clean carpets, if they won't come clean, replacing them with a moderately priced carpet will save you money at the negotiating table.
Take the stress out of that last minute cleaning before an open house. Our cleaning team will dust, vacuum, and clean to give that professional touch that makes a good impression. Moving out and need a thorough cleaning after the home is vacated? Our team will give it the white glove, leaving a home move-in ready for the new owners.
What a Home Buyer perceives as a "bad smell" in a house can make or break a deal. Does your house pass the smell teest? Unfortunately, as much as your pet is a beloved part of the family he/she may leave a lingering odor that non-pet owners do not appreciate and therefore your buyer pool is reduced even more. Do you love to cook with garlic? Many food odors can linger in the air as well as smoke. Try and refrain from smoking in the house while it is on the market. Keep the garbage empty and occasionally grind up an orange peel in your garbage disposal to keep it smelling nice. You can easily purchase a coffee mug warmer and warm scented oil or scented tart in a glass bowl to infuse a pleasant smell throughout the house. Be careful on the scent that you choose. Do not let it overwhelm the space.
...stay tuned for Tips #3 thru #5.
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