Family Christmas Countdown Party Series: Elf Movie Theme Night

Let me just tell ya' - this was one LAST MINUTE, thrown together festivity. Usually I would have a few more decorations to deck the halls, activities for the wee hands to stay busy and yeah, we might of even had some costume pieces. Although, I feel really good about the fact that I have learned something over the years...rather then letting lack of time stop you, sometimes when the mood strikes you have to just go for it, run with whatever you can grab along the way to get where you are headed. Tonight's family party is just that. So bear with me as you read through this post, knowing there is MUCH room for you to expand the theme into. 

World's best cup of coffee

Here is the evidence of just how planned out this party was...

• 11:30 am we decided a homemade pizza party with movie would be fun with the cousins. 
• 12:30 pm we decided to expand it into a theme party.
• 1:00 pm We had Elf on the brain
• 1:30 pm Internet searching begins for some ideas
• 2:00 pm Menu is planned: Spaghetti w/syrup, cupcakes w/elf toppings & World's Best Coffee
• 2:15 pm Activities planned: Elf craft, Paper Cut out Snowflakes, Decorate Cupcakes
• 2:30 pm grocery list for dear hubby to stop on way home from work completed 
• 3:00 pm Tori making cupcakes from scratch for candy-licous toppings Elf-style activity
• 3:30 pm pizza dough rising
• 4:00 pm elf craft printed & ready to go
• 4:30 pm "World's Best Cup of Coffee" labels designed,  printed and glued on to-go cups 
• 5:30 pm Dear Hub arrives and candy toppings are dished up, pasta is cooked.
• 6:30 pm we are cranking up the Christmas tune "Baby, it's cold outside" and yelling for the clan to arrive as we dance our way into the start of a fun-filled party.

As the night proceeded I thought of a few more ditty's that would have been fun - like who wouldn't want to have a 2-liter of soda for each person to chug down in one sitting with a burp contest at the end? Or maybe a Santa coming to visit that smells like beef n' cheese?

Here are a few quotes from the movie that could be used to decorate or for a trivia game:

• The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear
• Why don't you just say it? I'm the worst toymaker in the world! I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins.
• Sounds like somebody needs to sing a Christmas carol
• Is syrup made of sugar? Then yes
• We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup
• Did you see these toilets they're ginormous
• You smell like beef and cheese, you don't smell like Santa!
• What's a Christmas-gram? I WANT ONE!
• He's an angry elf

Here is the cute little Elf craft I found over at DLTK's Craft for Kids. 

craft by DLTK

Didn't they turn out oh-so cute?

You may have noticed that I mentioned a quickly designed  "World's Best Cup of Coffee" label which was glued on to some to-go cups we had picked up already. Well I did a redesign after watching the movie and I have made up a graphic that you are free to use if you would like to.

For the kiddos we made what I like to call "Coccee" which is Cocoa and a tiddle-bit of coffee. That way it REALLY was the World's Best Cup of Coffee for them, wink-wink. For me, bring on the full fledged coffee. YUM! BTW... Isn't my Mom so cute? I want to be like her when I grow up.

yep, the first label design

Here is one of the cousins decorating his cupcake with all of the yummy sugary elf-must-eats. After all,  it is 3 of their 4 main food groups for ELVES right there in one little entree.

This guy is dishing up the fant-elf-isc spaghetti with syrup and pop tart crumbled topping. Oh yeah BABY! It is hard to believe now, isn't it? I'll admit, I skipped the pasta and stuck with the homemade pizza we had alongside our de-elf-ish spread. The kids really did have a lot of fun eating all this crazy, funny food though.

Once we finished dining and crafting it was time to snuggle up and watch Elf. I think my very favorite moment was hearing all the kids singing along during the songs and quoting the Elf-isms. 

After such a rolling good time we have decided to make this a weekly countdown party to Christmas. So each week we will pick a movie that we can create crafts, food and decor from. I would so love to hear your thoughts on great Christmas Movies we could make a theme party out of. This year is going to be SO.MUCH.FUN!

More than anything I want to encourage you to just make the most you can out of the moments you have before you. Time is slipping by so quickly. I look at my older kids and I can't believe that 2 decades have flown by before my very eyes. My prayer for each of you is that you would not let getting it perfect hold you back from just throwing some fun out there. Pieces here, a morsel there, just go for it. I think Pinterest is great for inspiration but I fear with these gorgeous photos of perfection it will leave tired Mama's feeling discouraged when reality doesn't show up the same way they dreamed it would with expectation. True character & joy comes with fingerprints, smudges and mistakes. Enjoy them Mama's! Treasure each one and be present in the moment they are created. You have been made for such a time as this... You go girl!

2014 UPDATE - this year our family decided to create an ELF Gingerbread Scene for a competition we were in. It turned out pretty great. I will post a picture here as well, but make sure and check out my blog post on it.

-Simply Sublime