Do you believe in magic? I don’t mean casting spells, or Nollywood style juju, or levitating like a freaky David Blaine.
I’m talking about that feeling you get when your kids say their first lines in the Christmas play. Or the look of wonder in their eyes as they open that longed-for present knowing, just knowing they’ve been hand-delivered by Santa himself.
You know, real magic.
As the mother of an 8-year-old who is on the cusp of being too ‘cool’ for it all, I’m doing everything I can to hold onto these moments. Ezra still thinks Santa makes a pit stop at our place in Islington each year and he’s getting very worried about our trip to Nigeria this December.
‘What if he can’t find us? What if our presents get lost?’
I’ve assured both my boys that even the worst Lagos go-slow (traffic) is no match for Santa’s reindeer and that Father Christmas will definitely swing by their granddad’s village come December 25.
What the babes don’t know (and what’s got me all tingly with excitement) is that they’re also going to be getting personal messages from the North Pole, written by Elfie, one of Santa’s favourite helpers.
International Elf Service is an absolutely delightful letter writing service with a difference: you don’t just get one note from Santa, but 24 daily, illustrated letters from Elfie giving sweet and humorous insights into life with the big red dude.
We were sent a batch to review and I couldn’t resist a sneak peek: the personalised letters come boxed with a map of Elfie’s North Pole village, actual wood shavings from Santa’s workshop and envelopes addressed to your kids.
Each letter (complete with ink splodges and marks) tells a different tale in Elfie’s warm and chatty voice, making that magical countdown to Christmas all the more real. I had a quick scan of a couple of passages — and giggled a few times — but I want to save these stories to savour with the boys, so I boxed them all up again.
If you go to the International Elf Service web site, you can get tips on how to deliver the letters to your little ones — e.g. drop them on the doormat, hide them around the house, or even present them via your Elf on the Shelf.
I can’t wait to see the boys’ faces when they discover their letters and read about Elfie’s adventures. The letters will be easy for Ezra to digest and great practice for Jed who’s already a semi-fluent reader. They’re actually a brilliant tool to help children who are learning to read or to encourage older kids to read to their younger siblings.
And since every letter is personalised with each of your children’s names, there’ll be no squabbling over their Elf pen pal!
Top Secret
Psst… International Elf Service is beautifully written and conceived by Emily, a friend and fellow Islington mama and the web site and gorgeous artwork is courtesy of Amee who also designed the Mothers & Shakers web site. But please let’s keep this between us, I really don’t want the babes to find out!
International Elf Service costs £35 for a box of 24 personalised letters. Visit internationalelfservice.co.uk to order a set for your kids or as a unique Christmas gift (NB: order by November 24-25 to get them in time)!
Featured Post in association with International Elf Service
