Y’all, look at these! Besides the ornaments we have in the Craft Cottage, these are some of the most adorable felt ornaments I have ever laid my eyes on. Amazingly kawaii, each one looks like a darling gingerbread cookie. I can’t decide which one is my favourite, but I’m partial to the snowman, mug of cocoa, and gingerbread man. If you fancy these, check out My Magic Felt’s other Christmas ornaments—they’re equally precious!
This Friday REI, the outdoor recreation and sporting goods retailer, is doing something rather extraordinary. Instead of participating in Black Friday, they are closing all of their stores and paying their 12,000+ employees to spend time outside, and they are inviting everyone else to join them. While some folks probably can’t imagine a store not being open on the biggest shopping day of the year, this campaign [appropriately called #OptOutside] fits quite well with REI’s belief that “a life outside is a life well-lived,” and I can definitely appreciate them practicing what they preach!
In the midst of holiday busyness, taking some time to go explore the great outdoors sounds like a fantastic idea. All of us could benefit from pausing and enjoying the beauty of nature—whether it’s a snowy mountain, scenic state park, metropolitan botanical garden, or your favourite campground.
Some parks in the USA are even offering special discounts and events to help encourage people to #OptOutside this Friday. Here are just a few of the participating park systems:
For a list of additional park systems, organizations, and companies that have partnered with REI on this campaign, please visit REI’s website. Or, go here to find places to have fun skiing, hiking, cycling, or paddling. You can also check out the hashtag #OptOutside on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to see how others are spending their Friday out in the fresh air!
Personally, I plan to #OptOutside on Black Friday by exploring a marsh and a beach with my fiancé and my dog. How will you be spending the day? Will you be fighting the crowds at the mall? Hiking with your children at a state park? Sleeping in late and then putting up your Christmas tree? Going for a run around a lake? Let us know in the comments!
You may want to turn your volume up for this one. #OptOutside
https://t.co/hNHCAvkGVi
— REI (@REI) October 27, 2015
This sweet wood ornament would make a lovely addition to any newlyweds’ Christmas tree. The 3.5" ornament can be customized with the couple’s names and wedding year, both of which will be laser engraved. The wee arrows and heart add a touch of romance.
A little over a month. Less than 5 weeks. 32 days. However you want to phrase it, the fact remains that it will be Christmas before we know it!
This is an especially busy time here at northpole.com, just as I’m sure it’s a busy time for you. I do hope that you and your family will come visit us here regularly during the holiday season. Besides all of the great stuff elsewhere on the site [such as the fabulous crafts, yummy recipes, and letters to Santa], we will be bringing you fun, festive content here on the Elf Blog every single day between now and Christmas.
If you love holiday events, are wondering where Raymond the reindeer travelled to this year, or simply need a daily dose of Christmas joy, the Elf Blog has you covered. We look forward to spending the holiday season with you and yours!
Christmas is here! YAY! 😀
We hope that each and every one of you had a fabulous Christmas. All of us up here at the North Pole had a wonderful Christmas indeed.
We wanted to take this moment to say thanks to our corporate sponsors who have helped tremendously with the cost of developing and maintaining northpole.com. So, thank you very much to our Diamond Deck-the-Halls Sponsor, RTI, Inc., and our Platinum Poinsettia Sponsor, SimTrain! (Interested in sponsoring Northpole.com? Click here for more information.)
Also, thanks go out to YOU for spending part of your Christmas with us! We appreciate every single one of our visitors, and we are so happy that you came to visit Santa’s Secret Village. We do hope that you’ll spend part of next Christmas with us as well!
So, what was your favourite Christmas memory this year? Did you receive a cherished gift, try a new delicious recipe, or go ice skating with a special someone? Let us know in the comments!
Enjoy the rest of Christmas Day, and from all of us at northpole.com, we wish you a very happy and healthy 2015!
