Father-Husband-Marketer-Geek

Elf Night is our annual tradition of gathering to watch the classic Will Ferrel film " Elf ". It's our fifth year and this year we had eighteen kids and around twenty or more "bigger kids". We made our traditional pumpkin spice pecan waffles for dinner, and everyone brought some other kind of Elfish treat. It was my son's first Elf Night, and he really enjoyed himself, showing off his almost-crawling skills, singing " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer " with everyone, and sitting for the annual picture of all the children on the couch. Some people dressed as elves, and almost everyone wears pajamas -- just to set up the imagery for you! It's a great idea for a fun party.

....as if they weren't upon us back in October, even. Today we made our annual trek to Yankee Candle in historic Deerfield, MA. We arrived at 5 pm, and unfortunately we missed an appearance by Department 56 artist Cynthia Markle, who is responsible for many of the village accessories such as trees, animals, and other accessories. We had never been to the Candle in the evening, and we were awestruck by the lights on display outside. It was spectacular. If you haven't been there before, this is the flagship store, about the size of 4 Target stores. The store is divided into several small villages of shops, with many themed ornament displays, candle displays, and of course a full section of elaborate D56 displays. There is an educational toy store, a home and garden store, a Bavarian cafe, a candy and sweets shop, and much more. Every year they add more. Of course, on the way home, we stopped at Bub's barbecue , a small restaurant which is usually packed. It's near Umass ...

10) Prancer What starts out as a syrupy, whiney melodrama, as dark as "The House Without a Christmas Tree", with similar themes, turns out to be very Grinchlike as townspeople rally to save the spirit of Christmas. A predictable storyline won't stop children from loving this movie. It might even make some people well up in the old eye sockets... 3 out of 4 elves recommend this christmas movie! 9) Santa Claus: The Movie This movie was so hyped up. I was a freshman in college, and with a buddy of mine who was also a christmas freak, and we drove 40 miles to see the premiere. It was supposed to be "Santa Claus" as if done by George Lucas - special effects abound, and it was, visually, pretty darn impressive. What I didn't like was Dudley Moore - never a personal favorite. Like "The Grinch", perhaps the hype and the expectations were not met. 3 out of 4 elves recommend this movie! 8) The Santa Clause It's hard to imagine Tim Allen as Santa. After a...