Before the Elf on the Shelf weaseled his way into our home, (I resisted until he was brought into my home three years ago against my wishes because elves little faces creep me out, but that’s a story for another day,) the Magic Mailbox was born.
When my little girl was 5, she got the flu two days before Christmas. We didn’t want our families to get sick, so that meant we were going to have to be at our house for Christmas day. My daughter was so down about it. I tried to think of something to cheer her up.
A few years back, I’d purchased a little cardboard mailbox at the Dollar Tree. It had “Letters to Santa” written on the front of it, and up to this point, I had just used it for holiday decor.
So, on December 23 that year, I got the idea to write a letter from “The Elves” to my daughter. I wrote her a note, told her I was sorry she was sick at Christmas, and left a small bag of holiday Hershey’s kisses in the little mailbox. I went outside, laid it on our front porch, rang the doorbell, and ran like—well, you know—to make it back to the kitchen. We looked at each other and wondered who could be at the door. I told her to go with me and we would see who was at the door…
The mailbox was sitting there and she picked it up. We read the note and she was so excited! The Elves knew she was upset about not seeing her family for Christmas and they wanted to cheer her up! My daughter immediately got her crayons and some paper to write The Elves back. She left them a note and thanked them for the candy.
This began a now almost five year tradition of The Elves writing to my daughter around the holidays. Every few days now, close to Christmas, The Elves write her notes to be found in the Magic Mailbox—and she writes them back!
This….this is the Christmas magic that so many try to capture. I am so happy that an idea I had on a whim has turned into such a happy tradition. My daughter looks forward to her Magic Mailbox letters; she saves every one.
What kind of magic do you make for your kids at Christmas? Leave me a comment.
That's So Fletch 
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