As I related in my previous post, I began sending the Elf Toy of the Month to my niece, Rachel, so that we could stay connected in a fun and creative way. Rachel is all grown up now, and still remembers those gifts with fondness. Actually, she does not remember all of the gifts, but she remembers that the elves and her Aunt Linda sent something special just for her every month for a year. Sending those gifts created a bond between us that cannot be broken.
From the beginning, I realized that there were other families who could benefit from a program similar to the one I created for Rachel. But it wasn’t until Rachel, a marketing expert now, came to me almost five years ago and suggested we establish a business around the concept, that the dream began to take shape.
Because most children have not personally visited my Elfery™ (the space under my stairs where the Glimmer Glen Elves™ come to visit) the way that Rachel did, I have written twelve stories, one for each month, about the Elfery and the elves. We published them in books delightfully illustrated and elf-sized at 3″x 2-1/4″. Children love these tiny books full of magic and wonder.
In writing these books, I learned a lot more about the elves and their home in Glimmer Glen. Each book tells how the elves decided on the Elf Toy of the Month.
Because we knew that at such a small size, these Elfery Storybooks™ could become lost, we made the Elfery Stories Book Box™ in which to keep them. It’s a wooden box that looks like a book. The silk-screened top evokes the nostalgic look of a wood-cut. We’ve heard many oohs and aahs over these beautiful boxes.
My next blog will relate how the toys for the Elf Toy of the Month were chosen.
Tags: Family Bonding, Kids' gifts
