Wow! I can't believe it's almost Christmas! It seems like just yesterday I was helping to pack a truck to move to Orlando in January, and now we are back home in Naples getting ready to celebrate Christmas and the start of a new year! Time flies, doesn't it?

I know everyone is trying to wrap up their last-minute Christmas preparations. Unless, of course, you are one of those super-early Christmas people who get everything started months in advance. My hats off to you. I am not one of those people, maybe I will be next year. With last minute preparations in mind, I wanted to share with you all a wonderful idea for a little Christmas fun! This is a great way to not only make Christmas fun, but to make small gifts into something special...and we all know we are trying to make more of less these days!

Christopher is always so thoughtful and creative, but he has yet to beat our first Christmas together. Since he had several small gifts for me he decided to send me on a scavenger hunt through our house (well, at the time, it was just his house).

I guess first you would have to know that I love penguins. I know, total dork. I actually collect penguins. They melt my heart and I'm such a sucker for love that it makes sense I would love an animal who mates for life. So, Christmas started out with a small gift...a baby stuffed penguin with this note attached to it...



This led me outside to the turtle tank on the patio. Behind it, I found this next note and some candy...



This led me to his desk which had an Einstein poster above it. Behind his computer, right under the Einstein poster, I found a small gift (if I remember correctly, it was a yearly quote calendar, the kind you tear off each day). There was also this note to me from Einstein himself...



Christopher collects old 3 Stooges stuff, so of course this note led me to his collection. There I found this note from Larry, Curly, and Moe, along with a mug and hot chocolate...



Next, I found a "papa penguin" under the pillows on the bed. He had a key attached to him. It was one of those with a light on it, for the front door of my house (I was living with a roommate at the time). Papa penguin also wrote me this note...



Papa Penguin gave me some penguin socks...but I had a little trouble figuring out where I was going. Chris gave me a hint that it was a place only a penguin could live. To everyone else who heard the story the freezer was the obvious choice. But of course I first checked the bathtubs and showers before figuring that out.

In the freezer, I found Mama Penguin with a string around her neck. On the string was a ring, and she also had a card with her. The card was written out with lots of promises for our relationship. The ring: a promise ring.

I know what you are saying "Awwww. How sweet!" And I'm saying "I know, right?!"

As wonderful as it was, my point in telling you is not just the romantic part...but the idea of making more out of less by making Christmas fun! That was the best Christmas I have had to date. I will never forget it and I will never get rid of those little notes. Sometimes, thoughtfulness and a little creativity is the best gift!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! And if someone surprises you with something thoughtful, tell me about it!

P.S. Operation Elf gifts were delivered today, so look out for a post about it tomorrow!