I don’t know how we discovered Elf Mail, but we did. Once we knew, well, we had to try it. That was several years ago and we have not looked back.
At Christmas, when I was a wee one, I used to write a letter to Father Christmas, outlining my current interests and enquiring how Mrs Christmas and the reindeer were doing. It was slipped into an envelope, addressed to the North Pole and popped into the Royal Mail post box. I remember receiving a card back each year (each one I still cherish).
Simple system that worked. Roll on (ahem quite) a few years. Now I am the mother, watching my daughter write her letter to Father Christmas. Once finished, it too was slipped into the envelope and addressed to the North Pole. At this point, my memory goes blank as to why we did not post it. It may have been the weather making the journey out uninviting. Maybe it was late in the day. Or was it that someone had recently stolen our nearest post box (One night, they took a metal cutter to it and cut it off at the stalk!).
Plan B. Elf mail. Simple alternative. That evening, we placed the letter by our fireplace, where the stockings are hung on Christmas Eve. Payment can be paid in the form of an acorn or a pretty stone, which is left with the letter. Next a simple request for Elf Mail to take the letter to Father Christmas is voiced in the direction of the chimney. Finally, go to bed. In the morning the letter is gone.
This year, the children were concerned that their letter would not be picked up. What if Gwinny dog ate it in the night (!) or it was scooped up in the fire. They were truly concerned. For the first time, the children woke to an Elf Mail post mark.
Shaped in ash, was a curly FC. Father Christmas. Concern disappeared in a moment. Good old Elf Mail.
(Incidentally, Father Christmas delivers his letters in the same way to this house. Give him a few days and I’m sure the children will be waking me up with the news that their letters have arrived.)
Too sweet! Just loved the whole idea of Elf Mail and the post mark, of course. So creative. Oh, childhood is so full of magic. Your children will have fabulous memories of Christmas!
Luciana
I hope they will have lovely Christmas memories to look back on. Happy times!
Love that postmark – so sweet. 🙂
The children were delighted to find it. The “C” is a little smudged as one of them decided to check if it was stuck. They insisted that I vacuumed carefully around it.
Darling! This is adorable and I love the FC!
The children love the magic of it all. (So do I) 🙂
What a great idea! I love the acorn payment.
Only seems polite. I don’t suppose they get many oaks growing up at the North Pole.
Oh that is to darn cute 🙂 I have never heard of Elf Mail but that little ash post mark is great! In the past we have sent letters to Santa at the North Pole as well and our postal service writes back but this looks like so much fun 🙂
I just went to have a look at the packet of Vanilla Sugar that I used and it is by Dr. Oetker and it is 9 grams in weight. I pick them up at a little German delicatesse nearby as I can never find them at the grocery store but I bet you could make your own in a pinch with a vanilla bean to 🙂 Your recipe of making a macaroon with them sounds like it would be delicious to! Enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
Thanks for letting me know about the vanilla sugar. I’ll probably make my own now I know the quantity. It will make a lovely project for the children when they break up from school.