Either you love it or you hate it.
It's that time of the year when parents and caregivers struggle to decide if they want to take on the task of elf on the shelf. And let me start by saying, if you start it one year be prepared to continue it for years to come!
We started it with Lily when she was 2.5 years old and she still remembers the elf from last Christmas. She will talk about the places she found him and asks when he is coming back so we are in it until the end in the Camara Crew house. Thankfully, my husband usually takes on the task of moving our elf around the house because he is usually the last one to bed. So I don't feel like it is so much another thing on plate.
However, one thing that I do find super helpful if you are planning on doing an elf on the shelf in your home is being prepared and not setting expectations high! You can get sucked into the hole of Pinterest to easily when you look up elf on the shelf ideas. Some of them can be time consuming and seem daunting after a long day at work and getting the kiddos fed and to bed. The last thing you want to do is create an iconic elf on the shelf scene instead of drinking a bottle....I mean glass of wine!
Elf on the shelf can be as simple as moving him to various spots around your home every night to setting up scenes in your kitchen with marshmallows and more! The great thing is, you get to decide how creative you feel like being. Your children will just be excited for the new adventures that are about to unfold.
Here are a few of my elf on the shelf tips:
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Take an hour and plan out where you are going to move the elf every night. Knowing ahead of time will take that ease off your mind
Do not move the elf until the kids are in bed! Therefore minimizing the risk of getting caught!
Do what you can, you don't have to do something extravagant at all or every night you decide!
Read the book - I didn't read the book until weeks into doing elf on the shelf and had people messaging me telling me kids aren't supposed to touch the Elf....WHOOPS ahah
If you don't want to splurge on a legit elf on the shelf, head on over to your local Dollarama they have them there!
Now for some ideas. Remember these are just ideas! You can get as creative or as simple as your heart desires.
day one bring the elf out with advent calendars (if you start December 1st) for the kids and the elf on the shelf book
write a letter to Santa - say to leave the letter with the Elf and they will personally deliver it to Santa. Include paper, pen etc.
hang the elf in various places throughout the house - we try to keep everything above touching level to minimize the risk of the kiddos touching him because they are so young
scavenger hunt throughout the house
the elf can bring special treats peridoically throughout the month whether it is a new ornament for the tree, a favourite snack or a holiday movie
check out the dollar store! they have elf on the shelf colouring books and other items you can use to tag along on the fun
if your looking for some local small shop help to up your elf game I reccomend checking out One Sweet Ninja and Living Life to the Maks. One Sweet Ninja hooked us up with an Elf on the Shelf Cookie for each kiddo and 2 cookies for them to decorate with all the supplies! Living Life to the Maks makes the CUTEST custom sweaters for your Elf! We got Blue Jays, Frozen, Toy Story and Doctor themed sweater.
Let me know in the comments some of your favourite elf on the shelf adventures so we can all help each other get into the spirit.