The Official 2012 Elf Capades Thread

[MSSANDRA]

Originally Posted by KristiKat

Love reading all the creative ideas. I've thought about getting one for my DD but she is 6 and I think she is beginning not to believe so afraid to spend the money and it go to waste.

Wonderful fun and memories are never wasted. I really don't think my 6 year old believes, he doubted last year when "Buddy" arrived but he is not quite sure enough that he is not real to take any chances. He is TOOOO funny. Our elf basically does stuff to drive him a little nuts and then will do something funny or leave a treat just to throw him off. This morning Buddy was dressed in the clothes DS had laid out to wear to school today. He has taken his DS and was playing it up out of reach of him, crawled in his bed when he crawled into mine during the middle of the night. Right now he is ridding DS's scooter through our living room! Tomorrow will be treat day and he is bringing a christmas doughnut so all will be forgiven.

[LCoulter]

Originally Posted by HLAuburn

Yes, I named him...I didn't want to take the risk of him being named after a My Little Pony or a character on SpongeBob! A lot of the elf "introduction" letters from Santa I saw said the kids were to give the elf a name, but I just thought it was better for us this way to avoid a fight over what he/she should be called.

It's completely up to you!

I am leaning toward naming the elf...Alisa is what I picked out and am just waiting to see what DH thinks. I agree that I don't want her to have a strange name and DD picks some strange ones for her dolls and animals.

I finally found an elf yesterday, after checking 8 different stores, including Lobby Hobby and not finding any elves. I was about to give up when I remembered a gift shop just across the way at the mall and there she was, not exactly what I was looking for but she is cute. She is not really posable like the official elf but is more of a fabric stuffed rag doll. She is weighted in her bottom so she sits nicely with her long legs dangling, she has two brown braids, a bulky red and grey sweater with a heart, a grey skirt, and a red and grey elf hat.

I am planning an introduction for Saturday morning with a letter from Santa which I found on-line but edited it. I am going to sit her on top of DD5.5 ceiling fan, dangling the letter from a ribbon.

DH is getting in on it too. Last night he bought a necklace that looks like a string on tree lights but the lights are tiny and there is a battery that makes it light. Alisa will make an appearance with that at some point.

[skw444]

Normally our elf makes his appearance on the 1st of December, however, this year my DD heard at school that the elf will come to your house if you leave crackers and water out for it. So, our elf officially appeared Monday evening after eating crackers and drinking the water. This year we have a girl elf that they named Elfina. The first night, she hung each family's underwear in place of the stockings that were hung. Last night, she drew faces on a picture of my girls with a dry erase marker. Tonight, she will be wrapping the toilet in wrapping paper. I love reading all these ideas!

[moenjoejr]

Growing up, my sisters and I each had our own "elf" that watched over us and reported back to Santa. They would write us letters and leave us a gift on Christmas Morning. Ours were Snowflake, Crystal and Jingle and Jangle (my one sister needed 2!).

When I had my oldest son, we got the Elf on the Shelf right around the time the twins were born. His name is Sugarplum. My mom kept saying, each of you had your own elf, your boys need their own too. So, off I go to buy two more elf on the shelf's. That's right...we have three!!! They love that they each have their own (the other two are Gingerbread and Kandy Kane), but it does get difficult each night to do this for not one, but three elves!

[Pesky]

DD named her elf -- Rainbow is not something we would've chosen but it works! DS swears he is going to name his elf (MIL is planning on getting him one next year) Toosa. I don't really care about a weird name. That's part of the fun.

She was watching TV this morning with a bowl of popcorn and a drink. When DD and I got back from dropping off DS this morning, the popcorn was gone. "MOM!!! Rainbow ate the popcorn while we were gone!"

Didn't have the heart to point out the dog was the more likely culprit.

[100AcreWood]

Our elf was found on the kitchen table sitting in Barbie's chair clipping coupons for candy, cookies and HoneyBaked ham!

[100AcreWood]

This morning we found Elf in the pantry eating the candy cane hershey kisses I bought him using the coupon he cut yesterday. He made a sign that said "thank you" out of legos.

[LCoulter]

DD5.5 found Alisa on her ceiling fan, dangling a letter of introduction from Santa. She was so excited to get a letter from Santa and had all sorts of questions about how Alisa was going to get around the house to explore and how she got here.

She is trying to get us to go back to sleep at 9 am so that she will come back to life. ummmm, maybe we should take advantage of that and take a morning nap.

She wrote a letter back to Santa this morning.

[rainydayplay]

Let me get in on this thread! My DD is 8, and we're starting this tradition this year. They did it at her school when she was in Kindergarten, and she's begged for one to come to our house since. I bought ours from Amazon.

Last night, I took her out of the box and put her in the tree, then hid the box. I set up the book standing up under the tree, plus bought a box of red velvet frosted cookies, stuffed a couple of packets of hot chocolate mix and a snack-sized baggie of snowman-shaped marshmallows into a snowman mug we already have. Stuck a note on it all that said "Breakfast for K and family". She was sooo excited.

DD decided that the elf has hazel eyes, just like her, so the elf's name is Hazel. We bought her a skirt today, and DD has written a note for Hazel to take back to Santa, as well as giving him one of her cookies and a couple of the marshmallows. She also showed Hazel a bunch of things and had talked to her all day.

I think tonight, Hazel might put herself in a Christmas stocking... I want to ease into the "mischief".

[DisneyRegulars]

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

[mrsbornkuntry]

We have more of a plush elf, not poseable. He came with a name and a letter from Santa, PJ Sparkles. Just to clarify, I named him and printed a letter from Santa on the computer, he didn't come from the store like that.

So far this year PJ has:
wrote "PJ" in froot loops on the kitchen table (just a note, if your elf does this make sure there are enough froot loops left for all of the children to eat them for breakfast).

used streamers to "trap" the youngest two boys in their room

hung from the ceiling fan with garland

drew a picture of Santa on the paint program on the computer

sat in a sleigh one of the boys made at a Lowes build and grow workshop and used ribbon to harness a stuffed Rudolph

[mrsbornkuntry]

Originally Posted by DisneyRegulars

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

Ours didn't have a book so we didn't have to worry about this, but I don't like the "no touching" rule, it would've made my youngest sad. The first year the elf came he would snuggle with the elf on the couch and even fell asleep holding him. The only rule we have is that if anyone sees him moving he will have to go back to the North Pole so DS has to stay in his bed at night if he wants the elf to be able to get up and play. Our elf isn't there to "spy" on them to see if they're bad or good, he's a training elf and he's there to learn what children like so when he's old enough to make toys he will know what to make for them and he helps keep Santa current by reporting back to him.

My youngest also sometimes will write notes to the elf with questions, like the other day he asked him when Santa's birthday is.

[Jadak]

Originally Posted by DisneyRegulars

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

We originally stuck to the no touching rule, but it was too tempting. After a day of he kids sneaking grabs at our Elf, that night he did not move from the shelf. We told the kids he lost his magic because the were touching him too much. They were sad, but when they came home from school they found a gift wrapped bottle of really fine glitter and a note from Santa explaining how a little sprinkle would bring back his magic. The note also said it will only work a few times, therefore they can't keep touching him with hopes the glitter will always work. They haven't touched him since! They love seeing his mischievous ways every morning and would be sad if they stopped.

[DisneyRegulars]

Originally Posted by mrsbornkuntry

Our elf isn't there to "spy" on them to see if they're bad or good, he's a training elf and he's there to learn what children like so when he's old enough to make toys he will know what to make for them and he helps keep Santa current by reporting back to him.

Ooooh I like this story better. I think I will steal it!

[DisneyRegulars]

Originally Posted by Jadak

We told the kids he lost his magic because the were touching him too much. They were sad, but when they came home from school they found a gift wrapped bottle of really fine glitter and a note from Santa explaining how a little sprinkle would bring back his magic. The note also said it will only work a few times, therefore they can't keep touching him with hopes the glitter will always work.

Such a cute idea to reverse the sadness!