AIBU to order ANOTHER £30 'Elf on the f***ing Shelf'??

[goingslightlycrazy]

disclaimer - 1st world problem

The kids have been decorating the Xmas tree (I know it's early, we do it before my DDs birthday) & asked when the elf will arrive?

I went to get him out of his box this morning and...

HE'S GONE!! Disappeared!
I'm screwed. I've been back in the loft searching high & low & he's nowhere to be seen. I can't explain it.

I can't possibly order another elf (£30) can I??
How long do I keep looking?

How did people ever get sucked into this commercialised crap? £30? thank God mine is past that age but TBH even if he hadn't been there's no way I would have bought into that.

Is this some closely guarded secret as well like Santa?

He's hiding. He'll be in a, different hiding place each day. No need for him to actually turn up

I used an app last year where you took a pic of your libpving room and it gave you several 'live' elf things to out over it. I did one every day so DS thought the elves had been peeking out from behind the tv, running across the fireplace etc
Can't bloody find the app

Get one from eBay

Elf update -

I agree it is a rip off but we were given the 1st one & used it for a few years so the kids would be sad for him to disappear (have been kidnapped/eloped with Miss Elf).

We just move him every night & the kids try & spot him (I'm too lazy to set up all the stunts he could be playing).

Anyway, PANIC OVER
He turned up in some random box of in-between stage clothes in the loft. I only spent 4 hours or so searching - ho hum.

Elf is now doing the splits on the Xmas tree