Elfy Escapades - Ideas and Inspiration for Hiding and Hi Jinks with your Elf On The Shelf

[NoHunIntended]

Further to the which elf to get thread here, this is a thread for the collating of ideas: where to place your elf, what mischief your elf gets up to, gifts your elf may bring, activities your elf may promote, etc. Please share your ideas, and any related thoughts.

Some links from the other thread;

• Pinterest board
• Wolfe blog
• BabyCentre
• Complicated Mama
• TeriToday.

50 days to go, so we can use the next 25 days as a trial run for the next 25 (seeing as most people are thinking of starting on the 1st December)! :)
Ho ho ho, and happy elfy adventures.

lol at elfy re-inforcements

Am getting v excited at what escapades Bernard will get up to

Roll on 1st December

Just remembered about this too.
www.portablenorthpole.tv/home. We did it last year and its fab! A personalised video message from Santa.

You can also do videos from Santa saying that if your behaviour doesn't improve then you will go on the naughty list! - Ideal if you've had a 'bad' day with your DC! Re-enforces the whole story about ELf reporting back and elf could be at the PC the next morning with the video message.
:)

OK, so I showed ds the video on youtube last night! That shut him up!!! I now have a little angel!!

After hours of searching, we are no longer elfless!!!!!!

I was reluctant to spend £25 on the real thing this year (I've just been made redundant at 23 weeks pregnant), and the Peppermint elf seemed to be sold out everywhere! Finally found some on www.here for anyone who's still looking. (Worked out at £9.50 inc.P&P)

I've just looked at the Elf passport and letter which were linked to on this thread - I'm so excited I might wee!

I thought this all sounded bizarre when I came across this thread on sunday but have spent hours since then trawling the net looking for an elf!! I'm obsessed by it!! I have just bought little peppermint beanie elves, a boy & a girl, they are quite small which is great as overrun by toys & stuff & obviosuly will get worse once the xmas tree is up. I was thinking of having one each for dd's but then don;t know whether to save one for next yr as dd2 is just 16 mths when at least she will appreciate it. Although they could probably get up to lots of mischief the two of them so perhaps I will use both this year, can't decide. Dh thinks I have completley lost the plot but like others know that once it starts will get involved as much or more than me. Can't remeber the name of the site I got them from but if anyone wants me to I'll put a link on.

I knew it would happen!!

I went to all that effort making a blinking Elf and Ive just succumbed and bought the real thing!!
It was the pull of the book too ( Girls LOVE reading) and the you tube videos ect of the elf. It will just give so much more meaning having the same ELF IYSWIM. The girls are only young at 3 and 18mths so visual aids are key.

So now I have a redundant elf. In hindsight I should of made him to match the real elf. Ho Hum!

Cant wait for him to come though :) :)
DH cant decide who's the biggest kid!

I'm so excited, I boxed up our elf, named Jingle Jollybells, last night with a big ribbon on the box ready for delivery.

He will be delivered on the 30th November and his first nights escapade will be to replace all the family photos around the house with a photo of himself.
As well as their advent calendar sticker he will give the children a disposable camera so they can take photos of his high jinks and make a scrapbook.

Thanks for all the great ideas and links.

pigley maybe your new elf could have your redundant elf round to play one night???

Batgirl- Oh Yeah, A friend for the night could lead to some more adventurous antics :)

Right, I have my elf. I need help though as I don't want to cock this up for the DCs. So I have some questions....

How does your elf arrive?? Especially the first year when they need to read the book too. I am intending that he will turn up on 1st December with their advent calendars but I'm not sure how exactly to do it. Should he just be there when they get home from school? (We haven't got time to do it in the morning).

What do you do if your child touches the elf given that the book says the magic will go? I think I'm going to have a hard time stopping them from touching it (DS1 is 4.7 and has ASD).

I know that the idea is to move the elf overnight into different places. Some of the suggestions I've seen involve putting them in places where DCs can obviously reach them, ie making a snow angel in the kitchen. Are you supposed to leave them there all day "watching" or can an adult move them somewhere else out of reach.

I can't actually believe I'm typing this about a bloody elf, but I'm strangely excited about it all

Wow there are some great ideas on here now!

Our elf is arriving on 25th November (that's NEXT FRIDAY!!!!!) He's going to be sitting on top of the hatstand in the porch and he will have put Cadburys chocolate elves in everyone's shoes. The day before (a week TODAY!!!!!) the EOTS book will arrive in the fireplace (having come down the chimney) wrapped in brown paper and addressed to our house - can't wait

hi louey I know what you mean about all the questions. I am currently hinting at my two that santa may well send a helper before Christmas to watch over them. I think the idea is to move him about into different places and doing different things when the children aren't looking. I was thinking of doing the messy things during the night and then when they come home from school after cleaning all the mess having him hiding somewhere. Or when they are in the bath the cheeky little thing could be up to I am not too sure about the touching thing. Maybe it's to keep an element of mystery about him. he could get lost in a toy box or mixed up with other toys if my two started playing with him. me and DP are excited too and was thinking of places to hide him and what tricks he can play!!!!

They've had a bit of a head start because my childminder has hers out already. I've told them that hers comes earlier because he has so many children to watch

Like the idea of the book coming down the chimney! Might do that too. It gets over the problem of getting the elf out of the box into a safe place where the DCs can't reach.

Already planning to do decorate the tree with toilet roll the night after we put the tree up. DCs will love that.

I am so excited, I have just ordered my elf here I was beginning to think I wouldn't be able to find one! I have even scoured the local church winter fair this morning to no avail. But now the panic is over, phew. Now to start planning his Christmassy antics and to pick a name.

Do you let your DC's choose or does he arrive with one? I am thinking ours should come with a name already in place otherwise if DS gets to choose I would put money on him being called Elfy. DS is not very original with names. He has a polar bear called Poley, a lion called Lioney, you get the picture

fantus, I love your DS's inspired name choices. How cute.

Love Jingle and Jangle, great names and lovely elves.

Ok, it's official. I am as bad at thinking up names as DS.

DH has so far come up with Elmer, Jimmy and Dobby. So he is as bad as me. I need inspiration. Can you please suggest some Christmassy boy elf names before the little fella arrives and gets stuck with Elfy for the next 5 weeks, thanks!

Hooray I am so excited - I have just ordered our elf ! He will be arriving on 1st Dec with his suitcase - just wondering where or how I can make a miniature suitcase. Any ideas anyone please ?

I couldn't find any suitcases but saw these rucksacks. Would something like those be any good sillyoldelf?

Our elf arrived today and I am very pleased. Thanks for the link teens but we have decided to go with Cranberry. I am thinking of sending a letter to DS from Santa informing him to be on the lookout for a mischievous elf over the next week or so as he is coming to keep an eye on him on the run up to Christmas. Or am I just reeaaallly over thinking this

Anybody know of places to buy one please x

love it!

This place in London www.purebaby.co.uk/the-elf-on-the-shelf.ir?cName=playtime-books still had the "official" ones with the book on Monday for 25 quid and posted them out within a day.