Elf on the Shelf Letter..

[FairyTrain]

Can anyone give me a link to a decent Elf on the Shelf arrival letter (the ones i found on google were not great! I will be posting Elves to each of my nieces and need an introductory letter, but dont want to use the book as the Elves I have are hand made and look nothing like the one in the book....Hope someone can help!?

Ah, the Elf backlash ...I was expecting this.

There were a few mornings last year when I was dragging myself out of bed at 6am, cursing, to move him after forgetting the night before.

Oh dear I am an over achieving elf mum - although I had a fb folder not a blog - highlight - when they crashed the car Into the hedge toy story style - low point - when I they had a midnight feast and ate sweeties leaving wrappers everywhere - queue DC bursting into loud noisy tears.

That link made me laugh.

I am a elf mum in waiting; last year I saw them here and thought that looked like a great idea, I'm waiting for it to arrive.

I really don't get the idea of making the thing misbehave though, what kind of fresh hell is that to sort out in the morning amidst the breakfast chaos?
If I were to examine my conscience I am sure no small part of the purchase would be for the threat of the elf watching bad behaviour. I take all the help I can get. I can live with it.

I've never heard of this before!

We do it (since last year, when I made an Elf) and I don't really play up the whole Santa Is Watching thing, but yes, I do occasionally mention to DS1 that Father Christmas won't be very happy if he does that again. I figure it's like god, only seasonal.

Our Elf does NOT get up to mischief! How much time do some people have, if the Elf has been making christmas cookies all night and has set it up accordingly? What he does do, is hide in a different place each night, which is something I try to do in the 15 seconds between remembering that I forgot to do it the night before, and DS1 coming into the living room. Sometimes I forget - 'Oh, he must really like it there on the lamp bracket darling, he's been there three nights now.'

I have an emergency stash of new Christmas books for nights when I can not be arsed. I suspect this will be most nights although DD (12) is on board and has collected some ideas in a notepad file.

There will be no cookies baked after the DC go to bed, not on my watch. I may let myself the Elf paint Rudolph noses on everyone as they are sleeping though.

at, "he must like it up there" - that happened a lot last year.

I love this idea, I just think it's a bit of magical fun and will be trying it next year when pfb will be just over 2 (so probably won't care that much anyway!). Although DH still needs convincing, he thinks it's creepy and a bit Childs' Play-ish.

Is the Elf supposed to do something naughty every night until Christmas Eve, or is it acceptable he bogs off back to Father Christmas to help with the wrapping for a few days here and there?

Good points raised about the spying and the confusion caused by the naughtiness. Nothing is written in stone and my DS is completely unpredictable anyway - perhaps the Elf is supposed to be naughty for him IYKWIM? We'll see.

Here are the things DD has found:

Bring new story-book (my favourite hence at least fifteen new books put away)
Green wee in loo (food colouring)
Toy Train ride
Eating sweets
Stuck in letter-box (Possibly not. They'd steal anything not nailed down or hanging out of letterboxes where I live)
In toy house
Using computer to make "Elf Yourself" video
In pushchair
Hanging from light
Tea party
Going puddle-jumping in wellie and hat
Painting rudolph noses on everyone
Hiding in stockings
Snow-spray graffiti - writes name
Putting santa hats on photographs (MAKING them not bloody drawing them on)
Playing cards with toys
Eating cereal
Fishing in loo with candy cane and string
Writing Merry Chrstmas on the eggs
Wrapping TV in loo-roll or Christmas paper
wrapped up in Christmas paper, hanging on tree
Fly paper airplanes through the living room
Fill room with balloons
Read story to other toys
Stick stickers over self, toys and furniture
Cinema night watching DVD with other toys and popcorn
Colour in a Christmas picture with a message
On X-Box

I've found the so just something to consider!

I'm loving all the ideas on here!!!

I only heard about 'Elf on the Shelf' last night, reading Mumsnet!
I'm definately going out today to see if i can get an elf from somewhere!

My DD would freak if she thought it had been sent to 'watch' her - so we're going to say that he's come to visit us for Christmas, and join in with our festivities - until he returns home with Santa on Christmas Eve.

So looking forward to starting our family tradition!

Santa/Father Christmas,
Santa?s Grotto,
Reindeerland,
SAN TA1
thats his official address which will get a letter back

Can anyone find a non-creepy looking Elf for me?
I keep getting hopeful when a thread pops up but then I end up shuddering at scary clownish elves.
I am thinking of doing Elf next year, have rather missed the boat with DD and DS1 13 and 8 but DS2 and DS3 will be 20 mo and 3 next year.
Also only starting proper stockings this year and DS1 might be a bit about two new traditions in one year.

Ours is a cuddly snowman thing from B&Ms - couldnt find an elf anywhere. So Jack Frost came from the north pole to spend December with us.
And he doesnt get up to stuff while theyre asleep - it's a lot more fun doing it under DS's nose without getting caught

We're starting the elf this year but I have to ask, if the elf has been watching tv and is found in morning on sofa with remote, does he have to stay there all day? how does he get moved to a safer place without anyone being able to touch him? (in case his magic disappears)

anyone is allowed to touch/cuddle/play with ours.
Ours does mischief all the time- even when the kids arent asleep - you just have to do it without being caught.
Ours only moves when no-one is looking at him :)

that's a good rule - only move when no-one is looking... I can convince kids to look away to allow him to move :)

I would let kids touch him but suspect there would be fights and would hate to have to find an elf hospital to fix any injuries ;)

We're doing Elf on the shelf this year.
He's not appeared yet but I am very excited!
....am sure my children will be too!

I haven't read the whole thread, but I can't be the only one who's seeing a disparity between an elf who is here to check on whether my kid's behaviour is good enough for Santa, and instances of Elf Naughtiness. I'm not thrilled with the concept that the elf is only behaving badly because he's away from Santa, but mainly, errm, Hypocrite Alert!.

ok I simply do not understand what this is all about. Please can someone explain for the dense but interested among us? Thanks very much.

The idea is that a toy elf shows up at the start of advent on a visit from Father Christmas. There is an official "Elf on the Shelf" toy and book set which kicked off the craze. In the official version, the cildren are told that the elf is sent to spy on the children for Santa, and the elf goes back to the North Pole every night to report whether the child has been naughty or nice. The children are also told that if they touch the elf, his magic will go (so really, all you need to do after naughtiness is to touch the elf, and word won't get back) and that the magic arrived once the elf is given a name.

Every night, once the children are in bed, the parents move the elf to a new hiding spot for their children to find in the morning. Lots of people do this in a fairly dramatic way, staging elaborate scenes and making it look ad though the elf has played night-time pranks.

On Christmas Eve, the elf rejoins Santa.

That's the official version, but most people I know who do it ignore the spying and discipline bits, and just have a sort of hide-and-seek playing advent doll.

Thanks for this. So is the idea that it means the children are not naughty for December? My children who are small will just say mummy it is toy it is not real.

What is all this elf business about?

Ah, missed the last couple of posts...

A lovely MNer made me an elf last year and I was exactly the same, started off well with him ravaging the cereal, in DH's underpants on the tree etc but then got a dose of the CBAs/forgot and elf settled himself in certain spots.

He will return this year, no doubt in a similar vein. Saturday he'll have his letter and the advent calendars and the Jolly Christmas postman book. In between, we'll do the underpants again, stealing some money from my purse, shaving with DS's razor and foam, green wee in the loo, and green milk in the fridge.

On Christmas eve, he'll leave some Lindt chocolate santas and a Lush bath bomb.

In between I expect I will forget to shift him more than once. Heyho. Lazy elf.