What is Elf on the shelf??

[chubbychipmonk]

Love Christmas & all things Christmassy!

Have seen a few people on here mentioning Elf on the Shelf? Never heard of this before! What is it??

It's a toy elf who sits on a shelf (or other surface) throughout December to keep an eye on children's behaviour and report to Father Christmas.
It's rhyming blackmail.

I wish I had known this when my children were younger!

I had no idea people gave xmas hampers either. I usually give my children a hot chocolate, and new PJ's on xmas eve.

It's a grim-looking chuckyesque doll that hides around the house, puts knickers on the Xmas tree or dyes the toilet water blue as a joke, spies on your kids then tattle tales to Father Christmas.

Or, it could be fun

I love all things Christmassy - or at least I thought I did. Just read about Christmas themed duvet covers - yeah,baby, gonna make some of them!

Its a creepy commercialised crappy toy which spies on your children.
Loads of fun

We have and elf and I don't agree with any of the above. We don't play on the reporting to santa stuff but we do have loads of fun with it. DH and I play pranks with it (dressing up in barbie clothes / down the stairs in a loo roll/ many many other ideas from pinterest).

Rather than acting as a spy, my dd's ran down stairs every morning to see what mischief he'd got up to. It's created fantastic christmas memories for our family (they were way more excited about the elf than they were about their chocolate advent calendars)

Ours hides (easy hiding places to begin with) and has a little bag with a couple of sweets.
I made my own Elf (and felt clothes) from an A-Team Hannibal doll.
Mr T doll would've been awesome though.

He's not creepy or Chuckyesque and he doesn't scuttle round the kitchen with any weapons.
Though he did have 2 guns when I bought him

The original elf on a shelf isn't attractive but we got one made last year and he is called adam!

I also agreeits just a bit of fun!we have a beanie elf who is much nicer than the original. We don't do the 'no touching' rule either. Or just arrives dec 1st bringing a Xmas cd (usually their calendars but this year I have got them lego ones and I want the credit!). My dds are 8&6 soi wasn't going to do it last year and left it til the day before buy dds we so excited for it I did it again. I prob will this year too but not as spies as such..just for fun.