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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

ELF ON THE SHELF :)

85 replies

PinkDaydreams · 30/11/2020 20:09

I won't be doing it in my house as son just won't understand it, looking forward to next year though!
When does your elf visit, from the 1st or a week before Xmas?
I'd love a thread to see what Mumsnet elves get up to!! Pics please Grin

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Creepertime · 30/11/2020 20:10

Ours comes on 1st December. I’m actually looking forward to it this year, it’ll give the kids something to look forward to

RustyBear · 30/11/2020 20:11

Surely the elves can't visit this year - no mixing of households!

papaelf · 30/11/2020 20:11

Joining for ideas Grin

Our elf is back tonight with a fucking giant elf friend

papaelf · 30/11/2020 20:13

@RustyBear

Surely the elves can't visit this year - no mixing of households!

I have read a few people say this online, and I know some are quarantining them for a 2 week get out. You are probably joking but I just wanted to say the idea is the elf brings some fun for the kids, using covid as an excuse not to create fun for kids is poor.

Pinkvici22 · 30/11/2020 20:14

Ours arrives on 1st...I’m ridiculously excited (have done it 5/6 years now), but the novelty will wear off for me in about a week Grin

SendHelp30 · 30/11/2020 20:14

The little fucker is back from tomorrow in our house. I’ve been dreading his arrival all year. DC love him. I got bored last year so he went to london for 3 nights to visit a VERY naughty child! DD found that hilarious thankfully

SendHelp30 · 30/11/2020 20:15

I sound miserable, my previous post was slightly lighthearted. I do put in lots of effort so tend to loose my enthusiasm after about 4 days. I do hate him though. Just gives me more meds to tidy 😂

ShowOfHands · 30/11/2020 20:16

I don't do the Elf on the Shelf thing but do have a random tradition which predates it. On November 30th many years ago, dd left her Sylvanian Turtles in the kitchen and I idly arranged them as if they'd stolen cereal and made a mess. I did it to amuse then 3yo dd when she woke up the next morning. She woke up, was duly excited and decided it was Christmas magic. We laughed and DH set up another scene ready for the next day (they were abseiling from the light fitting using garden twine and paper clips as crampons). We'd accidentally Started Something.

We still do it to this day and dd now helps us set it up for her 9yo brother. He's currently worried that he can't find the now rather ratty Sylvanian Turtles and the magic won't happen. I wonder where they've gone...

glitterelf · 30/11/2020 20:20

Ours arrives tomorrow with her very own support bubble however another naughty elf is trying to gain access!

ELF ON THE SHELF :)
SendHelp30 · 30/11/2020 20:34

@glitterelf oh no!! He must go to DS nursery, they don’t like social distancing there either!

Original poster
PinkDaydreams · 30/11/2020 20:34

@SendHelp30

The little fucker is back from tomorrow in our house. I’ve been dreading his arrival all year. DC love him. I got bored last year so he went to london for 3 nights to visit a VERY naughty child! DD found that hilarious thankfully
Love this!! 😂
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Original poster
PinkDaydreams · 30/11/2020 20:36

@glitterelf

Ours arrives tomorrow with her very own support bubble however another naughty elf is trying to gain access!
Oh my goodness you've set the bar high already!!!! Looks fab! Did you make that yourself?
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Mustbethewine · 30/11/2020 20:36

Our arrive on the 1st and leaves on Christmas eve.

Original poster
PinkDaydreams · 30/11/2020 20:38

@ShowOfHands I used to love Sylvanians when I was little, unfortunately I didn't have any of my own but enjoyed going to my friends house to play with them. She always used to give me the duck living in the caravan whilst she would have the big fancy house!

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ritzbiscuits · 30/11/2020 20:50

Ours is coming tomorrow - it's DH's job as I have enough Christmas stuff to do. He'll be totally fed up of it a week in, but our son loves it so tough he's got to do it!

glitterelf · 30/11/2020 21:09

Ha ha no I'm winning though as it was gifted by my friend who's just starting up her own business in balloon making.
I did the balloon a couple of years ago myself and was just in fits of giggles.
She may stay in the bubble a while Wink

wendz86 · 30/11/2020 21:14

Ours are coming tonight. They did leave a little note and some magic glitter by the door today to make sure they can get here.

AliceMck · 30/11/2020 21:16

Ours arrive on the first, they are supposed to leave Xmas eve but always hang around. They leave when I find them and remember to pack them away.

I love it though, fully planning on going all out this year.

Icenii · 30/11/2020 21:17

My daughter conned me.

She wanted an elf last year but I said no, not all kids have them, she has a naughty cat instead.

She wanted to buy one with her pocket money. I said yes, but because it comes from a shop it was just a toy one.

She was disssapointed last year when it didn't do anything.

She has gotten it out, with toilet roll, and asks why hers does nothing but all her class mates have naughty elves that do all these exciting things. She seemed very sad.

So now the elf has just thrown the toilet roll all over the floor for her to find tomorrow.

goldielockdown2 · 30/11/2020 21:36

Our little fucker is going to be flying in tonight as he delivers the advent calendars.
He doesn't get himself into any pickles anymore as the novelty has well and truly worn off, but the children still enjoy finding him every morning in a new hiding place.

vanessalightfoot · 30/11/2020 21:53

I have a love hate relationship with our little elf. Absolutely love the kids reactions when the elf does something I would never condone, such as writing on the mirror with my lipstick or general mess making. Hate it when I’m already in bed, lovely and cosy before I realise I’ve forgotten to do something with him.

I did a spreadsheet earlier of various ideas, favourites from last year and some tips from old Mumsnet threads, and put each one against a date. Never attempted to be organised before and have ended up cursing myself many nights when ideas are thin on the ground. So I’m now quite looking forward to it!

Trudee · 30/11/2020 22:12

Ours arrives on the 1st and stays til Xmas eve when he flies back with santa. However ours doesn't get up to any tricks because I told santa I wouldn't have a naughty elf in the house lol. Dc's love finding his hiding place and have never been bothered about him being boring. This reminds me that I must set my phone reminder so I don't remember when I'm half asleep in bed

Howmanysleepsnow · 30/11/2020 22:26

Ours came early this year. He brought Christmas pyjamas. He’s also made snow angels, cut paper snowflakes from the toilet roll and rolled downstairs in the middle of a toilet roll.
Last year he stole an advent calendar chocolate, put Christmas tree crumpets in the toaster and brought flavoured hot chocolate. He also wrote a goodbye message in smarties.

ELF ON THE SHELF :)
andannabegins · 30/11/2020 22:31

Ours arrive tonight. My DD is elf mad and is so excited the night before they arrive she can't sleep. We have gotten more over the years which is a huge pain in the arse to move and clean up after every day but she is 10 and this will probably be her last year. They have arrived this evening with masks and gloves on. She also has a bedroom full of elves and elf paraphernalia. An elf is for life and not just for Christmas!

ELF ON THE SHELF :)
ThatBitch · 30/11/2020 22:32

Our has bought elf on the shelf cupcakes for breakfast tomorrow and the advent calendars. We can't find last year's anywhere so dh had to make a mad dash to the shop for a replacement this evening. I'm sorry, but anyone who had seen how excited ds has been about the elf coming back would have deemed it essential. The dc have missed out on enough this year, we weren't ready to break this tradition too.