ELF ON THE SHELF :)

[PinkDaydreams]

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

@vanessalightfoot

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!

Oh do share please!!

@Icenii, does the elf have a name? They don't move by themselves until they are named 😉and then of course she can't touch it

@Icenii my then 5 year old did the same thing - bought an elf with her Christmas money in the sales 2 years ago and last year announced that there was a trick to "relight his magic"... So for the second year running we've left him circled with cinnamon (I swear she's been watching to many Witch programs!) and awaiting the fun.

Tonight he has stolen Barbie's bed and fallen asleep using DD's favourite slipper sock as a sleeping bag 😁 Naughty Elfis!

We've had our elf 7 years! She's lost her hat still has a residual tache from a few years ago, she's a bit stained and bobbly and looks a bit like mistletoe meth head elf but my daughter is so excited for her arrival. Her older brother now helps with the elf high jinx so he also gets a kick out of it. I'm totally sick of it and wish I'd never started 😩😆 but she's arriving tonight with posh balloons and a custom made face mask so here we go.

Robin's back tonight 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
This is high up on things I wish I never knew existed. Sadly dd was desperate for one after all her friends were talking about it & my resistance was futile when we ended up in a Christmas pop up shop together.
She's now 9, wavering on believing but was desperate to have him back tonight. Will be scouring the internet for new ideas for this year.

This is Jazzy. Arrived tonight with the Advent Calendars

Ours has just arrived with the advent calendars and left snowy footprints on the floor.

No one actually believes in him, and the dc will think up a few antics for him, but it’s a bit of fun.

I have my list organised into easy, small bit of effort, and nothing better to do. We have a good collection of Our Generation accessories and they are a great size for elves.

@1940s I’m on my phone so don’t have the full list but it’s funny how some of the best ones don’t take much effort and the dcs are totally delighted - some good hits I can remember from previous years: one shoe from every pair in the house to make a giant shoe train in the main room with the elf driving some kind of toy engine at the front, waking up to find every family member has a red (lipstick) Rudolph nose. Laughed so much at myself the night before trying to colour in dd’s nose without waking her up. My kids were/are obsessed with the floor is lava so they came down to find elf hanging from the light fitting in one of my bras like a hammock with “the floor is lava“ scrawled on a whiteboard.

As another person said it’s good to have low effort options. E.g. elf will just appear with the Christmas books (from the loft) one day or be hiding in dcs bed with their Christmas themed blanket. It’s all stuff we either already have or would have bought anyway.

I’m sure my DS realises it’s not real but he can’t quite get his head around how else there could be “jingle bells” written in toothpaste on the bathroom counter because we certainly wouldn’t be so childish as to do something like that

DD found out about Santa and the elves all at the same time last Christmas Day. It was deeply traumatic for all present (not least because we all sort of assumed she knew already). While this rather ruined Christmas for her last year, she has perked up a great deal since because she has been put in charge of creating Elf Magic for DS (3). DH and I are obviously delighted to hand over the creative reins and see what hilarity/pandemonium ensues.

My youngest DD (now 8) was absolutely desperate for an elf to visit, finally gave in when she was around 4 and she was absolutely scared shitless of it! Screamed and almost made herself sick until we removed it from the house. I must admit I was 50/50 relieved and disappointed. I do like seeing everyone else’s exploits though.

Ours used to arrive the day we put the decs up, so about 3 weeks before Christmas. My DD LOVED it. I hated it with a passion after the first year. So much stress thinking of different things to do each night.

Ours arrived 2 weeks early this year so he could isolate. Made himself quite at home in the shelf cubby, with his essentials.

Having had an elf for years, he did arrive last year with a broken leg (masking tape cast) and couldn’t move for 10days.

To avoid having to get back up when you've forgotten the elf and are nice and warm in bed

Ours have arrived. The kids have been ridiculously excited about them for weeks now! I love it really, even though it's a bit of a faff sometimes. This year I have planned meticulously!

Our elves normally fish in the toilet, 'poop' on biscuits, slide down the bannisters in my slippers, draw glasses and moustaches on photos - the kids think it's hilarious & I deserve an Oscar for my reactions!!

@Mucky1

We've had our elf 7 years! She's lost her hat still has a residual tache from a few years ago, she's a bit stained and bobbly and looks a bit like mistletoe meth head elf but my daughter is so excited for her arrival. Her older brother now helps with the elf high jinx so he also gets a kick out of it. I'm totally sick of it and wish I'd never started 😩😆 but she's arriving tonight with posh balloons and a custom made face mask so here we go.

I can't stop laughing at mistletoe meth head elf!

I was hoping to retire ours this year but under the circumstances have decided to let him stay for one more year. I think when he departs on Christmas Eve he will leave a note explaining that he needs to go and stay with some younger children next year who don't have an elf yet!

Last year ours was getting into all sorts of antics as me & DH enjoyed some wine in the evening, but the novelty did wear off quickly for us!

This year he has an elf jail for when he has been naughty and dd has to do 5 small nice things to get him out.

He has a bunch of cards & little activities for her to do (free online printables)

Our Elfie has been in 'elf-isolation for the last two weeks, complete with his own calendar to cross of the days until he could come out of the box

Just to add, this will be our fifth year of Elfie antics ... and our autistic son is oblivious. DH and I just do it to amuse ourselves

Any elf updates?!

I was hoping to come on here and find elf mischief! :(

Yesterday ours sneaked in to Dd's room and stole her favourite ribbon and pushed his hat in to a colourful ponytail finished off with a diamonte hair clip on his collar - Elfis was feeling fancy! We found him say staring at himself in the bathroom mirror with the hairbrush still in hand 😂

This morning he was swinging from Rudolph's leg (a hanging wall decoration).

I see he's already freezing some Shopkins to thaw in the fridge tomorrow morning 😮

Ours have set up a fish tank and as my little lady asked the big man for a goldfish in a bag so as it's her birthday next week and it needs time for water treatments and to settle the elves have set it up.

Ours climbed the tree yesterday and gave her elf hat to the fairy on top. Today both elves are in hammocks (sewn specially by DD13) hanging between tree branches.

Big high fives to those of you that have more than one elf! Do yu tend to have a well behaved one and a naughty one?