Elf on the shelf recommendations

[ChristmasCrumblings]

Hi all, I'd love to get an elf on the shelf this year but I'm not sure which one. I like the look of the original one (or what I assume is original), especially the Asian girl version.

https://amzn.eu/d/6SfWa7o

However, im not interested in the book. I don't want to read the back story to my kids. I don't want to tell them they are being spied on or even that the elf is real (though i haven't made up my mind up on that one yet. Anyway dd is 9 and doesn't really believe in santa anymore but then ds is only 4 and is only just getting his little head round this whole thing santa thing..).

I just like the idea of setting up the elf in funny positions every night. The kids love stuff like that. I'd be happy to go with one of the cheaper options but im not sure if they would be as "posable" as the original.

So my questions are:

1. Are there any cheaper elves that are as good quality and as posable as the original I have linked ( if that's the original)

1. Are they quite posable, ie firm but flexible and their limbs will stay in whatever way I have put them?

1. Is there anything useful or interesting in the book?

1. Did you allow your kids to touch the elf? It seems a bit petty to say no (especially without the official rules imposed) but I have got a feeling that if they can dd will want to set it up and delay bed time every night.

1. Anything else to know? Did you and your family enjoy it?

Save your money and focus on Advent?

I always said we would never do one and then yesterday my dear dear dh comes proudly home with dd and an elf after popping out for milk. Now dd is looking forward to it moving every night and getting up to mischief!! Great.

Anyway, the one they brought home was apparently £2/£3 in Tesco, so at least it didn't cost much.

I think our Elf came from Tesco and cost me no more than a fiver. It has Velcro on its hands but not its feet. Ours appears on 1st December and gets collected by Santa when he comes on Christmas Eve. Nobody is allowed to touch him (might spoil his magic) and he usually sits on one of the higher shelves on the living room bookcase. I bought one of the Elf message boards (couple of quid max) when I got him and use that for him to leave messages/clues as to what he is up to (e.g. I love climbing trees if he has scaled the Christmas tree). The first year we had him I set up a back story by leaving a Christmas card from Santa basically explaining where the Elf had come from (Santas workshop), why (he’s a cheeky chap who was getting up to too much mischief so had been entrusted to us for December and please keep an eye on him) and the basic rule of please don’t touch him (because it will spoil his magic). DD accepted this from the get go and he now just turns up every year.

DD absolutely loves him and although it’s faffy remembering to move him every night, it’s worth it for the joy it brings her and checking what the Elf is up to is the first thing she does when she comes downstairs each morning. There’s lots of ideas on Pinterest etc of quick easy things you can set it up doing which aren’t messy and don’t require lots of money to be spent. Bar moving it every night, you can essentially make it as low effort as you like.

I got one from Poundstretcher for £3 or something - try somewhere like that. They had elf accessories to buy too although I didn't buy any.
I'm not planning a story or anything and no idea about the book - planning on just posing him around house in December to amuse the children. I will let them touch him I think.

Luckily for you, that that is going to be your husband’s job then if he bought the bloody thing.

No elf in our house!!!

I recommend you have nothing to do with it. Absolutely ghastly.

Why?

Be careful what you start, we had one elf then a few years later he got married and the filling year they had a baby. My kids are older now but they still want the elves out, the elves just don’t move anymore!

I resisted the elf for years, then, after I caved, tried to instil a rule that ours didn't come til a week before Christmas. That didn't work because the kids love the bloody thing and has been a bit of a magical addition, even for a grinch like me. I sort of regret not doing it sooner.

We just have a supermarket one, no book, no rules about not touching (I didn't realise was thing but can see why when you have used sellotape to stick it somewhere, kind of ruins the illusion). I think some people put wires in arms and legs to make them more posable