Wicked Crafty: The Elf on the Shelf

Christmas is just 10 days away (yikes!) which means if you're like me you're running out of time to finish up shopping and running out of ideas for your Elf on the Shelf!

For anyone not familiar with the Elf on the Shelf, here's a quick download: the "official" Elf on the Shelf (I believe there's at least one other brand and people sometimes make their own, but the overall concept is the same) comes in a box with a story book. The book explains that the Elf comes from Santa to your house for the month of December. You must immediately name your elf (my then 2-year old came up with the brilliant name "Shelf"). You must never touch him or he might lose his magic and he's not allowed to talk to you - but children are encouraged to whisper their Christmas list to him. Because every night he flies back to Santa to report on the naughty or nice behavior happening in your house. In the morning you race around to find where he has landed - always in a different spot and sometimes doing some very silly things!

Last year H only partially got the concept, and we basically did a lot of "there's Shelf on the DVD tower...now he's on the tree...look, back on the DVD tower again...". But this year, thanks so my sister-in-law, Pinterest, and the internet in general, we have been way more creative. There are so many fun and creative ideas out there for what your elf can be doing, and it has been so much fun for me to plan and H is having a ball finding him every morning and rushing to school to tell her friends what silliness Shelf has been up to!

There are lots of places to find ideas on the internet. Like I said, Pinterest is a great place to look, there's an entire website elfontheshelfideas.com where people share their ideas, and Amy Locurto over at Living Locurto just posted a free posing guide of her favorite reader submitted pictures (one from yours truly included!).

Here are some highlights from what we've done this month - and I do mean highlights! For every brilliant idea I've had or executed, there has also been a "Look, Elf is on...the shelf..."

The donut run
This was my favorite idea! Shelf made a run to Dunkin Donuts on his way back from the North Pole. I had seen these mini donuts (made from Cheerios) and knew they would be perfect for an elf! I made the tiny box in Powerpoint.

Candyland
Candyland is currently H's favorite game, so she was absolutely tickled to come down and find Shelf and Rudolph playing a game!

Rewarding good behavior
After a weekend of sharing all her toys with her visiting cousin, including a most cherished bear in a Rapunzel dress, H woke up the Monday after they left to Shelf perched in a tree with a picture of him and the bear. On the back was a note from Shelf telling her how proud of her he was, and how happy Santa was.