This is the first year we have done an Elf on the Shelf. Actually, until about two years ago I didn’t even know what an Elf on the Shelf was. I thought it was such a cute idea, but last year at this time I was five weeks away from my due date, and frankly I was not in any shape to want to think up cute ideas for the elf.
This year, I am in full stay at home mom mode and am enjoying coming up with cute ideas! E is still too little to understand the concept of the elf, but N is 9 and he still enjoys it. Eventually, he will be able to help me hide the elf for E.
The fact that N splits time between our house and his mom’s house is why our elf is a little late. I wanted to make sure that the day he “arrived” was a day that we had N.
Anyway, our elf, Peppermint, arrived tonight. N found him in a little stocking (bought as a 2 pack from the Dollar Tree) hanging near the rest of the stockings. Attached to the stocking was a letter from Peppermint describing why he was here and telling the boys that they aren’t supposed to touch him because he might lose his magic.
As a special treat, here is a blank copy of the note that our left for the boys. You can download it and either hand write your own note or even import it into a photo editing program. Download it here.
I will be continually updating pictures of places I hide our elf. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
*I created the note using the digital scrapbook kit Just Believe by Nibbles Scribbles.
This time last year I discovered Elf on a Shelf too – and I too was very near your due date, my son (whose initial is also E) was born on January 13th. Christmas was an exhausting time being that pregnant!
I’ve decided that I’d like to do Elf on the Shelf because of all the cute ideas I’ve been seeing online, and your post was no exception – that stocking arrangement was adorable! I know my son is too young to understand much this year but I’m still instituting a number of traditions. We do a digital advent calendar as well as a real advent calendar. Each day I’ve put a little bag of the cereal treats he loves so much, just a few, and he reaches in and grabs the bag with total delight – so that tradition is a hit already. (The advent calendar I have is very large, large enough that each day can hide snacks and toys if I wish, and every time a door opens it plays music box Christmas carols.) I also have everything ready to wrap one box of goodies for him to open on Christmas eve, containing his Christmas PJs and a Christmas book (this year – when he’s older it will have his PJs, a Christmas movie and book, maybe hot cocoa or some other treat, etc.). I also put up a small faux tree in the room we share, which in future years I will put up in his room so he can have his own tree to enjoy as well as our family tree. And I plan on doing a Christmas tithe with him on Christmas morning, letting him choose from the World Vision catalog a gift that we can donate to a family in need (like chickens, mosquito netting, a goat, etc.).
He may not understand all these things now but in time he will, and it’s nice for me to feel like we will have a lot of things in place to make the holiday special.