The Official 2012 Elf Capades Thread

[100AcreWood]

Our elf was found on the kitchen table sitting in Barbie's chair clipping coupons for candy, cookies and HoneyBaked ham!

 

[100AcreWood]

This morning we found Elf in the pantry eating the candy cane hershey kisses I bought him using the coupon he cut yesterday. He made a sign that said "thank you" out of legos.

 

[LCoulter]

DD5.5 found Alisa on her ceiling fan, dangling a letter of introduction from Santa. She was so excited to get a letter from Santa and had all sorts of questions about how Alisa was going to get around the house to explore and how she got here.

She is trying to get us to go back to sleep at 9 am so that she will come back to life. ummmm, maybe we should take advantage of that and take a morning nap.

She wrote a letter back to Santa this morning.

 

[rainydayplay]

Let me get in on this thread! My DD is 8, and we're starting this tradition this year. They did it at her school when she was in Kindergarten, and she's begged for one to come to our house since. I bought ours from Amazon.

Last night, I took her out of the box and put her in the tree, then hid the box. I set up the book standing up under the tree, plus bought a box of red velvet frosted cookies, stuffed a couple of packets of hot chocolate mix and a snack-sized baggie of snowman-shaped marshmallows into a snowman mug we already have. Stuck a note on it all that said "Breakfast for K and family". She was sooo excited.

DD decided that the elf has hazel eyes, just like her, so the elf's name is Hazel. We bought her a skirt today, and DD has written a note for Hazel to take back to Santa, as well as giving him one of her cookies and a couple of the marshmallows. She also showed Hazel a bunch of things and had talked to her all day.

I think tonight, Hazel might put herself in a Christmas stocking... I want to ease into the "mischief".

 

[DisneyRegulars]

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

We have more of a plush elf, not poseable. He came with a name and a letter from Santa, PJ Sparkles. Just to clarify, I named him and printed a letter from Santa on the computer, he didn't come from the store like that.

So far this year PJ has:
wrote "PJ" in froot loops on the kitchen table (just a note, if your elf does this make sure there are enough froot loops left for all of the children to eat them for breakfast).

used streamers to "trap" the youngest two boys in their room

hung from the ceiling fan with garland

drew a picture of Santa on the paint program on the computer

sat in a sleigh one of the boys made at a Lowes build and grow workshop and used ribbon to harness a stuffed Rudolph

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

Ours didn't have a book so we didn't have to worry about this, but I don't like the "no touching" rule, it would've made my youngest sad. The first year the elf came he would snuggle with the elf on the couch and even fell asleep holding him. The only rule we have is that if anyone sees him moving he will have to go back to the North Pole so DS has to stay in his bed at night if he wants the elf to be able to get up and play. Our elf isn't there to "spy" on them to see if they're bad or good, he's a training elf and he's there to learn what children like so when he's old enough to make toys he will know what to make for them and he helps keep Santa current by reporting back to him.

My youngest also sometimes will write notes to the elf with questions, like the other day he asked him when Santa's birthday is.

 

[Jadak]

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

We originally stuck to the no touching rule, but it was too tempting. After a day of he kids sneaking grabs at our Elf, that night he did not move from the shelf. We told the kids he lost his magic because the were touching him too much. They were sad, but when they came home from school they found a gift wrapped bottle of really fine glitter and a note from Santa explaining how a little sprinkle would bring back his magic. The note also said it will only work a few times, therefore they can't keep touching him with hopes the glitter will always work. They haven't touched him since! They love seeing his mischievous ways every morning and would be sad if they stopped.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Our elf isn't there to "spy" on them to see if they're bad or good, he's a training elf and he's there to learn what children like so when he's old enough to make toys he will know what to make for them and he helps keep Santa current by reporting back to him.

Ooooh I like this story better. I think I will steal it!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

We told the kids he lost his magic because the were touching him too much. They were sad, but when they came home from school they found a gift wrapped bottle of really fine glitter and a note from Santa explaining how a little sprinkle would bring back his magic. The note also said it will only work a few times, therefore they can't keep touching him with hopes the glitter will always work.

Such a cute idea to reverse the sadness!

 

[SueM in MN]

Ours didn't have a book so we didn't have to worry about this, but I don't like the "no touching" rule, it would've made my youngest sad. The first year the elf came he would snuggle with the elf on the couch and even fell asleep holding him. The only rule we have is that if anyone sees him moving he will have to go back to the North Pole so DS has to stay in his bed at night if he wants the elf to be able to get up and play. Our elf isn't there to "spy" on them to see if they're bad or good, he's a training elf and he's there to learn what children like so when he's old enough to make toys he will know what to make for them and he helps keep Santa current by reporting back to him.

My youngest also sometimes will write notes to the elf with questions, like the other day he asked him when Santa's birthday is.

Like that story

 

[magchavez]

Help! My dd lost a tooth today so the tooth fairy will come tonight. Any creative ideas for the Elf and the Tooth Fairy together???

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Help! My dd lost a tooth today so the tooth fairy will come tonight. Any creative ideas for the Elf and the Tooth Fairy together???

Can you have the elf's hands under her pillow trying to get the goods? Or a note under the pillow from the elf that says he hid her tooth fairy goods, and gives a hint of where he hid them?

 

[100AcreWood]

Help! My dd lost a tooth today so the tooth fairy will come tonight. Any creative ideas for the Elf and the Tooth Fairy together???

Our elf left a note saying he saw the tooth fairy on his way home from reporting to Santa. He said she was so tinsel! Our elf has a crush on the tooth fairy !

 

[diamondpixienc]

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

Well, when we first introduced Crayon (they named him) to our family DS was 3 and DD#1 was 1 I took him out and read through the story myself before I read it to them so when i got to that part I read it in a silly but firm way "DO...NOT...TOUCH...MEEE!...MY MAGIC MAY LEAVE...." They were cool with it and to this day even with DD(3) in the mix They know they can point, write, and speak to Crayon but DO NOT TOUCH! He actually fell out of tree once about 2 years ago and OMG! my older DD was screaming "Dont touch him....Dont touch him...Stand back...Mommy Crayon fell" Of course mommy sprang into action with a pair of tongs and scooped him back into the tree. We still laugh about that from time to time...lol!

 

[LCoulter]

Sunday morning DD found her elf on the kitchen counter roasting mini marshmallows over a tealight candle with a bag of mini marshmallows spilled out across the counter. (I lite the candle to roast one mimi marshmallow on a toothpick and then blew out the candle.) She was laughing at that.

This morning she found Alisa fishing in among her Disney Christmas village. She had string tied to a pencil for the pole and I tied a goldfish cracker to the other end and had it dangling into a little bowl of goldfish crackers.

 

[100AcreWood]

My kids (especially my older two) are super intense about the no touching rule. That is one thing I wish they had left out of the book. It's a pain to find places up high. My older ones are afraid my 4 year old will touch him if he isn't far up. And they're right. He told me he wants to see if his magic will actually go away. He's the mischievous one!

Our elf decorated our tree with the kids' underwear. My oldest dd got so mad that elf decided to hide behind a picture today. She was livid. It was so unexpected.

 

[ladybug0506]

We have a different elf than elf on the shelf because that one creeps me out. Instead, we have Christopher Pop-In-Kins. When I read the story to DS2 for the first time the other day, I skipped over the part about how he couldn't be touched because I knew he would NEVER not be able to touch him haha. After we read him the story I asked him if he thought that he might want Christopher to come and visit. He immediately got excited and said "Okay! Christopher outside? Open the door Mama and let Christopher in!" So the next day, DH walked around to the front of the house and put Christopher on the front porch along with a present and he rang the doorbell. Carter ran to the front door and when I opened it, he ran outside and said "Mama! It's Christopher! Elf came to see me! Oooh present! I have present?" He was so purely excited about Christopher and that Christopher had brought him a present He carried Christopher inside and he opened his present and picked up the elf and said "Thank you Christopher for Jingle" (Hallmark story buddy - that was the gift) and then he have him a hug and a kiss. So sweet! The best part? DH was nearby with the camera and got his reaction as soon as he opened the front door and discovered that Christopher had come to visit!

 

[LCoulter]

We have a different elf than elf on the shelf because that one creeps me out. Instead, we have Christopher Pop-In-Kins. When I read the story to DS2 for the first time the other day, I skipped over the part about how he couldn't be touched because I knew he would NEVER not be able to touch him haha. After we read him the story I asked him if he thought that he might want Christopher to come and visit. He immediately got excited and said "Okay! Christopher outside? Open the door Mama and let Christopher in!" So the next day, DH walked around to the front of the house and put Christopher on the front porch along with a present and he rang the doorbell. Carter ran to the front door and when I opened it, he ran outside and said "Mama! It's Christopher! Elf came to see me! Oooh present! I have present?" He was so purely excited about Christopher and that Christopher had brought him a present He carried Christopher inside and he opened his present and picked up the elf and said "Thank you Christopher for Jingle" (Hallmark story buddy - that was the gift) and then he have him a hug and a kiss. So sweet! The best part? DH was nearby with the camera and got his reaction as soon as he opened the front door and discovered that Christopher had come to visit!

How cute!

 

[LCoulter]

We don't have the official Elf on a Shelf and this thread is the first I heard that the story says no touching, although I don't think I would have followed that part anyway.

DD has been playing with the elf and even slept with her last night, at least until she magically disappeared and moved to the Disney Christmas village.

The only complication could be if she loses it in the house somewhere and we can't find it but I will cross that path if/when I get to it. Oh, the dog could chew her up which would be awful. I did tell her she needed to keep it away from the dog and the dog hasn't chewed on a toy in a long time so hopefully it will be ok. So I guess I can see why it may be a good idea to not let the child touch it. My plan is to have DD help me find the elf before bedtime each night so I know where it is.