The Official 2012 Elf Capades Thread

[ehough]

We don't do the no touching rule. I don't understand the point of it, myself- seems it would just add unnecessary elf drama to my life! When we got the elf, DD was not quite 3 and I just skipped over that part of the book. When the elf on the shelf TV special came on last year, that was the first time she heard about the no touching thing and we discussed how Jingles doesn't have that rule. And that was that, but surely it helped that she already had a history of touching him without him "losing his magic"! So we just say the rule doesn't apply to him.

 

[Pesky]

I think the "don't touch" rule comes from a practical place of avoiding trauma. Imagine if little Susie is playing with Elfkins and accidentally rips off the arm (poor quality so easy to see happening). Or its head. How would you explain the destruction and magical resurrection of the elf? Seems better to keep the elf high and perhaps have the elf bring the stuffed version to have and hold.

 

[mdurette]

We don't do the no touching either. The ElfMagic elf is pretty sturdy and has made it through 3 christmas seasons. DD brings her to special events (like her Christmas concert), sometimes she takes a car ride with us or a ride in her basket on the bike. All is ok. We also don't highlight the "reporting back to Santa" bit.

We simply have fun with her.

Any suggestions??
Eve always leaves DD6 her Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve and something with her pic on it (that typically gets ordered from a photo shop - like Walmart, CVS, etc). 1st year was an ornament. 2nd year was a bookmark. 3rd year was hot cocoa mug. Thinking about what to do this year.......

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

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.

Ooh, I like the roasting marshmallows idea!

A couple nights ago the lego minifigures tied PJ to a Christmas book and held him hostage with toothpicks as weapons (think Gulliver's Travels), but that confused my 8yo because the Legos aren't magic so why did PJ tie himself up? Oops. We just decided he liked that movie and was being silly.

Last night I almost forgot and since the toothpicks were still out from the previous night I just had PJ make snowmen using marshmallows and toothpicks, leaving the bag out on the table with his hand in it. It turned out cute, but DS had a handful of marshmallows for breakfast before I got up, lol.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

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!

Aww What a great memory!

 

[LCoulter]

Ooh, I like the roasting marshmallows idea!

A couple nights ago the lego minifigures tied PJ to a Christmas book and held him hostage with toothpicks as weapons (think Gulliver's Travels), but that confused my 8yo because the Legos aren't magic so why did PJ tie himself up? Oops. We just decided he liked that movie and was being silly.

Last night I almost forgot and since the toothpicks were still out from the previous night I just had PJ make snowmen using marshmallows and toothpicks, leaving the bag out on the table with his hand in it. It turned out cute, but DS had a handful of marshmallows for breakfast before I got up, lol.

I would have just told him that PJ used magic to bring life to the Lego minifigures to play.

I feel so bad because I did forget last night. We were all sick yesterday and during the night. DD woke me at 3am to go to the bathroom and I remembered then but I thought that I couldn’t do anything because she was still awake but I always wake many times during the night so I figured I would do it just before she gets up. Well, next thing I knew, she was waking me at 7am (forgot to set my 6am alarm to get up for work) asking why Alisa was still on the couch where we left her last night.

So I had a half hour to get ready for work and write a little sticky note from Alisa saying that she was sick and went home to the North Pole for the day. Apparently, my head was still in a fog because I didn’t think it through. DD asked how Alisa was at the North Pole when her body was still here. I told her that the doll is just her Avatar. She was satisfied with that since she knows what an Avatar is.

Then she felt bad because she thinks she made Alisa sick because she hugged Alisa really close to her face yesterday.

She is just too darn smart and can out think her mommy.

 

[ktlm]

I was trying to decide if I should name the elf or let DD name him/her after she meets it. Since your kids don't know he's coming, I assume you named him? What do others do about a name?

We did it last year for the first time. I hadn't thought about naming the elf and of course that was DD's first question. We all started guessing the elf's first name and the next morning he had poured flour on the kitchen counter and written Harold in it.

Harold is a cute stuffed poseable elf that came from the north pole by way of Hobby Lobby, not the one sold with the book. We don't do the no touch although DD was a little worried about it after the book was read to her class. She knows he is not to play with, but can hug and hold him in the mornings and then put him back on his shelf. Our story is that he keeps an eye on her and reports to Santa. This morning we woke up and found him playing Candyland with Fancy Nancy.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I would have just told him that PJ used magic to bring life to the Lego minifigures to play.

I feel so bad because I did forget last night. We were all sick yesterday and during the night. DD woke me at 3am to go to the bathroom and I remembered then but I thought that I couldn’t do anything because she was still awake but I always wake many times during the night so I figured I would do it just before she gets up. Well, next thing I knew, she was waking me at 7am (forgot to set my 6am alarm to get up for work) asking why Alisa was still on the couch where we left her last night.

So I had a half hour to get ready for work and write a little sticky note from Alisa saying that she was sick and went home to the North Pole for the day. Apparently, my head was still in a fog because I didn’t think it through. DD asked how Alisa was at the North Pole when her body was still here. I told her that the doll is just her Avatar. She was satisfied with that since she knows what an Avatar is.

Then she felt bad because she thinks she made Alisa sick because she hugged Alisa really close to her face yesterday.

She is just too darn smart and can out think her mommy.

Maybe you could have Alisa bring a cute bottle of hand soap this evening and a note from Santa saying Alisa needs to wash her hands more so she doesn't catch another cold, then your DD might not feel guilty about her getting sick.

 

[LCoulter]

Maybe you could have Alisa bring a cute bottle of hand soap this evening and a note from Santa saying Alisa needs to wash her hands more so she doesn't catch another cold, then your DD might not feel guilty about her getting sick.

That's a good idea....thanks.

 

[100AcreWood]

My dd wrote Elf a note asking him how to get a girl elf on the shelf. I'm thinking about it .

 

[LCoulter]

So this morning DD found our Christmas tree decorated with toilet paper…..I guess the Elf got tired of an undecorated tree. We got as far as putting it up but haven’t decorated it yet.

Wednesday morning she found Alisa sitting on top of the cake dome with a Christmas tree decorated cupcake underneath and she wrote To: and From: Alisa on the dome. I was initially planning to put the elf under the dome with the words Help Me but she wouldn’t fit well, particularly with the cupcake.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

So this morning DD found our Christmas tree decorated with toilet paper…..I guess the Elf got tired of an undecorated tree. We got as far as putting it up but haven’t decorated it yet.

.

So glad to hear that I'm not the only one with a tree with no decorations! Besides being bald ours is leaning tremendously to the side.

This morning my son found Pizza the elf sitting in his car seat. I'm not s creative as you guys yet, but my guy is still little so I don't think he'd appreciate the elaborate things like roasting marshmallows yet.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

PJ decorated our tree with underwear, he does it every year and to an 8yo boy anything with underwear is hilarious .

Then last night he made a Christmas tree shape with Hershey kisses and himself as the star at the top of the tree.

 

[ktlm]

PJ decorated our tree with underwear, he does it every year and to an 8yo boy anything with underwear is hilarious .

.

My DD(6) was furious when Harold did that last year. I thought the elf was going to get thrown out on his ear over that one. She still talks about it. She told him when he arrived that he was NOT to do that this year, but it would be okay if he wanted to put DH's underwear on the tree! I'm tempted, but I'm sure then I would wake up and find my underwear on the tree the next morning, so I think I'll pass. I think DD is going to wake up pretty soon and find the tree decorated with her socks...she didn't tell Harold no socks.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My DD(6) was furious when Harold did that last year. I thought the elf was going to get thrown out on his ear over that one. She still talks about it. She told him when he arrived that he was NOT to do that this year, but it would be okay if he wanted to put DH's underwear on the tree! I'm tempted, but I'm sure then I would wake up and find my underwear on the tree the next morning, so I think I'll pass. I think DD is going to wake up pretty soon and find the tree decorated with her socks...she didn't tell Harold no socks.

That is so cute, I would definitely decorate it with her socks, see what she has to say about that.

 

[Keurigirl]

Look what our naughty elf on the shelf did! Jinx, our boy elf, went to the Caribbean instead of the north pole last night and brought back all these flamingos. Pepper, our girl elf, says that Santa is going to be very mad at them! LOL Excuse the terrible cell phone pic, but can you note that they are all wearing scarves and the main one has on a santa hat? LOLOLOLOL

 

[LCoulter]

Look what our naughty elf on the shelf did! Jinx, our boy elf, went to the Caribbean instead of the north pole last night and brought back all these flamingos. Pepper, our girl elf, says that Santa is going to be very mad at them! LOL Excuse the terrible cell phone pic, but can you note that they are all wearing scarves and the main one has on a santa hat? LOLOLOLOL

This is a great one!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Look what our naughty elf on the shelf did! Jinx, our boy elf, went to the Caribbean instead of the north pole last night and brought back all these flamingos. Pepper, our girl elf, says that Santa is going to be very mad at them! LOL Excuse the terrible cell phone pic, but can you note that they are all wearing scarves and the main one has on a santa hat? LOLOLOLOL

Keurigirl great idea! Have you considered what to do with all the Flamingos after Christmas? You should consider donating them to some local school group who does the "You've been flocked" thing. Did you happen to have all these Flamingos already or did you go out and purchase them? And the scarves, did you scarf each flamingo? I really have to find more time for my elf, you guys are crazy into this, and I love it.

 

[Keurigirl]

This was super easy for me - it was a local girl scout troop that did this, it's their fundraiser right now! So they flocked my yard for $30, including all the santa hats and scarves, and printed out a note I made for my daughter to attach to the lead flamingo. It was awesome! Best money I've spent on the elf so far. My kids went nuts!

 

[Raidra]

Our elf, Pickles, has been here since Sunday morning. He brought us breakfast of Mini chocolate and powdered doughnuts decorated like snowmen and reindeer. Monday he acted like Santa with DD's my little ponies as reindeer. Tuesday he took a ride on DD's 4 ft giraffe. This morning he was caught playing roulette (old see and say) with Barbie and Ken ala Toy Story 3.

I got most of my ideas off pinterest. I am so excited about what all I have planned. I plan on him bringing all the things I would normally just buy...ie Christmas jammies and little Christmas knick nacks.

Love the idea of My Little Ponies and the sleigh!

Our elves are very small and we generally keep them high up so the kids can't get handsy. But we've had them go fishing in our fish bowl (they sat on the edge with a paperclip fishing rod), and they've gotten into cookies, played Uno, had a movie night with a bag of popcorn, etc. They've only brought gifts once or twice.. supplies for sock puppets is the only one I can remember, tho.