December 5th – The Elf

I know the Elf on the Shelf tradition can be a hot button item with some families. Many people get very into it and chronicle the journey of their elf on social media. Others don’t believe that having an elf watch your child’s every move and then report back to Santa is a good practice.

We have hosted one of Santa’s elves for the past 5 years. His name is Norman and he is always up to no good. My children love to find out what kind of mischief Norman has gotten into overnight. This year, though, Santa gave him a promotion. He is now part of the Elf Training Department and is responsible for showing our new elf-in-training how to spread Christmas Magic. Norman and Ruby arrived this year on the day after Thanksgiving, bringing with them a special breakfast of powdered snow-nuts, hot chocolate and fruit kabobs. They also brought a small tree on which the children can hang “kindness ornaments” each time they do their part to spread some holiday magic. I’m hoping this helps them understand that the holidays are about giving to others.

Does your family follow the Elf on the Shelf tradition? What kind of mischief does your elf create? If you are not a fan of the elf, what are your feelings about it?

Photo ideas: your Elf on the Shelf, someone wearing an elf hat, Elf Yourself photo

Merry Memories 2014

Every day from December 1 until December 31, we’ll have a fun journaling and photo prompt to help jumpstart your creativity and help you complete an album that showcases this very special time of year! See all of our Merry Memories posts here. Remember to link us up to any pages you create so we can see how you celebrate this amazing month!