I think the Elf on the Shelf is a wonderful idea and a fun Christmas tradition! We have had our little elf for a few years now, and we miss her between Christmas night and the day after Thanksgiving. We named her “Vixen,” and it suits her well, because she is always getting into some sort of mischief!
The Elf on the Shelf has African-American and Caucasian versions of both boy and girl elves. As a biracial family, we try to incorporate a representation of both cultures into our Christmas traditions. We have a little girl elf with brown skin that comes to our house. Starting this tradition young is so entertaining, because the little kiddos really believe that the elf gets into everything while they are sleeping. Our daughter is six, and she still believes the magic is real, so we will keep this going as long as possible!
Last year our elf had a lot of fun hanging out with the Barbies of the house. Finding something different for the elf to do each night is challenging, but it is very exciting as well! The adventure allows you to get those creative juices flowing and to seek out different things around the house for a variation of themes from night to night. The elf can bring gifts, remind children to stay off the naughty list, and play with all your kid’s toys!
I get a lot of my inspiration from Instagram, and then make the ideas my own I will be posting each day in December up until Christmas of what our little Vixen, gets into, if you want to follow me @csnow333. Feel free to steal some of my ideas! If you are new to the Elf on the Shelf, I recommend reading the book and getting the movie as well, so your kid(s) can really get into the spirit of it! We have a tradition of getting new pajamas to open every Christmas Eve after Midnight Mass. This year, I found a pair of Elf on the Shelf pajamas, so she might have to make a debut on Christmas Eve this year, to “open” her new ‘jamas with us! I would love to hear about any of your favorite Elf on the Shelf adventures as well. Please share in the comments section or post your pictures on Instagram and tag @cincymomsblog with the #CMBelfontheshelf so we can see them!
