My favorite Christmas Stories: Elf on a Shelf

My family and I absolutely love this book and the tradition in our house that has grown around it.   Each year, children always ask," How does Santa Claus really know if we have been naughty or nice?"   Well, Santa's secret is Elf on a Shelf.    Santa sends the elf to watch the children and then the elf reports to Santa every night and comes back to a different spot in the house.  But the rule, is that the children can not touch the elf. 

We got this book 2 years ago and have so much fun with the Elf.   We pack the elf in a priority mail box and address it to our children.   My husband will sneak around to the front, ring the bell and leave the box on Thanksgiving Day.   When the children open the box, there is the elf, dusted with a little glitter to give it a "magical" appearance.   We try to find a special place, where the elf will have a great view of the house.

Then each day, the elf is somewhere new.   We try to remember to move it around the house before my husband and I go to bed.   The kids love looking for it when they get up in the morning, it is almost like a game of hide and seek.  Be ready with some quick answers if you forget to move the elf.  The kids will ask a lot of questions.    The elf leaves on Christmas Eve with Santa Claus and leaves a note for the kids. 

Last year, we lost our elf and had to quickly replace it.  We don't pack our in elf with our Christmas decorations and couldn't remember where he was.   Our children were not wild about the Elf replacement.  They said that he was creepy looking.  And our little girl admitted that she touched the elf so it would go away and we would get the cute elf back. 

Thankfully, this year the cute elf will return!  I can't wait to see their reaction this year.