Elf on the Shelf

Yesterday  my husband and I went to our favorite restaurant for breakfast ~ Caffe Latte Da.  While we were there, the waitresses talked about Christmas traditions.  One waitress has a really cute tradition, called Elf on the Shelf.

The elf comes out a couple of months before Christmas.  It's a magical elf and nobody can touch it.  It stays on the shelf, but somehow manages to slightly move positions.  The elf is known for moving off of the shelf late at night when everyone is sleeping and leaves little notes, such as "Have a good day" next to the child's tooth brush.

The elf also reports to Santa if the child has been good or not.  And the waitress says it's a great way to inspire children to get out of bed, "I wonder if the elf left any messages this morning!"


Thinking about traditions, my cousin in Maryland had the tradition of ringing bells late at night and someone calling out "Ho Ho Ho" the night before Christmas :)  She also continues with her tradition of collecting ornaments each year that represent something of interest in the child's life that year.  Then, as each child gets a place of their own, she will box up that child's ornaments and give them as a gift ~ which is a great way to start off the child's (now adult) own ornament collection.  I love this idea too!


Comments

Cperz said…
The Elf on the Shelf "kit" started a few years ago and took off like a rocket. My daughter has been using it for the last 2 years and the kids (2 and 5) think its great fun to see where the elf is when they get up in the morning.

I think it's nice to start your own unique traditions with your baby so they have a special something to feel connected to the holidays and their families.
Glynis Jolly said…
Something that my mother did while my brother and I were growing up was to take us shopping sometime during the first week of December just to put out one ornament each that would be placed on our tree. Mind you, we did not go to Walmart or Kmart for these ornaments. We went to stores like Dillard's, May D&F (later name Fuller's), Joslin's, etc. These are department stores that were in line with Macy's and Gimbals's when they were exclusively in N.Y. These were not cheap ornaments. My brother and I looked forward to this outing every year.
Lilly said…
I love the ornaments idea. We also had name ornaments on our tree too. Every year I get a new ornament and like to get one if traveling to another country. It is a wonderful time of year for families and children. You will start your own family traditions now. It is so much fun.