I was previously dead set against this, but my curious toddler has me convinced it may be a fun tradition to start. We will not be following the typical "rules" of this tradition. Instead, I'm creating something of our own- something where mama doesn't have to stay up at all hours of the night creating scenes with candy and other household items. We are also not going to tell him that the Elf reports back to Santa each night. I think that's creepy, and I don't want him to behave for fear of being watched by the Elf.
We think a fun alternative would be to have our Elf leave fun notes, treats and surprises throughout the month instead. I was inspired by the "Kindness Elves" by Imagination Tree. The Kindness Elves are an Elf On The Shelf alternative, and you can find more information about them and purchase them here: The Kindness Elves.
I was considering ordering a Kindness Elf set, but one of the main things stopping me is that Mason's Elf would look different from his friend's elves. The Kindness Elves are adorable, but Elf On The Shelf has taken over, and its very unlikely many of his friends would have a Kindness Elf at their house. I also secretly love all of the accessories that you can buy for the Elf On The Shelf. Yes, it's just a way for them to suck more money out of us parents, but how cute would it be to have an elf with a little cozy sweater on?
I wrote a poem and had it laminated at staples a few days ago, and we are going to use that instead of the book. After I had it printed I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to "Adopt" our Elf. I had some money on our rewards card for work, so I used some of that towards it. Honestly, $40 for felt with a head is a little high, but since it's something we'll have for years to come I suppose it's worth it.
This is Griswold! Named after our favourite family- The Griswolds from the National Lampoon movies.
I'll make another post closer to Christmas showing some of the fun things Griswold suggested for us to do.
D
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