Elf on the Shelf

I find myself more than a little enamored with the idea of the Elf on the Shelf this year.  Maybe it's because it's Chrismas-y  and I love all things Christmas-y.  Except for those giant inflatable dioramas and snow globes.  I hate those.  Maybe it's because new ideas for Elf mischief have been all over Pinterest this year. I dunno.

Elf on the Shelf apparently started with children's book and has become something of a Christmas mainstay for my friends with Santa-aged munchkins.  Essentially, an elf moves into your house from Thanksgiving to Christmas each year to observe the munchkins and report back to Santa whether they're being naughty or nice.  Essentially, when Mommy or Daddy aren't watching...the elf still is.  The fun comes in that his Elf magically moves around each night while everyone is sleeping and each morning there's some kind of evidence of the mischief he's been up to.  Truth be told, the thought of coming out of my room as a kid and finding the Elf mid-Chutes and Ladders with Teddy, Alice and Tubby?!  Hello awesomeness!

This year, I volunteered to create a Christmas Passport for Nurse Leslie's oldest munchkin Donovan.

 

 The Christmas Passport contains all sorts of important information including the possessors demographics, pictures, address and preferred method for Santa to deliver the loot! In this case: the front door.

Each day he'll get a stamp for being either naughty or nice and be asked to draw a picture or write down something that he's grateful to already have. 

  

Then every night while he's sleeping, the Christmas Elf (or Reindeer as is the case here) will take the passport through the magic portal so that Santa can review the information.  Just in case there was confusion, Santa made sure to send a letter explaining this new process in details.  

Signed, sealed and delivered.

Merry Christmas :)