Elf on the shelf and 4am panics

I decided in my infinite wisdom to do Elf on the Shelf but there was a problem with this before I even started. The first thing was I didn’t actually like the book that was meant to go with this! The second was, I was woefully unprepared for the amount of elf activities i had to come up with and props needed! I also ran out of steam halfway through after wrapping all of the elf Advent presents and all the other presents as well as the Christmas box and Christmas stocking!

I thought how fun it would be and actually it was fun but I definitely will get the elves to bring more activities as well as gifts! Anyway I started strong with loads of elaborate ideas. Many ideas I had seen and I thought were very inappropriate for a toddler so I stuck to clean and fun ideas. I also may have the unpopular view, that the Elf on the shelf Elves aren’t really that cute! So I found my own different elves that we used and I much preferred them (Home Bargains) .

Advent Day 1:

The first day of Advent we put the elves by Phoebe’s Christmas tree and some of her toy friends welcomed them to our home! Phoebe was amazed and in the morning she came out and said “wow” ! It was the cutest thing ever!

It turns out she loved them and played with them throughout their stay!

The first day the other toys wrote a little note saying welcome to our home! To be totally honest I hadn’t planned it! I just hadn’t got to that part so emergency Pinterest and Instagram scrolling through thousands of ideas to pick ones I could use might have happened for Day 2!

Day 2: Trying to take an ‘Elfie!!

The elves had accidentally made a video while they were trying to to take an ‘Elfie! I had quite a bit of fun making this one but it was a 4am in the morning idea (seems to be when all my “best ideas” come, some may disagree!) She thought it was so funny!

I’d made googly eye glasses (I randomly had a bag of googley eyes - don’t ask) , a crown, a Christmas hat and I made them change positions for each picture and of course we used “Phoebe’s” iPad or pabba as she calls it! One of my favourites ideas which was conceived at 4am (there’s a pattern you will see-sleep evaded me for most of December and I think I just get more delirious as the month went on!)

Day 3

Chilling in the Hot Tub and reading the Santa News letter! Elves love a good hot tub with loads of Bubbles in Phoebe’s play kitchen sink! Clearly being an elf is hard work! I definitely could have done with a hot tub or big bubble bath after it was all over!

Day 4: Elf’s go tubing!

So Anna And Elsa were in the ski lift (attached to the light) then I used Phoebe’s rings from a game she has to make the elves go tubing on! (you also notice the baby gate to protect our tree as it was getting tampered with a lot-I went way too early for the big real tree -yes I know, that was tree version 1/2! )

Day 5:

A hot air balloon ride over a zoo!

I suspended the hot air balloon from a light which in hindsight probably wasn’t the best option as it nearly got pulled off the ceiling (could have been an expensive mistake!) Luckily I took it down pretty quickly as Phoebe was swinging on it like one of the crazy rides you see going upside down and people losing shoes, cameras, sunglasses and their dignity when they scream so loud they burst their neighbours’ ear drums (I do know someone who is very close to me who was guilty of this but they will remain nameless!) This was a 4 am panic job!

The elves also brought a cool mug for hot chocolate for Phoebe to colour in and I think it was a bit of a hit from this face! Oooooooooooooooooohhhh!

Day 6

Elsa managed to freeze the elves into a snowglobe (summer drinks holder!) Phoebe’s chair was used as her ice castle with the giant snow monster (Snowman puppet!) another crazy idea from early morning panic!

Day 7

The elves went camping and toasted some marshmallows but unfortunately when I looked closer at them on the skewer it looked rather rude (mum fail!) I’ll leave it up to your imagination! The fire had chocolate logs as a little extra treat (chocolate celebrations-don’t worry not Snickers, that would be a huge emergency!)

Day 8

The elves gathered at the unicorn book club and read all their favourite unicorn stories, including her new storybook from her birthday! She thought this was very funny! She loved her new books from her birthday!

Day 9

The elves brought Phoebe some baking to do! We had a lovely time making the gingerbread people and shapes! Unfortunately my oven hates me and doesn’t like to cook things they way they are meant to (first thing to buy when we've moved!) The elves told me they would be bringing more activities like baking kits (Because they know I can’t bake!)

Day 10

Do you want to build a snowman......(try and say that without singing it from the Frozen film-parents know it’s impossible - don’t worry, no toilet roll was harmed in this elf on the shelf joke! (All toilet roll use appropriately after!)

Day 11 The elves decided they needed to do a portrait and they left one for Phoebe. Phoebe loves painting and drawing (hoping she gets that artistic flair from me-although Phoebe has decided she likea drawing all over all of our walls!)

Day 12

The elves tried to hide and they found chocolate coins! The elves were pretty tired after some early morning starts Because sometimes the elves forget to deliver Phoebe’s presents!