A Confetti Affair: Elf On the Shelf {2011}

Our family adopted an Elf On the Shelf about a month before Christmas in 2011. After careful consideration, everyone agreed that his name should be Buttons Sparkletoes. If you are not familiar with the adoption process of the elves, I will explain it to you. You can pick one of these guys (or gals) up at Barnes and Noble or Hallmark. Or they can just arrive on your doorstep for your kids to find. ;)

Each elf comes with a book. Open the box, read the book and set the elf on a shelf or somewhere out of reach from the children. Now it's time to name your elf. Once your elf has been given an official name, touching him (or her) is OFF LIMITS!!! If the elf is touched by human hands, the magic is gone and he doesn't travel anymore. (Unless of course it was an obvious accident, or if you grab them with kitchen tongs if they are found in an inconvenient spot..) The elf remains on the shelf until the kids go to sleep.. at this time elves tend to move around.. Some just look for another place to hang out, staying there until the next night when they will look for a new place. The elves carefully watch the children and report back to Santa.

Some elves are more mischievous (destructive?) than others.. We have that kind! They do not come with warning labels or psychiatric evaluation forms when you take the plunge and adopt, It's a surprise..

There are mornings where I have actually cried from laughing so hard at my children's reactions to Button's late night shenanigans.

I think most elves show up around Thanksgiving and leave Christmas Eve. My daughter Ella is always soooo sad to see him go. She usually writes him a letter.. Buttons loves those. And he usually leaves her something too.. that way he can stop by now and then throughout the year to see how things are going. :)

These are some of our adventures we have shared with Buttons Sparkletoes:

Magic Beans. Directions on how to plant. See what grows!