Don't Fail The Elf On The Shelf This Year

Every year, I tell myself 'this will be the year I make Elf on the Shelf work' and promise to do something creative everyday. I'm usually pretty successful the first week...and then it gets away from me. I forget a day or two or a week and then the magic just goes away. I tell myself 'hey, I tried'...but I usually feel like I let the kids down.

So this year...I'm getting started earlier than usual! Here's my plan:

Google creative ideas for your Elf. Pinterest is a great place to start.
Print a calendar for December 2016 and filling each day with a plan. You'll know what to expect each day.
Keep in mind, you can make the Elf's visit shorter. Start a week or two before Christmas if you don't want to commit to the entire month.
Try to encourage a welcome letter from the Elf. This is the perfect opportunity to have the children write their letters to Santa. (HINT: Sometimes, our Elf makes a brief appearance just before Black Friday & Cyber Monday)
Brainstorm activites or random acts of kindness the kids can do each day and report back to the Elf.
Make it easy on yourself. Sometimes, less is more!
Use National Days of Observance for inspiration. Some fun days in December:
- National Pie Day
- National Cotton Candy Day
- National Cookie Day
- National Bathtub Party Day
- National Gingerbread House Day
- National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
Don't have the original Elf on the Shelf? That's OK...use something else! I do!