The Thrifty Elf on the Shelf

Have you ever heard about The Elf on the Shelf? I've wanted to buy one for the boys for the past couple of years, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend the $33.99 for the little elf and the story book, no matter how cute the idea is. Luckily, one day this past summer, I happened upon a lovely yard sale nearby, and I found this little guy, still in his original package, a-la 1970. I immediately liked him because it reminded me of an elf ornament or decoration from my childhood, but I also knew that he could be our "elf on the shelf". He cost a mere 10 cents, and you cannot beat that! After about one minute of Internet research, I was able to familiarize myself with the Elf on the Shelf story - - basically, he shows up on December 1st and takes his perch somewhere in the house (in the first photo, he's hanging out on the towel rack in the bathroom). Each night, he jets off to the North Pole to report back to Santa regarding the behavior of the children in the house. Then, he returns and finds a new perch. The boys also had to name him, and they decided to call him Fluffy the Elf .

The first two or three days, Camden spent most of his time telling me, "Mum, I know you are the one who moves Fluffy every night...I just know it." My initial response was, "No, I'm not." but I soon realized that the more I said it, the more suspicious he seemed to be. So then I simply said, "Whatever you want to believe is fine, Cam." For some reason, he hasn't said a word about it since. The boys have fun every morning, trying to locate Fluffy. We learned the other day that if Fluffy foolishly perches himself within Griffin's reach, Griffin pulls his head off (poor Fluffy!). Now, he chooses spots that are a bit higher up. Smart thinking, Fluffy.

This morning, Fluffy is high atop a frame in the boys bedroom...so far, he hasn't been spotted.

And that, my friends, is the story of my 10-cent Elf on the Shelf!