Elf On The Shelf – Our New Family Tradition

This year I caved and bought into the Elf on the Shelf craze. I’m so glad I did and I am actually kicking myself for not starting this years ago. Our family is having so much fun with our new tradition!

The kids and I sat down together to officially adopt our elf. I read them the story book before bedtime and we used my laptop to register on Santa’s North Pole website. The kids even received an adoption certificate and were able to name him.

We Googled elf names and all three kids debated for a while until they finally agreed on Lanny, named after their favorite elf on the Disney Christmas cartoon, Prep & Landing.

Some of the other names we thought about naming our elf were: Elfward, Elfie, Tiny, Buddy (after the movie Elf), Elfwin and a few others I can’t remember that the kids tossed out.

The first night Lanny hung out in our tree. This was a little tricky because once he comes back from the North Pole to watch over the children he isn’t allowed to move or be touched until he heads out again the following night. Well the following evening we put ornaments on our tree so the kids found the challenge of decorating around him entertaining.

The second night he decided to hang from the dining room light fixture. The kids were sure to keep from touching him this high up.

Each morning Noah springs out of bed to go find Lanny. It’s like the excitement of Christmas morning daily for a month.

What is a favorite holiday tradition for your family? Do your kids have an elf? If so what’s his/her name?

Don’t forget to capture your family traditions in photos and videos. Preserving those moments to look back on in the future is priceless. This year I plan to record my six year old reading his letter to Santa on video.

Transfer your old home movies before they fade away! YesVideo is offering 15% off during the month of November with code THANKS.

Sam’s Club is offering a second DVD free just in time for the holidays. Hurry before the offer ends on November 30th! If you are looking for the perfect gift for the person who has everything, get your order in to Sam’s Club by December 2nd to ensure holiday delivery.

Full Disclosure: I’m a YesVideo Ambassador therefore compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.