Elf On the Shelf Turns Zen

Trust the media to take a simple idea and turn it into a ridiculous circus… “Pippi, my darling, we are going to revolutionize Christmas!” I shouted this out the other day to my daughter, after we’d come up with a brilliantly simple solution to a complicated Christmas idea.

I was zipping through my Facebook home page and sadly passed an Elf on the Shelf post. My seven-year old, who was reading over my shoulder, said, “Stop Mom! Scroll up…”

Rats, she saw the bleeping post! Ahg! I had managed to sneak through Christmas last year, completely and utterly oblivious the Elf on the Shelf. I went back to the post. I read about that mischievous little elf and all its hijinx.

My thoughts: I need to hire an elf just to do the Elf on the Shelf pranks each night.

As if Christmas isn’t busy enough for moms! Now, I have to add elf hijinx to my over-the-top Christmas preparation expectations.

I glanced at Pippi, who was engrossed in reading every single word about the Elf on the Shelf. I asked her what she thought about the idea. She thought it sounded great…of course…then, something wonderful happened…my teeny-tiny Grinchy heart grew and grew and threatened to explode from my chest… “Pippi, my darling, we are going to revolutionize Christmas!’ I shouted with glee!

“How would you like to be the Elf on the Shelf this Christmas? How would you like to do crazy things each night leading up to Christmas and surprise the family each morning?” I said.

Pippi’s eyes grew as big as the moon and she nodded excitedly.”I’m so excited! I’m going to write down all my ideas right now!” she said, and ran from the room to find a paper and pencil.

There you have it. Finally, an Elf on the Shelf that’s fun for the whole family.

Pippi was so excited about all the hijinx she’d create that I was actually looking forward to the little elf myself this Christmas.

We found a girl elf—she didn’t come cheap. Pippi named her Veena. Then, the big surprise: lo and behold, the story of the Elf on the Shelf is not as horrific as the Internet makes it seem. The Elf only needs to be hidden, no pranks needed.

Pippi hides the elf each night in the living room and we find her in the morning. It’s so easy, I’ve taken to hiding the elf and Pippi has been finding her.