Tis’ the season of Chip. He’s our family’s Elf and he does anything but stay on a shelf. It’s nice to have him around so that I can mention, ‘Chip is watching…’ in any unfavorable situation, and somehow smiles and proper behavior roll-out instantaneously. And although I rather enjoy Chip when he’s here visiting (mainly because I use him to keep my children from being complete hellions), he also causes me a great deal of anxiety. For 25 nights I have to come up with new and creative places for Chip. And when it’s the end of the day on December 20th, I’m really not up for Pinteresting or sewing or well, anything other than sipping on my wine. So here is a list of easy-ish solutions for your anxiety this Elfy season. Happy manipulating!
- (Re)Introduce your elf to the family with a sweet and simple note (and in an easy to find spot)
- In the pantry drinking syrup from a straw
- Wrap several toys in brown paper bags and make it look like a potato race is happening
- Wrapped in a washcloth + ‘steaming’ in the shower
- Zipping across the living room on fishing string, holding on to a candy cane
- Being held hostage + taped to a wall (if you have army men, this is a good time to use them)
- In the butter pocket of the fridge, resting on a felt pillow + wrapped in a blanket of felt
- Sitting on the couch with the remote and a cup of popcorn
- Laying on the copier with a picture of his copied image printed out
- Doing some laundry. Make a mini clothes line and hang some barbie clothes out to dry
- Wrapped up in holiday lights on the tree
- Write out a message in toothpaste and frame the elf as the message-writing culprit
- Sitting with a pair of scissors and some cut-out snowflakes
- Sitting on the mantle with a new book *early present from Santa*
- Sitting on the lid of the toilet seat with some chocolate chips representing an accident
- Coloring in a coloring book, holding a crayon
- Making a snow angel on the countertop/under the Christmas tree using flour for the snow
- Kneeling on a plastic lid, sledding down the front handrail
- Use a dry erase marker to draw on a family photo, framing the elf by leaving a marker in hand
- Playing boardgames with a fellow stuffed friend
- Diving head-first into a giant bag of candy
- Make a swing from twine + a toilet paper roll–works well tucked into a recessed lighting canister
- Set your elf on a pile of stuffed animals with a note suggesting to drop them at a local toy drive
- Fireside, roasting some mini marshmallows on a toothpick
- In the kid’s sink fishing for goldfish crackers (perhaps attach one to a mini fishing pole)
- Packed in a toy car with all it’s belongings, ready to return to the North Pole
