the elf

If you need help getting your Elf organized this year, please check out my updated planner for 2022, available for only $6, on Etsy! :) All files contain form fields, so you can personalize them, or add your own text as needed.

Special COVID vaccination card included in this year's planner!

Want to send your kids on a scavenger hunt around the house this year? Add-On Pack 1: Scavenger Hunt Clues is available in my Etsy shop for just $3. You can use form fields to type in your own clues on the set of blank clue cards.

Need to leave notes from Santa, or your elf? I've created 3 different sizes of letterhead and note cards for you. Also included is a wish list that your kids can fill out for Santa. These are available as Add-on Pack 3: Santa Stationary in my Etsy shop for just $4.

Need help keeping your kiddos in line? Have your elf bring this behavior clip chart so you can let them know where they stand! This is available as Add-on Pack 9: Behavior Chart in my Etsy shop for just $3.

Have your elf send your kids a secret message to decode! This is available as Add-on Pack 10: Santa's Secret Decoder in my Etsy shop for just $3.

Would you like your elf to help spread some Christmas cheer this year? Check out the Add-on Pack 11: Random Acts of Kindness Elf, available in my Etsy shop for $4.

Do your kids love Star Wars as much as mine do?? They'll love it when they find your elf posing as a character! He or she can even leave behind a fun photo strip of his or her adventures! Available in my Etsy shop for just $3 as Add-on Pack 8: Star Wars-Inspired Elf Photo Props. Sorry, this is currently unavailable in my shop. If you are interested in purchasing it or the Frozen or Lego Movie options shown below, please send me a message via Etsy. 

Want to surprise your child(ren) with an elf coloring sheet one morning? Your elf will leave a note and blank coloring pages to entertain your child(ren) for the day. Available as Add on Pack 7: Elf Coloring Sheet in my Etsy shop, for $3. Sorry, this is currently unavailable in my shop. If you are interested in purchasing, please send me a message via Etsy.

To follow along with our Elf, Rusty, again this year, keep up with #AdventuresOfRustyTheElf on Instagram!!

2014

It's time for another year of Elf on the Shelf! This year, Rusty made some matching jammies for the boys to bring with him for his arrival at our house. I found this super cute material at Jo-Ann Fabric, and had to get it! The boys really love mustaches right now, so this was perfect! Rusty had them ready to go for our arrival home from Ohio on the 30th. :)

2013

It's time for another year of Elf on the Shelf! Well, almost time. Rusty hasn't officially made his appearance yet for this year at our house, but he did stop by on Halloween for a quick visit to make sure the boys were behaving! ;)

Hi, I'm Rusty...I mean, Super Elf...to the rescue! :)

In an effort to get more organized this year (aka, avoid scrambling to think of an idea at 10 pm the night before), I have created a calendar and idea list to keep track of the ideas as I think of them, the supplies I will need to gather, and then plan which days to implement them. Here are printable (8.5" x 11"), blank copies of each to help you plan this year, too! :)

Before heading north for Thanksgiving, Rusty got set up to surprise the boys upon our return home on the 1st! He's sneaky! ;) Here is how he arrived back at our house this year, along with the letter he brought...

He brought Santa jammies for each of the boys. He's also wearing his own pair of jammies that I made with some scrap fabric. :)

Rusty wishes his jammies were as cool as the boys'!

On the 2nd, we found Rusty swinging from the ceiling fan. Josh fashioned the swing from a tongue depressor and yarn. Then we used double-sided tape to secure Rusty's rear end to the seat. I made a sign to hang around his neck letting the boys know that he wanted to decorate the tree!

It's the 2nd already, let's get this tree ready!!

On the 3rd, Rusty was pleased with the decorating job that the boys did with the Christmas tree, so he left them each a Hot Wheels car as a gift. He sat in the light above the table to watch them all day.

"Great job decorating the tree. Enjoy these cars as a gift from me!"

On the 4th, the boys found Rusty down in the basement, rappelling down the pole.

Safety first, boys! :)

On the 5th, we found Rusty perched upon the TV, clutching a remote and his Bearcats banner. I think he wants to watch our team beat Louisville tonight! ;)

Go Bearcats! Beat Louisville!

On the 6th, Rusty brought another treat for the boys...Play-Doh! These Grab 'n Go packs were only $.99 at Toys 'R Us. Score! It was pouring down rain outside and much too warm for snow, so Rusty suggested we make snowmen out of Play-Doh instead!

I love snowmen!

On the 7th, Rusty was playing hide and seek with the boys. They found him hiding behind a stack of books on the bookshelf!

Peek-a-boo!

On the 8th, Rusty made a naughty or nice list. Can you tell we have a household of boys?? Haha!

On the 9th, Rusty decorated the tree with candy canes as a treat for the boys!

Here's a treat for you to eat!

On the 10th, we found Rusty holding baby Jesus.

Jesus had a rough night!

On the 24th, Rusty left his official reports for the boys, to let them know that they were on the "nice" list this year! :)

I'll catch up with the rest of Rusty's antics soon, but wanted to post our goodbye letter for this year, in case anyone still needed any ideas! :) Rusty will be resting in our tree, watching the boys open their presents in the morning!

2012

This year, we decided to adopt an Elf on the Shelf for the Christmas season. I'll be using this page to give you a peek at all of his antics at our house this month!

Welcome to those stopping by from Jenna's Journey, where I've linked up this page, to share all of our fun Elf ideas! Also welcome to those stopping by from Pinterest! :)



I'll admit, I was pretty excited when I picked our elf up at our local Target. I had high hopes of him helping keep Ethan in line this month. Our adorable little 3-year-old sometimes has a hard time listening and obeying Mommy and Daddy, so a magical elf should help, right??

I'm ready to escape this box now, please!

Our elf made his appearance on Saturday, the 1st, by perching in our tree to wait for the boys that morning. He brought a letter with him to let the boys know what was up, in addition to the book that comes in the box, too.

I'm ready to meet Ethan and Noah!

I found the great text for the letter from the Lil' Luna blog

The elf was greeted with a lukewarm reception and given the name of Rusty. We first had to veto "Noah" (that might be confusing...) and "Krusty" (too close to my name!). On the 2nd, we found Rusty reading the one of the boys' Thomas the Train books on the bookshelf!

I sure wish my hands could move so I could turn these pages!

On the 3rd, in an attempt to get Ethan more excited, we found that Rusty had had a little fun with our family pictures!!

Dry erase markers are fun! ;)

Unfortunately, Ethan wasn't very thrilled at first with the "redecorating" that Rusty did, but did warm up to it later in the day. He's pretty grumpy in the morning when I have to wake him up! So, on the 4th, Rusty shaped up and was a little nicer with his decorations. A garland of snowflakes now adorns our mantle!

These scissors are more like garden shears! Cutting out these tiny snowflakes wasn't easy!

On the 5th, Rusty enlisted Elmo in his shenanigans. I think they're practicing to be trapeze artists?!? I sure hope Rusty can hold on all day!

Eenie, meenie, miney, moe...catch an Elmo by the toe!

On the 6th, Rusty got a little confused (I hope he was just confused, or we have one naughty elf on our hands!) and hung our undies from the mantle instead of our stockings!! I hope you used clean ones, Rusty! ;)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...wait...RUSTY!! Stockings, Rusty, stockings...

On the 7th, Rusty must have felt bad for hanging our undies instead of our new stockings, so he made up for it!

Are those Hot Wheels cars in our new stockings?

On the 8th, Rusty discovered the vanilla syrup. He must have been pretty thirsty to have drank an entire bottle!

Back away from the syrup, Rusty. Back away!

On the 9th, Rusty decided we needed a family day, so no TV for us all day!

Good thing the Bengals game wasn't aired here! ;)

On the 10th, Rusty must have needed a better view. He broke out his telescope to check out the action.

Ethan had warned Rusty that he was keeping an eye on him. I guess Rusty thought he needed to do the same!

On the 11th, Rusty reminded us that there were just 2 weeks left until Christmas!!

FYI, slacker parents like us, it's time to start thinking about some shopping!!

On the 12th, we found that Rusty had made himself right at home by building himself a Lincoln log house to hang out in!

Hmm, I'm feeling a little cramped in here, guys...

Rusty appeared to like his little house, but he must have been a bit homesick for a colder climate, because on the 13th, we found him in the refrigerator!

Enjoying a frosty cold root beer...Ethan's favorite!

On the 14th, Rusty brought us a treat. Ornaments filled with chocolate covered sunflower seeds now adorn the tree!

Hmm, those sure look tasty! Tastier than that dog bone, for sure!

On the 15th, Rusty wanted to give the boys a laugh, so he toilet papered the tree! Even little Noah noticed this one immediately, and started pointing at the tree and giggling. :)

TP is for tushies, not trees, Rusty!

On the 16th, Rusty left a sweet surprise...candy canes!!

Here's a treat for being sweet!

On the 17th, it was rainy outside, so Rusty had to roast his marshmallows to make s'mores inside instead!

This may be the world's biggest s'more! ;) Yum!

On the 18th, Rusty made sure to eat a healthy breakfast when he woke up!

Honey nut toasted oats and bananas are my favorite!

On the 19th, Rusty left us a fun Rudolph craft to do!

Rusty made his own little Rudolph ornament, too! ;)

Supplies Rusty left us to make our own ornaments!

Finished products with their sweet little hand cutouts! :)

On the 20th, we found Rusty joining a few of the boys' Hot Wheels cars in a parade!

Watch out, Finn! Silly Rusty is covering your eyes!

On the 21st, we found Rusty zip lining to the tree! We also woke up to our first snow of the season in the morning. Very fitting for the first day of winter. :)

I sure hope this piece of yarn holds all day!

On the 22nd, Rusty was trickier and wanted to play hide and seek!

Mmm, these pine cones smell good!

On the 23rd, Rusty noticed that we had so much fun building a snowman on the first day of winter, that he built one of his own! It made Ethan happy because he was sad his was melting. :/

He's tiny, but cute!

On the 24th, Rusty showed up with cookie cutters. He must have known we were planning to make cutout cookies today! ;)

I want to roll the dough!

On the 25th, we found a note in the tree that Rusty had left the boys, letting them know that he had a great time with us.

See you next year!!