It’s already mid-November, which means in a few short weeks our Elf on the Shelf Train will be returning from the North Pole, to make sure our sweet boy actually stays on Santa’s “nice” list.

We met Train last year, shortly after my son’s third birthday. It was the perfect age to begin.

24 days of new Elf activity is a lot of work.

To prepare, I did my homework and created a calendar for our Elf. The hour or so I spent on Pinterest and creating the calendar was totally worth it.

I have a tendency to doze during my son’s bedtime, so the calendar was a guide to help my husband and I both to place Train, even if we didn’t want to.

I bought a couple of items to ensure our Elf’s success: a package of cotton balls, a dry-erase marker, a couple of cheap gifts (stocking stuffer type things) found at the Target One-Spot or Dollar Store.

Read our 2018 calendar here. (This includes a weekend trip to NYC, so some hotel Elf action)

Read our 2019 calendar here.  (This includes another quick trip, this time to Seattle)

Here are some of my favorite Elf poses from last year. This year I’m most excited to use the leftover spider web from Halloween to have Spider-man suspend Train.

Train with his North Pole breakfast

Train visited the Sprinkle Spa. So relaxing!

An easy one: your Elf can be coloring or practicing their letters!

Just “chilling” out in the snow (cotton balls)

Reading a new train book to his dinosaur friends

Another easy one: suspended in the tree!

Are they racing or is the T. Rex going to eat the deer!? Elf attached with unscented floss.

Uh oh… Santa wants to talk. Another easy one!

Mr. Bedhead found his Elf, just ‘hanging out’

For more ideas, visit my “Elf on our Shelf” Pinterest board.

Happy Elf-ing!

There’s always the Elf Surveillance Camera if you’re not interested in the Elf.