Elf on the Shelf

So I'm sure you all have different opinions on the whole concept of Elf on the Shelf and I have mine too which is why I decided that this year Santa would be giving us an Elf for the month of December. We picked our Elf up soon after we got back from Maryland (a post of that trip is coming soon.) Savannah was so excited and she picked out or Elf whom she quickly named Jess. What really sold me on the idea of starting this new tradition was that I could make it anything I wanted. I can go as crazy or mild as I want and I can gear it towards the needs of our family. Now I will also say I just think its a fun idea. I remember being a kid and being so excited for Santa to come, to see if he'd eaten the cookies I'd left out. Christmas was always so magical and I want it to be the same for my girls. I don't feel like I'm lying for telling my girls that Santa is real or for having an Elf on the Shelf. I feel like I'm helping to make memories and to get them excited for such a wonderful holiday. Now its not all about Santa, we are after all celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and that will also play a big role in how we celebrate this Christmas season. On December 1st we'll be getting a letter from Santa, I got the idea from this BLOG. I changed the letter a bit to work for our family but it mostly talks about how Santa knows the girls aren't perfect and are sometimes naughty. How they need to try and be kind and remember the Savior by serving others. It also explains that Jess was sent to us so we could teach her to be more obedient because she just like them can get in trouble and be naughty. I think as the month goes on Jess will start to do less naughty things and more nice things for us as she learns from the girls how to be obedient and serve. We'll also be doing a scripture advent calender, I got the idea from this SITE and am excited to help the girls understand why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place.