The Elf on the Shelf

All of my friends with older children have raved about The Elf on the Shelf.  Seriously, Santa is ingenious. Sending little elves to watch over our little ones throughout the holiday season as spies to report back to him on whether they are being naughty or nice, is just plain awesome. My sister bought Gavin his own elf, as well as The Elf on the Shelf book last Christmas, and recently I decided to open the box and read him the story.

All elves are uniquely different, but they can be purchased with either light skin, dark skin, black hair, brown hair, brown eyes or blue eyes. Our elf came in a large box along with a storybook. As the story goes, each house has their own elf, that the kids name themselves. During the holiday season, the elf returns every night to the North Pole to tell Santa whether the children were behaving or not. Every morning, upon his return, the elf can be found resting in a different place to watch! The children are instructed not to touch their elf, or he will lose his magic, and on Christmas Eve, the elf returns to the North Pole to help Santa until the holiday season arrives the following year.

At just 2, Gavin is a little young for the concept, but I thought I’d give it a try. When we got to the page where I asked him what we should name the elf, he said, “All done!”  So even though we’ll probably wait until next year to officially name our elf, I’m sure he’ll enjoy playing hide and seek with him in the meantime. If your kids could use a little incentive for good behavior this holiday season, The Elf on the Shelf may be a great tradition to add to your holiday preparations. To find your nearest Elf Adoption Center, visit the website, www.elfontheshelf.com.

We received The Elf on the Shelf as a gift. The opinions are my own.

As I flipped through, I personally liked the way this catalog was organized with like items sorted by page.  Cute little sayings titled each page for different categories of toys such as – “Own Little World, The Perfect Gift, Building Imagination, Creative Minds, Little Wonders, Constructing Play, Just for Me, Explore Your World, Put on a Show, We’re on the Move, My Wish List, I Like to Pretend.”  I was much more aware of the great variety of imaginary toys sold by Constructive Playthings when I finished reading it for the 10th time!

One of the toys I picked out of this catalog I did not find when searching online that I’d like to try out is the Light & Sound Town,$39.99. I tend to always gravitate towards toys that promote fine motor skill and coordination, and this toy takes the busy box idea to a much more imaginative level as kids activate buttons that operate different vehicles.

Click the link to get your own FREE TOY CATALOG sent directly to your home so both you and your children can start your holiday wish lists early allowing plenty of time for customization if needed!

www.giftventure.com

Then I thought, if it were me, how could I make giving the gifts at a later date a special opportunity, and immediately I thought of Giftventure.com!

Giftventure.com provides personalized gift adventures to find a gift hidden in your home for children ages 4-9! Anyone can send them by going online and typing in a few clues about where the gift will be hidden. Three letters are sent to the mailbox, personalized by the child’s favorite characters including Santa, Dora, Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, Sponge Bob & Bakugan to name a few. Educational activities you can complete with your child are also provided on the colorful posters!

The Santa Giftventure was the perfect solution for my friend’s dilemma. She has decided to have all the letters mailed to her home before the trip so she can give them to her children on the long drive back from New York while they anticipate the arrival of Santa’s present.

Consider Giftventure.com as a gift this holiday season, or to make any gift an extra special opportunity for any occasion.

Review of Giftventure.com with Toyqueen
Interview with Steve Mock CEO and founder of Giftventure. Giftventure is a personalized treasure hunt that arrives in the mail. Parents will hide a gift in the house. They will go online and order an adventure that will give their children clues and eventually tell them where the gift was hidden. Letters can be sent from a number of different characters from Nickelodeon (Dora, SpongeBob), Sesame Street, Yo Gabba Gabba and Cartoon Network. The whole process takes 5 minutes to order. Parents will provide clues such as what is their child’s favorite food or where they go to school and these clues will be incorporated into the adventure. The whole experience can go on for a week. Giftventure was created by Steve because when his three nieces were given a gift they would quickly play with it and go back to playing with their “pile of stuff.” Steve found that when he created an adventure and they earned the gift, they were more apt to appreciate it.