Elf on the Shelf is a very polarizing Christmas tradition that parents are either all-in on or loathe. If you braved the world of Elf on the Shelf, kudos to you! Thankfully, my husband and I have managed to avoid that nonsense for now, avoiding the late-night scramble to throw that little (and creepy) stuffed elf somewhere. However, there is a part of me that wonders if our daughter is missing out on the fun because there are some magical concepts of the idea.
One mom shared her Elf on the Shelf alternative on TikTok, explaining that it’s a low-maintenance switch with all the same holiday magic. Count me in!
“My theater degree is finally paying off,” TikTok user @CrayGardens joked.
“Let me show you the best magical Christmas hack that does not involve Elf on a Shelf. Every December 1st, one of Santa’s elves moves into our house,” she says while showing cute little Christmas house.
“I bought this for $3 in the Target Dollar section many years ago,” she noted.
She then explains that every December, the elf moves into the house, and he is the one who puts the candy in the advent calendar for the kids.
“He’s not here during the day because he’s one of Santa’s elves, so…he’s at the North Pole. He just comes here to sleep, so we never see him. But we are responsible for feeding him dinner every night. So, every night he gets one marshmallow to eat.”
“We feed him every night. Sometimes he leaves a mess, sometimes he doesn’t. It’s all up to you. You can create the magic when you want and there’s no obligation to move an elf around all the time.”
She also notes that, unlike the Elf on the Shelf, the elf who lives in the little house doesn’t watch over the kids to see how their behavior is.
“…but if we’re having a problem or we have a request for Santa, we can put a note in there and Elfie will take it right up to the North Pole. Easiest, most low maintenance, but magical Christmas hack. My kids get so excited when Elfie is moving back in,” she concluded.
After her video gained traction, several TikTok users commented on the video praising the mom for her ingenuity.
“Genius! And totally developmentally appropriate and no fear!” one user noted.
“Love this idea! How do you reintroduce the house every year? Does Ellie leave a note explaining their requirements? 🎅” another user asked.
The OP replied, “The house just appears one morning along with their advent calendar, it’s been a few years so they know the drill now. The first year he left an introductory note.”
Another user said, “Madam Cray…I tip my hat to you! Clever, creative, simple. Knocking it outta the park 🎄”
