And so is waking up in a cold sweat at 4 am realizing that I haven’t moved Jolly, our Elf on the Shelf, to a new spot.

Last year I was able to get away with very basic elf poses (think high up and out of reach) that required little planning ahead because my youngest didn’t abide to the “no touching the elf” rule. This year will be a different story, so I am hoping to be a little more creative!

I am already just skating by, as I put Jolly out right before they came home today. One girl in my son’s class told him her elf arrived this morning and I saw Coop’s eyes widen with worry that he hadn’t seen Jolly.

My boys did not go in the dining room this morning…so guess where Jolly was found! I used this cute, free print out from Spaceships and Laser Beams (link here).

I love this letter! It helps remind them of the rules and what to expect for the month of December.

Day 1 is complete! A simple pose on our dining room table–he was holding candy canes, but the kids got to those before I could take a photo.

Only 3 weeks of new poses to go!

If you liked this post, check out my Top Ten Tips for Hiking with Toddlers here!