The Elf on the Shelf is the bane of my holiday existence.

It’s definitely not something I would have purchased for my family, but alas, he was a gift and the kids saw him before I could make him magically disappear. Logan received our elf, Mac for his birthday a few years back and ever since he’s returned every Black Friday and left every Christmas Eve, making every morning in-between a struggle.

I guess Mac needs to keep an extra eye on Logan.

I swear, the person who gave Logan the elf must hate me!

I can barely remember my own name in the wee hours of the morn, let alone remember to move that God forsaken elf. Why not move it the night before you ask? Because by the time those kids are in bed I’m so frazzled I stumble to bed myself.

I’m the mother of two very boy-like little boys, my life is nothing short of insane.

Elf in a bucket.

I’ve made it an art of coming up with excises as to why Mac is still in the same place he was the morning before. He was tired. The dog was up so he couldn’t sneak away. I was up so he couldn’t sneak away. His arm is stuck in the cookbook…door…plant…whatever he was sitting next too. He was covered in too much dust to fly. He was too tired. You were too bad, he didn’t want to go to the North Pole with yet another bad report. Maybe he just LIKES that spot.

That face! The creepy smile. The lack of feet or hands. The way the eyes don’t move but they still seem to follow you wherever you go (or maybe that’s just me).

I see all the posts on social media about the naughty things elves do or the creative ways parents make them move around and I just roll my eyes. When you’re trying to get your kids to behave and NOT be naughty why the hell would you want an elf making a mess in your house? I don’t know about you, but I already have two kids, a husband, a dog and a cat to do that, I don’t need a friggin’ elf making a mess too! If you’re one of those Pinterest worthy parents who comes up with cute and funny ways to use your elf to bring the holiday cheer, that’s great for you but I have no aspirations to be like you.

I don’t get much more creative than this.

The Elf on the Shelf doesn’t seem to have any effect on my boy’s behavior. The knowledge that he’s flying to the North Pole to let Santa know that they started beating the shit out of each other for no apparent reason does not keep them from fighting. They’ll talk back and carry on right in front of him.

So what’s the point?

For me, Mac is just another thing to cause me stress during the holidays. Just another thing to beat myself up over when I forget to move him and leave him sitting in the same spot for days on end. Just another reminder of my lack of creativity.

So why do it do it?

Because the boys love it. That stupid elf brings smiles to their sweet little faces. The excitement on their faces when they find him first thing in the morning (assuming I remembered to move him). I might forget about Mac often but they never do. They look forward to him every year so I will keep the tradition going.

Someday, when they have kids of their own, I will torture their wives by giving them their very own Elf on the Shelf.

Mac’s final resting place before he goes “home”.

Do you have an elf? What’s his name?

Merry Christmas from Mommyland!

I have a confession to make, I hate the elf on the shelf. I’m constantly forgetting to move that little bugger and I’m left making excuses as to why Mac is still sitting in the same place. I even went so far as to accuse the kids of touching him because I forgot to move him two days in a row. Mother of the year right here!

I didn’t buy the elf, Mac was a gift for Logan’s birthday a few years back. I’m not sure I would have ever bought such a high maintenance Christmas decoration. In the years before Mac joined our family we had a Saint Nick figurine that sat on the mantle and reported back to Santa each night. Pretty much the same thing without the hassle of nightly movings.

So why do I keep the elf thing going? The kids love it. They enjoy coming down each day and seeing where Mac is hanging out (when I remember to move him). I cannot deny those sweet little faces that month of Christmas joy with Mac. I am getting better at remembering and usually Bill will help if he sees I didn’t move him when he leaves for work. I at least keep my feelings about Mac to myself, and he is starting to grow on me (now that he has some style).

If you’re going to have an elf you might as well have a cool elf right?

That’s where Elf Outfitters comes in.

There are six fun outfits to choose from to add to your child’s excitement over the elf. I have to say, for someone who hates the elf, I want each and every one of the elf costumes.

Ok, I want them all but I’ll start with one. I think that Mac should be a superhero! Super Mac!!!

Super Mac high above the world.

The first thing I noticed about my Mac’s Super Hero outfit is that it looks like it could have come in the box with him. It didn’t seem awkward or out of place at all. Everything was the perfect fit for Mac, of course it would be, it was made just for him.

Every super hero must protect his identity

Once I got over the excitement of the cape and mask (yes, I said excitement.) I noticed there was more in the envelope. A cute little card with some fun elf inspiration and fun ways to get the whole family involved was in there too.

Elf Outfitters provides “Accessories that will inspire your creativity and bring your Family Elf to life.” Hey, if they can get me excited about our elf, then the Elf Outfitter costumes are PERFECT for every family elf.

Love this cape!

When my boys first saw Mac dressed as a Super Hero they went crazy. They thought it was the coolest thing ever that Mac had come back to us with a cape on, it even has a big M on it. It took the magic of the elf to a whole new level for them.

If you have an elf in your house you HAVE to check out Elf Outfitters. What you don’t want cool costumes for your elf? First off that makes you more of a Scrooge than me, and second there are other cool things over at Elf Outfitters. Catch a little one touching your elf? You can find a cute letter that will tell your children how to get his magic back. There are other fun and FREE printables for you enjoyment there too. If you’re like me and tend to be a little less than creative with your elf stop by the Elf Outfitters blog for more great ideas.

Elf Outfitters is so much more than fun costumes for your elf, it’s the whole elf experience. Since they launched a few weeks ago I’ve gotten into the whole elf thing and really embraced it for the first time.

Do you have an elf? What are you waiting for? Go make your elf even more exciting for your kids, you only have one more week and he’ll be gone until next year.