I wasn't too happy with the commercialization of Christmas and thought that a toy, invented in 2005, was being used by parents to scare kids into being good, by telling them tales of elves flying to the North Pole every night to report back to Santa.
But I also had friends that told me their kids LOVED the Elf on the Shelf.
One thing I could get behind were the funny photos of elves waking up near pills and empty bottles of booze, or waking up in bed with Barbie dolls.
That's comedy.
So imagine my surprise when I was set up on a blind date at lunch who turned out to be Elf on the Shelf!
I volunteered to help out the Newbury Street League promote the street this holiday season, to recover from their losses after the Boston Marathon Bombing. Some stores went out of business and some had sales reductions of up to 40%. The loss of business means a loss of jobs, and I wanted to help out.
The organizing lunch was at the renovated Forum restaurant. It's beautiful in there. I encourage you to visit.
My first duty as a luminary, was to light a tree on Newbury Street. Not a problem.
It was a fun time.
Next, up, the Elf On the Shelf Challenge.
It's easy:
1. FIND and ELF
2. Take a PHOTO
3. SHARE/TAG #NewburyStreetElf on Instagram, Facebook, and/or twitter
4. ADD the Store Name where you found the elf
A list of participating merchants can be found on the Elf Challenge page.
I grabbed my Elf and took a closer look.
Wait! This isn't the Elf on the Shelf that scares kids, It's the Elf on the Shelf Plushee Pal!
A Plushee Pal® can keep you company even after your Elf on the Shelf® scout elf has returned to the North Pole! Unlike the REAL North Pole elves, these toy elves are meant to be held and squeezed at Christmas and all year. Unbelievably soft to the touch and gentle to the cheek, each elf is made of the finest material Santa's toy makers could find, perfect for a child's loving arms. Each elf stands 19" inches tall. (Available in boy or girl styles, with light or dark skin tone.)
The Elf on the Shelf Girl Plushee Pal - Light
I'm going to have fun putting my Elf in silly situations all year long!
Cheers!