The holiday season is just around the corner and for many parents that means it's time to bring out The Elf on the Shelf.

I know that during the holiday season we adults are super busy and it can sometimes be a pain in the you-know-what to plan out and execute Elf on the Shelf activities. But you can do easy things that your kids will still love.

To get them excited for their Elf to arrive, do a little preview. We set up my niece's new Scout Elf up in a cute "North Pole" scene. We did it outside since it had recently snowed but if you don't have any fresh snow, use some quilt batting to create a fake snowy scene.

We used a skis ornament, a sled ornament and a bottle brush tree. We also rolled up some white paper and attached some red ribbon and a mini red ornament to make a classic pole marker. Then use an app like Photoshop Express to edit and add a filter to your photo. We used one that made the photo lighter so it was magical and "glowy" like the snow is just lighting everything up.


Since our niece is only a few months old, this was really for mom, so we just sent her a text to read and show her daughter. But all you have to do for an older child is take a photo and print it out along with a letter telling the child the elf will be there soon!

And it's as easy and simple as that!