Here’s The History Behind The Elf On The Shelf

Who knew there was such history of the Elf on the Shelf? It's just about that time of year again, that time when your beloved (or dreaded) Elf on the Shelf makes his or her reappearance in your home. I don't know about you but I have some friends who have already had their Elf show up, and they've been eagerly posting pictures on social media already about his latest escapades. My youngest kids are on the cusp on not believing anymore, which is why, as much as I dread lying in bed at night and being startled awake because Buddy (that's our elf) didn't move again, I can't wait for him to arrive. Buddy brings a sense of wonder and excitement to our house that even my older kids enjoy and he really gets everyone in the holiday mood. Let's face it, I also appreciate any toy that helps me stop my kids from fighting and gets them to help more around the house, thanks to his nightly Santa reports. My elf has even left letters for my kids when they misbehaved which absolutely resulted in best behavior the following day! I had no idea about the history of The Elf on the Shelf, which turns 12 this year and it turns out this fun little toy that brings so much joy and happiness to kids everywhere almost never got made. He's Almost A Teenager! It's hard to believe but it's been 12 year since Carol Aebersold and her daughters Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts self published their book, 'The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition', after being turned down by every publisher they approached. “They just did not know what to do with it. Nobody had done anything like this before,” Bell told TODAY of their now multi-million dollar idea. The mom and daughters team told TODAY the idea came from their own personal tradition with their elf, Fisbee. “I was a new mom myself, and I was like, ‘Hey, Mom, I need an elf that talks to Santa too! There was nothing like that available,” Bell said. “My mom was able to write from her point of view and I was able to write from a child’s point of view.” Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'_U528GrbRotz7HJl1JOK1Q',sig:'r0mLo2W6To9xN5F0gt_66DPFc2-CRoLEteXll0xKjvk=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'156808354',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); The mother and her two daughters decided to self publish their book and first began selling it personally, explaining the tradition to everyone they spoke with. The history of The Elf on the Shelf is really an amazing story of perseverance and luck! Jennifer Garner In the beginning Aebersold and her daughters would sell their books out of a van at local book fairs, and while word of mouth was slowly starting to spread about the book, it was in 2007 when Jennifer Garner was spotted carrying their book that business really took off! Aebersold told The Daily Mail the sudden success meant they all had to learn how to run a business, quickly. "We didn't know anything about running a business or about publishing. We did have growing pains as it was growing so quickly and we were trying to educate ourselves and keep up. Having three women from the same family meant we had to figure out our roles, especially as we had similar skills". Now The Elf on the Shelf is a massive success. In addition to getting it's own half hour animated special in 2011 and a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in 2012, the book has now sold over 11 million copies. Love The Elf Or Hate The Elf? I feel the Elf is like the Kardashians - people either love it or they hate it with a passion! Nothing brings out the worst in people like Elf season, and you can hear the complainers all over social media. Bell told TODAY that the pressure people put on themselves to come up with crazy scenarios and elaborate hiding places for their elves isn't really necessary. “Our own elf just flies back and forth to the North Pole and hides in different spots,” she says. “Every once in a while, he might answer a letter my children write him or spell out ‘HELLO’ in M&Ms… People forget that the pressure they put on themselves is self-induced.” I couldn't agree more. I tried to keep up with those Pinterest-worthy Elf on The Shelf posts but in the end, my kids are just excited to run around the house each morning in search of Buddy. Are you an Elf lover or an Elf hater? Does the history of the elf on your shelf surprise you? Has your elf made his appearance yet? Tell us your thoughts in the comments and don't forget to SHARE this post with your friends!

Here’s The History Behind The Elf On The Shelf

Are you an elf lover or hater?

I had no idea about the history of The Elf on the Shelf, which turns 12 this year and it turns out this fun little toy that brings so much joy and happiness to kids everywhere almost never got made.

Kelli

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