Things to Do
Elf on the Shelf a tradition
Elf on the Shelf, a children’s book character created by a local family, is one of three new balloons in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
You can't hide the success of "The Elf on a Shelf, " which started as an innocent family Christmas tradition about 30 years ago and has grown to be a multimillion-dollar company based in Marietta. Carol Aebersold began hiding a plastic elf from her twin daughters --- Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts --- while they were growing up. The story behind it was that the elf flew to the North Pole every night to give a daily report on the kids' activities. The elf and tradition returned on the pages of a book, when the trio launched Creative Classic Activities and Books (CCA and B) in 2005. They pitched the idea and book to a number of publishers, and ended up self-publishing after too many rejections. They persevered through tough financial times as the elf gained popularity. Now the elf is everywhere. The company has been featured in newspapers and magazines across the country and celebrity parents offer plenty of free publicity by tweeting about the elves, mentioning them on talk shows or being photographed carrying them.
Here are 10 places to put the elf:
1. Hang from chandelier or ceiling fan
2. Peek from a laundry basket
3. Place on a closet hanger
4. Hang on a Christmas tree limb
5. Place in the newspaper bin
6. Next to the garage door opener
7. Hide one shoe
8. Sit on a toilet paper roll.
9. Place next to the cereal boxes.
10. Hang out on child’s bedpost
