Monday

{Elf on The Shelf} Welcome Letter with Free Printable

So, the way I figure it, there are two kinds of Christmas people in this world. The kind who love and embrace that cute little Elf, and all of the rest, who shall collectively be referred to by me as either other people, or Scrooge. Because, really LOOK at that face.
How can you not love me?!
When you add in all of the fun and mischief, the looks on your own kids' sweet faces, and the endless list of believable excuses for why he didn't move, I can't think of any reason not to love this little guy in his red pointed hat.

It's no secret among my close friends, that I get a bit fanatical with our little Alfie each year. He's been known to pop up in unexpected places, from the light fixture, to the top of the fridge, even the rear-view mirror on our way to Disney one year. I may or may not have frosted an Oreo Elf Cake, put a birthday hat on Jesus, thrown marshmallows all over my kitchen, poured sprinkles all over my table, and drawn on all of our photos. And you know what's more? I may or may not have had as much more fun than my kids in the process.

In our house, Alfie (my children aren't very original when it comes to Elf naming), comes on December 1st, and each year, he brings a letter to announce his arrival. Each year the letter is a little bit different. Here's a peak at his welcome letter from 2014. That year, he brought each kid a (clean) garbage bag and sent them to gather some toys for some other little girls and boys. (Obviously, I'm in need of help. After spending far too long writing this year's letter, I can't seem to stop rhyming!)


This year, the kids and I had already cleaned out their toys and donated what we could. And thanks to an exceptionally busy work schedule this week, I didn't even realize it was November 30th until about 2 hours ago. So, this year, Alfie wasn't as elaborate or creative in his note. And he didn't bring gifts, treats, or props. But you know what's great about this tradition? That's OKAY! Not only is every year a little bit different, every DAY can be a little bit different. Drop the ball last night? No worries, there's always tonight! I mean, I'm sure it was just too cold for Alfie to fly all the way to the North Pole, or that he had such a great spot, he wanted one more day to watch, or that he wanted to see if the kids could "spot the difference" from yesterday. Maybe he was sleeping in, and will sneak off while we're heading to school. See, friends? Even the most disorganized among us (ahem, ME!) can have fun with it this little guy!

So, since I was in a bit of a time (and treat) crunch, and since I was WAY too tired after a 12 hour shift in the ER to whip up some elf-sized cherrios donuts, I threw together this simple letter to announce his return. 


Now you get my quandary with the rhyming, don't you? What can I say, it's a sickness.
I really like that this letter addresses another common issue I hear from some of those other people. Those who are concerned that yet another little man in a red and white suit might further take away from the true meaning of the holiday season. I actually totally understand this concern, and it's definitely valid, but I think you can add deeper meaning to just about anything. And I think sprinkling a little bit of fun in with your lessons is a great way to keep kids engaged and involved.

Since I know I'm not the only procrastinator this year, and because I had so many requests last year,  I thought I would share the blank letter template with all of you. 


You can click here for a JPG version, and here for a PDF version. I'm sort of new to this whole file-sharing world, and while I love a good DIY, no one has ever accused me of being tech savvy. Tips, complaints, and any better ideas are more than welcomed in the comments! Since I know some will want to know, the fonts I used on my letter are Bebas Neue and Contribute on the letterhead, and Mountains of Christmas for the body of the letter. 

I hope this helps all of you Elf Lovers, and maybe even converts a few of you Scrooges out there. Oh, and be prepared for plenty more Elf posts this month. I might be a little obsessed.

14 comments:

  1. do you have the version with this text in it? so I can edit just the names? love the letter, thanks!

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  2. I love this!! Thank you so much for sharing!!

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  3. I used your rhyme! Very clever :)

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  4. Do you happen to have an editable version of this? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!! I've been searching for a welcome letter and love that you incorporated the birth of Christ into this one. Thank you so much for your creativity!!

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  5. Love this!! This is my first year doing a letter i seen it on another pin and kept looking at others then put in free elf templates and seen yours and when I read it i thought wow this is gonna be awesome and hopefully helpful as to why we celebrate and a reminder its not just all about getting but also giving..

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. I was wondering if you did have an editable version of this letter? I didn't see an answer from above requests. Love this. Thank you.

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  8. Couldn't open up to print so sad

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  9. How do we gain access for the PDF version. Can't open up the link. :/

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