I purchased 3 of these for Christmas 2011.  Our family celebrates the week before Christmas so the elves began their duties for a short time that year.  Well as Christmas 2012 approaches, the elves have made their way back from the North Pole, the kids were very excited when they made their  first elf sighting.  So now the elves have once again taken up their work of reporting to Santa!  What fun for all!