"Sorry kids, the elf had to leave. Their home planet needed them."
this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
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Home Automation
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Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.
It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.
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Good idea - I’ve definitely forgotten!!
I would go one step further. Otherwise, it flashes red whether you or you SO already moved it.
Scan NFC tag once elf is moved (or smart button press) to toggle an Input boolean. If I put Boolean is ON, then it won't flash red that night. Then create an automation to reset it to off the next day.
Go a step further and put the NFC in the elf. Scan when you move and an save a location to a database.
I used to have a similar automation for putting the garbage cans out the night before and bringing them back in the next evening. I was even planning to add sensors to the cans to verify if they had been moved or not.
Then I switched to a pair of recurring alarms on my phone and found it was easier to deal with. If I decided one day to put them out or bring them in earlier, I just swiped down and dismissed the alarm.
Snitches get ditches...
Now I'm going to have to seek out a story of a kid who took some black tread and gave their elf a new line of stitches each night after their parents went to bed. It has to have happened somewhere.
Another solution is to throw away the elf.
Down with police state Santa.
Amen.
I'm going to have to steal this! Cool use case :)
Eric
Founder | Inovelli
I don't think I've ever seen someone have an email signature on a reddit comment before. That's a first.
Lol yeah I just put it there bc it's a shared account.
Eric
Esq., MBA, Class of 2007
Lmaoooo this isn’t LinkedIn 🤣🤣
Lol good one RectalBloodbath, hopefully you didn't tear a hemmi with that joke
Can someone please explain what elf the OP is talking about?
They're mad and have automated it.
Cool idea. I’m going to flex that into never buying that damn elf in the first place
I’m sure there’s some quantity of money which would convince me to buy that thing. I’m also sure it’s very very large.
Elf on the shelf: hard pass.
Been working great for us! I say go for it!
We started with "We don't allow Fae in the house, not after what happened last time" with the tooth fairy. It keeps going with that stupid elf.
Never do it. I hate the damn thing.
My wife made this mistake for us. (Getting the elves)
I love her but I am now considering divorce.
(Kidding about the divorce part … mostly.)
🤣
When my kids asked why we don't have an elf on the shelf I told them because Santa trusts me and I can just write him and he'll know what's up, Santa doesn't trust the other kids parents and needs to send the elf
Why not just say a phone alarm? Home automation is cool, but simple tasks still work
I started with a phone alarm. But when I'm in the kitchen, or at a friend's house, or pretty much anywhere, or my kids are still awake, I have to silence the alarm at 9:00, I can't just let it continue going off until I have a chance to move it. If I silence it, then if it's 3 hours later I go to bed, I'll have forgotten about it. A phone alarm simply didn't work.
So set it for a time that's after your kids go to bed, but before you typically do?
What the hell good does a flashing red light in your bedroom do if you're commiserating over a few beers at your friend's house?
Set 2 or 3 alarms on your phone, if need be.
Fuck, this post is almost as bad as /r/AskElectronics when someone asks how to replace a simple switch on a kid's flashlight, and a dozen new-grad EE's come up with Arduino and Raspberry Pi "solutions" to a broken wire on a slide switch.
im w/ u 100! and lol @ Pi "solutions"
I'm pretty sure their point is, the light will still be flashing whenever it is they get to bed. Alarms have to be actively managed, that light's just going to keep flashing harmlessly until it's dealt with.
It stays red...until he resets it... it's a better solution.
He can be at his buddies place, it turns red, he forgets but when he gets home before bed, it reminds him.
If an alarm goes off when he's at his buddies he turns it off and forgets.
It's not that hard to understand the difference. Calm down.
"Hey google, remind me every night at 9pm to move that god damn elf on the shelf"
Kids, later: "Dad, why does that google screen in the kitchen say 'move that god damn elf on the shelf'?"
All my dimmers also have RGB LEDs built in. They are great for notifications.
Interesting; I didn’t know you could set it to flash? I have tons of those switches.
Best option is to throw it in the trash and never bring it out again.
I don't hate my kids. I'm willing to put in a little effort to make them happy.
I came for fully automated and sentient elf that gets up and moved itself. Not a phone reminder implemented through light switches.
Work in progress. I'll report back.
I don't like the Big Brother is watching vibe. Bad enough you have this Old Guy in the clouds watching our every move and then this guy in the North Pole with his magic snowball and his elf spies.
How about about just being good for goodness sake and giving Mom a break?
“ mom/dad… johnny and Susie at school have an elf on a shelf, how come we don’t ?”
“ son /daughter… we don’t have one as you guys behave” “ I’m guessing their parents need extra help and eyes on them around the holidays not just us and Santa’s”
Never had one, always had the question, never had to move that dam thing around.
But …. You do you and what’s right for your family. Every family sees the magic a different way .
So they clearly are fascinated by it and wish they had an elf too, so you lie to them because you can't be troubled to move it every night?
Not questioning your commitment to the elf and I think your idea was very clever.
I was generally commenting on my technique so I didn’t have to double lie to them in the future when the annoying neighborhood teenager that spoils the “ secret” on the bus ride home or at the lunch table.
We all do parenting different, would I do it again if I had kids that age again … maybe:)
Have a great Christmas!
I always found elf on a shelf idea freaks me out. I grew up watching movies like
Cat's Eye (1985)
The Gate (1987)
Dolls (1987)
Childs Play (1988)
Option B:
A farewell letter from the elf. Based on his reports to the big guy, it has been determined that the children are at low risk of being on the naughty list, and further observation is not warranted. He has been reassigned to another post and has enjoyed his time with them.
Then burn it, bury the ashes, and piss on the spot.
Even "smarter" idea is to put an IMU or other motion sensor inside the elf. If it hasn't detected movement by a certain time, you get a specific notification telling you so.
Ugh. Shit. I forgot that guy existed... Thanks for the reminder. Also thanks for whoever bought it for us.... :/
Man that elf company pulled off an incredible marketing coup.
We threw away the elf after the first year like 8 years ago.
We had Yule Nissen when my son was little. It was a tiny pinecone elf. The tradition, which started in Scandinavia I believe, was to hide the elf somewhere in the house with a tiny toy or treat. For 7 mornings before Christmas my son would have to search for Yule Nissen. He loved it. We loved it because the elf could be taken secretly at any time and hidden for the next morning's search.
My 3yo got smart n started moving it himself 😂
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