We bought the door without having an elf. Bug was too young for the elf at the time and I hadn’t made the decision to start an elf tradition yet. I mean, the Elf on the Shelf doesn’t need a door – he flies to the North Pole every night.
But, I was just completely charmed with the door and how it worked. It was so cozy and cheery! Plus, I’d always had a fascination with magical keys. Who doesn’t? Needless to say, it came home with me when I left Target.
It also came with a free video card.
I’d tried PNP products before. PNP stands for Portable North Pole. If you haven’t tried it, you should! And no, I’m not affiliated with them in any way, I just think they offer a great product.
It’s super neat because the service generates a video of Santa that inserts a name into the video with a few details and photos that you choose for the recipient. It really is incredible. It’s super fun to send to adults too! When I discovered it a couple of years ago, I sent it to everyone I knew. They offer more elaborate “paid for” services, but the free one is definitely fun to try.
The door looks great wherever you put it. The first year I put it on the hearth of my fireplace and it really just looked like it belonged there.
The door is weighted – not overly heavy, but just right to just sit down without falling over or easily being pushed aside. It comes with a little key.
The best part? When the key is inserted into the lock on the door…
The door lights up and a magical winter scene appears in the windows!
The next year I put it on a shelf tucked back into my bookcase and it was just as much at home there. I think moving it around each year almost gives it a magical quality of its own.
The bad news is that Target no longer sells the door. The good news is that there is a company called Sealed by Santa that sells them in a cute little package that includes a “good” certificate, some reindeer food, and more. You can also sometimes find them on eBay.