Kathy Landin

The Elf on the Shelf—whether you find him cute, annoying or somewhere in between, he's everywhere these days, making the holiday season even more complicated for parents. We did a little investigating on this elusive creature that has become a phenomenon, and discovered a few things we didn't expect.

When your kids go back to school, it’s almost like you go back to school, too. Teachers and childhood development professionals agree that when a child’s parents are involved in his education, he learns more and gets better grades. That means, you have just as big a responsibility in his schoolwork as he does.

It may not be good form to use the actual word, but the term for it is now officially a part of the English language. The word czars at Merriam-Webster have added the “F-bomb” to the dictionary.

Sometimes, when the hot rod is leaving the garage, you have to grease up the gears a bit to make her purr. Especially if your chosen hot rod is a 60-year-old woman. But, before you get out the lube, make sure you’re both on the same page about what you’re going to use and who’s going to participate, otherwise someone could end up in jail.

Even if you don’t realize it, you are already familiar with the latest hotness in social sharing apps. Instagram is the photo sharing app that allows users to take, filter, post, share, like and follow photos and photo collections. It makes even the worst photographer seem like a shutterbug. But what else can it do?

As Memorial Day opens the gate to summer, we all begin to plan our outdoor activities. Most of us will find a reason to get outside for the long weekend and enjoy food, friends, family and some delicious beverages. And really, it wouldn’t be a summer holiday without some grilling.

We’ll take ‘Stories We Never Thought We’d Post’ for $1,000, Alex. Recently a pair of what are rumored to be Queen Elizabeth’s royal panties went up for auction on eBay. A mystery buyer has now purchased them and become the proud owner of the used skivvies.

Love can get messy sometimes. Divorces can get even messier. But, what often gets the messiest is the stuff left behind after the divorce that the remaining spouse must get rid of to move on. This Superior, WI woman seems to have found the best way, and a local radio station got all the photos.

It’s just about the sweetest thing when your husband and kids give you a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day. A thoughtful husband will get them from a store. A thoughtful kid will get them from your yard. Either way, the sentiment is adorable and always well received.

It’s May and that means that soon we’ll be celebrating our Mexican heritage, much like we all celebrate our Irish heritage in March…even when we have neither. Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse to leave work early, eat tortilla chips and drink more tequila than sanity allows, but is it starting to feel just a little bit like the same old thing?

Brilliant political strategist, born-again evangelical Christian and convicted obstructor of justice Charles Colson, a pivotal player in President Nixon’s political life, passed away at Inova Fairfax hospital at the age of 80 on Saturday, after suffering a brain hemorrhage earlier this month.

Everyone knows that St. Patrick’s Day is the one day out of the year when we’re all Irish. And, apparently that translates into wearing anything green and silly we can get our hands on and having as much to drink as we can carry at one time. But, there’s another strange tradition that has developed in celebration of this day. We can’t explain it. Are Irish people really that into unnaturally green