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.

By now everyone's seen at least one hilarious singing-and-dancing creation from the gang at JibJab. They’re the ones who make short, animated clips set to music onto which you can insert your own head, or the heads of your friends and loved ones, and then watch as your animated mouth opens and closes in time with the beat. It’s funny and disturbing at the same time. In this day and age, one of the

Christmas is a time for traditions, but it seems like every year the Christmas traditions become far less traditional and way more modern. A warm fire crackles on your HDTV. That fresh-cut Christmas tree is just an illusion created by LED lights...

Christmas is a time for joyous giving and families coming together and singing and eggnog. But we all know that on some level it’s all about the presents.

The Christmas tree is a classic symbol of the holiday season and sometimes, maybe the best way to get in the holiday mood. You put an evergreen tree in the middle of your living room, decorate it with lights, ornaments and tinsel, and—boom—Christmas spirit...

It’s common knowledge that many states have towns called Springfield, based on the number of them who thought they were the inspiration for the hometown of TV’s ‘The Simpsons,’ only to find out they weren’t. But there are other city or town names you may not have heard of, and for good reason.

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.

With the popularity of eBay and craigslist, it has become very easy to get great deals on “gently used” items without leaving the comfort of your home, but as the weather warms up, we can’t deny that there is just something much more exciting about finding those great deals while on the hunt at garage sales all over town.

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1863 – Confederate General Stonewall Jackson dies, eight days after being accidentally shot by his own troops (More info) 1869 – The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western US, is completed with the driving in of a golden spike in Promontory Summit, UT (More info)

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1914 – Mother’s Day becomes a public holiday (More info) 1962 – The Beatles sign their first recording contract and hire George Martin to be their producer (More info)

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.

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1877 – The first Westminster Dog Show is held (More info) 1902 – On the Caribbean island of Martinique, Mount Pelee erupts, destroying the town of St. Pierre and killing nearly 40,000 people (More info)