Parents have been going all out for Elf on the Shelf this year. And if you, like me, didn’t grow up with the tradition, and have no idea what it is — basically, each “Elf” is a scout for Santa. They hang out at your house during the days leading up to Christmas and report back to the North Pole about all happenings, as well as the kids’ behavior (which Santa will consider when writing his “Naughty and Nice” list).