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.

Our pets are important to us, and a lot of times, we’ll consider whether a potential mate is a cat or dog person before we take the relationship to the next level. And, for almost everyone, whether or not your significant other gets along with your pets can be a deal breaker. But would you expect cats to be at the root of this couple’s divorce?

When you go to Arby’s you expect to get finger food like, say, tater tots with horsey sauce. What you don’t expect is to be served an actual finger. But, a human finger is exactly what one kid got in his junior roast beef sandwich.

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Bono Age: 52 Occupation: Singer Known For: Being the outspoken frontman for U2 and the world’s richest rock star, leading the group to 22 Grammys (more than any other rock band), being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and tirelessly tackling many humanitarian causes.

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Billy Joel Age: 63 Occupation: Singer Known For: Winning six Grammy Awards out of 23 Grammy nominations, well-known and timeless hits like ‘Piano Man,’ ‘Only the Good Die Young,’ ‘For the Longest Time,’ ‘She’s Always a Woman,’ and ‘You May Be Right,’ and getting kicked out of Christie Brinkley’s uptown world.

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Alex Van Halen Age: 59 Occupation: Rock drummer Known For: Being one half of the brother duo who created the rock colossus that is Van Halen, winning a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for the album ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,’ and for being an ordained minister, having performed marriage ceremonies for both his brother and f

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Bob Seger Age: 67 Occupation: Rock legend Known For: Putting together the legendary Silver Bullet Band and propelling them to fame, writing and recording song of the century ‘Old Time Rock and Roll,’ being the genius behind hits like ‘Against the Wind,’ ‘Night Moves,’ and ‘Like a Rock,’ and for being Bob Seger.

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Adele Age: 24 Occupation: Singer Known For: Walking away with a Grammy for each of the six categories in which her 2011 release ‘21’ was nominated, being the first female solo artist to have three singles in the Billboard top 10 at the same time, and for staging a huge comeback after having to cancel two tours and have surgery because

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Mike Dirnt Age: 40 Occupation: Rock musician Known For: Co-founding and playing bass for Green Day, co-writing lyrics for some of the bands songs, creating the baselines for all of the bands songs, and making the noise “dirnt dirnt dirnt” while plucking an air base in high school to earn the creative nickname “Dirnt.”

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Frankie Valli Age: 78 Occupation: Singer Known For: Being the unbelievably high-voiced frontman of The Four Seasons, scoring 29 top 40 hits with that group and then nine top 40 hits as a solo artist, making teeny-boppers fall in love with him with songs like ‘Rag Doll,’ ‘Walk Like a Man,’ ‘Sherry,’ and ‘December 1963 (Oh, What a Night

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Dwayne Johnson Age: 40 Occupation: Wrestler-turned-actor Known For: His turn as pro wrestler ‘The Rock,’ for making the leap to the big screen in films like ‘The Scorpion King,’ ‘Walking Tall’ and ‘Fast Five,’ and changing his name more times than Elizabeth Taylor.

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today: Tim McGraw Age: 45 Occupation: Country Singer Known For: Being the envy-inducing husband of country star Faith Hill, having 11 consecutive albums debut at Number 1 on the Billboard charts, winning three Grammys, and notable on-screen appearances in ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘The Blind Side,’ and ‘Country Strong.’