About five years ago, one of Santa's helpers showed up on store shelves and didn't last long. The petite elves became a parent's best friend almost overnight and have since made their way to your house Thanksgiving night.

They roam your house – and life – for the weeks between fall/winter holidays, keeping watch over the kids, reminding them to be good because the elf has direct line to Santa in the North Pole. Naughty behavior is not tolerated by the elf and is reported immediately. Some families even go so far as to remind their children of the elf other times of year when behavior warrants it. And everyone names theirs. Scout, Jingles, Sandy and Patchie are just a few we've heard.

Show us a picture of the most unique place your kids have found the elf hiding. Click the "upload photos and videos" button above.

The elf has become so mainstream, in fact, that some parents feel like bad ones for not using the little helper as a tool for good behavior, according to the Huffington Post. There's even a Patch elf on the shelf watching over Woburn and making appearances there daily.

Do you have an elf? What's his or her name? If you don't have one, why not? Tell us in the comments.