Now that Halloween has come and gone, it's pretty much time to get ready for Christmas. Of course Thanksgiving has yet to come but once the leftovers are packed into the fridge, it's seriously go time.

A Cobb County business has a major jump on things, already topping the list of eBay's hot items as the holiday shopping season approaches.

We're talking about Elf on the Shelf, of course. The brainchild of Carol Aebersold and her daughters Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, this ingenious and charming holiday tradition starts the day after Thanksgiving, when the Elf (given a unique name by each child as he or she sees fit) begins a month of surveillance.

MORE: Steal these brilliant Elf on the Shelf ideas

Each day the Elf magically appears in a new location, and reports back to Santa any incidents of misbehavior that could thwart a Christmas Day haul. With parents eager to enforce law and order get into the holiday spirit, it's no wonder the Elf is trending!

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. Then he dimes you out to Santa if you misbehave! Image: eBay

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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Credit: Jennifer Brett

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