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47 Days Until Christmas

November 13, 2008 By 1 Comment

Christmas Tree

What would Christmas be without a Christmas Tree? This is a question that some people do not even understand. Of course you have a Christmas Tree. It is what symbolizes Christmas in our homes, our malls, Rockafeller Center and even the White House. There is even a whole Christmas Carol dedicated to it. “Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree”. We all sing its praise year after year. It is what you first learn to color and decorate as a child and what you dream that there will be presents under. So where did this Christmas tree come from is an important question to be answered.

  • The Christmas tree has been said to have first brought about in Germany. A monk had traveled to Germany to teach the people there the word of the lord. This monk used a fir tree, a triangular shape, as an example of the holy trinity. This the became a German tradition at Christmas time. People would even hang their trees upside down. As trade evolved so did the Christmas tree. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who was German, are said to have made the Christmas tree what it is today. Queen Victoria was well liked and people did whatever she did in order to keep up with the times. When people had seen that she had decorated her tree people followed. Ornaments at the time were all home made. From there the Christmas tree has evolved into what we know it as today. Thank goodness we do not put candles on our trees. I would be far to nervous!
  • Real Or Fake? This has been a debate that I have struggled with for years. Do I want a real tree or a fake one? Each year we go for the real one. There is nothing like smelling a fresh cut Christmas tree when you walk into your house. It is magical. For those who are happy getting that scent from a candle they may be just as happy with a fake tree. I will say this for a real tree, it is magical. Look at your child’s face when they come on a Christmas tree hunt with you. The joy hand magic they have at that moment becomes contagous. It is not lugging a big box out of the basement and assembling a tree. It is real. Part of what God gave us on this earth. It is magical.
  • Going Green: I know that many people out there are into a going green kick. It is the new cool thing to do. I know that cutting down trees is not good for the o-zone and who knows what else. There is something to consider though. These trees would not have been here if it were not for Christmas. They are all so perfect now because they come off of tree farms. So please put the green aside and just decide to recycle or reuse your tree when you are done. It will still be used as wood chips, fire wood to cut down on heat or to carve something special out of.

Becca

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48 Days Until Christmas

November 7, 2008 By 2 Comments
HOLLYWOOD - NOVEMBER 03: Actor John Michael H...

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Christmas Caroling

Long gone are the days of people going door to door singing happy joyful Christmas music.  You see all of the Norman Rockwell pictures of old time people singing in the center of town.  It all looks so great.  I remember as a child we used to go to Christmas Caroling with church.  It was so nice.  We would bundle up and hit a whole neighborhood with our joyous song.  People would invite us in for a quick cup of cocoa and we would move on to the next house to spread some joy.  So where have all of the carolers gone?

Now the Girl Scouts go to the local senior center for caroling.  No more are they outside singing and having fun.  They are herded into the senior center and put on more of a concert the “caroling”.  I think that it really is quite sad that we have lost the desire to go out caroling.  It is something I remember and cherish from being young.  It makes me think about what is happening to this country.  Why do we not want to share joy with each other?  Is it the we do not wish to offend people who are not Christian or is it that we just can not get away from our too busy lives?  I think that either excuse is just that, an excuse.  If you do anything this year please go out and do some Christmas Caroling.  Let’s put Christmas Caroling back on the map!

Becca

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57 Days Until Christmas

November 5, 2008 By 2 Comments
German painting, 1457

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Christmas City:

Tucked away in Pennsylvania is a small town know as “Christmas City”. Bethlehem Pa. is know to most as Christmas City and is supposed to be a great place to go and enjoy the holiday season. We have heard people talking about it for a few years now and have decided that this year we will go to see what all of the hype is about.

To plan my trip I went to Christmas City’s web site and explored all of the great things we could do there. It is only about 2 hours away but spending the night may just be worth it. The site has a calender of events, show to go see, shopping to shop and even a holiday lights tour. I am excited to see just what Christmas City is all about. I will let you know and will certainly come back from my trip with some pictures to share with all of you! I am so excited to go to Christmas City. A whole city devoted to Christmas what could be better?

Becca

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58 Days Until Christmas

November 4, 2008 By Leave a Comment
An early official promotional photo from the T...

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A Time Of Giving – Toys for TOTS:

One of the first thing that I think about when I think about the holidays are all of the people who are really struggling through the holidays.  There are people who are ill, people who do not have any money and children who have no coat to get them through.  For decades the holidays have been a time when people have given to others without judgment.  The holidays have been a time when we all come together and are a little nicer then usual.

In high school I worked in a retail store that had a tree of giving.  You were to take a name off of the tree and make one child’s christmas wish come true.  Since I was 17 I have made it a point to adopt at least one child off of a tree each year.  Christmas is after all a time of giving.

I remember the first tag that I had taken off of the tree like it was yesterday!  I felt so sad for this child.  Although my parents did not have tons of money when I was growing up I really did not want for much.  The child who had filled out this tag asked for a coat to keep warm.  I am sure that mom was the one asking but it broke my heart.  In New York winter gets cold.  I bought this girl a coat, hat, two pairs of gloves, a scarf, a warm outfit and felt good about it.  Then I stopped and looked at what I had gotten and was disapointed.  All of these things were things that a child needs.  There are no dreams and desires in a list like that.  So I went back out shopping and bought her a Barbie, a matching Barbie car, a few coloring books, crayons, a baby doll, an outfit for the baby doll, some hair clips, chap stick, Monopoly and a beautiful dress that she could feel like a princess in for Christmas.  I think that I ended up spending about $150 on a child that I did not know.  I had it then and felt really good about it.  It was worth every dollar.

I still make sure to take a name off of a tree although I can not afford to spend nearly what I did that year but I can help make another child’s Christmas wishes come true.  Giving is what Christmas is all about.  It is a huge part of the season.  There are so many things that you can do to give back this Holiday season.  You could grab a name off of a tree, donate a holiday meal to the food pantry, work in a soup kitchen, help out a friend who may be having a hard time making ends meet in the current economy.  There are so many ways that you can give this Christmas.  Even if you just drop one toy in the Toys for Tots collection box it makes a huge difference in someone’s life and someone’s Christmas.

This holiday season please put a little extra time or money aside for someone who needs it.  Not only will they be forever grateful but you will forever feel good about it.   Fifteen years ago I gave Christmas to a little girl who wanted nothing but a warm coat.  I still feel great about it to this day.  So come on and just do it!  It will warm your heart and is a great thing to teach your children!

Becca

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59 Days Until Christmas

November 4, 2008 By 6 Comments
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Christmas Gift Baskets:

Gift baskets can be a great way to show people how much you appreciate them.  They can be a great gift for distant relatives, teachers, bosses and just about anyone else you can think of.  The great thing about gift baskets is that they can either be bought or made at home.  I personally think that if you have the time and it will be easy to ship you should give it a try on your own.  It is like the homemade ornament that the kids make in school.  It may look like less then a Lenox ornament but it is so much better because someone made it for you.  There are many places that you can buy gift baskets if you do not have the time and energy to make your own gift basket.  They include Harry & David, GiftBaskets.com, and even 1-800 Flowers.  These companies and many others offer a greta option to the person with no time and some extra money.

If you are like I am you are not one of those people and you will be making your own gift baskets.  There are many themes that you can follow while making your Christmas gift basket.  Here are some that I have done in the past.  I think that the possibilities are endless.

  1. A wine and cheese basket.  This is a great thing to bring to a holiday get together.  Once you find a nice basket, box, or ice bucket you will add 2 bottles of wine, a few different types of cheese and some crackers.  I think that crackers such as Carrs crackers look better in the basket.  I have even added in a half a dozen chocolate covered strawberries from time to time.  People love it when you walk in with this great gift
  2. A movie night Basket.  This type of basket could include someone’s favorite DVD, a year of Netflix or two tickets to get out and go to the movies.  I have used a red and white stripped popcorn box for this one.  In it I add candy, popcorn a gift certificate to buy a drink before the movie and even some movie related memoribelia.
  3. Christmas Ornament Basket:  This is a nice idea for a young couple who is spending their first Christmas together.  In a basket or box type Christmas decoration put a bunch of Christmas Ornaments.  Do not forget to include the “First Christmas Together” ornament.  This will be a memory  that they will cherish for years to come.
  4. It’s A Wonderful Life Gift Basket:  In the movie George and Mary give a gift basket to the Martini family.  This would be a nice gift for someone who is spending their first Christmas in their new home.  Include a loaf of bread with a tag attached saying “so that you might never know hunger”, a bottle of wine with a tag reading, “so that prosperity may reign in your home forever” and a box of salt with a tag attached saying, “So life will always have flavor”.  You may also want to add a copy of the movie to be enjoyed again and again.

As you can see there are many things that you can do with a little gift basket idea.  These are just a few of the many many ideas running through my head.  A gift basket could be remembered for years to come.

Becca

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68 Days Until Christmas

October 19, 2008 By 4 Comments
SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 24: People shop for ...

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Black Friday is a vital way to save money. If you plan it out right you can save a ton of money and be just about done with your shopping. Every year the female in-laws and I hit the the pavement at about 4am coffee in hand to get all of the best deals! Here is a step by step guide of how to make Black Friday the best one ever.

1. The first thing that I like to do to prepare for Black Friday Shopping is to check out the ads. Before I was an experienced Black Friday shopper I would wait until Thanksgiving night to look at the ads and then decide from there. Now that I am a little more experienced I know that there are many ads available before the holidays! Here is a small list of the best!

http://www.blackfriday.info/

http://www.black-friday.net/

http://bfads.net/

2. Compare the ads to your list that you had the kids make! I find that this is important because I can make smart money choices. If something is even $2 less somewhere else I would rather go there first.

3. Plan out your route. This is a very important step. I find that the mall is not the best place to start. While it is the place that the most stores are the deals are often not the best.

4. Look at how many hours the deals are good for. If one store only has early bird specials until noon but another is having them only until 10am go to the one who ends at 10am first.

Tips To Remember:

  • Electronics are limited in numbers in each store. Find the second or third best price and go there first. This will help to assure that you receive the deal you are looking for.
  • Deals and many others are offered at midnight online. Shop for some items online. Remember that you may have to pay shipping for these items.
  • Wake up EARLY and arrive at your first store about one hour before they open. I know in NY it can be cold to wait but it is worth it if you are there for something specific.
  • Many stores offer early bird specials on Saturday also. Make sure it is going to be worth the stop on Black Friday.

The most important thing to remember is to get into the mood. Have fun on Black Friday. Do not get nasty and ruin the spirit. Sing along with the music. Make it a special tradition for you and your family and friends.

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