You can turn up the holiday fun and express your unique sense of style with GiftsForAwareness.com’s line of purple-themed Merry Christmas cards with vivid purple designs featuring stunning decorated ornaments to express holiday sentiments.   We also offer matching postage stamps and Christmas seals!  Our purple-themed holiday cards read “With best wishes for the holidays and throughout the coming year. “  Any of our cards can be customized inside with your own text.  GiftsForAwareness.com would like to wish our customers a  wonderful holiday season and thank you for your patronage.

Merry Christmas Purple Theme Christmas Tree v2 by GiftsForAwareness.com

Merry Christmas Purple Theme Trio Ornaments by GiftsForAwareness.com

Merry Christmas Purple Theme Garden Wreath by GiftsForAwareness.com

My friends and I made another movie in the holiday spirit. It’s pretty much a sequel to last summer’s Welcome to Walmart. Enjoy!

Happy holidays from Girls with Guns Productions!

Most of the time, I have to struggle with two independent and opposing thought processes. There’s Conservative Christian and Liberal Atheist, who vehemently disagree on just about everything. But the one thing that they agree on is that the “War on Christmas” is stupid. Naturally the liberal and atheist parts of me would think so – after all, it’s furthering the secularization of the nation, right? But the conservative Christian parts of me agree completely, and that’s something worth noting.

Believe it or not, the separation between church and state was designed to protect religion. And the attempts to maintain that separation, while sometimes ham-handed, are in the church’s best interests. The best rule of thumb for any conservative Christian opening his yap to decry the War on Christmas is whether they would be okay with any other religion doing the same thing. For instance, the same people who are furious that cashiers no longer say “Merry Christmas!” get just as furious if a snarky cashier says “Happy Hanukah!” or “Have a good Winter Solstice!” When a Muslim prayer is said in the White House, conservative Christians get angry, then they get angry when their traditional Christian prayers are removed.

America’s history is mostly a Christian one, I’ll give you that. But one borne partly of religious persecution within the Christian ranks (one philosophy against another within the Christian religion). Many ordinary people came here in order to practice their version of Christianity in peace. However, although America ’s history is predominantly Christian, which makes it a part of American culture, the more belief systems we brought in, the less exclusively Christian we became. The US was Christian culturally, but while talk of God and even Jesus was common even in state discussions, Christianity was never the official religion anymore than English was the official language. The separation of church and state existed in order to let religion develop freely, without interference from the state. And it existed in order to let the state develop freely, without interference from religion that would, in turn, cause the state to interfere with religion.

The so-called War on Christmas is, therefore, in within the best interests both of the state and Christianity.

I ask you, soldiers for Christmas, why you want your nativity scenes in government buildings. Most of your government officials are already Christian, but the government is still a lean, lying, hypocritical, bureaucratical institution. I understand that you probably want your Christian heritage endorsed by government, but is that really a ringing endorsement? Do you really want your religion represented by politics?

I ask you, soldiers for Christmas, why you want your religious Christmas carols in your schools when you don’t want Hanukah and cultural Kwanzaa acknowledged, calling it politically correct (and Winter Solstice is out of the question, devil’s neopagan children). Do you really want your schools responsible for teaching Christian values? I thought that was the purview of the home and of Sunday school. I present my church/state rule of thumb again: if another religion wanted to do something like this during their holy time, especially outside of the December, would that be okay to you? For instance, what if the school lunch system shut down during Ramadan, to make fasting during the day less of a temptation to Muslim students and in deference to the holiday? Would you support the schools in celebrating melting pot American culture then?

I ask you, soldiers for Christmas, why you exclusively want “Merry Christmas!” in stores. Dude, that is the last place I would think that you want your religious Christmas. So many conservative Christians decry the secularization of Christmas, yet insist on placing ridiculous importance on religious Christmas in the places of society that encourage – nay, demand – overconsumption, selfishness, greed, stress, parking lot rage, debt, and waste. I would want my Christmas out of that institution post haste. Let them keep their secular Christmas.

Frankly, even when I was conservative Christian, I grew to like the phrases “Happy Holidays” and “Winter Break” or “Winter Holidays.” They seemed to encompass the season so much more effectively. From a liturgical standpoint, most of the time that we say “Merry Christmas” isn’t Christmas at all. It’s Advent. The liturgical Christmas season starts on Christmas Day and goes on for another eleven days. Saying “Happy Holidays” covers Advent, the general season, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, the twelve days of Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. From a culturally inclusive standpoint, it always opens up the holiday spirit to Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice, as well as secular Christmas. Many minority religions and cultures can feel excluded from the holiday spirit when they aren’t acknowledged, like a party going on public building that they weren’t (and should have been) invited to.

The secularization of Christmas in state institutions is something to which Christianity is unaccustomed. They aren’t used to being nudged out of places that they probably shouldn’t have been in the first place. I say that because the secularization of many Christian holidays, the same secularization that conservative Christians hate, is a product of that lack of separation between church and state.

In the process of secularizing our government, schools, and stores, there will be missteps: for instance, it took a copyright law for a school to start saying just the word Christmas in secular Christmas songs like “White Christmas.” I would be the first to argue that there are two Christmases, the secular and religious, and that the secular form is open to more than just Christians, so there should be no problem singing secular Christmas songs, just as there’s no problem singing the dreidel song or something that represents Kwanzaa. I would also argue that it doesn’t hurt anyone to include a few religious favorites, as long as it represents the full range of religious importance during the general winter holidays (include religious Hanukah songs and maybe something echoing neopaganism if you’re going to include “O Little Town of Bethlehem”). I also don’t think that secular Christmas traditions like trees, garlands, ornaments, candy canes, and similar staples should be abandoned outright.

It may take some pushing of boundaries (i.e. when atheists put an easel explaining their policy on Christmas next to a nativity scene in a government building, followed by other religions putting their winter holiday symbols there, too – it continued until religious displays were banned) from both ends, but I think that after this “War on Christmas” is over, we will end up where we should have been in the first place: religion and state separated so that each is protected from the other.

Second rule of thumb: If you don’t want the state in your religion, keep your religion out of the state. We all see how poorly that marriage failed in the Republican party. The secularization of the winter holidays is not to take something away from Christians – they aren’t trying to get into your churches or your charities or your minds (they ruled in favor of free expression on candy canes). You can still have your Christmas Eve services. The judges who rule in favor of secularization will probably be going to one or two of those services themselves.

The truth is, even with its faults, there are some good aspects of secular Christmas and the acceptance of more than one winter holiday. The childlike spirit of the Santa story, the excitement on Christmas morning, bringing the family together (be they biological or not), the wonderful food, the eggnog, the lights and decorations, the willingness to enjoy childlike wonder, the celebration of snow and winter weather, being taught about many different ways of having a celebration during bleak weather, the collective enjoyment of the holiday regardless of religion.

Even as an atheist – and one violently wary of Christianity these days – I enjoy both a secular and religious Christmas. There’s something about the carols and the friends and family and the Candlelight Service and the story of both Jesus and Santa that still gets to me. I eagerly wait for the day after Thanksgiving to come so that I can have my radio on the Christmas station and so I can listen to my Christmas playlist on my iPod. I love decorating the tree. I love the Advent season: hope, peace, joy and love are universal aspirations. I love buying or making presents and food for others as much as I like receiving presents and eating the food. It’s all interconnected with me, interconnected in a way that is still good, that is still mostly guilt-free (although how guilt-free remains to be seen, since that’s getting worse all the time).

There is no “War on Christmas.” There is an opening of minds and hearts. There is a removal of religious Christmas where it doesn’t belong in the first place, and an embracing of a more far-reaching cultural tradition. You still have your Christmas in your homes, hearts, and churches. Give the rest of us a little space, too, and don’t fill your holiday season with your vitriol. That kind of attitude hurts you more than it hurts us.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!
For those who don’t celebrate it, Happy Holidays!
I take it either way.

Charles will once again be offering collectors and fans of his illustration work a Christmas holiday special.  This year, the special will include a free print of your choice.  In addition, the artist will include a free limited edition pastel print of the Joseph Horne Co. Christmas tree.  The lighting of the Horne’s Christmas tree has been a long-standing family tradition in the city of Pittsburgh.

The Joseph Horne Co., often referred to simply as Horne’s by Pittsburghers was an iconic regional department store located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   It was one of the oldest department stores in the country after being founded by Joseph Horne (1826-1891) in 1849.   The department store chain operated for nearly 145 years until it ceased operation in 1994 after it merged with Lazarus, a division of the Federated Dept. Stores, Inc.

Joseph Horne was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  He moved to Pittsburgh where landed his first job in the retail trade with Christian Yeager.   At age of 23, he bought F.H. Eaton store and eventually renamed it the Joseph Horne Co.   It became the leading department store in Pittsburgh, along with Kaufmann’s lasting for generations.   In 1879, a new central location was built at the corner of Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street.   The building was a 7-story landmark and the first department store in the city’s downtown district.   The annual lighting of the Horne’s Christmas Tree at their flagship store was a long held family Christmas tradition.   The Christmas tree display was six stories high and erected on the building’s corner.  Although the store ceased operation, it remains a tradition with Pittsburgh’s annual Light-Up Night festivities.   Crowds would also gather during the Christmas season to view the Christmas display windows, which often were very elaborate and included animated moving characters.

Charles thanks the many people from around the world who have visited his website at http://www.steelcityartist.com  and continue to be wondered by the artist’s incredible artwork.   Charles would like to wish you and your family the blessings for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

Growing up a spoiled brat who got every wish on her list and more, Christmas was always my favorite.

Now I resent what most holidays have become. I’m actually kind of  a scrooge.

Somehow Christmas, the birth of Christ,  has morphed into gifts given mostly out of obligation, shopping, stress, a fat guy who sees you when you’re sleeping, and “holiday” music.

And money, lots and lots of money… Did you know that over 450 BILLION Dollars is spent each year on “Christmas”. Did you know that it would only take 10 BILLION dollars to give clean water to every person on earth? (Check out the Advent Conspiracy Video, it’s only two minutes)

Easter is more about a big bunny bringing a basket of gifts instead of the crucifixion and resurrection of our Saviour.

Valentines is about marked up red roses, chocolate, and cheesy poems that seem insincere, and would be more appreciated it written by the giver, on May 23rd.

And then there is Thanksgiving.  My favorite. Virtually untainted by any American commercialism.

It’s friends, family, football, food and a whole lot of Giving Thanks.

Happy Holidays ~ From My Heart to Yours!

This Holiday Season, remember our soldiers and their families, who have given so much to ensure our Holidays remain happy and free.

Above all, let’s remember the Greatest Gift, Whose birthday we commemorate ~ our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let’s keep Christ in Christmas this year, without apology!

Merry Christmas to each of you, with love       ~   Karen

One of Santa’s elves, Sol the Elf, has come to the Chloe Show! After the show, you get a emoticon from Sol!

~SandyLuv2Read1

Yes, thats right! The North Pole is back in Build-A-Bearville! Check out the North Pole by going on the train! Have fun!

~SandyLuv2Read1

En liten julsång nu när det börjar bli advent

If you haven’t watched Holly & Hal Moose: An Uplifting Christmas Adventure on the 24th on TV in ABC Family, then you can watched it on November 28th 10 AM Eastern time! Or you can watch it online at:

http://community.abcfamily.go.com/watch/25-days-christmas/holly-and-hal-moose

~SandyLuv2Read1

How to say Merry Christmas in different languages. Send these to your friends around the world.

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees

Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees

African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats

Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden

Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Argentine: Feliz Navidad

Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand

Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun

Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal

Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!

Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha

Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce

Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo

Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat

Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo

Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!

Chile: Feliz Navidad

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw Sun

Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito

Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo

Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth

Corsian: Pace e salute

Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo

Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi

Croatian: Sretan Bozic

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Danish: Glædelig Jul

Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
or Zalig Kerstfeest

English: Merry Christmas

Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon

Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi

Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!

Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad

Finnish: Hyvaa joulua

Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar

French: Joyeux Noel

Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!

Galician: Bo Nada

Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

German: Froehliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka

Hebrew: Mo’adim Lesimkha. Chena tova

Hindi: Shub Naya Baras

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hawaian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol

Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal

Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!

Latvian: Prieci’gus Ziemsve’tkus un Laimi’gu Jauno Gadu!

Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto

Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus

Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu

Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un ‘n moi Nijaar

Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik

Maltese: LL Milied Lt-tajjeb

Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa

Maori: Meri Kirihimete

Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh

Navajo: Merry Keshmish

Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul

Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado

Papiamento: Bon Pasco

Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu

Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!

Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Portuguese:Feliz Natal

Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha

Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua

Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn

Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!

Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou

Serbian: Hristos se rodi

Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh

Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina

Serbian: Hristos se rodi. Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa

Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok

Slovene: Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År

Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko!

Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal

Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!

Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai

Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym

Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho

Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh

Welsh: Nadolig Llawen

Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic

Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye’dun!

Now that Thanksgiving is just about here I am starting to really think about Christmas…also we start our Christmas series at Affinity this coming Sunday.  The focus is on how we can put “Christ” back in”Christmas”…here is the logo we came up with.

The other day I was hit with the thought that maybe the way we live does more to take Christ out of Christmas than Target or any other company has been able to do.  The Christian community is outraged when a department store bans it’s employees from saying “Merry Christmas”.  So we take our “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” pins, and go down the street to spend our glutenous amounts of money somewhere else…somehow convinced that as long as we SAY “Merry Christmas” we are exempt from having to LIVE “Merry Christmas”.

How would the local shelter look today if we put as much effort into LIVING the message as we did proclaiming it??  I am going to spend the next several Wednesday’s challenging us with how I think we “put Christ back into Christmas”…and it’s got very little to do with words, and a lot to do with our actions.

$10.90 Each

Double Sided Pole Banner Form

I’ve spent my fair share of time here at Georgia Printco taking customer artwork and trying to help explain (over the phone) how much space you actually need for a pole banner pocket to keep the banner from getting totally de-funked (technical term)… So I was thinking that I would use this blogging space to do some good for those of you that are interested in having access to our pole-banner cheat sheet… well its actually the form we use to make sure that whatever measurements the client gives us, that it visually matches the measurements on this sheet.  I’m going to go step by step and explain what the different measurement points are used to calculate, so that next time you order your double sided pole banners, you can do it like a well-weathered pro

A. This is your pole diameter which needs to be multiplied by two b/c you have to have enough banner to go up the front as well as the same distance to cover the back… now for those of you thinking about artwork- keep in mind that there is also 1″ for the closing of the pole pocket.

B.  This is the LIVE art area in between the poles. It is always easier to keep artwork framed in this area because you don’t have to worry about the back and the front pocket artwork lining up perfectly.

C. This is the area from the VERY tip-top of the pole to the bottom of the pole. We want to make sure that the measurements in A+B= The necessary area for C.

D. Is an inquiry to determine if there needs to be any “give”. There need to be an allotted .5″ give if the poles are stationary… Also, speaking of stationary, you need to make sure to find out if your balls come off or if the pocket has to fit over the ball when being installed. If this is the case, you’ll need to consider A. as the diameter of the ball and not the pole. Yes, the pocket may appear a little large on the pole, but if you can’t screw off the ball, this is the only way you will be able to get the banner on the poles.

I will try to go over the artwork portion of Double-Sided Pole Banners within the next couple weeks… This is another key item that tends to perplex the best of us (in regards to DS – Pole Banners- even the artist get confused on the artwork size every once and a while!)   As a closer, I’d like to remind everyone that Georgia Printco has pre-printed FABULOUS Generic Banners that are only $12.50 each!!! 3×6′ + hemmed.  I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and I’ll be back on Monday!

    As “Black Friday” is almost upon us, I hope we can all take a step back to remember just why we are celebrating this season. 
   The radio talk shows are filled with people calling in with their plans to stake out a spot in line at various stores in the pre-dawn hours.  But they also tell of how crazy it gets – how rude, pushy and impatient people can be during this day of shopping.
    Personally, I will be spending the day at home . . . maybe putting up our tree and decorating the house.  Years ago I went shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and told myself “never again!”  Each year I tell myself that I am going to “simplify” our Christmas and not get caught up in the rush of shopping, decorating, parties, etc.   That idea appeals to me so much that I could easily be the neighbor in this photo – the one with “ditto” on their house!  Each year I seem to do a little better, although it may have more to do with having older children and less energy than I used to!
   One activity my husband and I did give up was buying a live tree.  I always said I would never have an artificial tree, because you just have to have a real tree, with that real evergreen smell.  The first year we were on our own – the last of our five children being away at college – we waited later than usual to go out to buy our tree. It was freezing cold, and the “pickin’s were slim,” resulting in our driving to several places to find even a decent—looking tree.  At the last place, my husband and I looked at each other and said, “This is crazy!  Let’s go buy an artificial tree!”  So now we are the proud owners of a tall, perfectly-shaped artificial tree.  We just light that evergreen-scented candle and it’s almost like the real thing!
    How many Christmas activities do you participate in because you really want to, or because it’s “what we’ve always done?”  How many parties will you attend in December?  How many cards do you really need to send or presents do you really need to purchase?  By the time Christmas Day actually arrives, are you in the mood to celebrate Christ’s birth, or are you just glad to get the day over with?
   Why not consider, in lieu of a present, giving the gift of a memory?  Plan an outing with that special friend or older grandchild.  Last Christmas, we gave our four oldest grandsons tickets to Noah’s Ark Water Park in Wisconsin Dells.  Yes, we spent money to do this, but we all enjoyed the summer day that we spent together at the park.  And the grandsons are still talking about the experience. The tradition of spending time with family or friends will last far longer than most gifts.
   Shop if you must on Black Friday, but when you hear “Happy Holidays,” be sure to respond with “Merry Christmas!”   In that small way, let’s remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas.

My life seems to be on the replay cycle right now.  I was reading back to last year’s posts at this time…. I certainly don’t need to write about my events of Thanksgiving week this year… they are EXACTLY the same as last year:  Larisa’s play, Stove Top Stuffing, and three or four hockey games for Austin.  Please see 2008 posts if you’re wanting photo proof of what will transpire in my life this week.

I also listened to Third Day’s song Merry Christmas about the orphan child who is not home for Christmas… and I cried…. again.  (For a good cry go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcPBA9-wyZE&feature=related ) I just don’t understand why we have to wait so long.  Or why Zaza has to wait so long for us to come and get her.  Distinctly I remember folding the damp dish towel after drying the Thanksgiving dishes and telling my mom and sister-in-law, Julie, that we were going to adopt.  That was 200SIX!  Three long years later, I never thought Zaza’s buttery yellow room and her curvy purple bed would still be vacant.  I realize that God’s timing is perfect and mine is not.  But it doesn’t bring me joy.

So, when the adoptive parent blues hit hard, I go to Bookman’s, my favorite used book store, and find adoption stories where moms and dads actually get to take home their child in the end of the book.  It makes me believe again.  There are happy endings.  Other mothers waited years and years and eventually hugged and kissed the child of their heart.  So last week I found and read this book:

I had half the book read before bedtime and finished the next morning.  I bonded with the author instantly as I read her prose.  She writes like I do… in incomplete sentences that drive English teachers CRAZY!  She used picture words to describe each and every one of the five senses from bitter tea to soft skin, hazy lighting and a hairy hand.  Her word choice inspired me to run to the computer and write, write, write.  She also had several funny, real-life experiences that Rick and I have actually had… like weighing our heads on the bathroom scale.  Weird, I know.  But it made me feel less weird, knowing someone else had done it too.  And her adoption story is very real.  I wanted to kick in some Russian teeth because of how she was treated.  I also longed to hold my little girl when she finally got to hold her little boy.  Needless to say, it was a good read with the happy ending I needed to push me through another month or two… or ten, God forbid.

A collection of greetings, SMS, messages, and quotes for the Yuletide season. Send these to your friends and loved ones on Christmas.

May the love of God always shine in your life, as you become a light for others. Have a pleasant day. Merry Christmas!

If one night a big fat man in red jumps in at your window, grabs you and puts you in a sack, don’t worry I told Santa I wanted you for Christmas! Happy Christmas!!!

May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright new year. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I hope this Christmas enriches your life. May each day be happy & bright. Overflowing with pleasure & love. May your Christmas be filled with delight. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Faith makes all things possible. Hope makes all things work .Love makes all things beautiful. May you have all three for this Christmas. Merry Christmas!

May this Christmas be so special that you never ever feel lonely again. May you be surrounded by loved ones all throughout the year! Merry Christmas!

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”……It definitely is! Before you can even celebrate Thanksgiving, you’re preparing for Christmas. The gifts, the decorations, the cookies: all of it just puts you in the holiday spirit. People all over celebrate Christmas in different ways with their families. It’s a time for happiness and peace, and a time just to be together with the ones you love. For some, Christmas is one of the most special and anticipated days of the year. And being a fan of Christmas myself, I just love everything about it! So I’ve decided to write this blog for my other Christmas fans as well.

In this blog you will find Holiday themed questions, with responses from my viewers (and myself!), recipes, gift ideas, tips, recommendations and much more! This is the Ultimate Holiday Blog!

Christmas Questions

1. What do you love most about Christmas?

Irishclover7: I love the decorations and the music most. Both of those just scream Christmas for me. Course, I do love the food too. Its like a second Thanksgiving!

Natalieallan: The country being on shutdown, there’s nothing nicer when you live in the city to get a break from the constant traffic night and day. The shops are shut and you get to relax

Rychesgirl: Spending quality time with friends and family

Suzanne: When it’s over (lol) the kid’s excitement 

KittenQueercat: The holiday spirit, the give-away ceremonies, decorating my tree in a different theme each year, the cold weather, listening to my xmas mixtape(http://www.imeem.com/people/sww0PLJ/playlist/QhiayGcK/merry-xmas-music-playlist/), making presents, cookies, and, I’m not gonna lie, getting presents, the lights, the decorations, the ancient holiday of Yule… 

Kaisa:  Hard to say, maybe the Christmas spirit when everybody get together. Christmas holiday is a good thing too and the movies that come from tv

2. What is the Best or Worst Christmas gift you have ever gotten?

Irishclover7: Not sure about the worst Christmas gift. I guess when I was younger the worst Christmas gift would have been clothes, but now I ask for clothes for Christmas. The best Christmas gift, would probably have to be my electric scooter. I loved riding that thing!

Natalieallan: Best present = a kitten, worst present = a bible (donated it to the local Christian book store)

Rychesgirl: Best gift was a digital camera, worst gift was childish gifts from my Aunts. 

Suzanne: Nothing I can honestly remember 

KittenQueercat: The best present I have ever received is my laptop! Thanks, mom!  The worst would have to be one year where I got nothing but a blanket, but I’m not ungrateful.  It’s my favorite warm blanket ever with a deer on it and way better than coal…

Kaisa:  Once I got these ”dry leaves” that are supposed to smell good (it was from a friend). I had no idea what to do with them. After keeping them in my closet I threw them away. The best gift is probably the cellphone I got two years ago or then the theater tickets I got last year.

3. What are your favorite memories of Christmas?

Irishclover7: My favorite memories of Christmas is the part when I get up real early and look around at all the presents sitting around and the tree all lit up. Then I’d take down my stocking and open it, while Christmas music played in the background.

Natalieallan: Being little and the youngest in my family, I’d get spoiled rotten. My mother always chose the best presents and it would be fun. Don’t get spoiled so much now…

Rychesgirl: Having the whole family over for Dinner. We had a packed house that day. 

Suzanne: Waking up early Christmas morning when I was a little girl and all the presents

KittenQueercat: Being a little kid and waking up Christmas morning, decorating a Heaven and Hell themed tree one year with white lights and angels on the top and red lights and ozzy osbourne ornaments on the bottom, sharing my first christmas with a boyfriend I love, and the year I had tons of money and got everyone in my family alot of great presents!

Kaisa:  My first Christmas I remember was probably the best. I still believed in Santa Claus and his little helpers. When Santa came to the house (in Finland we celebrate Christmas in Christmas eve, the Santa comes in the afternoon, gives the gifts and goes to other house), I scared him so much that I ran to my room and went under the bed. I got many gifts and I was so happy

4. What Christmas songs or movies do you love the most?

Irishclover7: My favorite Christmas songs would have to be “O, Holy Night!”, and “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”. I love those songs. And my favorite movies would be all of the Rankin Bass, animation movies, (plus all the songs from those too!). I also like Elf with Will Ferrell, and the Santa Clause series with Tim Allen.

Argelmatta: Home Alone, definitely!!! and Skipping Xmas.

 Natalieallan: I love the home alone movies, they’re great. We tend to get a lot of crap like Mary Poppins here in the UK. Songs, I like all the rock n roll stuff like Slade and the Darkness. Wizard is good too.

Rychesgirl: Fave movie “The Santa Clause” 

Suzanne: A Christmas Story (classic love it), Frosty the snow man, I saw momma kissing Santa clause, and the chipmunk one (the hula hoop gets me every time) 

KittenQueercat: For songs, see the above mix.  My favorite christmas movie….hmm, that would have to be The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood starring a young Liza Minelli. 

Kaisa:  I almost hate Christmas songs these days because they get stuck in my head. But the one where they sing like silent night, holy night, …. you know? That’s pretty beautiful song. I like all Christmas, no favourite.

5. What are your favorite Christmas recipes, or cookie recipes?

Irishclover7: I love most all of it! I love to make decorated sugar cookies for Christmas, and I also love the Spinach Dip. And you cant forget the Farm Store egg nog, yum!

Natalieallan: Yule log, Christmas cake, and orange and cranberry muffins. I also like to cook venison and Christmas and making those chocolate coin things you hang on the tree is fun. I’m a big foodie so I tend to cook buffets rather than set meals. There’s nothing better than making your own mulled wine too.

Rychesgirl: Chocolate Chip Cookies, & Lasagna. I make a mean one. 

Suzanne: my mother’s peanut butter fudge or her spice bread yummy!! 

KittenQueercat: Gingerbread house and sugar cookies with hot chocolate.  White fudge with peppermint pieces.  

Kaisa: Often in Christmas we eat potatoes with this really good meat sauce (my mom’s own recipe) and then some salad, boiled eggs, this good cheese, carrot and rutabaga casserole. Nothing special really. Oh, of course we have those traditional cookies and mince pies.

Ah, Santa Clause. The big man with a white beard and a red suit, who rides through the night in his sleigh pulled by reindeer and delivers presents to all the good little boys and girls. What a man he is, to be able to pull all that off within 24 hours. Lucky for him he only works one night a year. His elves however work the whole year, making tons of gifts for the children.

The story of Santa Clause has been around for years, and each country has their own version. And though some people may not believe in Santa anymore, you can believe that there was a real Santa. Yes, he did exist. Maybe not in the way your story books describe him, but there was a man who delivered gifts, as I recall, a Saint Nicholas. Of course we know that the original Santa never wore a red suit, nor had elves and reindeer, but over the centuries, we’ve adapted our own version of Jolly ol’ Saint Nick. And while Santa is a popular product of our imagination, and our way of commercializing Christmas, we must remember what the holiday is really about: the birth of Jesus. And if you believe otherwise, then so be it. Yes, Santa, and presents, decorations, and lights, all symbolize Christmas today, but without Christ, there would be no CHRISTmas.

Santa and the Northpole

The history of Christmas

Christmas Around the World

Celebrate Christmas with Santa

Santa’s Village

Official NORAD Santa Tracker

Christmas dinner it seems is one of the most anticipated things next to opening the presents on Christmas morning. Families gather round at a table to enjoy home cooked food of all sorts! And of course, what could be better than the desert?! Cookies, pies, puddings, oh my! And who wouldnt want to cozy up next to a warm fire with some hot cocoa or eggnog? Well as you’re getting for the holiday season, I’ve picked out a few recipes you might enjoy. Try em out !

~Sugar Cookie Recipe # 1~

Cookies:
3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla (can substitute almond extract)

Icing
1/3 cup Crisco (transfat-free) or a 1/3 cup of softened butter
1 pound of confectioners sugar
About 1/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Method

1 Sift dry ingredients (use a real sifter), cut in butter and add other ingredients. Blend thoroughly; chill for several hours.

2 Break off a piece of dough the size of an orange and pat it flat in your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll on dough on floured board (best to use a 2/1 ration of flour/sugar – 4 Tbsp flour mixed with 2 Tbsp sugar) or between wax paper. (It helps if you flour both sides of the dough.) Roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out and put on silpat-lined or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5-8 minutes at 400 F. Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as you see them turning color at the base of the cookie. Let cool completely.

3 Mix icing ingredients together until smooth. Separate into different bowls, add food coloring to achieve various colors. Spread on cookies with a butter knife, use cake decorating piping equipment to add decorative accents. If you want the sprinkle type decorating candies to stick, brush the cookie with clear Karo syrup and then sprinkle.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Adapted from the recipe for Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies, Huntsville Heritage Cookbook, 1967, The Junior League of Huntsville, AL, Lowry Printing, Inc.

~Sugar Cookie Recipe # 2~ 

Cookie:
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup milk
Food coloring

1. Cream butter for 2 minutes, add sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract, beat until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter, stirring to blend.

2. Divide dough in half, form 2 balls. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

3. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough (about 1/2 of one dough ball at a time) on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8″ thickness. Dip cookie cutters into flour; cut out shapes. Place cookies on silpat lined or lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for 7-8 minutes.

4 To make icing, combine sugar, almond extract and just enough milk (about 1/4 cup) to make the frosting the consistency of thin glue. Pour icing into shallow bowls wide enough for dipping cookies. Add food coloring.

5 To decorate, dip the topside of each cookie into the icing. Remove quickly and let icing drip of excess back into the icing bowl. Let dry. Pour additional colored frosting into pastry piping, or use a plastic sandwich bag with the tip of one corner nicked off. Gently squeeze frosting on to cookies in whatever patterns you choose.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

~Amazingly Good Eggnog~

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups light rum
• 4 cups light cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
3. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

~Classic Gingerbread Cutouts~

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•  
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough.
3. Divide dough into 2 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners’ sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth until ready to frost cookies.

~Remarkable Fudge~

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
• 4 cups white sugar

Directions

1. Line a 13×9 inch baking dish with foil and butter the foil.
2. In the top half of a double boiler combine the butter or margarine, evaporated milk and sugar. Cook on medium heat for 12 minutes or until it reaches a temperature of 236 degrees F (112 degrees C). Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla and marshmallow creme. Stir until chocolate chips melt then mix in the chopped walnuts. Spread mixture into the prepared pan. Score into squares while still warm. Refrigerate until firm then cut along the scored lines.

~Candy Cane Fudge~

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
• 1 dash red or green food coloring

Directions

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
2. Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
3. Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.

~Spinach Dip with Water Chestnuts~

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 envelope dry vegetable soup mix
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped

Directions

•   In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, dry vegetable soup mix, water chestnuts and green onions. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours before serving.

~Creamy Hot Cocoa~

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions 

1. Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

 Kaboose Christmas Crafts and Recipes

Christmas on MarthaStewart.com

Christmas Recipes 

 Now on to Christmas shopping! Probably everyone’s favorite part of the season, right? Well maybe not. For some its exciting and for others its just a drag. And many get it done early to avoid the Christmas rush. Many years Christmas shopping (like the day after Thanksgiving) has proven to be quite deadly. Sad to see that many will  trample over other people for a sale. Which is more important: your life, or that HD TV? But anywho! Lets not bring sadness into the holiday season. Lets enjoy the holidays and enjoy a very simple shopping trip as well. Use these links to help you find deals on your Christmas presents this year!

Guide to best day after Christmas sales online

Christmas shopping without the hassle!

Christmas Cards at Hallmark

Bronner’s Christmas Ornaments

 Now, another part of the holidays is the travel. People all over travel to their parent’s houses, or to their friend’s or sibling’s houses to celebrate Christmas. And you know, during the holidays hotels will be packed, and the roads will be full of traffic jams. Just wonderful isnt it? Thats when you turn up “Jingle Bells” really loud, and have a party right in your car! Kidding of course. If you didnt know, some fun places in America are all about Christmas, and even have Christmas themed names, like Santa Clause or yes, even, Christmas. You could skip the Christmas dinner with your family (although Im sure you wouldnt), or maybe even invite your family, to some of these unique holiday destinations. And when we say holiday, we really mean it! But book early, hotel rooms go fast!

Santa Claus Museum

Christmas City, Bethlehem PA

Fort Christmas, Christmas Florida

Holiday World, Santa Claus Indiana

Santa’s Lodge, Santa Claus Indiana

Smoky Mountain Winterfest

Jingle Bell Parks

 Top Ten Christmas Light Shows

 Sleigh Ride Locations

 ”Oh, Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches…”

Ah….dont you just love the smell of Christmas trees? I do! Its one of my favorite smells of the holidays. The fun of picking out your Christmas tree, taking it home, and decorating is, is what really brings back ol’ memories. Its something the whole family can be involved in. And I know little kids love to put the decorations on the tree, including the ones they’ve made themselves! Whether you go to your nearest Home Depot or Walmart, or to an actual tree farm, picking out your Christmas tree is a very special moment. Here are a few Christmas Tree links, to find your own Christmas tree this year, or to join the National Christmas Tree Association.

National Christmas Tree Association

Pick Your Own Christmas Tree

 Who doesnt love Christmas Carols?? I mean, you cant have a Christmas holiday without singing them, or turning the radio up real loud. It just wouldnt be Christmas without good ol’ Burl Ives, Elvis, Bing Crosby, and all the rest! So I’ve put the lyrics to some of my favorite Christmas Carols right here for ya! You can find more with the link below, or download them from Walmart, itunes, or Amazon.com.

~Carol of the Bells~

Hark! How the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
“Throw cares away.”
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold

Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere
Filling the air

Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O’er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas

On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home

(repeat from the beginning)

Ding, dong, ding, dong.

~Oh Holy Night~

Oh holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! 

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

~Here Comes Santa Claus~

Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
are pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing;
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say your prayers,
‘Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
He’s got a bag that is filled with toys
for the boys and girls again.
Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,
What a beautiful sight.
Jump in bed, cover up your head,
‘Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

~Up On The Housetop~

Up on the housetop reindeer pause
Out jumps good old Santa Clause
Down thru the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones
Christmas joys.

Chorus

Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Up on the housetop
Click, click, click
Down thru the chimney with
Good Saint Nick

First comes the stocking
Of little Nell
Oh, dear Santa
Fill it well
Give her a dolly
That laughs and cries
One that will open
And shut her eyes

Repeat Chorus

Next comes the stocking
Of little Will
Oh, just see what
A glorious fill
Here is a hammer
And lots of tacks
Also a ball
And a whip that cracks

Repeat Chorus

~Rocking Around the Christmas Tree~

Rocking around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop.

Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie
And we’ll do some caroling.

You will get a sentimental
Feeling when you hear
Voices singing let’s be jolly,
Deck the halls with boughs of holly.

Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancing merrily
In the new old-fashioned way.

~Silver Bells~

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style.
In the air
There’s a feeling
of Christmas.

Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you’ll hear,

Silver bells, silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing.
Soon it will be Christmas day.

Strings of street lights
Even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush
Home with their treasures.

Hear the snow crunch.
See the kids bunch.
This is Santa’s big scene.
And above all this bustle
You’ll hear,

Silver bells, silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas day.

~Buon Natale~

Buon Natale, means Merry Christmas to you
Buon Natale, to everyone
Happy New Year and lots of fun
Buon Natale may all your wishes come true
Buon Natale in Italy means
A Merry Christmas to you
Far away across the sea
In sunny Italy
There’s a quaint little town
Not a clock has been wound
For over a century
They don’t know the time or year
And no one seems to care
And this is the reason
The Christmas season
Is celebrated all year
Buon Natale, means Merry Christmas to you
Buon Natale, to everyone
Happy New Year and lots of fun
Buon Natale may all your wishes come true
Buon Natale in Italy means
A Merry Christmas to you

~Have a Holly Jolly Christmas~

Have a holly jolly Christmas
It’s the best time of the year
Well
I don’t know if there’ll be snow
But have a cup of cheer

Have a holly jolly Christmas
And when you walk down the street
Say hello to friends you know
And everyone you meet

Ho ho the mistletoe
Hung where you can see
Somebody waits for you
Kiss her once for me

Have a holly jolly Christmas
And in case you didn’t hear
Oh, by golly
Have a holly jolly Christmas
This year

Have a holly jolly Christmas
And when you walk down the street
Say hello to friends you know
And everyone you meet

Have a holly jolly Christmas
And in case you didn’t hear
Oh, by golly
Have a holly jolly Christmas
This year

~Blue Christmas~

I’ll have a Blue Christmas without you
I’ll be so blue thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won’t be the same, if you’re not here with me

And when those blue snowflakes start fallin’
And when those blue melodies start callin’
You’ll be doin’ all right, with your Christmas of white,
But I’ll have a blue Christmas with out you.

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won’t be the same, if you’re not here with me
I’ll have a Blue Christmas that’s certain
And when that blue heartache starts hurtin’
You’ll be doin’ all right, with your Christmas of white,
But I’ll have a blue, blue Christmas

~Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy~

Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
A new-born king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum-pum

Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
A new-born king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
to lay before the king pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum-pum
so to honour him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
when we come

Little baby pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
I stood beside him there pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
I played my drum for him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
I played my best for him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum-pum
And he smiled at me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
me and my drum

Peace on Earth, can it be
Years from now, perhaps we’ll see
See the day of glory
See the day, when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again

Peace on Earth, can it be
Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can

I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He’ll see the day of glory
See the day when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again

Peace on Earth, can it be
Can it be

Christmas Songs and Lyrics

Let it snow! Let it Snow! Let it snow!  Snow is quite a wonderful sight to see during the Holidays. I myself have never seen snow, but I can imagine how wonderful it is. For those who live up north where it seems to be always snowing, they proabably feel differently than I do, and they’re probably wishing they lived down here in the South. But for some of us who cant get up north to see the white delight, we can surely have close-to-the-real-thing right in our own home or backyards! And Im not talking about that cheap snow, Im talking about cold, wet, instant snow! I found this online and I just love it. Its reusable, so all you have to do is re-wet it when you want to use it again. And it feels just like real snow. Your kids will deffinitely enjoy this! Use it in the house, outside, for crafts, or decorations, or for whatever else comes to mind. You can even create little packs of snow to give as gifts. And hey, with enough of it, you can even build your very own snowman.

Snow Wonder –Instant snow!

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is watch Christmas movies. And I have a lot of favorites! And Im sure you have plenty of favorites as well, that you like to share with your family. So I decided to make a list of the top ten Christmas movies I love, that I think you’d love too (if you havent already seen it!), and maybe you can find a movie to watch this year with your loved ones.

***

10. Charlie Brown Christmas – Who doesn’t love the classics? Charlie Brown is a big classic for any holiday, and Christmas especially. It’s a movie for the kids, and the adults, and it’s a nice little movie to warm your heart.

9. Christmas Vacation – Hilarious! Maybe not for children, but definitely one for teens and adults! Chevy Chase is so funny in this movie, and you’ll still be cracking up even after it’s over. In fact, I wonder if most families come close to these nut-cases during the holidays!

8. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – A Rankin/ Bass classic. You just gotta love Fred Astaire in this one. Plus several of the songs are catchy. Although not the actual story of Santa Clause, I still love this movie.

7. Snow Dogs – Cuba Gooding did a great job in this one, as a dentist who goes to Alaska after his mother dies, and finds out his father is white. The dogs are cute, and so is the story. It’s a great family movie.

6. The Grinch – I prefer the one with Jim Carrey to the cartoon. You just can’t beat Jim’s hideous touch to the wonderful character. It’s more lively and colorful compared to the cartoon version, and you laugh! You can’t laugh to anything in the cartoon, which makes this movie a big Christmas hit in my book!

5. Snow 1 and 2 – This aired on ABC Family. It’s an ABC Family original I believe, and you can buy this on DVD at Amazon, and probably from ABC’s website. Both movies are wonderful!!!!! I absolutely love the idea in this movie, and it really does make the holidays even better. Great movie to watch!!

4. The Polar Express – I was a little hesitant before watching this movie. It didn’t seem to interest me very much. Then I watched it and was a little confused. But after watching it again, I actually found that I love it! The message it sends is perfect for those little non-believers, and it does make you want to believe again. And if you pay attention, you’ll notice that Tom Hanks plays a majority of the characters.

3. The Christmas Story – A CLASSIC!!! How can you compare to the leg lamp, or the tongue stuck to the pole routine? If this movie doesn’t make you bust out laughing then nothing can! You can’t get anymore Christmas that this folks.

2. Elf – I am a big, big, big, fan of Will Ferrell. He’s hilarious in most everything he does. And this movie was a chance to see a more playful and less vulgar side of Will. Its perfect for kids and families all over, and it does give you several laughs. It’s a great movie to watch.

1. The Year without a Santa Claus – Now to my all time favorite! I love Rankin/ Bass movies, but this one tops the charts. I love every song in this movie and every time I watch it, I sing along. Plus I just love the Miser Brothers!! (I’m more partial to Snow Miser myself). It’s just a cute little movie. And kids will love it too.

Uh oh!!! I almost forgot one! I dont know how I missed these movies, because I love these more than any of them combined! The Santa Clause series! Never, has Tim Allen ever done a more superb job in a movie. These three movies are fantastic, funny, charming, delightful, and magical!! A must must see for everyone!!

Top 25 Christmas Movies of all Time

Lets not forget the children this holiday season! Find Jokes, Coloring pages, e-cards, and more with the links below. Plus, learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in 123 languages around the world.

All things Christmas!

Christmas Coloring Pages

Christmas Jokes

Merry Christmas in 123 languages 

And make your child’s holiday even more memorable with a letter or phone call straight from santa himself!  Find different packages and different rates using the website below.

Get a letter or phone call from Santa

Well thanks for checking out my Ultimate Holiday Blog! If you want to comment or add more links, please feel free to do so below! Thanks bunches! Dont forget to bookmark this blog post, forward it, or tweet it!

Despues de un letargo de 2 años sin sacar nada aqui tenemos lo nuevo de esten grandioso grupo. R.I.P. es una cancion que sigue su linea hasta ahora pero que no deja de ser una gran cancion.

Este post se lo dedico a una de mis mejores amigas, mejor dicho a 1 de mis 2 mejores amigas españolas, Kotori-chan, que se que les encanta ^^

Tracklist:
1. R.I.P.
2. Merry Christmas

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8AG0IT8H

pass:kmc

Now you can conveniently visit Santa without waiting in long lines. Acclaimed Photography of Bothell, Washington is offering ‘Santa’ photos by appointment only. Book your session when it is the best day and time for you.

Here is the link to book and pay for your appointment on line:

http://acclaimedphoto.bookmonline.com/schedules/Santa

Acclaimed Photography

www.AcclaimedPhoto.com

206-228-2442

The first Christmas card of 2009 fell on to our doormat this morning.  The very kind sender was very considerately wishing our family a “Very Merry Christmas” and a “Happy New Year”.  I’m not being ungrateful, really I’m not, but I’ve filed it.  Until it becomes relevant.

Well, I can hardly put it up on the window sill, now can I?  It’s November 21^st for God’s sake.

I’m still in late summer / early autumn mode if I’m honest.  You know – fluffy socks some days, bare feet on others.  And winter’s not officially with us until December 21^st.

For me, Christmas should begin one week before and last until January 2^nd, maximum.  My friends keep asking, “Are you all sorted for Christmas?” No, actually, I’m not, and I’m not going to be for a while yet.  I’ll get sorted for Christmas, when it’s Christmas.

Bah humbug?  No, definitely not.  Christmas is a wonderful time of year.  But should it take up weeks and weeks beforehand?   No!  I’m really busy with other more important things.

In my view those lovely well-wishing people who send Christmas cards in November clearly do not have enough going on in their lives.  Christmas starts on 18^th December and not before.

Signed:  Busy, grumpy, midlife writer

P.S. Have to say, though, I did come across this whilst writing the post.  I absolutely love it because it’s light-hearted, bright and happy.  Think I’ll send something similar this year (but not until 18th!).

Lest we all forget amidst our fun poking  jabs at each other’s tree-

Merry Christmas From Gloucester To Rockland

as an aside (at the bank the other day I heard Christmas muzak a full week before we even had Thanksgiving)  WTF!

Here’s some more pics from last years Gloucester Lobster Trap Tree-

Ya think they have anything this cool in Anytown, or Plainsville USA? No freakin way! This is another reason Gloucester Rocks!

Gloucester's 2008 Lobster Trap Tree

Gloucester's 2008 Lobster Trap Tree and Art Haven Ice Sculpture

Gloucester's 2008 Lobster Trap Tree Adorned With Buoys Painted By Our Youth

Merry Gloucester Christmas

If you would like to help out building the tree or know any lobstermen who would like to donate traps to use they sure could use a hand-

Friday, November 27, 2009 at 9:00am

Gloucester Police Station Plaza

Winter Night Sky

A Christmas/Hanukkah present for those who love complex charts!  The finished product is only 7.25 x 7.25″ on 32 ct, but the charts are large due to the detail.  I’ve been experimenting with colors and images, and this is the result … my impression of the night sky at this time of year!

I won’t be active online until the New Year, as much good stuff is going on here!  May you enjoy your holidays and your stitching, and I hope to see you again in a happier, more peaceful and prosperous New Year!

Ciao!