Katie Rose Phillips once sang that she saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, but when I was a little girl I saw him cradling Auntie Cathy’s brand new baby.

The Christmas that falls on a child’s fifth year is special and mine was no exception, old enough to appreciate the rituals, young enough to be utterly suspended in its magic.

This particular season was set to be perfect, my whole family gathered, a little brother to show the ropes to and a bigger one to learn them from. Plus a thick layer of crunchy, snowman-ready snow.

My mother had dressed the house with festive abundance, holly branches draped over all the pictures and a large wreath with pinecones suspended from the front door by a luxurious red ribbon. Everywhere a knick-knack with a story, my brother’s wobbly pottery angel holding miniature candles in her hands, a bauble brought one Wintry day from at tiny shop in London.

Not forgetting the most enormous Christmas tree, that towered above me to the ceiling. It took my father the best part of a morning and (he was quick to add) an afternoon to recover from the exertion of getting it into the hose and ready for decorating. Even my tall Mother had to use a ladder to place the fairy on top.

I handed her the decorations with the care of the keeper of the Crown jewels and with just as much pride. The ceremonial turning on of the lights when the sun had gone down lit me from within too. I was ready for the games to begin.

And so they did. A friends-filled week of mulled wine and mince pies, tobogganing, carol singing and a memorable performance of Jack and the Beanstalk, when the giant pointed to Auntie Cathy’s large tummy in the front row and joked about her not having the baby until the end of the show. Which I couldn’t understand, knowing full well the baby wouldn’t be so silly: we wanted to enjoy Christmas first!

The shaking of the presents occupied every spare minute, whispering and guessing the contents with my brothers. As the ringleader, I was chosen for the task of colouring in my father’s Christmas Day Lunch menu, a tradition that was to continue for many years to come.

I hardly thought we would have room for turkey (with all the trimmings) and a flaming Christmas pudding after consuming all the nuts, Turkish delight and Christmas cake Mum had lain in little dishes on the table next to the log fire, ready for Christmas Day.

But what really intrigued me, the bit I coloured in with extra care in gold pencil, was the ‘Special Guest Appearance’ at the bottom of the menu. I hoped against hope it would be Father Christmas but my parents were giving nothing away; I would have to wait and see.

Luckily, Christmas Eve was so packed I hardly had to time to dwell on I it, with a morning walk in the crystal white fields near our house and a lovely Church service in the afternoon, completed by a tiny nativity scene and a noisy donkey.

Exhausted that night and overcome with the promise of the next day’s excitement I could barely stop my eyes from closing as my brothers and I left the reindeers their peanut snacks under the tree and Father Christmas his glass of sherry.

Of course, I could not unwrap my presents quick enough in the morning, racing downstairs to open the assorted goodies in my hand-sewn stocking before the fun of the day unraveled, all leading up to the moment I had imagined a dozen times already: the arrival of the special guest.

I saw him arrive at the door with his fluffy beard and sack of gifts, bellowing a deep ‘ho ho ho’, bending down to cuddle me in his bright red outfit. He was every bit as impressive as I had hoped, my only disappointment being that Uncle Bill had taken a Christmas gift to our old neighbours next door and was going to miss him!

But just as he was asking if we had been good girls and boys my Aunty Cathy let out a huge moan and there was a flurry of confusion. Suddenly the adults started rushing around and all the children were ushered away to watch ‘A Christmas Carol’ on the T.V.

A commotion filtered through from next door, while in our room my big cousins wanted to know if their Mum was going to be O.K. Eventually, a short silence fell followed by the first cries of a newborn baby.

My mother came to the T.V. room and told us we should come to meet somebody. And there was Father Christmas holding the newest addition to our large family.

‘Is it the baby Jesus?’ I asked, incredulous.

‘No,’ laughed my father. ‘But it is the special guest.’

Christmas is a wonderful time to remember the special people in all our lives; friends and family, near and far. Sending an Ecard is an excellent way to avoid the postal rush, not to mention the seeking out and writing of all those addresses!

At www.katiescards.com I have created a collection of Christmas ecards that are quick to preview and just as easy to send. It’s as straightforward as choosing your favourite E card, personalizing and emailing it, with a low-cost membership to the site that allows you to send Ecards on other occasions also, from birthday ecards to Easter ecards and every special day in-between.

The selection of 20 Christmas ecards includes the telling of the traditional nativity story as well as capturing the season’s mythical charms, with the elves or a magical snow scene, every e-card designed to be a heart-warming greeting to let a loved one know you remember them as they look forward to the New Year.

So why not extend some festive cheer and choose an uplifting Ecard to send to your nearest and dearest this Christmas season?

I remember one special Christmas morning, when dad and mother yawningly turned the Christmas tree lights on in the corner of the living room, illuminating all the wonders that Santa had brought the night before. This was before television and computers and well before video games.

As though it was yesterday, just as the morning light was seeping through the windows, I saw a red cowboy hat and a Roy Roger’s gun and holster set under the tree. On the other side of the tree there was a tan cowboy hat and pistol set. This one was for my younger brother.

As I recall, that was the extent of my Christmas gifts. By today’s standards it was sort of skimpy, but our family couldn’t have enjoyed the day more. In addition to our genuine cowboy outfits, Santa Claus brought mom a new hand bag while dad got another tie. It was a wonderful Christmas morning!

The day however, was just beginning. After my brother and I had chased off any outlaw or renegades that might have sneaked into our house during the night, we greedily ate some of the apples, oranges and nuts that Santa had scattered under the tree. Back then these fruits were a delicacy we only enjoyed on Christmas morning and rarely were there any left for the next day.

It may seem as if I’m painting a picture of a poverty stricken household, but on the contrary, we were somewhat more affluent than most of our neighbors. It was just a simpler and more innocent time with each gift important to us. Receiving only a few items at Christmas seemed to give make those gifts more precious, if you can call a Roy Rogers genuine cap gun and holster set precious.

When things began to settle down a little and the wrapping paper was packed up and stowed in trash cans, the ribbons carefully save in a box for next year, mom began Christmas dinner. In the south back then, lunch was dinner and dinner was supper. I still wonder why the terminology changed; must have been Yankee influence.

Even though Thanksgiving’s feast had only been a month before, Christmas dinner always was a little more spectacular, if only in the sweets department. There were no counting calories when I was a kid, especially on Christmas day. In addition to my mother’s contribution of sweets, my Aunts always came over and brought with them ridiculous amounts of sugary delights, all of which would be eaten.

By dinner time the house was full of the fragrances of ham, turkey, sweet potatoes and every kind of side dish you can imagine. Thanksgiving dinner had been just a warm up for the main event. Christmas was the when relatives you hadn’t seen since Aunt Bertha’s funeral showed up for dinner. That year was no exception!

Mom always made the coconut cake and fruitcake. It was her specialty and no one would even try to match her on either one of those. I’m not sure of the recipe, but she made her cake with real coconuts. I recall her cracking the hard shell with a hammer, draining the milk into a glass and then prying out the coconut, which she shredded. No packaged pre-shredded coconut for her!

An hour before the table was set, Aunt Vida arrived with two of her chocolate pies and enough fudge to feed Rhode Island. Aunt Helen balanced a real German Chocolate cake in one hand and a gallon of boiled custard in the other. These were in the center ring of our Christmas dinner circus.

While other folks brought food items, none were in the same class as my mother’s Coconut cake and my two aunts’ chocolate pie and German chocolate cake. Sometimes there was a little controversy as to whose boiled custard was the best. No one ever really won that argument!

While none of us can turn back the clock, this is a time for remembering special moments of the past. Maybe this year’s Christmas will be a great memory for one of our kids. It’s nice to think so.

Every year round the Christmas time, almost every one of us feels the financial crunch Christmas gifts put on our wallet.

A common philosophy, the more we have, the more we’re expected to spend on our Christmas shopping, and the fact of the matter is, some of us really don’t want to spend all that much. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to give our family Christmas gifts — what it does mean that we want to do it within a reasonable budget.

Here I would like to share some secrets for getting more this Christmas, but spending a few less:

1) Don’t wait for the last minute to buy your Christmas gifts; you’re really not going to have time to shop for bargains. Because of this, start looking for Christmas gifts now so you can jump on the great deals the minute the stores list them.

2) We laugh at the people who get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday to stand in line to get the hottest deals of the year. Those people who wait in lines are saving hundreds of dollars on their Christmas gifts. 18k gold bracelets for $39.99, toys for fifty percent off (and sometimes even free if you meet minimum purchase requirements). What more could you ask for?

3) Take the time to hunt down the deals. Every week between now and Christmas, visit the various forums on the Internet and check out what’s going on that particular day or week. You’ll be surprised at the great deals you can on Christmas gifts find by hunting for deals as part of a pack.

4) Outlet malls can be a great place to shop for Christmas gifts, but not too close to Christmas. Within the next week or so, go to your local outlet mall. Many of the stores will be in the process of marking down merchandise for the Christmas season. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to pick up some Christmas gifts at a great price.

5) Before Thanksgiving, thousands of websites put their items on clearance to get ready for Christmas. This means great savings for you. Don’t be surprised to find a number of online stores offering discounts of 70-percent or more and don’t forget to check out the overstock websites.

You can find Personalized Santa Claus Videos and how to get these Videos for lifetime at KringlesList.com

Christmas customs are not homogenous all over the world, but among the most popular ones we can surely find exchanging of gifts, kissing under the mistletoe, decorating the Christmas tree and other indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations and Christmas ornaments. But while preparing your house for the holiday season you should not forget to pay attention to the basic idea of Christmas: spending quality time with your families and friends and thinking about the baby Jesus’ birth. Your soul must be prepared too for holidays!

All your Christmas decorations must have a magical spirit and must reflect your warm and tender feelings about this holy time of the year. You should search for new ideas every year so your Christmas ornaments will get the maximum appreciation, as many of your relatives and friends will visit you during this white season.

In order to create an intimate and warm atmosphere in your house, you can place colourful ribbons or bows on your curtains, chairs or door handles. You can add a touch of joy by using different colours instead of the usual green, red and white. But you can also choose a theme for your Christmas decorations, using only a colour or two. For a better effect, the tableware can follow the same pattern. The holiday garlands, the window candles and the lights on the front windows can also contribute to the charm of the decoration. You may be sure that your children will feel very enthusiastic about creating Christmas ornaments from coloured paper or other materials and this will stimulate their creativity.

The Christmas tree is perhaps the most important of all Christmas decorations. It can be real or made of plastic; it can be in miniature or tall. All that matters is what it stands for: a celebration of God and Jesus, a manifestation of joy and appreciation, a period when everyone tries to be a better person. The way one chooses Christmas ornaments is rather important for everyone because they can show the large variety of feelings related to this magic time. Children are the ones that dream most about the candy canes, stars, bells, toys, socks, little snowmen, Santa Clause hats hung in the Christmas tree. They dream more than adults and they probably even feel more during this period. So pay special attention to the star or the fairy on the top of the tree: it will be noticed (by everyone, not just your children) for sure! And do not forget to buy electric flashing lights, white or coloured, to make your tree look more animated!

Your children and the carol singers will love some suitable for eating Christmas ornaments. Chocolate coins or homemade cookies with a coloured, silver or gold wrapping will look delicious while sparkling in the tree and will tempt the guests of all ages! The same effect will be produced by other important Christmas ornaments – of the table – : the Christmas cakes, which you can cook and even decorate according to your imagination.

You should also think about some interesting and elegant Christmas decorations for your living room table: white glittery pinecones, little snowmen, white doves, white or coloured berries and flowers, silver bells, angels and anything that makes you feel happy. Everything can be sprayed with snow, giving only a little light dusting or making it look like a heavy snowfall, upon your personal taste.

Speaking about outdoor Christmas decorations, you might even enjoy a banner to tell everybody how happy you are about the holiday season, to wish them ‘Merry Christmas!’ or to make sure that Santa will not pass by your house. For many families it is very important to decorate their homes with strings of lights, which can have many shapes and sizes and seem to be the most popular outdoor Christmas ornaments. There are also dangling lights which resemble Santa Claus, snowmen, angels or icicles. There’s no limit to how you can show your joy regarding the Christmas time.

In the past, all that people used was a wreath of holly on the door, but now we can see Santa climbing up the roofs, fake snow on all the windows or even a pre-made figure or statue with lighting capabilities. (This can take the shape of Santa, a cartoon character, a religious figure or can even represent a biblical scene.) Many people manufacture their own decorations instead of buying them or look for exclusive products to make their house the most admired in the neighbourhood. For them as well as for us, the spirit of Christmas has to light everyone’s hearts and they do the best they can to bring a smile on their neighbour’s faces.

Wow! The allurement of Christmas Holiday Gift can indeed drive you crazy, especially when you know that you are sure to get some splendid gift; it may be from your father, mother, sister, friend or anyone in this world. Well, for children, Santa Claus stands as an epitome of universal gift-giver. Well, honestly speaking, gifts can range from small to large sized objects, blessings, cards as memento and love.

*        Candles: Advent candles crafted with love and care can happen to be the greatest Christmas Holiday gift for a religious minded person.

*        Biblical cross is an outstanding Christmas Holiday gift to show personal admiration to a family member, your church or a clergy member.

*        Jesus on the cross epitomizes Christianity and the true Christian spirit that reminds us to pardon even those folks who do not know what sins they have committed. A Sunday school teacher or a buddy or kin would truly appreciate such a gift.

*        The Bible makes a perfect Christmas Holiday gift for most people. It comes in many forms, it can turn out to be a best gift for a traveler or a apprentice or even the lost agnostic.

*        Statue of Mother Mary is another Christmas Holiday gift that would be esteemed by all believers. It sends a memorandum of hope, faith and forbearance and would make an crucial gift for most people.

*        Inspirational Christmas card packs also make very useful gifts for people on the move who would like to communicate but never seem to find that further time to be able to do so.

*        Nativity pins, Christmas icons (like Raphael’s classic Mother and Child) and Christmas calendars are some other Nativity and sacred Christmas Holiday gifts that can be given to the devoted.

Apart from all the above, you can bless your children with Christmas flowers, cakes, and beauty and wellness gifts. For the relatives or friends, watch, luggage, food, electronics, clothing, shoes, pets, and books can be some of the best Christmas Holiday Gifts.

If you are planning to get into the swing of things at Christmas then dressing up could add to the fun even more and there are various outfits to make you look the part. Even pets can be dressed up for one of the most fun times of year.

As Christmas time provides countless opportunities for fancy dress parties you could invest in a few different options. You could also investigate what fancy dress stores have to offer as well. This can save time and money as you can order an outfit in one easy step whereas assembling your own ensemble can take more effort.

Some fancy dress companies even cover the whole spectrum of Christmas so you can choose anything from nativity costumes to the more modern glammed up garments.

Kids love to get dressed up at Christmas and perfect options include elves, angels and reindeers. Elves get in the festive spirit with traditional red and green coloured tunics. A belt and hat with a bell on the end add the finishing touches. Elf outfits are perfect for girls and boys and even grown-ups too!

An angel outfit is ideal for any girls who want to look festive regardless of age. The colour for the outfit simply has to be white and a crown and wings complete the picture. A Christmas tree costume can be worn by men and woman of any age and this easy-peasy outfit can be slipped on in seconds. Shepherd and king costumes add to the nativity feel and getting dressed up as a snowman is an all time favourite.

There always has to be a Santa at Christmas parties and buying a complete costume means you have all the necessary bits and pieces, from the beard and belt to a sack and specs. If you do not have your own Santa belly then you might need to find some padding to ensure you look the part!

The ladies need not be left out when it comes to dressing up as Santa Claus as Miss Santa outfits are widely available. If you do not want to go the whole hog then you could buy a Santa hat or invest in some other accessories like reindeer ears or a cute candy cane headband.

Pets can join in on the festive fun as well as Santa http://www.smiffys.com/ProductSearch.aspx?ThemeName=Christmas”>Christmas Costumes for dogs can be purchased.

To get into the Christmas spirit you could arrange some fun festive games. Pass the parcel is perfect for kids and lucky dip Santa stockings are great for those of all ages. The Secret Santa present giving is a tradition still popular in the workplace and is a fun way to make sure all your colleagues get a treat at Christmas.

Here comes Santa Claus…here comes Santa Clause… Yep, it’s almost
that time again. As we head into September, every e-commerce
site should be formulating a plan for the holiday season. Even
the sites selling the, “I hate the holidays” t-shirts.

Prepare or Be Doomed

You may be thinking, “It is only September. I’ve got four months
to get ready for the holidays in December.” Well, you’re wrong.
Let’s consider a scenario.

First, the mad dash for purchasing holiday gifts starts early to
mid-November depending on the popularity of the products on your
site. The online holiday season is not in mid-December! If you
agree with this position, your preparation time is already down
to two months.

You’re probably thinking, “Two months? Shorter than I thought,
but I still have plenty of time.” Sure you do.

If you think two months is plenty of time, ask yourself the
following questions.

1. Is your product line currently updated?

2. Do you have sufficient inventory?

3. What’s your holiday sales slogan?

4. Will you be offering any specials or discounts?

5. If so, on what products?

6. Is your site updated with all products?

7. If you’ve moved up in the search engine rankings, is your
site ready to receive more traffic or will it bog down?

8. Have you compiled a list of email addresses for people that
bought from you last year?

9. Do you have your email material ready to send to them?

10. Did you make the changes to the site you wrote down from the
last holiday shopping season? You know. The ones you swore would
be done so the site would really hum next season? I’ll wait
while you go dig through the notes crammed in your desk.

Obviously, there are many other questions that can be asked. The
point of this article is you should be asking them NOW! You may
find two months isn’t looking like nearly enough time.

Remember, prepare for the holidays and you will clean up.
Procrastinate and you may be out of business

Brief History of Figurines:
Figurines or statues have been made by humans since the dawn of time. Ancient civilizations made figurines and statues of everything they could, from their kings to common people and from animals to a representation of their deity. These were made from materials that were readily available to the artisan, such as stone, wood or clay. As time went on and other materials were invented they too were used, things like porcelain, glass, metals and resin. Many of these ancient figurines can be seen in museums around the world. Today figurines are most often made of porcelain, glass, acrylic or a resin. These are found in homes, business, churches and in government offices. They are used as decorations, for religious observance, inspiration or to help us remember special events or people.
Collectible Santa Figurines:
Many children the world over believe in Santa Claus. Adults and children alike love Santa figurines as they seem to help bring the spirit of Christmas to everyones home. Father Christmas Musical Figurines are a perfect way to do this as they combine the look of Christmas with music of the season. There are fun figurines like the Cowboy Santa Bobble Head for those that enjoy a western type theme for their Christmas. For Santa figurines for the living room there is the popular Santa’s Letters Clothtique Possible Dreams and for the children there is Santa with Electric Candle or the Sitting Santa Snow Globe. And then there are Large Illuminated Outdoor Santa Claus to help light up the front yard.
Guardian Angel Figurines:
In 2004, 78 percent of Americans said that they believe in the existence of angels, according to a Gallup poll. Many people of different religions believe that angels are beings sent from God to help humans and in some cases to be a guardian for them for a time. There are many angel figurines such as Guardian Angel with Sheep, for children the Sweet Angel Figurine Bell, as part of a nativity arrangement 5 Inch Standing Angel Nativity and for simple display the Table Top Angel Holding A Clarinet.
Other Christmas Figurines:
Now at Christmas time its not just Santa and Angels there many other figurines that can be displayed to brighten the home and help bring that Christmas spirit in, some can even be left out longer than just at Christmas. There is a beautiful Reindeer Pulling Victorian Sleigh, or for the classical Santa there is Coca Cola Christmas Santa Claus Ornaments, or even for the little larger sets 23 Inch Chapel Micah The Nativity Shepherd. When decorating your home there are many figurines or small statues that can be used to bring out the season.
Snowman Christmas Figurine:
Another popular Christmas figurine is that of a snowman. Back in the middle ages people use to make snowmen when new snow fell, a practice still done today. In the northern hemisphere snowfall is often an indication of the coming Christmas season. There are a variety of snowmen figurines like the Acrylic Lighted Snowman Figurine, or the Whimsical Snowman Porcelain Figurine. For children there is the Snowman Holding Electric Candle which can also double as a nightlight. And for those families with yards there is a Large Outdoor Illuminated Snowman Family.

The key attraction to any Christmas is the Christmas gift. It’s the sentiment involved with the Christmas gift rather than the price. I would agree with anyone that homemade Christmas gifts are a great idea and friends and family will surely love them. But make sure that your home made Christmas Gifts are practical. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t have to be huge as long as this year’s Christmas gifts are right on target. Personalized Christmas gifts are becoming more and more popular each year.

Parents sometimes have no idea, what are the most popular Christmas gifts for that year. But Christmas gifts are reciprocal. Most Christmas gifts are physical objects, capable of being wrapped and set under the Christmas tree.

Children’s Christmas gifts are probably the most exciting type of presents to shop for during the festive period, and are often the most affordable, too. Christmas gifts are a gesture of showing our love and concern for those who are special.

In most of the countries, Christmas Gifts are given at night on Christmas Eve or in the morning on Christmas Day. Most exchange Christmas gifts and decorate their homes with holly, mistletoe, and Christmas trees, under which the Christmas gifts are stored. In fact inexpensive Christmas gifts are the most cherished items under the tree.

Before you go out and buy some baby Christmas gifts, first realize for whom those baby Christmas gifts are really for: the parents or the kids. Christmas gifts are meant to be reminders of the gifts of the wise men to the infant Jesus. Christmas gifts are usually wrapped beautifully in bright paper, sometimes with ribbons and bows and other adornments.

Online Christmas gifts are too making a buzz this Christmas. Although you cannot put an online Christmas gift under a Christmas Tree, but these gifts too can be cherished for the lifetime. In fact online gifts can be personalized also. Personalized Santa Claus Videos, I found in KringlesList.com is a perfect example of an online gift that can be cherished for the lifetime. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. The best Christmas gifts are always the unusual and different rather than the socks from Aunt Jessica or the tie from a sister Sue. These personalized videos are unusual and different that your child can find a lot of fun when viewing. Your child can talk with Santa Claus and that too from the comfort of your home.

Christmas Holiday Video is one of the most vital things that is necessary to bring about that brilliant smile to your child’s face. Make sure to do something special for your child in this Christmas and what would be more interesting than a special gift that would make him or her smile? This special gift might be Christmas Video in which Santa will be speaking to your child. He will be asking questions and giving out gifts to your child. Therefore, make sure to set some of the easiest questions for your child to answer.

There is a set of more than 12 questions; sometimes in few sites the number may be higher. Of all these questions, you need to ask your child only 3-4 questions. You can select from the whole range only a few questions that your child can answer too well.

An interesting feature of the Santa Video or the Christmas Video is the fact that there is recording facility. In the video recording you can clearly see your child’s face and notice the expressions over there. Therefore, the most salient feature of this video is the recording facility that makes it so interesting. The viewers are especially interested to buy this video because of this reason.

There are other facilities in the Christmas Video as well. This is the gaming feature which enables people to play various games. A number of games are there. They include video shooting and car racing. Car Racing allows a child to deeply concentrate on an event. When the cars are racing, you can see your child concentrating to his maximum possible ability, trying to trespass all the difficulties and reach destination. This is an important game facility which almost every child enjoys.

There are also games involving Santa Claus. In the Santa games you can see Santa Claus performing a wide number of tricks and sometimes offering gifts to your child. That would indeed be amazing, right? In all these events you can simply get the reflection of wonder, amazement and love for parents in the facial expression of your child. For this, all you need to do is enroll your child to some video sharing sire where he or she might be able to play games and make the best use of the Christmas holiday video sites. After all, as a parent there is no price that would match your child’s love for you and any parent can simply go to his or her optimum extent to gain that.