Monday, November 30, 2009
How to Make a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Card - Christmas Craft for Kids
make a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer card
Picture Poinsettia Pot
Michelle Peard is stitching together a poinsettia pot full of memories and holiday cheer. She customizes acrylic pieces with scrapbook papers, stickers and photos, tying it all together with some fun ribbons. She fills the pot with a pretty poinsettia and tops the whole thing off with a stitched acrylic tag. Michelle loves arcylics, and after this project, you will too! The Scrapbook Lounge featured products: • Sunday International: Stitch-A-Crylic Flower Pot Cover • Sunday International: Stitch-A-Crylic Small Poinsettias • Jazi Crafts: Online Scrapbooking Store As seen on TVWeekly.com
Santa Claus Postmark
Add Christmas Splendor With a Santa Claus Postmark!
By Deb Allen
It's time to start thinking about Christmas again and how to make it even more special. If you are like the typical American that celebrates this wondrous holiday, you will be pulling out your favorite and best loved decorations from past Christmases and adding to them. Most people seem to continuously build that arsenal. After all, there are always new and gorgeous ornaments, wreaths, garlands, and other decorative embellishments we can add. The truth is that having a great variety offers the opportunity to either have a themed oriented decorating scheme, or a free for all style.
Decorating the home is usually a Christmas tradition that all family members participate in. Even the very young get into the act. And of course, us older folks sometimes get a little sentimental at Christmas time. It's not hard to do as we reminisce about favorite Christmases from years gone by. And if we are really lucky we will even have some keepsakes from those times that seem to keep us in touch with our past. Christmas traditions are a great way to bridge the gap between old and new, and young and old. The handing down of traditions keeps a bond of sorts between the generations. Just as our parents did certain things during the holidays, we have followed, and our children will too.
Whether your family traditionally spends a particular day or evening creating and displaying Christmas craft projects, or simply decorating, or just spending quality time together, these can all become treasured Christmas traditions. And great memories will be a part of each Christmas as the tradition is continued. My family's Christmas traditions include putting our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving Day. Afterward we work on a few Christmas craft projects - a family favorite is creating snowmen out of Styrofoam balls. It's easy enough even for the youngest members to do and fun for all.
When the craft projects are finished it is time to write our letters to Santa Claus. The children love this. I always enjoy learning what it is that they really want for Christmas. When the letters are finished we put them in envelopes addressed to Santa Clause at the North Pole. And when the kids receive a genuine letter back with a Santa Claus postmark from the North Pole they are ecstatic. As soon as their eyes take in the postmark from Santa Claus they are overjoyed, and I get to share in their delight.
No matter what activities you and your family enjoy together, the most important thing is to make it fun and make it special. There's something about Christmas that is magical and I believe that magic lives in our hearts. It just takes the magnificence of Christmas to bring it out in each of us.
For a free ebook that offers information about the history of Christmas Traditions visit this link: http://topsecretsantagiftideas.blogspot.com/
For genuine letters from Santa Claus visit: http://www.santaclausletters4kids.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deb_Allen
http://EzineArticles.com/?Add-Christmas-Splendor-With-a-Santa-Claus-Postmark!&id=3234883
Holiday Civic Events and Activities
5 Holiday Civic Events and Activities to Make This Christmas More Fun
By Aaron Hu
This Christmas many families are looking for fun activities to do together. One of the factors is that they are something that they can afford to do. Most families won't have the money for a winter get away. So they will be celebrating at home. However a Christmas season at home is not be underestimated. There are plenty of exciting and fun things that family can do for the holiday season in their hometown. Some of them are even free. Take advantage of everything your town or city has to offer this Christmas. Here are some civic events that your family can enjoy.
You can go to play at the local park. If you are in an area that normally experiences white Christmases take full advantage of it. Make sure that your entire family is warmly dress and bring a big thermos of warm drinks such as cocoa and apple cider. Then let your family have fun in the snow. Build snow forts or snowmen. Have snowball fights. If the park has some good hills you can enjoy some sledding. It is free and still a good time.
A tree lighting ceremony is a civic event that is not to be missed. Every city that traditionally has big Christmas tree for the Christmas holidays has one. They pick a large evergreen and decorate it in time for the holiday season. When the lights on the tree are turned on it is considered that the city is officially starting the holiday season. There are normally great performances by local groups that are part of the event. If you live in a town that does not have one, you can still enjoy the Tree lighting in New York on TV. Check your local listings and mark your calendar so you don't miss it.
There is nothing that shows civic pride during the holidays like a Christmas parade. Local service organizations, civic groups, and high schools participate to put on a great show for their towns. Every city has one in one shape or another. For no charge your family gets to see amazing floats and see groups such as high school marching bands perform. If you are going make sure to dress warmly and bring snacks depending on how long the parade will be.
You can go to events held by your local library. We often only think of the library as a place where our kids go to do research for school or check out books. However the library has a wide selection of events that it sponsors year round and especially for the holidays. It can be a workshop for making gingerbread houses or a reading event with milk and cookies. These are often free and are used to encourage the public to come to the library. Take advantage to have a good time for nothing.
Go to a play or performance by a local church or theater group. These groups often put on high quality performances either for free or for a reasonable ticket price. Each of these performances will be a great opportunity for your family to see a great show. However look into both to see the time and where they are happening so you can make the decision whether to go or not.
Something special you can do for your family this Christmas is to have your younger children receive a call from Santa. This is a great way for your kids to believe in Santa and excuse yourself from their suspicion.
Create magic in your child's eyes with our letters from Santa. EZSantaLetters.com offers fully personalized Santa letters and 15 pre-written Santa Letters. All letters are postmarked from the North Pole and will definitely put a smile on your child's face.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Hu
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Holiday-Civic-Events-and-Activities-to-Make-This-Christmas-More-Fun&id=3271486
Christmas Activities
6 Affordable Ideas For Christmas Activities
By Ellie Evergreen
This Christmas families are looking for ways to spend the holidays with their family and have fun. They also don't want to pay a lot of money in the process. This might seem daunting in a society where everything looks to have a price. The great news is that as a parent there are many fun activities that you can do with your children that will cost little or no money but will allow you to still have one of the most memorable Christmases your family has ever seen. The only thing you need is the willingness to look around your town and neighborhood and use your imagination. Here are some great suggestions to get you started.
Visit family that lives nearby this Christmas. If spending Christmas with your children is fun then spending it with extended relatives can only be better. Get together with your parents or brothers and sisters and see if you can plan a big family Christmas. This has many benefits. You and your kids get to see family that you may not normally see on a regular basis. There is also the simple fact that the more people there are, the more lively a celebration can be. It can also help you to cut down on cost for Christmas when everyone pitches in.
You can have a simpler Christmas breakfast rather than a big holiday dinner. You will have already spend a significant sum of money for your Thanksgiving dinner, so it may not be prudent depending on the state of your finances to have another big holiday meal just a month afterwards. A Holiday breakfast is cost effective because it is easier to make and the ingredients are easily available and affordable. You can have small holiday touches to your breakfast to get into the spirit of the season. This is a great way to have all the benefits of a holiday meal without the problems.
You can go see a performance by your local church. Every Christmas churches put on special plays or concerts. These are open to the public and can be quite beautiful and entertaining. If you want to find good wholesome family entertainment that cost little or nothing, this is definitely something to take a look at.
Go to local community events in your area. Your city will likely have many holiday events planned. They can be anything from a Tree lighting ceremony to a holiday parade. These are events that are supposed to promote civic pride and unity during this winter season. They should be going on from the end of November through New Year's. Take advantage of as many free events as possible this Christmas.
You can also choose to stay at home and have a family game night. If you think about it, it may have been ages since everyone in your family has sat down to play a favorite board game. This is a great opportunity to do just that. Play great games like Monopoly or Life. The fun of competition and sharing a special moment with your family are great moments that you will never forget.
You can also have your kids receive a magical call from Santa. Your kids will have the special experience of speaking to Santa in person. The service is quite affordable and you can see the special effect the moment will have on your children.
Create magic in your child's eyes with our letters from Santa. EZSantaLetters.com offers fully personalized Santa letters and 15 pre-written Santa Letters. All letters are postmarked from the North Pole and will definitely put a smile on your child's face.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ellie_Evergreen
http://EzineArticles.com/?6-Affordable-Ideas-For-Christmas-Activities&id=3303979
Friday, November 27, 2009
Zhu Zhu Pets
Zhu Zhu Pets For Sale
By Franck Jabez
They've been out since September, but you're hearing about them now. The latest craze in toys, Zhu Zhu Pets are on the elevator to reach the top spot of the coveted best Christmas gift for this year of 2009. If you aren't hearing the noise from your kids, perhaps you have heard from your friends or on the radio and television commercials. These pet hamsters are buying out of stock in the stores and even selling out in some places online.
They aren't real hamsters in the first place, the Zhu zhu pet hamster are battery powered but designed to look and act just like a real live hamster. There are five different pets with each their own personality and come with over 40 different sounds based on the surroundings they are currently in.
Each Zhu zhu pet has two modes, "explore mode" and "loving mode" where they run around the floor and all over the house as well as react to hugs, kisses and other signs of affection. There are lots of accessories included with these pets that will definitely keep your children interested and active all day long with their new hamster pet. Accessories include houses, beds with blankets and even cars. The best thing of all is that they can enjoy having a relationship with their pet and learn how to take care of one, without going through the actual responsibilities and messes to clean up that come with a real hamster.
The zhu zhu pet, also misspelled zu zu or zoo zoo was once known as the go go pets back in august 2009. The company Cepia did a test trial run before renaming and launching these hamster pets into the market for the public. They have been out since September, but the stories of stores being sold out and out of stock are not new or surprising, you may want to get one soon before Christmas comes. If you have any trouble, there are still leftover go go pets that not many people know about. Buy your zhu zhu pet hamsters online where a greater stock is usually available, but watch out. eBay sellers have been known to boost the price up to 3 times the normal cost, and there are many other retailers that sell them much cheaper. Happy Holidays and get ready to go "zoo zoo zoom" this Christmas!
Franck Jabez is a part time self employee who enjoys writing for fun and for a living. If you're still interested in Zhu Zhu Pets, view the ad and click here for more on zhu zhu pets
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Franck_Jabez
http://EzineArticles.com/?Zhu-Zhu-Pets-For-Sale&id=3258401
Zhu Zhu Pets Toys
Zhu Zhu Pets Toys - Do Not Choose the Wrong Hamster
By Laura Robbinson
The Zhu Zhu Pets toy lineup is manufactured by a company called Cepia LLC. Since the inception of Cepia in 2002, they have focused their efforts on producing fun kids' toys that truly push the boundaries of technology in comparatively inexpensive packages. A few of their more notable toy successes include the Glo-e bear, Hydro Max and Sky Raptors. The launch of the Zhu Zhu Pets toys (often misspelled Zoo Zoo Pets toys and even Zu Zhu Pets toys) has really catapulted the company to the forefront of the kids' toy tables and quite possibly onto becoming the best selling toy for 2009. Currently, the model range only includes the hamster pets and their accessories, but with such demand, who knows what the 'pet' lineup will include in the future.
For those of you that are looking to buy Zhu Zhu hamsters, this Christmas or beyond, then you essentially have a choice of four main hamster varieties and one exclusive hamster toy currently. Each different in color and each suited to different children because of the pet toy's individual characteristics and personalities. Choosing which one your kid will love and have the most fun with will depend on the parent buying the most suitable match to their child's personality.
Mr Squiggles is the bestselling hamster of the lot and has pretty much remained in that position since the launch of Zhu Zhu toys. If your child wants a fast and furious little critter, then Mr Squiggles may be the perfect choice. Light brown in color, he perhaps resemble a real hamster the most out of all five. Mr Squiggles loves to scurry and scoot at full speed and has some hysterical sounds when he bumps into anything in his way.
Pipsqueak is more or less the second most popular choice among kids but frequently topples Mr Squiggles for pole position periodically. Pipsqueak is a great soft yellow color that girls especially love. Pipsqueaks, like Mr Squiggles also loves to go fast in explore mode, but settle her down and put her into affection mode and your kids will spend hours heaping care and attention on her.
Num Nums is the true lady of the lot and perhaps the most fussy of all the hamster pack. She loves to explore around and fuss over everything, making all of the sounds and noises that she makes so well. Don't let this fool you though, in explore mode she is certainly able to scoot around as good as the next hamster toy. Num Nums has a passion for food and loves to spend time in the Funhouse hamster kitchen, kids love to watch and listen to all of the sounds she makes in there.
Chunk is the snow white hamster of the Zhu Zhu Pets range and girls love the color, but both girls and boys alike love his personality. Chunk is the surfer dude of them and likes to take life easy and enjoy everything in his world in a calm and relaxed manner. His priority is not to scoot and scurry continuously like Mr Squiggles or Pipsqueak, but he is more content at his own pace. Where Chunk really comes into his own is when he does what he does best - surfing. Kids love to watch Chunk get on board his board and show them all of his cool moves and make all of his cute noises like only Chunk can.
Patches is the Zhu Zhu pet that is only available as part of a bundled package. The most widely available packages if you want to buy Zhu Zhu Patches, includes the Funhouse or hamster House Starter Set. Patches is darker yellow in color with a large white patch on its back. Patches loves the flowers and in explore mode, goes about hunting them out.
Visit Zhu Zhu Pets for some great price deals on these toy hamsters and accessories and for the best selling tables, detailed information, parent reviews and hamster action videos, visit Zhu Zhu Pets Toys.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Robbinson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Zhu-Zhu-Pets-Toys---Do-Not-Choose-the-Wrong-Hamster&id=3088060
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Scrooge
Charles Dickens - "A Christmas Carol"
By Jon Griffin
With it's universal message of treating friends, employees, and family with respect and kindness, "A Christmas Carol" is one of the most well known holiday stories of all time. The entertaining story masterfully weaves the message of keeping the Christmas spirit alive all year with a readily identifiable lead character. That there are hundreds of movie and stage adaptations of this story only serve to bolster the reputation of the story as a holiday classic.
History
Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in 1843 and it soon became the most popular book of that holiday season. Dickens sold 6000 copies of the book by Christmas, and the book was such a success that eight adaptations for the stage were being created within two months of publication. To this day, the story is one of the most widely known and popular stories about the Christmas season. There are more than 200 film versions and a countless number of stage productions. You would be hard pressed to find anyone not familiar with this Dickens classic in some form or the other.
Ebeneezer Scrooge is the main character in "A Christmas Carol". Scrooge was an old man with more money than he could possibly use, but he was a lonely miser who refused to share or spend any of his vast fortune. Scrooge gets visited by three spirits, Christmas past, present, and future, and after these visits he has a revelation. Scrooge comes to realize that spending money on charity and generosity leads to a much more fulfilling life than simply hoarding all his money. He learns that the true spirit of Christmas is following these principals, and by following them he can keep the Christmas spirit alive all year.
This story was written at a time when working conditions were unfair for the lower social classes, and impoverished children were a common sight. Dickens was always an advocate for the poor, and often made social and moral statements in his writing. "A Christmas Carol" is no exception, weaving a beautifully written and engrossing tale with a strong moral and social justice theme. The lessons of the story are as valid today as they were when the book was written in 1843.
There are many movie versions of this classic story, and this year is a great year to start or continue a family tradition of reading or watching this classic story, and don't forget to read it as well. The younger children will like the Disney or Muppet's versions, while the whole family can watch the classic movie starring George C. Scott. If you are in a humorous mood, then Scrooged starring Bill Murray, or A Christmas Carol (2009) with Jim Carrey might suit your mood. In any event this Charles Dickens story is a classic story guaranteed to entertain the whole family for many years to come.
Jon Griffin writes about a variety of subjects and teaches at UNLV.
If you would like to learn more about Christmas traditions, please stop by http://traditionsofchristmas.net/ and enjoy our ever growing article collection.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Griffin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Charles-Dickens---A-Christmas-Carol&id=3277100
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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