Sunday, January 31, 2010

2009 Winners Announced!

PackageFromSanta.com has announced the winners for the 2009 Photo Contest, the $200 Toys R Us Giftcard Giveaway, and the $100 Testimonial Contests!

Go here to see if you're the lucky winner:
http://www.packagefromsanta.com/photocontest.aspx

Thank you to all the people that entered the contests, and for spreading the word about PackageFromSanta.com!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Start A Hobby Now That Will Save You Christmas Money & Create Memories

If you are like me you have been family gatherings and other Christmas events and envied friends and relatives that have made or received wonderful handcrafted Christmas gifts. This might include things like hand-knitted or crocheted sweaters, scarves, hats, and gloves, to beautiful wooden jewelry boxes or other items.
For me, it is not simply the gift itself that goes into such items, but instead, it is the care and love, just knowing that someone took the time out of their life to actually create a gift for someone makes it so much more meaningful than a store bought gift.

I’ve always had a love for handcrafted items. Even when I was a small child, although I have to admit that my letters to Santa would include requests for Barbie dolls and stuffed animals, some of my favorites Christmas gifts included the Barbie doll clothes my grandmother would make me each year and the doll house furniture made by my dad. In fact, I recently found my collection of Barbie clothes and I passed them down to my own granddaughter. She was thrilled, just as I know my grandma would be to know that those doll clothes are still being used today – loved again by another little girl.

And just as an example, those doll clothes did not cost my grandma anything to make except for the minor cost of the thread and buttons and other trim she used. You see, my grandma was an avid sewer and she used the scraps of her projects to construct doll clothes and quilts. I remember that she would get up early to clean her house and do her daily cooking – just so she could spend hours at her sewing machine each day. Then at night she would do the handcrafted projects like doll clothes and quilts. And yes, as I got older, other gifts from her included the quilts, hand embroidered tablecloths, pillowcases and decorative table spreads. These are cherished keepsakes – some of which I have already passed down to my own children.

Just before my dad died he had promised to make me a handcrafted jewelry box. I was so looking forward to that. But sadly, my dad died suddenly, before many of his plans were realized.

Anyway, the point of this post is to remind you that it is early in the year and you can start now – start working on some handcrafted items that you can give as gifts for Christmas 2010. You will be giving more than a gift; you will be giving a part of you that is in reality, a family heritage, a keepsake that will be cherished. It will save you money and be much more meaningful than anything you can purchase in a store.


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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Looking Back on Christmas of 2009

My daughter and I just had a long talk about the past year and of course, the conversation ended with a focus on Christmas and how things turned out. We talked about what went well and what we might want to do a little differently next year.
As we talked about shopping and planning for our gift buying we decided that this year we would do most if not all of our Christmas shopping early and do it online. Over the past two or three years I have done more and more shopping online and now I feel very confident that I can find what I need and save money, time, and hassle in the process.

Because I work from home as a freelance writer, I spend lots of time on the Internet and I have learned that there are many websites which offer online coupons. A simple Google search will bring up lots of sites you can choose from in order to find the coupon you need. You’ll find that some coupons are good for a certain percentage off of any purchase, others are good for discounted shipping rates – oftentimes free shipping, and still others are only good for specific products. I suggest that you visit these sites from time to time to find the coupons you need for whatever you desire.

The discussion about Christmas also included the fact that we wanted to be more organized with our decorations and other Christmas related items. That process has already been started, as we tried to be more organized in storing our Christmas things.

Just as in the past two or three years, Christmas of 2009 included the fun of the kids receiving personalized letters from Santa. These letters add real fun to the holiday cheer and the anticipation of Santa’s visit. That’s a tradition we will continue.

We also enjoy having the kids write their letters to Santa Claus and do simple Christmas craft projects on Thanksgiving after dinner. This keeps the kids busy while the adults enjoy dessert and conversation. The kids love it and we enjoy their enthusiasm as they begin thinking seriously about the Christmas holiday.
Something we plan to try for this Christmas is having our own 12 Days of Christmas. We haven’t quite worked out all the details yet, but we want it to be fun for all. I’ll keep you posted on whatever we decide.

So how about you – have you thought about your Christmas of 2009? What will do differently this year and what are some of the things that you absolutely must keep? Let us know – share your ideas!


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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Christmas & New Year's Day Are Behind Us!

Happy New Year! Whew!!!

We made it through another holiday season! From what I can see and hear, few people are sorry to put the holiday decorations away for another year. It seems that all my friends and family members agree that while the holiday are fun and even magical at times - they can also be draining.

We go through the stress and worry of trying to find the ideal gifts for others, and ways to make the season especially memorable. Some of us have to schedule out of town visits to family members that live miles away. All of us have to decide on a spending budget and work to stay within its limits. And on top of everything, we want the holiday season to be fun and exciting so we fit in as many activities as possible. It's no wonder that we are now ready to take down that beautiful tree and pack away our Christmas decorations and keepsakes for another year.

If you are like me, then each year you try to take away at least one thing that will make the next holiday season a little better. Of course, all of us could say that better planning and organization might add a little more flexibility when we need it - but that is such a general way of looking at things that it may not be helpful at all in the end. Instead, I encourage you to focus on one or two specifics that could improve your holiday season next year. Make the effort to think about these things now while they are fresh in your mind.

Perhaps you need to develop a new or more family traditions. If so, what will they be? Maybe you need a better plan of shopping - one that can save money or maybe time is the more pressing issue for you. You may have noticed that you need to add someone new to your shopping list or Christmas card list for next year. Take the time to consider these things now.

I will be taking my Christmas tree down today and putting away all of the seasonal decorations. The lovely ornaments that my mother crocheted will be meticulously packed in an effort to preserve them as heirlooms for my children. The letters from Santa will be carefully put away so that my children and grandkids can read them again next year as they write their letters to Santa Claus on Thanksgiving Night. The strand of lights that is not working will be disposed of and the others will be wrapped in an easy to use manner. The point is that the more careful I am with putting things away for next year, the easier things will be for me and my family when we prepare for the 2010 Holiday Season.

Wishing you all the best in 2010 and beyond!

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