Letters To Santa And The Christmas Count Down

Each year my kids and I spend time together writing letters to Santa and making a calendar to count down until Christmas day. We’ve always enjoyed writing Santa letters and we have been creating the Christmas Count Down Calendars for the past four or five years.

We write our calendar on a large white poster board. Around the edges we make a frame in ribbon and glitter. The dividing lines on the calendar are made of Christmas candy sprinkles.

We mark special days during the holidays on the calendar. Every year we mark a day for writing letters to Santa. We make a mini envelope to glue to that day’s place on the calendar. On the envelope my daughter likes to draw a picture of snowmen. She fills in the space around the envelope with red glitter.

The day after letter writing is our mail your Christmas letters day. For this day we place a couple of stamps on the poster board. This year this drew up a clever little map of the trip from our house to the North Pole.

We mark a day for wrapping all the gifts we will be delivering to friends and family. On this day we put a stick on gift tag. Another event we mark is filling and sending out our Christmas cards.

We also mark a day for mixing up our magical reindeer food. That day is covered in gold glitter with a reindeer picture glued on top. This is one of kid’s favorite activities that we do for Christmas.

We have a day for baking cookies together. On the square for this day we glue on sprinkles and mini gingerbread men. We make the gingerbread men out of thin craft foam.

The day that we put up the Christmas lights has a green Christmas light bulb stuck to it. The light bulbs are made of candy cellophane. One year we glued on the lights from a burnt out string we was going to throw away.

We always mark the special day when the letters from Santa arrive. How this day gets noted varies from year to year. Last year we used a gold stick on star.

Of course Christmas Eve is marked with a picture of the real Santa. Christmas is marked with a big shiny present to represent a gift from Santa Claus. You could use any Christmas image that you have around.

To mark off a day we glue cotton balls over it. You can glue whatever you have around the house maybe strips of ribbon or tissue paper to mark off your days. I have the kids rotate turns to be the one to get to mark of a day.

My kids love making this calendar. It gives us a chance to spend time together doing something that we all enjoy doing. As we make the calendar we talk about past Christmas memories and their hopes for this Christmas. Every year we added other holiday events like school plays and holiday parties we will attend. I hope you have fun making this calendar with your children.

Letters To Santa & Christmas Ball Ornaments Crafts

Santa letters are a traditional Christmas activity. Writing these letters to Santa provides time for family fun and bonding. It’s a great way to spend time together during the holidays. Many families have found that craft projects are ideal for family time. A simple way to get started in Christmas crafts is with ball ornaments. Ball ornaments can be used to make several different ornaments. These crafts are inexpensive and great for parties or classroom projects.

One of the easiest ways to decorate ball ornaments is to use a permanent mark to draw designs or your name and the year. Permanent markers come in wide variety of colors. Silver, gold, and copper markers look spectacular on solid colored balls. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

You can make a cute Santa with cotton balls. Start of with a plain white ornament. Take two cotton balls and fluff them out with your hands. You may want to use an egg carton to hold your ornament in place while you work on it .Next put a line of glue on the top of the ornament. Place one of the cotton balls on the line of glue. Do the same along the bottom of the ornament. Next you will need to use paint or markers to make the face. Lastly make a hat out of construction paper the ball on the end can made from a small piece of cotton ball. These ornaments are almost as cute as the real Santa.

Using a marker you can write a letter to Santa around the ornament. I do this every year with my kids we have fun reading the ornaments we had made years ago. You may need to help younger child because you have to write pretty small. On the back I have the children write the year and there age. This way we know when each Santa letter was made.

For a baby’s first Christmas I used a pastel ball to record their birthday. For boys I use a pale blue ball and a silver marker. For girls I used pink and gold glitter. If you wanted you could include the birth weight and length

The outside isn’t the only part of these versatile ornaments that can be decorated. The inside can be filled with a number of things. The reindeer food ornament is fun to make. Take a clear ball and remove the top. Now take enough reindeer food to fill it half way. Put the top back on. With the color of your choice write magical reindeer food on the front and back. You fill the ornaments with glitter or crushed peppermint for a different look.

The inside of a ball ornament can be painted in swirls. All you need to do is pour a couple different colors of paint in the ball. Next slowly roll the ornament to achieve the effect you want. Be careful not to use too much paint. You can also glue small jewels or pieces of ribbon on the outside of the ornament.

Besides letters from Santa, the special ball ornaments will probably be your most treasured Christmas mementos. They will mark special years and remind you of cherished times you spent with family members creating the beautiful ornaments.

Do Your Santa Letters Include Romantic Christmas Ideas

Have you ever written letters to Santa asking for a new love to walk into your life or just for ways to refresh the spark you once had with your significant other? The Christmas season is the perfect time to put a little romance in your life. There are lots of ways to show your love for each other without buying a thing. I have included some idea to be to get on your sweethearts nice list.

Wisk the one you love off on a Christmas vacation. There are many options you could choose from. If you are want a place that will get the chill of winter out of your skin, The Caribbean offers many all inclusive resorts just for couples. Another option is to rent a cabin in the Smokey Mountains and surround yourselves in the beauty of the winter landscape.

Write a Christmas Santa letter expressing how much you value the relationship that the two of you have together. A real romantic idea is to send a card every of December until Christmas day. You could take it one step farther and give a small gift to go a long with the card. It can be something small like a candle or box of chocolate. This will make your beloved fell so special this holiday season.

With some much do and such little time to do you might just want a night to relax together. Pick up dinner from one of your favorite restaurants. Go home turn off the phones and ignore the world for a night. Love Actually and The Family Stone are some great Christmas movies for a romantic movie night. Have a dessert that the both of you love. Hot cocoa is nice to snuggle up with on a cold winter night.

Take a long hot candle lit bath together. You could add some bubble bath or flower petals to the water for a romantic touch. After you bath take turns giving message using a holiday scented lotion. A special treat a man could give a woman is to wash her hair for her.

Share holiday tradition with each other. Participate in the traditions their family has it will bring you closer to your significant other. Start a tradition of your own it could be anything like making reindeer food together or writing letters to Santa. If this is your first Christmas buy a special ornament to mark the occasion. Every year you could write letters from Santa to give to each other. These letters could talk about what was special about the year.

Make plans to have a nice night alone. Sometimes in the rush of the holidays you can start to feel disconnect from the one you love. If check your local newspaper you may find holiday events that will appeal to both of you. If there is snow on the ground, go for a walk in a park. You may just want stay home and eat a dinner by the glow of your Christmas tree.

Santa Letters, Gifts, And Christmas Day Fun & Relaxation

The build up to Christmas can seem chaotic. At my house we do everything from writing Santa letters to shopping, decorating, entertaining and more. I guess that’s a big part of why we prefer to stay at home and enjoy each others company Christmas day. We lounge around the house all day in our new Christmas pajamas. My husband and I feel that it is unfair to drag the kids out of the house when all they want to do is stay home to play with their new gifts.

First thing in the morning the kids run down to open a package from Santa. The air in the living room quickly becomes filled with bits of ribbons and wrapping paper. They open one gift and return to the tree to find another a package with their name on it. Drew and I take as many pictures as we can. It is important to us to have visual record of our Christmases together.

After we have opened all of our gifts we cook breakfast together. Some years we make something easy like cinnamon rolls or pancakes and other years we go all out and create a gourmet style breakfast. While breakfast is cooking my boys bring in the empty reindeer food bowl. They show everyone that the reindeer ate all of the food we put out. We sit down together at the table and have a nice breakfast. The kids can’t finish their meal fast enough. They are so excited about the things they received from Santa.

Once we have the kitchen cleaned up after breakfast the kids run off to play with their new toys. While they are entertained my husband Drew and I start to cook our Christmas dinner. We both love to cook and we usually get something new for the kitchen. Now and then one of the kids will pop in and help out for a bit. My youngest daughter will almost always come in and write thank you letters to Santa while we cook. She thanks Santa for everything that was under the tree, fully believing that he is responsible for all the gifts. She will have her letters from Santa as references as she writes. She’s not one that can be argued with and we certainly would not want to. We actually want our children to believe in Santa for as long as possible.

Drew and I set the table with our special Christmas dishes. When we sit down to eat each kid gets a turn to tell us what their favorite gift was.

Once we have put away dinner, we veg out and watch a few movies. Drew always remembers to buy the movies for Christmas day. One by one the kids drift off to their beds. Christmas is always such a tiring day for them all.

Once the last kid has wondered off to bed and it is just me and Drew. We sit by the lights of the Christmas and enjoy the stillness of the night. Each Christmas night we have a champagne toast for surviving another Christmas. This is when Drew and I exchange our special gifts. This is perhaps my most cherished tradition. It may sound silly but Christmas may be the most romantic night we have throughout the whole year. We reflect on our love for each other, our love for the kids, and how important their happiness is to us.

My Letters To Santa Were Answered

Yes, I really did, when I sat down with my grandkids to write letters to Santa Claus I asked him to bring my son Johnny home safely to me. All I wanted for Christmas was to see my son. It was his first year away at college. I was going crazy having him hundreds of miles away from me. Before this he had never spent more than a couple nights a time away from home. His Christmas vacation couldn’t start soon enough for me. I know, call me a mother hen or whatever – I just call it a mother’s love!

The whole family came over the day Johnny arrived home. I gave him maybe fifty hugs the first hour he was home. We all had questions for him. I was proud of the man he was beginning to be. It was a very happy day for us all.

We all sat down and had a lovely dinner together. I noticed that he had lost a little weight while he was away.

After dinner we spent hours just talking about how he was doing in school. He told us all about his roommate Joe. Joe we learned had numerous tattoos and piercings, hearing that made me a little bit nervous. He went on about his professors and all of the interesting people he has met. Johnny admitted that while he was having fun at college he still missed the whole family and home cooked meals.

Johnny’s brothers and sisters came in to kidnap him. They wanted him to help them write Santa letters. As he helped the younger kids I realized how mature he had become. It was so nice to have him home. His siblings had really missed him. They spent a long time at the table that day just talking and catching each other up on things. I’m glad that my children have great relationships between them.

Over the next few days we all spent as much time with Johnny as we could. I was happy when he no longer was annoyed when his younger brothers pestered him to play army. He even took over the job of mixing up the reindeer food. He told his brothers and sisters that when they went away to college he would teach them Santa’s magical reindeer food recipe.

I was amazed that he volunteered to help clean up around the house. He even motivated his siblings to pitch in and help. It was sweet the way that he made time to spend alone with each of his brothers and sisters. He was the camera man the day the letters from Santa came for his brothers and sisters. But on Christmas Eve Johnny was just as excited as all of the other kids. You could tell that he couldn’t wait to find a gift from Santa under the tree for him.

After everyone was asleep on Christmas Eve I tiptoed into his room just to watch him sleeping for a moment. My heart melted when I noticed the teddy bear he slept with every night when he was small on top of his dresser. No matter how old they get they will always be my babies!

Pets Make Santa’s Nice List Even Without Writing Letters To Santa

Christmas can be a dangerous time for pets. Pet owners need to take precautions to ensure that their pets are safe during the holiday season. For some pets all the excitement of the holidays can be stressful. That is why all pets are on Santa’s nice list – even if they don’t write Santa letters.

If pets could write letters to Santa I’m sure they would ask to be kept safe, comfortable, and to be loved. That’s really not asking for a lot!

Many of the plants associated with Christmas are poisonous to animals. Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, and lilies need to be out of the reach of pets. For cat owners I would advise you to not even bring these plants into your home. It is hard to find a place that is out of reach for a cat.

If you put out reindeer food on Christmas Eve place it somewhere your pet can’t get to eat. The same goes for outdoor decorations. Cords should be hidden so that you dog doesn't chew on them and hurt themselves.

Christmas trees can cause a lot of problems for animals. The needles from a Christmas are hard for a dog to digest. Tinsel can be very dangerous for animals to ingest. Clean around your tree daily to remove any tinsel or needles that are on the floor. Don’t hang ornaments on the bottoms branches. Cats especially like to climb in Christmas trees. If possible secure you tree on the top and bottom to prevent it from falling over and harming your pet.

Never tie a ribbon or anything else around your pet’s neck. This could lead to serious injury or death. There are collar available that have Christmas designs and little bells. If your pet seems uncomfortable with the bell you should remove it.

If your pet stays outdoors for long periods of time make sure that their water doesn’t freeze during cold weather. Don’t feed your pet table scraps. People food is for people, magical reindeer food is for magical reindeer, and pet food is for pets. Our food is often too rich for our pets to eat. Eating too much human food can upset your pet’s stomach. Do not give your dogs table food, especially poultry. These bones splinter easily and can cause serious health problems for your pet.

If you plan on having a party or guests stopping will be by, help your pet to cope. Find a room where they can escape the excitement. If you are having lots of people at your house consider putting your pet in a room away from the guests. You don’t want someone to accidentally let your pet outside. If your pet isn’t used to being around small children put them outside or confine them to one area of the house. Try to make your pet as comfortable as possible. You don’t want your pet writing a letter to Santa telling him you should be on the naughty list. And you really don’t want your pets to receive letters from Santa that agree!

Write Santa Letters – Tell Him You Have Gone Green

This year, tell your kids to write letters to Santa about going green. They are sure to make his nice list. What better gift can you give to the whole world this year? There are lots of ways you can be more environmentally conscious this holiday season. It is sure to get your name on Santa‘s nice list and you will feel about yourself while saving money in the long run.

Replace your old Christmas lights with the new energy efficient LED lights. Each and every night be sure that you turn off your Christmas lights. Besides the Christmas lights, turn off all of the lights in your home. LED nights lights are available if you need dim lighting in certain areas of your home.

Use newspaper to wrap your gifts. Another idea is use cereal boxes for a shirt box. Save any gift bags you receive to reuse next year. Recycle the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows after you open up all of your presents.

Use your imagination to decorate your house and your Christmas tree. Consider displaying Santa letters from past years as part of your holiday décor. And get creative when it comes to craft projects. Recycle whenever possible. You can make ornaments from items that you might have otherwise thrown away. Save clear lids that come on many food products. Cut out pictures from old Christmas cards and glue them to the lid. Next put a hole in the top. Using any ribbon or thread you may have around the house to put through the hole in the lid. Hang it on your Christmas tree.

After your tree has done its job of holding all the gifts from Santa you have to decide what you will do with the tree. If you bought a live Christmas tree (one with the root ball attached) you can plant it in your yard to enjoy for years to come. If that is what you are going to do it is a good idea to dig the hole before the ground freezes. Another option is to recycle the tree. Most communities have a drop off spot for old Christmas trees. They mulch up the trees to use at parks and schools.

Buy rechargeable batteries. Not only are they better for the environment but they save you from having to run out to replace dead batteries. If you have children then you know what an ordeal it can be when their gift from Santa stops working because the batteries are out of power.

When you are entertaining guest use reusable dishes and cutlery instead of disposable ones when possible. All the disposable plates, cup, and cutlery we use throughout the holiday season takes up a lot of room in our landfills. If you must use disposable cups write names on them so people are less likely to use more than one.

If you can incorporate one or all of these you just might get a nice certificate from Santa Claus. He often sends those along with his letters from Santa!

Santa Letters, Christmas Stories And Video Greetings From Santa

Santa letters are a regular part of Christmas for most households with children. In these homes you will usually find a well stocked craft box that is frequently used for many projects throughout the year. Writing letters to Santa is just one of those projects.

So what do you find in a well stocked craft box? It varies from home to home of course, but most craft boxes have various types of paper, crayons, markers, hole punchers, stickers, glitter, glue, buttons, small pieces of ribbon and cloth, and even old Christmas cards. That’s just for starters; some people have deluxe craft boxes that will include much more than that. Perhaps even Styrofoam balls in various sizes and eyes and others items that could be used to build characters. But in most cases, when writing letters to Santa Claus, the basic supplies will do.

Santa letters have to be carefully crafted. They have to look good as well as sound good. That’s why it’s a good idea to have an adult or older sibling take part in the event. Ideally it will be a family event.

Most homes with children also have lots of children’s books in them. Some of these books contain Christmas stories that can entertain kids for hours during the holiday season. During this time of year kids love to hear about Santa Claus and the reindeer. They like learning about life at the North Pole and how Santa Claus loves Mrs. Claus’ Sugar Cookies. Many kids want to leave sugar cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

These Christmas stories also talk about the elves and how they work in the work shop. Another thing they might discuss is Santa’s weight. Sometimes Mrs. Claus is encouraging him to eat in order to gain some weight, and other times she is working at letting his suit out a little so it will fit. And sometimes the Christmas stories talk about Mrs. Claus making Santa a new suit.

All of these Christmas stories give kids ideas about things to put in their letters to Santa. And as they write the letters they are envisioning life at the North Pole. The story books help to bring this belief in Santa and the reindeer alive for them. After the letters are written the kids send their letters off. Their hope is that Santa will read the letter they have worked so hard on and they will receive personalized letters from Santa.

The really amazing part is the free video greeting the kids receive. This greeting will reinforce everything the kids have thought about Santa and the North Pole. They will have an ‘ah ha’ moment as they think to themselves, ‘that’s just like it said in the book’!

While you may not have thought things through, by ordering Santa letters for your kids you will assist in keeping the magic of Christmas alive - at least for a little while longer. This allows your child the freedom to ‘believe’ in whatever and that ‘whatever’ just might be his or her own strengths and powers. As we get older we learn that life brings with it problems and even some hurdles that are difficult to overcome. But kids often have more faith that ‘something’ even if it’s something ‘magical’ will happen and everything will be all right. Is there anything wrong with that?

I say – Write those Santa letters and enjoy that free video greeting from Santa. Let’s keep the magic alive!

Letters From Santa Can Add A Magical Touch To A Kid’s Christmas

Letters from Santa are one of the holiday favorites for kids. It’s obvious why. Santa Claus is a holiday hero and icon. He’s been around longer than any of us have and he will be here long after we are all gone. He’s wonderful in the eyes of children and even when we are older and realize that Santa really isn’t at the North Pole – Santa lives on in our hearts forever. It seems that Santa Claus is one way of helping us all to keep the faith in the fact that anything can happen.

Do we all truly, deep down somewhere believe in magic? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe Santa Claus just gives us an excuse to bring out the kid in us and to recapture our youth. Even if only for a little while we can give ourselves the freedom to believe and explore the impossible. What fun it is to let our imagination run wild!

Can you remember what it was like to write letters to Santa believing that he would read them and respond? Can you remember the thoughts that would run through your head as you anticipated the big day – Christmas and what you would find under the tree?

I am always reminded of the Christmas classic, “A Christmas Story”. I absolutely love that movie. It brings back so many memories for those of us that are older and it is so funny! But what about “It’s A Wonderful Life”? In both movies, believing is what makes the difference in people’s lives. Of course there are others, in fact, most Christmas movies are based on believing. And in each one, the belief turns out to be a positive thing.

I may be rambling a little here, but what I’m trying to say is, encouraging a belief in Santa Claus is a good thing. And allowing ourselves to indulge in that belief during the holiday season is okay too. So if you want to get involved in writing letters to Santa with your kids, why not? And when they receive their letters from Santa, let them know what a big deal it is. Take pictures or video the occasion. Speaking of which, with each order of Santa letters your child also receives a free video greeting from Santa.

Santa letters have come a long way over the generations. Instead of them being a quick note written by a parent or other relative, nowadays they are authentic personalized Santa letters that have a Santa stamp and post mark from the North Pole. Not only that, but the packages can be as deluxe as you want. You can even get ones that include one of Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies and a piece of Santa’s suit. The packages also include a personalized Nice List Certificate plus other goodies.

You can get the package of your choice. The point is, you should ensure that you keep the magic in your child’s Christmas for as long as possible. Sending them quality letters from Santa is an ideal way to do that.

Santa Letters Come With Video Greetings And Mrs. Claus’ Cookies

Everyone is aware of the holiday tradition of writing Santa letters. It’s been a kids’ favorite for generations. There’s probably not an adult reading this that hasn’t written their fair share of letters to Santa Claus. And when letters are written to Santa, they are crafted with care. If you can, think back to a holiday season when you actually wrote a Santa letter. Think back to a time when you believed that Santa held the key to everything that could make your Christmas special.

Can you remember how important that letter was to you? Although as I was growing up my family did not make an event out of writing Santa letters, my brothers and sisters knew those letters were important. So each year, each one of us would write our own Santa letters. I say letters because we usually wrote more than one. I guess we thought Santa would take notice of us if he kept seeing our names over and over. But for us, each of our letters to Santa was special.

I remember one year leaving my Santa letters in the branches of a small tree in our front yard. I was absolutely convinced that the birds would carry the letters to Santa at the North Pole. Seems I had heard a story about how the animals of the world all play a role in helping Santa at Christmas time. Birds help by delivering Santa letters.

I guess my age is showing now because back then stamps were probably a dime or less and all mail carriers were ‘mailmen’. Once our letters to Santa were sent to the North Pole we would wait anxiously for Santa to send a letter back. The problem was, as I mentioned before, writing letters to Santa was not a family thing at my house, so it was rare that we received letters from Santa.

But on those occasions that we did, it was magical. No matter what the letter said, we knew Santa was aware of us personally. We knew that he cared enough to take the time to respond. Our excitement and pure amazement could hardly be contained.
That was then – which was a long time ago. Kids of today would never be convinced by a letter written by a parent. It just wouldn’t be believable. Kids are too savvy. They have grown up in an era of technology. Most kids over the age of 5 or 6 know how to do Google searches to ‘check things out’. In other words, they are not easily fooled.

The good news is, now you can do much more than simply send your kids letters from Santa. They can enjoy special video greetings from Santa. Imagine the delight and joy they will experience as they watch Santa talking to them from the North Pole!
That’s the advantage of living in this modern day and time. We have access to such technology. Why not take advantage of it? But that’s certainly not all. When your package from Santa arrives you will find it contains much more than just Santa letters. You can get packages that contain one of Mrs. Claus’ Cookies and even some real magic reindeer food. Besides the Santa letters and Nice List Certificates, these packages offer everything a child could want to make Santa’s stop at their house special.

Letters From Santa And An Amazing Greeting From Santa Himself!

Up until now letters from Santa Claus were about all kids ever expected to receive from the old guy before Christmas. Oh, it’s true, some may receive a candy cane or two when they sit on his knee to tell him what they want for Christmas, but for most, if anything, they receive Santa letters. All of that is changing now.

Nowadays, thanks to technology and the Internet, and to some people that put a lot of thought into what would make amazing holiday surprises for kids, now kids can receive much more than simple letters from Santa. In addition to Santa letters kids can receive an actual greeting from Santa himself!

Imagine how your child will love watching Santa talk directly to him or her. Santa will tell your child that he made the Nice List this year because of good behavior. The reindeer will be mentioned. The greeting is absolutely adorable. Any kid would love to watch Santa talking to him.

Of course, receiving a package from Santa that contains the remarkable goodies is a special event. Besides Santa letters the platinum package will contain one of Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies. That’s Santa’s favorite snack you know! It will also hold a swatch of Santa’s suit and real reindeer food. But that’s not all. Your child will also get magic North Pole snow and a personalized Nice List Certificate. I’m sure I’ve missed something, but you get the idea.

Kids receive much more than Santa letters. They receive complete packages that help them prepare for the Christmas holiday. Think about it. Adults have their own ways of getting ready for Christmas. We have to ensure that we have a proper Christmas tree and that the lights and other decorations are in good working order. Kids have their own agenda. And much of that is focused on Santa Claus.

It may begin with writing letters to Santa. And then, of course, the kids desperately want letters from Santa in return. But Santa’s visit is also extremely important to kids. They want him to feel welcome. They also want to extend that welcome to his reindeer. By the way, I forgot to mention the Santa letter packages also contain a ‘Santa, Stop Here’ window decal.

Kids want to ensure that Santa and his reindeer will feel comfortable. That’s one of the reasons they leave out a snack and reindeer food. Many kids also leave a special note out for Santa. All of these things are part of what kids do to prepare for Christmas. Santa Claus is very important to them and they want him to know it. Since Santa insists that kids be in bed and asleep when he visits there are only so many things they can do to make him feel welcome.

Many kids will be leaving out a special cookie this year – one that will be familiar to Santa! You guessed it; one of Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies.

News Flash; Letters From Santa And Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies Now Available

There was a time that receiving letters from Santa meant finding a folded piece of paper with a message about Santa, Rudolph, and Christmas. As long as that note was signed by Santa Claus it was deemed a Santa letter. But in these modern times things have changed. Kids are wiser. TV, the Internet, and even the widespread information in books and magazines throughout the years have helped to discover that most of these Santa letters are not real at all. And if a kid is found to believe in something that is fake, he or she can be ridiculed by other kids.

But here’s the dilemma. Kids do believe in Santa Claus. Their belief may end at an early age, but almost all kids believe in Santa. After all, they see TV shows about him, he’s the hero of storybooks, there are songs about him – Santa offers up his special brand of Christmas magic, and that magic is especially for children.

Many parents see this as a good thing. That’s why the belief in Santa has been encouraged throughout the generations and across the world. And that’s why writing letters to Santa is a cherished Christmas tradition.

Each year in many, many homes across the globe, families use writing Santa letters as a way of spending joyful time together. Everyone has a great time detailing their letters to Santa and then they are sealed with a post mark to the North Pole. Once mailed the children begin their wait. This can be the agonizing part. Kids worry that if they don’t get a response they haven’t made Santa’s Nice List.

To end this stress and worry and amaze children, parents can order authentic Santa letters online. These letters are as real as real can get. But there’s more. Along with the letter the child will receive a video greeting from Santa. Okay – plus, depending on the package you choose, your child could also receive one of Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies! Can you imagine that? Do you think your child would want to eat it or leave it out for Santa?

You’ll be surprised at the many things contained in the packages. There’s an autographed photo of Santa and a personalized Nice List Certificate. There’s also reindeer food and magic snow. Well you get the idea, your child will get so much stuff that he or she will definitely believe in Santa. This is much, much better than a note written by you or someone else.

And because kids are so computer savvy these days, they will appreciate the fact that even Santa has included a video message for them to watch online. Start the magic today with the age old tradition of writing Santa letters. Gather the supplies needed and plan a special evening for the event. Involve the entire family and make it a part of your holiday celebrations. Maybe you can have a favorite snack and then create some Christmas craft projects. These are the times that result in memories that last a lifetime. They are the ones that we hold on to forever. Make them special.

Santa Letters And A Video Greeting From Santa Will Make Christmas Special For Any Kid

Nowadays kids can get a lot more than just Santa letters from the North Pole, they can even get a video greeting. Thanks to the Internet and the innovative strides of technology Santa Claus is as close as your computer screen.

Can you imagine the astonishment kids feel when they receive these letters from Santa, let alone a video greeting? The best part about the video greetings is that they are absolutely free.

Writing letters to Santa has long been a cherished Christmas tradition for generations. Every year kids across the world carefully craft their Santa letters in the hopes that Santa will read the letter and send a response. After the letter is perfected it is mailed. Then the waiting begins. Letters from Santa provide assurance that kids have made it to Santa’s Nice List. It is what every kid needs to know at this time of year. For many, this is a stress that weighs heavy on their minds.

In days gone by parents either had to explain away why Santa did not send a letter back, or they had to write a letter themselves, pretending to be Santa Claus. The problem was, in many cases the kids soon figured out that it was mom or dad that actually wrote the letter. This was a delicate situation. Sometimes things turned out worse than if there was no letter at all.

Luckily things have changed. Now parents can help their kids write letters to Santa and mail them off with confidence that the letters will be answered. And they will be answered in a timely manner with a genuine letter from Santa with a post mark from the North Pole.

All they have to do is visit Package From Santa to select from the wonderful Santa letter packages offered. And regardless of the package selected, your child will receive a wonderful letter from Santa and a video greeting that will amaze him or her. The truth is, this company’s products are so authentic they can have even the non-believers believing again.

Santa letters are just a part of these packages. The free video greetings are awesome but so many other things are also offered. For example, you can get a personalized Nice List Certificate for your child and even one of Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies. You know that’s Santa’s favorite snack! Plus, you can get a letter from Rudolph and even an official collector’s piece of Santa’s suit. There’s more but too many to list in this article.

Christmas traditions may change with the years. But the basics are never forgotten. Kids will always write letters to Santa because Santa Claus is a magical part of Christmas. He can hold the key to making their dreams come true. Santa letters help to keep a belief in the possibility that anything is possible – that kids don’t have to have their dreams dashed because of a lack of money or time or anything else. It helps them develop a belief that they can make things happen. That’s what I like about Santa letters and the belief in the magic of Christmas!

Can Your Letters To Santa Help You Avoid Christmas Shopping Stress

Christmas shopping can be stressful, and even letters to Santa don’t always help. But after you read this article you will know how to eliminate some of the stress involved with Christmas. While you are out take the time to admire all the sparkling decorations and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

When you shop can be the difference between a holly jolly mood or a humbug kind of day. Try to do your shopping early on a weekday. The stores are crowded during the evenings and weekends. You should enjoy buying gifts from Santa to give to the one’s you love. If you are shopping at a mall or large department store remember where you parked.

Try shopping online to find great gifts from Santa. This way you can avoid the headache of packed stores and holiday traffic. Be sure to look for on line coupons for the product you are about to purchase. Make a list of gifts that you are expecting and cross them off as they are delivered.

When I go shopping I always take my nice list with me – and the Santa letters written by the kids. Beside each name I have a few gifts that they would like. This way if something is out of stock I have other options. Make sure you cross off the names and gifts as you go. We always buy at least five gifts to have handy when unexpected guests show up. I try to have one gift for a woman something like a bath set or candles. For a man I pick up a socket set or cologne. I try to have a couple of toys that a girl or boy would like. Last year I had sea monkeys, a board game, and play dough.

After each purchase mark it off your list. This will help to ensure that you don’t forget anyone. Get yourself an envelope to keep your receipts in. These will make things a lot easier if you have to return anything. If you get stuck trying to pick a gift for a picky person consider giving them a gift card.

If you have bought something that requires batteries, start a list to keep up with how many and what size you will need. Last year my mom bought rechargeable batteries for my kids and I am so grateful. It is no fun trying to find an affordable pack of batteries Christmas morning.

As you bring home your gifts wrap that. This will help to keep your gift wrapping job from becoming over whelming. Gifts that will be leaving my house are wrapped in special wrapping paper so that I can identify the gifts that go just by sight. For gifts that are going to children a small bag of reindeer food is attached to the ribbon.

I hope this tips have helped you with holiday shopping stress if things get to stressful you could always write a letter to Santa Claus asking for sanity. After all, letters from Santa are certain to make you feel joyful and carefree.

Santa Letters And Real Christmas Trees Make The Season Merry

Nothing makes visions of Christmas pop in my head more than kids excited about letters from Santa and the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree. But before you make that purchase there are a few things you need to know.

Before you go to the tree lot to pick a tree determine how much space is available for the tree. Remember that the water base and tree topper will add several inches to the height of you tree. Choose a spot in your home that is away from vents and heaters to prevent water loss. Find a place that will allow plenty of room to for all your kids to find a gift from Santa.

Before you leave make sure that you have planned for transporting your tree home. If you are going to use rope or twine be sure that you have enough.

At the lot you will need to find a tree that fits the space you have decided on. Remember if your tree will be in a high traffic area you don’t want a tree that is too wide. If the tree is brushed when people walk by you risk having ornaments knocked to the ground and breaking.

Before buy lightly run your hand down the branches you shouldn’t have a hand full of needles if you do move on to another tree. Give the tree a gentle shake a very little amount of needles should fall out. You should find gifts from Santa under your tree not a pile of needles.

Once you have the tree at home you need to cut at least a ½ inch disk from the base of the tree. This will allow you tree to absorb water easier. Avoid cutting in the sides of the base. Fill the base with fresh water and place your tree in it. While this is going on I have my kids write their Santa letters to keep them busy. If you have pets you want to secure the tree at the top to prevent the tree from falling on your pets.

Christmas trees soak up a lot of water. Be sure to check the water level everyday. If you allow the tree to dry out you will a lot more needles to clean up.

Now put on the lights, garland, and ornaments. Take pictures to capture the moment. My kids always send a picture of the finished tree with their letters to Santa.

After Christmas is over you need to find something to do with your tree. If you have a live tree (if you have the root ball attached it is a live tree) it can be planted outside. If you plan on doing this it is a good idea to dig the hole before the ground freezes. Otherwise recycle the tree.

Include A Picture Of Your Christmas Tree In Your Letters To Santa

This year try something new when you decorate your Christmas tree. Picking a theme for your tree depends on your preferences from fancy and elegant to whimsical and fun. Use your imagination and you are sure to design a tree so beautiful that you will send a picture of it with your Christmas letters to Santa. I will give you a few theme ideas to help get you started.

Angel Tree - This tree uses a color scheme of gold and rich cream colors. Gold or warm white steady on lights look best on the tree. For the garland wrap, cream or ivory feather boas around the tree. All of the angels should be dressed in flowing rich fabrics. Small butterfly, bird, and flower ornaments of gold will glow against the green needles on the branches and the feathers of the garland. Of course this tree wouldn't be complete without a majestic angel to go on top.

Rustic Woodlands Tree - This theme uses items that you may find in the forest. Single colored lights such as red or green make this tree shine. String together popcorn and cranberries to make a natural garland to place on the tree Ornaments made from wood truly give this tree a rustic feel. Make up small bags of reindeer food to hang from the tree. An unlit punch tin star topper is the perfect finishing touch.

Beach Tree – I prefer to use a white tree for this theme. I use orange and pink lights to give the tree the glowing effect of a sunset. For the garland I used strands of seashell beads. Any seashore treasures you may have can be used on this tree. For my tree I used starfish, seahorses, sand dollars, small pieces of coral. An easy to make ornament for this theme is messages in a bottle. Roll up a small scroll out of the paper of your choice that will fit into the bottle. Place the scroll in the bottle and add a little sand. Make a label for the front of the bottle that says Santa Letters.

Christmas Memories - Multi colored twinkling lights give this tree a whimsical glow. White lace garland give this tree an old fashioned look. I made nice list to drape down the tree. A roll of receipt paper works great for this project. I used the names of all the children in our family. Every year I make a picture frame ornament for each member of my family. It is fun to see how much we change for year to year. Ornaments that have a history should be displayed on this. Mix in traditional Christmas ornaments to fill the tree. Top it off with a bright shining star on top and have your treasured letters from Santa from past years displayed about the room.

Christmas Snow, Santa Letters, Fun And Love

The snow swirled around the yard outside making everything blindingly white. The kids were already pulling on their snow suits and boots. I wrapped scarves around each of their necks. They have to show me that they have their gloves on before I will let them out the door. Bessie our dog follows the kids out to have some fun kicking up snow as she goes.

While they are outside I gather up everything the kids will need to letters to Santa. The kids like to have something to do when I make them come in for warm up breaks. As I put the sugar cookies in the oven I set out six mugs for their hot chocolate. From the window I see the kids having a free for all snow ball fight. They are all covered in snow from head to toe. By the smiles on their faces it is clear they are having a good time.

When they come in they are ready to warm up with the cookies and hot chocolate. The girls were the first to ask about writing letters to Santa. I showed the kids the paper they had to choose from. Soon all of the kids are writing a letter to Santa. Sally used the star hole puncher all around the outside edge of her letter.

The snow outside piled up deep. The world outside had become a wonderland of snow. It wasn’t long before the kids were ready to go back out. I told them they could finish their Christmas letters to Santa when they came back in.

I watched my kids making snow angels. They all worked together and built a huge snowman. The backyard looked like a scene from a snow globe. The large flakes of snow float and spiral, painting out the world in white. The bright colors of their snow suits glow against all the gleaming white. It reminds me of a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting.

When the kids came back in they had icy red cheeks. I sat them down to warm back up. Bessie curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace. It didn’t take long and she was fast asleep. The kids changed out of their wet clothes and put on warm pajamas.

They gathered back around the table and I passed out grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup. They finished up the meal and went back to their Santa letters. They all had finishing touches that they wanted add before the letters were sealed in the envelopes. As they finished their letters they stacked them on the shelf by the front door. One by one my kids fell asleep scattered around the living room watching Christmas movies. This was a good day – it was one of those days that only happens during the holiday season and the kind of day that mothers cherish long after their kids are grown.

A Loving Family & Sant Letters – The Best Christmas Gift Possible

Last year I received the best Christmas present I have ever been given. It was a complete surprise and I never expected it. Let me tell you how it all started. Like most families we all write letters to Santa every year.

Last year while the kids were writing their letters I wrote my own asking for a photography studio. I never intended to do anything with it. I tossed it aside to help Trenton with the glitter he wanted to use. From there I can only assume one of my other children found letters to Santa. I didn’t think about that Santa Claus letter again until Christmas morning.

Before I had children I loved taking and developing photographs. There came a point that we no longer had the room for my dark room. We sold my projector and chemicals. At the time I wasn’t even sad about it. I had a digital camera and no free time to spend in the dark room. Now my kids were older and they no longer need or want to spend every moment of every day with mom.

I had been so busy raising kids for the past several years I didn’t know what to do with myself now that they were older. I was actually finding time to get bored. I needed something in my life that was just for me.

Christmas morning we all rushed around the tree to find gifts from Santa. The kids ripped into the wrapping paper and rainbows of ribbon rained down around the room. When the gifts were all opened I couldn’t help but notice I hadn’t received even one.

We all gathered the wrapping paper and cleaned up the bits of ribbon and tape. I was about to take the trash out to the can when suddenly all six members of my family were at my side. My husband took the bag from my hands and told me to close my eyes. He led me through the back yard. The sound of crunching frozen grasses stopped and I opened my eyes.

They had read my letters to Santa. Before me was a nice sized ‘shed’ with a green velvet ribbon on the door knob. I can’t imagine how they got the shed past me. Inside the shed was everything I could possibly need for my photography hobby. The interior of this building is extremely comfortable and inviting. But the best part is that my loving family worked so hard to keep everything a secret just to surprise me with a gift that was beyond my wildest expectations and dreams. Tears filled my eyes and I couldn’t speak for a few moments. I was surprised that they had been so sly. They told me sneaking out to paint the inside of shed black was the hardest part to pull off.

Every time I walk through the door of my dark room I can’t help but take a few moments to be grateful for being blessed with such a loving and giving family.

Cupcakes For A Party And Letters To Santa!

At my children’s school we always have a winter wonderland party for the children. I wanted to make something special for my kids to take to share with their classmates. In the past I had sent in store bought cookies or juice. When I asked the kids if they had any ideas I got the same answer from each of them. They all wanted cupcakes.

I knew that it would take awhile for me to get all of the cupcakes done so we set up an assembly line on the kitchen counter. All three of the kids were responsible for collecting and measuring an ingredient. While we all moved around the kitchen I asked them if they knew what they were going to ask Santa for in their Christmas letters. My daughter wanted a horse farm set and a basket for her bike. Both of the boys wanted new video games. We talked about the surprises they had found under the tree last year.

We had room in the oven to do two pans of cupcakes at a time. Sally said she was going to add in a picture of the cupcakes when she writes a letter to Santa. We started to divide the cupcakes into three different groups. I had let each one of the kids pick out the icing and toppings for the cupcakes they were going to take. The kids and I had made both chocolate and red velvet cupcakes and we wanted to be sure they all had equal amounts of each.

The kids all talked about how they couldn’t wait for Christmas morning when they would find gifts from Santa under the tree. I love to see the happiness on their faces when they dream about the magic of Christmas together. It’s obvious that they believe in the possibility that anything can happen – it’s as if the magic of Christmas is visible in their angelic little faces.

After the cupcakes had all cooled we started to put on the icing. They all take their time I was glad that they were taking so much pride in their work. Slowly all the cupcakes were covered in sugary sweetness. Next the kids put on the sprinkles they had chosen. Sally had picked tiny candy canes and red sugar crystals. Trenton liked the rainbow sprinkles mixed with small candy gingerbread men. And green sugar crystals sparkled on the top of the emerald frosting that Doyle chose.

The kids decided we should start leaving out cupcakes for Santa. Trenton said he was going to ask if Santa likes cupcakes in his Christmas letter to Santa. I told them we could make a special batch on Christmas Eve using the left over decorations from their class party.

The cupcakes were a big hit at the school. All my kids wanted to know if we could make cupcakes for all their class parties. I’m not sure about the all the parties idea but I think we have just started a new tradition this year with leaving them out for Santa. After the kids received a ‘thank you’ note from Santa last year that mentioned the great snack the kids are all convinced that the cupcakes earned them extra gifts from the old guy!

A Special Christmas Job That Makes Life Easier For Santa’s Reindeer

My son Doyle is so fascinated by Santa’s reindeer. Every year on Christmas Eve it’s his job to put out the magical reindeer food. He takes his job very serious.

Last year Doyle wanted to go shopping to find a special bowl to put the reindeer food in. He took his time and looked at each and every bowl in the store. He wanted a bowl made out of either plastic or metal so he doesn’t have to worry about breaking it. Doyle chose a big silver pet bowl.

In the check out line Doyle was so excited about the bowl. He was going to use the paint at we have at home to paint Christmas pictures on the bowl. On the ride back home he told me every thing he know about Santa’s reindeer. I asked him questions about the reindeer and to my surprise he had an answer for all of them.

When Doyle was a very little boy he wrote to Santa and asked if Santa would send him the recipe for reindeer food. When Santa sent a letter back to Doyle he also sent him the recipe. Doyle showed everybody the recipe Santa had gave to him. I was glad that the reindeer food recipe was so simple. Doyle wanted to do it all by himself, without any help from anyone.

Doyle always mixes up the reindeer food the day before Christmas Eve. He wants all of us out of the kitchen while he works. He also fills up nine little cloth bags with food for each of Santa’s reindeer. He hangs those on a small tree that grows in our yard. He explained that the bags are so that reindeer have a snack to take with them on their long trip around the world.

Doyle can’t wait to set the food outside for Santa’s reindeer. Last year he also put out a bowl of water. He thought that since we put water out for our dog Bessie we might as well put some water out for them too. When the sun has set on Christmas Eve Doyle’s eyes constantly scan the sky hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa and his reindeer flying by.

Every year that Doyle has set out the food he has received a special Christmas letter. These letters are from Rudolph. In the letter all the reindeer thank Daniel for the food. They really liked the bags of snacks he made. They hoped that next year they could count on him to help them once again. Doyle’s reindeer food adds a bit of magic to our Christmas.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, How Lovely Are Your Branches!

Every year our family buys a fresh Christmas tree to put in our home. It is a tradition that started the first year we were married. My husband Drew had surprised me by taking me to a Christmas tree stand and letting me pick out whatever tree I wanted. From that year on Drew takes me to get a tree for Christmas. I love the smell it brings into the house. I can’t imagine Christmas without a fresh green tree to decorate.

On the way to the tree stand we talk about what the kids are going say in their Christmas letters to Santa. They never have a problem coming up with gifts they hope to find under the tree. My youngest daughter said she was going to ask about the elves. We always have so much fun writing letters to Santa.

When we pull into the parking lot we all pile out of the van. The kids take off through the maze of bright green trees. Drew and I walk hand and hand looking at the different kinds of Christmas trees they have to offer. The kids always find tree after tree they are sure will be the perfect tree for us. The boys always wanted the biggest tree on the lot. We had to remind them we had to have room for the star on top of tree.

Last year it didn’t take long at all for us to find the tree we knew was going home with us. It was a deep forest green with branches packed full of needles. It wasn’t a very tall tree but the whole family agreed this was the tree for us.

Drew and the man who worked at the tree stand tied the tree onto the roof of the van. I told all the kids I was sure that they would be on the nice list this year for being so well behaved and helpful at picking out a great Christmas tree.

When we got the tree home Drew brought the tree in and set it up in the living room. While he did that I helped the kids write letters to Santa Claus. The kids all told Santa about the Christmas tree. Trenton and Doyle drew pictures of it to send along with their letter. When the letters were finished we started the fun of decorating our Christmas tree.

I love getting out the old ornaments and putting them on the tree. Each year the kids get to pick out a brand new Christmas tree ornament so most all of them have a story. And of course, every year we spend time making homemade ornaments, so all of them have special meanings to us. It takes us a while but one by one all of the ornaments find a home on the tree. When it is finished and Drew has the honor of placing the star on the top of tree. Then, we turn on the twinkling lights and as a family we sit around together and marvel at the magic of our Christmas tree.

Magical Reindeer Food Really Does Exist!

Down the street from our house lives Mr. Tinker. He is an older man and he has trouble getting around. Trenton and Doyle my sons help him with small jobs around his house. Just little tasks, like taking the trash to the road or raking up fall leaves. They have formed a good friendship with each other. In fact, Mr. Tinker often invites the boys to come over to sit on his porch just to talk.

While we were writing our Christmas letters the boys told me that they were worried about how Mr. Tinker would be spending his Christmas. He had no family that either of them had ever heard of or seen. The boys decided that they would ask Santa to bring something special for Mr. Tinker that year.

Doyle and Trenton couldn’t wait to mail a letter to Santa. They just knew for sure that Santa would bring something to make Mr. Tinker’s Christmas a little brighter. I was glad to see the boys showing so much compassion for Mr. Tinker. It was good for him to have them stop by and give him company.

I told the boys that I would take them shopping to buy a gift for Mr. Tinker. Trenton picked out a thick flannel coat. He chose blue because Mr. Tinker had once told him it was his favorite color. Doyle wanted to buy a pair of warm house shoes and gloves. He said Mr. Tinker always complained of having cold hands and feet.

That week a snow storm blew in over a foot of snow. We walked down to see if Mr. Tinker needed us to get him anything while we were out in the truck. He handed me a list and the money, he told me to keep the change for my trouble. Mr. tinker than turned to the boys and told them to close their eyes and hold out their hands.

In each of their hands he placed a small cloth bag. When they opened their eyes they didn’t know what to think. Mr. Tinker grinned and explained that inside the bags was magical reindeer food for them to leave out Christmas Eve. They showed off their gifts to their dad that night at dinner.

On Christmas Eve the boys went out in the backyard to put out the reindeer food. I gave them a big plastic green bowl with pictures of snowmen on it to put the food in. They took their time trying to decide what would be the best place to leave food for Santa’s pets. On Christmas morning they couldn’t wait to see if the reindeer ate any of the food that Mr. Tinker had given them. To their surprise the bowl was completely empty and there were deer tracks in the snow across the yard.

A Christmas Party That Gives To All

I am a member of a mothers group in my area. We throw a Christmas party every year. We divide the party into sections such as the cake walk. Each section is wrote down and placed in a bowl. Each member of the group then picks out a slip of paper from the bowl. Last year I drew the Christmas letters table. I was thrilled because this is a project that I have always enjoyed with my own kids.

I would be responsible for helping children write their letters to Santa. I had plenty of space to use. There were three long tables that looked like they came from a school cafeteria. I decided I would use the tables for different tasks. The first table would be for the actual writing a letter to Santa. The next table would be for glitter and the messy stuff. The last table would be for addressing the envelope to the North Pole.

My two oldest daughters volunteered to help out at the party. I was glad that there would be someone to help out at each table, other wise I would have probably been spread real thin. With their help I knew that I would be able to help the kids to make real nice letters. The end result would be Christmas letters that the kids would be proud of – and that’s how it should be when they are writing something as important as letters to Santa Claus!

When I went out shopping I found some real pretty holiday paper in several different colors. Next I picked out envelopes the kids could use to put the letters in. I took plain colored ones to match the paper I had chose. I found all kinds of glitter that would make the letters sparkle with magic. There were so many choices it was hard to decide on which stickers to buy. I stopped by the post office and bought the stamps.

Before the party the girls and I set the tables. The girls both said that they didn’t want to do the glitter table. My oldest takes charge of the writing table. She will help the kids to write a letter to Santa. She sets out the different kinds of paper and put the special pens and pencils in Christmas cups. Jackie has envelopes and stamps. I was surprised, she was eager for the party to start. She had filled out an envelope for the kids at her table to use as an example – it seems that Jackie knows Santa’s secret North Pole address.

At the party our tables were a big hit. I think every kid who came to the party wrote a Christmas letter. The kids thought it was cool that Jackie knew Santa’s workshop address. I was proud of how mature my girls were. We had a wonderful time with all of the children at the party. I was glad the girls and I had some special Christmas activities to share together. They are both teenagers and so busy between school, friends, and work – it sometimes seems like we hardly see each other. This annual Christmas party is a great way for us to ‘bond’ and it gives us memories that we talk about for months to come.

Jasper - Lost and Found

Our family has a gray and black stripped tabby cat. We rescued him from a shelter about four years ago. He is the kind of cat who is happier curled up on your lap rather than chasing toys around on the floor. Jasper was an indoor cat and we had never known him to try to make an escape.

The first Christmas Jasper was part of our family he got lost. My husband Drew and the boys brought home a gigantic Christmas tree. It was a beautiful tree with full deep green branches. I couldn’t wait to have the tree set up. It was going to be a magnificent Christmas tree once it was covered in our ornaments and twinkling lights. The problem was it was going to be tricky getting it through the front door.

I got the kids to start writing letters to Santa while I tried to help Drew get the tree in the door. It wasn’t an easy task. I think the kids thought it was humorous to watch us struggling with the tree. Jasper must have slipped past us while we were wrestling the massive tree in the house.

No one noticed that Jasper was missing until the next morning. Jasper always came looking for his breakfast when I put the coffee on. At first I didn’t think much of it but when lunch came and went with his bowl of food untouched I became worried. The kids and I looked all over the house.

We posted signs around the neighborhood about Jasper. Some of the local shops in our town let us put posters up on their bulletin boards. Sally decided she was going to write a letter to Santa and ask if he would help bring Jasper home. My daughter had become real attached to Jasper. She walked up and down the street several times a day calling his name to avail.

Days went by and we still had no sign of Jasper. We put food out on the front and back porch. I worried that Jasper might not know how to deal with the cold weather. In our area the temperatures often drop to well below freezing during the winter. I hoped that he was resourceful enough to find a place to keep warm. Sally thought that maybe Rudolph would know what to do so she sat down to write a letter to Rudolph.

On Christmas Eve Sally came running in the house with Jasper in her arms. She was overjoyed that Jasper had come back home. She thought that because of the Christmas letters she sent to Santa and Rudolph our pet was home. We never found out where Jasper had been or what finally prompted his return home we just assumed that maybe Santa used a little of his Christmas magic to bring Jasper back to us.

A Cedar Chest Filled With Christmas Letters And Precious Memories

During the summer my daughters Jackie, Melanie, Sally and I love to search yard sales. We never know what we will find while we are out. We find holiday decorations all the time. We have a special tote we keep out in the garage for holiday items we find. My husband Drew always laughs when he sees us loading Christmas decorations around in July. It doesn’t bother any of us girls, we don’t understand how anyone can have too many decorations for the holidays.

This summer we found a huge neighborhood yard sale. We walked up and down the streets keeping our eyes open for any treasure we might want to take home. Jackie found a fountain to put on top of her dresser. Sally squealed in delight when she spotted a small plastic aquarium she could use to put lighting bugs or butterflies in. Melanie picked out a few books here and there. I found a few Christmas ornaments and a set of new Santa Christmas cards.

Our little wagon started to really fill up. We were on our way back to the car when I saw an old hope chest holding up a set of tires. I asked the man in the driveway if the hope chest was for sale and if I could get a better look at it. He rolled the tires out of the way so I could open the lid. It was full of newspapers, old Christmas letters from Santa, and photos. The man said everything in the chest went with it. He told me he had found the chest in the basement when he bought the house.

Once we had the chest at home the girls and I couldn’t wait to see what was inside. I told the girls to keep their eye out for any full names that might be on any of the letters from Santa. I was sure someone out there would like the return of the photos and letters. The girls and me spent hours reading the letters and looking at the photos. We recognized some of the places in our town and were surprised by the dramatic changes that had occurred in such a short time. Finally we found an envelope with a full name.

After searching we tracked down Mrs. Maple Hardin. She had tears in her eyes when we delivered the photos and letters to her. She said the return of the Christmas cards was the best gift she had ever received. It made my girls and me feel real good to give back something so precious. Mrs. Hardin said looking at the photos brought back memories she had long ago forgotten.

The Missing Christmas Letter

We pulled into the parking lot of the post office. All of my kids walked to big blue mail box. Except the one who was frantically bouncing around in the back of the van. I knew that could only mean one thing. Trenton had lost his Santa Claus letter. He came to me in a panic. I told him not to worry, I was sure we would find it back at home. We checked all around the van to make sure he didn’t drop it at the post office.

When we got home Trenton flew through the house like a tornado. I told him that if he couldn’t find his letter to Santa that I would help him write another one. He just kept on searching the house. I felt sorry for him. I had already checked everywhere I could think of. I had no idea what could have happened to his Christmas letter.

We looked under the couch, in the stack of mail on the desk - I was running out of places to look. When my husband Drew came home he joined in the search for the missing letter to Santa Claus. He checked the driveway, the garage, and every inch of the porch.

Trenton sat on the couch looking as pitiful as a rain soaked puppy. I got out all of the stuff to make a letter to Santa. He said he just wasn’t in the mood to write another letter. He sulked off to bed. I decided I would try to talk him into it the next day.

The next morning he came running to my room. In his hand was a bright red envelope with silver and gold stars, it was his missing letter. He had put it in his stocking so he wouldn’t lose it and had forgotten. He could barely stay in his seat waiting for breakfast to be over. The letter never left his sight while he ate breakfast. After breakfast was over and cleaned up he tried his best to rush out the door.

He held tight to his letter until we made it to the post office. He looked a little reluctant to drop it in the big blue box. On the way he told me that he hadn’t really been all that worried. I smiled remembering his frantic search the night before.

Later that week the kids’ letters from Santa arrived. Trenton was so impressed that his letter came on the same day as everyone else’s. I told him to never underestimate the magic that can found at Christmastime. I was glad we had a happy ending after the missing Christmas letter.

Special Delivery – Sent By Santa

       

When my husband Drew and I were dating in college we had be apart one year for Christmas. Our relationship was still in that freshly in love glow. When we said our good byes we both promised to call each other whenever we could. I went home to spend the holidays with my family and he stayed on campus because of work.

I was glad to be home. I have a real close family so it was hard to be away from them for so long. My mother and I talked for hours in the kitchen while we baked and cooked the Christmas dishes that brought back the joy of childhood days. I helped my little cousins write letters to Santa Claus. It felt so good to be home surrounded by so many people who I love. Still I couldn’t quit thinking about Drew.

We talked to each other as much as possible. Drew was working extra hours so that a man he worked with could spend more time with his family during the holidays. He said that he was fine. There were a lot of guys on campus that couldn’t get off of work to go home. I was so glad that he at least had people around him. It drove me crazy to think of him being all alone on Christmas.

My four year old cousin Alice was my shadow that Christmas season. One night before she went off to bed she asked me what do reindeer eat. I promised that if she went to bed I would show her the very next day. She made me pinky promise no matter what I would tell her. The next morning she was ready to know about the reindeer. Somehow I got her to wait until after breakfast. I tried to call Drew real quick to let him know I would be busy outside with Alice and I would have to call him later but I wasn’t able to reach him. I assumed he was working extra hours again.

I took Alice outside and handed her a small paper bag. I told her that it was enough food for one Christmas. I loved seeing her face light up with joy. I told her that it was special reindeer food from Santa. I showed her the bowl that we had always used for the reindeer. It was bright red with sparkling green jewels around the rim. I told her on Christmas Eve it would be her job to feed the reindeer.

Alice told me to wait outside because she had a Christmas surprise for me too. When she came back she had an envelope in her hand that said “sent by Santa” across the front. The card inside told me to go look in the driveway. I ran through the house, and standing in the driveway was Drew, the man I am still crazy about today.