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!

Christmas Stress And Santa’s Nice List

It is easy to get caught up in the rush of the Christmas season. For moms it can sometimes seem a little overwhelming. There is so much that needs to be done and done by you. Here I will hope to show ways to relieve holiday stress.
Shopping is one of the major causes of holiday stress. Try to avoid shopping in the evening or on the weekends. These are the busiest times of day for stores. When you do go take a list and mark off each item as you purchase it. Don’t drive yourself mad trying to find the season’s must have item. I keep an envelope in my purse to keep track of receipts. The most stress free way to shop is online in the comfort of your own home.
At home you can take a long bath to help ease the stress. I get away with this by having my older children help the younger ones to write letters to Santa. If you don’t have older children have your husband help out. Light some holiday scented candles and let the water wash away your stress.
Couples sometimes disagree on the amounts of money being spent on the holidays. Before you begin shopping sit down together decide what you can really afford. There is no sense in putting yourselves in debt over Christmas.
Take time to do activities with your kids. You can do something simple like decorating a bowl to put reindeer food out in. We like to bake and decorate cookies as a family and deliver them to friends and neighbors. My kids like to make pretty cards to give to their teachers. Every year I help the kids write a letter to Santa.
When you bring home the gifts you buy wrap them so that you don’t have a pile to wrap at the last minute. Buy an inexpensive plastic tote to keep your tape, tissue paper, scissors, and gift bags together and handy. If you have gifts that are going to different places wrap the gifts for each place in a different color.
If you must travel during the holidays be sure to bring something to keep your child entertained. If you will be in a car for any extended time pack a few snacks and drinks. You are setting yourself up for frustration if you take nothing along for the ride. Look online for game ideas the whole family can play in the car. Put on some Christmas music and see how many songs you all know.
Take a deep breath and remember that you are building holiday memories your children will remember for the rest of their lives – and if it helps at all, I have it from someone of authority that moms always rank high on Santa’s nice list.

A Letter To Santa Can Provide A Shopping Guide

During the holiday season I try to help others as much as possible. The mothers’ group I belong to collects clothes and shoes throughout the year. At Christmas we get a list of twenty families that need help for the holidays. I believe that every child should find gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. The families on our list will get clothes for the entire family, gifts for the children in the house, and Christmas dinner.
When we receive the names of people we are to help we contact them. Our first step is to find out what they need for Christmas. We have even brought in Christmas trees to decorate homes when had to. At one house we visited the kids had never even had a Christmas tree - that about broke my heart.
All the children in each family write a letter to Santa. This way we have a real sense of what each child really wants. This will be the fourth year I have volunteered with the group. We have laughed over the funny letters to Santa and cried over the sad ones. Over the years I have kept in touch with a few of the families that I have met. Nothing is more gratifying than being able to help these parents provide Christmas for their children.
We go through all the clothes and shoes we have collected and divide them among the different families. We try our best to provide a new coat and gloves to every child. Inside the pocket of each coat each child receives a letter from Santa. Specific toy requests are usually the hardest to fill so we just do the best we can. We deliver the gifts to the parents before school is out for Christmas break. The dinner is either sent or picked up the week of Christmas.
Every member of my family has helped to make these families’ Christmas season brighter. My oldest loves to help me shop discount racks and yard sales. My sons are always ready to help when I have a heavy load to carry. I think by seeing just how lucky they are my children have gained a respect for the things they have in life. I really believe they are and always will be better people because of these experiences. I know I’m blessed to have the life I live and the least I can do is to help make another parents’ Christmas that much easier.
This Christmas when you are stressing over things being perfect at your house take a moment to look around at all you have to be thankful for. If you get a chance this year help out in whatever way you can. With the way the economy is going these days there will be plenty of families who need help with the holidays. Call churches in your area or local shelters, they will be able to lead you in the right direction.

One Stormy Night…

Okay, I admit that the title has been used before, but this story is based on facts. Years ago, when my kids were all young, we received a special Christmas gift – on a stormy night just before Christmas. Bessie was a beautiful black Lab mix. The kids and I were returning from Wal-Mart, we had just bought some extra glitter and other craft supplies; we planned on spending the evening writing letters to Santa and making snowmen out of Styrofoam. But when we got to our neighborhood we saw Bessie wandering down the street; this was on a night when the temperatures were well below freezing. She was so skinny and shivering from her nose to the tip of her tail. I told the kids to stay back until I was sure how she was going to behave. As I approached her she cowered down. I gently stroked the top of her wet head. The letters from Santa to the children were going to have to wait.

We coaxed Bessie into the house with leftover hamburger patties from the night before. She looked so pitiful with the melted snow dripping off her fur. I had the boys fill up the tub with warm water. I was a little nervous about giving a strange dog a bath but I knew that would be the quickest way to raise her body temperature. To my surprise she didn’t give me any trouble about taking a bath. The boys laughed when she ran through the house shaking and playing. It was as if she turned into a different dog. After playing with the kids she curled up by my side and went to sleep.

That night the snow kept coming down. I told the kids that we could use their old baby gates to keep her in the kitchen. We didn’t have any dog food so the boys fixed her a plate of our dinner. While we ate the boys said they couldn’t wait to write a letter to Santa Clause to tell him all about the dog. My daughter brought up some old blankets from the basement to make her a bed. When I went up to bed the children were all in their beds and Bessie was sleeping in the kitchen. When I awoke the next morning the boys were asleep in the living room floor and between them was Bessie.

The snow storm had left us stuck in the house for a few days. While we were stuck indoors Bessie fit into our family as if she had always been there. We shoveled our way out and posted signs around our neighborhood about Bessie. No one ever called to claim her and we were really glad – the truth is that each of us had grown to love her and she had formed special bonds with each member of the family. After a few weeks we stopped looking for her original owners and just accepted her as one of the greatest Christmas gifts possible.

Bessie always got Christmas gifts just like the rest of the family. She was a wonderful family pet. In fact, we would send her out on Christmas morning to find packages from Santa. She would sniff out the treats that we would hide around the house and the yard. Bessie is without a doubt one of the best Christmas presents our family has ever received. And it’s this kind of gift that keeps the magic in Christmas. After all, we had no desire for a dog at all, it was just a fluke that we found her. And it’s not what we did for her as much as what she did for us – that precious dog brought a ton of fun and love to our family – she truly was a magical Christmas gift.

       

The Joy Of The Holidays

The true joy of the holidays is the new memories we collect every year and carry with us forever. I am fortunate to have a mother who understands the value of Christmas memories. She always made the holidays a seamless ribbon of happiness. In our family we kick off the Christmas season on Thanksgiving night when we set up our Christmas trees. Everyone in the family helps place decorations on the tree. Almost every one of our ornaments has a story from Christmases of the past. In the bottom of the boxes my mom has collected Santa letters from all her kids and grandkids.


After the star is placed on the top of the tree my mom sets up the dining room table with special stationary. Every member of our family writes a letter to Santa. The wishes in these letters range from the year’s must have toy, (and sometimes it isn’t only the kids wishing for that one), acceptance to a certain college, or for those with more wisdom, happiness for their family in the year to come. It amazes me that mom can get everyone so involved! She truly glows with the spirit of Christmas. Even sulky teenagers drop their façade of cool and allow themselves to act like a kid. My children are just as amazed as I was as a child that Granny knows Santa’s official address.

While we are all writing our letters and helping the small ones with theirs we read some of the old letters from the ornament box. Through these letters we get a glimpse of ourselves in the past. There are letters from children wishing for a gift from Santa that include such things as white unicorns and robots ten feet high. My Dad’s letters are always about the same thin, he wants as much time out on his boat as possible. As we have grown the wishes in the letters have changed. There are many laughs and hugs exchanged between us all. We all like to read the one from my cousin pleading with Santa to trade his new baby sister for a little brother.

As the night wears on my mom tucks the little ones in around her and tells them stories. At some point my mom has set out plates with delicious cookies throughout the family room. All the kids ask my mom all about the real Santa since she is one of the leading experts. There isn’t a topic they skip - my mom knows it all, from elf shoes to the naughty list. All of the little eyes flutter shut one by one, giving the adults time to talk a little more freely. Looking around at my family I am delighted to know that there are countless more Christmas memories ahead!

You Can Have a Stress Free Holiday Season

Everybody loves decorating their homes for Christmas because it is a lot of fun and it offers the perfect opportunity to spend time with the family. The end result is a beautiful home and cherished memories. Most people feel extremely proud of the decorations they have put up. Everybody wants to decorate their surroundings and not spend much money. You might want to do so without being anxious so that you can have a stress free holiday season. There are ways in which you can undertake Christmas decorations easily without spending a lot of time and money, plus it will allow you to relax and spend time with your family members.

It is always best to shop around for decorations after Christmas because the prices of the decorative articles are reduced and you can get them at extremely cheap rates. Save money before the festival so that you can spend it later in order to get stuff for next Christmas. You need not fret over missing out on the sales after Christmas last year because you will be able to find holiday decorations that are discounted for coming Christmas. Usually stores start selling Christmas items after Halloween. You can avail of some really good deals on lawn ornaments, light strands and ornaments for the house. Do not forget the dollar stores. You could check out the light bulb department or the hardware section of Wal-Mart stores. You could also buy a little every week so that you will be able to purchase gifts later on. You could buy ornaments costing $20 every month from October onwards so that you will have a good inventory when Christmas arrives round the corner. You can also opt for stores that allow you to pay some amount every week so that you will get the items you desire. You will not have to worry over items that are out of stock.

Now days many people start decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving Day. One should spend about half an hour everyday in putting up decorations little by little at one time. You could light up the house after all the decorations are done. Do not spend the entire day doing everything at one go. Always check if the lights are working before you put up all the strands. You do not want to realize that they do not work after you have put them up. Let the children help you in decorating as it would reduce your work and will also be exciting for them. This will help you in spending time together. You will enjoy listening to their ideas and plans for Christmas.

Children love being involved in the activities of grown-ups. They might be proud in just giving directions as to where certain ornaments are to be placed. You could make them sit down and write letters to Santa Claus regarding the gifts they want on Christmas. You could write a reply to the letter and make it look as if Santa Claus has written it himself or you could get the letters personalized from a quality online supplier.

Are You Wondering How To Care For Your Poinsettias?

Invariably, each year during the holiday season, one or more of my children or grandkids will give me a beautiful poinsettia plant. And with time, the plant dies and I feel awful about it. But this year I have a plan to keep my plant alive, and if possible, to even get it to bloom again next Christmas. The truth is that I love the plants. I used them as centerpieces for my tables this past Christmas.

The important thing to know about your plant is that the care you give it now will have a direct impact on whether it survives, and whether it blooms for next Christmas. The plant should be placed near a sunny window – preferably one facing any direction but north.

If your goal is to keep your plant in bloom for as long as possible you will need to regulate the temperature of the room it’s in. Generally, the temperature should be 65 – 75 degrees, but it is okay to drop the temperature down to even 60 degrees at night.

Water, of course, is essential to keeping your poinsettia looking its best. Give the plant water when the surface of the soil feels dry and water until you see it begin to drain out the bottom. A word of caution, don’t allow the plant to sit in water. Because most home environments are somewhat dry during the winter time you will probably find that you need to water your plant very often – maybe even every day.

The same care will continue until the end of March. Beginning in April you will need to gradually decrease the watering. Keep a close watch on your plant though, being sure that the stem does not begin to shrivel. After a couple of weeks your plant will become accustomed to less water. At that time you can move it to a cool spot – many people put them in a basement or a garage. Ideally you will find a spot that maintains a somewhat steady temperature of around 60 degrees.

By the middle of May you should cut the stems down to about 4 inches and then repot the plant in a slightly larger sized pot, using new soil. Be sure to water the plant well and then place your plant in a sunny window. Now the temperature should be maintained again at about 65 – 75 degrees. And you will again water the plant when the soil surface feels dry.

When you begin seeing signs of new growth it is time to begin fertilizing your plant every two weeks. In June you can move the plant outdoors to a partially shaded location. Don’t neglect the watering and fertilizing though.

Early in July you should pinch about an inch off of each stem. This helps to encourage a strong plant that branches out. By the middle of August you should have a plant that has leafed out and beautifully branched. Once again you will need to cut back the stems – leave only three or four leaves per shoot. And now you are ready to bring your plant back indoors to your sunniest window. Watering and fertilizing schedule should continue.

In October you will need to keep the plant in total darkness from about 5pm to 8am. This is required if the plant is going to re-bloom. If necessary you can place a cardboard box or other protection around or over the plant for those hours. This treatment should continue until about the end of November. In fact, Thanksgiving Day weekend is a good way to remember this. At that time you can again place the plant in a sunny location and not worry about darkness. By this time you should see flower buds on your plant!

It’s safe to stop fertilizing the plant by the middle of December. You will now water as usual and treat the plant just as you did when you first brought it home (or received it as a gift). If each step has been followed your poinsettia should be back in bloom and looking lovely!

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!

Thinking Of Doing Some Online Christmas Shopping This Year?

When most people think about going Christmas shopping they think of checkout lanes that are too long, stores that are packed, crowded parking lots and a stressful experience. But this kind of joy can only be experienced after hastily preparing for the shopping extravaganza and fighting traffic to get to the shopping mall of choice. For a lot of people this is what Christmas shopping is all about and they would not have it any other way.

For other people, people like me, who do not want to deal with all of that, there is an excellent alternative for your holiday shopping this year. Online shopping is an easy and simple way to shop; you can visit lots of stores in just a matter of minutes. You may be able to save a little bit of money in the process, online stores just like regular stores often have big sales during the holidays and many even offer free shipping. Another way to save is to visit some of the online coupon websites. You can usually find a coupon code for virtually any store or product.

One of the most important things to remember is to order early enough to have the gift delivered to the person before Christmas. This is important because you want your gift to be sent on time with no rushed delivery charge. The difference in shipping costs can be huge. Before you go through with your order check the stores shipping prices, some stores have high shipping. You don’t want to spend a lot of the money you saved by shopping online just trying to get all your presents shipped to you.

The only problem that I’ve had occur is that some items look a little different online than in person. Be sure you know what you are buying - look at the item carefully and be sure that is exactly what you want. That’s another good thing about shopping online; you can quickly do a search to learn more about any product that interests you – before you spend your money! You might also want to check that the store has a return Policy, just in case you need to return something.

The last thing to remember is to always choose a company that has a good reputation or one that you have bought from before. You do not want to experiment with a new store around the holiday season; there could be unexpected delays because of bad business practice.

Just to put things in perspective, online shopping is the future. It’s the quickest most convenient way to shop you; don’t even have to leave your house and anything that makes life less stressful is always good, especially around the holidays.

Online shopping has gained in popularity over the past five years and there is no reason to believe that this popularity will not continue to grow, year after year. Get a jump on things and start shopping online now – you’ll save time, money, and stress.

Baby’s First Christmas

It’s baby first Christmas! How exciting for you and them! Now is a perfect time to start traditions. Like buying the new bundle of joy a baby first Christmas ornament and sending a newborn santa letter. Or making them a scrapbook for the holiday season or just putting every day pictures in it for them and you to look back on. Here are a few gift ideas for your new bundle of joy.

If you ask a parent what they think they spend the most money on when it come to the kids they will probably say diapers. Diapers are expensive so a great gift to get a new baby or for a baby shower is a diaper cake. Diaper cakes are made to look like a wedding cake but it is made from diapers and is filled with toys, blankets, pacifiers, clothes, socks, and sometimes a keepsake for mom.

Soft squeaky washable books are another great gift idea for new babies. They can be washed and used over and over again. Don’t be worried if you get a book that is too advanced for your baby; your baby will grow into it before you know it and he will enjoy playing with it for a long time.

Piggy banks are a gift that can last for a lifetime. They can help your child learn to save money. Get them personalized with the child’s name and the year on it and it will be keepsake that will last.

Every parent wants to show off their new bundle of joy - especially around the holidays. A good gift idea to give to family members is a personalized photo frame with your child’s photo in it. Since your frame is personalized they can only put pictures of your child in it; pretty sneaky isn’t it?

Another gift idea for baby’s First Christmas is buying baby’s first Christmas pajamas. You will to give the pajamas to them early so when they open their presents on Christmas morning you can take all kinds of pictures with the pajamas on.

There are many places that will personalize blankets. These blankets are a great gift idea for babies because you can have them personalized with their name, the year and even baby’s first Christmas on them. They are machine washable so you can use them over and over for years.

Whatever you decide to do this year and in years to come, make sure you make memories with your kids that they will remember and you will too. Be sure to take a lot of picture so you all can look back on that special day.

Need Help Christmas Shopping For Your Wife This Holiday Season?

Most of the time when you ask a man if he likes to shop the answer is likely to be ‘no’. Whether it is for the Christmas season or just everyday shopping, it is often a dreaded chore. These men may love their wife dearly but the thought of shopping and getting a gift seems like a hard task to accomplish. Many women do not realize just how much it stresses their husbands to go shopping. In this article you find some stress free ideas to help you shop for your wife this holiday season.

Most women like anything that smells good or sparkles. Perfume that she wears, lotions that she uses and any kind of jewelry are always good gifts for most women. You could even have flowers sent to her a couple days before Christmas to surprise her.

If your wife is complaining all the time over the same things, listen to her around the holidays and get some ideas for Christmas presents. You may hear her complain that the photos are a mess and that you will be adding more to the mix with the Christmas photos that are sure to be taken. Instead of receiving this as a complaint, listen to it as a hint for a holiday gift. Maybe she would appreciate a nice photo album or perhaps you could put together a scrapbook for her with all the family pictures. That would provide a safe place for the photos and they would all be in one place – she would love it.

Another great gift idea to give to your wife is to buy a certificate to the spa. Most women enjoy getting pampered. Get a certificate that entitles her to having her nails done, facials, and massages. A day at the spa provides her with time to just sit back and relax, without cares or worries.

Another gift idea is hiring a maid service. Especially round the holidays a lot of women feel overwhelmed with the shopping, decorating and cleaning the house. Giving a certificate does not mean that you do not think that house is dirty, it just means that you see how hard she works and you want to try to make her life a little bit easier.

No matter what you get your wife this holiday season, she will love it as long as you put your time and thought into making it all about her. This holiday season try something new and try to surprise her with what you get her. Women like surprises whether they admit it or not.

Thanks To The Kids, You No Longer Have To Spend A Lot On Holiday Decorations

As parents we all know what matters most about the holidays; it’s not how much you spend or what you get, it’s all about the kids. The holidays are the most stressful time of the year, trying to make ends meet and get everyone what they want is hard for most of us. Fortunately getting great decorations is not difficult, nor is it expensive. This year, don’t spend much at all on them, instead, help the kids to make some.

One of the greatest benefits to doing this is to see how proud the kids are when their Christmas craft projects are complete and you are displaying them around the house. It gives your child a chance to have some pride in something that he or she has done alone or taken a part in.

To begin, most families that celebrate Christmas have a Christmas tree. You can start by having the kids help you make decorations for the tree. Visit your local craft store or even the craft section of a department store like Wal-Mart. Use your imagination and let the kids use theirs. You should be able to find just about anything you need for projects you want to do. In fact, you will probably get some great ideas as you look around.

Christmas craft projects are fun for all ages. This means there is something for everyone, from young to old, to do and enjoy. Your kids will proudly point out their art work to visitors and family members that visit during the holiday season. Their pride and sense of accomplishment will show on their faces – a free gift for you to enjoy and cherish; isn’t their happiness what it’s all about anyway?

Okay I am not going to list a lot of ideas about how to make this or that. This is not about that, this is just trying to show you that you don’t have to spend much on Decorations and after your kids and you sit down to work on a craft project or two you won’t want to buy store decorations anymore. But I will tell you a couple of things that my kids and I have done over the years. This fist one is for younger children, and we call it “Pine Cone Christmas Trees”. All you’ll need are Pine Cones, Green and red Glitter, Glue and tinsel. The directions are simple; you just dip the pine cone in glue and before the glue dries, sprinkle the cone with glitter. Top with it with a pipe cleaner that is shaped into a star or other creative shape. When the pine cone is completely dry you can glue on some tinsel and hang the ornament on the tree.

Hope that your family likes it as much as mine has. The next one is always fun to make; it’s a Snowflake and it’s quick and easy. For each snowflake you will need 4 toothpicks cut in half, 9 small glittery white pompoms, white craft glue and white or gold ribbon. First you paint the toothpicks white and let them dry. Glue pompoms to each end of the toothpick. Next you position the toothpicks in the shape you want and glue them (hot glue guns work great – but use caution if your children are helping). The last pompom is saved to adorn the center of the snowflake. After all glue is dry you simply tie on your ribbon and hang the ornament on the tree.

I hope you find these ideas an inspiration to come up with some of your own. Doing Christmas craft projects is as much a Christmas tradition at my house as writing letters to Santa is. These family times create lasting memories that each family member appreciates.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Things To Consider Before Doing Your Christmas Shopping

We all know that Christmas is that special time of year when everyone spends time with their family and friends. There is just something magical about Christmas; seeing the kids’ intently writing letters to Santa and their expressions of delight when they receive a letter from Santa Claus himself. And that joyous wonder they show as they curiously inspect wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree. Of course, we cannot forget the look in their eyes when Christmas Day finally comes and at last, they get to see what Santa brought them and open all those wonderful gifts. These are true Kodak moments!

No one enjoys the Christmas Season more than kids do. But what makes it so special for them? It might be that they get some well deserved time out of school or the enchanting holiday decorations or the beauty of snow or just knowing that Santa is going to be coming to their house soon. Whatever it is, for kids, Christmas is more than just a holiday, it is a feeling that comes from within.

Christmas shopping for kids is always fun, but there are things that you have to consider before you go shopping for them, including budget, insuring that the toys are age appropriate for the child, purchasing toys that are loud or noisy or messy (after all, you have to deal with that long after the fun of Christmas is over), choosing toys that are not too big for the child’s room, and above all, being sure that it is a toy that your child will enjoy. With all those things in mind the fun of shopping for kids seems to take on a whole new meaning!

It is very important to set a budget before you go shopping and then make a list of all the people that you intend to buy for this holiday season. Then budget in how much you think that you will spend on each person, try to stick to your budget by buying things when they are on sale or purchasing things throughout the year.

Always make sure that the toy you have selected is age appropriate for your child. Small parts can be a choking hazard. Children under three usually still put things in their mouth so always consider that while you are shopping this year. Toys are labeled as to the age range they are intended for.

When you are shopping it is important to consider the child’s parents and the living situation. Loud toys can be annoying to neighbors and parents alike. Toys that are too big will hardly ever get played with. So always keep this in mind when you are shopping.

Always remember that Christmas is not about the gifts around the tree but the people around the tree; the memories that you make and the special time that you get to spend with your family and loved ones is what makes Christmas the special holiday that it is. However you decide to do your Christmas shopping this year just have fun with it and try not to stress too much - Christmas only comes one time a year and in a blink of the eye it is over again.