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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Christmas Snow Blown In From The North Pole

The first snow of the year just happen to fall on the same day my kids received their letters from Santa. When we woke that morning we turned on the T. V. and sure enough school was going to be out that day. Like all schoolchildren my kids were overjoyed. There just something special about a day when school gets canceled due to snow. They went straight to the closet and started to pull out their snow gear. It was only two weeks until Christmas and that’s all they could talk about.

They had all been checking the mailbox everyday waiting to get a letter back from Santa. My son Johnny said that he thought it had been forever since he had sent off his letter to Santa.  In reality it had only been a week or two. Thank goodness it seemed like the snow was giving them something else to think about that day. I made them come in and have warm up breaks. No one protested because they knew that hot chocolate and cookies were waiting for them inside.

At lunch time them came in and had chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The conversation turned once again to their letters. My daughter said that maybe a letter from the North Pole brought all the snow with it. We all laughed and noticed that the snow was still falling outside. The snow had really begun to pile up everywhere. My husband John made a fire and the kids gathered around close to warm up. Once they had warmed up they went right back to playing in the snow.

I heard the front door open and a troop of snow boots running across the room. They were all yelling and holding in their hand a letter from Santa. They had seen the mailman coming and met him at the mailbox. There was a letter to each of them from Santa. My youngest, Derek, said he thought the letters really brought the snow with them from the North Pole. He called his Grandma to tell her all about the letters and the snow. My mom told him she was glad he could get a letter back from Santa.  

The snow kept right on falling and our city shut down. Every morning the kids waited to hear that school was canceled. The kids said they thought it was just a gift from Santa for being so good all year. School was canceled for the rest of the week. We spent the time just hanging out together and playing in the snow. There was some Christmas magic in that snow and just maybe it had been sent from the North Pole.

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.

       

Traveling Tips and Advice for the Christmas Season

Are you on the lookout for traveling tips and advice for the Christmas season? Here is something exciting and different that you could do this year. Since children enjoy themselves the most during Christmas you could plan a trip to Lapland.

The land is located in the Arctic Circle. This is where Santa Claus lives. You could celebrate Christmas by meeting Santa Claus, his reindeer and Elves in his residence before he starts off on Christmas Eve. Every child gets to meet Santa and also receives a gift. They can enjoy ride on sleighs that are pulled by reindeer, enjoy log fires that are cozy, Christmas carols, snow mobiles, husky rides and a beautiful Christmas Gala dinner. You will be able to experience a really wonderful Christmas holiday with your family.

You could also celebrate Christmas at the unique Ice Hotel situated in Jukkasjarvi in Sweden. This is located 200 km is the Arctic Circle. It is built every year from ice that is crystal clear that is available from the Tome River that flows very fast. It is designed differently every year along with its suites. You could spend a night in a cozy and warm bed in this hotel. You could then check into a Swedish hotel for the rest of the days. You could indulge in a number of winter activities outdoors or you could sit peacefully by the fireside and play games or read a book.

You could plan a holiday in Sydney, Australia if you have had enough of the snow and cold and wish to celebrate Christmas in summer. The weather there in December is great. You will be able to enjoy Christmas as you normally do with Christmas carols, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and turkey dinner. Sydney hosts various free events in Christmas like the fantastic display of fireworks on New Year's Eve, concerts, slide shows, entertainers and choirs.

You could go on a cruise during the holidays. This would be ideal for mothers because they can relax once the family is on board and the party starts. The adults could relax in the day time while the children enjoy themselves. Evenings would be reserved for decking out for Gala dinners every night during the Christmas season. You and your family could enjoy fantastic entertainment, delicious food as well as a stress free Christmas.

You could go to New England in order to enjoy Christmas. You would come across skaters on a pond that is frozen, white churches having slim spires, cute colonial homes having huge holly wreaths hung on the front doors, lights twinkling on Christmas trees and so on. These are images you will find on thousands of Christmas cards. You will come across beautiful B&B’s and hotels which will give you a fantastic Christmas. These buildings are old colonial style.

Traveling during the holiday season can add a wonderful touch to the magic of the season. But children often worry that Santa won’t be able to find them when they are away from home. To relieve their anxiety just take along your paper, pens, and envelopes and have the kids write a letter to Santa when they arrive at your destination. Then in a day or two you could have authentic letters from Santa delivered to your children at your holiday location. The kids will be amazed that Santa found them so quickly and this will truly brighten the entire holiday event. Be sure to have your camera ready to capture the moment your kids the personalized letters from Santa Claus. And don’t be surprised if the letters become long cherished childhood keepsakes. Your kids will always associate wonderful memories with the letters and your holiday vacation. Just plan ahead and you can make it happen! Your kids will be surprised and delighted.