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.

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.

Christmas Celebrations around the Globe

Christmas is a festive occasion that is celebrated every year around the world, though different people have different traditions and ways of celebrating this occasion. It turns more special when the entire family is involved in the festive preparation. There are favorite traditions related to Christmas that are consistent throughout much of the world. For example, many places use a Christmas tree and the children believe in Santa Claus. Writing letters to Santa Claus is a cherished tradition of the holiday season and personalized letters from Santa become treasured keepsakes.

People across the globe celebrate the Christmas holiday in different ways – below you will see some of the basic traditions from around the world.

France:
Christmas goes by the name of Noël in France and Santa Claus is called Pere Neol though they sure decorate the Christmas tree in the traditional way with red ribbons and real candles instead of the garland electrical artificial lights and fancy decorations that are used in America. The French also believe in decorating the real Christmas trees that are outside their own house like the evergreen tree. They trim it and shape it up to give it a perfect Christmas tree shape.

Hungary:
The Hungarians call Santa Claus as the Winter Grandfather or Mikulas in their language. But he doesn’t visit the children on Christmas Eve and instead visits them on December 6Th. So the children clean their rooms and prepare for Winter Grandfather’s visit. They expect Santa to leave candies and toys in their freshly cleaned boots and the children who don’t clean their rooms and shoes get a golden birch instead and no gift. And according to the Hungarian belief they visit their relative’s house to give Santa and his elves time to set up the gifts in the house.

Germany:
In Germany holidays are considered to be lively decorated to embattle the festive occasions. And the Germans simply love to put electric candles as Christmas lights and also cover and decorate their homes with lights of different colors. A special German decoration called Adventshranz which is actually a leaf like wreath which has four candles and most Germans prefer to dedicate the Christmas day with a manger scene that is the famous depiction of the stable and they believe that St Nicholas brings them gifts on December 6th.

Latvia:
Latvia is considered to be the home of the first Christmas tree. The whole family enjoys a traditional meal of bacon sauce, sausages and small pies.

New Zealand:
People of this country celebrate Christmas in the summer season as they have their summers during December. And the Christmas dinner usually includes BBQ, ham and shrimps.

United States:
Americans love to celebrate with the entire family exchanging gifts and enjoying a hearty meal.

It seems that adults everywhere enjoy giving gifts to young children whose joyful laughter and love fills the air during this joyous time of year.

Christmas Trees are an Important Part of Christmas

Many people don’t believe in a Christmas without a Christmas tree. This would be as difficult for some as a Christmas without letters to Santa. After all, the two are tied together. Children write letters to Santa Claus so they can assured they will not be forgotten at Christmas time. Their goal is usually to insure that Santa will leave a wonderful package for them. While it's true that some kids receive a package from Santa in the mail, most look forward to what is left under the Christmas tree. However, those special letters from Santa are magical reminders that Santa Claus is real and that they really can get the things they want for Christmas. And not surprisingly, this all starts with a beautiful Christmas tree.

During the Christmas festivities choosing the perfect Christmas tree is one of the family traditions that kids look forward to. First you need to decide if you want a real or artificial Christmas tree and also understand the pros and cons associated with each.

Many people prefer to buy real Christmas trees. The reasons are varied, but basically, these individuals say that only a real tree can give the authentic ‘feel’ to the holiday. They will mention that the smell of Christmas fills the home when a real Christmas tree is used as the center piece of the decorations. But also, they will tell you that using real Christmas trees is kinder to the environment.

There are different beliefs about the first Christmas tree but we don’t exactly know who started the tradition. In due time the tradition of decorating Christmas trees started and new decorations and traditions evolved. Over the years various groups and even different families came up with their own traditions and decorating styles and that resulted in personalization of holiday adornments.

People started using artificial Christmas trees at the beginning of the 18th century and from then on the tradition of buying artificial Christmas trees continued. You have an array of choices to select from as a wide range of the different artificial Christmas trees are available nowadays. A quick search through some of the online stores will reveal that there are several different styles , shapes and colors of trees available.

The real pros and cons of using the real Christmas trees and the Artificial ones vary as different people have different opinions on them as they believe that by picking one or the other you are destroying the environment or are dishonoring the spirit of Christmas.

Artificial trees have increased in popularity as the manufactures design them more like real trees and they are also easier to assemble. One of the greatest advantages of these artificial trees is that they can be easily assembled. Plus the artificial trees can be dismantled and stored for next Christmas quite conveniently and can again be re-used from year to year. The fact that an artificial tree can be re-used means you will save money. And, since Christmas is an expensive time of year, saving money is a good thing.

But the biggest disadvantage of the artificial Christmas trees is that they are made of non renewable petroleum and if accidentally burnt they start to release toxic fumes which will spoil the environment. Plus the artificial trees are not recyclable and so they end up in landfills and stay there for a long time damaging the environment in the process.

Not only do real Christmas trees smell wonderful, but the shopping experience for them can be lots of fun for the entire family. Plus, the real Christmas trees are renewable sources and there are many Christmas tree farms that grow Christmases trees from year to year. But the real Christmas trees need to be maintained and watered regularly and you will also need to clean up the pine needles that fall from the tree. Additionally, at times, at least for some people, these pine trees can also trigger allergies.

Christmas Craft Projects Made Easy

If you have been reading this blog regularly then you know that I like to decorate my home with Christmas craft projects that have been made by the children in my life. In fact, the whole family gets involved in our projects. The fun starts on Thanksgiving Day.

After eating an enormous meal we clear the table of food and dishes. The adults usually drift off to the living room for some conversation and of course, some of us are still enjoying dessert or an after dinner drink. So that we can talk without the children interrupting we occupy them with Christmas crafts.

The first thing they do is write their letters to Santa Claus. This is always fun for them and as adults, we enjoy watching and listening as they carefully write details about what it is they want. It’s fun to see the differences in how each of my grandkids crafts their letters. I have one grandson that feels he needs to justify why each request is reasonable and he then explains any bad behavior that he may have exhibited in recent times. My grand-daughter on the other hand seems to feel she deserves whatever she asks for, because without a doubt she has been good all year long.

After the letters are completed and the envelopes are addressed to Santa at the North Pole, the kids begin working on small Christmas projects. They make simple things like glitter decorated pine cones and Styrofoam snowmen among other favorites.

Throughout the year I have learned to collect crafting materials. Any type of Styrofoam is saved, as well as scraps of ribbon, lace and cloth. I even have a collection of buttons that comes in handy for craft projects.

I keep all the supplies in a large plastic container – it’s actually a sweater box that is designed to fit under the edge of a bed. Believe it or not, this craft box as we call it is one of the things my grandkids love most about my house. They love to play with pipe cleaners and the other unique sort of things I collect.

The box holds small shells, a collection of beads, various colors of glitter, glues, pine cones, dried flowers, glue guns, colored markers, crayons, colorful paper, old Christmas cards and other remnants of beautiful paper and cards. In reality, it is a sort of junk box full of little treasures that can be used in creative ways.

My suggestion is that you begin a ‘craft box’ now. By the time the holiday season gets here you will have lots of craft stuff. Just start adding little treasures that you find. If you are like me you probably have some cheap imitation jewelry that you could toss in the box. Buttons can be decorated to be beautiful little treasures. Tiny artificial flowers can add a lot to a homemade Christmas ornament.

When the kids make the Styrofoam snowmen they like to add a scarf and other adornments. Use your imagination. It’s fun to help the kids come up with ideas and ways that they can use the odds and ends that you collect. You will have fun while helping the kids to learn about improvising and innovation. It’s fun for old and young.

Looking Back on Christmas of 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!