Granted Children Christmas Wishes - The Perfect Christmas Holiday
Written by Holiday Talk AdminChristmas gift wishes of children in need were granted by participating families, providing a magical Christmas holiday for all involved! Kids in Need Christmas Outreach is a mission to provide Christmas gifts to children who are part of families experiencing financial distress due to the economic downturn. MyChristmasHoliday.com supports this mission to help kids in need at Christmas, through Sharon Bolan Yerby, www.TheChange.org, and Shake Oasis. Thanks to all families involved for giving the gift of happiness to children in need. MyChristmasHoliday.com supports this mission to help kids in need at Christmas, through Sharon Bolan Yerby, www.TheChange.org, and Shake Oasis.
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Kids in Need Christmas Outreach is a mission to provide Christmas gifts* to children who are part of families experiencing financial distress due to the economic downturn.
MyChristmasHoliday.com supports this mission to help kids in need at Christmas, in Dallas Texas, through Sharon Bolan Yerby and www.TheChange.org.
This outreach applies only to those families who have experienced a job loss or salary decrease. Each applicant will be reviewed on an individual basis and matched with an available giver. Requests must be made by December 14th to be eligible.
* Gift suggestions: toys, books, gift cards or online donations
Gifts will be distributed on Saturday, December 19th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Shake Oasis Nutrition Center in Coppell located at 600 East Sandy Lake Rd. Suite 118 | Phone: 972-774-2623 | Web: www.ShakeOasis.com
Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets - Three Steps to Worry Free Holiday Gift Giving
Written by Janell OakesReceiving Letters From Santa
Receiving letters from Santa is one of my family’s most enduring Christmas traditions. My daughter’s first letter from Santa was delivered to her bassinet, just days after her birth. Written on pale pink parchment, Santa welcomed her to the world and promised a future full of holiday magic. As she dreamed her first dream of sugar plum fairies, I slipped her premiere letter from Santa into a scrapbook made just for the occasion.
A year later, Virginia’s second letter from Santa arrived just in time for her birthday. After helping her blow out the candle on her birthday cake, her father did his best Saint Nicholas impression, ending the letter from Santa in a hearty Ho!Ho!Ho! Each year, her letters from Santa marked milestones in her life: he congratulated her on learning to walk, starting pre-school, and reading her first book. Another letter from Santa consoled Virginia when her best friend moved away. And every December, I diligently added her letters from Santa to her special scrapbook.
The Origins of Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas
In fifth grade, after a particularly skeptical young “tween” announced she wasn't interested in writing Santa, she received her longest letter from Santa yet. In it, he told her all about the origin of Santa Claus and how the tradition of celebrating St. Nicholas, and the spirit of giving around the world, actually gave him his magical powers.
St. Nicholas was a bishop in 343 A.D. who was revered for the importance he put on giving care to those in need and was rumored to place gold and food on the doorsteps of the poor at Christmastime. In the 1100’s, French Nuns began to give candy and gifts to needy children in the spirit of Saint Nicholas. As time went on, the tradition spread throughout the world and began to include young children everywhere. And almost everywhere, children made writing letters to Santa a big part of their Christmas tradition.
Gingerbread House Pattern
Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe Ingredients
½ cup shortening
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup dark molasses
¼ cup water
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe Instructions
-Sift in the dry ingredients, mix well and divide dough into 3 equal balls
-On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness. Use each of you templates twice to cut out a front and
-Transfer your shapes to a greased baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
-Cool completely on the baking sheet
Royal Icing Recipe
Royal Icing is the “glue” that holds the house together. Once you've completed the steps in the Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe, making sure that the gingerbread has cooled completely, make a fresh batch of this royal icing recipe. For best success, this should be the consistency of toothpaste.
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 egg whites (pasteurized or powdered egg white equivalent for safety)
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
-Simply mix all ingredients together and use this royal icing recipe as the glue for your gingerbread walls and roof
Creating Christmas Holiday Family Traditions
Written by Rondi Hillstrom DavisChristmas Holiday Ideas - Creating Family Traditions
Too often we forgo entertaining because of the mere thought of all of the preparation that is involved. And more is not better. Often we try to out do each other with lavish parties and expensive gifts. Stop and remember for a second what was important from your own childhood. Was it an outing? Baking cookies with your grandmother? Building a snowman with your dad? We need to connect. This doesn’t require more time, just shifting the focus of the time we already have. Here, a casual party and a very simple activity were the catalyst that brought everyone together.
To get the entire neighborhood into the Christmas holiday spirit we planned a caroling party. The day before our guests arrived, my kids and I spent an afternoon making decorative candleholders. We gave one to each caroler to light the way for our caroling expedition.
Dad, dressed as Santa, provided our very own photo opportunity. Little ones whispered their Christmas list in Santa’s ear. Grown ups, as well as kids, had their pictures taken in Santa’s lap.
Parents, kids, and even a few dogs then joined us on our merry way. Our numbers grew as we made our way caroling through the neighborhood. We chose 2-3 classic songs for our repertoire so that everyone we visited (and even the smallest child) could sing along. As the carolers returned, we welcomed them with Mexican hot chocolate and ginger spice cookies.
Each year we meet new neighbors. This is a great way to bring joy into our community and engage everyone in an activity that the whole family can enjoy. And for a few short hours we are able to turn our attention away from the commercial marketing of the Christmas holidays to something much more personal.
About the Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit www.togetherparenting.com
Christmas Holiday Traditions: How to Spend More Time with Your Family This Holiday Season
Written by Holiday Talk AdminPlan a Caroling Party
To get the entire neighborhood into the Christmas holiday spirit, try planning a family caroling party. Not only is it fun, but you get two nights of activities out of it – one day to practice and prepare any props (candleholders, fun hats, etc.) and one night to actually go out and carol. Pick just two or three classic Christmas carols to sing and print off the words, so everyone can join in on the fun.If you’re headed out caroling, remember to stick to the sidewalks, wear bright clothing and stick to your immediate neighborhood.
Create your Own ‘Photo with Santa’ Moment
There’s no need to spend hours in line at the mall waiting to get a photo with Santa and inevitably being sucked into an unnecessary purchase. Instead, turn photos with Santa into a family tradition. Make or get Dad a Santa costume and you can use it year-after-year and at family get-togethers for those memorable wish list moments.Giving Holiday Gift Baskets for Christmas
Written by Holiday Talk AdminHere are a few holiday gift basket ideas and tips for you.
For example, if you get food for your corporate holiday gift baskets, don’t get pork for a Jewish holiday, beef for a Hindu Holiday, or any kind of meat or animal products for vegetarians. Don’t get sports-themed corporate holiday gift baskets for people who don’t like sports, or other holiday corporate gifts like golf tools for non-golfers, tickets to events that the recipients aren’t interested in, or events that take place more than two hours away. Give holiday corporate gifts that are suitable, useful, and appropriate.
If you’re purchasing a corporate gift gift basket, make sure the theme and sentiment is appropriate for the occasion. Some holidays observed by other countries and religions may not be suitable for giving or receiving holiday corporate gifts. If you’re not sure, check online to see if gifts are acceptable, and if so, what kind.
When you get ready to give your gift, make sure the company doesn’t have a policy about accepting holiday corporate gifts. Some companies, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations don’t allow their employees to receive holiday corporate gifts, let alone general “swag” given throughout the rest of the year. If you’re not sure, call someone from the human resources or marketing department before you send your gifts.
A Personalized Gift for Christmas is the Best Gift
Written by Holiday Talk AdminJust keep all your ties, your CDs, and your fresh-scented soaps. Hang on to your wrankles, your fleebles, and flibberty-flopes. If you truly want to show love to someone you know, a personalized gift for Christmas is the only way to go. (With deepest apologies to Dr. Suess.)
A personalized Christmas gift can take many different forms. It can be an item of clothing that’s been monogrammed, like a person’s initials on a new sweater, a handkerchief, or even a golf shirt. With today’s computer technology, you can monogram a person’s initials or name, but you can even have a photo of your kids monogrammed to a canvas bag to give to the grandparents. Talk about personalization!
We even know someone who can monogram toilet paper, although it’s more suited as a display item, and not something you would actually, well, use. But still, nothing puts the “personal” in “personalized gift for Christmas” like monogrammed toilet paper.
Now don’t get us wrong. Buying a regular gift like a book doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t personalize it. In some cases, getting a personalized, autographed copy of a book is a great way to give a personalized Christmas gift. And if you buy the book at a book signing, you won’t pay any extra for the autograph.