Category Archives: Christmas Articles

Christmas Articles

Home-made Stained Glass Window Christmas Treats

March 12, 2010


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These Christmas treats are brilliant festive fun. They look really cool hanging from the Christmas tree with the fairy lights shinning through them, and they taste great too! They are great fun to make, and make the kitchen smell like a sweet factory – Yummy.

What you will need…

1 packet of frozen pastry. Allow to fully defrost, see the back of the packet for instructions.

1 Bag of clear coloured boiled sweets.

Cardboard

What to do…

First, whilst the pastry is defrosting you can be designing and making stencils. You could try a star, a Christmas stocking, a Christmas tree, a bell, a sprig of holly, anything festive and with a Christmas theme is great. The stencils need to be simple and they need to have hole inside them. If there is too much detail they might break whilst you are making them. Make sure as well that your stencil is an appropriate size to hang on your Christmas tree. Once you have cut out your Christmas stencil leave it on one side until later.

Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4

Line a backing sheet with greaseproof paper

Lightly dust the surface with flour to prevent the pastry sticking and roll out the pastry thinly with a rolling pin. Lie your stencil on the top of the pastry and carefully cut round it with a knife. The knife doesn’t have to be very sharp, pastry isn’t hard to cut.

On the top of each shape you need to make a small hole to thread some ribbon through later so that you can hang the treat on the Christmas tree. Use the handle of a teaspoon to just push into the pastry to make a small hole.

Place your cut out shapes on the paper lined baking tray, so that they don’t touch.

Roll your pastry trimmings up into a ball and re-roll the pastry. Cut out as many Christmas shapes as you can, and keep re-rolling the pastry trimmings until all the pastry has been used.

Bake the Christmas shapes in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes.

In the mean time…

Rinse the rolling pin because you’re in for a smashing time! Place a wrapped boiled sweet onto a chopping board and tap it with the rolling pin to smash it. Once broken, unwrap the sweet and collect the broken sweet pieces on saucers, keeping all the colours separated. All the sweets need to be broken up.

Keep an eye on the time.

Take the pastry shapes out of the oven. Add different coloured crumbs of sweets to each hole in the pastry shapes. Colours in the same hole will merge. Experiment and see what designs you can make. Do be careful because the baking tray and the pastry will be hot.

Put the treats back in the oven for 2 minutes to let the sweets melt.

Take the treats out of the oven and leave to cool. Peel the treats off the paper and serve or thread ribbon or string through and hang them from your Christmas tree.

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Christmas Decorations Start at Your Front Door

March 11, 2010


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Christmas decorations start at your front door. Just like a wonderful book it starts with a great cover as an introduction. Eye appeal is part of creating the whole picture. There are plenty of ways to do it sometimes you will see a door that looks just like a huge gift. Others use a wreath to garnish their home. So walking up the walkway lined with candy canes lead to the presenter of the home with a beautiful decorated door.

It is just your preference what you would like to do. Your typical door welcome can be removed and replaced with one that says Happy Holidays. You can skip your door bell if you have a knocker installed with jingle bells. The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating. Use your imagination and add your special touch. You can surround the door with garland that is pretty during the day and lit up at night. If your child has colored a pretty picture, add it as a focus point to share with others. Children love the recognition, we all know the refrigerator is an art magnet.

Tiny trees are great around the front door on your porch or deck. This will complete the welcome at the door. Taking a few simple and easy steps with Christmas Decorations can make your home glow with the Holiday Spirit. Use extra Christmas Decorations and your childrens Holiday pictures to create a unique entry to your home. These simple steps will greet your friends, relatives and visitors when entering your home and get them in the Holiday Spirit.

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First Christmas Ornament For That First Christmas Baby

March 11, 2010


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One way to make your Christmas tree stand out is to celebrate your new addition to the family with their very own baby’s first Christmas ornament.

When there is a baby in the house, the holidays take a heightened meaning. And none are more important than baby’s first Christmas, which is a time that will be forever cherished and remembered by parents and grandparents alike.

As a parent or a grandparent, another great tradition that can be started at baby’s first Christmas is the giving of their first Christmas ornament. Every year you give the child a Christmas ornament and by the time they leave home, they have a nice collection to put on their own Christmas tree.

My sister began this tradition many years ago with her 2 kids. She had no particular theme in mind she just wanted them to have a fun and memorable collection of their own and something they could look forward to each Christmas holiday. Many of the ornaments have her kids name on them, some have the year, some of them have the kids favorite sport or characters, and some have special meanings.

When my sister’s daughter moved into her own place, she bought some basic ornaments and decorations for her tree. But it was with pride and fond memories and maybe a few tears that she was able to hang all the ornaments that her mother had bought for her throughout the years. When my niece has kids of her own, she will carry on the tradition by giving them their very first Christmas ornament.

You can find special ornaments almost anywhere. Your local gift card stores should have a small selection. You can pick them up when you are vacationing somewhere, or you can also browse my favorite online shop listed below.

Granted, this gift is as much for the parent as the baby, but a personalized ornament is a must for baby’s first Christmas ornament. Be sure to get baby’s name as well as the year engraved on the ornament and hang it on your Christmas tree with pride every Christmas thereafter.

So why not start your own tradition and get your baby their very first Christmas ornament so they to can grow up and always have special memories year after year.

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Office Christmas Party – The Holiday Drag!

March 8, 2010


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The Office Christmas party is often one big holiday bore. An event most employees feel obligated to attend but few enjoy. It’s time to break the crappy celebration cycle! With a little creativity and imagination your office Christmas party can be an event that the company staff looks forward to each year.

Let’s start with some newer planning ideas. If your company is a small to mid-sized operation a shared party is a great option. Like minded or complimentary companies share the venue and expense. A shared Christmas party will inject that “new and different” element to your affair. Guest will meet new people, and make professional connections; the companies will share in the expenses making it a “win-win event for everyone. Shared parties can be organized by party planning agencies who have experience in knowing which types of companies mix well. If your company party is being planned in-house, another option for organizing a shared party is to team up with vendors or clients that your company members enact with regularly.

Themes can go a long way to set the mood for party fun. The right theme spells fun but the wrong theme can be a party killer! Your party theme should fit the profile of your company and staff. Are most of your staff in their 20’s and 30’s? A party atmosphere with emphasis on music, dancing and drinking fits the bill. If the majority of your company is in their 30’s and 40’s or older a celebration focused on a wonderful dining experience followed by light music and dancing is a good option. Maybe your staff is very family oriented? An event that includes children with family-type games and activities would be a nice option. Consider two smaller type celebrations – a breakfast with Santa for the families and an evening of music and dancing for everyone.

Christmas parties don’t have to stick to holiday-type themes. Getting a little creative with different themes can make for a great night. There are a number of great party themes that will set a fun and festive party mood without the old worn out red and green décor. Some super theme ideas are:

Rio Carnival

Las Vegas Casino

Futuristic Fantasy

20s Speakeasy

Murder Mystery

60’s, 70’s or 80’s

Scavenger Hunt

Indoor Sports Party

Talent Show

There are hundreds of great party ideas with activities and events that follow the theme perfectly to get the party started and keep it going until last call. Professional party planners can help you choose a great party theme for your crowd and coordinate activities, refreshments and events for the celebration.

Another option to ensure office Christmas party success is to let your staff choose their own party. Giving your staff members party options to vote on is a great way to boost attendance and guarantee a great time. Put out a survey with party options and let your staff vote for the type of party preferred by the majority.

Whatever theme and venue is selected there are a number of activities that can add to the party fun. A roaming photographer can put guest photos with funny sayings in a presentation that is run throughout the party. Activities, games and contest always add to party fun. Management could volunteer childhood photos for the party guest to guess who is who. Door prizes with a great prize is a good way to keep an air of excitement as guest wait to see who wins the big prize.

If your office Christmas party is a more intimate affair there are a number of fun group games to keep the party interesting. Games are an important part of any party or celebration. Try some of these holiday games:

Christmas Gift Swap Have each guest bring a wrapped Christmas gift to exchange. Players will then each draw a number out of a hat. Whoever goes first gets to choose and open one of the gifts. Player number 2 will then have the option of “stealing” that gift or selecting and opening another gift. As the play goes on, players who have the higher numbers will be able to select from any of the opened gifts or a new gift. This games is great fun!

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Create a list of clues for Christmas-themed objects hidden around the party area. Guests first must solve the clue and then search for the item. The first person to find all of the items on the list wins. This is a great game for teams or departments for light-hearted competition.

Christmas Carol Game Sit the players in a circle and begin by having the first person sing the first line of a popular Christmas song or carol. The next player must sing the second line of the song. Play continues until a player doesn’t know the next line to the song. That person is then “out” and players can start over with a new song. Have song lyric sheets available for players to refer to if there is a question over the correct words to the songs.

Whether your office Christmas party is a large lavish affair or a small intimate celebration; a little creativity, planning and imagination will make it an event that everyone looks forward to attending.

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Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange – Fun Holiday Event

March 8, 2010


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Who doesn’t like homemade Christmas cookies?

When I was a little girl my favorite holiday treat was no-bake cookies. I remember the sweet aroma throughout the house and the delightful gems lined up across the kitchen counter on waxed paper.

Mom made them perfect. She always made them around Christmas time. She made other kinds of cookies, but the no-bake ones stick in my mind.

Are you pressed for time or energy this holiday season and you just don’t have the time to make a big variety of homemade cookies? I have a really fun solution for you!

Host a Christmas cookie recipe exchange party. This is an excellent way to gather a nice assortment of Christmas cookies. The key to this event is “how many show up”…the more guests you invite, the more recipes and cookies you will end up with.

This event can even involve a holiday meal before hand as well to make it more festive. This is really up to you. But, the number one rule is…each guest that attends has to bring so many dozens of only one type of homemade cookie along with their recipe. (the exact amount of cookies are decided upon by the hostess).

Important Tips For Your Cookie Exchange Event

1. It’s best to print the recipes on index cards. Each guest will need to bring multiple copies of their recipe. Make sure your guests include their names on top of each recipe copy. It would be a good idea for you to have extra index cards on hand just in case there is not enough to go around to each guest that attends.

2. Have your guests call you to let you know what recipe they will be preparing and bringing to the event. (just to make sure none of them are bringing the same recipe) Of course, you want them all to be unique to provide a good variety.

3. Have some festive throw away containers or trays available for each of your guests to gather their cookies in.

4. If you decide on a meal…to make it easy on yourself, finger foods work really well for this type of event. Make it a buffet style. A good idea for a beverage would be some hot cider.

5. Have fun with this event and set a festive table display!

A cookie exchange party is a really fun way to visit with family and friends and end up with some special holiday treats and recipes all at the same time…not to mention, it’s saves YOU time and energy when it comes to baking.

Below is my Mother’s recipe for no-bake cookies:

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. cocoa (unsweetened)

1 stick margarine

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. quick oats

Directions

Combine sugar, milk, cocoa in small saucepan. Bring to boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Drop by tsp. onto waxed paper. (May need to refrigerate)

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Find Cheap Wii Deals This Christmas

March 6, 2010


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The world economy is tottering on the brink of recession and Nintendo has announced that they have upped production so that those wanting to purchase a Nintendo Wii this festive season wont have to contend with the shortages of the past few Christmas seasons. The upshot of this increased supply of Wii consoles coupled with a likely drop in demand as a result of the economic pressures being felt by the ordinary man in the street is likely to result in cheap Wii deals being easier to find than usual. And by cheap Wii deals, I don’t mean damaged or stolen goods – just the genuine article at a great price.

The first place you should look for these cheap Wii deals is on the big auction sites like eBay. The sellers on eBay have far more price flexibility than the retail stores do so in times like these they tend to react faster to the new economic realities.

To illustrate the opportunities that are available to find cheap Wii deals this Christmas, let’s take a quick look at what is on offer on eBay now. As an example right now there are quite a few offerings with this description: New Nintendo Wii console system with 2 remotes + 2 nunchuks + 14 games – 2 player ready. On only one page the price for this deal varies from $255 – $335!And there were at least another 20 pages full to consider!

The bottom line is that there will be plenty of cheap Wii deals on offer this Christmas if you are prepared to purchase your Nintendo Wii online and you take some time to find a really great deal – and as I have shown, those deals are available every day on a big auction site like eBay.

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Outdoor Animated Christmas Lights Create Fun in Motion in Your Front Yard

March 5, 2010


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Looking for some great animated outdoor Christmas lights this year? Well, there are definitely a lot of great options out there this season. Many people are looking for wonderful ways to make their Christmas displays even better, and with these animated lights you can take your lights to a whole new level. With many varieties to choose from, you’ll be able to find the lights that will make your home one of the best on the block during the Christmas season.

There are so many different outdoor animated Christmas lights that you can choose from. You’ll find adorable snowmen that will wave at everyone that goes past your yard. Also, there are some animated reindeer that will look like they are ready to take flight this year. Santa Claus animated lights are a huge hit as well, since you can find Santa’s that go up and down the chimney, Santa’s that wave, and a whole lot more.

So, you may be wondering where you can get these great outdoor animated Christmas lights to jazz up your Christmas décor this year. Well, there are many places that you can find them. Check out department stores in your area, and more than likely you’ll find a large selection to choose from. Home decorating stores and even hardware stores often carry outdoor animated Christmas lights as well. Of course, if you don’t have the time to get out to the store, you can easily find these lights online too, and often you’ll get a great deal online when you order.

While you may be thinking that you’ll end up paying a huge amount for these lights you can actually find some great deals on outdoor animated Christmas lights They are usually reasonably priced, although the prices vary depending on the style and size of the lights you decide to purchase for your yard. If you want to save on electricity costs, you may even want to consider going with LED outdoor animated Christmas lights which are more environmentally friendly.

To add some fun, flavor, and pizzazz to your Christmas décor this season, you’ll want to go with the latest and greatest in Christmas lights – outdoor animated Christmas lights Of course you don’t want to get too carried away with them or your lawn will look overdone, but add a few great animated displays and your yard will catch the attention of everyone that drives by your home.

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A Letter From Santa and Special Christmas Gifts Make Christmas Happier For All

March 4, 2010


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We are in the beginning of the happiest time of year for many people. Christmas is a very special holiday that is celebrated from the day after Thanksgiving until the actual holiday on December 25. Aside from the religious celebration of Christmas, most people focus their attention on making it a special time of year for children. Many make a point of having their children write letters to Santa Claus. One reason is that these letters help the parents learn exactly what the children want for Christmas. In recent years, many parents have begun ordering a letter from Santa in response to the one written by the child. Another new tradition is adding Christmas gifts into the letters or giving the child special Christmas gifts spread out all through the Christmas season. A letter from Santa and Special Christmas gifts make Christmas happier for all.

There is nothing like getting mail for children. They are so rarely named as the addressee that they instinctively know it something special before they ever open the letter. Imagine the twinkle in their eyes when they see a postmark that reads “North Pole”. Opening a letter from Santa and reading or having it read to them will be enough to thrill any child and guarantee good behavior until after Christmas is over.

In addition to a letter from Santa, some parents have started giving smaller special Christmas gifts at different times throughout the season. These gifts can be many different things from a Christmas activity book to personalized ornaments, or even various Christmas and Santa themed craft kits. These give the children something special to work on during the holiday season and something to keep for themselves. These Christmas gifts are completely separate from the ones that Santa brings and add happiness to the season for the children and the adults who are freed up to take care of the preparations for Christmas celebrations.

A letter from Santa can be ordered from a variety of different places. Websites devoted to Santa letters, department stores, and individual entrepreneurs offer them for sale at this time of year. The parents will have to share some personal information about each child so that the letters can be edited and personalized. The best suppliers offer a wide variety of letters to choose from and edit as well as several different options of stationery.

Christmas gifts can be purchased anywhere, but some can be best handled through the same suppliers as the letter from Santa. Personalized ornaments and some other Christmas gifts fit this category. Craft kits and activity books can be gotten locally if the parents do not want to order them online.

While Christmas is probably the happiest time of year for children and adults alike, some things can add to the happy glow surrounding Christmas preparations and celebrations. A letter from Santa and a few well timed special Christmas gifts can make the holiday season happier for all.

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Unique Christmas Gifts – Innovative Christmas Gifts For Your Dear Ones

March 4, 2010


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With the coming of Christmas, street shops and stores are flooded with amazing gifts that instantly mesmerize a person. On festive season one inquisitively searches for some unique and exceptional gifts that leave an everlasting impression. If you are looking for such distinguished Christmas gifts then consider the unique Christmas gifts collection.

Collection of unique Christmas gifts is innovative and worthy. You can find gifts that are related to interest or reflects the personality of the recipient. Finding an amazing gift is made easy by the unique Christmas gifts. You can find gifts for your dear ones or even for a special person and disclose your admiration and care towards him. For example: the Acre of Land on Venus is a fabulous and unusual gift idea. By purchasing this gift you can own an acre of land on Venus (the brightest natural object in the night sky) also called as the Evening Star. As a proof recipients will receive a certificate that includes- a document confirming the purchaser’s mineral rights to their land, a transcript of the declaration of ownership, lunar sight map to locate the star.

Dinner with Shakespeare, Buffalo Bill, and the Mafia are also classified as unique Christmas gifts. This gift allows you to enjoy a themed dinner party with your friends or dear ones in the manner these historical and famous figures dined. Dinner party packs contains booklets, illustrated recipes, organizing manuscripts, music CD etc.

Football lovers can have great relief in this Christmas. For this festive season, the unique Christmas gifts are enriched with collection of football items so that they can easily own some authentic and exceptional items. Football newspaper books, football season books, signed framed photos and montage and framed stadium photos. The signatures are genuine and signed products come with the certificate of authenticity. The photos are beautifully framed, made from high-quality and free from the watermarks. Unique Christmas gifts comes with the personalize option. Personalizing the gift makes it more attractive and significance. Thus, you can send your warm Christmas wishes to your dear ones with the unique Christmas gifts.

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Hostess a Christmas Tea Party

March 3, 2010


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Sit back and relax with a Christmas tea party to relieve the stress of pre-Christmas shopping, enjoy a cozy Christmas tea with friends while you wrap presents, set out a lovely Christmas Day tea, hostess a tea during the 12 days of Christmas or have a twelfth night celebration. The Christmas Season is full of opportunities to hostess a tea for all your dear ones, so, presented here are some ideas for you to consider.

When should you start thinking of a time and place to hostess your tea party?

If you want to plan a formal high tea, you need to send out invitations 3 weeks in advance, a cozy casual afternoon tea can be planned a week ahead, and a spur of the moment tea is of course ’spur of the moment’, you can invite your friends either the day of or the day before.

Pre-Christmas Shopping

After a long day of shopping, it will be good to know you have a rejuvenating tea prepared to come home to. If you think ahead, you can have sandwich fillings prepared ahead of time, a tea tray laid out with your teapot and other accoutrements ready, so you can quickly and easily prepare yourself a nice tea. If you are going shopping with friends, they might also enjoy joining you. This is a nice opportunity for a spur of the moment tea with your friends or a comfortable and relaxing tea for one.

Cozy Christmas Tea With Friends

Invite your friends over to enjoy a peaceful afternoon tea to rejuvenate or make it a wrapping party to tackle a bunch of the gifts you bought on your shopping trip. A Saturday afternoon or a weekday evening is an ideal time to plan this.

Christmas Day Tea

Preparing a late Christmas dinner makes it so everyone just munches on basically whatever is available all day. Make up a couple different sandwich spreads, a veggie tray and a nice hot pot of tea. This gives everyone the option to have something healthier and more satisfying than trying to fill up on Christmas stocking goodies.

It also is a wonderful opportunity to use your Christmas tea set that is usually packed away. Bring it out when you get your decorations out so you have it on hand and ready to use.

If you plan on serving an early dinner, everyone is usually too full to sit down for another full meal in the evening. So, make up some of the ham and turkey into little sandwiches, a cheese and cracker tray and a fruit platter or veggie tray and a nice hot pot of tea, and let everyone help themselves to whatever they would like.

Twelve Days of Christmas or Twelfth Night Celebration

The twelve days of Christmas begin with Christmas and ends on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6th. In the liturgical sense this begins at sundown on Christmas Eve to the eve of the Epiphany (Jan5th). Especially in England, this is where the Twelfth Night celebrations come in, which happens on January 5th, the eve of the Epiphany.

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