Christmas Carnival – November 27

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Welcome to the November 27, 2012 edition of Christmas 2012 Carnival. We start this carnival with an article by Brittany Harris listing 30 website Blogs with great Tips for Keeping Christmas Simple. For a traditional look at Thanksgiving, we have a post by David Leonhardt titled Happy Thanksgiving. And finally Chris has a 2012 Men’s Holiday Gift Guide: Part One. Hope you enjoy all the articles, bookmark, share, tweet, like on Facebook and come back for the next edition.

Brittany Harris
presents 30 Blogs With Tips for Keeping Christmas Simple posted at NannyPro.com, saying, “It may be called the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” but it can easily become the most stressful time of the year for busy families who are struggling to make ends meet.”


Daniel Long
presents 10 Family Friendly Warm Places to Go for Winter Break posted at Hire a Nanny, saying, “If you live in a cooler climate that experiences wintry weather during the colder months, but aren’t a fan of toughing out the colder days or participating in winter sports, the idea of escaping to a warm, sunny locale for a quick family vacation during winter break can be incredibly appealing.”


TherapyDoc
presents The Happy Family posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, “It’s supposed to be a happy time of year. Here’s one way to make it that way.”

Events

English: Oven roasted turkey, common fare for ...

English: Oven roasted turkey, common fare for Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

David Leonhardt presents Happy Thanksgiving posted at Self-Help Happiness Blog, saying, “While Thanksgiving will be overshadowed for many Americans by the “Black Friday” shopping crush, the rest of us will be free to retain some of the peace and calm that Thanksgiving should bestow. You can thank God if you believe or your lucky stars if you don’t. The important thing today is to thank. Here are three things I am thankful for.”

Fun

Lynda Albertson presents 5 Candy Cane Ornaments that You Can Make With Kids posted at Nanny Babysitter, saying, “During the holiday season candy canes tend to make a dominate appearance in the candy aisle, and are a traditional holiday treat.”

Suzanne Cullen presents How to Plan a Holiday Brunch posted at aupair.org, saying, “Perhaps it’s your turn to host your family’s annual Christmas brunch, or maybe you’re interested in starting a new holiday tradition with your own family and friends.”

Gifts

Chris presents 2012 Men’s Holiday Gift Guide: Part One posted at Ladies Should Know.

Steve Jackson presents Top 10 Hostess Gifts posted at Housekeeping, saying, “With the holidays upon us, party season is in full swing, and you likely have found yourself scrounging around before a get together for an appropriate gift to give the hostess.”

Cherry Liu presents Top 10 Christmas Collectibles posted at House Sitting Jobs, saying, “Buying a new Christmas collectible for your Christmas decoration or ornament collection is a tradition that many people have.”

Shopping

ToolBox Blog presents Joining Forces to become Stronger – Collaboration with Suppliers – Part 2 posted at ToolBox Blog, saying, “The most effective message a retailer can share to its suppliers is faithful data which gives true shopper perception into the behaviour, buying patterns and demographics of the supplier’s brands and the effect of promotions and innovations.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of christmas 2010 carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Five Tips to Save Christmas

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Five Tips to Save Christmas

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire may sound warm, cuddly, and festive, but what happens when something pops and throws a hot ember on that comfy rug in front of the fireplace?

The winter holidays – from Thanksgiving to New Year and everything in between – are a time for family, friends, love, and memories. But the memories can quickly be soured by poor planning. Here are five tips to help make sure your holiday season is merry and bright.

  1. Don’t let your Christmas light extravaganza go up in smoke. Every year, hundreds of families are impacted as Christmas Trees erupt in flames. The cause? Overloaded outlets. The lights themselves are rarely a problem – especially if you’ve purchased your lights in the last decade. Safety features make the lights more cool to touch, reduce power usage, and include safety features to shut off the strand in case of a short. However, if you’re using a cheap extension cord, power strip, or other means of adding plugin sockets, these CAN cause a short, which could end in a fire.
  2. Deep fried turkey is delicious. Melted siding is not. If you’re going to deep fry your turkey, make sure that you don’t overfill the kettle with oil, make sure the bird is thawed, and don’t cook near the house. Combine the three and you’re almost guaranteed to have a grease fire engulfing your home.
  3. Christmas 2012Keep an eye on Fido and Kitty. Holiday decorations present unique dangers to pets. At the top of the list are extension cords. Chewers could be in for a big shock if they chew through a live extension cord. Glass ornaments are another risk. If knocked off of the tree, they could shatter, and a curious pet may eat the shards. One important holiday myth to point out is Poinsettias. Believe it or not, they are NOT extremely toxic to dogs or cats. Much more concerning for pets are lilies, holly, and mistletoe.
  4. Plan ahead. Long before your holiday event, plan out exactly what you’ll need. Some items to consider include:
    1. Dishes you’re expected to bring. Does your family go “pot luck” style? Make sure you know if you should be bringing a warm side, a salad, a desert, or anything else.
    2. Gifts. Make sure you know who you want to give gifts, and what they like.
    3. Directions. Make sure you know how to get to the party!
    4. Timelines. What time does the party start? What time do you need to leave? Factor in rest stops for little ones.
    5. Carefully tend all fires. This means fireplaces and candles. Fireplaces using wood logs should have mesh screens (at minimum) covering the front. These screens help prevent popping embers (expelled as water hits the boiling point and pushes out against the surrounding wood) from landing on carpet, rugs, or other flammable surfaces. Glass doors are an even better option. For candles, make sure that all burning candles are extinguished before turning in for bed. All it takes is a breeze, a pet’s tail (or curious sniffing), or a bleary eyed child to knock over a candle for disaster to strike.

With these simple tips, you can help ensure that your holidays are filled with love and joy, and skip the drama. Well, at least until the family shows up. Then you’re on your own.

About the author: Rich is a writer for Goedeker’s, an online retailer of discount home appliances, furniture, mattresses, and plumbing fixtures.

Christmas Carnival – November 20

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Welcome to the November 20, 2012 edition of Christmas 2012 Carnival. In this edition we have some great articles starting with Cherry Liu on How to Do a Yankee Swap Gift Exchange. The site ‘A Bit of Decor’ has some Ideas for planning your Holiday Decor and Accessories. We have 12 Gifts that Don’t Cost Anything from Lara Whitmore. And finally Jim Wilson looks at 10 iPhone Apps to Use for Christmas Shopping. Hope you enjoy the articles, bookmark, share, tweet on Twitter, like on Facebook and come back really soon.

Jeff Moore presents 30 Blogs with the Best Personalized Christmas Gift Ideas posted at Babysitting Jobs, saying, “While there are plenty of great gifts out there for everyone on your list that are likely to be well-received, there’s something about a personalized or custom gift that reflects their personality that shows someone just how much you care.”

Cherry Liu presents How to Do a Yankee Swap Gift Exchange posted at House Sitting Jobs, saying, “Whether it’s called a Yankee Swap, Chinese Gift Exchange, White Elephant, Dirty Santa or any one of the plethora of other names, these holiday gift swap games each offer a different take on the classic gift giving at Christmas. If you’re interested in doing a gift exchange at your next holiday function, do one with a twist.”

Brittany Harris presents 30 Blogs with the Best Holiday Tips posted at NannyPro.com, saying, “While the winter holidays are a time for celebrating family, friends and spiritual beliefs, they’re also a time for entertaining and hosting house guests and cooking and baking extravagant meals and treats.”

A Bit of Decor presents A Bit of Decor: Preparing for the Holidays posted at A Bit of Decor, saying, “Home Decor and Accessories and beginning the holiday season. Where to start? What to think about. What is next? How to decide what your style is? Size? Location, basics to holiday decorating – ie wreaths and garland.”

A Bit of Decor presents A Bit of Decor: Ideas for planning your Holiday Decor and Accessories posted at A Bit of Decor, saying, “Home Decor and Accessories and beginning the holiday season. Where to start? What to think about. What is next? How to decide what your style is? Size? Location, basics to holiday decorating – ie wreaths and garland.”

Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu.

Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gifts

Shelby Jackson presents How to Create a Gift Cupboard for Stress-free Gift Giving posted at 4Nannies, saying, “It’s time for the kids to go to another birthday party and, unfortunately, you haven’t bought a gift yet.”

Michelle Brown presents 10 Reasons to Not Open Birthday Gifts at Your Child’s Party posted at Nanny, saying, “A pile of wrapped birthday gifts can be a difficult temptation for kids to resist, but there are a few reasons why you might want to put off their grand opening until all the guests have gone home.”

Arianna Lee presents 10 iPhone Apps to Track Christmas Gifts With posted at Part Time Nanny, saying, “When the winter holidays roll around, keeping up the the gifts you’ve purchased, those still remaining on your list and the wish lists of those around you can be a daunting task.”

Lara Whitmore presents 12 Gifts that Don’t Cost Anything | Live Creatively posted at Live Creatively.

Shopping

Jim Wilson presents 10 iPhone Apps to Use for Christmas Shopping posted at 10 Physical Contact Rules for Babysitters, saying, “Traditional wisdom may state that it’s “the most wonderful time of the year,” but it can actually be one of the most stressful when it comes to shopping for gifts.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of christmas 2010 carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Getting Ready for Christmas: Dressing Your Home’s Exterior

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It’s coming up to that time again….  We must start decking our halls and trimming our trees!  But let’s not neglect our house’s exterior this year, as so many people do… Let’s take the festivities outside too and cheer the place up with some traditional Christmas décor. Let’s start getting ready for Christmas.

Here’s how!

ExteriorThink sophistication!

There are many ways to personalize your Christmas celebration while welcoming holiday guests and spreading some cheer throughout the neighborhood. While your personal style might involve a plastic Santa (sorry, but we classify that as a major decor faux pas!), this blog post focuses on the more sophisticated looks for your home’s exterior this Christmas.  Think of classic items, such as wreaths for the front door, twinkling lights, garlands or small trees framing the doorway.

Wreaths and Garlands

One of the favorite exterior Christmas decorations has traditionally been the wreath, which welcomes visitors to the home. These circular decorations are typically made out of pine needles, ivy, and holly and may also feature other items woven or glued on, such as pine-cones, ribbons, and ornaments. Here are some tips on adding a wreath to your exterior door:

  • You can opt for a fresh wreath or one made from silk flowers and plants. The fresh ones often smell nice but can dry out fast and do not last longer than one Christmas. The fake wreaths can be stored and used each year; if you want to make them smell like fresh, you can even buy a scented spray.
  • A DIY wreath is a low-cost way to decorate, as well as making it your very own with the style and colors you like.  It also makes a fun craft to do with the kids! All the supplies can be found in a craft store or even a garden center.
  • Be sure to size the wreath to your exterior door. You don’t want a wreath that disappears on a large, dark door nor do you want a wreath to be so huge that you can’t quite find the entrance!

Wreath

Garlands also make a nice touch on the home’s exterior. These can be pinned or nailed up around the exterior door-frame or around a window. Like the wreaths, these can be fresh or fake plus can be combined with lights for a special touch.

Lights

Choose soft, white sparkling lights that add an elegant and charming glow to your home’s exterior.

Go green by choosing the environmentally friendly solar powered LED lights that can be found widely in shops and garden centers at this time of year.  You’ll be surprised how well they work, even in gloomy November!

LightsKeep your décor charming with small white lights that look like icicles and snowflakes hanging from your windows and eaves. The lights can also be strung throughout trees and bushes for an intricate, magic-forest light effect.

Garden and Front Landing Décor

Another place to add the traditional Christmas touch on the exterior of your home is your front garden and front landing if you have this space.  If it fits and is appropriate, you can erect a decorated Christmas tree or decorate dwarf Christmas trees in urns on either side of your exterior door.

If appropriate and in good taste, you can add other decorative features like a nativity scene, snowman, or Santa in his sleigh. Just be sure you avoid anything plastic or inflatable as these lack a sophisticated and traditional look. Instead of anything this garish, consider using natural items like pine cones and boughs to decorate chairs, planter pots, and benches along with cranberries, small lights, and ornaments.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some other things to remember when it comes to decorating the exterior of your home for Christmas:

  • Stick to one theme like a traditional Christmas or even a Victorian or Edwardian Christmas theme to match your home’s door, windows, and overall architecture. This also means keeping the colors coordinated so it does not become too busy looking.
  • Think about where you can plug in anything that requires electricity and plan accordingly. No one wants to look at miles of extension cord!

Good luck and have a happy Christmas!

BYLINE:

This article was written on behalf of Old English Doors, who hand make traditional wooden front doors in their workshop in Nottingham, UK.

Christmas Carnival – November 6

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christmas 2007

christmas 2007 (Photo credit: paparutzi)

Welcome to the November 6, 2012 edition of Christmas 2012 Carnival.  We start this edition of the carnival and the first carnival of the new season with an article from Anna Deguzman at Nerdwallet.com discussing buying Fresh Live Christmas Trees Online. We also have Tash who feels that Together we can share the Christmas magic. Hope you enjoy all the articles, bookmark, share on StumbleUpon, Tweet, Like on Facebook and come back soon for more Christmas tips and shopping options.

Kaylee Adams
presents How to Budget for Christmas and Avoid Going into Debt posted at Find A Nanny, saying, “With the weather starting to cool off, thoughts naturally begin to gravitate to the upcoming holiday fun and festivities. However, going into debt for that fun and being stuck paying off your Christmas bills isn’t likely to make your New Year’s very bright.”

Events

Ghetto Hallowee presents Top 10 Ghetto Halloween Treats – NoWayGirl posted at NoWayGirl, saying, “Get to know the best 10 ghetto Halloween treats people have seen over many years and have given out on Halloween .”

Shopping

ToolBox Blog presents Category ‘Wo’ Management…Targeting ALL Female Consumers posted at ToolBox Blog, saying, “There’s the average female consumer (a woman between the age of 30-39, married, two children) and then there’s me, Kristine. I’m married, between the age of 40-49, a working mother of four children aged 7 and under.”

[email protected] presents Buy Fresh Live Christmas Trees Online posted at NerdWallet Blog – Credit Card Watch, saying, “Want your Christmas tree delivered to your door, hassle-free? Order online!”

Stories

Tash presents Together we can share the Christmas magic posted at Love Santa, saying, “Those who believe in the magic of Christmas can share it with others to make a huge difference in the world.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of christmas 2010 carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

 

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The ‘What To Buy For Christmas’ List

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What To Buy For Christmas

As the Christmas season approaches this year, toy stores, perfume shops, clothing chains, and even restaurants dress themselves in the traditional red and green Christmas colors. The change in color entices individuals to begin pondering over their choice of Christmas presents for their loved ones. The foremost problem that plagues the mind is what to buy for Christmas.

The Christmas shopping list consists of presents for children, parents, sisters, brothers and friends. Each year the diversity and depth of presents increases. There is a wide variety of products that can be given as Christmas presents. The question is which product makes it to the ‘what to buy for Christmas’ list.

Children have a special attachment to video games, electronic gadgets, make up kits and other playable toys. This year the top rated presents for children includes sequel to the Halo series; Halo 4. Since, Halo 4 is expected to be released around Christmas; the video game showcases itself as ideal present. The LEGO city cargo train set would keep the younger children content and occupied for weeks after Christmas. The Hello Kitty makeup bag is worth considering for young girls.

Christmas is a time in which adult men and women show their love for each other by exchanging presents. Perfumes, jewelry, clothing, watches and shoes are all presents that answer what to buy for Christmas. Perfumes have proven to be the best Christmas present year after year. The Christmas perfume for men is inarguably the Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. The perfume is said to be a perfect harmony between sensuality and masculinity. Women would be delighted to find Tommy Girl as their Christmas present. Tommy Girl is crisp, flowery and fruity.

Be it a child, man or women Christmas is a time when everyone begins pondering what to buy for Christmas. Electronic gadgets, makeup kits and perfumes always make the best Christmas presents that show thoughtfulness and love.

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