Why Crafts Are Still A Wonderful Christmas Gift Idea

Why Crafts Are Still A Wonderful Christmas Gift Idea

Whether it is a birthday, an anniversary or even a federal holiday, the number one thing on everyone's mind is: what on earth am I going to give away this year? Most of us when trying to figure out our holiday gift idea first think of how much money we have, and what that money can buy. Yet a few of us out there start to see all sorts of possibilities of what we can make to give our special someone(s) that is sure to be cherished more than a store-bought item.

The first type of person looking for a crafty holiday gift idea is what I like to call the needle worker. Needle workers enjoying sewing, embroidery, or other such needle arts. Depending on the occasion, they may choose something small, such as sewing napkins and potholders or cross-stitching a magnet or a small, simple picture or a key-chain. For occasions that require a bit more, embroidering a larger picture or sewing a cherished item like a handbag or bath robe are great holiday gift ideas.

The next crafter are those who knit or crochet. Holiday gift ideas that a quick and inexpensive would include, but are not limited to, winter hats, scarves, gloves and/or mittens. A more intimate gift would be a poncho or slippers. However, for those who have the time and want to give a larger gift, afghans are the way to go. With all the different ways one can incorporate color, texture, and different designs into their afghans, the holiday gift idea is sure to be cherished for many years.

Besides the crafting arts considered more on the feminine side, there are also those holiday gift seekers who are into woodworking. Some examples they may come up with are small picture frames, carving a small statue of something their friend or family member would be quite fond of, such as fish, birds or even a caricature of themselves. Larger projects for holiday gift ideas would be creating a headboard for a child's bed, a jewelry box for the wife, or even a spice rack for the cooking enthusiast.

Tangents of woodworking would be wood-burning and basket-weaving. Wood-burning may not seem like such a great holiday gift idea, but when you receive your name or favorite saying as a sign you can display, you realize how personal the gift truly is. And we all know that gift baskets are always a crowd favorite when it comes to holiday gift ideas - but how many people can truly say that the basket itself was made specifically just for them?

One last crafting area I would like to offer as holiday gift ideas: The painting arts. These arts include such things as oil and water-based canvas paintings. Having an art piece creating by an endearing friend is sure to be passed down in the family, and the painting will always be worth much more than any mere price tag due to the love put into it. Yet another painting art would be airbrushing. A still hot holiday gift idea is airbrushed T-shirts, and when one is created by someone you know, it feels just a little better when wearing it.

The point to all these options is this: taking the time to make something for someone else will always beat out anything that is merely bought. It may not always appear that way at first, but over time the gifts that leave the most lasting impression are those made for us by those who loved us enough to make their very best holiday gift ideas for us.

Always believe and be good,

Santa Claus, 

Santa Expert

Christmas Expert

http://SantaSpeaks.com

Santa's World Wide Live Talk Radio Show

http://santaclauslivetalkradio.blogspot.com

http://PaducahSanta.com

Angry Birds Knock On Wood Game – Top Toy For Christmas 2011!

Angry Birds Knock On Wood Game – Top Toy For Christmas 2011!

If you are looking for the best toys for Christmas 2011 then you need to check out the Angry Birds Knock On Wood Game as this has been tipped as a Christmas 2011 best seller! Basically the game is a physical version of the top IPhone game Angry Birds and it is also great fun! You get 3 Angry Birds in the pack, green pigs and one Slingshot style launcher as well as structure pieces to build the levels and what makes it fun is that you also get mission cards as well.

The way it works is that the players draw a card and build the structure shown while the opposing team as to knock down the structure just like in the Angry Birds app.

At first with how fun the game is as an app you wouldn’t think that Angry Birds would translate well into a game but it is great fun!

Also if you have younger children you don’t have to worry as the rules are simple to follow and more fun than a task. As well as that the actual structures are well built and sturdy and some kids just like to play with the figures on their own. In fact as the game has you building the structures ready for each “game card” it is mildly educational as kids will learn something about physics.

The only downside to the Angry Birds Knock On Wood Game is that some of the structures can be a little tricky to build and to make things easier the cards are all grouped in level so you will be able to see how difficult a structure is before you start it but in truth it can get tricky!

So if you have a child who is impatient and let’s face it which child isn’t they might not like waiting for the structure to be built! However when you get to the fun part using the catapult it is quite difficult to shoot the structures down.

It can be done and actually feels rewarding when you do it as well.

Just another word of warning about the Angry Bids Knock On Wood Game – make sure you keep everything all in one space as if you lose a few pieces of the structure you will not be able to build the levels shown on the game card.

Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game gets our vote as one of the top Christmas Gifts for 2011 if not the number 1 spot. The reason for this is because you can use this present as a simple stocking filler or as a “main” present and you are guaranteed to see a very happy recipient!

Just make sure if you are going to be picking up Angry Birds Knock On Wood game that you don’t wait too long as the game is set to sell out fast!

The other benefit of this game is that you can send to pretty much anyone and we have a sneaky suspicion that there will be just as many adults as children playing this game this Christmas! 

Santa Claus, 

Santa Expert

Christmas Expert

http://SantaSpeaks.com

Santa's World Wide Live Talk Radio Show

http://santaclauslivetalkradio.blogspot.com

http://PaducahSanta.com

 

July 4th 2011 Celebration and Christmas in July

Hello girls and boys, also moms and dads.
This week we celebrate  the birthday of America. July 4th is a special day in the life of Americans. It is more than just hot dogs, hamburgers and fireworks. We need to remember the the occasion and to celebrate it.
Here is a little special music video we found for you: 

A friend if mine sent me the following that tells the price that the original signers of the Declaration of Independence paid for working for our freedom. Always remember that freedom isn't free there is always a price to pay.

Fourth of July History Lesson

Remember: freedom is never free!

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Your History lesson for the now!!!!!!!!

Christmas in July

Be sure to look at all the added features to the site.

As we celebrate Christmas in July be sure to tune in to our weekly worldwide radio talk show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SantaClaus .

The show is live Saturdays at 10:00 am CST, you can listen to replays also. During the live show you can call in and talk to Santa Claus, the number is 914-338-0558. Santa loves to talk to girls and boys.
During the month of July we are giving away some prizes, playing Christmas music and having story time. There may be some special guest also. Be sure to tune in.

  

Fathers Day 2011

Story of Father's Day

Father's Day is a beautiful festival that acknowledges and appreciates the important role played by a father in raising the child and consequently building a stronger society. Though fathers have been revered at all times by civilizations across the globe ironically what was missing until the last century was the official recognition of the significance of fathers in ones life. Father's Day story is the tale of realization of the need for a Father's Day festival primarily by Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Washington. The story narrates Sonora's unflagging struggle to officially set a day to honor all fathers. Thanks to Sonora, today Fathers Day is celebrated in a large number of countries around the world.

The Beginning of Father's Day Story
Historians have recorded that there was a tradition to celebrate Father's Day even thousands of years ago. Their study say that 4,000 years ago in Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life. There is no knowledge as to what happened to this father son duo but it is believed that several countries retained the custom of celebrating Father's Day.

Genesis of Father's Day in Modern Society
The tradition of celebrating Father's Day as seen today originated in the last century. Though there are several people who are credited for furthering the cause of Father's Day, there is far greater acceptance for Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd's contribution. A doting daughter from Spokane, Washington, Ms Dodd is recognized as the Founder or Mother of the Father's Day Festival.

Inception of the Father's Day took place in Sonora's mind when she happened to hear a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sonora, who was 27 then, had begun to recognize the hardships her father must have gone through while bringing up his six children alone. When Sonora was 16, her mother had died during childbirth. Sonora's father a Civil War veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart raised six children including the newborn on his own. Sonora questioned that if there is a day to recognize mothers then why is not there a day to honor fathers?

Many people laughed and joked at Sonora's idea. But her will did not droop. She began a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause of Father's Day. Her hard work began to show signs of success when Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day on June 19, 1910 with the support of Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). To pay tribute to her affectionate father, Sonora wished that Father's Day be celebrated on her father's birthday on June 5, but it so happened that there was not enough time for preparation and the day came to be celebrated on third Sunday in the month of June.

The noble idea of celebrating Father's Day became quite popular in US so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the festival in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.

Fathers Day Celebration in Present Time
Father's Day has become a hugely popular festival. World over people thank their father and pay tribute to them. Most commonly children gift Father's Day cards and flowers to their father. Neckties are a popular gift on the occasion of Father's Day. Due to the tradition of giving gifts, cards makers, florists and gift sellers campaign for Father's Day Festival in a big way and cash in on the sentiments of the people.

http://www.fathersdaycelebration.com

Saturdays are Super with Santa

Press Release

For Immediate release

June 2, 2011

Saturdays are Super with Santa

Santa Claus Live on BlogTalkRadio.com Internet radio.

Kids and parents worldwide can listen to and call in and talk to Santa Claus live

every Saturday on http://BlogTalkRadio.com/SantaClaus at 10:00 am CST. Santa’s live

radio talk show is a mix of upbeat, positive and sometimes funny music, Santa talking to the kids and Story Time.

Santa talks with the kids about how their week has been and encourages them to call in

and talk to him (of course with their parents permission).  The call in number is

914-338-0558 and is only on during the show time. Story Time is a very important

part of every show. Stories vary from the classics to modern day futuristic.

  

Special days and celebrations call for special theme shows. Coming up in the near

future is the “Christmas in July Celebration”, with special guests and prizes.

Often Santa Claus encourages  the kids to start and keep

a journal or a diary of their daily life adventures. He also emphasizes the importance

of reading and shares with them ways to get interested in reading.

Santa Claus also has developed a parental aide iphone app. It is in the Apple App

Store, named Santa Speaks. The app provides a way for the parent to be assisted

by Santa Claus in rewarding their child for a job well done in several areas of their life.

There are also areas where Santa can assist the parent with positive reinforcement  for

a particular behavioral problem. All this is available year round.

For more information contact:

Santa Jim Pollard

Santa’s Country Home

9312SR 131

Hickory, KY 42051

Santa1@bellsouth.net

270-851-7699

Sleigh phone 270-493-0281

Tips to make your Memorial Day weekend and the rest of the Summer more enjoyable.

Bounce This Along
   
Mail carriers have said that the U.S. Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow-jackets away.

Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. Use it when you are working outside. It really works. The insects just veer around you.

All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home, place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car, place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe lovebugs off easily with the wet Bounce. 


Santa Jim Pollard
http://www.TheFabulousFifties.net

Need For After School Activities

When children are literally up to their gills with the learning and sport activities in school, it may seem superfluous to enroll them for after school activities. In spite of this, after school programs are sprouting up in large numbers and most of these are booked full. This shows that there is a real need for after school activities.

The unavailability of parental supervision is the leading cause for the surge in after school programs. It is seen that many children spend about 20-25 hours a week unsupervised and alone at home. And as the saying goes, "An idle mind is a devil's workshop". Children who are left alone to contend with too much free time invariably fall into the wrong company. Drug abuse, alcohol, tobacco and crime come knocking at their doors sooner rather than later. Parents enroll children to various after school programs to keep them occupied in a productive manner. This way, the kids are free to enjoy themselves in a supervised activity.

Crime is considered to be at its peak during the after school hours, between 3- 4 p.m. During such a time, children need protection. Getting the children together under one roof and encouraging them to participate in a group activity is protection enough. It diverts the children from ennui too.

Obesity is a matter of growing concern in this country. It is noticed that more and more children are becoming couch potatoes. After school, many of them relax on the sofa with packets of chips, cool drinks or chocolates while they watch T.V. 30 % of the kids below the age of 19 are considered overweight, and about 15% of these are obese. An after school program ensures that the child shakes off his lethargy and keeps himself busy. This also helps to reduce the child's fascination for T.V and computer games.

After school activities that promote social awareness develop the individual's sense of social responsibility. It is seen that these sorts of programs not only keep kids out of trouble, but also help to produce responsible citizens. To that extent, they are valuable building blocks in a child's personality.

Times are changing and parents want their children to excel in academics as well as in other activities. This may be a reflection of the parent's unfulfilled desire to excel - a remnant from his own childhood. Whatever the reason, parents today encourage their children to enroll themselves in various programs and develop the various facets of their individuality. Children too seem to be comfortable learning many things at the same time, and gain satisfaction from this.

Always believe and be good,

Santa Claus

http://www.SantaClausLiveTalkRadio.blogspot.com