Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Why to Get Prepaid Gift Cards for Christmas 2010 - And How to Save on Them

As Christmas 2010 approaches, most of us are just starting to get into holiday shopping mode and figuring out what Christmas gifts to buy for everyone on our lists. One increasingly popular option is to get Christmas gift cards, which are an easy, budget-friendly and ideal holiday gift idea for pretty much anybody. But if you're still wondering whether you should purchase one for the 2010 holidays, here are a couple of reasons to consider.

THE STATS ON GIFT CARDS FOR THE HOLIDAY 2010 SEASON

Christmas Gift

If you think gift cards are among the best gifting options, you're not alone - 69% of shoppers polled in the recent Holiday Spending Index conducted by Javelin Research said at least one of their gift purchases this year will be a gift card, with 74% of female shoppers saying they would be buying one for the holidays.

And it's a present that's favored by shoppers from across the board, with both high-income and lower-income survey respondents stating they planned to purchase at least one for the 2010 holidays. Specifically, 63% of shoppers whose household incomes were less than ,000, and 76% of those with annual household earnings 0,000 or more said they would get a holiday gift card.

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA

There are lots of reasons why gift cards are so popular: convenience and budget friendliness to name a few. Check out this detailed list if you need more convincing:

Perfect for the pickiest person: Whether you're shopping for your Aunt Sadie or your fashionista girlfriend, you'll never have to worry about gift cards getting returned or being the wrong style or size! Just make sure you find out some general details about what your recipient likes, or pick a card for a store which sells a wide variety of products, like JCPenney. Wallet-wise: If you've only got 0 to spend on your brother's Christmas present, but he's into pricey electronics or is in the midst of a home improvement project, load that specific amount onto a card and you're good to go - no overspending! For extra savings, get an email gift card as you won't have to pay for shipping costs like with a physical card. And remember there are often lots of deals to help you get them for less during the holidays; look out for coupons, mail-in rebates and cash back rewards to maximize your savings. Get it for yourself: A prepaid gift card is perfect either to treat yourself or to help you stay on top of your own holiday spending. If you're worried you're going to blow your entire budget at that one store you love, just load a set amount onto a gift card, leave your credit cards at home, and stop once your card balance runs out.

Don't forget to make sure that your card doesn't have an expiry date or charge you an inactivity fee if you haven't used it in a while, as some retailers do put in hidden dormancy charges that may deplete your balance.

Have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday shopping season!

Why to Get Prepaid Gift Cards for Christmas 2010 - And How to Save on Them

Christmas Celebration With Different Traditions

Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world. Christianity is spread across the world, in every continent and country. Such vast numbers can only mean that Christmas celebrations in different countries have a number of unique Christmas traditions. They are specific to the particular country, and form what is today a part of the huge Christmas world.

Christmas in Australia- Australia lies in the Southern Hemisphere; hence they celebrate Christmas in summer. The people to prefer going to the beaches and setting up barbecues. The Australian traditions are similar to the UK and the US. The unique feature of their Christmas is the Adelaide Christmas Pageant. This largest Christmas parade in the world, and is attended by 400,000 people. The parade takes place in early November, on the month's first Saturday.

Christmas Eve

Christmas in Spain- Unlike most countries, celebrations in Spain begin late on the 24th of December, and go on till the 6th of January, well into the New Year. This period is known as Navidad. Here Santa Claus goes by the name of Papa Noel. Kids here enjoy a double treat as they get gifts even on the 5th of January; they hang shoes in their windows, and get gifts from the Three Wise Men.

Christmas in China- The citizens of China do not have an official religion, but many of them practice Christianity privately. There is no holiday on the 25th of December, but in tourist destinations like Macau and Hong Kong it is a public holiday. Celebrations are very low key, and traditions like Christmas gifts and card giving are celebrated. Mass is attended only by the Christians living in Hong Kong.

Christmas in Colombia- Christmas is more of a religious affair in this part of the world. Celebrations start early, with the Day of the Candles being celebrated on the 7th of December. Towns and communities gather together, and dress up the whole town as great gesture of unity. The gifts are delivered to the children by El Nino or Baby Jesus as opposed to Papa Noel.

Christmas in South Korea- South Korea being the only East Asian country to recognize Christmas as a national holiday, the celebrations in the country are getting grander by each passing year. All the usual traditions are celebrated here, and Santa Claus is known as Santa Halabuji or Grandfather Santa.

Conclusion- As one can see that here are many unique traditions that are celebrated all around the world. As the religion spread around the world many local traditions became a part of the celebrations. These traditions are what bind the people as one. However, there still quite a few traditions that remain the same. The lovely Christmas Carols, the Beautiful Christmas Tree, and who can forget everyone's beloved Santa Claus. Christmas celebrations have seen a great evolution over the years, and will do continue to see more as the joy of Christmas spreads all around the world.

Christmas Celebration With Different Traditions

Top 10 Toys For Christmas 2009

It is a fact that no parent can buy a decent toy for the children without the help of the Top 10 Christmas Toys list. You will find what to get for your children and you know that they will love it.

That is why we call them Top Christmas Toys; because children love them and they sell like crazy. These top selling Christmas toys feature toys for boys and girls of all age groups so that you don't find it difficult to select a present this year or get anxious about it. We have the difficult work for you. We also give you a brief description of the toys to be sure that you get a photo what they are all about.

Christmas Toys

Here are the top 10 toys for Christmas 2009 that will make you parent of the year.

1. Star Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet. This is a top selling toy because boys will always love adventure and battles. This Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet right out of Star Wars will make your little boy a little hero that will fight with galactic enemies and safe the universe, and so on. Great for young boys, that will get them to parallel universes.

2. Fur Real Biscuit My Lovin Pup. It is only logical to contain this toy in the top christmas toys list. This FurReal pup is as close to a real a pet can be. It will be the very first pet of your little child. It will even listen to six commands that you give: sit, lie down, sit up. Beg and speak. And if you ask for his paw, he will give it but then you have to give it a little treat. It has the cutest puppy eyes that will make you love it at once. It measures 21" tall.

3. Elmo-Live! by Fisher-Price. This will assuredly be one of the best selling toys for Christmas 2009. You already know Elmo by Sesame road and this new upgrade in the character will make you excited. Now Elmo can talk, sing, tell jokes and many more. This is an ideal gift for children aged 18 and up because it can teach them to think and interact with the many activities Elmo can do. Your children will play in a imaginative way, not passively.

4. Baby Annabell Doll. With Baby Annabell you know that you can expect something at the Christmas Top 10. Baby Annabell Doll will make your little daughter be a mum and learn how to take care of man herself. She is almost like a real baby since she can cry with tears, sleep even use her potty. She can also make sounds like a real baby. This is a great gift for little girls over 3. This doll is 46cm tall, she has features like a real baby and can even move her head when she hears your voice. She opens and closes her eyes, makes sucking noises, sheds tears, everything will make you love her. You need 4 Aa batteries to make her work.

5. Transformer greatest Bumblebee. The Camaro that was launched in 2008 now changes into Transformer greatest Bumblebee. It has some wonderful lights and sounds that simulate vehicle or robot play. Also, there are animatronics to look like even added a robot, an auto firing weapon and some spectacular lights. Its measurements are 375mm in height, 335mm in width and 157 mm in depth. It has the batteries it needs.

6. Dance With Me Teletubbies. Tomy Toys have been at the top of your Christmas gifts list for many years now. However, they never cease to originate new things to amaze the children. This year is the Dancing Teletubbies that will be one of the favourites for the Christmas. Children love watching Teletubbies on Tv and will in effect spend many hours playing with their favourite characters at home. They look so similar with what you see on Tv. They even make the same sounds and dancing like on Tv.

7. LeapFrog Tag reading System. The Tag Reader theory is great if you have children in the middle of 4 and 8. This is a touch and talk reading theory with a camera at the top that read the pages aloud. With the LeapFrog Tag reading theory your children will want to read even more. This expedient has more than 20 printed books and games that your children will enjoy. They can take a look at some of the most celebrated characters like SpongeBob square or Ariel the little Mermaid. You can associate the Tag Reader to a computer with the Usb cable that you will get and download more than five stories of the most popular stories for the Tag Reader. Your child has never enjoyed reading stories that much. This is the most interactive and fun way for your child to read stories. With the LeapFrog Tag reading theory even the most demanding child will be pleased.

8. Hulk Smash Gamma Rage Hands. Hulk Smash Gamma Rage Hands will be among the best sellers this Christmas. If your child love the green character then there isn't whatever else we can dream that will be great for him; only this hero sizes mitts. If you want to frighten all your enemies then you can only do it with these Hulk Smash hands. They have all the details like the real super hero, the green fingernails and some awesome sounds. You can hear some Hulk phrases that will send everyone running to hide. For example, there are the phrases Hulk! Smash!, 'You won't like me when I'm angry! Or a marvelous roar that will make you the most marvelous of all. This is an ideal game for ages 5+.

9. Ben 10 deluxe Omnitrix. If you are already a Ben 10 fan then this is a necessity for your collection. It has green and red lights and transformation sounds. This is the best alien seeking game that you can find.

With the Ben 10 deluxe Omnitrix you will never get bored. It has a life-size and a big Lcd screen. You can convert 4 separate games, you get lights and sounds and you can see 10 separate alien faces on the Lcd.

10. Spykee Spy Robot. At last you can have your very own robot at home. You can operate it no matter where you are in the house. Meccano has in effect made a huge inequity with Spykee Spy Robot and has won a place in the Top 10 of Christmas presents for this year. Spykee doesn't need a lot of knowledge to compose it and you can associate it with all Meccano building set components. Your children will love Spykee and play with it endlessly but you may have trouble choosing if you want to keep it for yourself after all.

Top 10 Toys For Christmas 2009

Grandparents Christmas Gift Ideas

Are you struggling with Christmas gift ideas for grandparents this year. Buying Christmas gifts for grandparents should not be too difficult, due to the fact that you know them so well. A couple of factors that come into this selection though are how fit and active are your grandparents. They could still be quite young and active or they could be more senior and not so active. This could be the difference between the types of Christmas gift you choose.

In a lot of cases you will find that mom and dad pages on Christmas gift websites would guide you quite well to that special gift. But if the grandparents are less active and have problems getting about, something to relieve the frustration of not being as capable as they would wish would be more suitable. Maybe a new TV, or a dab radio, foot rest even or a nice weekend away gift that would be nice. Other ideas such as a shopping bag on wheels or even a Dyson hand held vacuum cleaner; I bought one of these myself recently, they are great for little jobs around the house, or as a follow up to dusting. Anything like that, as I said earlier, to relieve the frustration of finding little jobs more and more difficult to do.

Christmas Day

Another suggestion is a computer with skype to help them keep up with and communicate with the family. Just because you are getting old doesn't mean you don't want to be kept in the loop. They could even pursue an online interest or join a forum. One last suggestion here is electronic books. There is quite a selection now and some are even free once you have the electronic reading device. There are many websites displaying all of these gift ideas on the internet, all you have to do is type in the words that you think would help you and loads of websites will appear to guide you.

Grandparents Christmas Gift Ideas

Top 10 Christmas Toys For Kids 2009

Christmas 2009 is just around the corner!  As much as you believe that you have all the time in the world to get your Christmas shopping done, December 24th will arrive lightning fast. In order to beat the crowds, gain the deals and ensure that you don't have disappointed children on Christmas morning you better start your Christmas shopping early. There are a bunch of new toys that kids want for Christmas. It's difficult knowing which ones to get. Luckily this is a guide that will help you find the excellent gifts for your children of all ages. Just don't wait too long, because these toys are guaranteed to clear the shelves fast!

1. Wii motion Plus

Christmas Toys

Stay wholesome and active with the new precision Wii motion Plus island fun for the whole family. It comes with Wii Sports Resort, a beach themed game pack with dozens of activities. The motion Plus for Wii has greater accuracy, watch as every twist of your wrist and turn of your body is replicated on your television screen.

2. Star Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet

Children love to role-play, this helmet has a realistic voice amplifier, and good vision straight through its visor. Kids ages 5 and up will stay busy for hours, the helmet is comfortable and unquestionably adjust for different head sizes. There are three modes, and signature phrases from the show.

3. Mindflex

Kids are challenged as they try to move the ball straight through the obstacle course they created. The ball floats on a cushion of fan driven air, but the sensor on their head and clip sensors on their fingers make kids think it's their mind power at work.

4. Transformers Movie 2 Bumblebee Role Play Helmet

A entertaining yellow and grey helmet, boys and girls can Role Play when they suit up and prepare to save the universe. The child's voice sounds like Bumblebee's voice from transformer and has voice phrases. Three modes are available, and it plays conversation sounds of Bumblebee. Mix your voice with 6 music styles using the voice mixer. For ages 5 and up.

5. Dj Hero

Mix music like a Dj with groundbreaking music and game play. Unlock mixes, characters and costumes by earning stars. Pick from hot artist, customize and mix a collection of samples and effects. Play in multi-player mode on-line or off-line using a unique turntable controller that has a article player, a fader, effects knob and euphoria button. The controller can be adjusted for left or right handed use.

6. Radica Ucreate Music

Kids can originate their own music. This is not just a toy. It is much more advanced, kids add beats and mix them up. Add voice overs with the mic, speed up or slow down the speed, add effects and kids can save their tracks. Attach a Mp3 player, and article clips of music. Join together speakers, or use the Usb cord to Join together to a computer, then passage the music mixer software.

7. Rubik's Touch Cube

A digital version or the old Rubik's cube that is fully electronic, you use a finger to swipe it, and a sensor moves and turns the cubes. If you get stuck it gives you a hint, if you make a mistake it can go back one move at a time.

8. Smart Cycle Extreme

Plugs into your Tv, and kids 3 to 6 can rehearsal and learn at the same time. It has a rumble feature, and joystick to keep your child engaged. entertaining way to teach letters, number, and shapes. Kids can race against cars, the clock or playmates.

9. Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters

This pet is realistic, but there is no clean-up or odor. In nurturing mode Zhu Zhu purrs and is happy; or it can inspect things and talk to stimuli while in adventure mode. These pet hamsters have accessories like the hamster wheel or fun house which can be purchased separately.

10. Fur Real Lulu the Cuddling Kitty

A very nice way for a wee one to have a kitty. It's a beautiful toy that sits on your child's lap while they pet her. Lulu blinks her eyes, licks her paws to wash her face, and moves her head and ears. She rolls to have her tummy stroked. Lulu makes a great companion.

Any of the above top 10 Christmas toys 2009 will make a great gift for your loved ones. And there just isn't a better feeling all year than when we see our childrens' faces light up, and see their shrieks of joy and satisfaction when they open up their gifts, is there?

Top 10 Christmas Toys For Kids 2009

Fun Christmas Ideas For Newlyweds

The first Christmas that you share as husband and wife is an unforgettable time. It is a time to share favorite traditions, show your love, and start new traditions of your own. These are some fun Christmas ideas for newlyweds.

Certainly, gifts are one of the big parts of the holiday season. For the man who is looking for something extra special to make his new wife's Christmas merry and bright, consider gifts of jewelry which match her bridal set. Gifts which coordinate with her wedding jewelry are a lovely way to complete her set, and new brides always anything that remind them of their weddings (and sparkles are always great!). One fun presentation idea is to tuck the jewelry into little ornaments which open and have her find them on the tree on Christmas morning.

Christmas Card

When you are recently married, one thing which you have in abundance is great photographs. Why not choose a really special image of the two of you to have made into a painting or a framed print on canvas? This would be a fantastic gift idea from either the bride or groom to his or her new spouse. A painted version of a wedding picture could also be a lovely holiday gift for parents or grandparents.

Another fantastic use of your favorite wedding photos is your holiday greeting card. Even if you are not normally a fan of photo Christmas cards, everyone on your list will enjoy receiving a card with a beautiful wedding picture on it. There are tons of great websites which make ordering photo cards a snap. Then you don't have to do another Christmas card with a portrait again until your first child is born.

After putting together a wedding, most young married couples are practically party planning pros. Take advantage of this by hosting a holiday open house for all of your friends and family. It is a really fun holiday event that will quickly become one of your favorite things about Christmastime year after year. The concept of the holiday open house is quite simple: pick a weekend afternoon in early to mid December, send out invitations asking guests to drop by between certain hours (usually a three or four hour time span is best; the smaller your guest list, the shorter the time window should be) to share a cup of holiday cheer, some Christmas cookies, and a few light munchies.

Your first Christmas as newlyweds is a great opportunity to establish holiday customs that you will enjoy every year that follows. Some may be things that you have done together in holidays past, they could be holiday traditions from one of your families, or it could be something entirely new. There are all sorts of fun ideas. It could be opening one gift on Christmas eve, going ice skating every holiday season, or one of my favorites, having Chinese food every year on Christmas eve. Thinking of special traditions to start and sharing your most cherished childhood customs will be one of the most meaningful parts of your first Christmas as husband and wife.

Fun Christmas Ideas For Newlyweds

Christmas Gifts For Women - Top 10 Things to Do For Your Girlfriend For the Holidays

Christmas is right around the corner and before you know it its Christmas eve and you still don't have a gift. If you're looking for something to show how much you love her, here are some good examples of Christmas gifts for women.

1. A nice eternity necklace is the perfect gift to those who want to show their woman that they want to be with them forever. Your girl will love it and it will definitely make you look good!

Christmas Eve

2. A promise ring always works when wanting to say "I love you."

3. Teddy bears will never die out! Girls love stuffed animals, especially if you spray a little of your cologne.

4. If she had ever told you what she wanted try to keep that stored in your memory. Get what she asked for, she will love it because that was what she wanted initially and because YOU ACTUALLY REMEMBERED!

5. Get her a his/her gift. They have so many couples gifts that it makes it easy to shop for her perfect gift. For example, his/her rings let her know that you want people to know your taken by her and vice versa. There are also tee shirts, hats, teddy bears, and even jewelry.

6. An easy way out is to get her perfume. If you know what she wears get her a new bottle, if not then shop around, smell them. Pick out one you would like her to wear.

7. Take her out shopping. A girl will go crazy if you tell her, "babe for Christmas I'm taking you shopping." Most girls will not believe their ears because lets be real, guys never do this. But hey, it's one day out of the entire year, we have to give in sometime.

8. Get her a pet! A puppy, kitten, bunny, even a hamster. Girls love little fuzzy animals, especially if they are babies. She will keep it for a long time and always remember that special Christmas.

9. Make her a card. Yes guys I said MAKE not BUY. Making her a card shows that you are actually putting in the effort of what to write, how to decorate, and how you feel. She will love it and this will probably get her emotional and most likely you may get lucky.

10. Put yourself in an oversize box and surprise her. Yea this is cheesy and its always been a thought in our heads but in actuality how many guys actually done this? I'm sure not many. Let you be her first, it will make her smile and she will love it. Of course when you do this gift be sure to add one of the previous gift ideas I mentioned. Yea the girl will love it, but we all know that will not satisfy her crave for gifts.

It's Christmas, you know she's expecting more this time of year!

Christmas Gifts For Women - Top 10 Things to Do For Your Girlfriend For the Holidays

How Do You Spend Your Christmas Holidays?

There are so many different ways that people in the United States spend Christmas. When there are children in the home, Christmas morning usually starts off very early with the wonders of what Santa Clause brought. Usually a child at some point will be known to sneak out during the night and take a peek. They get so excited they just can't sleep.

In the morning most families with children like to get the whole family together. As the children come out to see what Santa Clause brought them the parents are there to take picture after picture of the excitement on their children's faces, and pictures of the unwrapped gifts Santa has left them.

Christmas Day

Now it's time to open presents. While some just start opening their presents other families like to take turns so they can see what each other got.

After the toys and presents are opened it's time for breakfast. Some families are known to make a big breakfast others just have something to hold them over until their big meal.

The time people eat their holiday meal, and where they eat it differs greatly. Usually Christmas dinner will start anywhere from noon until 8:00 in the evening. This is a time for family and friends so if people are not serving dinner in their homes they are most likely on their way to friends and family.

What's for dinner is a whole variety of family traditions. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, corn, fruits and breads are some of the traditional Christmas foods. A lot of people substitute the turkey with ham or duck. Other people may have something totally different. One family I know isn't going to have Christmas without Oyster Stew. Now that is different!

I come from a large family. We have always had a traditional Christmas dinner, but we have it on Christmas Eve with not only turkey, but ham and all the trimmings. After our Christmas dinner and the kitchens clean, we open presents form one another. The children start opening their presents then the grown-ups join in.

When all the presents have been opened, and we have all had a chance to see what each other received it's time to eat again. There are homemade cookies, fudge, more chocolates, and a variety of pies.

It is usually very late by now so everyone with small children head for home. There is still a lot to do to get ready for Santa. While the mothers get their children ready for bed everyone else is running around getting the hidden surprises placed under the tree and the stockings in place.

On Christmas morning the children are always up early. We hustle to get everybody in place to take pictures and have the children come out to see what Santa brought.

While they play with their new toys we finally have a chance to rest. Our Christmas Day dinner will be leftovers and they are always better than on Christmas Eve.

How Do You Spend Your Christmas Holidays?

Christmas Gifts - Toys That Bring Joys to Kids

To save money, adults in a house may make sacrifices and only focus on buying Christmas gifts for the kids. Despite the fact that adults also enjoy receiving gifts at Christmas, the joy of looking the kids unwrapping their presents and shrieking in satisfaction overshadowed the sacrifices. From the amount of delightfulness the kids have when received confident toys or other gifts, we can see that Christmas gifts are generally for children. Anyway, as the song implies, Santa Claus is advent to town to give presents only to the well-behaved kids, not the well-behaved adults.

Among all the gifts, toys play an prominent part while Christmas. Loving parents often put in a lot of effort and do anyone to shop around in order to get gifts that are really unique and what their kids wish for. When you visit any shopping mall while Christmas season, you can see many parents browsing around to pick the right type of toys for their love ones as Christmas gifts. Young kids prefer toys like stuff toys, remote control cars, dolls, train sets or construction sets. Often, these young kids would air their wish to their parents months before Christmas and start looking forward in receiving their dream gifts.

Christmas Toys

For older kids, Christmas gifts which they prefer to receive may not be much of a toy to them. These older kids may wished for gifts like computer games, Mp3 player, 'cool' style movable phone, games console or even a laptop. These toys, so to speak, are not difficult to get but to make older kids to tell you what they wish for may not be that easy.

There are any ways to buy your kids' Christmas gifts and the coarse way is to physically go into a shopping mall or departmental store to pick your own Christmas gifts. Christmas is a time when retailers make the major part of their sales for the year. Brand new and improved toys are mostly released into the shop while this period as the demands are always higher than the supplies. Consumers, on the other hand get to select from a great range of toys with competing prices. The down side of it is that it will be very tiring walking from one store to an additional one to perfect your list of gifts.

Alternatively, you can shop online to buy your Christmas gifts. There are many e-stores selling toys in the internet where you can browse and buy the toys by just a few click in the ease of your own home. What's more, some merchants really will deliver your Christmas gifts free of charge if your purchases reached a confident amount.
Educational toys have never been more favorite among the contemporary parents who place a lot of importance in their kids' knowledge enrichments. Puzzles, construction blocks and soft cloth books are some of the educational toys which make suitable Christmas gifts for younger kids. Older kids are keener in getting educational toys which make use of contemporary technology and are highly computerized.

Kids will definitely jump for joy when receiving toys they have longed for while Christmas. The kind of wonderful feeling can 'inscribe' in their memory and last them for a lifetime. So when these kids became adults and have their own kids, they would want to give the same kind of pleasant feeling to their own children by giving them the right toys for Christmas.

When we are enjoying the fun from establishment for the advent Christmas, we should also remember the unfortunate groups. The act of giving ought to be extended to these groups of orphans who are hoping to receive any kind of toys while Christmas. Do something for these groups of kids by donating new or even age toys to orphanages or churches which would do the distribution. Just fantasize the joys you can bring to these kids while this Christmas. Isn't that the real meaning of Christmas?

Toys have played and will still continue to play a vital part in many occasions, especially at Christmas. The happiness of receiving the desired toys as Christmas gifts is great and unforgettable to most kids. So don't rush but plan properly before you head out to pick the toys for your kids this Christmas.

Christmas Gifts - Toys That Bring Joys to Kids

One Christmas Tradition We Will Always Keep

Christmas is the time of year that brings families together. Many people are traveling, desperately trying to get home or to their families in time for Christmas. With all of this going on, there is another tradition that we have started. Unlike the family traditions like the writing of the Santa letter or opening the letter from Santa, where the whole family comes together for the event, this tradition is a little more selfish than that. On Christmas Eve, my wife and I stay at home and do nothing. I know that does not sound like much of a tradition but it important to us.

It took several years but most of our family has finally caught on to the idea. With our children grown with children of their own, it is the perfect chance for us to be alone on Christmas Eve and enjoy each other's company. They know that we will join them before this day and after. They can count on us to visit with our grandbabies and bring our gifts. We spend time with them and always have a huge meal on Christmas day. Christmas Eve, however, is our own.

Christmas Eve

It starts with the house being completely dark save for the candles that we place in the rooms that we will use. We burn two or three candles in the kitchen, two in the bathroom, and twenty or more in the living room. Candles have a way of setting so many different moods. They can be scary at Halloween, romantic on Valentines day, (night) and useful on the Fourth of July, but on Christmas Eve, they are just joyful and yet soulful at the same time. It is difficult to explain but it makes our house feels like a home on that one special night of every year.

With the house warmly lit by the multi-colored and multi-fragranced candles, we also light pine or Christmas scented oils and incense. The smell of Christmas by candlelight makes you feel warm inside. It is almost like knowing that you are loved but not knowing by whom. Now it is time to whip up some hot chocolate and settle in front of the fireplace.

We have found that on Christmas Eve, we prefer a low, slow burning fire as opposed to a roaring fire. It is nice to have a roaring fire during those cold days and nights when it is needed but on Christmas Eve, a small slow one is best. On the CD player, we will set up the old classic Christmas albums that we grew up with as children. The crooners of old really know how to put you into the spirit and the instrumentals are just as cozy.

Sometimes we will talk quietly about the Christmases of old, but, most of the time we just sit there in the glow of the candles and firelight and just are together. Each of us lost in our own thoughts about what Christmas means to us and how much we love sharing it with each other. When two people have been together long enough, they learn how to enjoy each other without a lot of words. This is one Christmas tradition that I will always cherish. If I am left here alone, I will still carry on this tradition and I know that she will be here with me. If she should still be here when I am gone, I know that she will also be right here on Christmas Eve and I will be here with her, in her heart, keeping her warm without saying a word.

One Christmas Tradition We Will Always Keep

Chicago Holiday Events and Attractions You Don't Want to Miss!

This year, take a break from the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays and truly enjoy this season with some of Chicago's many holiday festivities. From light festivals and holiday markets to Santa Clause and "Reindog" parades, Chicago offers an abundance of holiday events easily accessible from most Chicago hotels. Here is this season's guide to some of Chicago's best holiday attractions your family will love!

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

Christmas Eve

On Saturday, November 20, 2010, celebrate the holidays with family-friendly fun and activities including stage performances, ice-carving contests, and the lighting of one million lights along the magnificent Michigan Avenue. This year is rumored to be bigger, better, and brighter than ever, so make your Chicago hotels reservations soon for the true holiday experience.

Christkindlmarket Chicago

Experience a traditional German American holiday market opening right after Thanksgiving at Daley Plaza through Christmas Eve. This holiday tradition has brought the holiday spirit to Chicago for over 15 years, and offers special German Christmas treats, music, and entertainment throughout the season. Take a stroll through the snowy Christkindlmarket and you are sure to leave filled the spirit of a true German American Christmas.

Chicago Botanic Garden December Events

If you are looking for a holiday festivity your whole family will enjoy, including your dog, the check out the Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The festivities include the Wonderland Express train exhibit, Hanukkah Dinner, Breakfast or Supper with Santa, and Hot Chocolate with Mrs. Claus. You can also enter your pooch into the annual Reindog Parade-just make sure your Chicago hotels reservations are pet-friendly before bringing along Buddy the Basset Hound dressed like a reindeer.

Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light

November 18 through January 9 of the New Year, the halls of the Museum of Science and Industry will be decked for this holiday season. The museum will showcase more than 50 Christmas trees each decorated by Chicago's ethnic communities to represent their global cultures. The Holiday Stage will also feature various dance and choral groups for your entertainment. Perfect for all ages, your whole family will love strolling through the trees before heading back to your Chicago hotel rooms, especially as falling "snow" whirls all around.

Chicago is famous for its spectacular winter wonderland season and is the perfect place for a family getaway with your loved ones. With many Chicago hotels nestled closely to some of the best holiday festivities to choose from, your family will have a Christmas to remember and will look forward to their next holiday experience in Chicago.

Chicago Holiday Events and Attractions You Don't Want to Miss!

Christmas Gift Idea - Top 3 Christmas Gift Ideas for You

The Christmas Day is just around the corner. It's a festival of family reunion and a gala day with gifts. How to celebrate Christmas Day and how to make this Christmas Day unique? The point is the smart Christmas gift idea.

When speaking of Christmas gift idea, the first question coming to my mind is that "what are the best Christmas gift ideas for 2010 Christmas". Don't hurry, here you will get 3 top Christmas gift ideas. Just try to find the best one for you.

Christmas Day

Home-Made Gift Ideas

Are you tired of sending and receiving the same (or similar) gifts every year, such as flowers, candy, teddy bears, and the simple cards? In fact, you can try to make your gifts unique: you can give everyone you know a home-made presents this year. There is no doubt that home-made gifts are much more meaningful. Just learn to make a simple (or delicate) gift by yourself. No matter how simple it is, your families/friends will be surprised and pleased.

A Best-Selling Book

Books are always popular among people at all ages, since reading not only helps you pass time, but also makes you smarter, why not go to have a read? As reported from some the search on Internet shopping, books are among those best sellers online. Therefore, I believe it a nice choice to take a best-selling book as a unique gift to your friend or your family. Here, maybe I could find the best-selling books in 2010 for you. They are: Solar by Ian McEwan, Secrets of Eden's by Chris Bohialian, The Passage by Justin Cronin, and so on.

Cotton Scarves

Cotton scarf would be a great choice for you to warm your friends/families in this cold winter. There are many cotton scarves on display online or in stores, which are soft, exquisite and fashionable. Always, cotton scarves can not only keep a person away from frozen weather, but also act as pieces of fashion accessories to make one more elegant. Therefore, this delicate gifts are preferred by girls. If you are going to gift a faddy girl, maybe you can take the cotton scarf into consideration.

Christmas Gift Idea - Top 3 Christmas Gift Ideas for You

The Classic Christmas Gifts for Girls

As Christmas day approaches, boys must be in an anxious state because they are absolutely aware that they can never make a right decision on what they should give to their girls as a Christmas gift. To get such boys out of trouble, here are some advisable gifts.

First, flowers can never be omitted. No matter how long you have been in a romantic relationship and how old you are at present, never forget to buy flowers for the female. In fact, the number of flowers does not count so much for girls as you might have thought. Actually girls will feel quite satisfied because you have kept the truth that girls love flowers in mind for them. So even there is only one flower, they also accept it cheerfully. Furthermore, flowers with your sweet words can get a better outcome as it is quite romantic for girls. So remember to take flowers for the date on the Christmas day.

Christmas Day

Second, chocolate is the safest choice. Most girls have a special feeling for chocolates. They hate it because of fearing to gain weight, while they love it because of enjoying the sweet which is similar to be loved. When it's Christmas day, the latter feeling will totally take them in control. Therefore, getting chocolates for them won't be a failure. However, which chocolate is the great selection? There are so many chocolate brands such as Ferrero Rocher, Swiss Thins, Kinder Buenq and Dove or Hershey's. As to which is the best, it depends on which one on the shelf looks more lovely and is delicately packed. Girls love things that seem adorable.

Generally speaking, it is enough to send your girls the flowers and chocolates. But when you have some special plan on the special day, it will be far from being enough. On the other hand, if you plan to share Christmas day with your best female friend, the chocolate can be replaced with some other gifts which are more practical and useful. And if you want to be nice, you can keep sending the flowers but remember to give up rose.

To sum up, gifts can be a tough task for boys. Just remember what is classic cannot be wrong.

The Classic Christmas Gifts for Girls

Christmas Eve Traditions Your Family Will Love

As the holidays approach, families tend to go back year after year to the traditions they embraced from their parents or those that they have created. Some families choose Christmas Eve to pause in the midst of the excitement and read the traditional holiday tale. Others attend a candlelight service or a midnight service at their church of choice.

Your family can have pump up the holiday spirit by going door to door singing carols. It doesn't matter how well you sing as long as you have fun doing it. If you're fortunate, your neighbors will follow invite you in for a hot drink and cookies. You can also take the family to a nearby senior living center and go singing from room to room. You'll make such a difference in the lives of shut-ins plus share a lesson in caring for others with your kids.

Christmas Eve

When your family lives far from grandparents, spend time after dinner looking at albums. Use these to show the children what it was like at your home as a child. Let the photos remind you of stories to tell them about relatives that they have never met. Then show the photos of your kid's first holidays and tell those endearing yet embarrassing (to the teenagers) stories.

Gather in the kitchen and decorate sugar cookies together. Give everyone six cookies, tubes of icing, sprinkles, shaved coconut and small chocolate chips to create their masterpieces. You can also decorate a gingerbread house that's already constructed and use it for the centerpiece of Christmas dinner table.

After weeks of guessing what's under the tree, you can give each person a chance to choose one gift to open before going to bed. It's always fun to see who chooses the largest box and who chooses the smallest box. As the wrapper, you can make this even more fun by hiding a small one in a large box or wrapping a sweater rolled in a postal tube instead of the predictable size and shape.

To persuade the children to get to sleep at a decent hour, wrap a special present for each child that's tagged "must open that night." That's cozy flannel pajamas and a small toy. The instruction inside the gift reads, "Santa's getting closer! Time to go to bed so he can stop by your house! Love, Santa's Elves." The rule is that every little one has to be in bed before the Elves send the "all clear" signal.

As the kids get older, they enjoy filling stockings for the parents too. Give them a time before bed to fill the parents' stockings and hide them in the living room. Then after the kids go to bed, the parents start their official holiday duties. When the house is quiet, this is an ideal time to finish the tasks with coffee and quiet time together as a couple.

Christmas Eve Traditions Your Family Will Love

Most beloved Toys for Christmas 2010

Buying the most popular toys for Christmas 2010 can be quite a challenge for most when it comes to shopping. Searching for those best buys while also looking the right gift for those we love may not all the time fit into our budget as well as we would like. Holding our eyes and ears open is one of the best methods especially when we start our shopping early.

Before one begins shopping for the most popular toys for Christmas 2010, have children start development their list as early as September. Commonly by this time, kids will have seen toys in stores, on the television as well as friends houses that they might want to own for themselves.

Christmas Toys

Many great toy manufacturers make toys for all ages. Some of these leading brands are Mattel, Hasbro, and Lego amongst many others. Majority of these brands have great sales in market and even online. These games range everywhere in the middle of hands on, visual, while most having an educational impact on the child itself.

One thing to keep in mind when shopping for kids is the space that they have in the home. Are the toys going to be accessible in the living room or bedroom? This can be a big dissimilarity in the choices and can narrow down the bigger ones and even the noisiest. The other main thing to think about, are the toys age appropriate.

Keep in mind when choosing the products that smaller toys, microscopic kids can place in their mouth and cause choking. discover the toys for these youngsters by handling them yourself. Are there small parts where a child can pull it until at last the piece can become dislodged?

Another concept to keep in mind concerning the children's age, is the frustration level or becoming bored with a toy. Majority of these most popular toys for Christmas 2010 will have the age brackets already figured out for you. This is great for most adults for the guessing is automatically eliminated causing less stress while shopping.

Most beloved Toys for Christmas 2010

Dance Star Mickey - The Hottest Toy For Christmas 2010

For more than eighty years, Fisher-Price have been producing superior quality toys and games which keep working, this holiday season they've brought it to a great new proper by bringing out the most innovative cutting edge expanding to the Fisher-Price team, Dance Star Mickey. Ever since Mickey Mouse was introduced more than eighty years ago, he has come to be the loving ambassador of kindness and fun just about in any place and treasured by innumerable kids over the world. Now that Dance Star Mickey is here, playtime has never been more magical. Ultimately young ones are able to get up, dance and sing with their buddy Mickey like never before.

Dance Star Mickey is no ifs ands or buts the most captivating Mickey Mouse toy ever and is exquisite for children 18 months to 6 years old. Mickey walks, talks, sings and dances to a variety of brand new grooves. There are a total of half a dozen tracks like the melodies, Shake Your Groove Thing and Get Up Offa That Thing as well as a handful of diverse dances which includes Michael Jackson's historical moonwalk. Dance Star Mickey includes songs that cover many of the coolest styles of music from soul, disco, Latina along with techno.

Christmas Toys

Dance Star Mickey is without examine loaded with interactive activities, dances and melodies sure to get your child dancing and performing together with Mickey. Offering the latest technological innovations, Mickey will move like no other toy available. His actions and alluring temperament will entertain even the littlest audience member all the way up to dad and mom.

Dance Star Mickey is manufactured out of a lush fabric that can no ifs ands or buts be cleaned employing a damp pad. Mickey moves his hands and legs and additionally rotates all-around on small wheels incorporated into the base of his feet. Fisher-Price Dance Star Mickey requires half a dozen duplicate A battery packs. Mickey weighs roughly 4.5 lbs that is no ifs ands or buts easy adequate for roughly all youngsters to move around.

Mickey Mouse lovers will assuredly expect to grab this as it will clearly be a collectors' item. In the short time since Dance Star Mickey was released at the New York Toy fair earlier this year, he has performed with Donnie Osmond and also made an appearance in the favorite Tv schedule Dancing with the Stars.

Dance Star Mickey - The Hottest Toy For Christmas 2010

25 Days of Christmas: Day 14

It's day 14 of our 25 days of Christmas, which means there are only 10 more shopping days until Christmas! Hopefully your shopping is done and you are making some plans to relax and really enjoy the holiday.

Finding the Perfect Christmas Gift

Christmas Day

You've made your list, checked it twice, and if you're Santa, you even know who's been naughty or nice. Now it's time to go on the hunt for the perfect gift.

I have a challenge with finding the perfect gift for some of the people on my list. Children tend to be pretty easy, at least when they are young. As they get older, it gets to be more of a challenge to find that present that will light up their eyes when they open it. With my niece's oldest daughter, who is 14, we simply have an agreement that we will go shopping. That way I know she has something she loves, and I get the added bonus of spending a little one-on-one time with her. She's also great at acting surprised when she opens her gift at the family Christmas gathering.

Her father, however, is a very different story. My nephew is one of those men who just has everything. It's tough to shop for him. All too often, I have opted for simply getting a "couples" gift, knowing I have something my niece will love and also knowing he really won't mind. His birthday is also in December, which makes it a double challenge. You can't really do a "couples" birthday gift.:)

He is also an Oakland Raiders fan. Of course, that means when people buy something for him, they try to get Raider things. I honestly think he has just about everything that has been made with that Raiders logo on it, and if he doesn't, I sure don't have any idea what it is.

The thing is, he's also a great guy and has been so good to me. If I ever need anything, he's there. He and my husband have become friends, which also means my husband wants him to have something special for him (but of course, he sure doesn't want to shop for it). And so I look.

I bet you have someone on your list like that. Actually I think that "perfect" gift is what we are in search of for everyone on our list.

This year, I really had given up. His birthday came and I went to the store where I usually see Raiders things. Nothing. Not one thing. And so I caved. We gave him his birthday card with a note that we are taking him out to dinner for his birthday. What else can you do for a guy who has everything?

When I came home that evening, something just made me even more determined to not make this year's Christmas a "couples" gift year. I got online and started looking, with even more determination that I WOULD find the perfect gift. Two hours later, and you know what? There it was! The absolutely perfect gift for him. And it's Raiders. And it's something I'm absolutely certain he doesn't have.

Now, imagine that feeling. You've had it. All that searching and finally, when you've just about given up hope, that perfect gift just jumps out at you.

How about it? When have you had a time when you found the perfect gift? I look forward to hearing your stories.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 14

Christmas Toys Every Child Wants

There have never been as many toys - new and old - available to give as Christmas gifts as there are now. Cutting through the clutter and finding the toys that children legitimately want seems like mission impossible to many people. Knowing what types of toys are favorite with children doesn't have to be too difficult. Below is a list of some of the top Christmas toys every child wants in 2010.

Top Christmas Toys Every Child Wants in 2010

Christmas Toys

This list has been compiled from assorted sources.

Stinky The Garbage Truck - It has an awful name, but this truck from Mattel Matchbox is shaping up to be a big hit this Christmas. Kidizoom Video Camera - This camcorder for small children is high-tech and is sure to be on many Christmas lists this year. Kung Zhu hamsters - The hamsters are back - with an additional one inexpensive toy that many children love. Jet pack Buzz Lightyear - This toy is rather expensive, but many children are wanting it after finding Toy Story 3 earlier this year. Paper Jamz Guitar - The guitar has been colse to forever, but this year kids are going to be screaming for the Paper Jamz version.  They're made out of paper and very cheap. They use Touch technology and sound great.

If you see any of these items, it might be a good idea to get one while you can. There are no guarantees that the child you're buying a gift is going to like your selection, but these are some of the top toys that kids want in 2010. The old classics are sure to be favorites as well. From Barbie to Lego blocks to Gi Joe, there are many toys that have withstood the test of time and have been favorite year after year.

Christmas Toys Every Child Wants

Christmas Spirit Now and Every Day

Many individuals think of Christmas with negative beliefs of thoughts of deadlines, shopping, trying to get everything done for that one day and then become so exhausted from it all to the point of being glad that it's all over. Others think of Christmas day to celebrate Christ's birthday, honoring Christ.

What do you think about Christmas? What beliefs and attachments of thoughts do have when the season of Christmas comes along? Or are You removed from most of the dogma of it all?

Christmas Day

For myself I have let go of most of those conditions and have been able to create the spirit of Christmas all year, every day. The benefit I have found from it, is that every day or any day I choose I play Christmas songs, I leave some decorations up all year in my home. I even have a Christmas room filled with lights and decorations and a tree. It is what I have come to associate my thoughts with about Christmas that sustains such love and passion for it.

I took the meaning of Christmas as CHRIST-in-MASs. The teachings and role model of Christ's abilities to be as our brethren, to show us what Christ said, "He will do even greater things than these" actually literally. Learn and study the wisdom and practice the nature of reality. As he did by transforming water into wine, through what we now label in science, quantum physics as the observer effect. Going into FOCUS, using our imagining with all of our senses in the present of now as we want it to be. All of things that Christ did can now be explained through quantum science. Many still label under psychic, extraordinary or paranormal, yet ancient masters have been doing it since humanity began. It's our ancient knowledge turned into wisdom whenever we experience it for ourself.

So for me Christmas has come to mean Christ in mass reality and expand it to evolve to more unknown to know more for our selves. For me that means every day in every way. Using Christ as a role model of what our gift is from our Infinite Source, not to honor and obey but to honor his abilities and to honor it in myself and that it's also in everyone else too.

I think of the present's of Christmas as the gift that has always been inside all of us from the Infinite Source or Divine, the gift of experiencing our Christ like abilities waiting to be activated. Just like gifts sitting under our trees, for me it symbolizes the gift within us, we have the choice to keep it wrapped or we can open the gift. When we choose to open the gift then we become even more excited because we realize the powerful beings we really are in the present moments of now and how to use our power. Just as you have your present's under the tree, would you choose to leave them wrapped for years, or life times and never open them? Individuals who do the extraordinary have opened their internal infinite gift and using it.

I think of all the Christmas songs as reminders in the most empowering joyous ways of our own self being the Christ too born into physical to remember all of this wisdom, not just reserved for Christ. When I hear Christ is born, I think of myself as a Christ also born, just as my brother, sibling, all the songs can be a reflection to our own self, as I think Christ really wanted it originally to be.

The tree with sparkling lights and decorations remind me of our energy centers or chakra's being in harmony. Of how they are a magnetic field vibrating our frequencies through consciousness. Then another idea surfaces and I think of a string of lights, hundreds of colored lights shining, from one outlet, like our Infinite Source, energized into every cord that we extend each strand of lights. Each light looks separate yet when turned on in the dark background of night they shine and appear as one bright shining from top to bottom of the tree. Each one powered by the one outlet, without that outlet we'd have no experience of the beautiful lit tree. Just as without our Infinite Creator's outlet that we are all plugged into whether aware of not, we all generate realities of our experiences. All of the appearing separate lights that are powered from the one outlet source is similar to multiple dimensions. When we adjust the lights to blink off and on, it reminds me of seeing through the illusion of linear time into simultaneous dimensions and our selves blinking in and out of dimensions depending on our beliefs and expectations.

The falling snow reminds me of our innocence, how pure we really are without all of our human memories of subconscious programs that have kept us separate from our Infinite Divine Source in us. The fire burning in our fireplace reminds me of the warmth and fire within our selves that burns away all negative programs and ignites the divine desire and unity in the holographic nature of our worlds.

The joy of the Christmas spirit reminds me of our true nature, joy, bliss, empathy, microscopic wisdom of the infinite connection we really all are, when we see everything that way then we really can be cozy at home in our reality. Everything becomes to shine of infinite divine Christmas feeling.

That wraps it all up in an amazing infinite package of love and whatever we perceive is our own filtering of the reality we are experiencing. I think of how Christ wants us to remember all of this ancient wisdom and become it, honor it, and be it in our daily lives.

Let go of all the separation programs and become the Infinite Divine programs so that our lives can be of the real CHRIST in MASs reality. Which could be what we are evolving through these last few decades, to honor our own selves and finally unwrap our Divine gift within us and be our own Christ in mass reality.

Christmas Spirit Now and Every Day

What to Wear on Christmas Day

There is always a dilemma in our household about whether to dress up or go casual on Christmas day, over the years we've witnessed a variety of styles and fashions, from the hideous xmas jumper trend, through to grunge. My sister-in-laws always go for a glamorous look whereas I've always opted for comfortable but chic. But 2009 is a year of change, with the rise and rise of big and bold necklaces, I've decide to glam it up at the dinner table.

I love the idea of still sneaking in a bit of casual though, so will be doing this with a pair of gorgeous (but stretchy) leggings, paired with a cute little pair of knee length boots (obviously these will be swapped for wellies when we go out for our obligatory forest walk).

Christmas Eve

I will be teaming all of this with a gorgeous black tunic jumper and then topping it with a big, silver ball cluster necklace, a bit like the one off the 'here come the girls Boots advert' and with an oh-so-on-trend large Murano glass cocktail ring - I think I'll feel glitzy but still in my comfort zone.

So with this in mind, I've also come up with some tips for styling over the Christmas holidays

Christmas eve drinks down the pub - a lovely black polar neck teamed with a silk shift dress with a sexy and modern patent leather belt, thick black tights, ever so high (almost can't walk in them - but good if you are staying put in one place) patent leather shoes. Classic very long silver necklace and a lovely pussy bow hairband.

Boxing day at the relatives - now obviously this will depend on whether you have an annual table tennis competition in your house, or whether general drinks and a catch up is the usual. So for the former (our families choice), a lovely soft long black sweater/tunic with embellished beads around the neckline for added and easy glitz (it also ensures no necklace detachment during a vigorous backhand!), flat and chunky knee high boots. All the rest of the glamour can come in the form of a set of beautiful silver bangles - great for making a distracting noise whilst playing table tennis.

Trip to Panto - a British classic, to take the children and usually a few elderly relatives to shout 'he's behind you' at oddly dressed men-folk in ladies frocks. But style is important wherever you go, so a lovely long military style coat, knee high boots (flat and chunky biker style) deep purple (this seasons hot colour) satin pussy bow shirt and black stretch skirt. A lovely very large amethyst cocktail ring, over-long silver charm necklace to drop at tummy-button level and a cute silver charm bracelet. Don't forget you will need an over-sized handbag to carry everything in so go for Purple patent too.

What to Wear on Christmas Day

Christmas Gift Ideas For Your Dad

Buying a good gift for your dad is very important as he must have played a significant part in your bringing up. Christmas will give you an opportunity to return the love and affection that he has showered upon you over the years.

Here are a few gift ideas that you might find interesting in your quest to choose a perfect gift for dad.

Christmas Gift

• Movies - Men in their middle age would love to enjoy a good movie from the comfort of their own home. You can either consider buying him a great home theater system or a great collection of movies that he will love. Either way, he will be grateful for these gifts as it will allow him to relax and have some entertainment at the same time.

• Books - If your dad is an intellectual type and reads a lot, you can surprise him with a good book. Just be sure to poke around and see what he is reading already so you buy something along the lines of what he will like. This is also a great gift if you are on a tight budget as even a great book will not be very expensive.

• Reclining chair - Your dad would probably love to put his feet up after a long day at work. Most men are also advised to put their feet up from time to time as they grow older as it is better for the blood circulation in the lower body. Your dad is guaranteed to love a reclining chair on which he can relax and watch TV or just read the news paper.

• Coffeemaker - Dads across the world love their morning cup of Joe and cannot do without one. A great new coffee maker to replace the old one will make a great gift and he will be thankful to you for it. Even something simpler like a coffee mug that says World's greatest Dad is also guaranteed to bring a smile to his face.

• Golf gifts - If your dad is into golf, a good set of golf balls or golf clubs will make a good gift. If not for those, paid golf lessons from a professional will also be a good gift as golfers are very serious about improving the quality of their game.

• Tickets to a ball game - There is a good chance that your dad might have taken you out to a ball game when you were younger. Trying to relive that experience by going to a ball game again will also count as a great gift for him.

• A good bottle of liquor - Dads love an occasional drink, especially whiskey. Shop around for a good bottle of whiskey or a drink of his choice and also try to pitch in some crystal glasses to go along with the bottle. He will absolutely love the gift and would be proud to show it off to his friends when they visit and sit down for a drink.

Depending on your dad's taste and your budget, any of the gifts above will prove to be a hit as a great Christmas gift for a father.

Christmas Gift Ideas For Your Dad

Selecting Christmas Card Themes

When it comes to designing and creating cards for the holidays, one of the most important things that you will have to decide is the theme. As such, you are going to need to choose those Christmas card themes that are beautiful and attention grabbing. If you have never printed cards before then you may not know how to go about doing it. You may even think that it is convenient for you to simply buy them, instead of customizing and printing them. On the other hand, you should know that the cards that you buy are not the same as the cards that you actually order and print.

When you print the cards, you are the one in charge of everything starting from the theme to the text that will be included in the cards. The theme is something that you will have to think of first. If you think that you will have to create your own theme, then you can relax because there are ready made themes available. Just go to a good printing company that offers the services of printing Christmas cards and they will show you their personalized designs. There are probably over one hundred themes that you can choose from. You just have to spend some time choosing the perfect theme.

Christmas Card

At the time of selection, you have to keep your business in mind, if the cards are for your business. What kind of theme do you think will suit your company? This is very important because you need to choose that theme that will match your company. Keep in mind that the color combination is of utmost importance when it comes to the creation of cards because your card will not look attractive if you do not choose the right shades.

Obviously, you can choose colors that are associated with Christmas such as red and white but you can also think of selecting other shades too if you want. Creativity is the key here. However, you should keep in mind that you do not select colors that will not give a feeling of Christmas to the recipient. For instance, if you choose yellow, white and green, then this may give a feeling of summer to the recipient and this is not something that you want. The card should remind the receiver of winter and not summer because Christmas falls in the cold season.

If you are planning to send the cards to your friends and loved ones, then you should choose a theme that is more personal. This is not to say that the Christmas card themes for business use should not be personal. The theme you select for personal use should have a warm feeling so that when the receiver gets the card, he or she will feel the warm and joy of Christmas. So keep these in mind when you go to a company that offers the services of printing cards for Christmas.

Selecting Christmas Card Themes

4 Hot New Girls Christmas Toys for 2010: What to Buy for Your limited Girl

Christmas 2010 is right colse to the corner. Have you started shopping for the latest, most toys for Christmas? What are the most recent trends in new toys for girls this year?

Children love to wake up on Christmas morning, eager to tear off the wrapping paper from their gifts, hoping to find Christmas toys that will please them.

Christmas Toys

Every Christmas, parents struggle with all kinds of questions of what toys to buy for their children. How many toys should you buy? Will your child play with them, two months after Christmas has passed? Are the toys safe? Can you verily find toys that kids will like that aren't played on a Wii, Nintendo, home computer or Xbox? Are the toys from reliable, reputable toy makers? Where can you shop and find the toys to have them delivered in time for Christmas?

Buying toys from long-established toy makers like Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Fisher Price, and others is a good plan. These toy makers test their toys to make sure they are safe and fit the recommended kids' age range.

Every year, toy manufacturers work hard to originate new ways to entertain, educate and thrill families with fun, safe toys. Let's look at two toys in the most beloved toy categories for younger children, shall we?

Category 1. Plush Toys
Sing-a-Ma-Jigs are a new singing plush toy that look like Mr. Bill of Saturday Night Live. These seven inch high dolls sing dissimilar songs when you press their bellies. Get two or more and they will sing the same song in harmony, with a dissimilar pitch. Lots of fun and entertainment for the whole family.

My Pillow Pets are lovable pet-shaped plush toys that convert to a pillow. Designed for younger children, My Pillow Pets are great to use in every room of the house, in the car and visiting family. You never know where your child wants to take a nap. A Pillow Pet will help your child feel comfortable sleeping roughly anywhere.

Category 2. Limited Girls Let's Pretend Toys
Little girls love Christmas toys because they love to play pretend. The best girls' Christmas toys help found their imagination, in practicing when they grow up.

The Calico Critters Townhouse is a fun, classic toy loved by kids for the past 25 years. Aimed at children ages three and up, this product provides an imaginative escape for any child to play house. Every furry Calico Critter needs a home. Your Limited girl can help make that home.

This cute townhouse is compact, measuring 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches. That makes it easy to store and play with. The house has four rooms for living, eating or sleeping. A fifth divider can be placed in the home to make a fifth room for a growing Calico Critters family. The home is two levels. There is a staircase that allows creatures to move freely in the middle of levels. You can buy pairs or families of Calico Critters and the furniture for each room in the townhouse separately.

Squinkies Cupcake Factory by Blip Toys is a darling way to have your girl enjoying playing bakery in a very safe way. The premise creates Limited surprise toys enclosed in a little, clear plastic bubble, just like your girl would buy from a vending machine. You can buy further Squinkie toys, too that make the toy more fun to use. You can hear lots of giggles and enjoyment for girls ages 3 and up.

The challenge with buying new, hot toys for Christmas is that they come to be a big fad and everyone wants to buy the same toy. If you wait until "Black Friday" or the week before Christmas, chances are that you won't find the toy you want or you'll pay a prime for it. The way to solve that qoute is to find a reputable on-line store that you can trust and has list to fill your order.

4 Hot New Girls Christmas Toys for 2010: What to Buy for Your limited Girl