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We share lots of Christmas related ideas, recipes and crafts in the Love Santa blog. You are welcome to comment or submit your own Christmas stories, too.

Pulling together to give a special Christmas wish

Sep 24, 2012 | Christmas Memories, Christmas today, Santa Memories

I just read a newspaper story about Santa and wanted to share it. I also found the YouTube video of it which brought tears to my eyes.

In Lebanon, a young girl, Carmen, had a wish of getting an iPad for Christmas. the Tamanna Lebanon organization (a group like Make-a-Wish who help critically ill children get a special wish granted) took it a step further and had Santa present the iPad to her during her chemotherapy even though it was September.

With help from various groups, Carmen (and the unsuspecting shoppers!) was surprised with a street full of Christmas decorations, confetti and music. A helicopter delivered Santa to Carmen with her gift and a banner wished her Merry Christmas.

It is lovely Carmen was given such a treat during horrific treatments.

I also love the fact how many people came together, cooperated and didn’t charge a cent to bring the magic of Christmas alive of r a stranger – and all the other people who surrounded her.

Can you think of a way to bring a little more Christmas magic into your community this year?

Are Santa decorations prominent in your home?

Sep 1, 2012 | Santa Memories, Christmas Lights/Decorations

Miscellaneous Santas amongst tree decorations

When you decorate your house and Christmas tree each year, does Santa feature very much?

On the tree, the front door or throughout the house, Santa can be part of your decorations.

So do you choose to have him in large doses or just go for traditional Christmas images?

Providing positive Santa experiences for kids

Aug 27, 2012 | Christmas today

Running a Christmas event involving a group of kids this year? If so, here’s an alternative way to do things to make it truly positive and memorable for the kids – and the adults.

Whether it’s a school group, scouting group, sporting club or another type of children’s group, you can make Santa’s presence even more special. This could solve some budget problems, too.

Sitting on Santa’s lap

Santa & a boy giving gifts to a girl

Traditionally, each child comes to sit on Santa’s lap, tell him what they want for Christmas, possibly be given a gift and hop down so the next child has a turn. For bigger groups, each child may just be given something by Santa.

This year, why to try something a little different? It may take a bit longer but the rewards are much stronger (and maybe that means fewer other activities or games to organise!)

Let’s look at three children at this special Christmas event – Ashlea, Lachlan and Piper.

Santa sits beside the Christmas tree and invites Ashlea to sit on his lap. Lachlan follows her and stands beside Santa.

Lachlan then says something nice about Ashlea (see some examples below) before Santa gives her a small gift.

Lachlan now sits on Santa’s lap and Piper comes up to stand beside Santa. Then she says something nice about Lachlan. Followed by Ashlea standing to say something nice about Piper when it is her turn.

You can call children randomly or try to put friends near each other, but the point is that each child hears positive things about themselves which is a valuable gift.

It is also good for the child speaking to think of and acknowledge positives about their friend/classmate/fellow scout/etc.

Saying nice things

Obviously, each child has different strengths and what each child sees in another will vary, too.

And we want that variety to come though as Santa loves all children with all their differences.

But here are some examples to get you thinking and to demonstrate to the children:

I love your big smile
You were nice to me when I fell down
You are very smart when the teacher asks you questions
I like your jokes and funny stories
you are a good friend
I like how you are kind to animals
you’re the best skipper in our school

Depending on the group of kids, you may want to explain what will happen before hand. That way they know some basic rules and are prepared to stand in front of everyone. Or you may start with some adults having a turn to set the mood and show how it works.

Or maybe you have a better suggestion on how to introduce this to the group?

Any suggestions on ways to make this a more lasting event, too?

Would this work for adults? I think everyone deserves to hear some genuine nice things about themselves. You could even do this for each member of your family – and have everyone say something nice about each person in turn.

For a bigger group, a tree of thanks may be a better option, or split kids into groups to sit on Santa’s lap – or have a few helpers there to hear the good things instead of Santa having all the kids on his lap.

* Photo courtesy of Big Stock Photos

A Holiday Soup Bowl Party

Aug 23, 2012 | Christmas Memories, Christmas today

The women in my family would get together every year before the Christmas holiday to discuss and plan the festivities of the seasons. I’m a planner from way back. And I love to have everything planned out, with the holiday school pageants, driving around to see the light displays, making crafts and planning the holiday dinner, time needed to be scheduled to ensure we didn’t miss a moment of holiday cheer.

When we first started this holiday meeting, it was all eight of us picking and choosing dates that worked for us. So it was a task that seemed to take hours.

Feeding the workers…

We never gave any thought into having dinner that night. I mean, who had the time, there was Christmas planning under foot. There we were with our calendars, schedules and appointment books waiting for the local pizza shop to deliver a few supreme pies, a quick answer to our hunger pangs. Pizza was always a snack to me, not a meal and, as my girls will tell you, I always have a meal.

Squabbling one night over the pizza toppings, I mentioned it would be easier to open a can of soup.

Then it hit me. Soups for our yearly planning ritual. Something quick and easy we could throw together, even after a hard day of work. And me being me of course wrote it down, so I wouldn’t forget.

Four different bowls with different soups

A variety of soups is tasty!

The following year I made cute little soup can invitations for our planning date and mailed them off. Assigning each person a different item to bring. One brought assorted bread, one brought drinks, one brought the desserts and the remaining 5 each brought 2-3 quarts of any soup of their choosing.

It was a hit. Not only did we get to sample a variety of soups and spend time together, the entire atmosphere changed. Our scheduling was completed in record time and occasionally we would have time left over to enjoy a holiday movie.

That was several years ago, and we all look forward to it every year. A yearly chore that seemed to be stressful and a bit unnerving, now is an evening the ladies of our family can’t wait to arrive. I can’t help but wonder if it was the holiday cheer that found its way into our date making or was it the power of a warm bowl of soup.

Your Magical Santa Moment

Aug 13, 2012 | Santa Memories

What is your favourite Santa moment? That time when the magic of Santa fully hit you and left you feeling on top of the world.

Maybe it was a special gift he left you, or the signs he left behind as he rushed to the next house of sleeping children.

Maybe it was one of Santa’s helpers you saw at a party or shop that did something special. Or maybe it was a family tradition in preparation for Santa’s arrival.

Now is your chance to share that precious memory and bring a smile to our faces, too 🙂

Give resources for Christmas

Aug 6, 2012 | Christmas gifts

Giving a resource sounds a bit strange, I’ll grant you that, but I think it is a good idea.

As a gift, it will cost you little but time, yet it can be a highly prized gift to receive.

A resource is simply offering help

What is a resource gift?

We’re not talking about a bucket of coal or a drum of oil here! A resource is a useful reference so I’m suggesting providing useful information as a gift.

Examples of resource gifts I’ve thought of are:

a list of good books for a certain age group – many parents would love to have some guidance with choosing books
information about a piece of technology (eg a computer, smart phone or mp3 player) for someone who is struggling with the lists of features and prices in choosing what to buy
a list of great websites on a specific topic – such as places to visit on their planned holiday to Europe, where to find equipment for their new hobby, facilities in the area they are moving to, and so on
tips on dealing with a parenting issue. For instance, if parents are looking for a school give them a list of local schools’ websites along with tips from parenting and educating experts plus your own tips and experiences. Even better if you can add feedback from other parents on the relevant schools
information and tips on caring for something. So as a mechanic you could give a new driver a guide to basic car care or a gardener (professional or otherwise!) could give a calendar of tips (eg what pruning and planting to do each month) to someone moving into their first home

Where’s the value?

From one point of view, a resource may not seem to be an impressive gift – let’s face it, it’s just a piece of paper or two.

But it has so much more value than the paper it is written on 🙂

you are giving your time and people appreciate that
you are sharing your knowledge and skills – this may be simple information to you but could provide real insights to others who don’t have your expertise. There is value in knowledge and people pay good money for consultant’s advice so don’t undersell the value of this
you are showing an interest in the person if you give resources relevant to what they are doing or planning. It shows care and thoughtfulness on your part
you could make a huge difference to someone. If your gift saves the person time and worry they will consider it a highly valuable gift.

Adding more value

You can make the resource have a greater impact if you want to. Again, these are just a few of my ideas to get you started…

decorate the page and make it actually look nice. If the resource is long enough, present it as a small book and even add cardboard covers with photos or other images to brighten it up
add a relevant item to the present. So add a spanner with the car care tips, some packets of seeds with the gardening tips, a password tool subscription with a list of websites, or a drink bottle for the new sportsperson
include a voucher for you to spend some follow-up time with the person. Consider an hour teaching the new driver to change a tyre, going with parents to look at new schools or helping your friend pack before they move house.

Can you think of other examples of resources to give as gifts?

What resource would you like to receive?

Budget Holiday Crafting

Jul 27, 2012 | Christmas Lights/Decorations, Christmas crafts

Recycled wire, a few old beads and some effort from a 10 year old created this gorgeous simple Christmas star

I start planning and thinking out my next years decorations the day after Christmas.

I know a bit cliché, but true. You can find great deals on holiday clearance sales, which will inspire me on the decor of the following years.

There are tricks to this though, you want more pow for your buck. Some of my best decorations are from decorations that cost merely nothing that I repurposed into something else eye-catching and in some cases a little extra pocket-money, when others wanted my creation. Some of the tricks I use can really apply to any holiday decorations or crafts. Once you have your groove the possibilities are endless.

Finding Christmas decorations to work with…

First, don’t be afraid of damaged items, these are the best deals and can be redesigned with a little imagination.

My favorite creation is a string of greenery garland that was 8 feet instead of 15, yes it had been snapped in two. Yes, sometimes I get stares from other shoppers while I stand in the aisle like a deer in the head lights as my mind races. It’s all in the name of creation. Broken or damaged does not mean trash, a good rule to follow.

Second, yard sales!! Who doesn’t like a good yard sale? Besides the tons of baby and children’s items, you can find piles of Christmas decorations, ready to be reborn, at rock bottom prices. I once got a 13 gallon trash can over flowing with different types of ornaments for $2.00. I was set to make new ornaments and wreaths. Don’t be afraid to haggle, most people selling do not want to pack things back up.

Third, keep in touch with family and friends, many of them clean out and buy new every year or two. Ask for them to set aside their throw aways for you.

There are many tips and tricks, this will get you started. We need to be honest though, we can’t keep everything we find. I think they call that hoarding nowadays. I have 4 plastic totes, once they are filled I end my search. By the end of the holidays my totes are bare and I can begin my search again!

Making Christmas frugal

Jul 25, 2012 | Christmas today, Christmas gifts

I like to think of Christmas as a time of giving, happiness, love and friendship. The spirit and magic of Christmas and Santa are about kindness and sharing a celebration.

The decorations add to the atmosphere and magic, but are a bonus.

Gifts can be a lot of fun, but I think they should be secondary to the real Christmas feelings, but it takes effort to avoid the commercialism of Christmas in the western world.

So if we take away the expensive trimmings, Christmas doesn’t have to cost us a lot of money.

If we keep a lot of the trimmings, it will cost us but here are some ways to minimise those costs. Hopefully others will add to my list so we can all have a Merry Frugal Christmas this year!

make Christmas gift tags and cards instead of buying them
make paper chains out of junk mail as a cheap alternative to tinsel or bought streamers
if hosting an event, ask people to bring a plate to share
when cooking for Christmas events, make a green salad, rice salad or pasta salad instead of a plate of char grilled vegetables or other expensive vegetable options
plant lettuce, tomatoes and others so that they will be ready for harvesting at Christmas time and you have a really cheap salad or vegetable dish to present
where appropriate, you could regift some things
make some gifts – choose ones with materials you already have or can get cheaply. Some good simple gifts I’ve made include bath salts, cake ingredients, herb vinegars and beaded necklaces
use a plain red sheet as a table-cloth – brighten it up with glitter, tinsel or baubles off the tree and it will still be cheaper than most purchased Christmas table cloths
find inexpensive alternatives to Christmas wrapping paper – use kids’ artwork, use brown paper with some stickers or drawings on it, recycle last year’s paper, buy in bulk, use gift bags that can be reused, etc.
Simple brown packaging can look stylish without costing a fortune
get the kids to make decorations – this saves buying decorations, gives the kids genuine self-esteem and is probably cheaper than many other entertainment options for the kids!
have a tree of thanks instead of the common decorations – cheaper and very special
when people ask what you (or your kids) want, tell them! It may not save you Christmas money but if you are given something you need it will make your overall budget go further. And that includes getting others contribute to a large gift you want to give your kids
make vouchers so you give the gift of your time and skills rather than things that cost you money. Try vouchers for babysitting, walking dogs, gardening, spring cleaning a house, giving a massage, running errands or doing admin tasks.
think of resources to give as gifts. For instance a list of good books or information about choosing a computer could be really valuable to others
do your Christmas shopping throughout the year. This gives you the chance to grab things on sale (and avoid any mark ups in December) and spread out your spending (which may not save you money in total but makes it easier to bear – and it can save interest payments from over used credit cards)
set a budget for gifts. Personally I find this very hard to do but if you have a budget it does keep things under control. $10 a head for 20 people is $200 – if that sneaks up to $15 or $20 for even half those people it will now cost you $300 – it adds up quickly so think about what you can afford in total then divide it between the number of people (evenly or otherwise).

OK, 16 is my favourite number and I’m about out of ideas for now but they will all save you money and get you thinking of other things to do. Have you built up any traditions or habits to make your Christmas more affordable?

Maybe you don’t like the idea of a frugal Christmas at all – if so, let us know how you manage…

* Images courtesy of 123rf & Love Santa

Gifts from kids

Jun 22, 2012 | Christmas gifts

Who do your kids specifically give gifts to?

I remember as a kid that we only gave gifts as a family, but I know that my kids give some gifts from them, not the family.

Why gifts from kids?

I like my children to learn that gifts, and Christmas, are about giving and not just receiving. I want them to be generous and learn the pleasure in giving to others.

It’s also important to teach kids gratitude and appreciation. Which can’t happen if they just get gifts and never return the gesture.

So my kids give presents to certain people. And by giving, I mean their name(s) is on the card and they physically hand the gift over.

For instance, they give presents to their grandparents to show that gift giving goes two ways. Often this is a token gift* or something they have made themselves as the point is the giving.

Who kids give to

Obviously it varies between family situations, but to give you the idea, my kids give gifts to their:

grandparents and great-grandmothers
scouting leaders
family day carers
class teachers
siblings
parents (yes, we get Christmas and birthday gifts from our children)

Have I missed anyone your kids give gifts to? Do your kids enjoy the gift giving as well as getting gifts?

* We usually give something bigger to grandparents as a family, too.

All I want for Christmas…

Jun 19, 2012 | Christmas Memories

I now think the song “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” is funny but there was a time I hated it 🙂

I think I was 8 when I lost both my front teeth a week or so before Christmas. Everyone around me thought it was hilarious to sing the chorus to me at least 10 times a day – me, not so much.

Even Santa got in on it as he left me some lolly teeth in my stocking – mind you, not the normal lolly teeth (ie a full upper or lower set) but full gums with just the two middle teeth in place…

Hated it and the family jokes. But 2 years ago, my son lost one of his front teeth (in winter mind you!) and the song was the first thing that came to mind. He only heard it 3 or 4 times though – I think 🙂

Kids’ artwork = wrapping paper

Jun 11, 2012 | Christmas today, Christmas gifts

Child made wrapping paper Kids often make a lot of art pieces – often a lot in one art session!

I’ve often heard of people using some of the larger art pieces as wrapping paper. What do you think – is that a good idea?

Artistic wrapping paper is good

I like this idea because:

it is bright and cheerful – and stands out under the Christmas tree
I like the personal touch over the commercial shiny paper
it’s good for the environment to use artwork you already have rather than buy more paper that will just be thrown out. Especially given much of the paper children paint and draw on is recycled in the first place!
it’s positive to display their artwork this way, and negative to just throw out artwork when it builds up
children can be very proud of the gift they carry to someone if they see their artwork is on view to all
kids learn that their efforts (ie painting in this case) is appreciated and probably given more attention than a shop bought gift

Artistic paper is cheap

Using your children’s art work is certainly cheaper than buying rolls of gift wrapping paper – I think that’s a positive as it makes your Christmas budget go further (I could spend $15 on a gift and $5 on wrappings and cards or $20 on a gift, or $15 on a gift and have $5 still in my pocket for necessities).

Yet some people think gifts must have pretty wrapping to pass some unknown standard, so would see ‘cheap’ wrappings as a negative.

Do you think kids artwork is a cheap cop-out for gifts or something good?

Are there other negatives of using artwork this way?

Have you ever received a gift wrapped this way – did you like it? How did others respond to it?

A puppy for christmas

May 31, 2012 | Christmas Memories

When i was a few years younger i really wanted a puppy for Christmas but my mother said no a few times. i begged and begged and begged but she insisted and i gave up hope.

On Christmas morning i woke up being licked by my adorable pet, who is now 13 years old!

What a cool mom!

* Image courtesy of 123rf.com

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