We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
Please bring it right here!
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We won’t go until we get some
We won’t go until we get some
We won’t go until we get some
So bring it out here!
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

When I was a small child, one of the things that signaled to all sleeping children in our home that Christmas morning had indeed arrived and that Santa had visited while we slumbered was the sweet aroma of Christmas French Toast wafting from the kitchen. Imagine having to make the decision between racing for the tree to find our presents or answering the siren call of that sweet syrupy scent!

This is the time of year that we all see those wonderful red Salvation Army kettles in front of stores. Millions of dollars are donated each year in the Christmas spirit by shoppers. These donations provide Christmas dinners, clothing and toys for families in need. Financial assistance also helps with basic necessities.

In this economy, now more than ever, charities like Operation Santa and the Salvation Army need your help.

If you are a family who needs help from the Salvation Army here are some tips to get you started.

1. Contact your local Salvation Army office to inquire about registrations dates and times for the annual Christmas Assistance program. You will need to know if they have registrations on specific days and times or if they require you to make an appointment. Remember, they are VERY busy this time of year, so please be patient and polite.
2. Ask about the documents required of you. At a bare minimum you will be asked to provide identification for each family member. You may also need to provide a birth certificate health card, shot record or family services print out to verify your children’s date of birth. You may be asked to provide proof of income, so take a copy of your most recent paycheck stub, bank statement or a financial statement from a local human services office.
3. Arrive at the designated facility promptly and with all required documents. Complete the paperwork, including a holiday basket application. Some agencies offer Christmas holiday boxes during the registration period. In other cases the applicants apply for a gift basket for future pick up.

Ten Ways to Make Every Day Christmas

1. Give something away to somebody who can use it. No strings attached!
2. Do a kindness and then forget it. Pay it forward, but don’t expect something in return.
3. Spend time with an elderly person. Their experiences and stories are priceless! If you have an elderly parent or grandparent, grab your smart phone or a small recorder and get them to tell you about their wonderful life experiences. Create an oral history for your children and family members. Remember, once they are gone, their stories go with them.
4. Look intently into the face or a baby and just marvel.
5. Laugh often. It is life’s lubricant!
6. Give thanks constantly. You are luckier and happier than you think!
7. Pray, if you believe.
8. Work; with vim, vigor and enthusiasm.
9. Plan as though you will live forever.
10. Live as though you will die tomorrow, because that tomorrow will arrive one day!

When shopping and shipping online  this Christmas be sure to check the shipping and delivery dates to ensure that your gift or gifts will reach the recipient before Christmas Eve.

For instance here are the holiday shipping and mailing cutoff dates for Amazon.com.

• FREE Super Saver Shipping – Thursday, December 15th
• Standard Shipping – Monday, December 19th
• Two-Day Shipping – Wednesday, December 21stbefore 8:00 pm PT
• One-Day Shipping – Thursday, December 22nd before 4:30 pm PT
• Local Express Shipping (in select cities) – Saturday, December 24th

Direct Shipping Holiday Schedule

USPS

Parcel Post – Thursday, December 15th
First-Class Mail – Tuesday, December 20th
Priority Mail – Wednesday, December 21st
Express Mail – Thursday, December 22nd

Click for Military & International Dates

UPS

UPS Ground – Friday, December 16th
UPS 2nd Day Air – Wednesday, December 21st
UPS Next Day Air – Thursday, December 22nd

Click here for UPS Holiday Shipping 2011 schedule

FedEx

FedEx Express will deliver on Saturday, Dec. 24. Dec. 24 is also a delivery day for FedEx Home Delivery.

Click here for Holiday Shipping 2011 schedule

Every body stops
and stares at me
These two teeth are
gone as you can see
I don’t know just who
to blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve
is as plain as it can be!

All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth!
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could with you
“Merry Christmas.”
It seems so long since I could say,
“Sister Susie sitting on a thistle!”

Gosh oh gee, how happy I’d be,
if I could only whistle (thhhh)
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth.
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could wish you
“Merry Christmas!”

USPS customers can get the North Pole to postmark their letters from Santa Claus to a child or on their Christmas greeting cards.

On a letter from Santa

Write a letter to your child and sign it from Santa Claus. Place this letter into an envelope addressed to your child with the return address from SANTA, NORTH POLE. Please make sure to affix a First Class postage stamp. Then, place that envelope into a larger envelope, ensuring that you have affixed proper postage and send to the address listed below.

On holiday greeting cards

Write and address your greeting cards just as you normally would. Place First Class postage stamps on the envelopes, BUT instead of writing your own address on the envelope, use the return address from the North Pole below. You can use your own address if you prefer. Then place your greeting cards into a larger envelope or box  with appropriate postage and send them to North Pole Holiday Postmark by December 10th.

NORTH POLE HOLIDAY POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DRIVE
ANCHORAGE, AK 99530-9998

Please help Operation Letter to Santa answer more “Dear Santa” letters from needy children this Christmas.

Thank you!

We all love cookies. Santa loves cookies! What better way to ring in the holidays than with cookies? Hosting and/or going to a cookie exchange or swap is a delightful way to both give and receive. It is a terrific way to sample cookies from friends, co-workers, family and neighbors. Kids love this too! At the end of the day, you have gotten to sample and keep dozens of cookies that you didn’t have to bake and you will have some new and delightful cookie recipes too!

When planning a cookie exchange you will want to invite a group of 10 or more people. Each person makes and brings a per-determined number of cookies. Preferably around 6 dozen per person. It is also a good idea to print up the “rules” or include them on your “Evite“.

Ask your guests to arrange their cookies on a decorative platter or basket with a Christmas theme. They will also need to bring containers to take home their new cookies if you don’t plan on having something available. I always head to the Dollar Store and pick up a couple of dozen disposable aluminum baking pans with clear lids for a dollar each and make sure those are available for the guests to haul off their bounty in.

Be sure to have plenty of tongs or napkins available so people can pick up and pack their cookies.

Ask your guests to RSVP and send your their cookies recipes when they do. I like to take all of the recipes and print them on Christmas stationery and give them to each guest when they leave.

You will also need to know beforehand who is baking what cookies so there are no duplications.

Clearly a few rules should be in place. For instance, all cookies should be homemade, meaning no cookies mixes, no refrigerator cookies, meringues or store/bakery bought cookies.  You may also want to tell people no chocolate chip cookies. They do seem to be the universal favorite, but if you wind up with dozens of chocolate chip cookies, the whole Christmas theme has been rather defeated. Bar cookies can be included in your acceptable list, but for some people they are a definite no-no.

Remember, this is a party, so having some finger food and beverages will make it a genuine Christmas party, and of course Christmas attire is encouraged!

And don’t forget the milk! After all, you can’t have cookies without milk can you?

Please come back and tell us about your Christmas Cookie exchange experiences and party ideas. We would love to hear from you!

Here is one of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes to get the ball rolling. Thumbprint Cookies!

As you know, Santa has an enormous list of children who are expecting him to deliver Christmas goodies on Christmas Eve.

In order to track Santa’s progress around the world, NORAD has organized a global tracking system to help you determine when you can expect Santa to arrive in your neighborhood.

Remember to put out milk and cookies for Santa and even some reindeer food before saying your prayers and nodding off to sleep.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

Track Santa to your house here!