Show Me Christmas

Last week I got an exciting phone call from my eldest daughter. She and my son-in-law are expecting their first child! Not only is it their first child, it is also my first grandchild. I realize it’s a little soon, but I’m so happy that I already started buying items for my granddaughter or grandson-to-be.

My daughter has decided that she doesn’t want to know the gender of the baby, so everything I’ve bought so far is gender neutral. This hasn’t been too difficult, particularly for items like babys first Christmas ornament. After my grandchild arrives I can spoil him or her with adorable gender appropriate outfits and accessories.

My daughter just graduated college in May, and much to our astonishment she was hired for a job in her field within a few weeks of leaving academia. It was a cause for much celebration in our family, but we had to cope with the fact that she would be leaving the house and living thousands of miles away on the East Coast. We continue to talk on the phone several times on the week, and she recently informed me that she won’t be making it home for Christmas.

I immediately felt awful because she won’t be able to spend the holidays with her father and I – or the extended family members that only get to see her once a year, if that. Still, there was no getting around it. She had to work every day except Christmas itself, which made traveling impossible. In an effort to cheer her up, I purchased a holiday gift basket online filled with handmade Christmas ornaments. I’ll be sending it just before Christmas so that it arrives at her door just when she needs it most.

The holidays are upon us and that means it’s time to decorate our homes, our trees and our lives with the spirit of Christmas and the holidays. My family has always taken great care in selecting and decorating our trees. From picking the perfect pine to the perfect ornaments and lights, it’s a long process that we’ve grown to love. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without the hours spent decorating and enjoying the holidays.

Blown glass Christmas ornaments have been a great way for our family to take our decorating to the next level. With so many designs and such high-quality they’re the stuff of heirlooms. I’m sure that many of our ornaments will survive for years to come and be enjoyed by our children and our children’s children. With affordable pricing, top-of-the-line holiday decorations don’t need to be cost prohibitive anymore. So if you’re looking for a great decorating idea this Christmas then look no further!

If you have a new addition to your family you’re probably pretty excited for this holiday season. And you should be! Baby’s first Christmas deserves all the grandeur and love of our own and we should be doing everything we can to make it memorable. From family photos and trips to the mall to hearty meals with family and friends, your first holiday season with your new baby is something you’ll want to remember forever.

A babys first Christmas ornament is a great way to commemorate and memorialize your baby’s first Christmas. They’re a tradition in families worldwide and have become a staple for families in the United States. With so many creative choices you’re bound to find something that fits your family perfectly. So if you’ve got a new family member this year don’t forget to make it as memorable as you can and you’ll be glad you did!

The cult figure that is Santa Claus is staunchly imbedded in the minds of boys and girls around the world. In the United States, Santa Claus seems as American as apple pie.  In fact, however, Santa Claus is actually a Dutch creation originating around the 17th century. As some might already know, his original name was Kris Kringle.

In the early depictions of Santa, he didn’t even have reindeer. Santa road around on a horse like other people did during that time period. Only with the American author Clement Clarke Moore did the details of Santa Claus that we know today, such as the flying reindeer, come about. The poem is one of the most known poems called the Night Before Christmas. Santa prints commemorating this figure can are seen everywhere-from shopping malls and TV depictions to handcrafted Christmas ornaments.

The winter holiday season is a time of year that everybody enjoys. With a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, carolers echoing in the distance and the smell of Christmas trees for miles, how can you not be seduced by the spirit? Not only do you get to enjoy the whimsical ways of all your neighbors and friends, but you get to enjoy adding that festive memorabilia to your very own home. This way you’ll be able to savor the holiday spirit everywhere you go, even when lounging at home in your bathrobe.

Add some extra special holiday flare to your house this year with snowman Christmas tree ornaments. Frosty the Snowman wasn’t just a fictional character in my mind. I see him in each and every snowman, actual or pretend, I see during the holidays. You’ll be sure to have your very own winter white wonderland when you decorate your home with snowmen and other winter themed accessories.

While it’s often said that the holidays are a stressful time of year for many Americans, I’m afraid I can’t relate to that claim. Around my household, Christmas is a time to bond with close family members and to welcome far-flung relations back into our lives. We take great pride in our decorations, scanning the local forests for just the right tree. Then, once the tree is propped up in our living room, we decorate it with hand blown Christmas ornaments while sipping hot cocoa.

You might be wondering why I haven’t mentioned anything about frantic activities that so many people associate with the holidays. What about the petty bickering and the last-minute gift buying? Shouldn’t we be fretting over the next day’s Christmas feast? Over the years, we’ve learned to take care of our Christmas decor and shopping needs well in advance of crunch time. That way we can sit back and enjoy each other’s company when late December rolls around.

Twelve Days of Christmas

Abigail Pfeffer presents her interpretation of the Twelve Days of Christmas in this beautiful collection of hand painted and hand blown glass ornaments made in Poland.

These ornaments continue to be my all time favorite set of ornaments.  I love the way each ornament presents each day of the twelve days of Christmas in such beautiful and exquisite detail. 

I love traditional ornaments that never go out of style and that I am excited to get out each year for my Christmas tree.   A truly remarkabe set of glass ornaments representing the Twelve Days of Christmas.  They make a wonderful collectors item!

Penquins on Ice

What is it that makes penquins just irresistible to most people? 

One thing we are fascinated by is that penquins spend half of their life on land and half in the ocean.

Another fascination is the way penquins move.  Penquins either waddle on their feet or slide on their bellies across the snow, a movement call “tobogganing” which conserves energy while moving quickly.  They also jump with both feet together if they want to move more quickly or cross steep or rocky terrain.

We are fascinated by the way penquins look.  All penquins are countershaded for camouflage – they have black backs and wings with white fronts.  A predator looking up from below water has difficulty distinquishing between a white penquin belly and the reflective water surface.  The dark plumage on their backs camouflages them from above.

Another fascination is that penquins for the most part breed in large colonies which results in a high level of social interaction between penquins.

If you are a penquin lover, this is the ornament for you.  This penquin family is dressed in brightly colored hats and scarves and has been hand blown and hand painted in Poland.  This will make a great addition to your ornament collection!