Category: Holidays

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Christmas In A New Home

holiday home decorated with lights

It’s never easy to move, but it’s usually fun to have a new home.  By “new” we don’t mean brand new,  but new for you.  And Christmas is right around the corner, so hopefully, you’ve marked the boxes that contain all of your Christmas home decorations and personalized Christmas ornaments so the holidays will be bright and sparkly.

“Our First Christmas Together in Our New Home”

Moving Day has come and gone.  The reality of the move is evident throughout the house filled with cardboard boxes, wrapped up artwork, furniture in odd places, and who knows where anything is!  All spare time in the weeks ahead will be devoted to unpacking and reorganizing the family’s possessions.  Then next comes finding out where the closest Trader Joe’s is,  which roads are backed up during the morning commute, a good daycare school, and a place to get the car fixed.  Moving is rough.

And sometimes being in a new home is a little rough too. No one is sleeping as well in their new rooms.  There are different creaks and sounds during the night.  Lots of new general maintenance issues to deal with, and paintings, artwork, and mirrors to hang in each room.  To paint or not to paint?  Will all this stuff fit in the garage or basement?  What to do with all the boxes and packing materials after the boxes are emptied?  And, did I mention?, Christmas is coming right up. The kids are starting to worry…. will Santa come here?

Some ideas on making your First Christmas in Our New Home a memorable event!

Decorations:

– Whatever the state of your home right now, be sure and find your box of Christmas home decorations, and do some nice decorating.  Maybe this isn’t the year to go all out in every nook and cranny of the house, but do some of the simple but meaningful things.  Put a wreath on the outside of your new front door.  Or a cute sign or banner in the front yard.  Hang the stockings up on the mantle, waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.  Put a Snow House or other Christmas oriented theme centerpiece on your dining table, and get out the red candles!

– Be sure to have a family event going to get the Christmas tree.  Or, if you have an artificial tree, set aside a whole day to set it up.  There’s nothing quite like the night you turn on the Christmas lights for the first time to make everyone excited about Christmas.

-Decorate the tree as a family, or …. invite a few friends over to a tree trimming party… keeping it simple with some mulled wine, or apple juice, some purchased Christmas cookies, some yummy cheeses and crackers, and friendship.  Your friends will understand everything’s not unpacked yet, and they might even offer to give you a hand for an afternoon!

-Enjoy looking through your ornament collection and telling your children about where certain ornaments came from, and letting them find their own personalized Baby’s First Christmas ornament, and other family ornaments with their names on them.  Talk about Christmas celebrations at other homes you’ve lived in and which parts of those celebrations you want to continue in this new home.

– Put up a few outdoor lights or something to show your new neighborhood you are ready for Christmas.  Decorate the mailbox with something colorful.

-Have a few friends over to make dough ornaments.  This only requires some white flour, Morton’s salt, water, and food coloring, and some willing hands to mix and knead the dough.  Here are our special instructions on Making Your Own Dough Ornaments At Home.  It’s great fun!

Celebrations:

– Make sure you plan a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that is family oriented.  If you are still unpacking, keep it simple.  Lots of people have Chinese food on Christmas.  Get what the kids love, and if it’s turkey dinner, consider purchasing a ready-made dinner from your local Whole Foods or other markets that offers a yummy rotisserie roasted Turkey!  Go ahead for once and use pretty Christmas paper plates.  Keep the stress down, you’ll all have more fun.

– Invite some friends over close to Christmas day to watch a Christmas movie.  Pick one the kids will love – there are so many available on Net Flix, or at the local video store.  Think of fun holiday finger foods for everyone.  But again, keep it simple, or make it a potluck.  And, not every party has to be for dinner.

– If you have moved far from friends and extended family, set up some specific times to have a Skype Christmas together.  Everyone’s busy at this time of year, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and book 15-20 minutes with the grandparents, friends, old neighbors.  The children will love their turn to talk and will be so happy to see their friends.

– Watch for a local caroling opportunity or nativity play in your new neighborhood.  Be sure to attend all school holiday events – a great place to meet some parents of your children’s new friends.  Get out and sing with a group, whether it’s in a neighborhood and house to house, or going to visit a local senior citizen’s group living.

New and Old Traditions:

– If it’s a new or old tradition, be sure to make or buy a new personalized ornament with your entire family on it celebrating “First Christmas in Our New Home”.  Have it personalized with everyone’s names!  Choose a cute saying or add the address of your new home on the base.  And don’t forget the year.

– Now’s the time to remember the best of your family traditions, and keep them.  The continuity is important for the kids and it will make this first Christmas more fun.

-Take lots of photos!

-Make the house smell pretty with spiced apple juice on the stove.

– If you go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, be sure to plan ahead and find a house of worship that’s close by and check the times of the services. Continue your family tradition of worship.

-If you put out cookies and milk for Santa and Reindeer, please don’t forget this year!

– Find cute stocking stuffers and treats for the Christmas morning stockings.  If your computer is set up, do most of your shopping online and have things gift wrapped. If that’s not right for you, try to keep it simple, with no midnight assembly projects!  (you might not be able to find the tools!)

– Keep the holiday music playing, and sing a lot!

And remember, Christmas comes but once a year!  Enjoy your First Christmas in your New Home.

–

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Baby’s First Christmas Made Memorable

Baby's First Christmas personalized ornaments

Your baby’s arrived during the past year and you and your family are getting ready to celebrate his or her First Christmas! Your little one might be almost one year old, or could be a newborn, but it’s likely that in either case he or she won’t really remember the First Christmas, or even really get what’s going on and what all the fuss is about.  Some things really count though, photographs, lots and lots of them.  Take tons of pictures of the baby, mommy and daddy, grandparents, the Christmas tree, your pets with the baby, and even Santa if possible.  And next, be sure to pick one or more personalized Baby’s First Christmas ornaments as a memento of that special holiday celebration.

Baby’s First Christmas Ornament

Baby photography can be tricky.  Most babies are just naturally photogenic, but to get that very special expression, the one you want to remember forever, take lots and lots of pictures.  Aren’t cell and smartphones great these days?  You can take the photo and check the images right away.  You can take 100 to get the best one or two, and most phones even have a little photoshop type software built into the phone so you can crop, adjust color, zoom in or out, and make it perfect.

As you are getting ready for the holiday, take pictures of everything you do together with the baby.  Will you try for a photo with Santa?  Of course, it will depend upon the age of your baby, and what he or she is going through right now with new people and strangers.  Santa is a pretty unique looking character and who knows, your child might find him hilarious, or maybe he will be scary.  You know your baby and use your best instincts.  There will be many more years ahead to have a photo with Santa.  As a substitute, you might get a little red Santa hat with white fuzzy fake fur around the bring, and make a darling photo of the baby wearing it.

If you go shopping for a Christmas tree, or go out to cut down a tree, you can let your child help pick one, and be sure to take pictures of this.  Take the baby out to see bright Christmas lights decorating homes at night, or a place where children are playing around lighted Christmas theme decorations.  Photo ops abound.  Go for a sleigh ride!  Or make a trip up to the snow.  All of these events will make up a lovely baby album of a first Christmas holiday celebration.  It’s amazing how reasonably priced you can have a photo album made up at a place such as Shutterfly.  Your baby will have it forever, and as an extra bonus, think of how much the grandparents would love to have one too.

Another wonderful use for photos of Baby’s First Christmas is for the baby’s first personalized ornament.  Print a photo yourself if you have a color printer, and make it be the size of a mini school photo.  This will fit perfectly into one of our darling Baby’s First Christmas photo frame ornaments.

Choosing your Baby’s First Christmas ornament is a fun process.  Do you want to go with traditional type ornament styles, like a glass ball, or a blown glass ornament that is shaped like a rattle or baby bootie?  These are usually found at your local Hallmark store in the Mall, where you can really ascertain how large they are and how durable they will be over the years.  The European glass ornaments are very elegant and gorgeous, and expensive.  But it will be something that is treasured in the family and one she will take to her own home when she grows up.

Another style of ornament is a theme-oriented one, such as a Disney ornament, or even an NFL baby ornament! Yes, those are truly available on eBay, using a football helmet holding a sleeping baby, available in all the different team colors.  Think of other famous Christmas theme designs – Dr. Seuss and the Grinch,  Peanuts ornaments designed by Charles Schultz, Star Trek First Christmas ornaments, and the like.

If you have other children, this is one of the most fun things you can do with them to help them make their own unique ornaments each year.  And they can also help with their new sibling’s ornament too, but making one for the baby.  If this is your first child, mommy and daddy can make a few and see which one is chosen.  Glaze it several times with polyurethane (non-yellowing, high gloss), and then personalize it with a super fine point black permanent marker.

Another craft project is one of our all-time favorite Baby’s First Christmas ornaments – a baby’s handprint kit with a special Calliope Designs ornament attachment make and personalized with your baby’s birth statistics, or name and First Christmas with the year.  We have a special video showing how to make and assemble this amazing ornament.  This style comes in blue for boys and pink for girls!  You’ll be amazed at how quickly your child’s hand grows as she or he compares it to the ornament each year at Christmas.

A personalized Christmas ornament is a wonderful way to go for your Baby’s First Christmas ornament.  We specialize in these styles and have made quite a few choices of favorite baby subjects to give the ornament choice some traditional feel, some handcrafted feel, and certainly an amazingly cute, darling, and adorable feel!  The ornaments that are most frequently chosen are the ones that have all of the baby’s birth statistics inscribed in permanent black ink right on the design, with the year and First Christmas added with his or her name.  Since our “personalizers” are all extremely skilled in the art of lettering, our customers love the darling little baby bear in stocking (pink, blue, and red if you are not sure!), our rocking horses (also in pink, blue, and red), our photo frame choices, and penguin designs.

Remember, your child’s first Christmas is a special day that will be recalled with all the beautiful photos you take, the happy experiences you share with your baby and your Baby’s First Christmas ornament.  We think a personalized item from Calliope Designs is a fabulous choice to start his or her personalized ornament collection.

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So You’re Expecting A Baby & It’s Christmas!

Expecting Twins or triplets personalized christmas ornaments

We’re blogging about this today because our Expecting a Baby personalized ornament is one of our very best selling items. It’s an ornament people buy for themselves or an ornament that others purchase as a gift for a pregnant couple.  We’ve given this a lot of consideration, and realize what a very very special time being pregnant at Christmas is.  Here are a few of our thoughts on making this “expecting” Christmas even more fun and joyful.

Expecting A Baby at Christmas Time

When you’re pregnant doctors and nurses always talk about trimesters.  Of course, this refers to the development of your baby and the different stages of growth in utero, but the trimesters are different on the outside too.  How you feel, how you look, what your level of anticipation is.  If you’re pregnant at Christmas time you may have completely different feelings depending on which trimester you are experiencing. Let’s take our holiday celebration by trimester.

The first trimester, or first three months of your pregnancy, is such an exciting time.  Especially if you are expecting your first baby.  One thing that’s special is that your pregnancy is not evident to the outside world!  It is your and your mate’s special time of knowing you are pregnant, and deciding how long to wait to tell everyone else.  The pregnancy is confirmed.  The due date is estimated.  And before long you are going to start having some symptoms – such as morning sickness, nausea at certain smells, tiredness or sleepiness at odd times of the day, and strange cravings for food.  Of course, not everyone has all of these symptoms, but they are fairly universal.  If Christmas is coming you might be wondering if you are really “up to” the whole big celebration you usually put on.

This is a good time to listen to and follow your instincts.  It’s a time to realize another little person is going to be with you from now on, and being flexible will forever be a part of your life because of him or her (or them!).  Here are some ideas to make life less stressful for the holidays:

– Do most of your gift shopping online.  Mall shopping may just not be as much fun.  The smell of auto exhaust on the road.  The odd smells in the mall that normally were just fine (like cinnamon rolls, hot dogs, cleaning solutions) now may make you a little nauseated.

-If you are able, purchase your gifts gift wrapped to save the last minute stress of getting it all done.

-Have gifts mailed directly to the recipient.  Most online stores will offer a service for a gift message enclosure.

– Let Sis, or your Mom, make the holiday meals this year.  Plan on going and enjoying every minute and every delicious bite of their special holiday cooking instead of making everything yourself.

-Since your pregnancy isn’t showing yet,  make Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the special day to tell your family and loved ones that you are Pregnant!  Of course, we recommend you have one of our cute expecting ornaments personalized and gift wrapped for your mom to open and be surprised.  This gift is also cute for his parent’s as well.  If they are with you, or even if they are far away, opening this gift is a fabulous way at Christmas to tell your family you are expecting!

So the Christmas theme for a first-trimester pregnancy is, take it easy, take care of yourself and let others help with entertaining and meals, and tell everyone your secret surprise, a new baby will be joining the family next year.  Then sit back and enjoy all of the love and attention!

The Second Trimester may be the most enjoyable time of pregnancy.  For most women, the morning sickness tapers off to non-existent.  Many women have more energy and feel more themselves.  And, your baby is growing and you are starting to “show”.  This is a happy time of telling friends and co-workers you are expecting and enjoying the attention and conversations from other women who have gone through a pregnancy and birth and are ready to tell you all about it!  During this time you’ll feel the baby move – a very exciting event.

If Christmas comes during this second trimester it is likely you will be tempted to do all the things you’ve always done at Christmas time and depending on how you are feeling you will succeed!

– It’s still not a bad idea to not go overboard with planning, shopping, cooking, and entertaining.  Getting worn out just isn’t good for you and that’s not good for the baby.

– This is a good time to start preparing for the baby’s arrival.  Telling your boss about your pregnancy and planning for maternity leave.  Buying a crib and car safety seat.  and other things around the home.

– Buy something new to wear for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Plan ahead – in 3-4 short weeks your waistline will be expanding and you’ll be having yummy food and want to be comfy.  Of course, I’m sure your doctor would encourage you to enjoy everything in moderation!  But a couple of new tops that are comfortable and a pretty color will do wonders for that feeling that you don’t really look hugely pregnant, just a little chubby.

– Decorate your Christmas tree, and think about how next Christmas there will be a baby and how much fun that will be.  Be sure to add a personalized Christmas ornament that celebrates the Christmas you are expecting a baby.  This ornament will be yours forever to remember this special time.  And don’t forget both sets of grandparents!  They’re Expecting too…. They’re expecting a darling Grandchild!

Christmas during your third trimester can really be a challenge.  Plan ahead is the phrase of the season! You are going to get tired and need to put your feet up after work!

– Do all of your shopping and wrapping way before Christmas.  Try to have it done by Thanksgiving.  Shop online, have things wrapped, have gifts mailed.

– Tell everyone what you need to complete your baby’s layette and all of the other things you might need – crib, high chair, rocking lounger, and the like.  Maybe you will be lucky enough to have a nice baby shower, but being prepared for a coming birth enables you to relax and enjoy the holidays.

– Let Mom do it!  or your Sister or Mother in Law!  This is a special time for them too and helping you and your husband stay rested and happy will give them pleasure.

– Get all the good books about parenting and baby and take the time to discuss how your family brought up the baby.  Christmas is a good time for family memories and hearing about how you were as a baby, and how your husband was, and how your parents took care of you those first weeks will be emotionally strengthening.  No matter how many books you read, and how many tales you hear, your baby’s first month or two will be a big surprise, so line up the support of your family and friends.

– Enjoy the holidays, let yourself be pampered.  Think about what kind of parents you will be and about what the future has in store for the Christmas celebrations ahead.  And don’t forget about www.calliopedesigns.com for your Baby’s First Christmas personalized ornament.

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15 Ideas for Great Personalized Ornament Gifts

There are so many ways people can be couples and we at Calliope Designs try to have a personalized Couples ornament for every single one of them!  Here are 15 ideas for fun-filled and reasonably priced gifts this holiday season.

Creative Gifts for Your Loved One

– Create a cute penguin couple holding a heart ornament for two people who have just fallen in love!  Inscribe with their names, the year, and “First Christmas Together” on the base.

– For a couple who has just moved in together one of our cute New Home designs with two snowmen in the front with the personalization sentiment “First Christmas in Our First Home Together”

– For a couple with a proposal coming…. a small gift on Christmas morning would be quite appropriate with “Will You Marry Me?” beautifully inscribed by hand on the base.

-For an Engagement gift for a couple who is engaged at Christmas time a cute Christmas tree ornament with two little snow people beside it with the word “Engaged” on the base.

-For a Couple of Irish descent who loves all things Irish and is proud of their lineage, we have a fun Snow couple Christmas ornament holding a broom dressed in green with a shamrock saying “Our Irish Christmas”

-For a couple’s First Christmas married we have a Christmas ornament of a Bride and Groom dancing on their wedding day inscribed with their names and “Our First Christmas”

– For a couple on their honeymoon in a wonderful tropical location, such as Maui!  Give a personalized ornament of a  darling penguin couple on a palm tree-studded tropical island that says “Just Mauied”.

– Find ornaments for honeymooning couples who have gone to New York City, New Orleans, San Francisco, and more.

-Make a personalized ornament gift for Grandma and Grandpa, perhaps a cute fireplace with a little mouse beside it, with their names on the stockings and “Christmas Together” on the base.

– And then there are the Anniversaries!  Whether it’s the 5th, the 25th or the 50th, or something in between, each year wed deserves a special celebration and memento.  Gift a gift that will last through the years, just like this couple’s marriage.  Here we have a cute Santa and Mrs. Claus holding a heart ornament.

-Find a personalized gift for a gay or lesbian couple – whether it is a couple riding a motorcycle, or a couple celebrating Christmas in their new home, we have many styles that are sure to make a wonderful personalized gift this Christmas time.

-This couple has two pets, and you can Design Your Own personalized ornament gift for a couple with up to five pets.  We have 19 dog types and 6 cat types to choose from, and you can put a name on each and everyone that we make to order for a couple with pets.

-When a couple is pregnant and expecting their first baby they will always remember the Christmas they were pregnant and waiting with great anticipation, so we have a wonderful and popular Snow Couple Expecting A Baby personalized ornament.

-For the couple who is expecting twin babies and pregnant at Christmas, we can personalize it to order.

-For Grandma and Grandpa a Design Your Own ornament style of a darling house with them looking out the windows above their two pets.  Something for every couple this Christmas.

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Ponder These 25 Christmas Quotes

christmas quote logo

While it is true we make and sell Personalized Christmas ornaments for a living, we still think about the meaning of the Christmas holiday.  We enjoy collecting stories of how families celebrate together.  What different traditions are formed with one’s children.  And how to keep the holidays happy and healthy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We love reading these quotes about the meaning of Christmas and discussing them.  Which ones call out to you?  Try discussing one of these with your family at the dinner table tonight.

Popular Christmas Quotes

-“Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more….”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

-“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
― Charles Dickens

-“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder

-“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”
― Bob Hope

-“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ”
― Mary Ellen Chase

-“Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer…. Who’d have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? ”

― Bill Watterson, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
-“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.”
― Charles M. Schulz
-“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
-“In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukkah’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukkah!’ or (to the atheists) ‘Look out for the wall!”
― Dave Barry
-“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ”
― Norman Vincent Peale
-“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ”
― Roy L. Smith
-“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.”
~ (1919-), American writer, producer, humorist. ”
― Andy Rooney
-“A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.”
― Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home
-“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
― Hamilton Wright Mabie
-“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness.
”― Bob Hope
-“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
-What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal and that every path may lead to peace.”
”― Agnes M. Pahro
-“Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.”
~ (1912-1992), American newscaster. ”
― Eric Sevareid
-“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
― Calvin Coolidge
-“Christmas, my child, is love in action.”
~ Dale Evans (1912-2001), American film actress, singer, and songwriter. Wife of Roy Rogers. ”
― Dale Evans Rogers
-“Christmas it seems to me is a necessary festival; we require a season when we can regret all the flaws in our human relationships: it is the feast of failure, sad but consoling.”
― Graham Greene, Travels With My Aunt
-“Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; to remember the weaknesses and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and to ask yourself if you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open? Are you willing to do these things for a day? Then you are ready to keep Christmas!”
― Henry van Dyke
-“What kind of Christmas present would Jesus ask Santa for?”
― Salman Rushdie, Fury
-“Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ”
― Washington Irving
-“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!”
― Charles Dickens
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Keeping the Holidays Meaningful for Your Children

child with gifts

Get Your Children Hooked on the Holiday Spirit!

In this generation of kids growing up, I like to call them Generation ME, it’s so very hard to keep things meaningful. As parents we want our kids to be happy and love to see their faces when they open a new gift or surprise, but how do we keep them from EXPECTING a gift every time they bat an eye?
I have been guilty on occasion to go a little overboard at Christmas time, I love seeing all the gifts under the tree and I love the Christmas morning reaction. I have found myself improving over the years and trying to focus more on the meaning of the holidays.
We now volunteer every Christmas to wrap and deliver gifts with our local toy drive, we bring and collect food for our local food bank and I try to explain to my children that even though we are blessed to be able to have the things we do, it is not a guarantee, and we are never above anyone else.

Our family motto is “Do unto others as you expect they should do unto you.” We truly try our best to live by that. The holidays are not about the gifts we receive but the gifts we give, and the most important of those gifts are not physical items!

Julie Howard, from Quebec, Canada

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35 Reasons Why a Christmas Ornament is a Great Gift

Marry Me: Male Blonde, Female Blonde Personalized christmas Ornament

Calliope Designs brings you the original “personalized Christmas ornament” and here are some reasons a Calliope Designs ornament makes such a wonderful Christmas gift!

Popular Calliope Designs:

It is handcrafted one at a time.
It is personalized to your order.
It is reasonably priced.
It is a thoughtful gift.
It can start a family holiday tradition of getting an ornament each year.
It celebrates an important event in a person or family’s life.
It is sentimental and sweet.
It is playful and happy.
It does not get used up like a bottle of wine!.
It lasts forever.
It is a memento of a certain Christmas.
If you get a personalized ornament when you are 16 years old, it is fun to use it when you are 40!
You don’t ever outgrow it.
It has zero calories.
It is whimsical.
It can start a child’s Christmas ornament collection of one ornament each year.
It is not fattening.
It can be a souvenir of a vacation when personalized with the vacation location.
It can keep a memory of your pets.
You can use one to ask the big question, Will You Marry Me?
You can use one to tell your parents you are Expecting a Baby!
You can design one with your pets on it.
You can have the year on it.
All of the personalization is Free and done by hand.
The personalized ornament makes a cute wedding shower gift.
It can be used as a package tie with names on it.
Children enjoy ornaments that show their special interests – such as soccer, or ballet.
Kids like to see their names on their personalized ornaments.
Something small but meaningful for Grandparents.
They don’t require special storage.
The ink is permanent.
Something for everyone on your Christmas list.
It’s easy to pack and light to mail.
Personalization adds value to your gift.
It will bring a smile to your face.

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DIY Ornaments for your Christmas Tree

I’m always on the lookout for fun projects to do with children at Christmas time. Of course, making your own ornaments to the tree is one of the best activities – the ornaments are original, cute, and then you can PERSONALIZE them with the child’s name and the year. As the years pass you’ll have the fun of getting these ornaments out and remembering the time making them as you hang them on the tree each year. Here are some novel ideas from Raquel Fagan who gathered ten DIY ideas. We’ve put links in the article to the author of each idea, and to the tutorial so you can get the best instructions. Thank you to all 10 creative individuals!!!

List from Raquel Fagan

Decorating the Christmas tree is a beloved tradition for many families. This year, try adding a new tradition to your holiday repertoire – making your own decorations. These 10 homemade ornaments are so fun and festive, you’d never guess they’re made from trash!

1. Eggshell baubles: Use empty egg shells to create bauble ornaments light enough to adorn even the smallest branches.

The next time you’re whipping up a morning omelet, don’t compost those egg shells. Turn them into enchanting baubles for your Christmas tree instead! Empty eggshell baubles are as elegant as store-bought ornaments but light enough to adorn even the smallest of branches.

Use a drill with a 1 or 2-millimeter bit to penetrate the eggshell, cook up the egg and decorate what’s left, like Lachlan.Rogers.Name blogger Lachlan Rogers. As he explains in his detailed tutorial, Rogers experimented with permanent marker, paint and even nail polish on the decorative eggs. But if you plan to compost your ornaments after the holidays, stick to non-toxic and water-based markers and paints instead.

2. Holiday card ornaments

Recycled holiday cards make perfect ornaments: sparkly and elegant yet impossible to break. With this quick and easy tutorialfrom Martha Stewart, you can turn all your holiday cards into eye-catching globes and circles that lock together to compliment your tree. All you’ll need is a hole punch, some scissors and some thread.

3. Sock owl ornament: Use those single socks to create a fun stuffed owl for your holiday tree. Just sew a loop onto the top or back of your owl for hanging.

Most of us have at least a few socks without mates laying around. Rather than tossing them in the trash, use them to create this fun sock owl craft
from Whimsy Loft blogger Grace. You’ll need to break out the sewing kit for this one, too. But the finished product is so cute, it’s worth the love and labor. Just sew a loop on the top or back of the owl to transform your craft into a spunky holiday ornament.

4. Upcycled tie wreath

If you’re in search of a truly unique decoration to spice up your tree or front door, look no further than this upcycled tie wreath from Good Housekeeping. Turn Dad’s old ties into an eclectic holiday wreath that’s bound to be the coolest on the block. This one requires a little sewing. So, it’s best for adults and older kids.

5. Plastic bottle stars Use the base of plastic water, juice or olive oil bottles to craft festive star ornaments that reflect the light from every direction.

Have a recycled holiday with wintry star decorations made from plastic bottles. With this simple tutorial from Esprit Cabane, you can turn the base of plastic water, juice or olive oil bottles into twinkling stars with just the snip of scissors. These pretty stars reflect light from every direction, making for perfect garland accents or hanging ornaments.

6. Nuts and bolts ornaments

Use spare bolts and washers to create a snowman, angel or Santa ornament for your holiday tree. Dreamed up by Inspired at Home blogger and FaveCrafts.com contributor Heidi Borchers, these adorable hardware-inspired ornaments are so easy to make, even the youngest kids can lend a helping hand. Check out Borchers’ step-by-step tutorial, and don’t forget to wash your hardware first!

7. Scrabble tile ornament

If you have a few pieces missing from your Scrabble board game, don’t toss the whole thing! Use the remaining tiles to craft a clever ornament for your Christmas tree, like WonderHowTo.com contributor Justin Meyers. Use your tiles to form festive words like “joy” and “peace,” or spell out the names of everyone in the family. As outlined in his tutorial, Meyers used a power drill to complete these ornaments. So, this one is best suited for older crafters.

8. Quilted CD ornament

After switching to a digital copy for music and movies, it can be tough to know what to do with those old CDs and DVDs. If you’re stumped for a reuse idea, try using them to create prim and pretty quilted ornaments like Tennessee crafter and Hellenismos blogger Helen. Don’t be too intimidated by the name. Helen’s “faux-quilting” technique is a little easier than the real thing. But this craft still may be a bit too involved for children and craft novices.
9. Illuminated photo memory ornament

Put your family photos on display for all to see with adorable memory ornaments made from plastic container lids. Submitted to BetterBudgeting.com by Kim Caple of Plymouth, Mass., this “aww-inspiring” craft is simple enough for beginners yet artistic enough for experts.

In her tutorial, Caple adorned a photo of her daughter at the beach with seashells for a decorative touch. But stretch your creative legs and add personalized embellishments for an ornament that’s truly your own. An added bonus – these ornaments are great for catching the light on your tree!

10. Recycled sweater wreath

If you’re stumped as to what to do with those heinous Christmas sweaters from Great Aunt Millie, you’re not the only one. But have no fear, Earth-lover! Help is on the way. Sweater Surgery blogger Stefanie Girard has dreamed up some pretty cool uses for the shrunken, hole-y and less-than-stylish sweaters in her closet. For the holidays, she used one of her old sweaters to create a one-of-a-kind wreath with a peppermint candy-style bow. Check out her step-by-step tutorial to whip up one of your own.

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Christmas Trees – Real or Artificial?

Tree with Angel and Snowman Personalized Christmas Ornaments

We started our family-owned business back in 1971, making and selling “dough” ornaments at local crafts fairs, especially the popular Dickens Christmas Faire in San Francisco. The dough ornaments were novel and cute, and everyone loved our imaginative creations, but one thing about them….. they were heavy! Of course, in 1971 there were few artificial trees available, but as the years passed these trees became more popular for a variety of reasons, and for us, it was that they were able to hold the heavier ornaments.

Now our ornaments are made from polymer clay and are quite lightweight averaging about 2 oz per ornament. Here’s an interesting article on the discussion: Are real Christmas trees better for the earth than artificial ones?
Friday, December 07, 2012 by David Gutierrez, staff writer of www.naturalnews.com

Should You Buy a Real or Fake Tree?

Environmentalists for whom Christmas trees are an important tradition face a dilemma: should they buy a real or an artificial tree? Well, according to plant biologist Clint Springer of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, buying a single artificial tree once a decade has a significantly larger carbon footprint than buying a new real tree each year over the same time period.

“At this time of year, choosing a real Christmas tree is one way that an average person can make a difference in terms of climate change,” Springer said.

According to Nielsen Research, in partnership with the American Christmas Tree Association (an industry trade group for artificial trees), U.S. consumers will purchase approximately 21.6 million real trees and 12.9 million artificial trees during the 2012 Christmas season. The National Christmas Tree Association, a trade group for real trees, reports the purchase of 28 million real trees and 8.2 million artificial trees in 2010.

Selecting a greener tree
Reviewing the research on the two types of trees, Springer notes that you would have to keep an artificial tree for 20 years before its carbon footprint is smaller than that of 20 real trees. These numbers come from a 2009 study conducted by the consulting firm Ellipsos.

“[The] study … concluded that a seven-foot cut tree’s impact on climate is 60 percent less than a seven-foot artificial tree used for six years. So while cut trees are not carbon-neutral, in terms of carbon-use, they are better than artificial trees.”

Artificial trees’ carbon footprints come in large part from the fact that most of them are made in China, and therefore, shipping them around the world consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuels. In addition, said Ellipsos founder Jean-Sebastien Trudel, artificial trees are usually constructed from polyvinyl chloride. This plastic is manufactured from petrochemicals in a fossil-fuel intensive process. In addition, trees made from polyvinyl chloride tend to release volatile organic compounds into the air, often causing respiratory allergies or other distress.

According to Springer, many people select artificial trees for reasons that have more to do with price or accessibility than global warming. But many other people, he noted, falsely fear that real trees will give them allergies.

“Ultimately, people need to make the choice that makes the most sense for their family,” he said, “but they should keep in mind that real Christmas trees do not trigger allergic reactions. Farm-raised trees are too young to be reproductive in most cases, so pollen is not an issue.”

He noted that some people might be sensitive to a real tree’s natural scent. In such cases, he recommends pine trees rather than firs, due to pine’s weaker scent.

The concern that real Christmas trees get moldy is also exaggerated, he said.

“From what we know about household allergens like mold spores, a house with a real tree does not usually show a higher rate of indoor air pollution than a house with an artificial tree, because mold spores found on live trees do not usually become air-borne,” Springer said.

Learn more: https://www.naturalnews.com/038250_Christmas_trees_artificial_environmental_impact.html#ixzz2ULkNLGiV

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Secret Santas Emerge and Exchange Ornaments!

San Francisco Cable Car with santa personalized christmas ornaments

Exchanging gifts with friends and family is a fun process! Why do so many of us say “I’m going to do this a new way next year!” Well, because sometimes it becomes stressful to find just the right item for each person on your list. Sometimes it gets way too expensive, with the credit card bills mounting up for January and February payment. And sometimes it takes us far away from the meaning of the holiday – whether religious, a family celebration time of joy, or a relaxing break from work or school.

Gift Exchange Celebration – Secret Santa

On idea to try to reduce the stress and expense and time and still enjoy the spirit of giving is to do an ornament gift exchange. Whether it’s for a large extended family, co-workers, or sorority sisters, etc., an ornament gift exchange lets the group give and receive a gift, enjoy watching others open their gifts, laugh and oooh and ahhh over the adorable selections, and enjoy the togetherness of the holiday season.

The Secret Santa approach is to assign or draw names to each person participating in the exchange. Then the giver can have fun shopping for one special ornament for that person, and find something that really suits them or something that had happened in their life that year. We really think a personalized Christmas ornament is the best option for this type of party!

We like the ornaments are hand-crafted, but it is also common to see exchanges of commercially produced ornaments, heirloom ornaments, or antiques. Usually, a basic standard of cost and style is set, to ensure that all of the ornaments are roughly similar. The ornaments should all be gift wrapped…. which is one fun way to get people to pick your ornament first!

Another exchange idea to have a “white elephant” approach. Everyone draws a number when they arrive at the party. When the exchange begins, the person with the number one picks a gift and opens it to see the ornament inside. The person with the number two can either pick a gift ornament and open the ornament or “steal” the first ornament, forcing the first person to choose another ornament. Limits may be placed on the number of times an ornament changes hands, and as a variation, the number system may be abandoned, and people may just pick wrapped ornaments at random.

A third way of exchanging would be to have all the ornaments out for view with a bidding type of system! Perhaps this would be an opportunity to raise a little cash for a local charity or Toys for Tots event.

Holiday foods, music, tree decorating and holiday-related games make this event even more festive. However, you decide to conduct an ornament exchange party enjoy yourself. Start a tradition in your neighborhood, workplace, or book club. In fact, you can even draw next year’s name at the end of the party!

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Decorating your Fireplace Mantle

Fireplace (4) Stockings personalized christmas ornaments

A fireplace mantel is often the focal point of your interiors. While you start with various Christmas decorations, you can’t forget beautifying the fireplace mantel, right? If you are searching for Christmas mantel decorating ideas, then you have clicked the right link. Here are some ideas that can spice up the fireplace mantel and give it a perfect festive finish

Decorating Ideas for Christmas Mantels

Refinish It

Before you start implementing different decoration ideas, it is essential to have the mantel cleaned up and refinished as well. Clean it thoroughly to give it a fresh look. Once this is done, go ahead with the following ideas that can make a great looking mantel. Also, have the mantel top free of clutter if there are any objects placed over it.

Have a Theme

Having a decoration theme will give a well-defined look to the Christmas decorations. Why not have lovely color themes? Popular Christmas colors like red and green, red and white can be used to beautify the fireplace mantel. With a natural theme, you can include various elements of nature, like fruits, leaves, and flowers and jazz up the fireplace mantel. A sparkling fireplace decorated for Christmas with a glitter theme, where you can add various elements to illuminate and add shimmer to the mantel is a nice idea.

Add Christmas Accents

Well, here’s the section that most of you were eager to read. Add up decorative elements to play up the homemade Christmas decorations. Start with a Christmas mantel scarf that is placed on top of the mantel. It is available in a number of designs and colors like red, white, green, etc. Next, add a classic Christmas mantel garland with bright poinsettias and unique varieties of conifers weaved in it. You can also add a wonderful Christmas wreath to the wall above the fireplace mantel. Make sure that the elements used in wreath and garland are the same to have a classy effect. Further add a few red or other colored felt Christmas stockings, which are the ‘must haves’ of Christmas decor, to this mantel. These can be hung at the top border of the mantel in a line. With each of these, add other elements like laces, metallic balls, flowers, leaves, miniature bells, and candy cane sticks. Place candles with glass candle holders on the mantel. Place decorative metallic fruits and painted leaves to play up the mantel decor.

The Finishing Touch

Illuminate the fireplace mantel with a garland of mini lights. Further, place two classic candle stands with large candles in front of the mantel, on each side. Place a well-decorated Christmas tree right beside this mantel. Other finishing pieces can be some snaps of your family, framed and placed over beautiful Christmas mantel or a decorative round mirror hung instead of the wreath. You can also have two large stockings hung beside the wreath or mirror over the wall. As mentioned above, a color theme works the best. Instead of randomly adding decorative items, make sure that you have a specific idea in mind. Finish with a golden or silver shimmery metallic garland to adore the mantel borders.

With the aforementioned ideas, get started to revamp your fireplace mantel. Make sure you have the best elements added for mantel decor to have ultimate decorations this Christmas.

This article was submitted on the Internet by author Santa Mann. Do you think that’s his real name???

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Fun DIY Christmas Ornaments from the Internet

fun DIY ornaments from the internet

Soon, it’s going to be Christmas Eve, and everyone must have already started hunting for those easy Christmas ornaments, isn’t it? The ornaments discussed in this article are not only easy to make, but are made quickly as well. Christmas ornaments do play a very important part in our Christmas decorations, don’t they? This is the very reason we are here, telling you how to make the best ornaments, the easy way. While we have some simple traditional Christmas ornaments like candies and Christmas stockings, let us also look at some contemporary yet easy Christmas ornament ideas.

Easy to Make Christmas Ornaments found on the Internet!

Easy Christmas Ornament # 1

Make a list of various things you can use as Christmas ornaments. Miniature Christmas wreaths, the face of Santa Claus, mistletoe, holly, Christmas candles etc. are a few. Draw these on a colored paper and cut them out. Cover them with some colored gelatin paper to make them look attractive. Now, hang these pieces to the Christmas tree using threads or ribbons. So, you now have your first set of easy to make Christmas ornaments ready. Aren’t they really easy to make? We will now see how to make some Santa Claus crafts.

Materials Required

White construction paper 10” x 10”
Red, white and green paint
Black permanent marker
Red gelatin paper
Blue satin ribbon
Sparkle pen or powdered sparkle
Scissors
Punching machine

Procedure

Draw a Santa Claus on the white construction paper in such a way that most of the paper is used up. Now, cut this drawn Santa Claus and color it with the paints you have. Use the black permanent marker to draw necessary outlines after, or before painting. Apart from black, you can use any marker that will help the outlines stand out. Now, you need to cover the red part of the Santa Claus with gelatin paper. Cut gelatin paper of necessary size. Using sparkle pens, draw outlines on the entire cutout. Punch a hole on the topmost part of the cutting. Pass a satin ribbon through this hole, and hang the craft to your Christmas tree.

Easy Christmas Ornament # 2

Candies and small chocolates wrapped in colored paper, have always looked good as Christmas ornaments, haven’t they? Candy sticks are in fact, one of the most traditional Christmas ornaments. Then, small-sized colored socks can also be used as homemade ornaments. All you need to do is look for stuff that will look good on your Christmas tree, and then enhance it with sparkle and glitter. These are perhaps the easiest Christmas ornaments to make. We will now see how to make Christmas Baubles.

Materials Required

Chocolate wrappers of all sizes and colors
Newspaper
Adhesive Tape
Red and white satin ribbons

Procedure
Roll the newspaper into balls of equal size. Apply adhesive tape from all sides to even out the surface. On this adhesive tape part, start sticking the chocolate wrappers that you have, using some gum. Make sure that the inside of the bauble (the newspaper) isn’t visible. Now using a ribbon, form a hook anywhere on the ball. You can do this by sticking two ends of a 1cm ribbon and passing the other ribbon through it. Your baubles are now ready to be hanged.

Some More Easy Christmas Ornaments

Find It!
If you have absolutely no time to make, draw, cut and hang the easy Christmas ornaments we discussed, we have some other handmade Christmas ornaments for you. Kids can make some really nice ornaments using these ideas. Look for newspapers and magazines at home. There must be pictures of Christmas ornaments in them, right? Just cut them and hang them to your Christmas tree. Everything that you think relates to, and complements the Christmas theme can be used. This is by far the easiest Christmas ornaments idea you can find, isn’t it?

Wrap It!
Look for objects of different sizes and shapes, that are light in weight. Cover or wrap these with some inexpensive beautiful paper and you have a number of homemade Christmas tree ornaments ready in no time. Remember that though there are many Christmas ornaments to make, the easiest ones are those which are made quickly. This is the best easy Christmas ornaments idea that you can ever get your hands on. This idea is a life savior when you run out of the ornaments you bought!

Hang It!
If you want to experiment with decorating your Christmas tree, then apart from the traditional ornaments, you can come up with your own ideas too! If you have something that might just look good on the tree, hang it! A few examples of such cheap Christmas ornaments are; leftover ribbons, some leftover colored paper, a few miniature lanterns, etc. If you have a lot of gift paper remaining, just cut in the shape of Christmas ornaments and hang it on your tree.

Now that you know how to make these ornaments, what are you waiting for? Get creative and decorate your Christmas tree with these easy homemade Christmas ornaments. Don’t use too many ornaments of the same type, or color. The more different they are, the better your tree will look! Have fun with these simple ornaments and have a Merry Christmas!

Article by Santa Mann, posted on the Internet