Well, now you can catch Santa in your house. With The Santa Video, you simply need to upload a picture of your home where Santa will be visiting, select from several available video clips and they make the magic happen. Your kids can wake up Christmas morning and see a video of Santa delivering gifts and eating cookies right in their own home!

It’s easy and only takes a few minutes. But parents should pay attention to the details in the videos so they can make a few preparations before Christmas. For instance, Santa is shown eating chocolate chip cookies in the videos, so you’ll want to be sure you actually leave out chocolate chip cookies rather than another type on Christmas Eve. Very little kids won’t notice this detail, but older ones will. In some of the other clips you can choose, Santa takes a variety of packages out of his bag. Your child will be really amazed if one of their favorite gifts is in a box wrapped like one of the packages shown in the video. (Of course, you can always say the other packages shown in the video were for kids at other houses.)

Your kids will love seeing Santa in your house. And you won’t even need to leave the camcorder running all night!

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Recipe for Snowman Poop
To make snowman poop, you’ll need the following ingredients:
1 sandwich-sized plastic bag
Mini marshmallows, popcorn, Hershey’s Hugs or any white candies
1 Snowman Poop Poem

Directions:
Step 1 – Fill the plastic bag with your choice of white candies or popcorn.
Step 2 – Seal the bag and attach one of the snowman poop poems (see below) to the bag.
Step 3 – Deliver your gift and enjoy!

The secret to turning plain ol’ candy into snowman poop is the poem. Your recipe for snowman poop isn’t complete without one of these. Pick your favorite, print it out and attach it to your bag.

Snowman Poop Poem #1
I hear that you’ve been naughty.
So listen, here’s the scoop.
Instead of getting coal this year,
You’re getting snowman poop!

Snowman Poop Poem #2
Santa looked at his list,
and then he checked it twice.
And he saw that you haven’t been very nice.
Since coal is so expensive,
listen, here’s the scoop -
Santa’s filling your stocking this year
with silly snowman poop!

Snowman Poop Poem #3
He knows when you’ve been bad.
Don’t forget he watching you.
So all Santa’s bringing for Christmas
is this tasty snowman poo.

Find more variations of the Snowman Poop Poem on HubPages.

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas DVD
If you enjoy the Ice Age franchise and can’t wait for the latest sequel, Ice Age: Continental Drift next year, you’ll be glad to know that you can spend time with your favorite Arctic herd this holiday season with Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas. This new animated special will air on Fox TV on Thanksgiving night and the Ice Age Christmas DVD will be released two days later, on November 26.

In this new animated film, Sid breaks Manny’s favorite holiday decorations and goes to the North Pole to explain it all to Santa Claus after Manny convinces him he’s now on Santa’s Naughty List. Crash, Eddie, and Peaches accompany Sid, leaving Diego, Manny and Ellie frantically searching for Peaches. Of course, Sid can’t stay out of trouble and ends up destroying Santa’s workshop on Christmas Eve, so it’s up to our favorite prehistoric herd of misfits to set things straight and make sure Christmas isn’t canceled.

Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story DVD
Since Elf on the Shelf was published, thousands of kids have joined in the fun holiday tradition of having a scout elf visit their home and bring back regular reports to Santa Claus on whether they’ve been naughty or nice. Now those kids can get a look at what it’s like to be one of Santa’s secret helpers.

Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story will make its debut on CBS TV the day after Thanksgiving, and the new Christmas DVD for 2011 will be released the next day, November 26. This animated tale follows the adventures of Chippey, a scout elf who is assigned to a boy named Taylor. Taylor is uncertain whether he believes in Santa Claus and Christmas magic, and when he breaks the most important Elf on the Shelf rule, both he and Chippey discover that true belief in Christmas isn’t something that can be taught.

Disney’s Prep and Landing DVD
This animated Disney Christmas special first aired in 2009, but Disney is releasing it for the first time on DVD this year. The story follows Wayne, an elf in Santa’s elite “Prep and Landing” unit, a team of elves who work with military precision to ensure every house is ready for Santa’s arrival before he gets there. Their job is to ensure the path is clear for Santa to get in and out of the house quickly, safely and without a hitch. But Wayne has been doing this job for a long time and was just defeated in his quest for a promotion. Now he’s willing to let his new trainee, Lanny, take over while he slacks off. It’s a recipe for disaster, and Wayne has to save the day so one little boy’s Christmas won’t be ruined.

Barbie: A Perfect Christmas DVD
Any Barbie movie is sure to be a hit with little girls, and this will be no exception. In this holiday tale, Barbie and her sisters Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea are on their way to New York for Christmas, but when a snowstorm diverts their flight, they end up stranded in the remote town of Tannenbaum. To their surprise and delight, they discover magical experiences and new friends. Barbie and her sisters then put on a musical performance for the whole town to enjoy and discover that “being together is what really makes A Perfect Christmas.

Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure
In Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure DVD, viewers will get to hear Beethoven talk for the first time ever! Beethoven comes to the rescue in this film after an elf takes Santa’s sleigh and all the toys, and then crash-lands in a tree. When Santa’s magical bag of toys ends up in the wrong hands, Beethoven and his human companion Mason have to save the elf, get the toys, and make sure Christmas comes for children around the world.

From: New Christmas DVDs 2011 on HubPages

The mom of two kids recently had to ‘fess up to her son and let him know that Santa Claus as we think of him today is only a myth. But she eased the blow by emphasizing what an amazing impact the historical Saint Nicholas, who lived during the fourth century, has had on millions of people around the world. One man has inspired millions to be generous and kind for centuries.

The article offers the following advice for talking to your kids about Santa Claus:

Make sure they’re ready to know the truth – The first time my son asked about Santa, I responded by saying, “What do you think?” At that point, he was still a firm believer, so I waited until he asked again and showed signs of disbelief to explain the entire story. If your child is still on the fence and you want to keep the magic alive as long as possible, you can also check out some ways to keep your child believing in Santa.

1) Tell your child about Saint Nicholas – Let your child know that the real Santa was a man who lived long ago, but he was so kind and generous to others, especially children, that we still follow his example.

2) Talk about the meaning of Christmas – Both Santa Claus and Jesus Christ offer many lessons during the holiday season, so you can use either or both, depending on your religion, to remind your child of the meaning behind Christmas

3) Make them feel honored to keep the secret – Safeguarding Santa’s secret is an important task that is only entrusted to those who are old enough to understand the importance of keeping the secret from littler children.

You can read the full article on HubPages for more thoughts on how to tell your child about Santa Claus.

Best Santa Letter Site If You Like Options (Lots of ‘Em!)

If you’re the kind of person who likes options, then you’ll love Santa’s Official North Pole Mail. With 20 background designs and more than 40 Santa letters to choose from, including the ability to write your own letter, you’ll never have to worry about two kids in your family having letters that are too similar. And if you want to accessorize your letter, they have options for that, too, with an a la carte menu of upgrades such as Santa evidence kits, Nice List certificates, magic snow and other fun stuff.

Best Santa Letter Site For “Over the Top” Extravagance

If you’re willing to spend money on your child’s Santa “letter,” Package from Santa will turn it into a complete package that goes far beyond anything you’ll get from a company that sells plain ol’ letters. Their Platinum Package is a colorful box of goodies that will impress any child. Inside the box your child will discover magic North Pole snow, an autographed photo of Santa, a sugar cookie from Mrs. Claus in a gift tin, a letter from Rudolph, a personalized Nice List certificate, a Santa Claus window decal, a piece of St. Nick’s suit, magic reindeer food in a tin and, last but not least, a personalized Santa letter. They also include a free video greeting from Santa.

Best Santa Letter Site for Printable Variety

This is a great site for Do-it-Yourself-ers. Rather than just offering the standard printable letter from Santa Claus, as most sites offering print-at-home letters do, Printable Santa Letters.com goes the extra mile and allows you to print extras such as a Nice List certificate, an autographed photo of Santa Claus, and a personalized letter from Rudolph, as well as the standard personalized letter and envelope. They also give you plenty of options for the type of letter you want to send. You can select from eight different letter options, including special letters for baby’s first Christmas and a child’s first year in kindergarten, as well as six background designs, including a Christian theme that goes well with the Christian letter option.

All of these sites offer something that qualifies them as the “best Santa letter sites” for someone’s needs, and all of them can also be considered the best Santa letter sites for another reason – they will all bring a smile to your child’s face.

Adapted with permission from Best Santa Letter Sites by Type

“Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story” will be aired on CBS on November 25, 2011 and “An Elf’s Story” DVD will go on sale the next day. The 23-minute special will be broadcast on November 25, and the DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the special will be available the next day. According to the official Elf on the Shelf and CBS websites, “The Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story” will star Chippey, one of Santa Claus’ scout elves. Chippey’s job is to visit little kids and report to Santa Claus on their behavior so St. Nick knows who has been naughty and who has been nice. Chippey is assigned to a family with a young boy named Taylor McTuttle. The CBS press release says Taylor “struggles to believe in the magic of Christmas.” Chippey’s job is not only to report on the boy’s behavior, but to restore his faith in Christmas magic, too. But when Taylor breaks the rules, Chippey loses his magic powers.

The Elf on the Shelf website says that what happens then is “through the power of love and forgiveness, both of them learn that true belief cannot be taught.” CBS says the special carries the “timeless message that Christmas is something we carry in our hearts.”

Look for Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story on CBS later this year!

- The number of hairs on Charlie Brown’s head changes throughout the show. In some scenes, he has three hairs on the back of his head, and in others he has no hair at all.

- Composer Vince Guaraldi was invited to write the music for the special after a TV producer heard one of his songs while riding in a cab.

- Lucy calls Charlie Brown “Charlie” in a scene right before she talks about the commercialization of Christmas. This is the only time she ever calls him by his first name only in any Peanuts special. In all the other specials, she always calls him by his complete name – Charlie Brown.

- TV execs were sure “A Charlie Brown Christmas” would flop miserably. They didn’t like Guaraldi’s music, were concerned about Linus quoting the Bible, and wanted a canned laugh track to accompany the animation.

- The name of the Charlie Brown Christmas song that most people associate with the special is “Christmas Time is Here.”

- 50% of all TVs were tuned in to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on the night it first aired in 1965.

1. Watch Christmas Shows Together – Spend at least one night a week watching Christmas specials together. If you have a DVR, it’s easy to look for all the well-loved favorites, such as Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Little Drummer Boy and others. But you can also search for keywords such as Christmas, elf, reindeer or Santa to find new favorites. Some modern favorites to watch for are Elf, The  Santa Clause and Olive the Other Reindeer.

2. Get an Advent Calendar -Let the countdown begin! You can make or buy inexpensive advent calendars to help your child count down each day of Christmas. Drug stores, superstores and market such as Trader Joe’s often have cheap calendars that contain a small piece of chocolate or candy inside.

3. Write a Santa Letter – Having your child write a letter to Santa is not only a fun activity for both of you, but it’s a great way to create a keepsake that you’ll cherish for years to come. Sit your child down with some paper and a pencil, and help him or her create a letter to Santa. If your child is too young to write, have them tell you what they’d like to say and be sure to write it verbatim so you’ll be able to enjoy seeing their actual words years from now. If your child is old enough to write his or her own letter, give some gentle guidance on proper format, spelling and the limitations on what to ask Santa to bring. Then be sure Santa writes back! Check out sites such as Free Letter from Santa Claus.net,  Santa Letter Templates.com or Printable Santa Letters.com for free or inexpensive Santa letters to print at home.

4. Enjoy the Christmas Lights – From Thanksgiving to Christmas, many neighborhoods are brightly lit with lawn decorations and lighted displays. These days, you can often find houses that have even synchronized their light display with music you can hear by dialing a specific radio station. Make a plan to walk or drive around your neighborhood at least one night every week to look at the displays. Take a different route every time if your’e on foot or hop in the car and find the best displays in your area.

5. Do Some Craft Projects – Christmas crafts projects for kids can be simple or complex and everything in between and, fortunately, you don’t need to have Martha Stewart’s talent to do some homemade crafts. Simply look online for kids Christmas crafts and you’ll find plenty of fun, simple projects such as clothespin reindeer you can make cheaply and with few materials.