Why? Because store-bought cards don’t have a personal touch. You’re limited to the same images and messages that everyone else is also buying on these preprinted cards. By creating your own holiday photo cards online, you can add a special photo and create your own message. You get to choose the color options, the fonts for outside and inside and you get to pick out just the right words to get across the message you want to say. Personalized Christmas cards are more fun to make AND to receive.

These days there is no shortage of places to create beautiful and unique Christmas cards online. You can choose a standard folding card or find some of the fun new options, such as a Christmas card ornament, newsletter holiday cards or other cool Christmas cards. Some popular sites that offer a variety of personalized photo cards are Shutterfly, CardStore.com, Pear Tree Greetings and others. Take a look at these card sites and you’re sure to find some wonderful and fun cards you’re bound to love. Then personalize them with your own photos and message. Rather than buying a box of cards that will quickly end up in the trash, you’ll be creating a keepsake that you (and probably some members of your family) will want to keep in a scrapbook for years to come.

“Santa’s Stuck Up In The Chimney”

Santa’s Stuck Up In The Chimney” Lyrics

It was the night before Christmas
Not a mouse was stirrin’
Not a sound heard anywhere
But the silence was broken
When these words were spoken
“Hey, get me outta here!”

Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!

Santa’s stuck up in the chimney
(In the chimney)
We gotta
Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!
There’ll be no Christmas
Till we set him free.

That’s when he started to diet
Through the summer
He stuck by it
But his appetite
Was fated to win
Because his wife started bakin’
And Christmas candy makin’
Now look at the shape he’s in.

We gotta
Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!

Santa’s stuck up in the chimney
(In the chimney)
We gotta
Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!
There’ll be no Christmas
Till we set him free.

This is becomin’ a disaster
If we don’t free faster
Day will dawn
And children everywhere will weep
The house is full of neighbours tryin’
Down to havin’ children cryin’
“Get him out of here
So I can get some sleep!”

We gotta
Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!

Santa’s stuck up in the chimney
(In the chimney)
We gotta
Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!

Push!
Tug!
Pull!
Shove!
There’ll be no Christmas
Till we set him free.

‘Cause Santa’s stuck up in the chimney!

To make your letter in the shape of a tree, you set your text to center alignment and then you a manual return at the end of each line to make each one successively longer than the next. To give it even more appearance of a tree, you can make your font green. Advanced users who have Christmas fonts on their computer or even a font like Zingbats or Wing Dings may want to break up the text by placing colored circles, stars or other objects in the middle of the text to represent decorations on the tree.

For more instructions, see How to Create a Christmas Letter in the Shape of a Christmas Tree at Christmas Letter Tips.com.

More Creative Christmas Letter Ideas

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

Use the promo code CCPNPJESNGQC to get one free holiday card printed with the design above. Limit one per customer.

Spread the word!

You can also shop for Christmas gifts, funny Christmas cards, and more at Zazzle!

The Fine Print

100% of card net sale price (excluding shipping and taxes) is deducted when qualifying http://www.zazzle.com/137479835887479642 greeting card is purchased from http://www.zazzle.com/cutechristmasanimals and the coupon code CCPNPJESNGQC is applied at checkout. Offer does not apply to create your own cards. Offer does not apply to card orders of two or more. Buyer is responsible for shipping and handling and sales tax charges. Failure to comply with promotional offer conditions may result in order cancellation. Offer is valid through November 24, 2011 at 11:59pm PT. Offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

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!

Here are three ideas for saving money during the Christmas season.

Find Online Discounts
Your local shopping mall is not always the best place to look for deals. It’s too tempting to purchase items you see without comparing prices. Shopping online, on the other hand, gives you time to compare prices using sites such as BizRate.com or to look for coupon codes.

You can easily find coupon codes online that will help you save money during the holidays, or you can look for holiday-specific coupons and Christmas discounts at sites such as Christmas Coupons 365.com. This site lists coupons and deals for hundreds of popular stores and makes it easy for you to save money on gifts for everyone on your list.

Another way to save money online is to search for cheap gift suggestions. For example, here are 5 gifts under $5.

Create Personalized Gifts
If you’re craft-challenged like me, you might be tempted to skip this section, thinking that you don’t have the skills to make your own gift. Not so! Thanks to the power of the Internet, you can make personalized gifts with virtually no talent at all. If you’re making something personalized, you might feel ok spending less than you would on a generic gift? You can create mugs, shirts, iPhone and iPad covers, and much more on Zazzle and personalize them with your own photos, artwork and/or text.

Cut Down Your Gift List
One of the most obvious ways to save money is to buy fewer gifts. If you’re the generous type who likes to buy gifts for everyone, from your child’s teacher to the postal carrier, you can save money simply by cutting down your gift list or changing the way you give gifts.

For instance, if you’re from a large family and your family tradition is to buy one gift for everyone, including all the adult relatives, it might be time to suggest drawing names for the holidays. Rather than everyone buying gifts for every other adult relative, each person draws a name and then only buys one gift for that person, so each adult receives one gift, while children can continue to reap the rewards from multiple aunts, uncles, grandparents and so on.

With a little forethought, you can still give wonderful gifts and save money with a couple small changes.

Revised with permission from ,a href=”http://lisa42.hubpages.com/hub/Cheap-Christmas-Gift-Strategies”>Cheap Christmas Gift Strategies on HubPages.

“We never seem to write letters anymore,” I complained to my husband.

He glanced up. “You can fix that. Christmas is coming – perfect time for a family letter.” He returned to work, leaving me to ponder how to begin such a project.

For those of you who, like me, are not natural letter-writers, below is a list of family Christmas letter ideas. Hope they help if you decide to start a new tradition this year.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!
While you can fit a few photos into a newsletter, more is better for your family Christmas letter. Try including a CD of favorite photos and special events. For more pizzazz, try using online services such as Smilebox. You can pick out a background and song to lend emotion to your slideshow. Then have fun and create! Include a copy with each mailed newsletter (or at least with Grandma and Grandpa’s). You can also share your creation with email recipients online.

The Countdown!
David Letterman loves them, Johnny Carson loved them, and we all love them too. The Top Ten List is the hit of the show! Include it in your newsletter or family Christmas letter. Ideas for lists range from sports activities for the kids to best moments on vacation. Include baby’s top ten new words, or your kindergartner’s top ten favorite new books, movies or games. The top ten dumbest/cutest things said in the household is sure to be a hit, but keep careful notes through-out the year to make sure you get them all down!

Make Them Laugh!
Ask each family member to include their favorite joke, riddle or pun. Sharing humor is always a family favorite. For humorous holiday jokes, search online or visit Funny-Christmas.com.

Use a Template!
Trying to format everything just right can lead to frustration, un-Christmas-like obscenities and un-mailed letters. Using a template makes layout easy and allows for more time to write and less to try to fit-it-all-in. You can search for printable Christmas letterhead online or for less than $4, download an awesome Christmas letter template right here at Christmas Letter Tips.com. Using these formats, you can easily summarize important evens of the year, insert family photos and get it done in time to get it mailed. Or, to save a tree and ensure on-time delivery, email your newsletter.

However you choose to share your lives with family members far away, it will be appreciated all year long. Keeping the family tie alive may be the best gift you give or receive!