Kid’s bedroom furniture has many different ways to save room. Unlike adult furniture, there is a wider variety of methods to save space including that of children’s storage beds and trundle beds. Choosing kids furniture that allows you to conserve space is the easiest way to prevent clutter and complaints about not being able to keep the room clean “because there is nowhere to put anything.” Even if you have only one kid, in a room it can be difficult to find enough space to store all of his or her toys if the room is too small for it all.

When kids begin to get a little older it becomes apparent there are more toys than room to store them. What is the answer? You don’t want to let your kid just throw it all over the room because this leads to later cases of the typical messy room even when there is room for everything. You want to begin at an early age teaching your kid to keep his or her room tidy, and you can do that by ensuring there is always enough storage space for everything a child owns. Even in a small space this is easy to accomplish if you select bedroom furniture carefully.

When you have limited space in your kid’s room, one of the first things you might want to consider is one of the child’s storage beds or Captains Beds. With drawers surrounding the bed, your kid can store some of his favorite toys and games instead of attempting to fit them into toy boxes that are already packed. The key to teaching a kid about neatness is to ensure there is enough storage space for everything, and if that means foregoing the kid’s canopy bed for something more practical, then you need to do that. Baby furniture can be cute but it is not always practical.

If you have been following celebrity moms, then you know that they are single-handedly transforming the baby gear world forever. Indeed, Little Giraffe baby blankets has captured the worlds attention, thanks to talks shows like Oprah and Ellen. Let’s take a look at one of the most famous blankets offered by this small family business and decide if the trend has more too it than monkey-see, monkey-do.

I’m coming clean here, you know the Little Giraffe baby blanket is a special item as soon as you feel it with your own hands. The velvet blanket blends a luscious velvet fabric with a cool satin for a blanket that is both cuddily and sophisticated. The velvet comes in a variety of styles, including traditional smooth, or in a floral design or dot design. While the traditional is the most popular, babies love the texture of the other designs too. Besides the unique styling, what makes the Little Giraffe velvet blanket a great value is how easy it is to wash. And believe me, baby blankets need almost constant cleaning! The blanket is machine washable and does not need to be dry cleaned either. For velvet, this is a miracle in and of itself! Little Giraffe boosts actually that, with each wash, the fabrics become more cozy and comfortable. I think these blankets make a great first birthday gift, and of course they draw all the oohs and ahhs at the baby shower. The choice of colors makes it easy to find the perfect one to match the gift basket, or the baby nursery for that matter. While blue, pink, and cream are the most popular and traditional choices, the more innovative colors include mocha, lilac and celadon.

The Storksak Gigi diaper bag made a splash across the world when Angelina Jolie chose this bag as her personal everyday favorite in 2006. Since then, the bag has only gained in popularity, and Storksak has released several new styles for the bag. So what’s the hoopla all about? I had a chance to check out a Storksak Gigi recently at a baby shower and wasted no time digging in deep to see what the bag has to offer to regular parents or those of us who are celebrities only part-time! The Gigi is a mid-sized tote, and it is smaller in person than it looks in pictures. This must because the design is like a carry-all, but it is actually much smaller. This gives the bag its “cute” appeal. The Gigi comes in many varieties, but the most popular is Angelina’s favorite – the Gigi Chocolate. The finish is a nylon satin that is a lot tougher than it sounds – not water-proof but certainly weather-resistant if you get caught in the rain. Its sheen is also spill-resistant, and I don’t have to explain why that’s a good idea for a baby bag! Inside are all the compartments, pockets, and bottle warmers that modern parents have come to expect in a designer diaper bag. My favorite feature? The micro-fiber baby changing mat that sits at the bottom, just waiting for those eventful moments when you’re running errands in public and need to change a diaper.

If you’re the designer type, enjoy adding unique expressions in your home, then you’re probably excited about the expectance of adding interesting elements to your kids room or playroom. In fact, even if you’re not good with designing one-of-a-kind styles, you can make small changes to have that lasting effect in your kids room.

The options are endless when it comes to customization, you can paint, add wall paper, or other designs to walls for extra color and patterns. After that comes perhaps the most important elements, and those which can last generations.

The kids furniture you choose for your children is particular to who they are as individuals, but also based on the overall look and feel of the room. Albeit, the point of a place for your child to have to call their own is to customize for them, but it doesn’t hurt to add your own impressions.

Sometimes it’s two children and not one sharing a room, or in a playroom multiple friends visiting over and over. You’ll want pieces of furniture that not only last, but have a quality that is transferable to different personalities. Simple but quality wood furniture for children’s rooms is a safe bet. The question is what to get?

Well there are plenty of cheap and plastic alternatives, but impressions that last forever are made with quality wooden built pieces. You can basically choose between stained or basic colors for your furniture requirements. Full pieces of wood are very different than particle boards that appear to be wood but damage easily, are brittle, and when wet can warp.

You should think about which pieces of furniture you want to invest for your child’s room. Not everyone can afford all sorts of different pieces, so be selective to your kids specific needs. Here are some example we can think of.

Maybe you have an athlete, to start off they’ll want a lasting rocking chair (well perhaps they don’t know they want one but you’d like to surprise them!) Instead of the usual wooden horse, perhaps a car shaped rocker would be appreciated. Or perhaps instead of a large furniture item you want to customize. Consider getting small things like a sport shaped piggy bank (shaped like the ball used in the sport of your choice.)

Maybe you’ll want something that can be used over and over again like children’s tables and chairs. Perhaps a wooden vanity for your baby girl. All children and definitely parents enjoy tracking the growth in height. Find the write growth chart for your kids room and keep it forever!

All in all, depending on your budget, find pieces of baby furniture that are quality, made of solid wood, hopefully customizable to some degree, and will be enjoyed for years to come by your special little ones.

If you’re the designer type, enjoy adding one-of-a-kind accessories in your home, then you’re probably excited about the prospect of adding interesting elements to your child’s room or playroom. In fact, even if you’re not good with designing unique styles, you can make minor changes to have that lasting effect in your child’s room.

The possibilities are neverending when it comes to customization, you can paint, add wall paper, or other designs to walls for extra color and patterns. After that comes perhaps the most important elements, and those which can last forever.

The kids furniture you choose for your children is particular to who they are as individuals, but also based on the overall look and feel of the room. Albeit, the point of a place for your kid to have to call their own is to customize for them, but it doesn’t hurt to add your own ideas.

Sometimes it’s two children and not one sharing a room, or in a playroom multiple friends visiting over and over. You’ll want pieces of furniture that is not only durable, but have a quality that is transferable to different personalities. Simple but quality wood furniture for children’s rooms is a safe bet. The question is what to get?

Well there are plenty of cheap and plastic alternatives, but impressions that last forever are made with quality wooden built pieces. You can basically choose between stained or basic colors for your furniture requirements. Full pieces of wood differs completely from particle boards that appear to be wood but damage easily, are brittle, and when wet can warp.

You should think about which pieces of furniture you want to invest for your kids room. Not everyone can afford all sorts of different pieces, so be selective to your child’s particular needs. Here are some example we can think of.

Maybe you have an athlete, to start off they’ll want a lasting rocking chair (well perhaps they don’t know they want one but you’d like to surprise them!) Instead of the usual wooden horse, perhaps a car shaped rocker would do the trick. Or perhaps instead of a large furniture item you want to customize. Consider getting small things like a sport shaped piggy bank (shaped like the ball used in the sport of your choice.)

Maybe you’ll want something that can be used over and over again like children’s tables and chairs. Perhaps a wooden vanity for your baby girl. All children and definitely parents enjoy tracking the growth in height. Find the write growth chart for your child’s room and keep it forever!

All in all, depending on your budget, find pieces of baby furniture that are quality, made of solid wood, hopefully customizable to some degree, and will be enjoyed for years to come by your special little ones.

With Mothers’s Day coming quick, it’s time to find something that won’t be forgotten for years on end. Believe me,flowers and a card from the local gas station are the wrong road to travel. Here are some ideas for really showing the lady in your life how much you appreciate the sacrifices she has made as a mother.

For extraordinary gifts, there are two ways you can go. The first is to find an original collectable. First, consider personalized jewelry. Remember that jewelry does not have to take two months pay to be appreciated. There are many great mother’s charm necklace selections that can be found for less than two hundred dollars. The right personalized bracelet matches your lady’s style and her spirit. I recommend birth stones if you don’t know how to choose something that she can wear with her present day jewelry collection. Also, a mother’s necklace has become very popular thanks to Hollywood stars. For moms with little children now, a good choice is a necklace with silver tags that lists her children’s names, mixed in with colorful glass beads or semi-precious stones.

The other way to find her something unforgettable is to buy her an adventure rather than a present. This could be a free pass to the health spasor a coupon for her to take a week off from doing the dishes and cleaning the house. This is a perfect solution if money is hard to come by. More expensive experiences could be a surprise vacation to a place you used to go when you were younger. The right camping weekend can truly elevate the love in your relationship if you are married – but make sure the coupon includes a plan for someone to watch the kids!

What is new with Mother’s Day gifts? Even in a recession, many people are buying unique gifts to make sure Mom is remembered. This paradox is probably because hard times helps us remember what is most important This isn’t a brain-teaser: our families and friends are vital to our happiness.

Now you know why Mothers day jewelry gifts is so popular today. That doesn’t mean that a card and some flowers are no longer effective gifts, of course. Rather, a well-chosen jewelry gift for Mom augments these timeless ways of showing up. And that’s really the most essential point: making contact. If nothing else is possible, give her a call on the telephone!

Some classic and inexpensive Mother’s day jewelry include pendants and birthstone necklaces. Don’t know what she likes? Try to focus on jewelry she already owns, and see if you can find something that accessorizes it. For example, if her favorite piece is a mother of pearl pendant, choose a silver bracelet with pearls. This all but guarantees that she will wear your chosen piece whenever she plans to wear her favorite. Another popular trend these days are mother’s tag charm bracelets and necklaces. You can personalize them with a cute monogrammed saying, and choose the right stones to complement it. If you are buying for your wife rather than your mom, consider a mother’s necklace that has the name of your baby. Some mothers love to wear these baby necklaces because they are great conversational pieces for the office or at cocktail parties.

But the most important point is to choose your gift with thought and love. Whether you select Mothers day jewelry gifts or mail a Hallmark card, make sure your choice is personalized and unique. Trust me, moms can tell the difference.

Knowing phrase antique will make someone feel on stuffs that come from long time ago and for that reason turn out to be very aged. But, not everything that named antique is always as old as people may perhaps feel. In reality, the most principal part of antique things is age but there is a border of shortage, state and functionality are measured that make old things will not named rubbish.

There are numerous people that gather antique items such as furniture, jewelry and even household devices as a window through the history. To be certified as an antique age plays a role, but for numerous people how something works is more crucial. For instance, in the early and mid-19th century numerous household appliances were hand operated. If a person can locate a manual butter churn that is still in running state, they may add it to their antique collection.

People may gather items from a certain area all through history, not just because of the age of the item, but also because of their interest in the era. Furniture that was handmade in the Queen Anne fashion is some of the treasured stuff of antique furniture collectors.

Not All Collectables Have Economic Value beyond Age

Persons who gather antique jewelry may be upset when they study of the worth of their collections as age and functionality may be the just thing the items have going for them. A two-hundred-year-old ring for instance, may have been made of cheap metal, because they were made before gold and silver and other valuable gemstones are respected for their worth especially outside of royalty. So, many pieces of antique jewelry will be worth very little based on the matter of valuable metals or stones.

Antique license plates are considered antique if the vehicle has aged minimal 32 years old. Nevertheless once again, there is a border that separate antique and scrap metal which is the state and functionality. If the vehicle is not more than a corroded skeleton of metal, it will have no value. Nevertheless when someone can repair it with original parts and care for it near new state until the car can be driven on the street, the price of the vehicle increased exponentially. Less than 32 years they are frequently referred to as classic, but their value is still estimated by condition and functionality.

Are you still at sea of knowing more about antique? Just look around and click the links your best answer herein!

Have you ever photographed what you thought was Holiday Gold only to discover a lump of coal after viewing it on your PC? A wise sage once defined INSANITY as Doing the same things you’ve always done, but EXPECTING DIFFERENT OUTCOMES.

Generally speaking, photographers disappointed with old holiday pictures, wanted to take better ones, but didn’t know how. By using these eight simple tips, you can leave this “Insanity” behind…

I. Avoiding Panic

Decide before the event, your preference for WHICH photography poses to use. Significant considerations are: who will be there, what is the environment, group combinations, and the lighting requirements (day or night).

II. Explosions Are Only Good On July 4th

Face the facts… sometimes family members don’t get along (yeah right… “sometimes”). Keep this in mind when taking family photography poses.

It is also OK to take smaller group pictures that are “safe,” than a larger group picture which may ignite. Often just having some distance between potential combatants works well, but that needs to be accounted for when deciding which family photography poses to use.

III. Take Gobs of Picture

Take more than one image of EACH POSE. Regardless of what you say or do, people will blink. Although you can completely eliminate blinking in photos, too many photographers mistakenly rely on spotting problems by viewing the camera’s tiny LCD screen; which leads to…

IV. When to Check The LCD Screen

The digital camera’s LCD screen can solve or cause problems. The LCD screen should only be used to review general framing of the picture, verify that all faces can be seen, and check the histogram. DO NOT USE THE LCD SCREEN to determine picture sharpness/out of focus, high/low contrast areas, or whether any blinking occurred (click the above link for more info on eliminating blinking).

V. The Power Of Humor

Remember what this group finds funny. It could be anecdotes, phrases, names, and family foibles that are humorously appropriate for your group. Then use it JUST BEFORE YOU TAKE THE PHOTO. It’s a fact that a natural grin looks three times better than “fake-photo-face.”

VI. The Big Bang

Each flash has a “flash range,” which defines the range of proper illumination your flash produces. Check your owner’s manual for how far away from your subjects you can be while still properly illuminating them.

VII. [spin]Plan “B”

If you need to be further away from your subjects than your flash allows, there are four things you can do (not counting “crying”):

1. Move to a brighter location
2. Use a tripod with a longer exposure times
3. Purchase an external flash unit
4. Increase the ISO

.

VIII. What’s The Best Angle?

When using a flash, avoid shooting directly into mirrors or reflective surfaces. If an alternate location is impractical, take the image in such a way that the flash is NOT PERPENDICULAR to the surface, but is at an angle (so the flash won’t be seen in the picture).

Don’t be surprised if your holiday pictures suddenly become sought after to make enlargements. When this happens, see how to both save money and insure that people don’t get “chopped off” when cropping is required.

There’s been no shortage of top Christmas toys this year. That’s neither here nor there. Popularity of toys certainly has nothing to do with Christmas alignment. Of the popular toys from years past, many have sold an enormous amount. Christmas toys didn’t really take off until these toys were sold because they set record-breaking numbers. No would dispute that these are the Christmas toys 2008 that have been so popular.

Bratz dolls are similar to Barbie Dolls, and they come out of Southern California- certainly they are top Christmas toys. Bratz dolls have extremely expressionistic features. there are also rumors that a Bratz film is being made. The man who created the toy line was sued by Mattel, successfully. Bratz may be popular, but not as popular as Mattel’s Barbies are. Barbie has been somewhat affected by Bratz. Some believe that this is only the beginning. Barbie’s golden years may be behind it. Bratz makes the majority of its sales around Christmastime. A lot of kids prefer Bratz because they say they are much “hipper.” However, Barbies are still quite popular - Barbie Princess Liana Doll is a toy everyone is talking about this season.

In terms of lineage, no toys can compete with Barbies as to who belongs in the group of top Christmas toys the most. No one will deny that the dolls were an instant success. Since then, billions of Barbie dolls have been sold around the world. Dolls were only the beginning, as movies were also created. Barbies have been able to inspire young girls to believe that they can be anything they want to be. Barbie is so named because the inventor’s daughter’s name was Barbara. Handler also gave her daughter the first doll ever made. It must be pretty nice to be named after a doll that’s hit sky-high numbers of over a billion in aggregate.

Everyone agrees that GI Joe would have to be one of the top best Christmas toys for boys that has ever existed. GI Joe has four varieties in which he can be found. It was GI Joe who inspired the first use of the phrase action figure. In older days, GI Joes were a foot high. Over time, the vehicles and accessories were added. Today, this is the form in which we know GI Joe. There have been many permutations of the G.I. Joe lineup like G.I. Jane, Navajo Code Talker, Cobra, Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Gung-Ho, Cobra Commander, Destroy/Destroyer, Storm Shadow, and more. Other spin-offs to the success of the G.I. Joes were released in later years, and they are still top Christmas toys. G.I. Joe originally launched with a World War II theme.

The top Christmas toys is an amazing list that will probably have you wondering if you purchase the aforementioned dolls for your children anytime soon.

HO HO HO, its time to wake up for another year, doesn’t time fly, it just seems like a few moments ago that Christmas 2007 was with us and here we are coming to the end of the summer and time to get the Elves busy , busy ,busy.

What’s going to be the top toys for this year I wonder? Well my elf spies have been doing some digging and it seems that this year is all about us keep fit or should I say Wii keeping fit HO HO HO get it?

UUUUmmm ok so the sense of humours not up to speed yet but I have just woken up.

Other top toys for 2008 are tipped to be good old Mr Potato head a favourite for generations, and the new Kid on the block Hannah Montana.

And of course you simply can’t hold back Elmo that old character from sesame street. Seems like there is an electronic version this year that talks and sings and plays games, sort of reminds me of a purple dinosaur I once knew , no what was his name……….Ah Barney of course.

Any way boys and girls, mums and dads. Get those christmas lists coming in , it’s never to early and we need to make sure we have enough of every bodies favourite toys, just let us know what yours will be.

HO HO HO! Hello Everybody Santa Claus Here.

A lot of people have been asking how I get around the world so quickly on christmas eve as I have so far to travel to reach all the boys and girls.

I have to travel very very fast and all the reindeer do a very good job pulling my sled full of all those toys, but do you know what? Some people just don’t beleive this is possible so with the help of all those technical bods at Norad we’ve come up with a way where you can track Santa as I rush round the world faster than you can see.

Just click on the Track Santa around the world link on Christmas eve or you can visit now and play some games while you are waiting

I’m sure you’ll get very excited as you watch me get closer and closer to your house but make sure your asleep before I arrive.

Happy Christmas Everybody

Santa Claus

HO HO HO! Hello Everybody Santa Claus Here,

This year my advisors have told me that although I’m getting on a bit it’s never to late to get in touch with new technology so I should get my very own Santa Claus Official Blog where I can keep in touch with everybody.

They also said that rather than asking all the boys and girls (and mums and dads) to send me a letter they should leave a message or their Christmas List on my blog instead. That way we’ll be able to save lots of trees and save money on postage as well.

This is where I need your help. As you know I’m pretty busy at this time of year preparing all the presents and making all the right toys go into to the right sacks, and making sure all the little elves are working as hard as they can, so I haven’t got time to tell everybody around the world where my blog is before Christmas.

So how would you all like to be my little helpers this year?.

All you need to do is tell all your family and friends about Santa Claus Official Blog or copy this message into an e-mail and send it to every one you know (especially if they live in another country) and ask them to do the same.

I’ve heard that this is the quickest way to spread the news around the world.

You’ll also find lots of interesting articles all about Christmas on my Blog, and of course a very special link where you can track Santa around the world this Christmas Eve as I deliver all my Christmas presents to all the good boys and girls in the different countries.

You or your children can also leave your Christmas present list online here as well.

Don’t forget to leave me a glass of sherry and a mince pie of course (and some carrots for the reindeers) as I’ll get very hungry and thirsty on my journey.

Happy Christmas Everybody

HO HO HO!

Santa Claus

Children love to write letters to Santa Claus. Usually parents lend a hand. How should a parent help a child write a letter to Santa Claus? Here are some tips that will make your child’s letter to Santa more than just a list of gifts he or she wants.

Dear Santa………
First of all, a letter to Santa should be a personal message from your child to Santa Claus, not to a parent or grandparent. The child’s own words should be used and his or her personality should shine through. Very young children ages 2 to 5 can draw or cut out pictures to show gifts they want for the holidays. The parent can write down words just as the child says them. Encourage your child to watch as you print and say the letters out loud. Talk about the sounds the letters make. Show the child how to leave a space between each word.

Kindergarten through Third Grades
For children in kindergarten through third grade, making a chart of words is a great idea. The child can think of words first, get help spelling them, illustrate them, and then write the letter by himself. The 5 and 6 year olds will need a bit of additional help. It helps to have a chart showing the form of a letter to Santa, for example, showing where to put the date, the greeting, the body of the letter, and the closing. Your child should tell Santa the good things they have done during the year, as well as what they wish for as gifts.

Grades 3 through 5
Children in grades 3 through 5 probably don’t believe in Santa Claus, but can be encouraged to write a letter anyway, “for fun”. Encourage your child to tell what good deeds he/she has done during the year and how he/she has helped others. Have the child put in a “Good wish for the world.” The child can also tell “Santa” their goals for the coming year. Parents can respond to these letters, giving advice and sending love to their children. Keep the letters to Santa Claus for posterity.

All children should send best wishes to everyone at the North Pole. The letters may be mailed to: Santa Claus, The North Pole, The Arctic, Earth.

Do you ever feel as though your children don’t understand the true meaning of Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza? Do your children write letters to Santa Claus that are laundry lists of expensive presents they want? Read the following story and consider helping your children learn the true meaning of the holidays.

Since 1997, Lori Fletcher, working in New York, hasn’t sent Christmas cards to her business clients.
Instead, she’s sending them notes saying what gifts she has purchased for poor children in the area.

Stories like this flood in from the Operation Santa Claus office (http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Pages/story_1.htm) every Christmas where poor kids write in requesting just one simple gift. Some people take home over thirty letters from children and still feel that it isn’t enough.

Operation Santa Claus receives over 150,000 letters to Santa from children in need, most of them in the New York area. Post Office workers volunteers to sort the letters and track the gifts - this is an amazing story of generosity from people at every level in the city.

One kid included a picture of a Rolex watch he had cut out of a magazine advertisement, and advised, “I have been good almost every day.” One girl asked for “pencils for school,” and said it was important because she wanted to be a secretary when she grows up.

One boy wrote to Santa, “I love you and I will always believe in you.”

How can my family learn the true meaning of the holidays?

Of course your children will still write their letters to Santa Claus. But, think of the lessons in humility, love, and generosity your children would learn if every parent insists that each Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza the children in the family use money they earned doing chores or saved from their allowances to purchase gifts for needy children.

Even if the “gift” costs only fifty cents or is made by hand, the importance of helping others less fortunate will be learned and appreciated. You don’t know any needy families? Ask the school principal, your pastor or priest, or call a Mission in a low socioeconomic area and you will find plenty of them. To make the lesson more powerful, the givers should remain anonymous.

Learn the true meaning of the festive season this year!

It is fascinating to know how Santa Claus makes kids around the world very happy during Christmas. Every wish come true and smiles can be seen from their faces. This happiness may even last for a lifetime. But have you ever thought if Santa has other names? When and how he brings the gifts all over the world?

Every country calls Santa’s in a different name (Father Santa, Kris Kringle, Granfather Frost, etc) and he has unique ways in bringing gifts to the children. Below is the list of countries where Santa is giving away presents.

• Known as Santa Claus in Canada, Alaska and US while Kerstman in Netherlands, he loves to bring gifts on a sleigh ride with his reindeers and flies through the sky during Christmas Eve.

• In Germany, gifts are given during December by Knecht Ruprecht (on the 6th), Christkind, (on the 24th), Belsnickel and der Weihnachtsmann.

• La Befana (Old Witch) is flying on her broomstick to give candies to kids in Italy. This is done on the night before Epiphany.

• In France, Pere Noel places the gifts in the shoes that kids have left near a fireplace. This is observed every 6th of December.

• Children in Africa hung their stockings where Father Christmas would place their presents during Christmas Eve.

• Heiliger Nikolaus (St. Nicholas) give rewards to good children in Austria during December 6. While Christ Child brings gifts during December 24.

• It is quite different in Belgium because Pere Noel (St. Nicholas) visits the children twice. First is every December 4 so he’ll find out who have been good and bad among the children. Then good children would receive toys and candies while the bad ones will find twigs on their stockings on December 6.

• Santa Clause (Winter-grandfather, Tel-apo or Mikulas) in Hungary has similar practice as in Belgium which is done on the 6th of December.

• In Brazil, Papai Noel (Father Noel) who usually wears a silk clothe will bring the gifts for Christmas. However, Latvians believe that Father Christmas brings gifts for 12 starting on the eve of Christmas.

• Kids in Sweden will behave all year so that during Christmas, Santa would give them great presents such as toys and candies. They would hang stockings on their Christmas tree. During Christmas Eve Santa will come down the Chimney and put their presents on the stockings underneath the Christmas tree.

• St. Nicholas is very popular in Russia because of the miracles that he had performed. A feast is being celebrated every Dec 6. But later on, his identity changed into D’yed Moroz (Grandfather Frost). During January 1 D’yed Moroz (Grandfather Frost) arrives to bring gifts from a Sputnik-drawn sleigh.

• UK’s gift giving tradition started in the Victorian era. Santa is known as Father Christmas and children would write letters to him about the presents they want to receive. However, instead of sending the letter, they would burn them because they believe that Father Christmas would be able to determine their wishes through the smoke.

No matter how we call Santa in our country, there is one goal that he always would like to achieve which is to give joy to the kids all over the world and make them feel that the earth is a great place to live.

Is Santa Claus Real? This is a question that is on most children’s lips at some point in their childhood. What will you tell your child what they ask if Santa Claus is real?

Of course Santa was a real person. He was St Nicholas, the patron saint of giving. St Nicholas was born in 300 AD. He was a holy man, being brought up in a monastery after being orphaned at an early age. He remained within the monastery and rose to the position of bishop.

He obtained his reputation for giving because there are many tales of him giving gifts to the poor and needy and in particular children.

Over the years the European community have embraced to concept of St Nick and customised it to make it their own. Because of this Santa’s appearance sometimes changes, his cloak may be described as different colours but his ‘Giving’ nature remains the same.

It is sometimes considered that Christmas festivities which do not include the nativity misconstrued the meaning of Christmas. However, St Nicholas was a religious man and lived his life according to the holy scriptures of the time and it’s because of this that Santa and the Nativity hold parallels.

The birth of Jesus Christ itself depicts God giving mankind his only son, and the prospect of the gift of eternal life. Additionally the three wise men also came bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.

Although St Nicholas lived many years ago, he still lives on. He lives because he is a major part of Christmas and we all keep Santa alive, and he lives in us every year that we give one another a gift at Christmas time. So when your child asks you if Santa Claus is real, say - Yes.

Visit www.santaspostbag.co.uk for a free special Christmas message to send to your child from Santa, so that they know that the patron saint of giving - Father Christmas himself still lives.

Everyone knows Rudolf. He is Santa’s leading reindeer on account of his red nose that lights Santa’s way through the winter night sky every Christmas Eve.

However, there is no mention of Rudolf in Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem ”Twas the Night Before Christmas (‘also known as ‘A Visit From St Nicholas’) written in 1822. More clearly names all of Santa’s reindeer -

“Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen!

On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!”

But Moore doesn’t make any reference to Rudolf.
Rudolf is a later addition to the festive season. The famous Christmas song ‘Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer’ was written by Robert L. May originally created as an advertising strategy for the Montgomery Ward Department Store in 1939.

The song depicts the heart-warming tale of the disfigured reindeer. Rudolf has the obvious deformity of a bright red nose. Because of his nose he is ridiculed and cast out from reindeer society.

“All of the other reindeer,

Used to laugh and call him names,

And they wouldn’t let poor Rudolf,

Join in any reindeer games.”

However, Rudolf’s luck changes when Santa sees Rudolf’s affliction as an asset and asks Rudolf - “Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

This simple but touching story line won the hearts of millions, so much so that Rudolf was added to the festive season as a special companion of Santa.

More Christmas info at www.santaspostbag.co.uk

As a parent with young children, I used to wonder how it would feel once my children grew up and stopped believing in Santa Claus. How would we stop the wonderful Christmas morning ritual of opening their Christmas stockings together? What would we do to replace that warm feeling of all sitting round with delightful gifts from Santa?

Well, my children are going to be 21, 19 and 16 this coming Christmas, and we still continue to enjoy the wonderful myth of Santa - though they stopped believing in him long ago.

Last year my suggestion that everyone was old enough to manage without their stockings from Santa was greeting by an uproar - in particular, from my eldest son who simply loves the magic of Christmas.

Although each of my children still get plenty of presents under the tree, the fun of choosing small and appropriate gifts for their stocking is one of the most enjoyable preparations for Christmas.

Each year I enjoy choosing them gifts such as gold-wrapped chocolate coins, crazy toys & stocking fillas, a book and/or magazine that they’ll enjoy reading, dried fruits (- such as apricots, or figs), useful stuff like fun rulers, erasers and pencils, character socks or underwear, as well as the obligatory silver coin and satsuma or orange for the bottom of the stocking.

In recent years I’ve added a DVD to the list too - buying these cheap from discount outlets has meant that it’s not so expensive - although for many people this is a luxury. I now budget about the same for the stocking as I do for their present itself - around £40-£50. In previous years, I’ve managed to fill their stockings for around £15 - in fact, they all say that their best year was the year that their stocking was full of nuts and dried fruits.

I have often started collecting stocking filler items as early as the summer - particularly when the children were young and finances were particularly stretched. In the July sales there’s often plenty of bargain & fun items that are ideal stocking fillers. Each year I wonder if our tatty stockings (they’re all long socks left over from my teenage years or from their grandfathers rugby days) will manage to hold these goodies bursting out of them. Every year I wonder how I’ll manage to find enough to fill one of these socks, but end up with more gifts and toys than there’s room for.

Whatever your children enjoy or like - with a little creativity you can ensure that their eyes will light up on Christmas morning as they sit on their beds and open their full-to-bursting Christmas stockings.

The belief of Father Christmas the giver of presents adds excitement for many children to the festive season. St Nick, the jolly, plump man dressed in a scarlet cloak and hat trimmed with white fur, who delivers presents in the dead on night on Christmas Eve. His reindeer fly him from roof to roof so he can drop down the chimney pots to stuff stockings with gifts ready for Christmas morning. No wonder parents want to hold their children’s faith in Santa Claus as long as possible. Here are some tips to plant hard evidence of the existence of Santa.

Mince pies and Sherry
Before your child goes to bed on Christmas Eve, let them prepare a snack For Santa. Leave a mince pie and a small glass of sherry out for him in the living room.

Before you go to bed, drink the sherry and eat mince pie. Make sure you leave a lot of crumbs on the plate.

Reindeer bells
Buy some bells and ever reveal hem to your child. An hour or so after bedtime nip outside, out of view of your child’s bedroom window and ring your bells to mimic the sound of bells on Santa’s reindeer collars.

Correspondence from Santa
Of course you can’t do this in your own handwriting because you will get caught out. At www.SantasPostbag.co.uk you can send a free personalised email to your child, adding details such as the child’s age, best friend and even the family pet adds credibility to the letter and the existence

Wish list letters to Santa
SantasPostbag.co.uk also enables you child to write a letter to Santa, listing toys they are hoping to find under their Christmas tree and your child receives a reply from Santa which rein-forces he existence of Santa.

Use these little tips to prolong your child’s magical belief in Father Christmas.