Christmas Rants

How to find the hottest toy of the year without jumping off a cliff.

Hi Everyone, Noel here again. I know, I just can’t seem to shut up when it comes to Christmas and I absolutely have to talk to everyone about getting the hottest toy of the year. Every year has one, whether it be a Furby or a Cabbage Patch Kid or a Tickle Me Elmo.

This year’s going to be no different and while I can’t yet predict which one it’s going to be, I can help you all by giving you tips on how to find the “it” toy of the year as soon as we know what it’s going to be.

Continue reading "The Hottest Toy of the Year: Don’t Be a Lemming" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink

How to plan your Christmas cards list.

Hi everyone -- Angie here. Well, October is ending today and in comes November. I’m starting to get really excited about the holidays. Christmas is right around the corner! Can you believe how the time is flying? I think it’s time to start planning our Christmas cards lists.

Continue reading "Christmas Cards: Making a List, Checking It Twice" »

Posted by Angie | Permalink

Making dad smile at the holidays with Christmas gifts for him

Christmas gifts for him can be easily misinterpreted as gifts for husbands and boyfriends, but what about dad? When choosing Christmas gifts for him, you realize that many of the same gifts just don't apply. But in less than ten minutes, you can find something for dad to smile about.

Continue reading "How To Choose Christmas Gifts For Him In Less Than Ten Minutes" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Christmas gifts sales now mean savings later

Christmas gifts can be found at all times of the year. And if you want to make your Christmas gifts shopping even easier, you can start as soon as the current season is over. Here are some tips to get ahead of the game.

Continue reading "Want To Get A Start On Next Year's Christmas Gifts?" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Make Christmastime with your kids a time to remember.

Hi everyone, it’s me, Holly the Holiday Expert. I wanted to take a minute to talk about kids and Christmastime. We all have to realize that for kids, Christmas is their time of year, not ours. They go on their best behavior, they make lists, they count the days and they walk around with permanent smiles plastered to their merry little faces. Yes, Christmastime is definitely about kids. I should know, I have three of them.

Continue reading "Christmastime’s A Blast" »

Posted by Angie | Permalink | Comments (1)

Great Christmas gift ideas that are sure to please.

Hi everyone. It's Noel. It’s almost that time of year and I know that many of you are searching for great Christmas gift ideas. Of course, I can’t help but step in and suggest some great Christmas gift ideas that I’m sure you and your friends and family will absolutely love.

Continue reading "Searching For Great Christmas Gift Ideas?" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink

An eco-friendly guide to Christmas gifts

Christmas gifts that are as friendly to the earth as they are to the recipients are the trend. You can find Christmas gifts that are eco-friendly, as it were, without much trouble. So if you've got a few ‘hippies' in your family, then here are some tips.

Continue reading "The Secret To Buying Christmas Gifts For Hippies" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Get the perfect Christmas gifts for those hard-to-shop for people.

Hi everyone, it’s Larry here. With Halloween fast approaching, I’m realizing that it’s time to start shopping for Christmas gifts. After all, I probably should have started in June or July, but it appears that I’m getting a late start this year.

I think I’m going to take Angie’s advice and do my Christmas shopping online. After all, one can never save too much time or too much money and it appears that shopping for Christmas gifts online will do both.

I have a lot of hard-to-shop-for people on my Christmas list this year and I have a feeling a lot of you out there run into the same problem. I’m going to share my tips on getting great gifts for hard-to-shop-for friends and family members.

Continue reading "Christmas Gifts for Everyone" »

Posted by Angie | Permalink

Have fun this Christmas with great Christmas crafts!

Hi Faith, it’s Noel. I agree with you on one point, I love Christmas crafts too. It sounds like you have your hands full this year with all of the Christmas crafts you’re working on. One of my favorite Christmas crafts is making ornaments with my younger son. He loves to cut stars and Christmas angels out of construction paper. Then we attach yarn and he gets to hang them on his very own little tree. It’s a Christmas crafts tradition at our house.

Continue reading "Crazy for Christmas Crafts" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink

Hey Faith, it’s Henry. Calm down. You’re worse than my wife. The commercialization of Christmas shopping is half of the fun of it and trust me, if I were to try to give my kids a stock certificate or a savings bond, they’d have my head for Christmas dinner.

You’re right about one thing though. Fighting the lines at Christmas shopping is a total nightmare and the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) is a complete madhouse. I’m old enough to remember the Cabbage Patch Kids nightmare of Christmas past. I think parents were actually biting each other over those darn things. Seriously, it’s no joke.

Continue reading "Ya Gotta Love Christmas Shopping" »

Posted by Holiday Henry | Permalink

Business gifts that make the right impression

Business gifts go beyond the traditional need to spread Christmas joy. What you select for business gifts can show you professionalism as well as your true appreciation. Making the best impression that you can should be the goal.

Continue reading "The Wrong Way And The Right Way To Buy Business Gifts" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Corporate Christmas gifts that aren't brown-nosing attempts

Corporate Christmas gifts are an eventuality when you get into the upper ranks of any business. Do you give corporate Christmas gifts or not? Although some companies have polices about gift-giving, a kind thought at the Christmas season will be appreciated.

Continue reading "What Everybody Ought To Know About Corporate Christmas Gifts" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Giving unique Christmas gifts that really matter...

Hi Noel. It’s Faith. I totally agree. Finding unique Christmas gifts can really be a pain. That’s half the reason I’m so fed up with the commercialization of Christmas. Do you think the stores really care whether or not you’re getting great Christmas gifts for your friends? Of course not! They only care if you’re spending your money and if it’s mass-produced junk, it’s no skin off their backs. It makes me sick.

Continue reading "Unique Christmas Gifts Come From the Heart -- Not the Store" »

Posted by Faith Juniper | Permalink

Finding unique Christmas gifts doesn't have to be a hassle.

Hi everyone. It’s Noel and I want to talk about unique Christmas gifts. Let’s face it, when you give the same things year after year after year, it gets boring, unless it’s cash (but cash can often be too impersonal for a Christmas gift).

Each year I spend hours trying to find unique Christmas gifts for everyone on my list and each year I succeed, but not without a lot of well-planned effort on my part. Just once I would love for the Christmas shopping nightmare to turn into a Christmas shopping dream. After all, I love shopping but fighting the Christmas crowds can get to the best of us. Even me.

Continue reading "The Hunt For Unique Christmas Gifts" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink | Comments (1)

Christmas gifts for mom -- how to make her happy

Christmas gifts for mom are just one of the ways that you can show your thanks to mom throughout the year. Finding Christmas gifts for mom that she will love is simple to do. You can go out right now and find something perfect.

Continue reading "How To Pick Out Christmas Gifts For Mom In Less Than Ten Minutes" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

How to get away for Christmas vacation without spending a bundle.

Who’s going away for Christmas vacation this year? Unfortunately, I’m not. I went away for Christmas vacation last year, but this year my husband says it’s absolutely out of the question, so no Christmas vacation for Noel. Because of gas prices we can’t even take a road trip for Christmas vacation this year! Can you believe it?

Well, for those of you who do want to take a Christmas vacation this year, I have some great tips for you.

Continue reading "I Deserve a Christmas Vacation" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink

Picking unique Christmas gifts for the electronically minded

Unique Christmas gifts have long been thought to come with something special: a heavy price tag. Thankfully, unique Christmas gifts can be found without this extra feature and even for those people with electronic tastes.

Continue reading "You Don't Have To Be A Millionaire To Buy Unique Christmas Gifts" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Hi everyone, it’s Faith. I just have to get this off my chest. It’s only October and I swear I’m going nuts trying to figure out who should get Christmas cards, who shouldn’t get Christmas cards, what kind of Christmas cards to send out, the list goes on.

Continue reading "The Christmas Cards Debate" »

Posted by Faith Juniper | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hi everyone. It’s Holly the Holiday Expert and I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas crafts over the past few days. I know it’s only October, but it’s never too soon to start planning for the holidays. It’s such a wonderful time of year.

Anyway, back to Christmas crafts. This year I’m going to create Christmas crafts and am going to donate them to charity. With some of the Christmas crafts I’ll auction them off and will donate the cash and with others, I’ll donate the actual Christmas crafts, depending on what it is that I’m making.

Continue reading "Christmas Crafts for Charity" »

Posted by Angie | Permalink

How to make your Christmas shopping time count

Christmas shopping is an inevitable chore that many people dread. However, with a little planning, your Christmas shopping can be short and sweet. Being a new father, I don't have the time either, so here are a few things that I have learned.

Continue reading "Who Else Wants To Spend Less Time Christmas Shopping?" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Hi everyone. Henry here. I want, I want, I want. I’m sick of hearing it! It’s only October and my kids are already telling me what they want for Christmas. Well, they actually started making their Christmas list in June, but it’s really starting to get on my nerves.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for starting the Christmas spirit early in October, but I’m just not ready to hear the insistent whining about who wants what this year. If they don’t stop it, they’re going to wind up getting nothing but a pile of coal in their stockings.

Continue reading "I Want It For Christmas" »

Posted by Holiday Henry | Permalink

How to avoid gift giving blunders

Gift-giving mistakes do happen. I'm sure that you've received many a gift that wasn't quite the right size, or the right present at all. In order to avoid doing this to anyone else and to yourself, there are some guidelines that can help you choose a great gift without losing your mind in the process.

Continue reading "Are You Making Any Of These Gift-Giving Mistakes?" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Hi everyone. It’s Noel. Okay, I have to ask it. Who’s sick of getting fat around the holidays? It’s a curse, but it’s one we might as well accept. We are all going to gain weight around the holidays and there’s no way around it. One year I tried to watch my weight during the holidays and I wound up gaining more weight than I had the previous year when I gorged myself.

Continue reading "The Holidays Are Coming -- You're Gonna Get Fat!" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink | Comments (1)

A thorny iPod problem

Henry here:

Three weeks ago, I got my son Apple's new iPod nano for his birthday. I don't think I've seen him without it since!

But now it's just a couple of weeks later, and the iPod nano no longer the latest and coolest thing. (grumble) Apple just announced new iPods with video -- and now Bob is hinting he wants the new iPod with video for Christmas.

Continue reading "The iPod is Great, But..." »

Posted by Holiday Henry | Permalink

Hi everyone, it’s Noel Jameson here. My five year old daughter is running around the house singing that she has a “passion for fashion” and it’s starting to get to me so I just had to vent. In case you haven’t heard, that’s the motto of the latest doll that every child must have – the Bratz doll.

What happened to the days when being a brat was a bad thing? Nowadays it seems that it’s cool to be a brat. In case you don’t know what a Bratz doll is, let me enlighten you a bit.

Continue reading "Bratz: A Passion for Fashion" »

Posted by Noel Jameson | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi I’m Holiday Henry and I want to talk about artificial Christmas trees. Yes, you heard me right, my name is Holiday Henry. Well, it’s not my birth name but it’s what everyone calls me around this time of year.

The holiday season is right around the corner and our family was debating whether to get an artificial Christmas tree or a natural Christmas tree. I know it’s only October, but that only gives us less than three months to Christmas. It’s never too early to start planning and artificial Christmas trees are what I have on my mind at the moment!

Continue reading "The Beauty of Artificial Christmas Trees" »

Posted by Holiday Henry | Permalink

Gift ideas for the last minute shopper

Gift ideas are hard enough without having to be thought up at the last minute. It seems that every year, I have some last minute gift ideas to conjure up. Maybe it's the new co-worker or a party that my wife forgot to mention -- it happens every year.

Continue reading "Looking for Christmas Gift Ideas?" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Using your computer to Christmas shop

You can Christmas shop from home if you have your basic computer and a little patience. Using the Internet has given the busy consumer a way to Christmas shop without the hassle of crowds and lines, parking and stress.

Continue reading "See How Easily You Can Christmas Shop From Home" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Inexpensive Christmas gifts that aren't cheap

Inexpensive Christmas gifts are sometimes seen as a display of less affection for the recipient -- not so. The bad reputation of inexpensive Christmas gifts is becoming a problem for overall spending in America. But here are some tips to make sure that your wallet isn't an unnecessary victim of the holidays.

Continue reading "The Secret Of Inexpensive Christmas Gifts" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink

Embarrass him or her with a unique gift idea

A unique gift idea for your best friend is a lot harder than it sounds for most of us. We've either used up every unique gift idea that we could manage in years before, or have just known our friend for too long to surprise them anymore. What's a friend to do at the holidays?

Continue reading "Who Else Wants A Unique Gift Idea For Your Best Friend?" »

Posted by Chris | Permalink