One of the great benefits of the Christmas season is the wide variety of Christmas DVDs released to celebrate the season. There are new feature film DVDs released to provide family fun and entertainment and there are other DVDs released to help families get more out of the holiday season. One of this year’s best new Christmas DVDs is “Family Time with Santa.”

This multiple award winning countdown to Christmas DVD features twelve separate episodes for the entire family to watch. In addition to giving great learning lessons to children, the best part of this DVD is that it provides both entertainment and family fun time for the Christmas season. Each of the twelve episodes gives a six to nine minute nighttime activity for families to participate in together.

Each episode entertains with a depiction of fun activities presented by Santa, including: Firehouse, Taffy Factory, and a Boat Tale. While entertainment value is high, the major benefit of this collection is that it provides twelve nights of family fun and bonding. Children will enjoy the learning fun and Christmas cheer from Santa and his helpers, and parents will love the chance to expand Christmas into twelve nights of family time.

This great DVD collection has 15 different awards for Children’s Entertainment, Concept, Design Creativity and Originality, from various organizations. It is an extremely innovative way to countdown the days to Christmas.

The final days to Christmas are often an exciting and anxious time for young children. With the “Family Time with Santa” DVD, parents can give their children twelve nights of family fun and help ease some of the anxiety for Christmas morning, while at the same time building up the hopes and dreams of the little ones.

Another great benefit to parents with this DVD is that each episode begins by helping children go through their regular night time routines. Santa will help ease some of the pressure on parents during the busy Christmas season by ensuring that your children have completed their chores, brushed their teeth, and are ready for bed before he begins discussing that night’s hobby.

With all of the traditional Christmas options available to parents, very few offer the same great value gained from the “Family Time with Santa” DVD. Families will enjoy twelve exciting nights of Christmas fun with Santa and children will be blessed with lifetime memories with each night’s activities.

By: C A Mc Craw

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CA McCraw writes for the www.MySantaSuit.com Network which has been servicing internet customers for 7 years now and taking pride in insuring the Customers Satisfaction. Grab the Hottest DVD Countdown to Christmas this year from the Ultimate Christmas Countdown!

Christmas season, for many the best holiday of the year. Who doesn’t like the celebrations, family gatherings, food, gifts and merriment of the season? Of course, all that merriment is the result of a lot of work on the part of some dear one who enjoys sharing the season as a holiday host. Is that you? Are you hosting a holiday party or planning the office Christmas party this year? Add some Christmas cheer to your holiday party with Christmas party games for the whole gang!

Christmas party games will get your gang talking, laughing and add fun to your next holiday celebration. Printable games will make your party planning easier, just print it and forget it. Choose it, print it, done! A quick and easy way to make sure your guest will have a great time at your Christmas gathering!

Hosting the holiday family get together this year? How about an assortment of children’s Christmas party games to keep them busy (and out of your hair!)? Kid’s Christmas party games like:

- Pin the Star on the Tree. The Christmas version of the all time favorite kids’ game!

- Christmas Lost & Found! The perfect game for kids who can’t read & those who can! Children match a game card to the matching picture on the “lost” items sheet. A Christmas game for kids of all ages!

- Kids Christmas Trivia. Just for the kids! Players will have fun trying to answer questions about Santa’s reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, the Grinch and other children’s favorite holiday interests. A fun kids Christmas game sure to produce giggles!

For the young-at-heart, try these fun adult Christmas games:

- Name that Christmas Tune. You can sing the lyrics but can you name that tune?

- Christmas Pictionary & Charades! Two all time favorites designed just for Christmas fun!

- Famous Christmas Birthdays. We all know one historical person who was born on December 25th but there are lots of other famous people also born on Christmas Day! Given clues, who can name them all!

Hosting an all adult Christmas party? Spice it up with some adult Christmas party games! Some are naughty, some are nice and all will get your guests talking, laughing and in a festive mood:

- The Night before Christmas Game. An old story with a spicey twist! Who was doing what with whom on that certain night? Players are asked to answer a variety of questions. Little do they know their answers will become new words to this famous poem! The questions can be nice or naughty! A hilarious adult Christmas party game your guests will want to play every year!

Planning the office Christmas party? Need to entertain a wide age group with varied interest — no problem! These Office Christmas party games will keep everyone

- Christmas at the Movies! How many Christmas-themed movie’s can you name? A great game for playful competition!

- Date that Toy. Players try and match classic toys with the year it was introduced. You’d be surprised how many toys you’ll remember!

- Christmas Calculations. For the brainiacs in the bunch. Played in small groups who calculate these crazy holiday problems! A great game for teams. Which department will solve this Christmas riddle first?

- Ho, Ho, Ho, Who Do You Know? A great holiday party ice breaker! Each player is given a sheet with a list of holiday items such as ‘Has ridden in a horse drawn sleigh’ and ‘Born in December’ Players then go around the room trying to find a player to sign each item. A great way to get the group talking!

Organizing the school Christmas party for the kids? These Kids Christmas party games will keep the kiddies playing and laughing!

- Reindeer Mix Up. Santa has his reindeer’s names all mixed up! Who can un-mix this jumble of letters to come up with all the reindeer names A certain reindeer song will help the kids with this Christmas game!

- Santa’s Nose & Toes. Great for the littlest ones. Given these fun little word clues, who can figure out the names of these common parts of Santa Clause! Kids love this Christmas game!

Need a Christmas fund raiser for your civic group or organization? How about a Christmas raffle? Everyone loves the chance to win a raffle. Designate one or more prize winners per raffle and choose a charity for the proceeds.

No matter what Christmas party or holiday gathering you’re planning, Christmas party games will involve, entertain and add to the merriment of the celebration. Choose it, print it, done! Printable Christmas party games are your ticket to an easy and festive party!

By: Terri Hunziker

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Terri Hunziker founded GamesAndLetters.com, providing hundreds of print-and-play Christmas party games — Christmas party games, bridal shower games, baby shower games and more! For immediate access to hundreds of fun games and ideas for your next party, visit, www.gamesandletters.com

Christmas is the time of gifts. Every year new items appear that can be gifted. What about something simple and home made? Something like home made cookies that can be gifted? That will look unique and the recipient will be happy that you spent much time to prepare the gift. The gift was not simply picked up off the shelves and sent. Do you agree with me? Here is one idea.

Christmas brings lots of surprises and one that I am thinking of giving my family this year is a new sweet treat. Cookies, candies, fruit and nuts are the usual fare for Christmas, but I have decided to bake a new creation I just read about called SWIRLED TURTLE BROWNIES. I am sure that everyone in my family will enjoy these delights and I know that I will. You can use home baked sweets as a gifts, too.

You will need to preheat the oven to 325* and grease a 13×9-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, add 1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup NESTLE TOLL HOUSE baking cocoa, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt. In a larger bowl, add ¾ cup softened butter, 1 & ½ cups packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat until creamy. Slowly add 2 large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture from the small bowl to the creamy batch until mixed and then add the special ingredient, ¾ cup SWIRLDED Milk Chocolate & Caramel Morsels and if you like nuts, add ½ cup. Spread into prepared baking pan and sprinkle the remaining Swirled Morsels and the remaining nuts over the top. Spread the batter into the prepared greased pan. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until toothpick inserted 2 inches from outer edge comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Drizzle with caramel sauce before cutting into squares. This recipe makes 20 brownies.

Once the SWIRLED TURTLE BROWNIES cool, they can be wrapped individually in colored saran wrap and tied with a colorful ribbon to give out as a gift. They would look really good in a basket with a colorful Christmas cloth napkin underneath the brownies. A good addition to the gift would be a nice big coffee cup and some packages of hot cocoa.

If this is going to be a gift for a personal friend, you might want to add a video of a classic Christmas story, a Christmas music CD, or new-holiday released novel. Depending on the size of the basket, you might want to add another personal item or two. One could be a small votive candle with a Christmas scent like sugar cookies, cinnamon, vanilla or some smell that reminds you of the holidays. Another one could be a small box of holiday note cards.

A favorite Christmas snack that is elegantly displayed in a pretty basket or even box can be a well received, loved sentimental present that will long be remembered. After baking and wrapping SWIRLED TURTLE BROWNIE, make sure to think of your recipient’s interests and try to choose small, unique, striking items to add to the gift basket. You can use a wide ribbon with wire in the edges to wrap around the basket and tie loosely to give it a final touch. Nothing is more appreciated when it is received than a well thought, hand made gift with personal items. A delicious baked surprise that is a new recipe is sure to be a hit for people who love sweet goods. Christmas sweets just seem to just scream, “Make me for the holidays and make everybody happy”.

Application of mind can help us create new things that will spread lots of joy during the festive time. The care that we take in selecting the gift is always appreciated and valued.

By:

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Social network users, click for myspace comments and myspace graphics. Add christmas myspace layouts to your profile.

The Christmas season brings with it more than just bright-colored leaves and frostbitten noses. It also brings people closer together, causing us to act more kindly to each other, react more peacefully to stress, and brings our families closer together than during any other time of the year. We’re much more thankful of the things that we have and of our loved ones. Opportunities abound here at the end of the year to do all sorts of things that the whole family can pitch in and enjoy, building lasting memories and strengthening the bond of family. It’s more than just baking and wrapping presents – the Christmas season brings an unlimited of ways you and your children can have fun and grow closer.

1. Anyone who’s done Christmas shopping in the past is sure to have seen those small, 2-3 foot tall Christmas trees they sell. They’re cheap and small enough for easy storage, and a perfect way to spruce up a child’s room. Buy one for your kid, and spend some time finding ornaments and decorations that fit their interests together! Does your daughter love pink? Go out with her and look for some pretty pink ornaments and lights, or just buy up one of those pink trees! Or maybe your son loves football. – You’re sure to be able to find football ornaments! Decorating one of those mini trees with your kid is a great way to bond in the Christmas season.

2. Christmas cookies are a must during the holiday season. It’s the time of year where you can bake as much as you like, and you can make beautiful, delicious treats for your whole family. This is the perfect time to include your kids! Get them involved in the festive art of baking, and instill in them the wonderful sense of tradition that it brings. Kids love to help their parents and to feel grown-up, so get them involved in the process. You can all make and decorate cakes and cookies, and if you want to take it further, get some tins and packages that you can decorate together to make gift-packages for friends! Pop in that Christmas music CD, light up a few candles, and turn that kitchen into a fun, safe playground!

3. Treats aren’t the only fun things to make during the holiday season. There are a variety of different fun crafts that can be made, from gingerbread houses, coloring pictures, ornaments, custom present packages, and more. Take a trip to your local craft store with your children and see what you can come up with. Homemade things are always more memorable than bought ones, and are much more fun to make! Involve the whole family in a night of craft making where you and your children can open up and discover that inner artist!

4. A lesser-known tradition that my family loves is the gag gifts. My family is quite large, but it can be done with any number of people. Here’s how it works: soon after Thanksgiving, have everyone write their name on small pieces of paper. Jumble the names in a hat, and have everyone draw out a name, making sure that no one gets their own name. The name a person draws is the person they have to buy a goofy, funny, or embarrassing gag gift for. You can choose if everyone should know who has drawn whom, or if you want to keep it a secret until Christmas Eve, when the gifts are specially delivered and opened! It’s a lot of fun, and is a great activity that can have a lot of thought put into it!

5. Make time to plan a few jolly-themed Christmas events that your whole family can enjoy. The goal here is simply to bask in the wonderful atmosphere of this season. Put on some Christmas music, turn down the lights and light up a few candles, turn out the Christmas cookies, candies and snacks, and just have a good time together. Watch a Christmas movie, or just have fun playing a few board games together.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays with the extensive cooking and shopping, but we can’t let ourselves forget what is important and what the time of Christmas really means. This is a great time to bring your family closer and start a few great new traditions that will be passed down for generations to come! Your children can enjoy this time of year like no other, and these will be memories that will stay with them forever.

By: Cole Carson

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Cole Carson is a successful entrepreneur and internet marketer. He specializes in the fields of business and marketing, health and wellness, and motivational topics. Dr. Earl Mindell spent eight years on Goji Juice. Learn what Goji Berry Juice is!

Christmas dinner in fancy dress costume is an ideal way to spice up the day. What clothes you wear on Christmas day is just as important to make your Christmas a special festive event - not only to be remembered for sentiment but for fun too. If you’re the family that in the past years has always dressed up for this occasion then how about dressing down. Every year nearly every one will cater for another person’s wants and needs before that of their own, hey listen up guys this is your Christmas too.

Christmas with a difference, have each family member dress up in fancy dress costume, by doing this you are adding fun to the day and most definitely giving reason for chat around the dining table, meaning, i.e. evading the dreaded silence that occurs from time to time. All those sat round the dinner table will love talking about how they came to select their particular costume and to why. Have a Christmas outfit party game where each person has to guess the reason why their brother or sister is dressed as Winnie the Pooh or Spiderman, no doubt the reasons given will have you all in the stitches.

If your decision is to make this Xmas different then you can implement a festive theme where family come dressed as Christmas characters. If you are the traditional sit down serious sort of person and feel change is not for you, fine, but did you ever consider another’s thoughts on the matter who may like to laugh and be jolly. If you decide against Christmas dinner in fancy dress costume, then at least have party hats and Christmas crackers filled with funny jokes for those looking to get into the festive spirit.

If dressing up is not how you wish to celebrate Christmas day then make changes to the feast table instead. Throw out the red table cloth you have repeatedly used over the years and replace with another colour. Lay the table different; add homemade edible party pieces i.e. biscuits/cakes decorated with funny faces in piped cream, label these yummies with each diners name. Just by changing habitual efforts will certainly have you pleased with yourself and more so that of others who craved for difference, but somehow felt uncomfortable to say.

Okay fair enough Christmas dinner in fancy dress costume may not be seen as entertainment in some folks eyes, however this should not deter you from splashing out on yourself, remember as stated earlier this is your Christmas too. This is more directed towards all mums who slave over a hot cooker to please and fill the bellies of all. Mum has to somehow juggle her work load to create a perfect Christmas dinner while under threat from gravy splashes on her outfit so therefore most of her day is spent enveloped in an apron to protect the clothes she wears; this is most uncomfortable especially when trying to avoid grease drips while basting the turkey. To remedy this is to dress later, have your outfit prepared and hanging in the wardrobe, a shift dress is ideal, so there is no time lost when slipping it on over your head. Your hair can be tied back for cooking and let loose for eating. If your hair is short - style with a bow or slide. Keep to wearing low comfortable shoes because pudding has to be served and dishes put away.

As the pots full of seasonable vegetables simmer away nip upstairs and coat the lips with a little lipstick, not much makeup is needed because you will always be beautiful in the yes of those sitting round the Christmas table waiting patiently to be fed.
It makes sense for fewer cosmetics at this time because of steaming veg and smoke from burnt turkey,” heaven forbid”. Plan ahead, take things slow and by doing this you can have the perfect Christmas day, however if in your household burnt offerings is always on the menu then you can consider eating out.
When it comes down to making changes it is true that old habits die hard, but if change involves filling the air with fun and laughter then ignore tradition.

By: kacycarr

December is the time for baking in the kitchen, insulated against the cold weather by a festive fug of spices, brandy and rich dried fruit: cookies, mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake. The Christmas cake should be prepared well ahead of time so it has time to develop moistness and flavour. Usually I procrastinate and bake it only a week before Christmas but this year I was determined to do it right. So yesterday the kitchen exuded a gentle spicy aroma as the cake cooked extremely slowly for four and a half hours. Just one whiff is enough to conjure up Christmas.

It is just the sort of rich, damp, heavy fruit cake that Captain Hook put out to poison the Lost Boys in the original Peter Pan story. That detail seems to have been omitted in the updated versions, maybe these days it seems too old-fashioned to believe that rich cake is death to young stomachs! My kids aren’t really into the cake itself anyway, but they love the marzipan and icing, so will nibble meagrely at the cake in order to justify feasting on their icing and that of the adults as well, who Jack Sprat-like tend to prefer the cake and leave the excess sweet icing to the children.

Just before Christmas I usually get out the reliable old Delia Smith cook book to check out the cake recipe and quantities for the marzipan. Her recipes almost always work and are accurate if not always inspired. Now she is long supplanted by the younger, sexier Nigella, but her books are still at the back of my shelf for when I need to check details of some ordinary but useful dish.

Rich Fruit Cake Recipe

450g/1lb currants
175g/6oz sultanas
175g/6oz raisins
50g/2oz glace cherries(optional)
50g/2oz mixed candied peel chopped
3 tablespoons brandy
225g/8oz plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon mixed spice
225g/8oz unsalted butter
225g/8oz soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
50g/2oz chopped almonds
1 dessertspoon treacle
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange

The night before you want to make the cake, soak all the dried fruit and peel with the brandy. Leave it in a covered bowl over night or at least twelve hours.

Grease and line a 20cm/8 inch round cake tin or a 18cm/ 7 inch square one.

Sift together the flour, salt and spices. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy (make sure you do this thoroughly). Beat eggs and add them a little at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well each time. Next fold in the flour and spices gently. Stir in the dried fruit and peel, treacle and the grated lemon and orange rind. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread it out evenly. Tie a band of brown paper round the outside of the tin and cover the top of the cake with a double layer of greaseproof paper (with a hole cut in the middle of it) Bake the cake at 140C/275F on the lower shelf of the oven for 4 ¼ - 4 ¾ hours. Don’t open the door to check until at least 4 hours have passed. Once the cake has cooled wrap it in a layer of greaseproof paper then foil. Delia recommends feeding it with brandy every week or so, by poking a couple of holes with a skewer then letting a few teaspoons of brandy soak in.

Our cake is now well wrapped in grease-proof paper and foil and stored on a shelf in the larder to steep in its own flavours. A week before Christmas I’ll make the marzipan to go on it. I’ll have a lot of help with that as the children vie to gather up any scraps that fall or are trimmed off. We’ve even converted marzipan haters in the family to our variety of almond paste, just by leaving out the almond essence, which gives the strong almost metallic taste to shop marzipan. Without it the real almond flavour gets a chance to shine through, more mellow and delicately nutty. (I’ll write up my recipe for the marzipan and royal icing in my next article.)

On top of the marzipan goes the top layer of royal icing, made with icing sugar and egg white, put on rough to resemble a snowy scene. When I was growing up we had a set of figures for a Nativity scene that always decorated the cake and it was my favourite job to arrange them with a few tiny pine trees for added effect. You can be creative with your decoration, go for elegant with a single artificial poinsettia flower or fun with plastic animals – a donkey and ox, or as I often do being in Africa, a zebra, elephant and giraffe - standing around in the snow. Silver balls could make a star or you could find a tiny angel decoration to stand atop the cake heralding Christmas.

Homemade Christmas ornaments may sound unprofessional and, well, home made. But if you’re interested in making your own Christmas ornaments, you’ll be surprised by how beautiful your ornaments can turn out. As a matter of fact, just changing the name of your homemade Christmas ornaments and calling them “handcrafted Christmas ornaments” already gives them a much more professional sound, doesn’t it?

And you’re limited only by your imagination. Imagine spending some time thinking of some unusual ideas for your ornaments - ideas that may be peculiar to your family, or incorporate your interests. And then spend a few afternoons or evenings putting those ideas into reality, and the homemade Christmas ornaments that will result will be the envy of all your friends.

There are many fancy homemade Christmas ornaments effects that you can only get from combining beaded Christmas ornaments and handcrafted Christmas ornaments.

Laser engraved Christmas ornaments, for example, can combine photographs with stunning glass etching. These can be commercially made, of course, but if you want your homemade Christmas ornaments to look like Christmas ornament crafts, you can take the time to look for and purchase unique Christmas ornaments that you can then find the perfect photo for, and either undertake the engraving yourself if you’re very craft-minded, or just supervise the engraving by a professional, but make sure the handcrafted Christmas ornaments turn out just as you want them.

And whether you prefer a homemade aesthetic or something more professionally done, consider incorporating photos in order to have really unique Christmas ornaments this year. Do you think your friends and family will be impressed by your handiwork? You bet they will!

Christmas would have the same meaning with holiday and celebration. People, including you would like to have a certain plan to celebrate the special event with spouse or family, whether just having a family gathering, or vacation somewhere in the country or going abroad.

But somehow, you don’t have enough budgets to do what you want, or don’t have the idea about where to go, what to do, etc. Actually it is not a problem, as the event itself should be taken as a chance to build your relationship closer, no matter where you go, what you do, as long as you enjoy and being together with your love ones, I think it’s what its count.

However, here’s some idea for you to celebrate your Christmas holiday:

1.Stay at home, renting nice VCD and DVD, then enjoy the films together with your love ones.

2. Exploring places of interest on your neighborhood, either it’s a lake, garden, forest garden maybe you could have a picnic there.

3. Going abroad to a new place you never went before. You could browse the internet to make the whole plan, as it very easy now to book everything (tickets, hotel, tours, and other accommodations) from the internet. And sometimes you would get special internet rate or a special early booking discount.

4. How about visiting your parents or grandparents that you hardly to visit on working days? I believe they would more than happy to have you there with them. Elderly people sometimes feel lonely and useless, make them feel precious, pamper them on this Christmas, be a blessing one another. They will be happy to see you and your family.

5. Have a traveling by car together with your best friends and their family, Friend is a jewel, you should take a good care of them. Sometimes when you need help on your hard days, do you remember who stands by you? Have a good time with them. You don’t get best friends everyday, you should appreciate what you have.

6. How about making your Christmas holiday productive? Actually you can re-arrange your home interior if you want. Or you can do some changes on your garden. It would be fun to have a new environment for the whole family. It will like have a new house without moving anywhere.

7. Want to earn money on Christmas? Why not? You can sell Christmas cake, help your neighbors taking care of their pet when they are on their trip, sell items for busy people that have no time to shop for their Christmas gifts. It’s plenty of things you can figure out.

8. How about make a difference on this Christmas? You could join the nearest church or other organization to be one of their volunteers. You will feel good if you could be part of the humanity, part of the neighborhood. Maybe you only doing a small action, but it mean a lot for they who need it. Maybe they will take you to nursing home and have a Christmas celebration there, but could you imagine how happy those elder people having all of you together on Christmas? You could make a difference on somebody else life if you want.

I believe besides all of that idea, there are still lots of things you can do on this Christmas. Let this Christmas be different, not only for you but also for your surrounding. Don’t only let your Christmas be a hip celebration, make it to be a meaningful and unforgettable Christmas for everybody, especially your loves ones.

Christmas songs have become a symbol of holidays for people living across the globe. Christmas being the time of fun and frolic, has made funny Christmas songs quite popular among kids as well as adults. The actual sentiment behind singing song is to commemorate the birth Of Lord Jesus Christ, who later in his life became the savior of mankind. For such a stupendous cause,the origin of funny Christmas songs in the ancient times is out of context. But, humor is the spice of life. Since contemporary generations added that fun element to it, ancient songs have got a new dimension to it.

The characteristic trait of funny Christmas songs is it’s joyous music and easy to remember lyrics. The song called Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer was never so popular since it’s funny version was released. Many parodies of religious carols can be seen on television and theater shows. Some of the timeless classic funny Christmas songs are here just for you.

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

The funny Christmas song has been written by Donald Gardner in 1944 and since then many singers released songs with musical variations in it.

Hang Up Your Stockin’

The CD of the kid’s favorite funny Christmas song was released by Capitol Records in 1963.

Jolly Old Nicholas

St. Nicholas is the official name of everyone darling Santa Clause. A beautiful jolly song dedicated to Santa uncle is on the lips of every child during this season.

Up On The House Top

A song by Alvin and Chipmunks is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all times.

It’s Christmas again, and you’re looking at the stacks of decorations you put away last January. It can seem like quite a challenge, especially if you don’t think you’re very good when it comes to decorating. But Christmas decor is something that will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit. With the tips below, you’ll be feeling Christmas cheer in no time.

First, take a good look around your house or apartment. There are a lot of places where a spot of Christmas decor will work wonders. There are the obvious places, like your fireplace mantal, and putting lights along your rooftop, but don’t forget about your stairs, your bathroom and yes, even the kitchen!

When you’re thinking about decorating your stairs, the first thought that probably comes to mind is winding a garland or a length of greenery around the bannister. To add a bit of flare, find a battery operated string of Christmas lights, and twine that in around your garland or greens. Another nice touch is to place small pots of poinsettias along the edge of alternating steps. (If you have animals, however, be wary about poinsettias, as they have poisonous parts.)

Putting a Christmas wreath on your front door is an easy festive touch, but don’t forget that wreaths look good inside your home, too. Mistletoe is lovely in doorways, and makes for great laughs when you’re holding your annual Christmas party. You can tie bows anywhere - the backs of chairs, on doorknobs, the corners of your tablecloth - and indoor Christmas lights don’t belong just on your tree or around your windows.

You probably put up your Christmas tree in your living room or family room. This season, keep your eye out while shopping for small Christmas trees, and consider putting these smaller trees in other rooms in your house. For example, if your front foyer is large enough, a small decorated tree there makes a perfect Christmas greeting for visitors. A small potted live Christmas tree in your downstairs bathroom will really brighten things up.

One wonderful thing about using smaller trees in other rooms in the house is that it allows you to play around with different color schemes suitable for different rooms - colors that you might not want to use on your main Christmas tree. Have you always pined for a tree decorated with blue and white ornaments only, but know that your kids would be very upset with that kind of “adult” look to the tree? Indulge yourself by buying a smaller tree for the den or the front room, and decorate it exactly the way you’ve always wanted!

It’s fun to decorate a house for Christmas. Keep this in mind and don’t try to make things too perfect. Enjoy the ritual of putting up your decorations, and when you’re done, turn off the living room lights, turn on the Christmas tree lights, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate or floral tea, and sink into your couch with your loved ones.