At the outset, let’s be clear about one thing. References to Lord Crimson as a young man, and stories of Lord Crimson’s rise to fame and fortune, though as interesting and inspirational as any you’re likely to hear, will not be found among these pages. The tale with which we are concerned had its start on the day Lord Crimson turned seventy-five and began an adventure that can scarcely be imagined. Perhaps you’d best sit down.

Lord Crimson awoke, on the morning of that fateful birthday, to the usual tugging on his blankets. Without opening his eyes, he reached over the side of his bed to find Charlemagne’s neck, and in the hopes of gaining just a few seconds more of precious rest, rubbed it persuasively. The dog, however, would have none of it, and with that annoyingly insistent bark of his, ordered his master out of bed. In grim defeat, Lord Crimson sat up.

“All right boy, you win,” he said, and slowly he removed himself from his bed.

Together they walked to the enormous corner window which allowed the morning sun to shine in with a vengeance, and they stood looking out over the vast estate. With a heavy sigh, Lord Crimson bent down and gave his dog a pat.

“I know that technically you’re older than I am, but I feel it more than you do, don’t I, boy?” The bloodhound whimpered softly and nuzzled his head against Lord Crimson’s gentle hand. “Come on, Charlemagne. Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

That morning, like every morning, Lord Crimson and Charlemagne made the rounds of the estate. It was just over a mile, start to finish, and while not especially large when measured in terms of the great eighteenth and nineteenth century manors, in modern-day England, it was enormous.

The main house came into view as they walked over the hill toward the end of their hike, and the two friends stopped to rest. His Lordship scanned the countryside, and as his eyes came to rest on the manor, he made his thoughts known to his faithful dog. “Time’s run out, Charlemagne. I’m afraid they’ve given up.”

“The post has come, sir,” the head butler said, as he opened the door letting Lord Crimson and Charlemagne into the house. “There’s a letter from . . . them.”

“Thank you, Mr. Portico. I’ll be in the living room.”

The letter, fetched and brought to his side, Lord Crimson said, “Do me the favor of reading it aloud. I’m afraid I haven’t the energy.”

“Very good, Milord,” the butler said, and with a twenty-four-karat-gold letter opener, sliced the envelope in two. He removed the contents, shook out the single page communication, and holding it at arms length, read as follows:

“To the Honorable Charles Albert Crimson III.” Mr. Portico cleared his throat dramatically before continuing.

“Dear Lord Crimson: We regret to inform you that we have exhausted our current supply of ideas and must now insist that you foist your eccentricities off upon one of our other able associates. We will be more than happy to make a recommendation as it would serve no end of delight for us to witness any of our competitors in a turmoil while attempting, futilely, to satisfy your impossible and outlandish demands. We remain very sincerely yours . . . “

Lord Crimson turned to Charlemagne. “I told you, didn’t I, boy?” Wearily, he stood up and walked out of the room. Charlemagne tried to follow but was told, firmly, to stay. His Lordship wished to be alone.

For as long as he could remember, Lord Crimson had been plagued with nightmares. Nightmares which remained as much a mystery as the sorrow that seemed interwoven with his soul, for never could he remember even the slightest detail about them. But the cries he heard coming from his lips, and the torment and anguish he felt upon awakening-these he had no trouble at all remembering.

That night, with some trepidation, Lord Crimson lay in his bed. Any added stress always brought with it another unwanted dream, and now, with one more architectural firm giving up the ghost, his distress had become wearisome indeed. The best in London were exhausted. He’d have to look elsewhere. But where?

The dream that night was different in one respect, and even as he sat, bolt upright, screaming, with the tears and perspiration pouring down his face, and his heart attempting to pound its way out of his chest, Lord Crimson realized what it was. Seconds later, when Mr. Portico came rushing into His Lordship’s chambers, the butler was greeted by an almost frantic request for pen and paper. The items were quickly rounded up and handed to his Lordship, who then, and hardly knowing what he was about, wrote something down.

“Put this on the desk, please, and we’ll decipher its meaning in the morning.”

The butler did as requested and then hesitated, his concern weighing heavily. “May I get you something, sir? Perhaps some chamomile?”

Lord Crimson shook his head, but still Mr. Portico didn’t budge. He desperately wanted to do something-anything-in order to be of some little use.

“I’m all right, Mr. Portico,” Lord Crimson said. “Now please, go back to bed.”

The butler bowed. “As you wish, sir. Good night.”

The next morning, and for the first time since he’d made the purchase, Lord Crimson didn’t make the rounds of his property. Instead he sat at his desk pondering the meaning of what he had written. Where could the name have come from? How should he act on it, if at all? And then, with a certainty that was as mysterious as the origin of the message itself, he understood that herein lay his final chance. He reached over and gave Charlemagne a pat. “Get Mr. Portico for me, will you boy?” Charlemagne barked and trotted out of the room. A few moments later he returned, with Mr. Portico in tow.

“Milord?”

Lord Crimson handed him the sheet of paper. “Give this to Miss Haversham,” he said. “I wish to know if a firm by this name exists, and if it does, I want a meeting with whoever runs the company. Whatever it takes, I want a meeting this week.”

Later that day, at the Falstaff Architectural Firm in New York City, the CEO, Johnny Falstaff, and his lead architect, Rick St. Michael, were chatting over a cup of coffee. It was an easy-going, comfortable sort of conversation such as a father and son would have done, had they been close.

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Rick was saying. “This Lord Crimson character is paying you a hundred grand, just for a meeting?”

Johnny shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

“It’s a good idea,” Rick said. “I mean, at the very least, you could use the diversion, don’t you think?”

“I guess. I’ll tell you what, though. I’m definitely intrigued. I’ve done a little digging around and apparently this guy’s driven at least a dozen firms stark raving mad.”

“What?”

“That’s right,” Johnny said. “It seems that His Lordship doesn’t know what he wants. And at the same time, he knows exactly what he wants.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

Johnny chuckled. “Join the club.”

The following day found Johnny Falstaff somewhere on the outskirts of London being escorted by Mr. Portico into Lord Crimson’s office. Upon Johnny’s entrance, His Lordship stood up and extended his hand. Johnny took it and was impressed by the sincerity with which he was greeted. Mr. Portico was dismissed, Johnny was asked to have a seat,
the two men looked each other over, and Lord Crimson broke the ice.

“Thank you for making this time available to me.”

“It’s my pleasure, sir.”

Somehow Lord Crimson doubted that.

“Yes, well-before I explain why I requested this meeting, why don’t you tell me a little something about this chap who works for you. This . . . Rick St. Michael.”

Johnny couldn’t help smiling. Rick was probably his favorite topic in the world. Maybe Lord Crimson wasn’t as loopy as he’d been led to believe.

“There’s an awful lot to tell,” Johnny said. “I’m not sure, even, where to begin.”

“Why not start with the reason you think so highly of him?” Lord Crimson said. “Tell me why you lit up like a Christmas tree at the mention of his name.”

“All right. In a nutshell, the way I feel about Rick is that he’s the son I never had. Quite frankly, Rick is without equal on so many levels that-” Johnny caught himself. He loved to brag about Rick’s attributes apart from his architectural abilities, but this was hardly the time. Let’s focus on the issue at hand, he told himself, and picked up the subject again. “Forgive me-I assume it’s his design skills you’re most interested in, so let me make it simple for you. Rick St. Michael is the best architect I’ve ever known. He is, in fact, in a class by himself. Aside from a keen eye and disturbingly good artistic skills, Rick has an uncanny knack for knowing, better than the client, what he wants.”

Johnny paused to study Lord Crimson’s face. He was touched by the sadness in his eyes and could see that the man needed more. And after a moment’s reflection, he went on.

“Something I like even more about Rick, is that even though he’s treated pretty much like royalty in most circles, he remains completely unassuming. Not to mention the fact that he could have struck out on his own, years ago. But I gave him his start, and now that our friendship has grown into something we both cherish above almost anything in the world, he remains loyal and will stay at my side forever.

Johnny’s expression softened, and his voice took on a whole new aspect. “There is one other thing, sir, and to me, it’s the most important of all. I’ve a feeling it will be to you as well.”

There was an inherent goodness in Johnny’s manner and voice that struck even the granite-laden Lord Crimson, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, his sadness took a back seat to another feeling entirely: Fascination.

“Rick has,” Johnny said, “the most unusual-indeed the most extraordinary little girl I’ve ever encountered. And their love for each other?-It just makes me feel that all’s right with the world.”

Johnny paused. This was it. “Now, Mr. Crimson, why don’t you tell me what it is that I can do for you?”

Two weeks later, Lord Crimson and Charlemagne were standing by the window watching the sunset. Lost in thought, Lord Crimson heard nothing, least of all the butler’s entrance to his room.

“Milord?”

Startled, His Lordship turned around.

“Yes, Mr. Portico, what is it?”

“Miss Haversham asked me to let you know, sir. She’s just received a phone call from Mr. Falstaff. Mr. St. Michael has agreed to take on your project. He’ll be free to start on it next week.”

To this, Lord Crimson replied, with a desperation that lay just below the surface, “Let’s pray for better luck with this one, shall we, Mr. Portico?” Then, barely audibly, he added, “Because, my friend-I fear the road ends here.”

Because it was coming up to Christmas vacation I had some spare time, so I decided that it would be appropriate to make some unique Christmas ornaments. I started to make some original hand made Christmas ornaments that I would be pleased to hang on my Christmas tree.

Beaded Christmas ornaments are a creative and easy way to add a personal touch to your Christmas tree. Beaded Christmas ornaments are nice, and some of the vintage Christmas ornaments on sale recently are quite wonderful to look at, but for me the crucial matter in Christmas tree and other decorations is to be creative, and to create something that reflects my personality in some way.

For me, beaded Christmas ornaments achieve this.

Christmas decorations help you honor the things that matter you to most: your friends and family. Also, Christmas ornaments can produce a amusing craft activity for the everyone.

My brother is a pretty decent carpenter, or at least he was when he was at school, so I also decided to try a wooden Christmas decoration, with a little help! When I was done, it looked reasonable.

The earliest unique Christmas ornament I ever had was hand made. It was a wonderful pewter photo frame hanging from a silver hook. I was very impressed by the way it hung on the Christmas tree. It was a labor of love from my mom, after all, and I like to always display it to recall my love for her.

Whether you prefer beaded Christmas ornaments, wooden handmade Christmas ornaments, or something from a store, don’t overlook utilizing personalization into your Christmas ornaments this year.

You may be surprised by how greatly pesonalized Christmas ornaments add to your Christmas festivities!

My sister creates ornaments out of common household items. She is great with arty things, and finds a lot of simple ways to develop ornamental items of things that would otherwise be thrown out. You could utilize tin foil, papier mache, glitter, tinsel, crepe paper, and popsicle sticks. They’re all well suited to designing beaded Christmas ornaments out of. You could even bake some little cookie treats, or homemade chocolates, wrap them creatively, with names written on them, and hang them on the Christmas tree.

With some color and a lot of imagination, you can develop lovely personalized Christmas ornaments that are perfect to be given as personalized Christmas gifts.

As we place our Christmas tree, long before the Christmas, our heart starts wishing for the best Christmas of our life. Soon everybody starts shopping for various Christmas accessories. Christmas is the time when shops and departmental stores are flooded with a wide variety of Christmas ornaments. Who doesn’t get lured by all these glitzy ornaments!

Christmas ornaments are not very hard to find. You can get these in your nearest departmental stores. Places from where you buy other Christmas accessories also provide Christmas ornaments. You can also order for Christmas ornaments on the internet. Make sure you check for shipping charges before placing an order. Themed Christmas ornaments are gaining a lot of popularity these days. Initially Christmas ornaments were suspended from the tree branches in order to pacify the Gods and ask for happiness, peace, favor and blessings. This whole idea of putting Christmas ornaments has been lost somewhere and only the adornment is into continuation. Christmas ornaments may not be a mandatory item for Christmas but they have a cultural significance. In the past, Christmas ornaments were made of natural substances like wood. Wood was carved into many shapes and forms to make angles, stars or balls. These traditional ornaments were sprayed with Christmas colors like red, green, white, golden or silver. Traditional toys are still in demand. Christmas ornaments symbolize festivity and merriment.

You can make wooden dolls as Christmas ornaments. Stitch beautiful doll apparels and adorn them with glitters. You can also make a snow man with plaster of paris. Make cute Santa caps to decorate the snow man. Some great ready made Christmas ornaments include dog bones personalized pieces, good luck messages, teddy bear ornaments, dancing Santa, baby’s first Christmas ornaments, glass apple ornaments, Christmas garlands, sports themed ornaments, gift pouches, hangings, ocean themed adornments etc. Some other popular Christmas ornaments include vegetable toys, hanging fishes, birds, stars, reflectors, crystals pieces etc. Hanging bells look as beautiful as ever. Series of colorful bells adorn the Christmas tree like starts embellish the sky at night. Aluminum bells are long lasting and can be preserved for years. Behave like a responsible citizen to have a safe Christmas. Make use of organic colors and fabrics to make your Christmas ornaments. Let your children experience a healthy world. Also try and avoid plastic and other non-recyclable products to save our planet. A safe and sound Christmas is a cheerful Christmas.

The Christmas decorations you place on your tree is the most common place to find Christmas ornaments; usually bought, but with a modicum of craft skills and imagination you can make countless new Christmas ornaments. Christmas ornaments are usually made of glass, china, wood or resin.

Christmas ornaments are viewed by manufacturers as the entry into whole ranges of themed Christmas decorations, not just the decorations for your tree; they hope that the purchase of Christmas ornaments will lead to further purchases in the same range.

The original idea that Christmas ornaments were hung on the trees to mollify the goods and to ask for favour from them was swamped by the marketing industry; prior to the introduction of Christianity, Christmas ornaments primarily consisted of fruits, flowers and other colorful items hung on the tree.

Familiar Christmas Ornaments

In Germanic countries the Christmas tree has been decorated with ornaments for hundreds of years. This practice was popularized in Britain by Prince Albert , Queen Victoria ’s husband during the middle part of the nineteenth century. During the 19th century Christmas ornaments would consist of hand carved Christian icons, such as angels. Before the introduction of the now ever present twinkling fairy lights, Christmas trees were decorated with a special and now rarely seen Christmas ornament – the candle, now pushed into Christmas ornament history as a health and safety hazard! These beautiful carvings and candles have been replaced by fairly lights and brightly colored baubles; just as fruits and biscuits have become chocolates and sugared candies.

In Sweden the traditional Christmas ornaments are made from wood, this is still the most common tree decorations. The Swedish have created an industry around their Christmas ornaments and now export them throughout the world. There is also a flourishing industry in the hand blown Christmas ornaments, the shimmer and shine of these ornaments make these very special and quite charming.

Just as there are traditional Christmas ornaments there are also traditional colors that are used on the decorations, these are gold, silver, green and red.

Personalized Christmas ornaments have become more in demand as people search for new and innovative ideas to impress. The best way to ensure that you have something unique is to create something yourself. This makes for a great family activity and will be much appreciated by the younger children.

When to put up the Christmas Tree

Traditionally the Christmas tree is put up in the USA after Thanksgiving. But in modern times it has got earlier and it is fairly common to see them within the first two weeks of December. This is probably due to the shops stocking decorations earlier each year in order to maximize profits. Some believe the first Sunday of Advent is the time to start putting up your tree, while others start decorating the tree as late as Christmas Eve.

Old Christmas ornaments have become collectors’ items and are in much demand. This market is fuelled by people who are trying to recreate the perceived Christmas spirit of yesteryear. However you decorate your Christmas tree it is important that you personalize it in some way so that it can be something that is pleasing to look at and right for creating the festive spirit.

Christmas ornaments have become iconic in representing the coming of the festive season. Once you see the first decorations you know that the Christmas cheer is well underway.

Depending what the small business owner’s business is, you should be able to find something that fits what they need. As long as you know what the business is, you should have no problem.

Desk accessories are always a good gift to buy someone who owns a small business. This also applies if you are thinking of buying them a desk. A workspace, especially from home, is an important factor in a small or home business. A nice new desk with new accessories on it will help them be productive, it will brighten up their home and it will make you very popular with them.

Computers are an essential part of business, so why not buy them a new top of the line computer for their business. With an excellent computer, the productivity of the business will increase and they will be happier as a result. If you do not have the money for a computer, then buy them some productivity or accounting software that will make their small or home business a bit easier to manage.

You could also buy them time at a small business seminar, which will teach them some new tricks and ideas to make their business a success. These usually cost a few hundred dollars, but they are so popular and important for an emerging business, it is an opportunity you should not pass up.

One of the best gifts you can give them is the gift of a referral. If you go to your own business contacts and tell them about your friend’s small business, you could be giving them new clients which will make their business survive and prosper. This type of gift can be worth more than anything to a small business owner and could even work as a second gift on top of one you bought at a store.

Small business owners are always looking for a hand, so take the time to find exactly what they need. It could be desk accessories, it could be a computer and or it could just be continuing education to make them a better business person.

The Cherwell Online website is a good example of how local communities and councils can use the internet to help unite and inform the people within their community. The Cherwell Online site lists everything from local news, events and local jobs. This means Cherwell constituents can easily find out about changes to rubbish collection times over bank holidays and local events such as a Christmas charity fundraiser.

Another benefit of local community websites like Cherwell Online is that local clubs and businesses can use the websites to create their own pages. This means that the website grows as more local people add to it and advertise things such as the local archery club or local charities such as the Alzheimer’s society. This allows people to not only find out whats on in Cherwell but whats on in Oxfordshire as a whole.

Many older people are now using the internet as a means to keep up to date with what is going on where they live as well as to shop online. This is a big benefit to people who may not be able to get to the shops easily as most supermarkets offer online delivery services now a days. This means that the older generation are now using the internet more often and those living in the Cherwell district are using the internet to plan getting together.

All these factors lead me to the conclusion that local community websites such as Cherwell are a benefit to the local community. The only problem with these sites is that the public are often unaware of them or they simply are not used to their full potential.

Does your Christmas spirit get lost in the frenzy this time of year? Is your household so hectic during December that it could drive even Bob Cratchit to tear out his hair? Well, you might as well face the fact that not even the Grinch can stop Christmas from coming; so we must learn strategies for surviving the holidays with our sanity (and our hair) intact. It is possible to go from stressed to blessed. To tame your Grinch within and create a simpler, more joyful Christmas this year, follow these ten Grinch-busting tips and you’ll slide from overwhelmed to overjoyed faster than you can shout “God bless us all, everyone!”

1) LOWER EXPECTATIONS: Don’t fall for the hype and myth-takes that can ruin your holiday. You’ll make yourself crazy comparing your home, your holiday, your family, with anyone or anything that makes you feel less than perfect. Remember, YOU ARE NOT MARTHA STEWART! Stop trying to win the perfect holiday award for the best cookies, the most elaborate decorations, or the biggest gifts. Remember these four important words throughout the holiday season: DO LESS, ENJOY MORE. Make every day of the season a present to yourself.

2) CHANGE ROUTINES: Why do we feel that we must continue forever to do things just as we’ve always done them? Don’t be bound by past traditions. Think outside the box and consider new ways of doing things to make it easier on yourself.

A) Instead of exchanging gifts with co-workers or extended family , how about choosing a charity to help? If each person gives just a couple of dollars, it adds up and beats searching for the perfect gift for all those people.

B) Who says you HAVE to cook a huge meal for 30 people every year? Could you, maybe just this once, have a simple gathering instead? Better yet, let Aunt Irma take a turn at hosting this year’s celebration. Have you considered suggesting that this year the women cook and all other family members do the clean up? Why should the men of the house gorge themselves till they must unzip their pants and then collapse on the couch while the women who cooked for weeks continue to slave away in the kitchen tackling a mountain of dishes? Would it kill them to help in the kitchen once a year as a special Christmas present to you?

C) When did we decide we needed 37 different varieties of Christmas cookies each year? You know, all your family REALLY wants are chocolate chip cookies! Why do more than is necessary to keep them happy? If you MUST have a variety of cookies, go to or host a cookie exchange where everybody bakes one type but takes home several of all the other varieties. That makes NOT baking a jillion different types of cookies fun!

3) DON’T DO IT ALL YOURSELF: Involve every member of the family right down to the toddlers. If you can’t do it together, then maybe it’s not something you need to do at all. Instead of buying gifts for children to give, engage the kids in the process. Turn decorating, shopping, gift-wrapping, baking, and even house cleaning into family time activities

4) PLAN AHEAD: Work smarter, not harder. Do as much as you can in the months before Christmas to leave December open for spontaneous joy. Get the car serviced in the Fall so it will be ready for holiday travel, bake and freeze cookies throughout November, start addressing Christmas card envelopes during the summer while you’re sitting in the sun sipping lemonade. If it’s too late to plan ahead and you’re already in the middle of mass chaos, don’t panic. Memorize the Serenity Prayer and repeat it daily! (God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!)

5) SPEND LESS MONEY: Nothing adds stress to the season like worrying about how you’ll pay the credit card bill come January. Remember that it’s the thought that counts. Think of creative gifts you can give that cost less but express your love.

A) Tell those on your gift list that instead of presents this year, you’ll be providing warm clothing and food for a needy child or sending a donation to your favorite charity in their honor. Chances are they really don’t need anything anyway, and it will warm their hearts to know you’re doing good in their name.

B) Keep a journal of all your expenditures. Know each day how much you’ve spent so far. You will probably be shocked to learn how fast it adds up and this knowlege may help you control your spending.

B) Stay out of stores as much as possible. Every time you step foot into a mall, you are subjected to clever marketing tactics. Shop fast. The more time you spend in the store, the more money it will cost you.

C) Consider inexpensive but heartwarming gifts like handmade frames filled with favorite photos or cassette tapes of your family reading books. Home made breads, jams, or sauces make great gifts that everyone appreciates; and creating them provides family time to boot.

D) One year, my family had great fun cutting evergreen boughs and making wreaths for everyone on our gift list. All we had to buy was wire and ribbon.

E) How about giving a few of your own special treasures as gifts? Perhaps a book you love or a special knick knack or piece of jewelry someone has admired? A gift that’s worth more than anything from a store is a handwritten letter telling someone how much they mean to you.

If you must shop, a list is your best friend. To avoid impulse buying, buy only what’s on your list and pay only with cash. You’ll think twice before purchasing an extravagant gift you really can’t afford.

6) SIMPLIFY GIFT SHOPPING:

A) Plan ahead, make a list, and stick to it. Shop throughout the year rather than doing it all at the last minute.

B) Instead of individual gifts, buy one item for an entire family such as a board game, fast food coupons, gift certificates for restaurants or stores, phone cards, school supplies, or food baskets. Or exchange names within your family so everyone needs to buy only one gift, rather than many. I’ve heard of families who stipulated that it had to be a garage-sale or a thrift-store item under a certain price. That made it a lot of fun, as everyone tried to find the best buy.

C) Divide up the shopping. Maybe the wife could purchase all the gifts required for women and the husband buy all the men’s gifts. Teens can select gifts for kids their age too.

D) Choose a gift theme each year. If the theme is plants, you would give everyone something from a nursery. If the theme is books, you would buy all your gifts at a book store. If you choose a theme of entertainment, you would buy movie passes for everyone or concert tickets. If there are a lot of men on your gift list, a hardware theme might be appropriate. If you’re forgetful like I am, buying everyone on your list the same thing makes it easier to remember what you gave whom in past years!

7) CELEBRATE FAMILY and COMMUNITY: Schedule time for fun and relaxing together. Put it on your calendar and make it top priority. Don’t let anything get in your way. If you’re too busy to drive through the neighborhood with the kids looking at the lights and listening to Christmas music, re-arrange your schedule. Spend an evening as a family reading Christmas stories or poems and writing letters to Santa together, thanking him for last year’s gifts.

If you must shop or attend concerts or parties, don’t go alone. Take the family along and include lonely neighbors or elderly friends too. This applies to cooking, baking, and gift wrapping too.

Invite someone to do it with you. It will make your tasks more fun and they’ll appreciate spending time with you. Whatever you’re planning to do, share it with someone and make it quality time.

CREATE LASTING, LOVING MEMORIES: Be selective. Don’t fill every moment of the season with frantic activity. Think quality, not quantity. Your goal should be sharing happy times and bei
ng together. Reading stories together, a relaxed tree-trimming, singing carols, making snow angels, or just enjoying the evening stars and sharing a cup of hot cocoa can be more enjoyable than attending every play, concert, and party of the season. Volunteer as a family to sort food at a food bank, organize a toy or coat drive, deliver meals on wheels, or serve Christmas dinner at a shelter. These are memories you’ll cherish forever.

9) TAME THE GREEDIES: Steer the family’s focus toward the needs of others and how your family can render service. Help everyone to develop an attitude of gratitude instead of always wanting something more. Talk about ways to share the season’s joy with others. Instead of wish lists, make a list of ways to practice generosity. These might include helping someone with shoveling, shopping, decorating, or baking. Or choose a volunteer project you can work on together as a family.

Keep the TV turned off as much as possible to avoid commercials. They only give your kids ideas of more useless things they think they must have. If you want to watch a Christmas show, rent the video or record programs and watch them later.

10) CREATE FUN NEW TRADITIONS: Buy a new cookie cutter each year to add to a collection, or shop as a family to buy an early Christmas present for yourselves: a board game you can play each evening in December. Share at the dinner table every night something you’ve each read such as a Christmas story or poem, a riddle, or holiday trivia.

A friend began a tradition of having boiled shrimp for Christmas dinner, along with garlic toast, salad, and Christmas eggs (boiled eggs dyed red and green). Preparation for this meal takes almost no time at all, and the cleanup is equally easy. Everyone can enjoy the afternoon visiting, playing games, napping, etc. In the evening, they enjoy leftover shrimp fried in garlic butter with the traditional Christmas pies and cookies.

Here are a couple of traditions that can lighten your work load: Instead of an elaborate holiday meal, how about having friends in for a potluck Christmas Eve supper where you provide only the dessert? Another tradition kids love is going out for pizza on Christmas Eve.

It’s the little things that make life more meaningful. I like the idea of starting a Christmas tradition of practicing not-so-random acts of kindness each holiday season and maybe even extending this “kindness throughout the year.

ITEMS 7 THROUGH 10 CAN ALL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH VOLUNTEERING to focus on others and help someone outside your family. Kids love to give and help. They just need encouragement, guidance, and opportunities to reach out.

Volunteering is a great way to teach children compassion. It develops character, leadership, self esteem and a sense of community. Volunteering also helps offset the materialism of our culture. The key is finding a cause the whole family can identify with.

One creative idea is to set up a gift-wrapping station in a mall to raise money for a charity. A great way to volunteer that can involve kids of every age would be to visit nursing homes and maybe even take holiday decorations that your family has made. Here’s another suggestion: Find some children who need cheery mail and work as a family making cards for them. There are hundreds of such children in need of smiles featured on the HUGS and HOPE Club’s web site at www.hugsandhope.com. Your family can also sponsor a child for Christmas through the Hugs and Hope Elf Program. It’s fun to shop for and wrap items from your sponsored child’s wish list.

Then . . . you can RELAX:

To enjoy this season, we must remember what is truly important. All ten of our suggestions involve togetherness, sharing, helping, enjoying, savoring the moments. The events of 9-11 have taught us that our time and the people in our lives are precious. This Christmas will be a season filled with opportunities to reach out to and enjoy others. Don’t miss them! Commit to spending more “down time” with others just hanging out — it’s more important than you may think. Experience really feeling the joy of the season. Make it a “feel good” holiday season rather than a “look good,” one-day, picture-perfect event. Create a warmer, more loving celebration by focusing on sharing and just being.

Now that you’ve learned how to tame your inner Grinch . . . take a deep breath, turn on the tree lights, gather your loved ones around you, relax in your favorite chair, and watch angel Clarence earn his wings for the forty-third time. Only this year, you’ll be able to affirm with George Bailey that it really is “A Wonderful Life.”

When you go crappie fishing it is not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You need to have your best fishing tips at your disposal. Instead of coming home with a empty stringer , lets take a look at some crappie fishing tips that will fill your cooler on your next fishing trip.

#1 Tip always catch your bait from the same water you are going to fish. Chances are crappie will spit out anything that is not natural to their habitat.

#2 Tip If you fish from a boat and have a fish finder you need to be able to identify large schools of crappie when they show up on your fish finder. When you spot what looks like a upside Christmas tree on the screen this a large school of crappie.

#3 Tip When you locate a large school of crappie never fish in the middle of the school. Work the edges of the school so you do not spook the fish.

#4 Tip When you locate a school of fish, start by line to the bottom. Slowly crank in your reel counting every turn until you get a hit. Now mark your line with a permanent magic marker , preferably a bright color. The reason you mark your line is so you can go right back to the same depth the next time you drop your line. Repeat this step until the crappie school moves.

#5 Tip Crappie rise to the bait their eyes are located on the top of their heads so the do not see anything below them. You must make sure your bait presentation is always above them.

#6 Tip use an ultra-light rig that weighs only a few ounces. Crappie are not heavy hitters. Many time they just suck on the bait and if you do not have light tackle you will never feel the hit.

#7 Tip use 2-4 pound test line , always make sure your is located on a loop, not held tight on the hook ring. The hook needs to move freely to give the bait some play. Remember the more natural the bait looks the more fish you will catch.

Now you are ready for your next crappie fishing trip . If you use all or just a few of the tips above you will improve your crappie catch count. So good luck and good fishing!

‘Tis the season to buy gifts for your family, smell the holly and evergreen, and eat lots of seasonal goodies. If you’re in the mood for Christmas, shouldn’t your cell phone be in the mood too? You can get some great Christmas ringtones for your cell phone, and get yourself and everyone around you in the mood of the season. Best of all, more and more of the new ringtones are moving toward the realistic true tones, and the ones that aren’t true tones are mostly polyphonics. No more tinny “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” for you!

What’s more, if there’s a Scrooge on your Christmas list, you can help get him or her in the mood for the season by sending a
ringtone to their cell phone. It’s one of the latest and greatest way of letting someone know you care about them.

You can get the following types of Christmas ringtones for your cell phone:

Fun songs. You want “Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo” from South Park? You’ll find it here. Or maybe you want something
unique: how about a techno remix of “The Little Drummer Boy?” Whatever your preference, you can find a perfect Christmas ringtone to express your joy in the season.

Traditional favorites. If your favorite Christmas song is “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” you’re in luck. This and dozens of other traditional Christmas songs can be downloaded to your cell phone as ringtones.

Religious favorites. Your favorite song is “What Child Is This?” You prefer the songs you sang in church as a child to the
modern ones that seem to negate the true meaning of Christmas? You can find the songs you remember and love today as ringtones
you can put on your cell phone.

Instrumental songs. Because of the limitations still inherent in even the best ringtones, the ones that sound the best are the ones that are primarily instrumental. You can find a fantastic version of “Ave Maria” for your cell phone, or you can find “Ring Christmas Bells” and other old favorites.

International Christmas Music. You want something really different that translates well to a polyphonic ringtone format?
Try one of the “Christmas at Bali” ringtones, which translates a Christmas favorite into an Oriental sound, using unusual sounds and blended background noises to make your ringtone the coolest one around. Or you can try “Christmas in Palestine,” or “Russian
Christmas,” depending on what you really like.

You may want something else to go with your ringtones. You can find great wallpapers and screensavers with Christmas themes
as well as your ringtone themes. Whether you want St. Nick on your phone, Garfield in Christmas attire, or the soft beauty of a Thomas-Kinkaid-style Christmas landscape, you can find it. Put together the perfect theme, with wallpaper, screensaver, and
ringtone, and send it to the ones you love in lieu of a Christmas card.

However you want to use your Christmas ringtones, they’re there for you. Celebrate Christmas in style with the best ringtones on your phone.

To create a household budget system does not have to be complicated messes of spreadsheets and percentages. The biggest problem with most budgets is that after spending an insane amount of time completing it, most people save them to their hard drive or file them away in a drawer, but never put them to use. Think about it, we do not even see cash money anymore. We use debit and credit cards for everything. The paper budget is just one more way to ignore the actual money coming out of our pockets.

Below is a low tech, high success, simpler way. This is the way my 93 year old grandmother did it and with the exception of a couple of cars and 1 mortgage, she never borrowed a penny on credit. It worked for her family through difficult times, job losses, wars, layoffs and retirement. It worked for me as a working student and helped me to pay cash for college. This effective household budget system can work for you now.

Step 1: Create an accurate and complete list of all – and I mean all, weekly, monthly and yearly expenses. Don’t forget birthdays, Christmas, special events and vacations. You also should definitely have an emergency category.

Step 2: Once you have listed all of your expenses, gather enough envelopes and label one for each expenditure. For example, you will at least have one for your mortgage/rent, gasoline, insurance, groceries, each estimated utility bill, entertainment. Don’t forget the envelope labeled “Savings”.

Step 3: Before the beginning of each month, put the actual amount of cash money that you will need for each expenditure in its respective envelope. What you are doing here is physically seeing where all of your money is going.

Step 4: Now, pay for each expenditure out of these envelopes. If your envelope for gasoline is getting low or becomes empty, you may have to decide which other envelope you will steal from to fill your tank. You may have to take from entertainment or some other non-essential to cover a high utility bill. If you do, however, you will also find yourself adjusting your thermostat before the next month rolls around. You will also find yourself trying to save money on groceries, gasoline, stupid bank fees and ridiculous expenditures. If your grocery envelope is empty before the end of the month, you may have to pass on the Oreos or ice cream. One note, try to never steal from your “Savings” envelope. Also, if at the end of the month you have money left over in any envelope, place the leftover cash into your savings.

Why does this budget system work? Because rather than just writing down the numbers, you actually see the money coming in and rolling out. It becomes far more real. When an envelope is empty, it’s empty and that is a very real, very scary sight. The most important thing that you will discover is how much money you have been blowing on stupid things without realizing it. You will learn to prioritize your spending to make sure that you can cover all of your necessary expenses. Best of all, you will be taking control of your money with this effective household budget system.

See how easy it is to create a household budget!

Good luck. P.S., You’re going to love your big, fat Savings envelope.