Wrapping paper and Christmas cards are part of the tradition but how about being even more creative and environmentally friendly? Sending online Christmas cards isn’t the same but it’s an alternative. If you buy cards get them in a box, buying a single card will cost a lot more. Plus you will have enough cards rather than going out again for anyone you forgot. Of course, look for cards and wrapping paper made with recycled paper.

Wrap presents in fabric: dish cloths, towels, blankets, scarves, pillowcases and clothing. How about giving presents in other containers such as lunch bags, travel cases, laundry baskets, cookie jars, food storage containers, tool boxes, knapsacks and other things people can use again. It’s a present in a present that way. You can also wrap presents in drawings children have made. Pages from comics, magazines, newspapers and books too dog eared to reuse (second hand bookstores) are crafty ideas too.

Skip the bows and ribbons and go with other reusable things like strings of beads, knitting yarn, garden twine and mittens on a string for kids. Decorate the top of the package with Christmas ornaments, fridge magnets, hair clips, seed packages, sample packs of coffee, photos from Christmas past, anything small and useful or just small and pretty.

Furoshiki - a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods.

Just today, I found myself and this website mentioned in a book. The O'Reilly Essential Blogging book in which Ben and Mena Trott are among the authors. I'm on page #230 with my blab about blogs. I had no idea my comments were chosen for the book. Pretty nice year end surprise. Maybe it's a sign of great things to come.

Who knows maybe Harlequin and all those women's magazines will just flock to put my words into print. Yeah, and after that I'll start dusting off the plans for my world domination plot, the one where I'm empress of the world. I'm a very good empress btw.

Now I really do need to fix all the little things around my site. Plus work on getting my new graphics (homemade) scanned and loaded up. Wait till you see them, you'll be completely blown away, that or get the hiccups laughing. Either way works for me. ;)

Corrections About Christmas

I must correct my Christmas blab. I did get three presents and counting now. Before Christmas my brother let me have $50 to change my drivers license from US to Canadian. Afterwards he told me to keep the money (I didn't need to pay him back) and get that food steamer I had told him I wanted for Christmas. The food steamer I got on sale for less than $25, so that was a nice Christmas present. I just didn't think of it when I was writing because it was pre-Christmas. Since Christmas my sister Grace (home visiting) bought me the inhalers I needed. I had given her my bank card but she didn't use it. So that was nice of her. Thirdly, today my Mom said she is giving me $200 for Christmas. So Christmas was a time of giving afterall.

In case you're wondering... I gave everyone something for Christmas too. But I didn't spend much due to not having much to spend. Likely I've spent more on gassing the car than anything or anyone else. I hope working at Zellers will keep me in coffee once I ask (and get) full time. But, I'm going to ask once my 3 months probation is up. Hoping that goes more than well. I've even been so bold as to ask people to fill out the customer service comment cards. So far both people I asked were glad to do it. But, I knew they would be since I spent extra time helping both of them and they were nice, cheery people. Just another 8 cards to go and then I can get a silver ID card. Won't that look good for my 3 months probation. :)

Here it is, Christmas Eve, there's almost a magic you can feel.

The Christmas tree glows with its electric lights and the ornaments add sparkle, romance and mystery. Outside the house there are lights up and down the street and on our own home too. The odd car goes by, people out at parties, doing last minute shopping or just out driving around admiring the lights and decorations.

Is Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day? Sure you open all those presents under the tree but then the mystery, the hopes and dreams are gone. Once you open them the magic slips away.

On Christmas Eve the snow glows in the moonlight, if there is any snow. The day looks kind of stark without snow. On Christmas Eve the snow or the darkness hide the stark winter landscape. I think having snow is better. Snow makes so many great things: snow balls, snow forts and snow flakes. Can you catch a snowflake on your tongue? They say each snowflake is different, there are no two exactly the same. With so many snowflakes it seems impossible for them to all be different. Each one just a frozen drop of water.

Merrry Christmas to you all!

Do you put out milk and cookies for Santa? How about a little change from tradition this year. Maybe Santa would like a ginger ale and cyrstalized ginger. Or something like ice cubes and water and peach pie, a little summery treat at the start of winter. What ideas can you think of?

Did you send Christmas cards this year? Its nice to get them too. Here is a little bit about Christmas card history:

"The sending of commercially printed Christmas cards originated in London in 1843. By 1822, Christmas greetings were so popular in the U.S., the postal service had to hire sixteen extra mail carriers. "

This came from the WonderKorner site.

Its kind of late to start sending cards now. The mail carriers need at least a week for delivering Christmas cards. There are so many being sent they have trouble keeping up.

Christmas carols, poinsettias, the Christmas tree with all its flashing lights and ornaments, decorated shopping malls and sparkling drifts of snow those are my favourite things at Christmastime.

I still have a golden angel from when I was a very little girl. She used to play Silent Night but her music box wore out. Its still my favourite Christmas carol.

Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavely hosts sing alleluia; Christ the Saviour, is born! Christ the Saviour, is born!

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Seasons Greetings