When you need a little Christmas, any time of year,
I have some Care and Presents, some Love and Hope and Cheer.

Friday, August 31, 2012

L is for...

Well...let me think...oh! I know!! 

L is for Living Christmas!!

Seriously, what did you think I was going to say?  Oh, I realize there are plenty of Christmas words that start with L, like Lights and Love and Ladies Dancing, but Living Christmas is pretty close to my heart, so there you have it. I've pretty much given you the basics of the company. We rent beautiful trees, drop them off, pick them up and take care of them all year. The trees stay alive which is good news for them. They smell wonderful and are safer because the are not dead and drying out in your living room causing a fire risk. This is good news for you. Did you know that plastic trees can give off chemicals into the air that are harmful to people? Something to think about anyway, right?


So if you haven't already, check us out at 
http://livingchristmas.com/index.php

Since we're not in full swing quite yet, I don't think you will be able to place an order, but if you can still get information and even see video clips of Scotty Claus in the News! 

Speaking of getting into full swing, I better get busy!  Merry Christmas!!

Friday, August 24, 2012

K is for...

"Kissin' by the mistletoe..."

You just gotta' love Aretha Franklin. I hadn't actually heard this song before, but I was searching for a Christmas song that started with K and there it was. 

So I started thinking about mistletoe, and why we like to kiss under it. I mean, I know why some of us like to kiss, well, in general, but how did the tradition start? I thought if I looked it up it would be a nice neat little story, but alas, no. The stories behind this plant go way back to Norse legend, ancient Greek times and Celtic Druids! At some point through all of that, people decided that this parasitic poisonous plant should be a symbol of peace, love and friendship during the Holidays. Go figure. Well, whatever the reason, I'll be waiting as always for a special kiss.

And while we're talking about peace, love and friendship, I thought of something else that starts with K:
Keep Christmas in your heart. Don't get caught up in the craziness. Keep the love, and try and find the peace. Pray that it will last all year long. Just my two cents there. :)


Merry Christmas!! 

Care'n Presents


Photo: statesymbolsusa.org (Did you know Mistletoe is the State Floral Emblem for Oklahoma?)

Want to know more about mistletoe? 
http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/history/mistletoe.htm

Listen to Aretha!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1thcJL_qwbY

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

J is for...

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock..."

Ever notice how some Christmas songs make you want to get up and dance?  Granted, some of them are more likely to lull you to sleep, and some are merely cheerful, but there are some... They get your toes tappin' and your shoulders boppin'. If you never learned how to swing dance, somehow you find a way to fake it. I love those songs! Christmas can be a difficult time for people and even we elves can get stressed out. There's so much to do that it can become overwhelming. So here's what I think: In the middle of it all, take a deep breath, put on some music, and do the dance. Be goofy for a while! Embarrass your kids! Surprise your parents! Amuse your friends (and probably innocent by-standers). Believe me, I'm an elf; I know what I'm talking about. Everyone needs a break sometimes.



J is also for "Jolly Disposition".

This is a quality that Scotty Claus looks for, whenever he hires each elf, and he is the jolliest of them all.  With a twinkle in his eyes, and a smile on his face, he tosses that five foot long hat of his over his shoulder and hugs his trees. (We all think he's a bit off-kilter too, but really, what's the difference?)

So when you start to feel the pressure this holiday season, think "Jolly", set aside whatever you're doing and for a few minutes, hug a tree, smile at someone, wear a silly hat, or just dance up and down the department store aisles like a lunatic.  I'm not a psychiatrist; I haven't even played on on TV, but I am an elf, so take my advice: all those "have to's" can wait. Take time to remember that Christmas is supposed to be fun, and magical and a bit off-kilter. 

Merry Christmas!!

Care'n Presents



Photo: film.com 
- from one of my favorite Christmas movies: "Fred Claus"

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

I is for...

"I'm dreaming of a GREEN Christmas..."

What? Did you really think I'd say "white" Christmas? What am I, crazy? (Don't answer that.)  I live in California, and don't get me wrong: I love snow. I like to visit it once in a while, and then go back to my neighborhood, 30 minutes from the beach, where it's considered cold if the temperature dips below 60. What I'm talking about here, however, is a different kind of green. It's more the eco-friendly green. It's the planet-loving, tree-hugging green. 

I is also for IDEA. 

People lately have been coming up with some great ideas to keep this world human-friendly for years to come. Sure, we can keep going the way we are: allowing waste to collect in landfills and the oceans, and depleting our resources. The world could last for a long time, but would it be a nice place to live? I'm thinking not. Scotty Claus didn't think so either, so he had the idea to start The Living Christmas Company. He's hoping the idea will catch on. 

Now before this post gets way too preachy, I found some other great songs that start with "I".

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
I Saw Three Ships
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
I'll be home for Christmas
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So keep singing, and keep thinking. Maybe we can put our ideas together and make this a truly green Christmas, or white, if that's what you prefer. Merry Christmas!


Care'n Presents



Some information from:  http://xmasfun.com/lyrics.asp



Photo: pathtogreen.wordpress.com


Sunday, August 12, 2012

H is for...


"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas...."

I love how in the Christmas Classic "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer", the animals decorated the trees in the forest just as they were. Of course who knows where they got all the tinsel and ornaments, but they all seemed to have a great time. I watch that movie every year, and every year I cry when all the other reindeer make fun of little Rudolph, I mean, wow, even Santa turns his back on the guy. Okay, I'm a sap; I cry watching Hallmark commercials. What can I say? We actually have a rule in our house that we are not allowed to watch any Christmas movies until at least November and even then it's movies like "The Holiday" and "Sleepless in Seattle'. These are movies with Christmas in them, but not necessarily "Christmas" movies. "It's a Wonderful Life" is traditionally watched the day after Thanksgiving, and after that, anything goes.
Sometimes I watch these movies and think, wow, what a great fantasy. Too bad real life is not really like that. Yet there is still a part of me that needs to believe that while these fantasies are completely unrelated to my life, the central idea in them is always the same: Hope.

So H is for... HOPE

Think about it. Every one of those Christmas movies leaves you with that same feeling: the hope that this world could somehow be a better place, that people can change for the better, that circumstances can improve, that there will be a better tomorrow, or a better future. 

Scotty Claus saw how Christmas trees were just being discarded and hoped he could find a better way of providing this wonderful symbol of Christmas without the sad waste. So he came up with the Living Christmas Company. His goal was not to make a gzillion dollars as much as to make people see that there is a better way of doing this great tradition.  He knows it may not be for everyone, but he hopes it will make a difference, one Christmas tree at a time. So maybe think about it...and meanwhile...


Merry Christmas!


Care'n Presents



Photo: digitaldreammachine.com

Thursday, August 9, 2012

G is for...

G is for GREEN!! 
...and while, to quote a famous frog, it's not always easy being green, there are a lot of things you can do that are fairly easy. Just recycle a few things now and then. Try to conserve resources. Plant something. Start small, and after a while it will be second nature. 
On a more literal note, green is a lovely color. Being an elf I see a lot of green...clothes, shoes, hats...but one of my favorite green things is a tree. 
No, really...it is. I'm not just saying that because I work for Scotty Claus. I love trees. I love the way some of them smell. I love how there are so many different types of trees. I love that people and trees have this great trade off. We breathe in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide; and trees (and other plants of course) take in the carbon dioxide and give us the oxygen that we need,
(...and there's our science lesson for today, folks, hehe).

Another great G word is Gifts. Every year The Living Christmas company tries to donate trees to charities and special programs that bring Christmas trees into homes and places that might not otherwise be able to have one. Most times the best gifts aren't under the tree. Sometimes it is the tree. Sometimes it's the love someone gives whether there's a tree or not, and whether it's Christmas or not. 
So like I always say (even in August) Merry Christmas!!

Care'n Presents






photo: en.wikipedia.org

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

F is for...

"Feliz Navidad!"

That's Merry Christmas in Spanish. Sadly, that's about the extent of my Spanish, other than food. I know you're thinking: You're an elf! You should know other languages! Let me dispel that misconception. Santa speaks every language. Scotty Claus speaks a LOT of languages. We elves...not so much.  Speaking of international things brings me to an important phrase that starts with F:

Fair Trade Ornaments. At The Living Christmas Company, we offer a lovely array of Fair Trade and Recycled ornaments to decorate your living tree for the season. "Fair Trade" items are those purchased from developing countries in order to help them out. We give them a fair price and they give us a high quality item. So check out our website at http://livingchristmas.com/index.php and click on "ORNAMENTS" to see all the beautiful decorations for your Christmas tree. I know you'll love them!
Peruvian Ceramic Ornament






Care'n Presents

Saturday, August 4, 2012

E is for...

What else? 


E is for Elf! 


That would be me: one loyal, hard-working, somewhat crazy elf! There are lots of us and we do lots of different types of things. Most, of course, have the glamorous job of working in Santa's workshop on the North Pole. Personally I think that job is over-rated, but don't quote me. I don't want to offend any of my relatives or friends up there. Working for Scotty Claus is much more fun. The other day he got us milkshakes. All they get at the Pole is hot chocolate...day after day. Seriously, how much hot chocolate can you drink? Okay, I guess I do enjoy a bit of hot cocoa now and then...but I digress. Where was I? Oh yes...working for Scotty Claus. 


This brings me to another E word: Evergreen, just like the trees we have here at The Living Christmas Company. Evergreen trees are called that because they stay green all year long, at least when they are in nature. Our living trees take love and care to stay green and beautiful, but we do our best to keep them healthy all year until they are ready to be rented or adopted at Christmas time. When the trees get too old or big to be Christmas trees anymore we always try and plant them somewhere, as part of an Urban Reforestation Project which is good for the Environment. Hey, another great E word! 
Scotty Claus' elves replanting.


Merry Christmas!  


Care'n Presents



Wednesday, August 1, 2012

D is for...

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, falalalalalalalala..."


What are you, nuts? Have you ever stepped on a holly leaf? You start putting that stuff in your hallway, and after one barefoot adventure, you'll be thinkin' twice about all that falala-ing. You'll definitely be singing a different tune.  So let's keep the holly outside, and in the ground where it belongs.

The trees at The Living Christmas company may not be in the ground, but they do live in pots with dirt so they stay alive. Living trees are happy trees, and happy trees smell better, and last way longer. So, aside from D being for "Decking the Halls", the only other thing I can think of is:

D is for Delivery.  
One of the coolest things about The Living Christmas Company is that instead of you trying to tie some tree onto the roof of your car and driving through town thinking the entire time "Please, please, don't fall off!" our elves can bring the tree to you. How cool is that? Then, after Christmas, instead of dragging it out to the curb, leaving a huge trail of needles behind, our elves will come and pick it up again. Now we can't guarantee there won't be any stray needles, at least it will be carried off as carefully and safely as possible. 
We can deliver the trees, you provide the love that will surround it. It's not about the gifts, it's about the "presence".


Care'n Presents




photo: voices.yahoo.com