Put Your Merry Where Your Mouth is

Hi Friends!
For those of you who follow this blog (all...7 of you) you may have noticed that I've been M.I.A. This is due in part to the fact that I've been working on the tree adoptions this season for The Living Christmas Company. It's a crazy job, but somebody has to do it, and who's crazier than me? Don't answer that. (I can see you out there...shaking your heads..."Nope, can't think of anyone...")
I do feel a little bad about cutting my "Christmas List" short, but what was I thinking? Maybe next year I'll write it up in...June. That could work. 
The other thing I did, which you may have seen on my Facebook page was to have a "Giving Get Together". Remember I said I wanted to? This is a great season to follow through on things. I know it's hard. Believe me, I've been typing like a nervous Marconi operator in a sinking ship. The emails flood in faster than I can answer them. Of course that may be because there's about 300 adoption customers and one of me, but I digress.  Honestly, I'm having a great time. I love seeing the names people have picked out for their trees, and sometimes they even tell me the story behind it.

The point is, that once in a while. you have to take a break. I chose to throw a party of sorts, and at the same time, I invited everyone to help make Christmas cards for our military. You might think, wow, I'm invited to go to a party and you want me to...what? I'll tell you what, whatever anyone thought coming to my house that day, they left with smiles on their faces. They started by telling me that they didn't have a creative bone in their body and by the end of the night they were picking up what they'd just made saying "Hey, this one's not bad!"  I mean seriously, how often do we (adults) get to do arts and crafts?
Now the kids...they don't worry about perfection. One little girl who came made about 10 cards I think. She went to town! The great thing is that when you get a homemade card, especially from a child, but even from an adult, you aren't thinking "Wow, I guess it's okay, but they colored outside the lines right there, and oh, there's a smudge of glue stick by the corner." No, you look at it and know that someone took the time to make something JUST FOR YOU. It was made from the heart...and was offered in hopes that it would touch yours.
So Friends, put your Merry were your mouth is. Make it your goal, even if it's just for one day, to make someone, somewhere, smile. Make a card for a soldier, call up a friend, donate to a food drive, or just be patient with the crazy elf on the phone...she's doing the best she can. 

Merry, Merry


Care'n Presents

It's Officially the Holiday Season!

I attended an event with my fellow elf Gregnog yesterday at Lucky Brand Headquarters. It was pretty cool and the people there were so nice! It did leave me a little...tuckered out, so I apologize for once again being behind on my posts. Since I need to catch up on my sugar plum visions, I'll be brief today.


Day 55 - Sorry, but I'm just too excited to get to the next few things on the list...

Day 54 -  Hope you had a Happy Halloween! I like to think of Halloween as the Gateway holiday: once we get past it, it's time to start thinking MORE about Christmas!! (I know there are some hardcore Halloween people out there, but hey, I'm an elf, what do you expect?)

Day 53 - November is finally here!! Let's just celebrate, shall we? Break out the eggnog, it's gonna' be a great weekend!!

Day 52 - All right. You may have noticed that my entries are a lot shorter than usual, but let's face it, it's getting closer to Christmas and The Workshop has become a beehive of activity! There is so much to do! Scotty Claus is a blur. I have to tackle him to slow him down long enough to ask a question.  Hey, that can be my list item today: think of a great question for Scotty Claus. I, of course, have a list of inquiries, but if you think of anything, feel free to contact me on Facebook and I'll see if I can get an answer for you.  

Meanwhile...         

Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

The Countdown Continues...

Hello Friends! Well, I'm a little behind again. As we get closer to Christmas I will be getting busier and busier, but I will try my best to keep up with my posts! (For the seven or eight of you who actually read them, lol)  So, without further ado...

Day 59 - Try something new. Anything. Want to taste a new flavor? Try a color you always thought would be too daring! Pick a new route for your evening walk. What does this have to do with Christmas? I'm so glad you asked!  Most people have traditions at Christmas, which is good, but sometimes we feel like we can't alter those traditions without the sky falling or something. We need to push ourselves to expand our world and look at things differently once in a while. Take...oh...Christmas trees for example. (You knew that was coming.) Most people are content with having the same artificial tree they had last year, or strapping that cut tree to the top of the car and having it in their house for a while.  I'm certainly not knocking tradition, but how about we think about something new?  Try a living tree!  At least think about it. Check out livingchristmas.com and just think about it. A little note: our new and improved site should be up and running on Nov. 1! So you can just mull it over in your head until then. I love mulling, don't you?

...or you can do a tree dance like Mr. Tree!

Day 58 - Make up your own elf dance! Have fun! Blow off a little steam, or if you don't have any steam, just get some exercise in a fun way. Get some photos of yourself and go to  http://www.elfyourself.com/. Be silly, because this is the time of year to do it. 


Day 57 - If you haven't done it yet, it's not too late to do a little purging. Go through a few drawers, the closet, the garage, wherever things have collected. Take stuff you don't need to your favorite charity like AmVets, or Goodwill. You will be helping yourself have a less cluttered existance, and help others at the same time. Win-Win.

Day 56 - Make sure you have some Halloween candy for Thursday night. If you haven't done it yet, you are lagging! I just got mine yesterday, who am I to talk? I am a little more in tune to Christmas though, so that's my excuse, and I'm stickin' to it. 

I Told You I Was Still Looking

Actually, this one was a matter of remembering. I found this organization a while back, so I had to look it up again, but it's really a great one.  Previously, I was telling you to find a good cause that you can donate some time to this Christmas. Well, this is one that I love.
It's called Soldier's Angels, and their mission states: "May No Soldier Go Unloved". There are different levels of giving. They have suggestions for items you can send that will go into stockings for the troops. They also have a program where you can adopt a soldier and send them packages and letters on a monthly basis. It's like with the Operation Christmas Cards program, they encourage the personal touch.

https://soldiersangels.org/

 

Day 60 (yes, that means only 2 more months!!)   Check out this website. Maybe it's something you'd want to do, maybe not, but see how you can spread a little love around either way.

 

Merry, Merry!

 

Care'n Presents

Sometimes We Need a Little Christmas...

As I sit here at my computer, I can't think of a thing to write. This is odd, because most of the time, I can't stop my fingers from typing.  Today, the weather is overcast, and it seems more like winter is on the way. This is the kind of weather that I just want to stay inside, bake cookies and drink hot cocoa. It's Christmas movie weather.

Day 61 - I know we're still a little early, but sometimes I need a little Christmas at other times during the year. This is one of those times. So sneak off by yourself if you have to, and watch one of your favorite Christmas movies. I say favorite because you may want to watch it again closer to Christmas. Or get one of those movies that just has Christmas in the background. Get a hot cup of cocoa, coffee or tea, and let yourself feel good for a while. Imagine how nice it will be when it is closer to Christmas and you can sit in the living room, watching your movies, with your Living Christmas Tree in the corner all lit up and decorated. Nice thought, huh?

Merry Merry,

Care'n Presents

Spending a Little Time

We all know how to spend money. Some of us more than others, lol. Sometimes it's better to spend time, than money, but most times it's harder to do. I know I've had similar items on my list so far, but this sort of thing is really important and so easy to let go of for most of us. So...

Day 63 - Spend some time with a loved one. No time? Find some, I'm sure there's a little around you somewhere. Even if all you do is sit together and watch TV, or go for a quick walk around the block, or go to a juice bar and stock up on healthy stuff (not something I would do of course. I consider candy corn a vegetable). The amount of time isn't necessarily important, but the quality is. I'm not saying you have to do something spectacular, but merely that you spend time letting that person know that they are important to you. It will lift their spirits and yours too.

Day 62 - Do something on your "to do" list. We all have that list of things, whether mentally or actually down on paper, that we keep saying we're going to do when we get around to it. So here you go:

 

 

 

It's even a Christmassy one. So think of one of those things you've been putting off, and take a little time to just do it. You'll feel better knowing it's taken care of.  Don't let it be that thing that pops up in the middle of the holidays that you "should've done" before then.  Before it gets crazy(er) - do it. Oh, and if it's on your list to order a Living Christmas Tree, you might want to do that soon too.  Just a thought.

 

 

Merry Merry,

 

Care'n Presents



photo: www.geocaching.com

Organize!

What a busy weekend I had! Lauren Peace had a birthday, so of course we had to have a big party! She turned 21, which means she gets to have some of the "special" eggnog this year, ha ha.  Most of my list items fall into the same category, so today, I'll get right to it.

Day 67 Organize your address book. If you are like me, you're address book is filled with little scraps of paper that are just slipped in to remind me to change or ad someone's address. What's in the book tends to have been crossed out several times and now I hardly know which phone number, address, or e-mail is correct.  It may be time to get a new address book, or index file box, or maybe just transfer them into your computer, where future changes can be easily and cleanly accomplished. One way or another, it's time to clear out the old, input the new, or maybe just make it easier to read. You don't want to be struggling to read things while you are sending cards out later. It'll give you a headache.

Day 66 Organize your closet.  Whether or not you have kids, you may be needing a little extra storage space soon. If you are one of those people who goes Christmas shopping early, or even if you aren't, You need a central place to store the gifts. Get rid of those old sweaters you haven't worn in ages, or the empty shoeboxes from your last pair of shoes. Make some space. It's so frustrating when we get close to Christmas and I know I've gotten something for someone special, only to realize I have absolutely no idea where I put it. (Don't laugh, I know everyone's done it at some point.) Sometimes all you have to do is make sure everything is folded up and put in its proper place. Maybe you'll find those earrings you lost last month.

Day 65 Organize your desk.  If you have one, go through your desk. Throw away those old receipts from fast food places you now regret going to, and crumpled up phone messages. Put all those "BoxTops for Education" coupons into an envelope. File away bills that have been paid. Whatever you have to do to clean it all out. The holidays get crazy. The best way to avoid the clutter later, is to start with a fresh slate. Oh, but make sure you leave that little piece of paper that says: order tree from livingchristmas.com! We wouldn't want you to forget that one. :)

Day 64 Take a break. That's what I'm doing today. Actually I'm still recovering from Lauren Peace's birthday. Not because of well, too much eggnog or anything, but hey, throwing a party is a lot of work. My little elf body is tired!!


I'll be back tomorrow, with something new. At least that's the plan. Smile!


Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents

Time to Smile!

Scotty Claus had called some of us elves together for a team meeting at The Workshop. Close to the end of the meeting an alarm on his cell phone rang. He smiled, looked at me and said "Smile!" I smiled and looked at him like ?????  He told me that was his smile alarm. Every day at 3:00 it reminds him to smile. I LOVE that. I need to do that. So on the Christmas List today...

Day 68 - Remind yourself to smile. The holidays (or everyday for some people) can be stressful. It's easy to get into a rut where you're just trying to survive. Believe me, life is way too short to just survive. We have to live. We have to smile. We have to laugh so hard it hurts sometimes. So set an alarm, or set aside a certain time of day, everyday...to just smile. Think of someone you love. Think of a happy memory. Think of a silly face. Just don't forget to smile.  :)

Scotty Claus and me!

Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents

A Giving Get-Together

I haven't had much time in the last couple of days to look for worthy causes, but rest assured, I'm still trying. Meanwhile, I started thinking about "Operation Christmas Cards" that I talked about yesterday, and I'm really excited about it. So on my list of things to do...

Day 69 - Plan a "Giving Get-Together".  I want to have a little party to make Christmas Cards to send in! It's always more fun doing arts and crafts with friends and family. Even people who wouldn't normally do that sort of thing will be more inclined to do it in a group. Come up with a few easy designs that anyone could put together, give everyone instructions and then, have at it. Be creative!   Then brainstorm about things to write on the inside. It's hard sometimes to come up with something to write to someone you've never met, but again, if it's a group endeavor it becomes fun. Have some coffee and cookies (or for you healthy people:  water and veggies).  If you have any old Christmas cards that you can recycle, or other items that can be reused, all the better. One person's scraps of colored paper might be just the accent on someone else's card. It could be a challenge: to avoid any leftover materials!

 

So make a plan to give this Christmas in anyway you can, and invite your friends to join you!!


Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents

Still looking...

Okay, remember yesterday I said I was going to look for a "cause", well I'm still looking, but I did find something really cool so that's what I'm putting on my list today.

Day 70 - Operation Christmas Cards. You may have seen the post I asked Scotty Claus if I could put on our Facebook page, but in case you didn't, let me tell you about it.
Since many of our troops get limited mail, and Christmas is a tough time to be away from home as it is, this is a program to send heartfelt cards to those who are serving our country.  Home-made cards are encouraged over store bought, but either is okay. The whole program is spelled out on their site, so check it out:

http://www.operationchristmascard.org/Participation_Info.html

















I can't wait to get my crayons out, and my scissors and glue...I'm thinking I can even recycle parts of old cards and sparkle them up with glitter or something.  Then I'll write a nice letter saying Merry Christmas and thanking them for the job they do. I'm so excited about this, my pointy ears are twitching!!  Hope you send a few too! The address is on the site. Have fun and make a soldier's holidays a little more cheerful.

Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

Save Up Your Pennies...

Day 71 - These days, every penny counts, and we all look to save where we can. If at all possible, this is the time I try to start stashing away a little Christmas money, so that when it's time to go shopping it's available.  Even if I am making cookies for everyone on my list, I still have to buy the ingredients. 

I'm not saying that you have to spend money to have a wonderful Christmas. Not at all. In fact, Scotty Claus likes to give his time and energy to worthy organizations (like the Junior League of Orange County). This year, I'd like to save my pennies, and maybe ask my friends to also, to give to a Veteran's group, or Children's charity. Hmmm...I think that's what tomorrow's list item will be...find a cause.  :) I'll let you know how that works out.


Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents

A Bedtime Story

Day 72 - Start your holiday reading. If you are anything like me, you have about as much free time as a stick bug has muscles. This time of year however, I always seem to be a little more optimistic than usual (or maybe just crazier), and I start thinking that maybe I can read a whole book. It just so happens that I have a big collection of Christmas stories too. Go figure, right? No, they are not all children's books. Okay, you're right, most of them are, but I digress.
 
So...I'm not saying it has to be a Christmas book, or story. Any old reading material will do. The point is to make sure to make time for yourself. Shut out the world for a little while, and go to a new one through words, and your imagination. You remember having an imagination, don't you? Oh, and if you're sitting there thinking: "Books? Who reads books anymore? I guess I can get something on my tablet..." then don't even talk to me, you're making me feel OLD.
 

 

 

 

Merry Merry!!

 
 Care'n Presents
 
 
Photo: www.greatnewbooks.org (Check out the site: recommendations on "great books"!)

Dream a Christmas Dream

Day 74 - Dream a little dream.  When I was a wee elf I grew up in Southern California (before my family moved to the North Pole of course). Although now I realize how fabulous it is to live here, as opposed to somewhere where it's winter all year long, when I was a kid I dreamed of snow. Every Christmas Eve I prayed that somehow it would snow. This never happened, but it didn't stop me from praying the same thing the next year. Do you have a Christmas dream? Did you ever? Maybe it's time to start believing in that dream again. Crazy? Probably, but I think sometimes, and maybe a little more during Christmas time, crazy is okay.

Day 73 - Look toward the light! No, I'm not having an out of body experience. I'm just thinking about all the pretty Christmas lights that will be hung on people's trees and outside on their houses.  If at all possible, consider using LED lights. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. They require less wattage and last longer than regular light bulbs. LED lights stay cool, so imagine how much safer it is to have them on your Christmas Tree. You won't have to worry about toasting the branches, or for that matter, little curious hands. If you want to know more about LED lights check out http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/led.htm.

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far. We're almost halfway through October. Halloween is just around the corner, and not long after that...well, you know the deal...




Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents


photo: www.iowaenergycenter.org

Sometimes I Need a Few Practice Shots

Day 75 - I know it will sound suspicious if I say that I need to practice making cookies and candy but the truth is, it's not as easy as it looks. Have you ever noticed that the cookies and other baked goods always look so beautiful in magazines and advertisements. Do your cookies ever come out like that? (If they do, I don't want to know.) Mine don't. They aren't ugly usually, but they aren't, by any means, perfect little uniform sized or shaped, and inevitably a batch or two gets burned or dropped on the floor. This being said, if I want to try out something new to give as a gift, it's not a good idea for me to wait until I actually want to give them away.
 

Case in point:  I got this really cool mold to make candy Christmas trees. Think about it, what better treat would a Living Christmas elf want to make?  The tree part is made with green colored white chocolate and then I add a big pretzel stick as the trunk. So I decided to make some this morning to take to The Workshop for a meeting we were having. First, the chocolate didn't really melt very well, then the pretzels broke, then I spilled coffee on a couple of them. They ended up lumpy, and I broke a few more "trunks" off getting them out of the fridge. Memo to me: these will have to be made well in advance, with back up pretzels on the side. The finished product wasn't too bad, although I had to trim off the excess chocolate that spread on the outside of the mold and a few of the "branches" broke off. On the upside, no one complains about having to eat the rejects. For that matter, no one complains if they aren't perfect either. Heck, unless they taste horrible (another good argument for practice) no one cares what they look like at all for the most part.

So have fun practicing your baking, and candy and treat making. Share the mistakes.  And even if the final batch isn't perfect, don't sweat it. It's a gift that comes from your kitchen and from your heart, and that will make it all the better.





What they are supposed to look like (Wilton)



And these are mine  :)

Merry Merry!!

Care'n Presents

Time to Party!

I know that it's still early in the season for many of you but sometimes things just must be done early. Take today's list item for example:

Day 76 - Are you having a Christmas party? Seasonal get-together? Ladies Holiday Tea? Whatever shindig you are planning, now is the time to pick a date (if you haven't already). Then make sure you give your friends and family, at the very least, a "heads up".  If at all possible send out a "save the date" email, or Facebook notification.  We all know how busy things get once we hit December and if you wait too long, everyone will have made other plans.  I know I want my little soiree to be a big splash.  Another thing you might consider is your Living Christmas tree. When will it be delivered? You'll want to show it off to all your party guests, right? I like to get mine early enough to decorate too, of course, and make sure it's in just the right place. That's one of the cool things about The Living Christmas Company. Not only will our elves and reindeer deliver your tree, but we will even try to set it where you want it! I am so happy now not to have to fit my Christmas tree into one of those stands with the water tray and all that. No matter how hard I tried, the tree was crooked, or the water spilled out, or I ended up with needles EVERYWHERE! Not fun. Believe it or not, I'm a bit allergic to pine, so the less I have to handle, the better. (By the way, as much as it might be easier to get a fake tree...I shudder...our trees are worth the ichies. Besides, I can usually get Lauren Peace to decorate, hee hee).

So, plan your festivities, rent your tree at http://livingchristmas.com/ and have a wonderful day!



Merry Merry

Care'n Presents

Is 7 Your Lucky Number? How About 77?

Let's cut to the chase. Who has time for chit chat? Okay, who am I kidding? Without chit chat, what kind of elf would I be?  Typing, on the other hand, takes time, so on that note, I better get to it. 

Day 77 - Today, I'm going to start on 
my gift list. Every year I promise myself I'm going to do my Christmas shopping early, and every year I'm out on the week before Christmas, running around like every other crazy person who is trying to do it at the last minute. You'd think I'd know better. What if Scotty Claus waited until the last minute to deliver trees? Perish the thought!! 

So...item on my list:  start another list. I may not finish it today, but this way hopefully I won't forget anyone. There are so many people that I want to somehow at least say "Thank you" to.  If I wait until the last minute, those people are the first to be crossed off for lack of time. Not this year, by golly.  

You know how they say it's the thought that counts? I believe that. I also believe that gifts should come from the heart. I wouldn't want someone to give me something out of obligation, or guilt or something silly like that. My favorite gift is one that comes out of the blue from someone who says "I saw this and I just had to get it! It made me think of you." Those are my favorite gifts to give too. I can't always find those types of things for everyone, but when all else fails, nobody seems disappointed when I give them cookies...baked with love. So like I said: I better get to it!


Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

Getting closer!

Wow! Now that we're in October, it really seems like Christmas is around the corner. Okay, maybe not for all of you, but for us here at The Workshop, we have to be ready a few weeks before with our Living Christmas tree deliveries! Our elves and reindeer have to organize the trees and the orders so everyone gets the right tree! It's a lot of work! Scotty Claus maps out the routes so that the drivers are being as efficient as possible, and we're leaving as small a "footprint" as we can.  I try and stay out of the way by hanging out at the Farmer's Markets where I get to meet lots of people, smile all day, take even more orders, and give Scotty, the other elves, and the reindeer still more work to do. It's a really good thing we love our work, or I would not be a very popular elf. ;)

So where were we? Oh yes...

Day 80 - Breathe. I know we all do that every day, but sometimes you have to think about taking a deep breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax. Seriously. That guy who just cut you off on the freeway is not worth any extra stress. Breathe in. Breathe out. Have a nice day, Buddy. Hopefully you won't hurt yourself or anyone else while you weave in and out of traffic. Personally, I'd really like to be alive when I get home.

Day 79 - Go to livingchristmas.com and decide which type of tree you'd like. We have a few different kinds and they are not the same old varieties you'll find at the lots. We have pictures you can look at and find the right one for you and/or your family.

Day 78 - Face the week with a smile! I know Mondays can be a drag for some people, but if we all made an effort to smile at one person it might just make them smile and it could cause an avalanche of smiles! Who knows?


All right. So breathe, pick out a tree and smile! It's gonna' be a great week!!


Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

Busy, Busy, Busy

I can't help it! I'm a busy little elf. What can I say? Today, however I am caught up.


Day 89 - Enjoy something green. Maybe for you it's Kermit the Frog. For me, it's a Christmas tree. Since there aren't a whole lot of Christmas trees around yet, I'll settle for any tree. Step away from your computer and go outside. Appreciate whatever nature you can find. Breathe it in.

Day 88 - Look in your closet for red and green items. I don't know about you, but being an elf, I can't very well wait until December to find something festive to wear. Granted, being an elf, most of my clothes are red and green, and some even have jingly things on them, but still, I need to make sure they are in good shape and ready to wear this season!

Day 87 - Give someone a hug. Did I say that one already? Well, you can never give out too many hugs, right?

Day 86 - Check out our Christmas ornaments on livingchristmas.com. We have some really beautiful recycled ones, and lots of Fair Trade ornaments from exotic places like Peru and Tibet.

Day 85 - While you are there, check and see what kind of tree you'd like this year, unless of course you have adopted one from last year. If you don't see your adopted tree, don't worry, and elves are working hard to get everything organized. We recently moved all our trees from one lot to another one AND The Workshop has moved too. What a year, huh?

Day 84 - Call a friend. Ask them out for a cup of coffee, or a soda, or lunch. We all say: "We have to get together!" The problem is, then we get busy with, well, life, and these things tend to be a low priority. Push it to the top. Having friends takes time, but it's well worth it.

Day 83 - Clean the house. I mean really clean. As we get closer and closer to the holidays, things get busy. wouldn't it be nice to have a fresh start on it all? Think of it as Spring Cleaning...in the Fall. :)

Day 82 - Rub your pointy ears. Wait, you don't have pointy ears? Oh, that's right. I'm just so used to most of the people I know having them...well, rub your roundy ears then. Why? I don't know. I heard that it's lucky, or something. Can't hurt.

Day 81 - TODAY!  Wow, I'm caught up (for the moment). Today I want to make up my holiday calendar. We all know that things get a little crazy during the holidays. We all schedule way too many things and get way too stressed out about everything. So I make a calendar. If there's too much, I try and figure out if I can let something go. If there's nothing I really can let go, I make sure to schedule in some restful moments in between. Going shopping all day? Decide to stop at some point for a little "me" time.  Cleaning the house? Put some fun music on and dance while you work.

Well, there you go. Wow. tomorrow it will only be 80 days until Christmas!! Part of me can't wait, the other part wants to make every moment last. This can be a great time of year. Don't let it get so busy, that it's no fun any more. Be a kid, or better yet...an elf.


Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

 

Oops!

Well, ha ha, okay...this past week was even busier than I expected. but once again, I am prepared to catch up with my list of things to do before Christmas! I'll do half today and half tomorrow. No really, I will. Cross my pointy ears!

Day 94 -  Stores, believe it or not, are already putting out Christmas decorations. One of my favorite things to do at Christmas is to go window shopping! I love to look at all the decorations and ornaments and lights! It puts me in the mood. I don't have to buy anything,I just enjoy the view. Considering most people won't be putting up their own lights for another month and a half, this works for the time being.

Day 93 - Practice a little stress relief: Go to the "99 cent store" and get a coloring book and crayons. Then color away! It's the cheapest therapy you will ever experience, and there are no bad side affects!

Day 92 - Sing a song to yourself! It doesn't have to be a Christmas song (although, those are the best kind!) As Buddy the Elf would say: "The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." Even if you don't sing loud, it can still make you feel good.

Day 91 - Find some old Christmas cards and find ways to recycle them: you can make new cards with them, picture frames, coasters, decorations, or gift tags for your Christmas presents!

Day 90 - Do something nice for a stranger. Open the door, help them pick up something they dropped, or just smile at them. Sometimes a smile from a stranger is just the thing that will lift someone's spirits.


The rest, with any luck, I will type up after my work is done, tomorrow.  I will be moving some ornaments and gift wrap and other fun stuff to The Workshop so they will be ready whenever someone orders them. AND...in case you are wondering you can order really super cool stuff from our website:

livingchristmas.com

Meanwhile...
Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

A Little Catching Up to Do

Okay, so I'm already behind in my 100 days of things to do before Christmas. It isn't that I haven't thought about it, but it's been a busy week!! On Thursday, Lauren Peace (my fellow elf) and I participated in an event at the Oprah Winfrey Network. How cool is that? Seriously! Earlier in the week I was trying to get ready, making sure we had all of our Christmassy stuff ready to bring with us. This is one of my typical elf duties here at the Workshop. I get stuff together, I go, I smile and I talk about The Living Christmas Company, AND, I get to meet lots of fun and interesting people in the process. I love being an elf.

But back to the list....

Day 99 - Give someone you love a BIG hug!! (easy, right?)

Day 98 - Decide what kind of cookies to make this year. I know, not everyone makes cookies, but if you do, this is important right? Usually I make Gingerbread Trees, but I was considering Short-bread pinwheels this year, what do you think? Maybe I should stick to Trees, considering all....

Day 97 - Check out the eco-friendly wrapping paper at livingchristmas.com. We have some really groovy styles and patterns! It's never too early to think about gift giving. Think about it! On the off chance that you actually do get your shopping done early (if you are like me every year you promise yourself that you will...) you'll want to wrap those fabulous gifts!!

Day 96 - Meet someone new!! I can say I actually did that when I went to the OWN event! I met LOTS of really nice, wonderful people!

Day 95 - Think of some random person that you haven't talked to for a really long time and send them a message, or call them, or write them a letter or e-mail just to say that you are thinking of them. This is something I try to do...at least once a week. It can make someone's day. Believe me, it's always worth it. A few minutes can mean so much.


Now I'm caught up. I'll try and be better, but you know what they say...an elf's work is never done. Actually...I'm okay with that.


Merry Merry!

Care'n Presents

The Christmas List

Hello Everyone! I know it's been a really long time since I last posted, but it's been busy at the North Pole and I have only recently been able to transfer down here to Southern California so I can help out Scotty Claus. It took a little while to get adjusted too. One minute I'm freezing my little pointy ears off in the Arctic, the next minute I'm here and it's 90 degrees! Truth be told, I like it here better.

Time sure flies doesn't it? There are only 100 more days until Christmas! So much to do! I need a list: a Christmas List. I know you've heard of a "Bucket List"...things you want to do before you, well... kick the bucket. A Christmas List is much more cheerful! It's all the things you'd like to do before Christmas. (I know, not rocket science, but give me a little credit, I am an elf.) So I've decided that for the next one hundred days, I will list one item on my Christmas List each day. I'm not saying I'm going to do EVERYTHING, but I'm going to try. They won't be in any kind of order, just as I think of them.

So here I go...
Day 100 (I will descend):  Make a Christmas List - oh wait, I already said that. Okay, I have a good idea! Order a Christmas tree from The Living Christmas Company!!
You could do that too! Just go to:

http://livingchristmas.com/

and click on "Rent a Tree".
Each tree comes with a free hug! Okay, maybe not in person, but we will send virtual hugs to everyone who rents from us!! :)




Scotty Claus, Lauren Peace, and me!
 

Merry Merry

Care'n Presents