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

A New Tradition

One of the things we hear a lot at The Living Christmas Company is "...but our family tradition is to go and pick out a tree together!" or "we go to this special location in the mountains and we can cut our own tree, we do it every year!"
I think traditions are great! They keep cultures alive and meaningful. Sometimes, however, I think we can adjust our traditions, and make them our own. For example:
         Joe and Betty always bought a cut tree for Christmas. They'd pack up the kids, go down to the nearest lot and together pick out the best, most beautiful tree ever. It was their tradition. They'd bring it home, put lights and decorations on it, and for a while it was the centerpiece of their everyday lives. It would be so beautiful, that each time they'd walk past it, they'd smile. There was a feeling of holiday warmth.  When Christmas was over and things started to settle down a bit, they'd take off the lights and ornaments and drag it out to the curb to be picked up.  That's just how it went, and that was fine, and yet...the tree always looked a little sad lying there on the street. The color seemed drained out, it no longer sparkled with twinkling lights, and the needles had started falling off. (In fact, Betty would be sweeping up needles for weeks.)
          The next year, Joe and Betty went online and found http://livingchristmas.com/. It was a little bit more expensive, but on the upside, there was no strapping the tree to the roof of the car or trying to squeeze it into one of those tree stands with the water pan.  Scotty Claus's elves delivered the tree and set it up right where they wanted it. Although it was different from the trees that were at the lot, it was still full and beautiful. Joe and Betty winked at each other, knowing they had the only one of it's kind on the block. They put lights and decorations on it and for a while it was the centerpiece of their everyday lives. It was so beautiful that each time they'd walk past it, they'd smile. There was not only that feeling of holiday warmth, but of life. When Christmas was over, instead of dragging it out to the street (trailing needles galore), the elves came back to pick it up and take it to Scotty's Christmas Tree Forest. But wait! Joe and Betty liked that tree so much, they asked if they could have it again next year. After all, it was alive, right? It would in all likeliness still be alive the next year right?
         Scotty Claus curled his mustache, and told them "As a matter of fact, you can have this exact same tree next year." He explained that if they just signed up to "adopt" their tree (and they had to make sure they did sign up), that he could have it bar-coded and identified as Joe and Betty's family tree. They could even name their new Christmas-time member of the family. They named her "Gladys", as in "Glad Tidings" or "Glad to have you here."
          This year Gladys came home again. Scotty and the elves took care of her all year; she weathered the weather, and was still standing tall. Instead of packing the kids in the car and going to a lot, their new tradition is to have a little family party when Gladys comes back for the holidays, sort of a "Welcome Home/Merry Christmas/Let's Get the Season Started" party. The kids look forward to seeing Gladys again, almost like she's a present in herself...and she is in a way.
          Whatever your tradition is, hopefully it is filled with warmth and life. Enjoy your Christmas with friends, family and whomever (or whatever) you consider family (including pets, trees, furniture...).


Merry Christmas,
Stay Merry!

Care'n Presents

Do you have a story about your Living Christmas tree? E-mail me at carenpresents@livingchristmas.com.

What's on YOUR Christmas tree?

One thing I love about Christmas trees is that there is truly no right or wrong way to decorate one. Long ago when I was living with a friend and we were well...broke, we put snack sized Frito and Doritos bags on our tree. I knew someone who decorated their potted ficus tree. (Hey, one of the first "living trees", lol). There are some people whose trees are like works of art. They have a theme or a color pallet, or some kind of design. My tree, on the other hand is "eclectic". There are antique ornaments that have been passed down in my family, right next to home-made kindergarten ornaments made with love, by my kids. We have Disney ornaments and ornaments made in foreign countries like Indonesia. Personally, I think our tree is the best in the world.

What I don't have (yet) on our tree, is a Yeti. In my opinion, everyone needs a Yeti or two. I'm sure some of you out there might argue that point. "An abominable snowman?" you ask. Oh no! "Adorable Snowman!" (Monsters Inc., right?) The Living Christmas Company has some of the most adorable snowmen, AKA Yetis, anywhere. You can't just buy these in any old store either!  They love to live in Christmas trees, or so I've heard. I'm thinking with the lights and all, it's a lot warmer than a cave in the Himalayas. The best part is, that you can't look at these guys and not smile.

How can you get your own Yeti? I'm going to tell you! Just go to
http://livingchristmas.com and across the top where it says "ORNAMENTS" click on the drop down "Tibetan Ornaments". You'll find them there, smiling at you as if to say "Take me home". How can you resist?

Merry Christmas!

Care'n Presents

Z is for...

It seems funny to be getting to the end of our Living Christmas alphabet, at a time when our company has just had a fabulous new start!! For those of you in the North Pole where there is no television reception, and those of you who well, just don't watch TV, our beloved Scotty Claus was on the show "Shark Tank". No, he wasn't wearing a wet suit, he didn't feed live sharks or (thankfully) get eaten by one. "Shark Tank" is a show where people with big ideas try and find people who believe in them. Hopefully those believers will be willing to invest a lot of money too.  Scotty Claus took a risk that the Shark Tank investors wouldn't just chew him up and spit him out. He pitched his Living Christmas idea and...Yay!! Mark Cuban decided to take a risk and invest in Scotty. You thought Scotty smiled a lot before? Hugs all around! All of the elves (including me) are so excited we can hardly keep our hats on.

Oh, but wait...before I forget why I was here in the first place...

Z is for Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z

This is what you are supposed to be doing on Christmas Eve when Santa comes. This is also what Scotty Claus has NOT been doing since...I think, September.  I'm thinking maybe after Christmas, or at least after the trees get picked up after Christmas, or maybe after they get picked up and resituated at the farm, then he'll catch some Zs. Possibly it will happen after the adoptions are all registered in February...
Sorry, Scotty. A Claus's work is never done. Sleep is over-rated anyway, right?

Take a nap. Relax and have a Merry Christmas!


Care'n Presents

Y? because it's Christmas time, silly!

Can you believe we have almost made it through the entire Living Christmas alphabet? Thanks to all of you who have been reading these posts. You have probably noticed that I've slowed down a bit, but what can I say? An elf has other priorities at this time of year! I am determined to finish this alphabet though so here goes. Just two letters left.

Y is for YOU!

...as in Be YOU tiful!

and YOU can make a difference, even it's in a small way. Of course I would LOVE for everyone to rent a Living Christmas tree, and so would Scotty Claus, but when it comes down to it, not everyone lives around here, and there are other various reasons why people can't rent a tree. We can all, however, make the world a better place to live in. We can do that by just picking up that trash on the ground (even if it's not ours) and by walking a little bit farther to the bin marked "Recyclables" instead of just tossing that soda can in the trash.  Scotty Claus does it with his Living Christmas trees, but he also makes the world better with his smiles and laughter and hugs.  We can do it by caring about people more than we do about getting that gift that is just going to collect dust on Aunt Josephine's dresser; or the tie that will be hung up in the closet and worn twice a year. We can do it by yeilding the right of way at the mall parking lot instead of zooming around like it's the Long Beach Grand Prix. Make the world a better place one baby step at a time or however big a way you can imagine. It's up to YOU.
YOU can. Really.

Hugs for Mr. Tree

Merry Christmas!


Care'n Presents

X is not for...

 X is for X-mas? Bite your tongue! No no no! Who says Meeeeeerrrrrrrryy X-mas? Seriously, it just doesn't work. Yes, one could argue that actually, the whole abbreviation started about a thousand years ago. The "X", sources says, is actually "Chi" the first letter of the name of Christ in Greek. Some people say that the X represents the cross, and a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice. Some people have no idea whatsoever, but figure that "X-mas" takes up less room when they are painting scenes on the glass outside of their businesses. Whatever reason one might have to use the term X-mas instead of Christmas, begs the question: how hard is it to say "Christmas"? Do you really want to hear children caroling ♪ "We wish you a Merry X-mas, we wish you a Merry X-mas..."♪ ?? Yeeeaah, no. Like I said before, it just doesn't work. X is not for X-mas.

So for lack of any other words that begin with X, I've decided that X should be for Xylophone, because (as Shel Silverstein says) "X is always for Xylophone!"*

Merry Christmas, and don't forget to play your xylophone when your Living Christmas tree comes to stay for the holidays! There's still time to order! X marks the spot at
http://livingchristmas.com/



Care'n Presents






Some informations from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4097755.stm
*Quote from "Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book" by Shel Silverstein
photo: aforangela.com