Although Christmas time is a joyful time, it is considered one of the most stressful times of the year (along with preparing your taxes!).  So, I hope to provide you with a few laughs to brighten your day and make this busy time of year less hectic.

How do you know that Santa is a man?
No woman wears the same attire every year.

What is the popular name of the snowman in summers?
Answer: A puddle.

Christmas: The time when everyone gets Santamental.

I know. I know.  People say "It's the thought that counts, not the gift", but couldn't people think a little bigger?

Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?
You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

Why is Rudolph so good at trivia?
Because he NOSE a lot and is very bright.

How do you decorate a canoe for Christmas?
With OARnaments

Why didn't the skeleton go to the Christmas Party?
He had no body to go with!

As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"
The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't you get my E-mail?"

TOP 10 REASONS WHY CHANUKAH IS BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS

1. Blintzes are cheaper to mail than fruitcakes.
2. No pine needles to vacuum up afterwards.
3. No barking dog version of “I had a Little Driedl.”
4. You won’t see, “You’re a Putz, Charlie Brown.”
5. You won’t be pressured to buy Chanukah Seals.
6. Burl Ives doesn’t sing Chanukah songs.
7. There’s no latke-nog.
8. No need to clean the chimney.
9. Eight days of presents (in theory, anyway).
10. There’s no “Donny & Marie Hanukkah Special”

If you enjoy Christmas jokes and trivia read our article “A Lot of Musical Trivia” at our sister site Christmas Ornaments.com.  You can also find the Fish Hooked Man ornament that is pictured.

The Facebook Handmade Ornament Contest is over and we have some winners!

First prize in the Adult category is awarded to Stephanie Lawrence Kiger for her metal star & Christmas tree ornaments.

First prize in the Teen category goes to Christine Jean for her stuffed partridge ornament.

There were no entries in the children’s category.

Honorable Mentions are awarded to:
Lottie Campenella for her purple ornament with the palm tree graphic.
Laura Zupko for the beaded ornament.
Erin Blakeley for her felt owls.

The first prize winner in each category receives a $50 Ornament Shop.com gift certificate plus a 2011 personalized ornament.  The honorable mention winners each receive a $20 Ornament Shop.com gift certificate.

Congratulations to everyone who entered the contest!  We received some very creative handmade ornaments.  Winners were chosen by the number of “Likes” each ornament received, with honorable mentions being selected by Ornament Shop.com’s owner, Dianne Weller.  You can see all entries on Ornament Shop.com’s Facebook page.

In order to allow more time for people to enter our Hand-Made Christmas Ornament Contest, we have made the following changes:

New Deadline:  All categories will have the same deadline:  December 3, 2011.   This applies to the children, teenagers, and adult categories.

New Prizes:  Each winner in the 3 categories will win a $50 Ornament Shop.com gift certificate, plus an adorable personalized snowman ornament, which is shown.  This will allow each winner to select the ornaments of their choice and includes personalization!  One honorable mention winner in each category will receive a $20 Ornament Shop.com gift certificate.

Voting:  Visitors to our Facebook page will be able to view and vote immediately for their favorite ornament.  Instructions can be found there.

New Announcement Date of Winners:  December 5th

How to Add Your Picture to The Facebook Page:  Go to the Ornament Shop Facebook page
Click on the “Wall” on left side of page, select “Share – Photo” in middle top of page, click on “Upload a Photo”, select an image file on your computer by clicking the “Browse” icon, go to picture and double click.

There is still plenty of time to participate in the Hand-Made Christmas Ornament Contest, sponsored by Ornament Shop.com. Honorable mentions selected by Dianne Weller, Owner of Ornament Shop.com, will be based on creativity and the material used.
 
There are categories for children, teenagers, and adults so everyone can participate!
 
Entering is easy. Simply use any materials such as dough, clay, wood, fabric, glass, paper, ceramic or anything else you want to use as a medium.  Submit a photograph of your ornament, the amount of time spent to make it, and the story or inspiration behind your creation.

Winners get their ornaments featured on Facebook and Ornament Shop.com, receive the $50 first prize gift certificate for each category or $20 for winning the Honorable Mention prize in each category as well as receive the Snowman 2011 Personalized Award Ornament with their name and date!

One of the most popular holiday traditions is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held Thanksgiving morning, in New York City. The parade, which is the largest one in America includes marching bands, musical performances from Broadway shows and popular musicians, the Radio City Rockettes, celebrity appearances, and of course the infamous balloons and floats.  This year’s parade will be on Thursday, November 24, 2011 between 9am-12:30pm EST.  The parade begins at Central Park West and ends at Herald Square.

The statistics:

• The parade was started in 1924 to give employees an opportunity to show their civic pride.
• Live zoo animals were featured the first few years of the parade.
• It was first televised in 1939.
• It has never missed a year except when it was suspended from 1942-1944 due to WWII.
• The parade attracts more than 10,000 participants.
• An estimated 50 million viewers will see it broadcast live from NBC & Telemundo.
• 3.5 million people take to the streets to view the parade in person.
• The parade is free and there are no public seating tickets.
• 2011 will be the 85th parade.

Viewing the parade in person:  Seating is only available to Macy’s executives, politicians, charitable organizations, and corporate sponsors.  Your best bet for viewing the parade is to stay in a hotel along the parade route.  If you choose not to stay in a hotel, they recommend you arrive no later than 6:30am on the parade course and leave your chair at home.  Dress warm as the weather is usually chilly this time of year in New York City.  The area most crowded is the official viewing area on 34th Street.  The best views, we’re told, is between 72nd Street (Central Park West) and 61st Street. 

Balloon preparation:  A lot of work and preparation go into creating the huge helium balloons that we look forward to seeing.  About a year before the parade, the balloons are designed on a computer and transformed into miniature clay models.  Once the balloons are manufactured, each balloon must go through a series of trial inflations and test flights.  Several weeks before the parade each balloon is flown under the leadership of a group of approximately 17 people and this event has become known as “Balloonfest”.   70 balloon handlers are taught how to fly and support the balloons.

Floats:  What type of balloons will be participating this year?  A few of them include Buzz Lightyear, Kermit the Frog, Kung Fu Panda, the Pillsbury Dough Boy, Ronald McDonald, Shrek, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants.  More than 30 floats will be partaking in the parade this year.

Performers:   The Radio City Rockettes and Santa Claus always participate in the parade and you can expect to see more than 1,500 dancers and cheerleaders, a dozen bands and 1,000 clowns.  Celebrities slated to appear include Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne, Scotty McCreery, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan and many others.

Previewing the night before:  Between 3-10pm the night before you can watch the balloons being inflated on 77th & 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

Questions:  You can call their hotline for more information at 212-494-4495.

Although many people decorate their Christmas tree traditionally whether it is an artificial or real tree, others like to use their artistic ability and create something unique.  I have gathered some of my favorite unusual Christmas Trees for your viewing enjoyment. They are decorated with a variety of materials and some are even edible!  

If you are looking for high quality artificial Christmas trees in a variety of sizes and shapes, check out our sister site, Christmas Ornaments.com and look under Accessories & Decorations, then Trees & Wreaths. You can also find adorable ornaments for every interest, hobby or activity that you can image, including current trends such as video game player, scrapbooking, cell phone user and more!
If you’ve got an unusual Christmas tree in your house, please share it with me and any stories “attached” to it….I’ll include it in our blog, the next time I write about trees.”

Book Tree	Upside Down Tree	Noodle Tree
Teddy Bear Tree	Vegetable Tree	Potato Tree
Tie Tree	Donut Tree	Bottle Tree
Crate & Wreath Tree

Trivia games are very popular, so we thought we’d see how well you know these Christmas facts.  We bet there are a few you can’t answer! (The answers are at the bottom, but don’t peek!)

   1) Where was mommy kissing Santa Claus?

   2) What is Frosty the Snowman’s nose made out of?

   3) What is the name of Rudolph’s dad?

   4) What did Ralphie (from A Christmas Story) want for Christmas?

   5) In what movie was a boy accidentally left alone at Christmastime while his family   

       went to Europe?

   6) What were the first artificial Christmas trees made from?

   7) When do most Europeans put up their Christmas tree?

   8) What do most Europeans use for Christmas tree lights?

   9) What is Santa’s real name?

 10) How many Reindeer are on Santa’s sleigh?

If you enjoy trivia, read our article “Christmas Trivia”.

Answers:  1) Under the Mistletoe 2) A button 3) Donner 4) A BB Gun 5) Home Alone 6) Goose Feathers 7) Christmas Eve 8) Real candles 9) Kris Kringle 10) 8

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you make yourself.  But how often have you started projects too late and decided you didn’t have enough time to finish?  This year we've decided to give you a little incentive to start early, have some fun, and hopefully motivate others to make their own gifts too!
 
We invite you to join the Hand-Made Christmas Ornament Contest, sponsored by Ornament Shop.com. All entries will be posted on Facebook and winners will be chosen by popular vote!  Rounding out the contest includes awards for ornaments based on creativity and the material used, with honorable mentions selected by Dianne Weller, Owner of Ornament Shop.com.
 
There will be categories for children, teenagers, and adults so everyone can participate!
 
Entering is easy. Simply use any materials such as dough, clay, wood, fabric, glass, paper, ceramic or anything else you want to use as a medium.  Submit a photograph of your ornament, the amount of time spent to make it, and the story or inspiration behind your creation.

The submission deadlines are as follows:
Kids     – November 11th
Teens  – November 18th
Adults  – December  2nd
 
Winners get their ornaments featured on Facebook and Ornament Shop.com as well as receive an official Personalized Award Ornament with their name and date!
 
Of course, you get to keep your creation too! So that's one gift you can check off your list!

To honor the 162 lives lost in the EF-5 tornado that practically destroyed Joplin, Missouri in May, 2011, a commemorative ornament will be available October 10, 2011.  The cost of the ornament is $15 plus tax and approximately $5 shipping.  A portion of the money raised will buy artificial trees for those that lost their trees in the tornado.  They hope to raise enough money to buy trees for 50 families.

In addition, donors may make a donation of $145 to purchase a tree for a family who lost their tree.  The trees will be given to the families in the order nominated and you may include your nomination when purchasing the tree online.  You don’t need to explain why you are nominating them, just provide the family information.  A family who was particularly devastated by the tornado would be a good candidate for nomination. 

The website to order the ornament, tree, or make a nomination is http://raisinghopeforjoplin.com.

Some interesting facts can be found in the article, Christmas Tree Facts and Figures.

Through November 4, 2011, Bridal Shower Ideas For You is encouraging everyone to enter their picture frame ornament contest by visiting their site and answering one question:  “What other holiday tradition would you like to include at a winter bridal shower?”.  Visitors have the opportunity to win a beautiful, white resin picture frame ornament.  The 4” X 4 1/2” frame includes delicate white roses enhanced with green leaves and a pair of romantic doves. The white ribbon along the top and bottom can be personalized with names and dates.

An easel back permits the photo frame to stand alone so it can be used as a cake topper or for table numbers. A ribbon for hanging the ornament is also included.  It is a great keepsake to give as shower or wedding favors, bridal party gifts, or to family members to help everyone remember this special day. 

If you need help in planning a bridal shower, Bridal Shower Ideas For You is a great place to visit.  They offer advice on food, games, decorations, party favors and gifts.  You can find assistance with entertainment, etiquette, theme showers, and even a checklist so that nothing is forgotten.  So, visit their site and don’t forget to enter the contest by November 4, 2011!

The ornament was donated by ornamentshop.com.

The U.S. operations division of Blachere Illumination, The Christopher Shop in Christopher, IL, has grown into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-end commercial Christmas displays.  They supply illuminated displays for shopping centers, casinos, hotels, municipalities, Disney World, and Sea World.

The company was founded in 1971 in France and has expanded into several countries:  Germany, Holland, Belgium, South America, United Kingdom, and the United States.  The Southern Illinois company began as a test site in 2007.  The president of the company, Ronnie Brown, met the owner of a small Christmas business called Trogolo, at a trade show in Las Vegas.  Brown accepted Trogolo’s offer to rent some space from him in Christopher, Illinois.  Before you knew it, Blachere bought Trogolo and began expanding.

Blachere Illumination is currently creating a 15 foot sphere tree for Disney World’s Christmas celebration and illuminated sails to go on a pirate ship at a Christmas display at Sea World.

The company employs about 50 employees in their peak season.  They have grown every year, reported 11% growth for 2010 and expects the same for 2011.

To discover the history of Christmas Tree Lights, read our article "Christmas Tree Lights From Candles to LED’s".

Some stores, such as Joann Fabrics and A.C. Moore, have had Christmas items for sale since August or even July.  Most of the major retailers either already have, or expect to have holiday items on display by the end of September.  Each year, the Christmas season seems to start a little earlier to assist those who like to get a jump start on their shopping.  By Thanksgiving 42% of women expect to have started their Christmas gift shopping, despite the great sales that usually begin after Thanksgiving.  In 2010, many major retailers were offering Black Friday deals the week before Thanksgiving, and the same is expected in 2011. 

Victor Fung, chairman of the Li & Fung Group in Hong Kong, expects sales for Christmas 2011 to match 2010.  Li & Fung Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers to major U.S. stores.   Economists are anticipating same or increased sales from 2010.

More shoppers are expected to buy online and take advantage of free shipping and promotions.  The explosion of daily deal sites should boost sales in the 2011 holiday season as many consumers have signed up to receive the daily offers this past year.  Smart-phone owners are expected to use their phones to compare prices, read reviews, and obtain discounts.

If you would like ideas to reduce stress by starting your Christmas shopping early, read our article, Christmas Stress Reducing Tasks to do in the Fall.

Stanislaus National Forest, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, was selected to provide the 2011 Christmas tree for the U.S. Capital.  A 60’ red fir will be chosen in the fall, then cut down on November 5.  After cutting, it will be mounted on a double flatbed truck and will tour California for eight days.  A specially designed frame will keep the tree’s shape and a water bag will keep it moist.  After traveling throughout California the tree will be transported to the front lawn of the Capitol.  It will be installed on November 28 and will follow with a tree-lighting ceremony in December.

There are several activities that only Californians are invited to participate in:
1)  5,000 homemade outdoor ornaments are needed.  (Indoor ornament requirements have already been met).  Outdoor ornaments should reflect the “California Shines” theme and represent how the rich cultural and ecological diversity make   California shine.
2)  One boy or girl, age 5-17, can win an all-expense paid trip for him/herself and a parent or guardian to light the tree with House Speaker John Boehner. Entries must be postmarked by Sept. 30.
3)  Although the tree is donated by the State of California, donations of cash, products, or services are welcome.  In addition to paying for the transport of the tree, food and hotel for the tour members, packaging tape, boxes, and other supplies are needed to package the ornaments.

Outdoor Ornament Rules & Requirements
1)  Should reflect the “California Shines” theme of cultural and ecological diversity of California.
2)  Not all ornaments may be selected and are not returnable.
3)  They must be 9-12 inches in length and weigh less than ½ pound.
4)  The ornaments must have holes for hanging.
5)  They must be durable and weatherproof for outside wet and snowy conditions.
6)  If possible, use reflective materials, preferably recycled or natural components.
7)  Use a simple design on both sides of the ornament that can be seen 25-70 feet in distance.
8)  A completed Ornament Submission Form must be included in the shipping box.
9)  Deadline is September 30, 2011!

For more information and forms required,  go to the official site of the Capital Christmas Tree 2011: 

There is a year-round charity that sends “shoe boxes” full of items for under privileged children throughout the world.  Operation Christmas Child is just one charitable endeavor of Samaritan’s Purse International Relief.  They ask donors to use a cardboard or plastic shoe box to put supplies in, and to enclose at least $7 per box to cover the cost of shipping the box.  Checks should be made payable to “Samaritan’s Purse” and write “OCC” for Operation Christmas Child on the memo line.  Pre-printed boxes are also available for purchase.  Please mark the box as to boy or girl, and which age group the gift is for.  The age categories are 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.

In 2010 over 8.17 million shoe boxes were sent to needy children in many countries, of which 5.5 million boxes came from the United States.  Since 1993 they have shipped shoe boxes to over 130 countries.

They recommend the follow items but everything must be small enough to fit in the shoe box:

• Toys - Cars, balls, dolls, and small toys
• School Supplies - Pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons, markers, stamps with ink pads, paper, solar calculators, coloring or reading books
• Hygiene Items - Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap, comb, washcloth
• Clothing - T-shirts, socks, baseball caps
• Candy - Hard candy or lollipops (individually wrapped), mints, gum
• Miscellaneous - Sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries!)

What not to include
Used or damaged items, chocolate or food, out-of-date candy, medications or vitamins, breakable items, knives, aerosol cans, military figures or war-related items such as toy guns.

Personal note to child
Feel free to write a note to the child, or enclose a picture of yourself or your family, and put in a separate envelope with your name and address.

For drop-off locations call 1-800-353-5949.  You can mail your shoe box to:  Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Visalia, California, raised more than $4,000 in August, 2011 from over 350 people bidding on 33 artificial decorated trees.  They call their annual fundraiser, Festival of Trees. 

Each tree had a theme and were decorated by volunteers.  Some of the tree themes included one with Disney & Micky Mouse decorations, an Easter tree, a star is born tree, a St. Patrick’s Day themed tree, and a coffee themed tree.

Attendees could buy tickets and submit the tickets into a jar in front of each tree. There was a 50-50 raffle of which more than $1800 was collected. 

Caritas Christi charity programs will distribute the money earned for underprivileged families, buying school supplies, helping feed people during the holidays, and helping children visit their parents who are in prison.

To create a “Music” themed Christmas tree, click here to see our selection of 48 music ornaments.

Many of us love trivia (and Christmas).  It just seems to make everything a little more interesting.  Here are some fascinating facts we uncovered regarding Christmas trees:

• The first decorated Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia in 1510.
• Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850.
• In 2002, Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, and Virginia were the top Christmas tree producing states.
• Oregon was the leading producer of Christmas trees – 6.5 million in 2002.
• More than 2,000 trees are usually planted per acre. On average 1,000-1,500 of these trees will survive. In the North, maybe, 750 trees will remain.
• In the United States, there are more than 21,000 Christmas tree growers.
• 100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry.
• 98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms.
• 73 million new Christmas trees will be planted this year.
• In 2007, 23% of real Christmas trees sold were from chain stores, 9% by non-profit groups. 12% from retail lots and 21% from choose and cut farms.
• An estimated 175,000 real Christmas trees are sold via e-commerce or catalogue and shipped mail-order.

Christmas Trees and the Environment

• An acre of Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
• Growing Christmas trees provides a habitat for wildlife.
• Recycled trees have been used to make sand and soil erosion barriers and been placed in ponds for fish shelter.
• Christmas trees remove dust and pollen from the air. 

Above data provided by the National Christmas Tree Association (www.christmastree.org).

How many Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year?  What are the most popular Christmas Trees and why?  How many years are trees grown before sale and how are they started?  What percentage of people still cut their own tree down?  How many real and faux trees are sold each year?  To find answers to these questions, read our article “Surprising Christmas Tree Facts & Figures”.

Holly and ivy have been used by Christians for Christmas decorations for centuries.  They look lovely in a centerpiece or a hurricane vase.  It is fairly easy to grow both of these to use for decorations, but they each have different requirements.

Holly

The holly plant is a dramatic expression of the traditional Christmas colors, filled with red berries contrasted against the dark green leaves.  However, keep away from children or pets, as eating the red berries can cause vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.  Winterberry is the holly that is native to the United States.

Plant the holly in acidic soil topped with peat moss, keep moist and place in direct, natural sunlight.  The female is the one that grows the berries which usually last from late fall to early winter.   Holly comes in various sizes and leaf types and English Holly is the one we are most familiar with in the United States.

Ivy

Ivy leaves can vary in the size and color of their leaves.  Ivy grows best in a hanging basket, or on the edge of an object such as a table or window sill which permits the leaves to grow out and down.  Ivy plants do not like direct sunlight and will even grow where the light is poor.

You can start the plant with either seedlings or from a store-bought plant.  Ivy needs moist, but not wet soil, and will flourish in most any type of dirt.  You can add peat moss or compost to enrich the soil.  Use a plant food product once a week and grow in cool temperatures.  You can control the size of the plant by cutting the ends of the roots.  Both the berries and leaves are poisonous so keep out of reach of children and pets.

To learn how to grow Silver Artemis, Tarragon, and Wormwood plants to use in Christmas decorations, read our article “A Christmas Garden:  Grow Your Own Decorations”.

Since most men don’t have to wear ties to work anymore and suits are mainly used for weddings and funerals, there probably hasn’t been too much buzz on Christmas ties the last few years.  However, if you like to be festive at Christmas, adding a Christmas tie is an inexpensive way to express yourself.  And you’ll have tons of choices, as we found over 18,000 different Christmas ties online!

As you might expect, you’ll find ties with familiar Christmas symbols like ornaments, Santas, Christmas Trees, stars, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, candy canes, presents, Christmas lights, holly, gingerbread, wreaths, elves, mistletoe, doves, poinsettias, and of course Scrooge.

For those who like the unusual you can find ties with Santa dogs, cats, cows, Obama, smiley faces, skeletons, pirates, frogs, and even sport Santas (basketball, football, baseball).

For the colorful, the ties come in neon, tie dye, peppermint swirl, ties that light up, and every color you could imagine.  If you want to wear or give a tie for a particular occupation, those are also available as well.

There are ties that say, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Dear Santa, Bah Humbug, and What I Want for Christmas.

For the risque, there is a snowman flasher, sexy woman Santas, naughty sayings (some too spicy to print here!), and a female vampire Santa with plenty of dripping blood.

You can also find a Griswold Family tie, Santa in the unemployment line, Santa smoking, three wise men on camels, The Nutcracker, religious ties, pink flamingos, penguins, and even an anti-Christmas tie!

So, to get into the holiday spirit and some good conversation starters, consider wearing a few holiday ties at Christmastime!  For more interesting facts, read our article “Christmas Ties for Men and Boys - Yesterday and Today”.

Who knew there are so many towns in the U.S. that have Christmas season names?  We found five towns named Christmas, one named Christmas City, Christmas Cove, Christmas Valley, and Christmasville.  There is a town called Elf, another called Humbug, six named Bethlehem, seven named Snow, and three called Snowflake.  How about Christmas plants? There is one town called Poinsettia Park, at least three named Holly, six Evergreen’s, one Mistletoe, and six called Garland.  

Commemorating the magical pullers of Santa’s sleigh, there is a town named Reindeer and another called Reindeer Hills. Add to that one each named Dasher, Vixen, Cupid, Blitzen, six Comet communities, three Donner’s, and five Rudolph’s.  To top it off there are two named Noel, three Santa Claus, four Saint Nicholas, one Holiday, a Holiday Hills, Tannenbaum, Advent, Santa and  Eggnog.

So, as you can see, many town founders were in the Christmas spirit when determining names for their towns!

To find out how you can have your Christmas cards postmarked from the North Pole, and for some interesting stories on how several towns came to be called the North Pole, read our article . “U.S. Towns Named North Pole”.

http://www.christmasornaments.com/articles/US-Towns-Named-North-Pole.asp

“Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light”, is so closely related to his persona he trademarked that phrase.  He likes to be called, “Americas most-collected living artist”, which is probably true.  His products are licensed and sold through Media Arts who claim one in 20 homes in the U.S. own some representation of Kinkade’s artistry.  

Thomas Kinkade’s style falls in the impressionism scenery painting territory.  His images appear in saturated pastel colors and glowing highlights.  He is considered a stipple paintings master and best known for his oil paintings in luminous inspirational themes.  Stippling is a method of drawing or painting using dots or short strokes. Thomas has an amazing ability to recreate lighting effects in his paintings that appear to glow from within.  This is called the “Kinkade glow”.

Thomas has created over 37 Christmas prints that beautifully display various Christmas landscapes, in addition to thousands of other paintings.  In addition, he produces ceramic replicas of many of his paintings which may light up or hold flowers.  His subjects include cottages, gardens, lighthouses, seascapes, nature, cabin, hearth and home, cityscapes and inspirational.  Thomas is known for inserting family member’s initials, hearts, or other traces in his paintings.  His paintings represent the past as it should have been, not what it was.  Mr. Kinkade rarely includes people in his paintings as he desires to capture memories to trigger an emotional response to an experience.

Besides his paintings, his designs can be found on watches, blankets and pillows, mugs, ornaments, mousepads, music boxes, tote bags, coasters, photo frames, umbrellas, ties, lighted figurines, and many other items.  In addition to being a popular artist, he has written over 140 books, is a best-selling author and respected speaker.           

To uncover more information on other Christmas artists, read our article “Nothing Goes Better With Coke Than Santa”.

Last call to enter your 60-second (or less) video of yourself answering the question:  Why are you the biggest fan of Christmas?  DEADLINE:  NOON PT, AUGUST 25, 2011. The Face of the Fan contest is a Sony Entertainment program that lets fans participate in online casting calls and contests.

Eight finalists, who will receive $300 Sony Style gift cards, will be chosen and their video will be voted on between September 12-26.  One winner will win a trip for four to the premier of the computer-animated movie, “Arthur Christmas” which will be released November 23.  The trip includes airfare, hotel, and transportation to and from the hotel.

You can submit your video at http://www.faceofthefan.com/arthurchristmas/ or http://www.facebook.com/faceofthefan. Your video should express your love, enjoyment, and enthusiasm for Christmas.

2011 appears to be booming with new Christmas movies.  Hallmark has 10 Christmas movies scheduled, ABC/ABC Family has four, Disney, the Gospel Channel, and TNT each have one planned.  In addition, there will be Christmas specials and movies put out directly to DVD.

Many of us still like to go to the farm and cut down our own Christmas Tree.  More often though you may be purchasing your tree from a local stand set up in a business parking lot.  Either way, if you have a live tree you know how important it is to keep it watered, which can be a nuisance to do for an entire month.  But if you don’t keep your try moist, you risk fire from the lights on the tree and needles falling off in large quantities (which is why using a tree skirt is a great idea for clean-up).

When you return from buying your Christmas tree, immediately store the trunk in a bucket of water.  This will prevent the sap from coagulating at the base of the trunk, which prevents water from entering the trunk to keep it moistened.  Don’t forget to prop up your tree so it doesn’t fall over.  However, it is recommended to cut off at least ½ inch of the trunk before placing the tree in water to help the tree absorb enough water.

You can use the standard, less expensive tree holders which allow for water to be added, but is inconvenient if you don’t use some type of monitoring device (see below).  The stand should provide one quart of water for each inch of trunk diameter. Try to position your tree away from heat sources, which tend to increase the rate of drying.

Once in the stand, be careful to keep the tree trunk under water.  Sometimes there may be water in the pan, but it is not providing water to the trunk since it is not submerged.  In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day!

There are many water monitoring devices available on the market.  You can buy a simple sensor that beeps when the water level is to low to a variety of reservoirs.  One that we liked only costs $9.99 and uses your own 2 liter pop bottle to fill with water. You tip the filled bottle over and place in the base which has a hose that runs to the tree base.  It will keep 2” of water in the tree stand as long as you can see water in the soda bottle.

For more detailed instructions from the National Christmas Tree Association and information on several more reservoirs, read the article titled “Christmas Tree Watering Tips”.

Trivia games are very popular, so we thought we’d see how well you know these Christmas facts.  We bet there are a few you can’t answer!

    1) Where was mommy kissing Santa Claus?

    2) What is Frosty the Snowman’s nose made out of?

    3) What is the name of Rudolph’s dad?

    4) What did Ralphie (from A Christmas Story) want for Christmas?

    5) In what movie was a boy accidentally left alone at Christmastime while his family went to Europe?

    6) What were the first artificial Christmas trees made from?

    7) When do most Europeans put up their Christmas tree?

    8) What do most Europeans use for Christmas tree lights?

    9) What is Santa’s real name?

   10) How many Reindeer are on Santa’s sleigh?

If you enjoy trivia, read our article “Christmas Trivia”.

Answers:  1) Under the Mistletoe 2) A button 3) Donner 4) A BB Gun 5) Home Alone 6) Goose Feathers 7) Christmas Eve 8) Real candles 9) Kris Kringle 10) 8

Jennings Osborne , known for his extravagant Christmas light displays, passed away July 27, 2011 in Little Rock, Arkansas at age 67. A wealthy Arkansas philanthropist, who made his money from starting and selling a medical research facility, Osborne transformed his home into a 3.2 million-light festival every December.

His Christmas decorations and lights brought joy to as many as 30,000 visitors annually and snarled traffic around his house for miles. The local power company wound up assigning Osborne his own transformer after he darkened part of his neighborhood when turning on his display. Pilots stated they could see Mr. Osborne’s lighted house from 80 miles away! By 1993, the display grew to include over three million lights, two 80-foot Christmas-tree-shaped masts, a calliope, a carousel, a steam engine driven by Mickey Mouse, and a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year sign in letters six feet high.

Despite purchasing homes on both sides of his to minimize the impact to neighbors, they filed a suit in 1993 stating that his decorations were a public nuisance. He lost the lawsuit and had to remove most of his decorations. The Walt Disney Company, wanting to continue Osborne’s tradition, sent four 18-wheelers to pick up more than 2 million lights. Many of his decorations still shine every Christmas season in Orlando as part of the “Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.” Below are pictures of his house and Disney World.

The Tour de France often brings to mind a certain famous rider and all of the celebrity news surrounding the event.  The Tour, however, has been around for over a century, and had intense fan followings long before the media created the modern image of the race.

The first Tour de France was in 1903, and after offering a generous prize and a daily allowance of five francs, the competition attracted nearly 80 riders.  Starting out in a small French village, the Tour ended in Paris like every Tour since.  Riders raced for 19 days, with bicycles that were less than optimal for climbing mountains and navigating night rides.  On some stretches of the course they were even required to use wooden wheels!  The tires of the day could not withstand quick descents without overheating and separating from the metal rim.

The Tour de France was the first major race to introduce timed trials as the method for choosing a winner.  Timed trials are the standard in all forms of bicycle racing today, from downhill mountain biking to road tours around the globe.  The Tour also introduced different types of team racing, some years as national teams, other years as trade teams, and with ever-changing rules for how riders function within a team.  This important race has been a trend setter since its inception, and will continue to be a touchstone for how bicycle racing is done in the future.

Despite the prestige of the Tour de France, the race has had its setbacks.  The Tour was suspended twice for the World Wars, suffered through many doping scandals in the 1960s, and has dealt with maintaining a public image all these years through political differences, pressure from sponsors, and some of the most enthusiastic and intense fan bases in sports (even in 1904 riders would get pummeled by rival fans!).   Most recently, “bike doping” has popped up on the list of controversies – some suspect riders of using tiny motors to help power their cranks.  Whatever the current controversy may be, the Tour de France is sure to outlive it.  The race, after all, was begun in 1903 because its organizer, Henri Desgrange, could think of no better way to draw attention to a French political scandal.

At Ornamentshop.com we have a fun selection of bicycle themed ornaments which can be personalized with your own message.  Each “cyclist” can be hand painted with the name of your own little bike rider, or your favorite Tour rider.  Vive le Tour!

The 2010 World Cup marked the first time the final rounds of this enormous football (soccer to Americans) event would be hosted in an African nation.  South Africa won the bid over Egypt and Morocco, bringing much needed attention and tourism to a nation with a rich and sometimes troubled history.  The unique topography and culture of South Africa lent some very strange twists to the competition.

In ten striking venues across the country, thirty-two teams competed for the cup.  Some of the stadiums were so high above sea level that players were affected by the altitude, as was the firmness of the ball.  While FIFA medical experts downplayed these effects, players complained about not being in control of their bodies.  

To make matters more interesting, a special Adidas ball called the Jabulari was introduced for the 2010 World Cup.  Players would also complain about the behavior of this ball, mostly that it would not fly straight over long passes. Interestingly, Adidas-sponsored players only had good things to say about the new ball. 

Another small controversy developed around the finals when broadcasters realized that fans at home could not hear the commentary on the games because of the incessant blowing of vuvuzela horns.  The vuvuzela is a South African football tradition, a horn used by fans to show their excitement at the games (much like canned air horns are used in the States).  Something about these World Cup Finals had the vuvuzelas blowing at full blast this year, giving the players yet another strange complaint about the effect of environment on their game.  Stadium officials tried to control the noise of the horns, but to no avail.  BBC is considering rebroadcasting games after re-mastering the sound in an attempt to remove some of the horn noise.

So many strange events and situations came up at the 2010 World Cup, but we mustn’t forget the last chapter in the series!  Spain won the final game one to zero over the Netherlands, taking home $30 million for the team, bragging rights for a year, and a lifetime of stories and memories from this unique World Cup event.

Whether you call it football or soccer, Ornamentshop.com has a host of ornaments that will put a smile on the face of any fan or player.  Check out our soccer ornaments pages for personalized ornaments that can be personalized with the name of your favorite player, your World Cup team, a future all-star player in your family or a commemorative message.