Here's a message from Santa!

	Chocolate Chip, Sugar, or Snicker Doodle? Wondering what kind of cookies Santa would like on Christmas Eve? Wondering if you made the Naughty or Nice List? Ask him personally! A live phone call from SantaSpeaking.com offers the newest, most exciting and memorable way to talk to Santa! When Santa calls, Santa will know everything Santa Claus should know… right down to the details! Schedule your LIVE highly personalized phone call with Santa Claus today—just like Katie Couric, Rachael Ray, and Charlie Gibson did!
We sincerely thank the more than 10 million visitors to Northpole.com during 2008 and to all of you who sent emails of thanks and appreciation for our site. It has truly been an honor to entertain you for the last twelve years. We hope to always be able to provide you with an enriched Christmas experience through a totally child-safe, innovative, imaginative, and yet traditional holiday website.
So, are you ready for some Christmas magic? We're ready for you at www.northpole.com, where you'll find hours of free activities and family entertainment! Just look at what's waiting for you in Santa's Secret Village:
	Games, Games, Games! With help from my elves Sally and Gwendolyn, children can learn while playing our newest games: Tell Time and Count Money. Don't miss Cheery Checkers, where you can play against me (Santa) in a challenging game of checkers. I see that many of you are practicing your holiday decorating ideas playing Trim the Tree, and enjoying a cyberspace snowfall with Build a Snowman!
	Birthday Cards from Santa! Only at the Northpole! This is just one of the free treats Santa has in his bag, and it celebrates each child's own special daywhatever time of year it comes. Parents, come register children to receive a birthday e-card from Santa. Just go to Santa's Mailroom and register the child's name, birth date, and email address. Remember, your information is safe with us. Northpole.com follows a strict privacy policy and does not share personally identifiable information with third parties.
	Narrated story telling Select from over 20 stories and enjoy reading along while the story is read by one of Santa's elves.
	NORAD Follow Santa this Chrismas Eve via Northpole.com and our direct pipeline with the NORAD Santa Tracker. Throughout the day Dec. 24, just click our direct link to to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) for a satellite view of Santa's travels.
	What's Cookin'? Our recipe quick-search and metric conversion table make it a snap to find and make favorites, like that special pumpkin cookie recipe everyone is raving about. Also, be sure to submit your favorite recipe online for consideration in Mrs. Claus' Cookbook.
	Penny, Nickel, Dime, Quarter Thousands of children have played Santa's Count Money game throughout 2004, proving that learninghow to count coins and dollars and make changereally is child's play!
A quick list to your all-time favorites—all free!
	Santa's Good Deeds Calendar Our very popular Good Deeds Calendars encourage good behavior throughout the year. A gentle reminder of the spirit of Christmas all year long, the calendars are a great way to give children a sense of accomplishment. Post them on the refrigerator or in your child's bedroom. Each day children check off achievements, and on Christmas Eve they can leave calendars under the tree to show Santa just how good they've been.
	Personalized Stories to Print Personalize a story for a special child. Select from 3 original northpole.com stories and complete a simple form with the child's name, hometown, favorite toy/activity/dessert, and best friend's name. The story presents your child as the star character! Printed stories make a great gift from Grandma or Grandpa. Kids love them!
	Elf Pal Academy An animated classroom offers more than 90 different fun and festive activities for youngsters, including mazes, connect-the-dots, counting, concentration, sound recognition, word search, math riddles, and more! Activities can be just for fun or incorporated into lesson plans.
	Disco Dancing Santa Disco Dancing Santa has brought giggles to many and is sure to delight you, too. Help Santa find his groove to holiday disco music, then share the fun by emailing him to family and friends.
	Letters to Santa Northpole.com provides children a quick, secure, and certain means to write Santa AND get a reply letter within two days.
	Animated Postcards Our postcards are still an all-time favorite and a quick way to send friends and family a personal holiday note.
Well, I'm off to the Workshop to test some new toys...
	Love,

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Avoid buying pets on a whim this Christmas

Lonely pet . . . avoid impulsive buying a pet for Christmas.
Although this is an article written and published for the Australian public, I feel that the information is absolutely correct and important to be considered when buying for your loved ones this year.
Pets are not good gifts. Period.  Pets are like an adoption, not like a buying spree.  Pets are non-refundable usually--hence the extra large number of unwanted pets deposited at pounds and shelters across the world.
Buying or getting a pet should be a family decision and should be discussed in advance.  Everyone needs to be in agreement about the introduction of a pet into the family.  Responsibilities need to be identified and assigned.  Remember, if cared for correctly, this is a commitment that will last 15-18 years.

**********************************************************************************

 *  03 Dec 09 @ 09:50am by staff writer

BRISBANE: Families should avoid impulse buying of pets as Christmas gifts to reduce the number of animals which end up in shelters, a veterinarian says.

Dr Mark Perissinotto, head vet at online retailer VetShopAustralia, said many pets that are bought as Christmas presents end up unwanted in refuges and the decision to become a pet owner should be carefully considered.

“Cute and cuddly puppies or kittens can be hard to resist buying when you see them in a pet store, but they quickly grow and lose their innocent charm,” Dr Perissinotto said.

“During the first few weeks of the New Year animal shelters are inundated with cats, dogs and other animals that were given as Christmas presents.

“Pets should be given only to people who can look after them for the lifetime of that animal, not just on Christmas Day, and taking on a pet shouldn’t be an impulse decision.”

Dr Perissinotto said before buying a pet, it was important the intended recipient wants and gets along with the animal, agrees to accept responsibility for it and is willing to provide care.

Avoid giving a pet for Christmas unless you are sure the entire family welcomes the new addition, and that includes any established pets the family may already have,” Dr Perissinotto said.

“Pets are an expensive addition to the household and costs, including food, council registration, micro-chipping, desexing, vet bills, vaccinations, grooming, boarding kennels and bedding, must also be met.”
Dr Perissinotto said families which had agreed to take on a new pet should wait until after Christmas to introduce the animal to their home.

“During the holiday season people are so busy that they don’t have the time it takes to fulfil a puppy’s or kitten’s demands and responsibilities such as walking or feeding a new pet can easily be forgotten,” he said.
“Instead of the actual pet, give pet supplies or pet toys as Christmas gifts in anticipation of the new arrival.”
Dr Perissinotto also encouraged families to adopt their new pet from a shelter or refuge.

“Adopting a pet is ultimately saving a life,” he said.

Read the original article here

Twice as nice: Gifts that benefit nonprofits

Image via CrunchBase

 With all the hoopla about "going green" why not focus your Christmas buying this year on a more PC type of gifting.  Why not give a gift that also gives to a charity or non-profit a portion of the money.  In that way, both you, the buyer, and the recipient will feel good about the gift.

It's a win-win situation all the way around and you will be helping out charities that may be really struggling to make ends meet in this recession.  Merry Christmas!

___________________________________________________________________

BY GLENN GARVIN

ggarvin@MiamHerald.com

It's the central contradiction of the holidays: saving the world vs. looting the malls.
The second half of the equation is powerful even to the most humanitarian-minded of us, which is why you're reading a holiday gift guide right now instead of a book by Gandhi or St. Thomas Aquinas.
But these days it's not necessarily an either-or proposition: There are a growing number of gifts that multi-task, serving avarice and humanity at the same time. As Greyston Bakery's Joanne Jordan says of her company's Do-Goodie Brownies: ``With the purchase of one brownie, you can not only gratify a chocoholic who you love, but help out people who really need it, all for one low price.''

In the case of Do-Goodie Brownies, the price really is low: $2.49, with profits going to a foundation that supports job training, healthcare, housing and childcare for the poor.
If Mr. Scrooge had had options like this, those ghosts could have spent Christmas Eve snug in their coffins.
• The most versatile option is an online marketplace called GoodShop.com, which has partnered with more than 80,000 nonprofits in a program that kicks back a percentage of gift prices to the charity or cause of your choice. Buy a $60 electric football game from Back to Basic Toys and 4 percent of the price goes to your chosen nonprofit.
• Adding a charitable dimension to holiday-gift-giving can be politically tricky. Even if Aunt Agatha secretly wants to projectile-vomit at the sight of a chartreuse sweater you misguidedly gave her, she'll probably just smile and say thanks. But if she's an NRA member and finds out part of the sweater's price went to Handgun Control, your eggnog party could get a little loud. Avoid controversy with a gift card from GlobalGiving.com.
Available in denominations from $10 up to the amount of the Powerball jackpot you hit last night and don't know what to do with, GlobalGiving's card allows the recipient to direct their donation to any of hundreds of causes of every ideological stripe, from relief projects for the victims of Russian intervention in Georgia to the prevention of gender violence in Kenya.
• Another way to avoid controversy is to choose a gift that helps fight a disease -- as politically polarized as America is, almost nobody favors diseases. And it's harder to imagine an illness that everybody wants to get rid of more than cancer. The insurance company AFLAC sells a plush stuffed-toy version of its duck mascot (a small one for $10, large for $15) at Macy's and aflacholidayduck.com; 100 percent of the price goes to pediatric cancer hospitals, including the Miami Children's Hospital.
• Fashion designer and cancer survivor Sheridan Savio has created a line of clips -- hair bands, pony-tail holders, even little pacifier clips bearing a smiling angel -- that sell for $7-$24, with 20 percent of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society (clips4acure.com).
• The Alzheimer's Foundation of America has a line of sterling silver jewelry -- necklaces, bracelets and stickpins, all for $30 and all including the organization's hands-and-heart logo that honors Alzheimer's caregivers (alzfdn.org).
• The Diabetes Research Institute (diabetesresearch.org) is trying to pun its way to a cure with $10 ``I'm Tired Of Diabetes'' bracelets made from old auto tires.
• For $40, you can adopt an endangered whale from the Oceanic Society, complete with a certificate and photo. If a whale won't fit under your tree, go with a dolphin for the same price (oceanicsociety.org).
• The $20 teddy bears on sale at the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove benefit Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters), a charity with orphanages in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Gifts for Significant Others Neglected By Tech-Addicted Lovers

 Here's an article from a man's perspective about buying for a Significant Other.  I found this to be both humorous and truthful.  Maybe there is something useful here for you as you scramble to finish your Christmas shopping this year.  Good shopping!

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Hey baby, look, we all have priorities. For me, my gadgety toys just so happen to fall a teensy bit above you on the list. Don't be offended! Here, look, I got you a present! Now, back to my iPhone.
BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

23andMe: What better way to make up for neglecting your girlfriend than by giving her the most personal gift possible: a detailed analysis of her genetic code. She'll be able to learn about her descendants as well as get clued in on what sorts of diseases she needs to look out for in the future. And as an added bonus, all that data she'll get will require a good amount of time for her to go through. Time you can spend playing video games. $300-$500 [23 and Me]

Classmates.com membership: Nothing will make her appreciate your half-assed brand of boyfriending like a trip down ex-boyfriend lane, especially the high school sections. Look, you might not be able to make it through a dinner without dicking around with your phone, but at least you didn't get fat and never leave your hometown like these schlubs. Here's to being the most palatable of an unpalatable group! $39 [Classmates.com]

New Super Mario Bros Wii: Your girlfriend might hate Modern Warfare 2, but if there's any game that will turn a game-averse girl into a trash-talking controller jockey, it's this one. You can play together, alternating between helping each other out and throwing each other into bottomless pits. I'm sure there's a metaphor for your relationship in there somewhere, but I'll leave it to you to suss out. $50 [Amazon.com]

Don't Buy: Kitchen Gadgets: Even if she says she wants to get more into cooking, you probably don't want to give her a kitchen gadget as a gift. I mean, sure, you might think that her making a delicious meal for the two of you while you surf the web sounds great, but insinuating that that's how she should pass her time will probably earn you a swift kick to the hanging brains.

Asus O!Play: Getting a gadget for a gadget-wary girl might seem like an obvious blunder, but think about it: with this thing, you can stream downloaded movies and TV shows to your TV that you can watch together! As long as you are well prepared with some of her favorite movies and shows, you'll be able to sneak in some gadget-lust fulfillment in a way that you can enjoy it together instead of by yourself. A novel thought! $99 [Link]

TiVo HD: Look, you don't have to be super into gadgets to appreciate the quality of a TiVo HD when compared to the crap DVR your cable company provides. And this is, again, something you can use together rather than something she has to tolerate you paying attention to instead of her. $215 [Amazon.com]

Canon 7D: If there's a guaranteed way to get her into gadgets, it's buying her one of the best. And really, if she's into photography even a little bit, she'll love the 7D. It's a monster of a camera, one that'll have her taking pictures all the time. Looking for something a bit cheaper? Check out our DSLR buying guide. $1,900 [Link; Amazon.com]

Don't Buy: Dyson DC25: You don't want to get this for the same reason you don't want to get her a kitchen gadget, but even more so. You can be into cooking, but no one is passionate about cleaning. Seriously, if you value your relationship at all, avoid at all costs, no matter how cool you think the vacuum is. $500 [Link; Amazon.com]

Read the original article here

Amazon Bargains Galore!

Since it seems that Amazon may turn out to be this Christmas season's best bet for bargains, I have listed some of the wonderful deals available there.  Time to get serious, don't you think?

Windows 7 Netbooks Under Starting $350: Find the biggest selection of netbooks with Windows 7 Starter in the Amazon.com netbooks store. click here

Blu-ray Players Under $200: The high-def experience doesn't have to be expensive. Amazon.com has Blu-ray players from brands such as LG, Samsung, and Sony with prices below $200. click here

Great savings on new cutting-edge HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer: The world's first web-connected home printer powered by touch. Quickly print movie tickets, maps, coupons, lab-quality photos and more. All without a computer and now at a very low price. click here

Movies & TV Gift and Boxed Set Sale : To find that last minute gift without breaking the bank, shop our Movies; TV Gift and Boxed Set Sale with savings of up to 60% off select DVD and Blu-ray, from Dec. 2 - Dec. 22, 2009 while supplies last. click here

Up to 40% Off Kitchen ; Home Gifts: Save up to 40% on perfect gift for everyone on your list, from the Master Chef to the Home Decorator to the One Who Has It All. Plus, check out our editor’s picks to discover the hottest gifts this season. click here

Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device: 6” E-ink® Display with Global Wireless: Kindle is Amazon’s most wished for, most gifted and #1 bestselling product. This year, give them what they really want and have it delivered in time for the holidays! click here

Top Holiday Deals ; Frustration-Free Packaging in Toys: Shop our top holiday deals in Toys and find great savings on toys, games, puzzles, and more. Also save on toys in Frustration-Free Packaging. Say no to wrap rage- Amazon.com is now offering over 100 bestselling toys, electronics, and household items in easy-to-open Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging. They’re the same great products at the same great prices--just less packaging. click here

Bestselling ATT Phones from $.01 : Check out the incredible prices on ATT devices. Upgrade to bestsellers like the BlackBerry Curve 8900 or the LG Xenon GR500 Phone for only a penny (with new service plan). click here

Extra Discounts on Magazine Subscriptions: Magazines make great gifts, and during December some are as low as $5 after instant discounts including Disney FamilyFun, Redbook, Country Living and more. click here

Save over 30% off the Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer: While supplies last, get the Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer for only $169.99—that’s over 30% off! The rugged, compact iP100 Mobile Printer delivers remarkable quality and print-anywhere portability. click here

Diamond Stud Earrings- Best Deals of the Season: 'Tis the season for diamond studs. For a limited time, shop our best prices of the season on select diamond stud earrings sold by Amazon.com --up to 70% off, plus Free One-Day Shipping and special six-month financing. click here

Video Games- 18 Days, 18 Deals: Now is the time of year when anticipation builds more with each passing day. It's also the time of year when Amazon Video Games has scores of fantastic deals happening all at once. There is no better way to celebrate the season than with a mashup of daily anticipation and fabulous deals! Starting Tuesday, December 1 and continuing for 18 consecutive days, Amazon Video Games will be featuring one new, terrific deal for your gaming pleasure. Quantities will be limited! click here

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Christmas is fast approaching!

Image by Brandy Shaul via Flickr

Have you got your tree up yet?  Do you need to finish up your shopping?  If you answered "yes" to the last one, you are in very good company.  I know many people who have just now begun to shop in earnest.  If you answered "yes" to the first question, you are ahead of many.

Today I would like to point out that bargains are out there for just about any item and at any store you may be looking at.  Here are just a few of the email "sales" ads I have received in the last week:

Amazon seems to be the leader in online sales this year, and why not?  With just about anything you can imagine available and an offer of free shipping, why would you go somewhere else?

Electronic gadgets seems to be all the rage this Christmas.  You can buy your grandmother this gizmo and never have to go pick her up again because she will never get lost!

Don't forget the family pet!  There are deals everywhere for Fido and Gato.  Maybe you are thinking of buying a new aquarium to help calm down your active children, or maybe you want to have the soft chirping of parakeets on Christmas morning--find yourself a good deal!

Even Walmart has gotten into the act.  Now you can find online bargains and have them shipped directly to the store for pick-up.  Save you money on the item and on the shipping. 

We all know that if you don't find it at Walmart, then it isn't available anywhere.

You may not plan to buy all your items here, but this really is a great place to buy those gifts for the teacher, the coach, the co-worker, etc.  And don't forget the hostess gifts for the party-going this season. 


With all the bargains out there, a careful shopper should be able to celebrate the season without going broke!  Check it out!

Holiday shopping guide suggests gift ideas

Image via Wikipedia

The Daily Beacon
Justin Joo - Staff Writer
2009-11-30 19:34:44
With the notorious Black Friday having come and passed, the Christmas shopping season can now begin in earnest.
From now until Dec. 25, people across the United States will be frantically scouring Wal-Marts, shopping malls and jewelry stores trying to find the perfect gift for their friends and family.
But what does one do when they have no idea what to buy? With the ever-growing trends and fads, it's hard to keep up with the many things that loved ones would like to find under the Christmas tree.
Hopefully this guide will help give confounded shoppers some hints.

Teenage Girls

For the 15-year-old niece or preteen sister, there are only two words you need to know: Twilight Saga. With the recent movie release of "New Moon" bringing in over $300 million at the box office, there are books, action figures, the DVD release of "Twilight" and teen magazines featuring the eternal question: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Any Man Younger Than 35

If there is one gift that will always make a man smile, it is electronics. They are simple creatures that love toys. A new iPhone 3GS may set the buyer back $199, but it will put a grin on his face.
Three major video game systems -- the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii -- have all dropped their prices recently. Both the Xbox 360 (Elite Holiday Bundle) and Playstation 3 (120 GB) are selling for $299 at Best Buy.

For the Ladies

Women can sometimes be hard to buy for, and purchasing a gift for them is usually a challenge.
"I really don't want to be (shopping) at all, so I'll probably try and grab the first thing I see," Chase Wunder, freshman in business, said. "I also make sure to give my girlfriend the receipt, so if she wants, she can return and get what she actually wants."

Of course, grabbing her a Snuggie ($19.95, plus shipping and handling) just because everyone else says they're awesome is not always the best approach.

But there is one fail safe solution.
Everyone has heard the phrase, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." As clich'd as that might sound, the male shopper may be surprised how effective a pair of earrings can be at spreading Christmas cheer. Jewelry is the ticket to go from the nice to naughty list.
He can go the expensive route with something like the Tiffany & Co.'s Snowflake pendent for $25,000 (but only if he really loves her) or something cheaper like a sterling silver link bracelet from Jared at $59.99 (if he loves her but doesn't "love-love" her).
Of course, it's always good to go with a gift that has a personal touch: something that has meaning for both the giver and the person receiving the gift.
"I'm getting (my boyfriend) a Wii because of an inside joke we've had," Marvyl Cockrell, freshman in psychology, said. "He's never going to see it coming."
The beauty of these gifts is that they don't have to be too expensive. The goal beyond them is to give something that will make the gift receiver think back fondly on inside jokes or times shared. This can be anything from a Nintendo Wii, a G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Snake Eyes Sword & Mask with Ninja Stars ($24.99 from Hasbro) or just going to the mall and making a Build-A-Bear together. (A memory can be made with this gift, and it is a fact that women love cute things.)

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