November 2008 – Page 2

Celebrate Thanksgiving Everyday

You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving day to start expressing your thanks. You can start today. In fact, gratitude should have a place in our daily life. Everyday, we are showered with hundreds, maybe thousands of blessings, which most of us tend to take for granted. It’s not that we are not grateful, it’s just that our lifestyle leaves us little or no time to express thanks every day. So, how about simplifying it? Here’s an easy routine almost anyone who wishes to express gratitude more often can adopt. Simply make a list of five things you are thankful for every day. And then thank the people responsible for those five gifts. Doing this every day for a month, will make it a habit. And once something is a habit, it will easily fit into your lifestyle or schedule, no matter how hectic it is. For example, my list today might look something like this:

I am thankful for:
1.    The fact that I can work from home and stay close to my baby. I am grateful to all my clients who give me this opportunity.
2.    The laptop my husband gifted me last birthday. It is my window to the world.
3.    My parents who support me completely in all that I do and without whom it would be impossible for me to care for my child while still working from home.
4.    My best friend who is an inspiration, motivation and my guidance counselor whenever I need her.
5.    The view from my home office window which uplifts my mood and makes my work space inviting.

So, I am going to start today my sending a free ecards from gotfreecards.com to each and every person who makes my day and my life more beautiful. This year, I am not going to wait until Thanksgiving to say ‘Thank you’. How about you?

Thanksgiving-The Hidden Holiday

Thanksgiving often gets lost in the shuffle of late-in-the-year holidays. Hidden between Halloween and Christmas, it’s not unusual to see Thanksgiving as an inconsequential midway point between the other two holidays, rather than the wonderful day it is in its own right.

Don’t get me wrong: I love buying gifts and decorating for Christmas, and there’s still a big part of me that regrets not being able to dress up on Halloween night and go trick-or-treating. But Thanksgiving has a special place in my heart, and it always will.

Halloween is about being, if for only one evening, something you aren’t. Thanksgiving celebrates how much we care about each other, just for being who and what we are. Christmas is a time to buy gifts and make people smile. On Thanksgiving, the smiles come just from spending time with those you love.

So this Thanksgiving, don’t forget how important the day truly is. Maybe you can even send your friends and loved ones free ecards from gotfreecards.com. Our animated e-cards are the perfect ways to say “I love you, and I’m thankful for you being in my life.”

Thanksgiving-“Bucking the Trend”

: Free Thanksgiving Ecards

Thanksgiving is known for turkey, mashed potatoes, and that delicious lumpy gravy your grandmother makes. Thanksgiving is also known for spending thirty dollars buying the turkey, spending hours in the kitchen, finding a place for out-of-towners to sleep, and the arduous clean-up process that takes hours after dinner is over.

This year, my family is eliminating at least part of the headache. Spread across three states and five hundred miles, we’re meeting up at a rather central location and enjoying a buffet-style meal at a certain nationally-popular Italian restaurant. Substituting lasagna for turkey may seem a bit odd, but after the meal, we all get to go back to the hotel, and leave the dirty dishes to someone else—who’s actually getting paid to clean up.

But it’s not just that going out to eat makes everything easier; it’s also that going to a restaurant allows us to reflect on something that’s too often forgotten on Thanksgiving: it’s not about the food, or the cooking, or the headaches. Thanksgiving is about just that: giving thanks. On this day, we come together as friends, loved ones and family members, and appreciate all the good blessings this life has given us.

In much the same vein, you can celebrate Thanksgiving by sending free e-cards fromGotFreeCards.com. Our animated e-cards are an easy, personalized way to celebrate the holiday in its purest sense: doing something small, just to say to something, “I love you, and I’m thankful that you’re in my life.

Celebrating Birthdays During the Holidays

My daughter was born the day before Thanksgiving. To my mind, the next day was the most joyous day of Thanksgiving I had ever experienced. As the years passed, however, I often felt that her birthday celebration was lost somewhere between the turkey, the football and the anticipation of shopping.

We do our best now to set aside a specific time and place for a party or family get-together. We know that it is important to separate the holidays from her special day.

This advice was passed on to me, as well, by a dear friend, whose birthday falls a mere ten days before Christmas. As she was growing up, her parents took great pains to ensure that the anniversary of her birth wasn’t overshadowed by the holidays. I, too, refrained from combining Christmas and birthday gifts into one.

Everyone has friends and family members who have holiday birthdays. It’s so easy for us to forget or ignore the birthdays during this whirlwind time of shopping, parties and gifts. But it’s not difficult to find an inexpensive, quick way to remind that person with a November or December birthday that you care. Just look to GotFreeCards.com for the perfect birthday e-card! From humorous, to serious, light-and-sweet to generous, the selection is superb! And the free birthday e-card means you will save a bit more cash to spend on their Christmas present!

Thanksgiving- going through the Motions

Everyone knows the routine on Thanksgiving: you get together with family members, some of whom you won’t see again until next Thanksgiving, you all sit around a table, eat a nice dinner, and talk about all the things you’re thankful for.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel like I’m just going through the motions on Thanksgiving. If you really want to show your loved ones that you’re truly thankful for their being in your lives, why not send them send them free ecards from gotfreecards.com?

Thanksgiving isn’t really one of those holidays that we usually associate with giving cards, so if your friend or family member checks their e-mail and sees that you’ve sent them a free e-card from gotfreecards.com, they’ll know you’re thinking of them—and not just going through the motions.

Listen: it’s not about the money. It’s about showing people that you truly care—that you truly are thankful for them.

The Magic of Free Thanksgiving Ecards!

It’s amazing what a simple gesture like sending an animated ecard can do. Yesterday, I sent one to my sister and not soon after, I received an ecard from my brother, which was very unexpected! And this is how it played out: My sister was having a ho-hum day which was turned around instantly when she opened my Thanksgiving ecard, “Turkey Hand”. When we were kids we learned in arts and crafts how to make a turkey by tracing our hand. So she traced one herself, her spirits were lifted and she was enticed to send an animated ecard to our Mom! When Mom opened her “Magic Pumpkin” ecard, she was flattered and felt the urge to begin planning her menu for Thanksgiving, as well as the guest list. Mom thought about calling our brother to remind him to come home for Thanksgiving, but decided she didn’t want to bother him so she sent him an animated ecard instead!

When my brother opened his Thanksgiving ecard, “Big Eater”, with the included message from Mom telling him she couldn’t wait to see him, he could already taste the turkey and pie! And wouldn’t you know that my brother then sent both my sister and me the “Turkey Hand” animated ecard to remind us of the arts and crafts we did as kids, and to say he couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving! As I said before, it is amazing what an animated ecard can do. Send yours today!

Thanksgiving Facts – Part 2

Giving thanks is just the beginning.

It is believed that the first Thanksgiving feast, although it was not called so back then, was held in 1621 by the Plymouth pilgrims. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the same spirit of expressing gratitude, but in very different ways. Did you know–

* In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October?
* Thanksgiving is celebrated not only in US, but in other countries as well? They include Canada, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Liberia, Argentina and Switzerland.
* Every year, a lucky turkey is given the privilege of being ‘pardoned’ by the president? The National Thanksgiving Turkey as it is known, is brought to the White House, where the president officially pardons the turkey, thereby sparing its life! That privileged turkey is then sent to a Virginia Park, named Frying Pan Park!! In addition to the pardoned turkey, a back-up turkey too is selected for this purpose and that turkey is also spared.
* Millions of Americans fly out or drive hundreds of miles to be with their families for Thanksgiving? It is one of the busiest holidays and flight tickets for the Thanksgiving weekend get sold out weeks, even months ahead. If you haven’t been an early bird, you are more likely to pay an exorbitant amount for your tickets.
* The day after Thanksgiving is considered the busiest shopping day of the year. Not only does it mark the beginning of Christmas shopping, but it’s also the day when most stores have irresistible deals on many products ranging from electronics to clothing. People throng in thousands in front of stores from 5 a.m. to be the first to grab the best deals.
Today, Thanksgiving is primarily about families coming together, sharing a meal and expressing their gratitude for everything from the food on the table to the jobs they have.
Many families start the day with a prayer service at their church. Prayers are said at the table before beginning the big Thanksgiving dinner. Some other modern America traditions that have come to be associated with this holiday are Thanksgiving Parades and Thanksgiving football.
Holidays like Thanksgiving serve as reminders of tradition that give members of a family to come together at least once a year. Thanksgiving also gives you the chance to start your own family traditions that are relevant and appropriate for your kids.

What Thanksgiving traditions do you follow and which is your favorite? Will you start your own traditions this year? Why not send out free thanksgiving ecards to your friends and family?

Let’s not forget Thanksgiving

It seems that after Labor Day, everything seems to be about candy and ghosts until November, and then trees and tinsel for the rest of the year. It seems that a lot of people forget one of the most important holidays of all: Thanksgiving.

We don’t forget Thanksgiving at GotFreeCards.com, and we know you don’t forget, either. That’s why you can head over to our website now and choose from a number of free Thanksgiving Ecards to send to your friends and family members. And with the animated Ecards at Gotfreecards.com, you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money for greeting cards for each and every holiday: because all of our cards are absolutely free!

Just go to gotfreecards.com, browse our large selection of free Ecards, pick the one (or ones!) you like, and choose who you want to send it to. It’s that easy!

Thanksgiving is Here

I went to the grocery store today, and the woman in the check-out line was wearing a turkey hat on her head. So I stopped to take a look around and noticed pilgrim decorations, cornucopias decorating the aisles, pumpkin pie filling for sale, and posters declaring that turkeys were coming soon. Can it be? Is Thanksgiving really almost here?

I can already smell the Pumpkin Pies cooling on the counter, the cider warming on the stove and the turkey cooking in the oven. I can imagine my family gathering around to chat, the kids excited to have a four day weekend from school, and everyone excited for my Aunt’s pecan pie. I know my husband is excited for Football on TV, and a week’s worth of leftovers for turkey sandwiches! Thanksgiving also brings forth feelings of nostalgia, and though we’d like to spend time with everyone we know, we also know it is quite impossible. This year, we need to slow down and enjoy the company of the people that we are able to see for the holidays. We need to remember that the quality of the time we spend with others is much more important than how many people we can see in a matter of 4 days. It is not a race, it is not a competition, it is a holiday, and we are going to soak in the smells and the sights and the sounds. And why not send some free thanksgiving ecards to your family and friends.

What are you looking forward to this Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Facts – Part 1

Halloween has come and gone and that means…
Thanksgiving is almost here!

Come November and the holiday season mood sets in. Even though Christmas is two months away and Thanksgiving is four weeks away, it still feels like they’re around the corner. Do you sometimes get the feeling that your third grader knows more about Thanksgiving than you? Relax. You’re not alone.
Refresh your memory with these facts about the origin of Thanksgiving and you could ace that third grade quiz!
·    Thanksgiving, as we know it was first celebrated by the Plymouth pilgrims who had arrived on the Mayflower. However, long before the pilgrims arrived, Native American tribes practiced the custom of celebrating harvest with a feast.
·    Only about half the pilgrims survived and they expressed their gratitude with a thanksgiving feast after the first harvest was completed that fall.
·    The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
·    The pilgrims invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast which lasted three days.
·    The harvest meal included deer and wild fowl and not pumpkin pie or turkey.
·    The pilgrims did not use forks. They used knives, spoons and their fingers.
·    In 1623, during a drought, the pilgrims had allocated a day for fasting and prayer, but rains came during the prayers and turned it into a day of thanksgiving.
·    The Continental Congress suggested a yearly day of thanksgiving during the American Revolution.
·    In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed the last Thursday of November as national thanksgiving day.
·    Since 1939, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

What started as a day of thanks has become a long weekend almost everyone looks forward to for different reasons. The next post will highlight some of the modern day Thanksgiving traditions and the different ways the holiday is celebrated.

While you wait for the next part. Checkout the free thanksgiving ecards at GotFreecards.com