christmas ecards – Page 4

Christmas Lights

Lights Lights Lights! Who doesn’t love Christmas and Holiday Lights? They’re pretty, they’re festive, and they stir up the holiday spirit in all of us. But while we love to look at them, even travel distances to see the houses with the best light shows, no one really wants to be the one to hang them up.

Case in point: A friend of mine hung up his lights this weekend. He finished just as his wife pointed out to him that the outlets for the plugs where located on the opposite side of the house than he thought. He had to take down ALL of the lights and start over. Who doesn’t love Christmas lights? My friend, that’s who.

When I was a kid, our lights were perfectly stored tangle free, thanks to my genius dad. Each January he wrapped the light strands carefully around paper towel rolls and carefully placed them in boxes to be stored until next year. Each December he’d unroll the strands in the garage, lay them on the ground to organize them, and plug them in to make sure they all worked. One December when I was 10, he asked me to help him in the garage with the Christmas lights. He picked up one end of a light strand to take it to the front yard, I picked up the other end, we started walking and wouldn’t you know I dropped my end and ALL of the lights broke. Who doesn’t love Christmas lights? Me at 10 years old, that’s who!

As I recall all of the Christmas light follies, and there are many, I can’t help but laugh. For all of the brave people hanging up their lights this year, send them FREE ecards from GotFreeCards.com, like the ecard, “Tangled Lights”. Let them know you are thinking of them and all of the hard work that they do to light up Christmas!

Commercial Christmas Commentary

Each holiday season, Americans are completely bombarded with advertising and sales promotions for millions of products. Toy commercials entice our children to beg for dolls and trains. Late-night infomercials convince us we need complete storage systems to hide away our extra belongings. In-store displays prompt last-minute purchases. And, in the frenzy of the holidays, the lists and the parties, we are often caught up by commercialism more than celebration.

It is a somewhat sad commentary on our society that we must constantly be reminded of the reason behind the season. However, this year’s economic crisis affords us a new opportunity to make changes in some of our holiday traditions. Our family, for example, has decided to forgo paper Christmas cards. We’ve gathered everyone’s email addresses, and have agreed that we will all use free e-cards from gotfreecards.com. This one step will save us the cost of the Christmas cards, as well as the astronomical cost of postage. E-cards also save precious storage space. After all, what are you supposed to do with a hundred Christmas cards? We also decided that this year, the youngsters will receive the bulk of the gifts. The adults will exchange only small tokens and stocking stuffers. It feels good to pull away from the frenzied spending habits of Christmases past. Instead of worrying how we’ll afford all those presents, we’re planning on enjoying the time we spend with one another. Happy Holidays!

Christmas Unforgettable Holidays

The most memorable Christmases aren’t the ones where we get the the shiniest jewelry or the most expensive video games. The memorable Holiday seasons are those marked by truly unforgettable events.

Case in point: when I was eleven years old, my family decided to shell out some cash for a real tree, rather than use the old plastic one. Dad and I drove to a Christmas Tree farm, chose the biggest, most expensive tree, and took it home. The whole family had a wonderful evening, securing the tree, stringing up the lights, and then attaching ornaments.

We all went to bed on Christmas Eve night, and I had just fallen asleep when a loud crashing sound jerked me back awake. My first thought: Santa hadn’t turned the lights on, and was fumbling around in the darkness downstairs. Then I heard a “meow” and I knew the true source of the disturbance.

I rushed downstairs, following closely my parents, and what we see in the living room is our beautiful, expensive tree, lying on its side, ornaments scattered about and broken, and our gray tabby cat, Bully, sitting in the middle of the whole mess, with a “What’d I do?” look on his face.

Had I been making animated christmas ecards for gotfreecards.com back then, I would have immortalized the event in a free e-card. Even still, it’s not something I’m ever likely to forget.

The next year, we went back to the plastic Christmas Tree, and we never looked back.

Christma Take a Moment

As Thanksgiving comes, and quickly goes, we find that we barely have enough to catch our breath—let alone clean up the kitchen—before we start to fully realize that there’s less than a month left until Christmas.

Christmas is a wonderful holiday, and if you’re anything like me, some of the best, most cherished memories from your life involve the Christmas Holiday season, in one manner or another. It can be all too easy, though, to let the inherent stress of the Holidays get the better of us, and cause us to miss all the real joy that does surround us those few weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

I’m not leading into some great words of wisdom or advice, other than to say this: slow down, take your time, spend a few moments, every day, to remind yourself what the Holidays are really supposed to be about, and remember how, several months from now, it won’t be the hours spent in shopping lines that you remember, but the looks on your friends’ and loved ones’ faces when they open up that perfect gift on Christmas morning. Or the thank you note you receive for the thoughtful Christmas Ecards you sent from Gotfreecards.com.

So get to it, take a breath, and have a great Holiday season!

Turn a depressing, lonely Christmas into a cheerful celebration

Christmas is considered one of the most joyful times of the year. But did you know that it could also be one of the most depressing for some? Surprised?

Consider the fact that it marks the end of the current year – there’s less than a week to go – and many of us may not have accomplished our goals for the year. Then, there’s the not-so-light problem of the holiday pounds. Most of us tuck into rich food, sweets and snacks the last three months and by Christmas, we find that we are no closer to keeping our current resolution of losing weight! Throw in snow, Christmas traffic, crowded shopping malls, job cuts, expensive gifts and thinning wallets and what do you get? Not a very joyful holiday season. If your family lives far away, your friends are out of town and you end up spending Christmas alone or at work, it’s even worse. But wait! This post is not meant to make those of you who may already be dreading the holidays feel even more miserable. In fact, there is actually a way for you to feel good about this season even if you are not up to it.

And that is by sending free Christmas ecards from gotfreecards.com. Sending your friends, family and coworkers free ecards not only shows them that you care but also lightens up your mood. You will feel good that even though you may not be there with them, you did think about each other on Christmas. Besides, for every ecard you send, chances are you will receive ‘Thank you’ ecards which will also cheer you up. On top of it all, as you browse the ecards, you are sure to come across some funny ones that will crack you up or some heartfelt wishes that will move you and remind you of the true spirit of Christmas – that it is not about what you have or get but about what you give.

So cheer up and start picking out the perfect Christmas ecard for all the people you care about.

Money Saving Tips for the Holidays

Let’s face it. The economy stinks, and we’ve all seen our wallets and bank balances shrink over the past few months. This year, it’s important for us to focus on the essentials during the holidays, and to refrain from the excess that has become the norm for most Americans. Whether it’s Christmas or Chanukah, Kwaanza or New Year’s, here is a list of ideas to stay on budget and keep the season simple:

* Skip expensive store-bought cards! Gotfreecards.com has a card for every occasion, and they don’t charge a cent to send good wishes to friends and family. You will find an excellent selection of cards, ranging from humorous to sincere. Whatever your requirements for the perfect holiday card, you will be satisfied with our free christmas e-cards!

* Buy small, thoughtful gifts that send a caring message. While extravagant gift displays are nice, the best gifts are truly the ones that come from the heart. Purchase an inexpensive item and have it monogrammed for a personal touch. The purpose behind a gift is to show love and sincere appreciation toward the recipient. This can be achieved without spending large amounts of money.

* Make a budget and stick to it. Treat the holiday budget just as you would your household. Make a list of recipients, plan a gift for each person, set a ceiling on the amount you can spend and stay with it. Saving receipts will also keep you from overspending.

* Use your knack for baking or crafts to create a homemade gift. A plate of warm, home-baked chocolate chip cookies is often more appreciated than a gift card!

* Plan ahead. Often we spend more money when we wait too long to buy a present. Knowing in advance what you have in mind for each person on your gift list will keep you on your budget.

My final bit of advice is to appreciate your loved ones during the holidays. Remember that this season is about friendship and family, togetherness and love. Avoid thinking that an expensive present will replace your presence at holiday celebrations. Time is extremely valuable, and each moment you spend with your loved ones is more precious than anything else. Happy Holidays!

Christmas Over Budget

As the years go by, it seems our families and circles of friends only get larger. While this is great most of the time, when holidays roll around, and it’s time to start thinking about buying gifts, the headaches can be unbearable. One year, a couple of Christmases ago, I decided to buy gifts for every member of my family, and every friend I had. To save money, I bought everyone tacky little trinkets. Of course, when they opened their gifts on Christmas Day, everyone smiled and said how much they loved their gifts, but I could tell: they were thinking, Why the heck did he get me this? The end result? I wasted—yes, wasted—a lot of money.

The next year, I decided to just focus on my closest family members and friends. That meant I could afford to buy my brother the DVD set he wanted, and my parents absolutely loved the personally-engraved ‘family tree’ gift: a ceramic tree, fitted with photographs of each of their three children. And as for everyone I didn’t guy gifts for? I called them on the phone, each and every one of them, and told them how much they meant to me. They loved the gesture, and, in many ways, it was better than receiving gifts.

This year, I’m adding free ecards onto the list, along with thoughtful phone calls. The free christmas e-cards at gotfreecards.com are completely free, and the only time they take is the time I spend choosing just the right card. You should try it, too: it’s a great way to not only save money, but also to let everyone in your life know how much you truly care.

Christmas Tree Shopping

My family has a fake Christmas Tree. I am not a fan. It doesn’t smell good, it is prickly to touch, and each branch has to be fluffed and primped and twisted to make it look like a real tree. And then when it is time to pack it up in January, each branch has to be smoothed down and folded up, and there are like 500 of them. But our fake tree has its pluses too: it cost us barely nothing as we got it at an after Christmas sale 3 years ago, it can be put up whenever we want, it fits into a box that is easy to store, and it doesn’t shed.

Our kids’ pediatrician made us get it because she says it is safer for the little ones, and I appreciate that, but I still miss going out to get our tree.

I remember a season when we went Christmas Tree shopping, and spent hours looking for the perfect tree. The tree we always ended up with was nothing to write home about, but once we adorned it with lights, ornaments, and candy canes, it immediately became a part of our home, a part of our Christmas celebrations. It was perfect because it was the one we chose, even if it was bare on one side and had a family of squirrels living in it.

For now, our fake tree is the perfect tree for our family. Christmas Tree shopping is a tradition I will share with my kids when they are older. But today, I will send my husband the free Christmas ecard “Perfect Tree” as a little reminder of the tradition we used to share. What are your Christmas Tree traditions?

Christmas traditions bring cheer

Although Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, even people of other faiths enjoy many of the Christmas traditions. Besides having religious significance for Christians, Christmas season also brings cheer and joy to almost all corners of the world irrespective of the faith. The lights, colors, music and festivities associated with Christmas have a way of lifting one’s spirits even if he belongs to a different faith. I, for one, love the Christmassy look that shops, malls and streets take on. I love to walk around my block, observing the lights on each house and taking note of what’s new this year. I like to visit different malls just to see the different ways Christmas trees are decorated. Although I belong to a different faith, I can relate to and appreciate the feelings that abound, around Christmas time. The spirit of giving, sharing, loving. Family members traveling long distances to be home for Christmas. Parents cutting back on expenses and tighten their budgets so they can keep their promises to their children on Christmas. Christmas brings out the generous streak in almost everybody. It’s not only about shopping for one’s family, but also about giving to the less fortunate. Helping just once a year may not be enough, but at least Christmas is one occasion that drives people to think about lending a hand. This is the perfect time to teach children about giving and helping the needy. Instead of asking Santa for gifts for themselves, why not encourage kids to become Santas for a few less fortunate kids? Even giving away their old toys is a good start. There is so much about Christmas that is universal. So, this Christmas, like every year, I will put up a tree, buy gifts for my friends and kids, watch mushy Christmas movies on TV, volunteer at the food bank and cook a special meal for my family. Oh, and I will definitely be sending out free Christmas ecards from gotfreecards.com to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Christmas Shrink your to-do List

Well, the elections are finally over, and you know what that means: it’s time to get ready for Christmas!

It seems like we’ve gotten to a point in our society where the period of time between holidays is counted in shopping days, rather than calendar days. It’s easy to get lost, and feel weighed down, by all the stresses that preparing for the holidays entails. You have to buy gifts, you have to wrap them, you have spend gas money going back and forth from home to the mall. You have to order that special present online and hope it arrives by Christmas, and you have to hope you don’t go seriously, seriously over budget.

At gotfreecards.com, we’re doing our small part to make the holidays just a little less stressful. Now, instead of adding the buying, addressing and mailing out of holiday cards to your already-overbooked to-do list, you can check out our free e-cards. Our animated free christmas e-cards don’t require that you make a trip to the department store, and all you need to do is give us the e-mail address of whomever you want to send them to. It’s that easy!