For many of us, Christmas is the most celebrated and cherished time of the year. We dream about it months before the 25th of December and we try to anticipate the way we’ll spend this magic period. In order to make the most of it, we have to choose the best Christmas Decorations (the most glamorous and eye catching Christmas ornaments), the most attractive Christmas tree and to be surrounded by our family and friends.

We all seem to be perfectionists when it comes to Christmas decorations. It’s understandable, since we wait for an entire year to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to enjoy the reunion of our family. But the best herald of this holy time of the year remains the Christmas tree. It’s around it where we share stories and laugh and open Santa’s presents.

The origins of the Christmas tree are not known for sure, but they date since ancient times and are connected to religious rituals. The practice of adorning it seems to have started during the 1500s, when an evergreen was associated with the Mother of Jesus and was decorated with roses as Christmas ornaments. A period when the Christmas decorations were represented only by nuts, pretzels, raisins and cookies followed. Then the glass balls appeared and gradually they were replaced by today’s plastic tree ornaments, like bells, toys, stars, candy canes, socks, Santa Claus hats and little snowmen.

The first thing to have in mind when searching for a Christmas tree is whether you prefer a real or a fake one. There are some advantages and disadvantages: the real one is very beautiful and smells like winter and forest, but it can make a mess of needles on your floor if it isn’t a special type of fir (evergreen) or if it wasn’t treated with special chemicals; the fake one will look realistic enough when we arrange its branches, but it will not fool anyone.

The finishing note for the tree is represented by the Christmas ornaments. No matter what you choose, how you decide to adorn it, your tree should say something about you and your family. You may choose a religious theme or a modern one. You may choose only white, red, silver, gold or other fancy colourful Christmas decorations. You don’t even have to spend a lot of money to have beautiful and unique Christmas ornaments for the Christmas tree. You can make a lot of them together with your family, in order to give your celebration a personal touch. Children especially are very enthusiastic about manufacturing all kinds of Christmas ornaments by themselves, using materials like white or coloured paper. Snowflakes are one of the simplest Christmas decorations to be made. This will develop their imagination and their skills and you will have less work to do by yourself.

The Christmas ornaments in chief position may be represented by the stars or the fairies on the top of the tree. We have many options for that too, since the specialised stores provide us with endless ideas. Other Christmas decorations that should not be forgotten are the lights. Originally people used candles for this purpose, but they’ve proven to be dangerous (a source for unwanted accidets), so now everybody buys electric lights which flash and even play Christmas carols. We certainly don’t want any Christmas ornaments to fall down from the tree, so it would be recommended to fasten them carefully.

No matter which Christmas story pleases us, about Jesus or about Santa, about angels or about reindeers, we should not forget to tell it to our children during Christmas Eve. This will create a magic atmosphere and, together with the Christmas decorations so carefully chosen, will make us all feel the peace of Christmas in our souls.

Amelie Mag
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/decorating-the-evergreen-tree-with-christmas-ornaments-86769.html

So unless you have a old favourite fake tree in the loft and plan on reusing for as long as possible make sure that this Christmas you buy a real living tree.

* The best choice is a tree with roots, if you keep it in a pot and water then you can pop it outside after Christmas and use the next year
* You can find out where you can buy a Forestry Commision Christmas tree by checking out their website, they also have handy tips on which variety of tree to choose
* If you don’t like the idea of a Christmas tree and prefer to gift a community with a tree why not choose the Christmas Berry tree from Trees for Cities

Once you’ve decided on your tree then comes the choice of decoration; traditional, modern or what the kids want! We’ve got a few ideas on how to make decorations that are kinder to the planet than plastic baubles.

Eco friendly home ideas for decorations:

* String popcorn and drape over your tree
* Go foraging in your local woods and hunt out holly, mistletoe, pine cones or pretty skeleton leaves
* Reuse old Christmas cards, cut out motifs and hang with string or ribbon
* Solar powered fairy lights (safer too)
* Salt dough decorations (recipe below)
* Cookie decorations (recipe below)
* Gingerbread decorations (recipe below)

Salt dough:

You will need:

* 1 1/2 Cups Flour
* 1/2 Cup Salt
* Cold Water
* Food Dye
* Optional: Lemon juice (dough dries harder), Oil (for more elastic dough).

Mix flour and salt in a bowl and add cold water a little at a time to form a rough dough. Do not make it runny or sticky. Mix in food dye if you want to make a coloured dough. Kneed the dough until it is smooth. Leave in an airtight container for at least an hour or until you are ready to use it. Then you can let your imagination run wild!

When you have finished your sculpture you can bake them in the oven at 200 degrees or gas mark 6. Or let it dry naturally. Baking times will depend on the size and thickness of your sculpture. You can paint your sculpture with poster paint when it has cooled.

Cookie decorations: 100

180°C/350°F/gas mark 4sugar (light, soft and brown)

* 100g butter, softened
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 250g plain flour
* 30g cornflour
* ½tsp ground mixed spice
* 1tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 large star-shaped cookie cutter
* Fruit-flavoured hard-boiled sweets
* 1 round cookie cutter, slightly bigger than the sweets
* 1 large baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper
* Ribbon to hang

Mix the sugar and butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten egg a little at a time. Sift the flour, cornflour, mixed spice and cinnamon into the bowl and mix it until it forms a dough. Dust flour over a surface and roll out the dough to ½cm thick. Cut out the stars, then place on a baking tray and make a small hole at the top for the ribbon. Cut out the round shape in the centre of the cookie and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Take out and place the hard boiled sweet in the centre and return to the oven for 5 further minutes. By now the cookie should be browned and the sweet melted in the middle. Leave to cool and then thread with ribbon.

Gingerbread decorations:

* 350g plain flour
* Up to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 100g butter or margarine
* 175g soft light brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 4 tablespoons golden syrup or organic honey

Makes about 20 biscuits.

Put the flour, ginger and soda into a bowl and rub in the butter. Add sugar and stir in the syrup and egg to make a firm dough.

Roll out to about 5mm thick and cut out your gingerbread men. If you don’t have a gingerbread man cutter then use whatever you have – stars and hearts are just as tasty.

Bake at 190 C /Gas 5 for 10 to 15 mins until golden brown. Leave to firm up for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack to cook. Once cooled, decorate with icing.

Swap the ginger for cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla essence if you don’t like ginger.

Browse our eco friendly shop and turn your home green.

Green Rewards
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/christmas-treesmake-your-christmas-greener-745870.html

we are planning to visit houston, tx from Dec 24-26 this yr. are there any awesome Christmas light display and big Christmas events in Houston that we should not miss? thanks.

Lights in the Heights is nice. Also, Moody Gardens in Galveston has a beautiful set up. Pick up a free edition of Houston Press for shows.

http://www.houstonpress.com

I remember spending $150 in one store, mainly to replace our broken Christmas tree decorations. No more will I do that!
When I buy stuff after a holiday, I usually can’t remember where I put it by the next year.

I will spend the same as I did last year and the year before that-, Zero. I generally work on that day and with no more family left to Christmas with, it seems pointless to spend money I don’t need to spend.

51 year old brick rancher. Used Hunter ceiling fan w/ lights.
Sweet husband removed ceiling light in order to install fan.

NOW WE HAVE….
4 (that’s right 4!) black wires dangling from the hole where the old ceiling fixture used to be. 2 white wires. and NONE of the ceiling lights work in the back part of the house.

Could the ceiling lights be wired in a series like old Christmas Lights???

My poor hubbie can’t remember what wire went where. He already knows he should have label them and is beating himself up over that.

HELP!!! I’m so tired of looking for things in the dark.
Don’t have fuses, have circuit breakers. I’m an "electrician’s daughter" so I’m usually pretty good with this stuff. We’re just stumped as to the wiring configuration.
Billy, Irv & GS:

GREAT info. Thanks guys. We’ll use this information to isolate the problem. I want to give all of you "best answer" designation!! Guess I’ll wait and see which idea was actually the solution.
P.S. We’re going to have to wait until our heat wave is over in Virginia for my hubby to climb back in the attic…. He almost passed out up there.

I guess then I’d be on-line looking for answers on how to get an unconscious husband out of the attic.

Tell ‘husband’ not to panic.
As an electricians daughter, you know that those
black & white wires run in pairs.
Look into the box and match up and tag all the pairs
you see so you can figure this out.
(There will be two more white wires tied together in
that box for a total of at least four pairs.)
One pair of the wires will be incoming power and
neutral. (Find these FIRST by isolating all the loose
wires, turning on the power, and CAREFULLY using
a test lamp. – Please don’t get hurt.)
One pair will be wiring to & from the wall switch.
Any other pairs will be either power out to the other
lights in the "back of the house", or switched power
to other lights in the same room, (if any).
In general, all the whites except the one from the wall
switch can be tied together.
Isolate the pair going to the switch, they’re special,
Mark the white of this pair so you’ll know it’s not a neutral.
By trial and error, (connecting power with light
switches on) find the blacks that are ‘power out to
the other rooms, and tie them together with the
‘power in’ black. (Now you’ve only got one problem).

That fan should be installed only on a specially
reinforced ‘fan hanger box’. (The vibration and torque
applied by the fan has been known to work standard
ceiling boxes loose from their fastenings with bad results.)
As the fan probably requires separate wires for ‘fan`
and ‘light’ from the wall switch, (which you don’t have),
I don’t recommend installing it.
For whatever you install at that box, take power from the
group of black wires to the wall switch, (which you
have now found by the process of elimination), and
connect the wire coming back from the switch to the
black wire of your fixture.
The white wire from your fixture ties to the group of whites.

If the Christmas Lights fail to light because of one burned-out bulb, the lights are probably wired in series or parallel?

The lights are wired in series

When Celebrating Christmas in Paris you might notice many new traditions mingled with older ones. Christmas time in Paris is still a very religious event with Nativity Scenes all around, Midnight Masses and gathering of family and friends. You will also find that the department stores are lined with bright and festive lights.

Historical Traditions still done today

In the past children put their shoes by the fire so Father Christmas or Santa Claus would leave them toys. This is still done today and the only real thing to have changed is the type of fireplace the shoes are next too. Nativity Scenes have been used through out time as well, with the birth of Jesus being the centerpiece, and through out time the only real change is now you might find a tiny Santa in the scene. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is also a very real tradition that has traveled throughout out the ages with now primarily parents and adults attending.

Where to go and what to see during Christmas in Paris

When deciding where to visit and what to see during your Paris city break you want to go through the streets of the bigger department stores and see the vast array of lights on display. Many stores in Paris are lit brightly in preparation of the holiday and you will find that no matter how big or small the store each will go all out.

Though there is no black Friday in Paris you will know that Christmas is there by the little stands popping up all around with specialty items for the holiday season only. The stands will have anything from holiday decorations to handmade gifts for family and friends. You will also notice some of the more commercial Christmas look and feel in Paris but the Old World Charm here will bring you a warm feeling no matter where you are.

What to do for Christmas Eve

When staying in Paris on Christmas Eve you will find that many will be spending the evening in Midnight Mass. This is one tradition that has been around for centuries and should not be missed. Spending the evening listening to the choir, hearing passages from the bible and watching the nativity scene come to life make any Christmas Eve special.

When staying in Paris at Christmas you want to remember that this is a peak tourist time and the prices can go up, but being thrifty and planning ahead can make all difference. Oh and do not forget to bring some extra cash for those impromptu gifts you will find and buy.

Travel Guru
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/celebrate-christmas-in-paris-296450.html

Your Christmas Table

If you choose your decorations carefully and creatively, they can be an investment that will last for years. Therefore, when you have eaten your last piece of fruitcake for the season, all you need to do is pack up your decorations and store them safely.

I always find that decorating my Christmas table is probably the most exciting activity at this time of year. I can spend hours shopping online, deciding on the colour scheme and the most intricate details, and have my table as simple or as highly structured as I want. You will find that the most important thing you must do is decide on a theme and colour scheme.

You will accomplish two things by doing this. Firstly, it will be easier to co-ordinate, look extremely attractive and secondly, when you shop online for all the necessary items you will find that it will be easy to find just the variety you want, particularly if you plan early in the year. I always find that by shopping online, I can visit various sites and choose what I want and then if I stumble on something more interesting I can change tack.

It’s as simple as that. Two of my favourite sites for online shopping are bcl.com.au, where you can buy Australian Christmas Decorations online. Christmas table decorations and party supplies can be ordered online all year round and delivered to your door. OzFreeOnline.com is great when I want to login and browse the hundreds of classifieds, order online, and have Christmas supplies home delivered. All you do is join up and begin shopping.

If you don’t want to do anything but go with the colour scheme in your home then you will most likely have a very simple task. All you will need to do is choose the main colour in which you wish to highlight the table and then begin from there. You may find that your linen closet has everything you need, but you may want to add a contrasting colour. You can always find bells, angels, candles, snowmen, ribbons and bows, napkins, and bonbons, at your favourite online store.

A beautifully decorated table with a little creativity can really make an impact. If you have no theme in mind, why not go ‘alfresco’ and take Christmas lunch outdoors. An outdoor setting is the perfect place for bright, gay colours. Choose one colour to dominate then weave it through your setting, contrasting with splashes of opposing colours. Use brightly coloured china, napkins, and ‘Australiana’ Christmas decorations to brighten up the table even more.

Perhaps you are a traditionalist, and want to use the long-established red, green, and gold. Maybe you like white and silver. Possibly, you might want two particular colours. Say white and purple, or mauve and yellow. Could be that you want the summery colours we are used to here in Australia at Christmas, and have a beach theme and serve crayfish as your main course, with Pavlova for sweets instead of Christmas pudding.

Convincing me to have an all white Christmas in the middle of December would be a tad difficult, but I am sure there are many who would enjoy the elegance and simplicity of white. With starched white napkins, you could use tall white tapered candles, crystal bells, and tall crystal stemware. You could have beautiful glass balls especially decorated with your guests name or your personal message and used as part of the place-settings at your Christmas table. Touches of reflective metal will add extra sparkle, and use softly rounded cutlery and gleaming Christmas decorations. The final touch might be a line of gorgeous long stemmed white roses in single vases down the entire centre of the table.

HINT: Instead of buying your Christmas bells here and glass baubles there, why not allocate an hour or two to visit a Christmas shop online with everything you need in the one shop. You will save time and probably a little money too. First, I went online to visit everythingchristmas.com.au, and then shopped online with OzFreeOnline.com. I found everything I wanted to buy in their classified pages and after searching through hundreds of online ads I felt quite ‘Christmassed out’ and very happy with my purchases.

Barbara Thorp
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/begin-planning-christmas-in-april-part-2-139056.html

CHRISTMAS KATIE – WIDESPREAD PANIC

http://www.everydaycompanion.com/lyrics/songs/christmas_katie.asp

The Cadillacs roll, Katie step to the side
Tellin’ jokes with strangers
A kind glance at a lonely passer-by
Jingle bells, electric lights
Oh, they rattle ‘gainst the shopping cart
Even on the fourth of July

Christmas Katie calls people names
They’re Dancers, and Blitzens, and angels on high

Chilly bones laughin’ after the night
Oh, the hungries come and go
As he blows with his eyes froze tight
Slidell boy, big city nights
Oh, he tips his hat for dinner
An old stray beggin’ for a bite

Oh, Christmas Katie, babe, blow your horn
Play something happy, leave the sad one’s alone
Crackin’ a smile as small as wishes
Make us some merry, make it last for a while

Hey, puttin’ out the dog, put the wheels on tight
Oh, play another sweet song
Never wanna see Katie cry
Jingle bells, electric lights
They rattle ‘gainst the shopping cart
Even on the fourth of July

Oh, Christmas Katie, baby blow that horn
Play something happy, leave the sad ones alone
Slidell smiles as small as wishin’
Make us some merry, make it last for a while
Oh, make it last all night!

DISCLAIMER: I apologize for any sub-par video quality. HOB Security was standing inches from me (left ledge) and told me repeatedly he’d take my camera and /or throw me out if I didn’t stop, so I was trying to be discreet. The shakiness is (mostly) b/c I was hiding the camera behind people and when they moved, so did I. When Security looked at me, I’d hold the camera down and let the audio keep running. On any videos where I may talk/sing–Sorry! For me, having fun takes priority over filming. It’s not like I’m getting paid. OK, Thanks for watching : )

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Avalon Court in the subdivision Sydney Harbour in Houston.

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