Be Green this Christmas

Be all green this Christmas and give useful but natural gifts to your best friends and others. Perhaps give unusual Christmas gifts like items friends would not normally purchase but that represent the essence of the holidays. For example, a green Christmas wreath is an accessory that visibly tells everyone a person is in the spirit of the season at first glance to their doorway. They are nice hung inside the home also and many are very fragrant.

Think of items that are reusable, recyclable, and renewable. A gift card that can be reloaded with more cash is better than one that is just pitched in the trash when used up. If you have a favorite book consider passing it along as a gift, with a note to the receiver to do the same when they have finished reading it. Homemade gifts from the kitchen are always a holiday hit. Make creative and colorful quilts from clothing that is no longer needed. Making something new from old is like a plant blooming year after year.

There are many “green” gifts you can give or make. For example, colorful recycling bins are a really unusual but useful gift. It may seem odd at first, but you will be in your friend’s thoughts all year around as they use the bins. An assortment of green cleaning agents is another useful but earth friendly idea. None of these ideas are fattening, but surely there are some holiday treat ideas that are available, such as healthy fruit baskets or a reusable container filled with chocolates.

You can create a green holiday experience for yourself as you shop for everyone on your holiday list. Another way to give an ecologically friendly gift would be to take your intended recipient shopping with you so they can pick out their own choice as you guide them towards green gift selections.

Most people enjoy having the "normal" trimmings of the holiday season, such as holiday welcome mats, Christmas wreaths, garlands and lighting. But if person is somehow having a hard time, the bleakness of their situation can seem even lonelier at holiday times. Giving earth friendly green gifts like a freshly made Christmas wreath can not only lift spirits but also remind them of the loveliness of living things. Take a few moments this year as you comprise your gift list and think green for those unusual and welcome holiday gifts!

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Your Favorite Family Christmas Traditions Bring the Holidays Alive

With the holidays quickly coming upon us, it can be easy to get caught up in the commercial aspect of this important day. Of course, the gifts will need to be purchased. However, by focusing on your favorite family Christmas traditions, you can be sure that your family will remember what is really important. After all, the holidays aren't really about what you get, but the people you love and the time you spend together. Keeping those traditions alive and passing them down is one of the best parts of the season.

No discussion on favorite family Christmas traditions is complete without decorating the Christmas tree and the traditional
Christmas wreath. Many people collect ornaments as the children in the family grow. Each year when the tree is pulled out, the memories come with it. Other families take a hands-on approach and spend time hand crafting ornaments as a family. In addition, decorating and placing the door wreath signals the beginning of the holiday season. Each time your family walks in the door, they get a visual reminder of the joy surrounding these merry months. These two things mark the beginning of Christmas cheer and open the door for many more fun family times.

Another common tradition is baking and cookie making. The Christmas season is steeped with smells and tastes that tantalize. It is common for grandmothers to teach their grandchildren their secret recipes. Cookie exchanges are also increasingly popular. Each guest makes several dozen of their favorite recipe. The selection is then mixed up, allowing each guest to come home with a variety of Christmas cookies. If you don't already do this, consider throwing a cookie exchange party this year for the first time and making it one of your favorite family Christmas traditions.

In addition to the tree and great food, Christmas just would not be complete without the music filling the already decked halls. There are dozens of traditions that incorporate the amazing seasonal music. Many communities put on concerts or plays during this time. In fact, you may be surprised to find that many of these are free. You could soak in Handel's Messiah, for example, for nothing but the cost of your gas. Participating in such things can also be a great tradition for your family. Finally, who can resist that classic caroling choir? This can be an extremely enjoyable evening activity for your family. Invite all your friends along as well. When it comes to caroling, more is definitely merrier.

As you can see, there's so much more to the holiday season than getting stuff. In fact, with the proper attitude, you can teach your kids to appreciate your favorite family Christmas traditions even more than gifts. After all, the traditions make the holiday come alive for the whole season and and not just for a day.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Best Christmas Gifts for Unemployed

Given the state of today’s economy, as well as the current unemployment rate, there will be many who will find it necessary to cut back on Christmas expenses this year. Chances are, there is at least one person on your Christmas list that is currently unemployed. Deciding what to give this person may be a difficult decision for some. An expensive, frivolous gift that they may not get much use out of is probably not a good decision. For the person who is currently unemployed, a thoughtful, more practical gift will likely be much more appreciated. Here are a few suggestions:

•Everybody loves to greet their friends and family with a fresh Christmas wreath hung on the door! In addition, a
Christmas wreath can help bring joy and Christmas spirit to the person who may find it necessary to cut corners on Christmas this year. The person who is unemployed this season will likely not spend money on Christmas decorations.

•Buy them a gift certificate or tickets for some fun event or entertainment that their whole family can enjoy. If they love movies buy a gift certificate to the movies, skating,
sports events are all things they wouldn’t treat themselves to which would be a real treat for them. Also, gift certificates to restaurants are always a great gift.

•Buy a large, useful container, such as a laundry basket or trashcan, and fill it with everyday items. You may also include a few snacks or pampering items they may not think to buy for themselves, such as a package of fresh herbal tea, or some relaxing bath oils or candles.

•Take Christmas to them this year. Bring a little excitement and joy to what might be a bit of a depressing season for them this year. Load up your car with Christmas essentials, such as decorations, Christmas music, cookie or candy making supplies, and a bright, cheerful smile, and haul it all over to their home for some Christmas fun. You could even tie a tree to the top of your vehicle.!

•Think of a creative way to give them money, such as tied to the branches of a money tree. While some may consider a simple gift of money to not have much thought behind it, it may be the most thoughtful gift you could give to the person on your list that is currently unemployed.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.


   

A Christmas Centerpiece for Christmas Dinner Table

The Christmas season is about celebrating life and all the joy it brings with your friends and family. What better way is there to celebrate the season than with a traditional Christmas dinner? Every year families gather around the table to partake in delicious morsels while enjoying each others company. While a lot of the focus is on the delectable turkey or grandma's famous pecan pie, there is another tradition that stands out in one's mind – the Christmas centerpiece as the central focus of the table.

The reason why a Christmas centerpiece stands out in everybody's mind is because it is the anchor of the table; it is a beautiful reminder of the Christmas spirit and everything the season represents. The traditional Christmas centerpiece was most similar to today’s advent wreath, which is often decorated with holly, poinsettias, pine cones and candles. Many will also add other familiar Christmas decorations, such as bows or Christmas tree ornaments. The Christmas table centerpiece is as old of a tradition as Christmas dinner itself, and people often wonder what exactly the components of the Christmas centerpiece represents.

A pine or balsam bough or any evergreen branch is wrapped into a circular wreath, which in itself represents many things. The green color symbolizes hope and new life, while the circular shape alludes to everlasting joy. Traditional Christmas wreath centerpieces were decorated with four candles, which marked the beginning and end of the Christmas season, otherwise known as the four weeks of Advent. The first candle would be lit on the Sunday closest to November 30th, and another one would be lit every Sunday until the last candle was lit on Christmas Eve. The candles not only represented weeks, however, but also hope, joy, love and peace.

Christians adopted decorating with holly from the Druids, who believed that the prickly green plant and its little red berries stood for fertility and eternal life. While the Druids believed that cutting down a holly tree was bad luck, Christians believed that decorating with holly brought good luck to the home. Nowadays people often refer to the red berries as symbols of Christ's blood and the pointed leaves represent the crown of the thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. The pine cones used to decorate wreaths are meant to symbolize the seeds of faith sown by Christ, and poinsettias represent genuine love.

No matter what you believe, decorating the table with a Christmas centerpiece is always a fun tradition to take part in. A beautiful centerpiece is bound to be the focal point of any table, and is something you can enjoy year after year. A Christmas centerpiece is a reminder to love, to be joyous and not to fight over the dinner rolls!

Shopping for a Christmas Wreath

I always know when the Christmas season has officially begun when my mom and dad tell my brother and I that it is time to shop for a new Christmas wreath. Every year on the first of December we go as a family to pick out a wreath for the front door. I really like helping pick out a Christmas wreath because it is the first thing people see when they walk up to our house, so we always pick out a Christmas wreath that is sure give visitors a warm welcome.

There are always a lot of different wreaths to choose from. We always see a lot of wreaths made out of plastic that are covered with decorations like lights or fake fruit, and sometimes we see wreaths that are made out of shiny tinsel. Plastic and tinsel wreaths can be really pretty, but I wouldn't want one hanging on our door because our guests may think our welcome is fake, just like the wreath. One time I saw a wreath that was made out of feathers! A lady told us that they were fake peacock feathers, and that they are supposed to bring good luck to the home. The feathers were really bright blue and green, and even though it was beautiful we decided that it just wasn't Christmas-y enough. We want a wreath that reminds people that it is the most joyous time of the year!

My favorite Christmas wreaths are definitely fresh wreaths, because they smell as good as they look. Last year we picked out a fresh Balsam Fir wreath that we decorated with pine cones and ribbons, and I always loved walking up to the front door after school. There's nothing like smelling Christmas as you walk up to the front door! Any problems I might have had during the day just melt away when I smell that fresh wreath. Every time I see a fresh Christmas wreath it reminds me of home. It reminds me of walking through the front door to find my mom baking gingerbread cookies and warming up by the fire after playing in the snow. Fresh Christmas wreaths remind me and my family of all the good the holidays have to offer.

That is why every year we always pick out a fresh Christmas wreath for our front door, even if we look at all the other types of wreaths first. I just don't think that any other type of wreath would be as welcoming as a fresh wreath and they don’t have that Christmas-y smell. My dad always tells us that a wreath symbolizes eternal joy, and I can see why he says that. Every time I get home from school and see a wreath on the door the joy of Christmas fills my heart.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Christmas Wreath is a Warm Welcome and Great Gift in Bad Economy

Most Americans are hunkering down during the current economic crisis which is hitting hard right at our most joyous time of year. It seems politically incorrect even for those not suffering undue financial stress to spend a lot of money this year for the holidays. Even though the cost of gasoline is half what it was just two months ago most people continue to cut back on unnecessary driving. Let’s hope we all keep conserving as these lessons need to become habit.

The expenses related to the holiday season are huge if you add them all together. We not only have the expense of purchasing gifts but travel related expenses are high as we all want to be with our families. Christmas decorating expenses can really add up with all the gift wrap, Christmas tree and tree decorations, Christmas lights and other decorations inside and outside our homes. Many people put thousands of lights on their homes and we all love driving around the neighborhood to see all of them. But is it politically correct this year. And more important – can they afford to pay the resulting electric bill.

So if you are stressing about the holiday season due to the financial outlays think about how and where to cut your expenses so that you can still enjoy the season. Most people hang a Christmas wreath on their door for the holidays. This is the most affordable outside decoration for your home. And it is all you need. Save money by not putting up all those outdoor lights and have a fresh, green, natural Christmas wreathon your door to say welcome and Happy Holidays to all.

The yearly problem of what to buy for gifts for people who already have everything they need. Does Aunt Sally really need those extra pair of slippers or would she get more enjoyment out of a fresh, natural Christmas centerpiece with the wonderful balsam fragrance most associated with Christmas? Fresh Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Centerpieces shipped directly from the Maine woods are a much loved gift. And they are affordable and can be ordered easily online. This gift can be sent every year. It really solves the annual dilemma of what to buy everyone. This is a gift everyone does want every year and look forward to receiving.

This year send a warm welcoming fresh Christmas wreath to your friends and family. Support the green economy with a fresh, natural, gift that is harvested in a sustainable manner from the world renowned Maine woods.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, which handcrafts a fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreath, Christmas Centerpiece and Kissing Ball which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Personalize Your Christmas Wreath This Year

A Christmas wreath is something you see on almost every door during the holiday season. For some people it is their only outdoor decoration and others go all out with lights and Santa Claus on the roof but still have that Christmas wreath on the door.

Add meaning to your Christmas wreath this year by decorating it with things you love. Buy a beautiful Christmas wreath and add your own decorations to it. Look around your yard and find natural decorations. If you have an oak tree you can gather up some of the oak nuts and attach them. You can use fishing line or a glue gun to attach the decorations to the wreath. Cut off a couple branches from your burning bush and add those.

If you are a bird lover, buy a few small stuffed birds at your local craft store to use on your wreath. Winter doves, cardinals and chickadees are favorites. If you love the ocean, add sea shells, sea urchin shells, starfish, sand dollars and other sea life like hermit crab shells. These all look beautiful displayed amongst the fresh balsam fir boughs of the Christmas wreath.

Sports lovers can add decorations for their favorite teams. A Boston Red Sox fan can add a small Red Sox pennant or other nick knack with the team logo on it. Tennis lovers can add a tennis ball and tennis racket ornaments. Everyone in the family can have their favorite sport or team represented. A golf ornament attached for Dad, tennis ornament for Mom, soccer ball for the kids and a Red Sox ornament for everyone.

Candy lovers can add small candy canes and hard candy. Visitors can help themselves and you can replenish the candy on the Christmas wreath as needed.

Consider adding fruit to your wreath. Red fruits like pomegranates, crabapples, sprigs of red pepper berries and of course, holly berries, look beautiful. Eucalyptus, magnolia, holly and amaryllis also look wonderful. Eucalyptus adds a pungent aroma to the fresh, fragrant scent of the balsam fir.

Add garland around your door and continue the decorating theme of your Christmas wreath on the garland. Put a family photo in a frame at the center of the garland above the door with your favorite holiday greeting beneath it. This adds a personal welcome from your whole family to all visitors.

Lights can also be added to Christmas wreaths. Buy a string of battery operated lights and string them through the wreath. Use your imagination to make your Christmas wreath unique and personal this year. It’s much easier if you start out with a fresh Christmas wreath and add your own decorations to it.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.