How to Have a Merry Guilt-Free Christmas!

Guilt Free Merry Christmas

Christmas and anxiety often go hand in hand. Between the gift buying, house and Christmas tree decorating, and cooking for friends and family, it's no wonder the holiday season can bring a side of ulcer along with that honey baked ham. Why not make this Christmas easier than all others? The American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) offers tips to keep the holidays from becoming more chore than cheer:

• Make a more condensed gift and card list.
• Save gift buying for only those who have meaningful relationships with you.
• You may give cards to all your coworkers in place of personal gifts. You can even go for a no gift policy among your circle of friends.
• Instead of giving Christmas gifts to friends, you can make donations to local charities which could always use the help.
• To avoid the festive time crowded malls, traffic and long lines, go for online shopping. Get Christmea decorations, gifts and even the family Christmas tree and Christmas ornaments online for faster and convenient shopping.
• Try to plan out your shopping route. From food to decorations to gifts, its better if you can do them in an orderly fashion. You can find a multipurpose joint to meet several of your needs at one place only.
• Always make a list before heading for Christmas Shopping and stick to it.
• Buy an artificial Christmas tree as a convenient option instead of Live Christmas tree. You can set up artificial trees in no time!
• Don't be perfectionist. Try not to stress yourself for making everything perfect and pristine this holiday season.

Remeber, Christmas isn't about all stuff, decorations, food and similar things. It is about the people you love and choose to spend time with. So, Merry guilt-free Christmas!

About ACTA: The American Christmas Tree Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide consumers with factual data so that they may make intelligent decisions about Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry. For more information or for answers to questions about Christmas trees, please contact ACTA at www.christmastreeassociation.org. We hope you find your perfect Christmas tree!

Source: SFGate

Free Elvis Christmas Album in Next Week's Mail on Sunday

Elvis Presley Album: Christmas Peace

The Mail will give away an early Christmas gift to all its readers - a CD featuring 15 of Elvis Presley’s greatest Christmas songs FREE inside every paper with its Sunday issue next week! The tracks on Christmas Peace include White Christmas and Silent Night taken from the two albums of festive music recorded by The King. There is also a holiday single which he released in 1966.

The complete list of the Christmas Peace CD include:

1. White Christmas
2. Here Comes Santa Claus
3. Blue Christmas
4. Santa Claus Is Back In Town
5. Silent Night
6. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
7. O Come All Ye Faithful
8. Santa Bring My Baby Back
9. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
10. The First Noel
11. Winter Wonderland
12. If Every day Was Like Christmas
13. On A Snowy Christmas Night
14. The Wonderful World Of Christmas
15. It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You)

Source: Mail Online

Christmas Tree Decorations- The Basics

Live Christmas Tree Decoration

There are many Christmas tree options available in the market these days which include a range of different types of trees- from fresh live Christmas tree to artificial Christmas trees and from unlit artificial Christmas trees to pre lit Christmas trees! Whatever Christmas tree you select this season, you will definitely be in search of some really great ideas for Christmas tree decoration. However, you must first know the basics of Christmas tree decoration so that you do not mess up with the whole project. We here give you some tips for this.

Live Christmas Tree

If you have decided to decorate a fresh Christmas tree this year, you must keep the tree fresh and green. For this, you should cut the stump of the tree with a new fresh cut. After that, set it in water immediately. Place your Christmas tree in a stand that has a large water reservoir and keep it filled. Check and refill the water level for 4-5. After the first week, you can reduce the frequency of watering the tree.

Christmas Tree Lights & Other Decorations

It is also important to pay attention towards the right process of putting lights on your Christmas tree. You should first put lights on tree, then garlands, and then the Christmas ornaments which you have bought for decorating tree. Always work from the inside out- arrange the Christmas tree lights on the branches close to the base of the tree. Weave strings of lights along the branches situated inside and then move to the outer branchesof the Christmas tree.

Artificial Christmas Tree Decoration

Christmas Tree Ornaments

For Christmas tree ornaments too, the inside portion of the tree is more important. So, don't hang all the ornament on the tips of the branches. Place them as well as other decorations inside the tree for adding depth and interest to it. The filler ornaments should be evenly spaced all around the tree. Twenty filler ornaments at about every two feet of Christmas tree is a good amount for decorating a Christmas tree. If you plan some Christmas tree theme and have bought themed ornaments then mix them with the general or the basic ornaments.