Did you ever notice a dark film on your ceilings after burning your scented candle? This dark film is called soot and is relevant when burning many paraffin wax candles. Paraffin wax is used by many manufactures in the production of scented candles mostly because it is cheap. What consumers do not realize is that paraffin wax is a petroleum by-product. This means that after petroleum is processed into gasoline, kerosene, motor oil and other fuels, the excess waste is used in the production of paraffin. The black soot that is left on ceilings and walls from burning these candles is similar in composition to diesel soot. Studies have shown that cancer-causing agents relased by paraffin wax candles are just as toxic as second hand cigarette smoke. There is an alternative to paraffin wax candles and that is candles made from soy.
Soy candles are made from wax comprised of the oil extracted from soy beans. After the farmers have harvested their soy bean crop, the beans are cleaned, cracked, de-hulled and rolled into flakes. The oil is taken from the flakes and processed into wax. There are many benefits to burning soy wax candles. They burn clean and do not harm the environment, also because they have a low melting point they last longer. Please visit our web page to learn more about the benefits of burning soy wax candles and our large assortment of fragrances available.
http://www.mycountrycandles.com/
Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas by Age
Baby (under two)
Small toy (rattle, bath toys, small book, teething ring)
Cute Christmas booties/ sox
Babies “first Christmas” ornament
Bottle/ pacifier
Christmas bib
Christmas stocking cap
Snack item (appropriate for age)
Toddler/ Pre-school (Age 2-4)
Small toyBoard book
Hair ribbons
Cute Christmas sox / booties
Fun toothbrush
Sippy Cup
Coloring book/ Crayons
Bath toys
Playing cards
Bubbles
Christmas cookies, candy (appropriate for age)
Christmas ornament (start a tradition: one every year)
Age 5-8
Coloring book/ crayons
Action figures (boys)
Barbie Doll accessories
School pencils, pens, fun small note pad
Hair accessories
Fun tooth brush
Fun Christmas sox/ booties
|Jewelry (appropriate for age)
Playing cards
Small coin purse with coins inside (girls)
College Savings Bond (start a tradition: one every year)
Children’s Music CD
Children’s Movie DVD
Stickers
Christmas treats (cookies, candy etc…)
Disposable camera
Christmas ornament (one every year)
Age 9-12
School pencils, pens, fun note pad
Playing Cards
Small address/ phone book
Hair accessories (girls)
Fun sox (girls)
Jewelry
Bath products (small samples)
College Savings bond (start a tradition)
Christmas ornament (one every year)
Music CD (appropriate for age)
Movie DVD (appropriate for age)
Christmas treats (cookies, candy etc.)
Disposable camera
Gift Card (Book Store, Clothing Store, Movie Store, etc…)
Movie Theater Tickets
Teenage 13-17
Gift Card (Book Store, Clothing Store, Movie Store, , iTunes, etc…)
Book (Great Book if you can get one in a small version: “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul”)
Gas Gift Card (16 or over)
Movie Theater tickets
Hair Salon Gift Certificate
Car Wash Gift Certificate
Cell phone cover/ accessories
Fun snacks
Makeup (lip gloss, eye shadow, nail polish, etc…)
College savings bond (make a tradition)
Christmas ornament (make a tradition)
Jewelry
Perfume/ Cologne
Movie DVD
Music CD
Cozy Booties
Gloves or Mittens
Small Picture Frame
Key Chain
Adult 18 and Over
Gift Card (Book Store, Clothing, Movie, Linen Store, etc…)
iTunes Gift Card
Gas Card
Lottery Ticket
Theater Tickets
Concert Tickets
Car Wash Gift Certificate/ Car Maintenance (Oil Change)
Hair Salon Gift Certificate
Round of Golf (”You Are Entitled to a Round of Golf at….”)
Gym Membership (”You Have 6-month Membership to …“)
Magazine Subscription (”:You Have 1-year Subscription to …”)
Makeup
Jewelry
Perfume/ Cologne
Bath products (small samples)
Wallet
Gloves
Camera Case
Phone Case/ Accessories
Movie DVD
Music CD
Fun Snacks
Christmas Ornament (Tradition)
Key Chain
Small Picture Frame
Invitation for Special Evening (” Be ready for a night on the town on December 31 at ….”)
We are proud to offer our customers the wonderful Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. Known for their creative illustrations, heartfelt messages, and warm country charm, Gooseberry Patch continues to provide quality cookbooks that not only offer amazing recipes, but includes nifty gift-giving tips and clever decorating ideas. They look great on a shelf too!
Look for the cookbooks at
www.christmasstockingsbycottoncreations.com/cookbooks.htm
Traveling in general can be a headache sometimes, but traveling at Christmas can be a real nightmare, if not planned appropriately. Most people know the basic traveling tips like making a list first, plan & make reservations early, give yourself plenty of time, pack light, know airline rules, etc… Here are some tips however, that I discovered, which may shed some “good cheer” your way while traveling this Christmas.
1. If you can, travel before Thanksgiving. If that is not possible, try and book your reservations for a few days before Christmas and a few days after. Just as you might have guessed, the busiest dates to travel is Dec. 24 and Dec. 26. 
2. Order gifts online about a week before you are traveling and have the packages delivered to your travel destination. Another idea is to instruct the merchant to ship your items to their local store, wherever you are traveling.
3. I didn’t know this, but flights are always overbooked and you can actually get bumped off your flight, if you are the last to check in. With the airports so crowded during the holiday, make sure that you are one of the first to check in, otherwise you may have to wait a while for the next flight with available seating.
One of the first reminders that Christmas is not too far away is the marvelous sound of the Christmas music that generated through the years and continues to brighten the holiday with nostalgic good cheer. Christmas music usually starts to emerge around the beginning of November and it certainly becomes apparent that Christmas is around the corner.
There is a Chicago radio station that starts playing Christmas music the beginning of November and continues everyday nonstop through Christmas day. And when I say “nonstop”, I mean they play nothing else but Christmas music. I don’t know how they come up with so many versions of the same song. There are even some that I never heard of.
Regardless of the fact that listening to Christmas music can get a little annoying, I figure you might as well enjoy it since these traditional songs only come around once a year. Furthermore, do you think Christmas would be the same without the music that goes along with it? Listed below are some of the best-loved Christmas songs and their origin. I didn’t realize that a few date back to as early as the 1940s.
White Christmas: Bing Crosby first sang “White Christmas” in the 1942 film classic Holiday Inn. His recording sold over a million copies back then and continues to sell today. Freddy Martin also recorded this song the same year, which was also very successful. This Irving Berlin materpiece is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: This childrens song was the most consistent income-producing Christmas song after “White Christmas”. This song started out as a story by Robert May, which was written as a promotional pamphlet for Montgomery Ward in 1939. Ten years later, Johnny Marks composed the story into a song. The song was first offered to Bing Crosby who turned it down. He then gave it to Gene Autry, who cut a version that reached No. 1 on the pop charts, selling over 8 million copies. Bing Crosby changed his mind and decided to record the song the following year, which reached No. 14. In 1950, a third version was recorded by Spike Jones and his City Slickers and a fourth by the Chipmunks in 1960.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: This song originated back in 1940 when Judy Gardland sang it for the first time in her film Meet Me in St. Louis. It has been a favorite ever since and sung by many great artists.
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire): This is a great Christmas song and actually my favorite. It was set to music by Mel Torme after he read a poem by Bob Wells titled “Thoughts of Christmas”. He was inspired to write the poem after noticing a bag of chestnuts that his mother was about to use as turkey stuffing for his birthday dinner in 1946.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas: Bing Crosby recorded this sentimental song back in 1943, which soared to No. 3 on the Hits Parade. It was written as a tribute to the men and women in active service during that time in our history.
Jingle Bells: Wow this is an oldy! It was written back in the 1850s by the son of a Unitarian minister from Medford, Massachusetts named James Pierpont. It was then called “Merry Little Jingle”. This song has been recorded over and over by many artists over the years, The Glenn Miller’s orchestra (1941), Bing Crosby (1943), Perry Como (1957) and many more.
Those Christmas songs mentioned above are just a glimpse of the many available for us to enjoy every year. It is amazing that they have continued to embrace the holiday season through all the many years.
Is it possible to replant a Christmas tree? Last Christmas, while decorating our purchased Christmas tree, I wondered if this beautiful evergreen could be replanted. It seemed like a shame that such a nice tree was cut down, only to be discarded in a few weeks. And, the fact that we definitely could use the evergreen for some landscaping, as we built our home in the middle of a corn field didn’t help. I couldn’t get over the idea that it would look really nice in our backyard! I did some research and found out that a purchased Christmas tree could actually be replanted. Depending on your climate zone and your knack for extreme tender loving care, replanting a Christmas tree is quite possible. Here are a few factors to keep in mind before considering replanting your Christmas tree:
- Do you have a good nursery nearby that will furnish you with an evergreen that will transplant well? Most experts suggest pine spruce or fir. Also, it is imperative that the roots are carefully placed in burlap once the evergreen is removed from the ground.
- Are you prepared to pay more? A cut down Christmas tree will run you around $ 20-$ 100, but a tree purchased to replant later with the roots intact will cost you doubled.
- Can you take care of the roots properly while the tree is waiting to be replanted? Even a regular cut down Christmas tree needs to be watered so it does not dry up, however a tree with the roots intact needs extra watering and care. By placing the tree ball in a large tub that is replenished with water regularly, you have a better chance to make sure the tree gets enough moisture. Keeping the tree straight so it doesn’t tip over could be a little tricky. I’m not sure how the tree stand plays into the picture. I guess you have to be a little creative. Also, you will want to cover the whole thing up somehow for the holiday. You can cover the tub with a large blanket and then a tree skirt. Experts suggest that you do not have the tree indoors for more than 2 weeks, so you have to replant the tree pretty much right away.
- Does your climate zone experience freezing during the winter months? If so, you may have to dig the hole before the ground freezes. The only draw back is that you have to guess how big to dig the hole.
These are only a few tips. There are many websites available to help you replant an evergreen. One of the most important points is to make sure the tree is watered regularly. That could be tricky too during the winter, especially if you live in the North.
It is hard to imagine shopping for Christmas during the summer months, but for some the imaginery thought is a reality. While reading the Chicago Tribune this past Sunday, I stumbled across an article about major department stores stocking their shelves with Christmas decorating items this summer. Apparently, the concept is to attract customers early in the hopes that their newly promoted layaway plan will ease the economic stress that some may experience this coming holiday shopping season. Then, while surfing the cable channels one evening, there on the Home Shopping Network was “Christmas in July”. Shopping for Christmas in the summer seems a little strange, but think about how less crowded the isles are this time of year and how less stressed out you will be in the winter when it comes time to decorate, and everything you need is right in front of you. Still, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is what makes it exciting. My website is opened year round and even though the bulk of my orders are received during the months of October-December, I do receive Christmas stocking orders in the summer. Mostly, the orders are from previous customers, who had a new addition to the family. Last year however, I received a summer order from a customer who wanted 14 stockings for her entire family!
Christmas and the commercialism of the whole thing annoy some people. I, however, love Christmas, so I watch Christmas movies year round. It helps me stay motivated while I’m working on my Christmas stockings! Traditional favorites are always on the top of my list of most watched, but there have been some good ones that are pretty funny. If I would have to choose, I would pick “A Christmas Story” as my favorite traditional Christmas movie and “Christmas Vacation” would have to be my
# 1 choice for other favorites, but it has a close running with the first “Santa Claus” movie. What are your favorites?
Favorite Traditional Movies:
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
“White Christmas”
“Holiday Inn”
“The Miracle on 34th Street”
“Little Women” (sort of like a Christmas movie!)
Other Favorites:
“Christmas Vacation”
“The Santa Claus” Movies
“Christmas with the Kranks”
“The New Miracle on 34th Street”
“I’ll be Home for Christmas”
“Surviving Christmas”
“Serendipity” (sort of like a Christmas movie!)
About 7 years ago, I participated in a Christmas craft fair at the local high school and decided as part of my inventory that I would sell handmade Christmas stockings. Customers were amazed at the hand-stitching on the front and within the day, all the stockings were sold. To make a long story short, I decided to sell my Christmas stockings on the Web and opened my own online store. The first few years I was still learning about online shopping and didn’t really know how to manage the excessive amount of orders I was getting. I was very busy, not only during the holiday rush, but pretty much all year getting ready for the start of the season. I didn’t have much time to spend with my family and shocking enough, we didn’t even have a matching set of Christmas stockings of our very own! One Christmas, I worked on orders all the way up to the last possible shipping date before Christmas and did my Christmas shopping pretty much in the last few days before Christmas. Finally, it was Christmas Eve and after all the presents were placed under the tree and everyone was in bed, I stayed up all night and made five Christmas stockings for my family, all personalized and hung them by the fireplace with a little something in each one from “Santa”. The next morning when we all came down to open presents, everyone was so excited and surprised. Mind you, my kids are not little, at the time they were 22, 20, & 16. That just goes to show you, it is never too late to enjoy the tradition!
Courtney, Christine & Eric’s stockings. (Mom & Dad got one too!)
Traditionally, Christmas stockings are hung on a fireplace mantel, however many homes do not have mantels and that is where the challenge begins. First, for those who have mantels, the key is to find matching Christmas stocking hangers to hold your matching set of stockings. There are many pretty holders on the market that you can purchase, some are brass and others are ceramic or cast iron . Years ago, I found my family’s stocking holders to hang my set through the JC Penney catalog. They are very cute ceramic figurines, each with a different theme, like a snowman, santa claus, angels, christmas tree, etc… They compliment the Christmas stockings by Cotton Creations very well. They are not real heavy, so you can’t put heavy items in the stockings, but they are heavy enough to hold the stockings in place. Check JC Penney catalog during the Christmas season, they ran about $ 10.00 a piece. Of course, if you don’t want to purchase holders you can drill small holes underneath the mantel and insert a small nail or hook. You won’t even be able to see the hooks. Another idea is to string garland across the mantel and hang the Christmas stockings from that by a pretty piece of ribbon.
For those who don’t have firplaces, I suggest hanging your stockings from a wooden coat rack that has pegs. Attach the coat rack to a wall and hang the Christmas stockings from the wooden pegs by a pretty piece of ribbon. Also, if you have a stair rail or bannister, you can hang the Christmas stockings from garland draped across it. Be creative!
Christmas is definitely a time to forget about calories and enjoy the many treats that come around once a year. Cookies are always a favorite and on the Cookie Recipe page you can find some really good recipes that have originated from different ethnic groups for everyone to enjoy. When I used to do Christmas craft fairs, there was a booth that sold Greek Baklava. It was so amazing and every year, I would purchase the pastry (check out the recipe). Some other cookies that you might recognize on the recipe pages is the Scotish Shortbread and the German Springerle.
Greek Baklava
www.christmasstockingsbycottoncreations.com/christmas_cookies.htm
The tradition to bake cookies at Christmas was started by Christians around 350 AD when Pope Julius declared Dec. 25 as “Christmas”. Baking was part of the celebration and it has continued ever since. The tradition to put cookies out for Santa seemed to have started around the 1930’s when children, that were not so well behaved, left them out as a bribe for Santa to leave presents. The good kids left the cookies for Santa as a way to say thank you. Check out the Christmas legends page for more Christmas Legends and traditions.
www.christmasstockingsbycottoncreations.com./christmas_legends.htm
My kids were little once, so I know what a challenge it is to keep the kids entertained during the winter months when it is too cold to go outside. Here are a few suggestions:
1. “Guess Who” Game: Attach a picture of something or someone recognizable on the back of each child, without showing him or her. The rest of the group can see the picture and gives that person clues until he or she guesses who or what they are. It is better to take turns rather that everyone screaming out at once.
2. “Memory” Game: Place several items on a tray. Have the children look at the items for a few minutes. Cover the tray and then have them guess what was on the tray. The one that guesses the most wins.
3. “Whisper” Game: Everyone sits in a circle. You start the game by whispering a short phrase in the first person’s ear. That person then whispers the message into the next person’s ear. It continues all the way around the circle. The last person then says out loud what the message was. It is funny because by the time it reaches the end, the phrase usually is not what was originally started.
4. “Mix-Up” Game: Divide the group into two teams. One team leaves the room, and while they are out the other team mixes things up. For example: One person turns his t-shirt inside out, a lamp shade is turned upside down, a picture is hung upside down, a chair is turned in the opposite direction, etc… When the other team returns to the room. They have to guess what is out of place. If they get everything correct, they get a point, if not one point is taken away.
Every year it seems like there is something new with regards to lights at Christmastime. A few years ago icicle lights were popular, then came racing lights and net lights for bushes. Last year everywhere you looked you saw lighted lawn decorations. I don’t even want to think about the amount of energy used to create such elaborate lightly. However, some good news… Now, there are solar lights available, where you don’t even need to plug them in. This sounds like a great way to reduce energy, which has become so important these days. Christmas luminaries are another way to save energy. Flame resistant bags or containers are available to purchase, then just place a lighted candle into the bag to light up a walkway or porch. The glow is really very pretty. Visit simplyluminaries.com for luminaries you can purchase.
I don’t know if you have parents like me, but they are the most difficult people to buy gifts for. They by no means have everything, but in their words “they have everything they need”. So, when Christmastime comes around, what do you get them? Well, a few years ago my husband and I had a “lobstergram” delivered to their door. They were very surprised, because the lobster was actually alive! My mother was taken aback by the lobster, but my father thought it was really cool. He likes to cook, so he found it very challenging. Complete instructions on how to cook it was included.
We purchased a dinner package and they had plenty of left-overs. Lobster Gram was founded by “Dan the Lobster Man” in 1987. The fresh lobsters are shipped directly from Maine. You can visit his website at livelob.com.
Thank you for visiting my website and viewing my first blog. My goal is to provide visitors with an easy navagational website, while providing useful informative news during the busy Christmas season. I have ideas running through my head all the time and this gives me a chance to share my thoughts with you. My first priority however, is to provide you with Christmas stockings that you can treasure and enjoy for many years. I encourage you to visit the Customer Comments page to read what other customers have said about the Christmas stockings over the years. Please feel free to post a comment or email me with questions, comments, or concerns. Merry Christmas!