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Do you love sending out beautiful Christmas letters each year? Maybe you enclose them in your Christmas cookies or Christmas popcorn tins. Many people add them to their Christmas cards every year. Does your list get longer and longer and it seems you can’t find anything new to write inside? If you’re struggling to find something meaningful to write inside your Christmas card, why not borrow some words from days of old? Many quotes centering on Christmas can easily be found online.

Here are a few to get you started:

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another

The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.

Emily Matthews

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.

Mary Ellen Chase

Good news from heaven the angels bring,

Glad tidings to the earth they sing:

To us this day a child is given,

To crown us with the joy of heaven.

Martin Luther

Love came down at Christmas;

Love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Stars and angels gave the sign.

Christina Rossetti

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on Earth, good will to men!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Heap on the wood!

The wind is chill;

But let it whistle as it will,

We'll keep our Christmas merry still.

Sir Walter Scott

Christmas hath a darkness;

Brighter than the blazing noon;

Christmas hath a chillness

Warmer than the heat of June,

Christmas hath a beauty

Lovelier than the world can show:

For Christmas bringeth Jesus,

Brought for us so low

Christina Rosetti

If it’s a Christmas letter you are looking to write, you can make it personal and festive with just a few simple tips. Write it once and print it from your printer to include inside or in place of a Christmas card and you’ll save yourself lots of time.

• Select a festive paper that you can use in your printer. Be sure it has enough room for your words and that your words will be legible against the background. There are so many fun papers that have holiday themes. You can find them at office supply stores.
• Write generically enough so that your letter can be sent to everyone on your list. A great way to start is, “This year at the Robertson’s…” Then you can fill in details of what your family did this year.
• Add lots of pictures. You can do this right in Word on your computer. Just select “Insert Photo” and you can upload photos that are already on your computer into your letter. Don’t forget, people who haven’t seen your children in a while will love to see how they’ve grown.
• Try to make it personal so it really gives a feel of what the family did all year. Did you get a new pet? Volunteer at a shelter? Run a road race? Include it all.
• Finish up with good wishes for the recipients. Something like, “We think of you often throughout the year and consider you among our greatest blessings. We wish you a year filled with joy, happiness and peace. Love, The Robinsons”
• After you print out copies of your letter, place them in a business envelope or tuck them inside your Christmas cards and mail.

Related Articles:

1. Discount Christmas Photo Cards
2. Christmas Cookie Exchange Tips
3. Family Christmas Traditions

Did you know that August has become Family Fun Month? As if you really needed an excuse to celebrate, you can now go out and have some good, clean family time without feeling even the least bit bad about it. But what types of activities might a family do during this fun month? Here are a few ideas for your family to enjoy:

1. Visit a State Park. With all of the state parks out there, there has to be one that you've always thought was cool or wanted to visit. Pick one with a fun body of water, or a supply of unique wildlife. Not only will this option be cost effective, but it'll be an experience for the kids to remember and it's certainly something out of the ordinary!

2. Have a Book Night! Who said that you have to leave your house to have fun? Why not have a lock-in night and snuggle up with your family's favorite books? It might include a longer novel where you read a chapter or two, then have a snack, read a couple more, then play a game. Mix it up a little bit and just enjoy each other's company.

3. Pack a Picnic. If you're home on the weekends, or even during the weekday since the kids don't have school, get everyone together to pack a big homestyle family picnic basket! Research as a family a great place to visit for your picnic, and pack your food basket and go! Don't forget to bring a frisbee, the family dog, or a football. You don't just have to eat there, you can enjoy the park when you're done as well!

4. Take a Mystery Road Trip. Pack up your tent, sleeping bags, and canteens because August is the perfect month to hit the dusty trail and find fun new places that you would have never discovered. Wing it and try random campgrounds each night on a surprise journey for your kids. Pick an end destination and have fun on the journey.

5. Visit an Amusement Park. Of course this is the trip that any child wants to go on during the summer. Make a special day to take the family and go enjoy the rides, the water park, or the games. You can usually score discounts on admission at a local grocery store, or in the newspaper. Another resource is the internet, never underestimate the value of Google!

6. Stay in and Bake! Kids love to help out in the kitchen when sweets are involved. Teach them your famous recipe that's been passed down, or try something new altogether! After the work has been done, enjoy your treats together as a family.

7. Visit a Farm or Orchard. Usually around this time of year, the crops are starting to roll in or are ready to be picked. If you look around, you may be able to find a farm that allows you to go in and pick your own foods. Not only is this a healthy alternative to junk food, but the kids will love the new experience and learning about farming. Plus, there's something to be said about harvesting your own food.

8. Family Game Night. Every kid loves to play games. Allow them each to pick out their favorite board or card game and have the whole family join in on the fun. Make some kids gift baskets by adding some popcorn, get some special snacks, and maybe even a soda! Make it extra special and fun, they'll feel elated that they have such cool parents!

Enjoy your family during this month, and every month. After all, who needs a declared holiday to make their family feel special? Let loose and have fun!

More family fun ideas:

• Top 10 Family Board Games
• Kids Crafts: Fun and Easy Crafts for Kids
• Ice Cream Sundae Bowls For Kids
• Summer Treats Recipes for Kids
• Play Dough Fun Recipes for Kids

Perhaps you’ve been newly promoted and want to make a good impression on your colleagues. Or maybe you’ve been the boss so long that you’re fresh out of ideas on how to improve your relationship with your coworkers. This Boss’s Day, give everyone in your department something to celebrate. Here are some fresh ideas for being the best boss you can be.

Remember When

No one is born being the boss. Most everyone has had to start small and work their way up the ladder. Remember what it was like for you when you first started out. Maybe you were like the nervous college grad that’s too afraid to speak up at meetings, or maybe you felt like you had to really prove yourself by going above and beyond every day. You’re the boss now, so you can make it easier on your direct reports. Why not offer to take that college grad out to lunch and give him some advice on how to be more confident? Write a hand-written note thanking that one employee who always stays late and really goes the extra mile. When you step into the shoes of your employees, you make them feel that you really care and understand where they are coming from.

Perks Money Can’t Buy

Maybe you can’t offer everyone another day off or an extra holiday. But what you can do is be sympathetic to your employees. And you can offer them a great working environment that’s more precious than a day off. Does the crew have to work this Thanksgiving? Bring in a turkey dinner for the staff to share during lunch so they won’t feel they’ve missed all of the holiday. Do you have a great employee who never asks for anything?  Offer him a few minutes of extra time to run errands at lunch. Is there a single mom who has no child care when school is unexpectedly closed one morning? Let her bring her child in to the office for a few hours. Anything extra you can offer your employees to show them you’re sympathetic will result in better attitudes all around. Then, when you need them to go the extra mile for you on a project, they’ll be more than willing.

Treat Everyone as an Individual

Does a certain employee come in yawning a lot in the morning? Don’t assume he’s lazy. Ask if he’d like to talk about anything. Maybe he’ll let you know he’s going to night school to finish his degree or that he hasn’t been sleeping well because he’s worried about his wife’s health. Instead of grouping people into categories, treat each person as an individual. They’ll be more apt to think of you as a great boss because you cared enough to ask about their lives.

Hold Informal Lunches

Once in a while, host an informal lunch where your employees can eat with you and discuss any concerns they may have with the work environment. If they’re reluctant to share aloud, invite them to drop questions or suggestions into a box anonymously and go over them at the luncheon. Provide foods that are easy to eat and those with limited lunch breaks can grab quickly. Make yourself known as the boss that listens and you’ll have more dedicated employees.

Read this great article on Boss's Day Gift Ideas.

Thanksgiving kicks off the month-long holiday eating season for many of us: this is the time of year we have almost unlimited access to our favorite treats.  Pies, cakes, cookies, buttery rolls, creamy mashed potatoes, gravy, and comfort foods of all kinds, along with all the other Thanksgiving gifts you might encounter.  This is the time of year when we pack on a layer of extra winter weight.  To help keep yourself healthy over the holiday, and ensure you can still fit into your pants after, here are some healthy Thanksgiving food ideas.

• Roasted turkey is certainly not a bad choice, but we can make it even better. Instead of a processed, store turkey, which is loaded with sodium, opt for organic.  Look for birds that say “Organic,” “Natural,” or “Heritage.” It is worth it.  Not only will it be better for you and your guests, it will taste amazing.

• Cranberry sauce, too, is a healthy choice, particularly when it is homemade.  Cranberries are filled with antioxidants, and you can sweeten it up a bit for those who do not like tart flavors. Try making cranberry, cherry, and walnut sauce.  You will need: ¾ cup sugar, 1 cup water, ½ port or sweet red wine, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ½ dried cherries, a 12 ounce package of fresh or frozen cranberries, 2/3 cup of roasted chopped walnuts, and a ½ teaspoon of freshly grated orange zet.

Combine the sugar, port or wine, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the cherries and cook for about a minute.  Next, stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture back to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until half of the cranberries have started to pop.  This should be about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Finally, stir in the walnuts and orange zest.  As it cools, the sauce will thicken.  This makes a great side dish or a chutney for leftover turkey sandwiches.

• Reinvent your side dishes.  Many of the foods we typically eat for Thanksgiving are very healthy.  The problem is that we cover them with cream, butter, and gravy. Instead of boiling the nutrients out of your root vegetables, for instance, mashing them, and loading them with butter and cream, try roasting them.  This allows the vegetables – potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, and squash – to retain their flavor and their nutrients.

• To give them an even more delicious boost – and make them more attractive to kids – make a glaze using 1 cup of apple cider, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, ½ salt, and a ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk this together and toss the root vegetables in it.  Cover with foil and roast for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Uncover and cook for another hour, stirring the veggies ever 20 minutes or so.

While this is cooking, put ½ cup chopped walnuts in a skillet and heat on medium-low until they are lightly browned.  Remove from the heat and add a tablespoon of butter, 1/8 teaspoon of   cinnamon, and just a dash of salt.  Stir the mixture until the butter is melted and the walnuts are  coated.  Put the roasted vegetables in a serving dish and sprinkle on the walnut.

• You don't have to substitute low fat versions of your favorite butter and cream dishes.  While real butter and cream are higher in fat, they have healthy fat that the low-fat versions lack.  If you really love your creamy mashed potatoes, for instance, eat them.  Just eat a smaller portion.  This is really hard on Thanksgiving! But it makes a difference in your waistline and your energy level after the big meal.

• Avoid binging on the heavier foods.  It also helps if you do not save yourself for the big dinner; eat throughout the day, making healthy choices that satisfy you, like protein snacks or vegetables, and drinking plenty of water.

• Allow yourself your favorite treats, but keep an eye on your portions.  If you love pumpkin pie with whipped cream, have a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Just the one though.  Take a minute after you've finished to listen to your stomach: chances are it is not grumbling or asking for you.  Listen to it and stop.

More Thanksgiving Goodies:

1. Bless Others This Thanksgiving
2. Giving Thanks - The Thanksgiving Cookoff
3. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Independence Day, celebrated in July 4^th in America, is a day of festivity like no other. Americans honor their status as an independent nation. Although today England is a friendly country to Americans and vice versa, it wasn’t always so. There used to be a great rivalry between the colonies and their mother country, England. In 1776, America signed the now famous document, the Declaration of Independence, to assert their separate status from the British monarchy. And the rest is history.

The actual document was signed on July 4, 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, and a host of men who would later go on to become some of the most powerful and highest ranking officials in the United States government.

Tradition has it that the fireworks we enjoy today on the Fourth of July actually had their start as gunshots back in 1776. As the colonies cheered and shouted, banged pots and pans and made all sorts of joyful noise in celebration, there was also a salute by gunfire. After people realized this might not be the safest way to ring in the holiday, gunfire became less prevalent. Noisemakers and confetti replaced the frightening gun shots.

Fireworks have been around for over 2000 years. The Chinese are credited with inventing them. Legend has it that a Chinese chef accidentally mixed together some ingredients with sulfur and the result was a colorful explosion we now know as fireworks.

Fireworks are illegal in some counties in various states around the U.S. Due to the harmful nature of fireworks if they fall into the wrong hands unsupervised; various state governments have passed legislation banning the sale of fireworks within their borders. Other states have more relaxed rules.

Those wishing to see Fourth of July fireworks need only go out to their own town’s festivals. Most communities in the U.S. host their own supervised community blast off. Parks departments and other organizations have an organized event where the public is welcome to bring their blankets and lawn chairs and watch the display.

Young and old love the colorful explosions and patterns that erupt during a fireworks display. Many communities compete for the best display with other cities and states around the country. Some even spend thousands of dollars toward putting on the best show around.

If you find yourself in Disney World or Disneyland, you can end your day every day like it’s the Fourth of July. Disney puts on a fireworks display every night of the year for park-goers. It’s only fitting that this magical place would have a magical sendoff to sleep for its visitors young and old.

Sparklers and other non-threatening fireworks are still available in many stores in most states of the country. And with supervision, fireworks are a great way to end a day that has been filled with food, fun, sunshine, and laughter.

Check out the various offerings in the cities near you this Fourth of July. If you’re on vacation, as so many are on this popular summer getaway date, be sure to look for displays in the town you’re visiting. There’s sure to be a rockin’ good time to be had watching the colors explode under the stars, enjoy some Fourth of July cookies and have a great holiday. It’s a fun time for everyone in the family.

Related Links:

• 4th of July Craft Ideas For Kids
• Fourth Of July Dessert Recipes
• 4th of July Party Food Ideas