If you live on the east coast you are probably still digging out from the nearly 30 inches of snow that fell the day after Christmas. In other parts of the country there has been rain and flooding. It is no fun at all and everyone is longing for spring to bring the warm weather, the sun in their face, flowers blooming and children playing outside. In the meantime, everyone is cooped up inside, dreaming of spring. Costume SuperCenter has some fun suggestions for the whole family for curing cabin fever in costume:
Pop a Disney movie into the DVD player and dress the kids in matching Disney costumes. Encourage them to act out the movie as they watch it. Have your own video camera ready to film their performance. After the movie they can watch their own production.
Make a blanket fort in the family room and turn it into whatever the kids desire. It can be a princess’ castle, a superhero’s fortress or a wild animal’s cave. Put the kids in costume according to their whim. A fort is always a big hit.
Turn Dad into a human dart board. Our dart board costume has a foam tunic and velcro darts. The kids will love this game! To make it even more fun, dad can be a moving target.
Put the kids to bed and put on a naughty costume for adults only.
Whatever you decide, try to get everyone away from the computer and the video games and up on their feet. Time goes by faster when you are active and interacting with others. Cabin fever is 100 times worse when you’re board so keep in mind that a bit of imagination and motion makes you healthy, happy and busy.
Tying our suggestions is easy because this time of year there so hundreds of costumes at clearance and discounted prices. They are fun for everyone. Costumes make great gifts and toys and they are the perfect cure for the winter doldrums.
Today is December 20th. We are in the homestretch. The last thing you want to be thinking about now is last minute Christmas shopping. The focus should be on party planning and the arrival of Santa Claus. Eleventh hour Christmas shopping is very stressful and often unnecessary. It puts are major crimp in your time, wallet and Christmas spirit.
Here are some tips to bypass the wasteful last minute trips to the mall as well as how to deal with last minute shopping if you have no choice.
If you have not started shopping yet, shame on you! To make it less painful, make a list of everyone for whom you need to shop then list three things for each person. By listing three things, you won’t go nuts trying to find one specific item. It the first item on the list is sold out or not available in the color or size you need, move on to the next item.
Take advantage of websites that offer last minute deals, discounted shipping and guaranteed delivery by Christmas. Any time you can dodge the mall, do it.
Try not to come down with a case of the “might as wells.” Make a list, buy exactly is on it and then STOP! The “might as wells” can really kill your budget and usually, they are just silly things that people don’t want or need. At Christmas, think quality, not quantity.
Buy a handful of “emergency gifts.” These are restaurant gift cards, department store gift cards, gift baskets, movie theater gift certificates and the like. Keep them handy along with a supply of greeting cards. The idea here is that you can give these to anyone you may have forgotten or who may show up at your door unexpectedly. They are the perfect emergency gifts because you can use of any cards you don’t give away.
If you still need to go, get moving, get it done and have a wonderful Christmas.
Today is the 30th anniversary of John Lennon’s untimely passing. Shot dead at the age of 40 outside his New York City apartment building. If you are like me, you can recall the night it happened like it was yesterday. I was watching football with my dad when Howard Cosell made the announcement at the end of the game. For huge fans the news hit with a devastating blow.
He was a brilliant musician and an advocate for peace. The world lost someone very special on December 8. 1980 but fortunately for us John Lennon will live on through his songs, writings, videos and artwork. And after a very long wait, I’m really looking forward to downloading iTunes Beatles songs to my iPod having never switched my vinyl to CDs.
People remember John Lennon best from his years he as a Beatle. His sound as well as his style evolved with the times. The British Invasion started in 1964 and there was John and the gang on the Ed Sullivan show all dressed in gray suits. As time went on we fondly remember the St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Costumes. Shortly thereafter came the hippie look. All the while, and until his death, John wore his trademark round glasses.
Finally, John Lennon is remembered as a guy who believed that good times were ahead of him. He didn’t get the chance to see it through but instead, inspired many of us to live, love and make a difference as if each day could be your last.
Santa Claus can be much more than a giver of presents. He can be the means to some cold hard holiday cash. Its easy to cash in on Santa if you know what to do. Here are two of the most common ways to earn cash as Santa. One is for men only and the other is for anyone, especially creative stay-at-home moms.
1. Be a freelance visiting Santa. Anyone can purchase a quality professional Santa Suit online and start a lucrative side business. Personal appearances from Santa can range from $100 an hour and up depending on the venue. You investment in a professional Santa Suit will run between $75-$500. If you have more time look into being a mall Santa. You’ll need to go through a thorough screening process but it will be worth it since a mall Santa can earn between $8,000 – $15,000 for the season.
2. Start a Santa Letter Service. This is another business opportunity to earn a stocking full of cash. You can advertise on shopping center bulletin boards, banks and by word of mouth. You can earn as much as $10 per letter. You will need to invest in good quality Christmas stationary and have a creative flare. You can make this an official business with a PayPal account and a business license or a local cash business where you act as the official courier for Santa. People send you their child’s letter along with a cash payment. In either case, you answer the letter that you personalize for every child, add a token gift like stickers or small coloring sets and ship it to North Pole Alaska for an official North Pole Postmark. The address is:
NORTH POLE CHRISTMAS CANCELLATION
POSTMASTER
5400 MAIL TRAIL
FAIRBANKS AK 99709-9998
There are post mark stamps you can purchase online but an older kid who’s on the fence about Santa won’t buy it. If you want more information there are kits you can purchase that provide all the details on a Santa Letter Business.
Stay tuned for our next post when we tell you how Mrs. Claus can get in on the action too!
