Sharing Photos Just Got Easier

I have just gotten my first camera phone and I love having the ability to take photos on the spot. Of course, then I have to send the photo to my email so I can then download it to my computer and only then can I send it to others or post it on the web. What a hassle!

CEIVA has a better idea. I know you've seen digital photo frames before, but you've never seen one that can do what the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame can do. This remarkable digital frame lets you send photos directly to it, from your digital camera or your camera phone. Just hook it up to the phone line and easily send photos from your camera phone right to the CEIVA frame for viewing.

Imagine what a great gift this makes for grandparents. They can receive and view new photos of the grandkids daily, or anytime there's an adorable moment that begs to be shared.

The CEIVA also takes a memory card, so you can instantly load pictures from your digital camera. In addition, with your Picture Plan you get unlimited photo storage on the web. All you need is a phone line or wi-fi connection to send photos to the CEIVA frame. No computer required, so this frame is great for friends and relatives who aren't computer savvy.

Keep in touch with photos and share the moments of your life with family and friends using the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame.

Christmas Miracles

The Boy, having turned 9 about a month before Christmas, is probably on his last year of belief in Santa. In fact, it is surprising to me that he still believes, given that his teen sister taunts him often with cries of "there is no Santa Claus". But The Boy holds fast to the magical wonders of Christmas and probably with good reason - Santa is very attentive.

When the various aunts and uncles called to ask me what The Boy wanted for Christmas, I was at a loss. I had asked him myself, only to be told "Don't worry Mom, you don't have to buy me anything. Santa will bring me everything I need". Very sweet, but also very unhelpful.

Two days before Christmas, The Boy decided to write his list for Santa. Luckily for me, I hadn't done the shopping yet and neither had a couple of the relatives.
The list soon appeared, a full page in length. But what was on it was a moving surprise.

He had written only two items for himself. The rest of the letter was a listing of what he wanted Santa to bring the other members of his family.

Of course, now I had the task of fulfilling his gift list for all the people listed. The only one missing was his sister. He felt that Santa would not bring her anything, since she told such untruths about him.

So his step-dad got a shiny new coffee cup, his Uncle got a shinier gold edition comic book, and The Boy got his Lego sets. He even got a set of Legos with cars in it, something he didn't add to the list until after the shopping was done. It was another Christmas miracle.

Of all Christmases, past, present and future, this is one I will remember. I didn't try to make it magical, we were late with everything from the tree to the shopping, coming in just under the wire on Christmas Eve. There weren't nearly as many presents under the tree as in past years. Still it was a Christmas made wonderfully special by the kindness in a little boy's heart and the joy of watching his wishes come true.

Well, all his wishes except the present he asked Santa to bring me... a maid. I did explain that Santa can't deliver people and the hairbrush set was very nice.

And when he asked why Santa brought his sister gifts even though she doesn't believe in him, I explained that Santa is very forgiving and wants everyone to be happy, even if they are teenagers.

Beaded Gifts for Everyone on your list

For many years, I worked in an office that used key-cards to open office doors. Security these days means that many companies use such a system. Keeping these cards in your purse works well until you just pop out to the restroom or for a cup of coffee and realize you can't get back in. That's why I always devised a way to wear my card around my neck.

Here's a nifty and stylish idea for anyone who has to use a security card or a name tag. These are Beaded Lanyards availabe at Moonbabies.com. These lanyards would make a great gift for co-workers, too. I really like the fact that something so practical can be made to be so fashionable too.

For those who need just a little extra magnification for fine print but don't wear glasses full time, check out these handy Eyeglass Holders. Again, they're stylish and elegant as well as practical. What more could you want?

And if those items don't cover everyone on your office gift list, you should take a look at these adorable Beaded Bracelets. For unique jewelry that will please any woman or teen on your list, this is a great site to check out.

A Real Christmas Post

I admit it. I have become lazy over the past few years. I admit that I have, for perhaps the last ten years, gone over to the dark side and put up an artificial Christmas tree.

I know what you will say. How could I rob my children of the heart of the Christmas home? How could I deny them the excitement of going from lot to lot in pursuit of the perfect tree? How could I deny them the aroma of pine needles and the feel of sap sticking to their fingertips?

I admit it, I did it to save myself. I don't know when exactly I became a fan of the boxed tree, but after my first year with a very unconvincing replica of a Scotch Pine, I was hooked.

I remember when I was a kid, being so anxious to get a tree and put it up. My parents wouldn't allow it more than a week before Christmas, or two at most. But I yearned for more time to admire the wonder of the tree, more evenings spent hypnotized by the flashing lights and the sparkling globes.

With the tree-in-a-box, my kids never had to wait. I could put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving, and even better, I didn't have to take it down until March if I didn't want to. No chance of it drying out, no sharp needles to prick my arms, no worrying about making sure I had it by the curb on the right day for tree pick up. When I wanted the tree, it was at the ready. When I didn't want it anymore, it could be easily relegated to its box to wait in the darkness of storage until the season returned.

They never waited, and they never seemed to be as fascinated with the tree as I remember being as a child. Perhaps it is because it is so easily obtained, set up and discarded that they do no sit for hours just admiring it. In fact, they almost never want the lights turned on. I realized after a few years that I had, in fact, never given them a tree that inspired or amazed. It came from a box, just like everything else does.

This year we have a real tree. It's not up even yet, we only brought it indoors last night. It may not get decorated until Christmas Eve. The children will be impatient while we cut it to fit the stand and take special care to be sure it is in straight and secure. It will probably be dry in a week and have to be taken down again. I will probably be vacuuming up pine needles until Spring.

That's the true Christmas tree experience and every kid should have it at least once. When they are grown and living in college dorms or tiny apartments, they may decide to get table-sized fiber optic pine-impersonators that play carols as they rotate.

But this year, there will be a tree.

Timely Gifts for Christmas

My mother was a great collector of beautiful watches. She enjoyed jewelry and had a particular fondness for elegant and stylish watches. Many of these watches were gifts from my father, gifts she ordered for herself but let him pay for.

A watch makes a perfect gift for anyone on your Christmas list. We are all governed by time, when it comes down to it. There isn't anyone who doesn't need a watch, and a watch that adds flair and style is especially appreciated.

I found a stunning collection of famous name watches at The Watchery.com. If you're looking for those perfect gifts for anyone on your list, check out The Watchery's holiday gift guide. A watch is a gift that can be both beautiful and practical, and one you know they will be able to use. A watch is a great gift for either a man or a woman, a student or a teen.

A quality watch is more than something that just tells time. It's functionality is only part of its beauty. Watches have personality and are expressions of personal style and taste. This blue Ebel Voyager is a great choice for the man-on-the-go, with it's global themed face and elegant styling.

Holiday sales are in effect and the purchase of selected watches qualify you for a second watch free. When you are discussing luxury watches, that's a deal you won't get just anywhere.

Remember everyone on your list with a gift that will stand the test of time.

Fingering Memories

I spent part of the day going through the drawers in The Boy's dresser. One of those clean-outs that are necessary more often than they are performed. The hard part is actually making the decision to get rid of too-small clothes. It's strange how items of clothing make memories.

I found a couple of Spiderman shirts. These are several sizes too small, but they survived previous clean-outs by virtue of having Spidey on them. The Boy has turned 9 now, and he is much too mature for superhero T-shirts.
But these hold memories of another time, a whole other childhood. A childhood that had a little more wonder, when he was a little boy, and not a "kid".

It's hard to put the memories aside, harder still to let go of them as they grow.

I did fairly well, considering. I managed to turn up a lost video game and one of my books that I haven't seen in enough years that it's worth reading again.

I also managed to weed out the ill-fitting clothes and made room for the ones he actually wears. It was a brief, shining moment of useful behavior. I hope I can avoid doing it again for a long time.