Did you know...Candy Canes originated over 350 years ago and the original ones were all white...and straight?!?!   Around the seventeenth century, European-Christians began to adopt the use of Christmas trees as part of their Christmas celebrations. They made special decorations for their trees from foods like cookies and sugar-stick candy. The first historical reference to the familiar cane shape goes back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, bent the sugar-sticks into canes to represent a shepherd's staff. The all-white candy canes were given out to children during the long-winded nativity services. The clergymen's custom of handing out candy canes during Christmas services spread throughout Europe and later to America. The canes were still white, but som... 12/22/2009

Have you sent your Christmas Cards yet?? I haven't, they are on order and believe me...that is no easy feat.  I just hope that they arrive at my doorstep in time to get them addressed and at the Post Office before Christmas.  Every year since having children we take a photo of the whole family to update those family members who we haven't seen in awhile.  Taking a picture with a tripod and 3 young children is not easy!!    The tradition of sending Christmas cards begun in 1843 - about the same time as the first Christmas seal was published. The first Christmas card was produced in England, and the idea was well-received, because the following year, more than 25,000 Christmas cards were sold. However, the first Christmas card provoked controversy in certain circles in England, because th... 12/12/2009

Ever wonder why we hang our stockings on the mantle??   The tradition of the Christmas stockings began by a story told since ancient time about a kind noble man who had three daughters. The wife of the nobleman expired and the daughters and their father were left in a state of sorrow. The daughters had to do all the work in the house. When the daughters became young and eligible for marriage, the poor father could not afford to give the huge dowries to their husbands. One evening the daughters, after washing their stockings hung them near the fire place to be dried. Santa Claus being moved by the plight of the daughters came in and put in three bags of gold one in each of the stocking hanging by the chimney. The next morning the family noticed the gold bags and the nobleman had enough f... 12/03/2009

Family traditions are so important and that's why we fell in love with the Elf on The Shelf book set. Inside the book set you will find an antique-style Elf, formed to sit on a shelf or perch in your house, as well as a book that explains what the Elf is for. He has an important job. This Elf is assigned to watch over your family and report back to Santa each night about who has been naughty or nice that day. By morning he's back but he's in a different place in the house for a daily hide-and-seek ritual that will delight your kids and adults alike. It is a fun tradition to sit down together at the beginning of the Christmas season and read the book. We chose to start this on Thanksgiving weekend.  Your kids can name the Elf and enter the name on the certificate at the back of the book.... 11/27/2009

The Christmas Season is FAST approaching.  I am among many when I say it is one of my favorite times of the year.  There are many things that come to mind...Christmas carols, gift giving, dinner parties, smell of pine & peppermint, shopping, baking, wreaths, stockings hung at the fireplace... I look forward to the day when I retrieve all of the decorations from the basement to adorn my home with them.  We have a very tall tree and my husband & I may seem to get frustrated at times when we are decorating it, but at the end of the day when we turn the lights on it is all worth it! We all do some type of decorating for the holidays, some just more extravagant than others.  While I could go on and on about ideas or ways to decorate your home for the holidays, lets talk about something else.... 11/19/2009

So if this news doesn't make you want to go out and buy a new house I am not sure what will!  TAX CREDIT FOR HOME BUYERS First-Time Home buyers (FTHBs): First-time home buyers (that is, people who have not owned a home within the last three years) may be eligible for the tax credit. The credit for FTHBs is 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum available credit of $8,000. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount. Current Owners: The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive yea... 11/10/2009

     "is your house Dressed to Market?" Even though the market is slowly turning in the "right direction", it still has a LONG way to go.  Sellers are having a hard time getting enough money out of their home.  This is nothing new, we all know of this problem but some of us don't know how to deal with it when selling your house.  It does not have to cost a lot of money to take measures to make your property more valuable, more desirable.  Bottom line, when you decide to sell your house your next decision should be what are my steps to take to prepare it for the market.  Your goal should be to dress your house to make people fall in love with it.  There are 3 things that you must consider when selling your house: 1. Product, how does your house present itself, is it "Dressed to Market"? ... 10/16/2009