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With Christmas 2008 still fresh in our memory, please take a minute to think back at the expression on the faces of all those that you presented with a gift. For many, there was the pure joy at being remembered. For others, you may have noticed a look or surprise or delight at your thoughtfulness. These brief glimpses into the hearts of others are perhaps the greatest reward for any gift giver. Would you like to enjoy this experience year round?

Each of us are blessed with certain gifts that can often be extremely helpful to others. It might be your upbeat, positive outlook on life, a creative talent you possess, or your deep abiding faith. Often just a thoughtful few words shared with a friend, co-worker, staff member, or acquaintance can make a huge difference in that person’s outlook on life that day. Enthusiasm and optimism can be very contagious. Share you attitude with those around you and see what happens.

Reaching out to our neighbors and friends who may be in need is still another way that we can share our gifts in 2009. Extend a helping hand to someone who needs assistance. Offer to run an errand, babysit with the neighbor’s children, or visit someone who lives alone.  Are you a great cook?  Package up a meal or two and take it to somebody who lives alone. Doing thoughtful things for others is a wonderful way to give from the heart.

As we go about our daily routines, caught up in the usual time pressures of life, let’s not forget to be considerate of each other. Allow someone with just a few items to go ahead of you at the grocery checkout. Stop and let another drive pull out into traffic.  Remember to express your appreciation to those who serve you in restaurants or stores by smiling and saying “Thank you.”

If we could all adopt some of these ideas, we would experience a deeper sense of appreciation for each other while giving of ourselves.

Operation Letters To Santa would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Stir together the flour, baking power, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until they are fully mixed together.
4. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with holiday cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookies sheet.
6. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but will still be soft to the touch. Remove immediately from the cookie sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, frost and decorate with the icing of your choice.

GINGERBREAD COCKTAIL

Ginger Syrup:

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

2″ piece fresh gingers, coarsely chopped

2 cinnamon sticks

3 whole cloves

Martini:

Ice

2 ounces Vodka

1/2 to 1 ounce gingerbread syrup

To Make The GingerBread Syrup

1. Simmer all ingredients, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2/3 cup of liquid. Approx. 15 minutes.
2. Pour hot syrup through a fine sieve to remove ginger pieces and place in fridge until chilled. Let stand at least 30 minutes so all sediment has settled to the bottom of the mixture.

To Make The Martini

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
2. Add the Vodka and gingerbread syrup
3. Cover and shake vigorously until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

MINTED HOT CHOCOLATE

1 quart milk (Your choice of what kind of milk)

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

9 ounces peppermint Schnapps

Whipping Cream (Optional)

Mini Candy Canes (Optional)

Directions:

1. Heat 1 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat.
2. Add chocolate, stirring constantly until melted.
3. When the chocolate has melted, increase het to medium and add the remainder of the milk while whisking rapidly. Do not allow to boil or scald.
4. Add 1 ounce peppermint Schnapps to each 6 ounce mugs.
5. (Optional) Garnish with mini candy canes and /or whipping cream to each mug before serving.

WHITE CHRISTMAS

4 ounces eggnog

1/2 ounce white chocolate liquer

1 ounce Southern Comfort

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and serve straight up in a snifter.

Each year Operation Letters to Santa sponsors 3 contests - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course, Christmas!

Be sure to register for our annual Christmas contest where two lucky winners will win an Xbox 360 Elite and a Nintendo Wii.

Our contests are available only to subscribers of Santa’s Newsletter. Sign-up for our newsletter today so you don’t miss any chances to win! Santa’s subscribe list is double-optin so please be sure to respond to the email that you receive when you sign up for Santa’s Newsletter in order to be eligible for our contests. Note: Winners can only win one prize annually. To see previous contest winners please click here.

We wish you the best of luck!!!!

Jerry hides among the myriad of toys (even firing a trick cannon’s cork at Tom) and hides inside a Christmas fairy light, causing him to glow. Tom grabs Jerry and is promptly electrocuted. Jerry hides among some toy soldiers, but Tom spots him, and just as he is about to crush Jerry with his paw, the mouse runs off. Tom chases Jerry, but is stopped by the barrier of a miniature level crossing. A toy train passes by, with many carriages. Jerry is sitting on top of the caboose, waving cheekily at Tom and pulling faces. However, the train enters a model of a tunnel, and with Jerry sitting on top of the train hits his head and is knocked onto the track. He quickly runs through the tunnel, pursued by Tom, who knocks the tunnel over with his size. Jerry hides inside a boxing glove and boxes the puzzled cat in the face before running off behind the Christmas tree. Tom follows him and spots him jumping into a jack-in-the-box. Opening up the box, Tom is punched by the boxing glove stuck on Jack’s head and is knocked out.

Tom chases Jerry once again, but Jerry holds out a piece of mistletoe in from of him and persuades an embarrassed Tom to kiss him. Tom blushes, and while his back is turned, Jerry kicks him in the rear. The mouse darts through the slot letterbox into the outdoors. As Tom opens the lid of the letterbox to see where Jerry has gone, Jerry hurls a snowball at his face. Tom angrily barricades the slot so that Jerry cannot get back into the house.

Jerry’s present from Tom in The Night Before Christmas.While Jerry trudges up and down in the heavy snow in a vain attempt to warm himself, Tom fluffs up his cushion and prepares to sleep. He is unable to settle himself; heavenly choirs sing carols, pricking Tom’s conscience with the message of Christmas peace and goodwill. He first props open the slot to allow Jerry back in and, when the mouse does not reappear, ventures anxiously outside to find Jerry, frozen. Fearing for Jerry’s life, he brings the frozen mouse indoors and warms him up by the fire. Slowly, Jerry regains consciousness, but is wary of the cat. Tom hands Jerry a candy cane, his Christmas present. A delighted Jerry licks his cane, but then quickly reacts to prevent Tom drinking from his bowl of milk. He dips his cane into the bowl, and a loud snap is heard. Jerry uses the cane to fish a mousetrap that he had earlier planted in the bowl. Tom appreciates Jerry’s warning and the mouse runs back to his hole. He uses his candy cane to hook the cheese off the mousetrap. Instead of snapping like a usual mousetrap does, the spring slowly comes down ringing the tune of “Jingle Bells” as Jerry smiles in admiration to the “musical mousetrap.”

Be sure to register right now for our annual Christmas contest where two lucky winners will win an Xbox 360 Elite and a Nintendo Wii.

Our contests are available only to subscribers of Santa’s Newsletter. Sign-up for our newsletter today so you don’t miss any chances to win! Santa’s subscribe list is double-optin so please be sure to respond to the email that you receive when you sign up for Santa’s Newsletter in order to be eligible for our contests. Note: Winners can only win one prize annually. To see previous contest winners please click here.

We wish you the best of luck!!!!

A young girl named Karen brings a snowman to life with a top hat discarded by inept magician Professor Hinkle. The snowman’s first words after coming to life are “Happy Birthday!”

Karen’s friends suggest names for their new friend including Oatmeal and Christopher Columbus, but Karen decides to call him “Frosty”. When Hinkle learns of the magic power his hat actually possesses, he demands that Karen and Frosty return it immediately.

Frosty and the children elude Hinkle long enough to have some fun in town, including the confrontation with the traffic cop mentioned in the lyrics, but Frosty soon senses the temperature is rising and worries about melting.

With Hinkle in hot pursuit, Karen and Frosty flee together to the North Pole to get Frosty to a place where he will not melt. Helping them in their journey is Hocus Pocus, the professor’s rabbit. When they cannot afford a train ticket, the friends stow away aboard a refrigerated train car. Unbeknownst to them, Hinkle has also hitched a ride on the same train. Later Frosty, Hocus, and Karen jump off the train, leaving Hinkle behind once again.

Fearing that Karen cannot survive the cold weather, Frosty asks Hocus Pocus who might be able to help them. Hocus suggests (by pantomiming) the President of the United States and the United States Marines, before suggesting Santa Claus. Frosty agrees, and promptly takes credit for the idea himself. The forest animals build a campfire to keep Karen warm until they can locate Santa Claus, but Hinkle again arrives and blows out the fire. Frosty and Karen are again forced to flee, this time with Karen riding on Frosty’s back as he slid head-first down a hill. At the bottom of the slope, Karen and Frosty discover a greenhouse filled with poinsettias. Against Karen’s advice Frosty steps inside the warm greenhouse, suggesting that he could afford to lose a little weight anyway, but Hinkle again catches up to Frosty and locks him and Karen in the greenhouse.

Hocus brings Santa Claus to the greenhouse only to find Karen in tears and Frosty melted on the floor. Santa explains to Karen that Frosty is made from Christmas snow, and that he can never completely melt away. With a gust of cold wind through the open greenhouse door, Frosty is brought back to life and again exclaims “Happy Birthday!” Hinkle again arrives on the scene and demands the return of his hat. He relents only when threatened with being removed from Santa’s Christmas list for the rest of his life. Santa states that if Hinkle is truly repentant for his mean attitude and harming Frosty, that he may find a gift in his stocking on Christmas morning, which makes Hinkle run home to write repeatedly his apologies. Santa returns Karen home and Frosty exclaims as he rides off in Santa’s sleigh, “I’ll be back on Christmas Day!”

The credits show all the characters marching through the town square with Frosty in the lead, singing the “Frosty the Snowman” song. Among them is a reformed Professor Hinkle, who is proudly wearing his new top hat.

Be sure to register right now for our annual Christmas contest where two lucky winners will win an Xbox 360 Elite and a Nintendo Wii.

Our contests are available only to subscribers of Santa’s Newsletter. Sign-up for our newsletter today so you don’t miss any chances to win! Santa’s subscribe list is double-optin so please be sure to respond to the email that you receive when you sign up for Santa’s Newsletter in order to be eligible for our contests. Note: Winners can only win one prize annually. To see previous contest winners please click here.

We wish you the best of luck!!!!

Be sure to register right now for our annual Christmas contest where two lucky winners will win an Xbox 360 Elite and a Nintendo Wii.

Our contests are available only to subscribers of Santa’s Newsletter. Sign-up for our newsletter today so you don’t miss any chances to win! Santa’s subscribe list is double-optin so please be sure to respond to the email that you receive when you sign up for Santa’s Newsletter in order to be eligible for our contests. Note: Winners can only win one prize annually. To see previous contest winners please click here.

We wish you the best of luck!!!!

I was contacted by Good Morning America yesterday who wants to partner with Operation Santa  to provide a large Do-It-Yourself gift for a child or family who would otherwise not have much of a Christmas.This is the note that I received from GMA producer Wendy Brundige:

Hi Denise,

Thanks so much for your help with this.  We have a do-it-yourself expert who would like to help a family make a Christmas gift for their kid(s) this year, and we’re looking for a family who would be willing to try this idea, and who needs help.  We’d like to help them make something big — maybe a doll house for a little girl, a clubhouse of some sort, a ping pong table, etc.  We thought of Operation Santa, and wondered if you guys have received any letters from families who may fit this description.

Our first choice for location would be to find someone within a few hours of Des Moines, Iowa…  (where our expert is located)

 Second choice is New York region…

Third choice is near any major city

 Here is a blurb you can post on the website, if you’re willing to do that:

Are you trying to save money this holiday season by making some gifts on your own instead of buying everything at the store?  Good Morning America Weekend may be able to help!  If you are a parent considering building your own dollhouse as a gift for the kids, or undertaking another big project to make a gift for someone special this year, please let us know and our experts may be able to help you make your homemade gift look anything but homemade. 

If you are interested, please email GMA producer Wendy Brundige at Wendy.L.Brundige {at} abc(.)com. Please be sure to put the sentence “Operation Letters To Santa” in the subject line as she is receiving thousands of emails about this project.

Please pass this around!

Thank you so much and thank you for your help.

Webmaster, Operation Letters To Santa.com

http://www.operationlettertosanta.com

With Christmas just around the corner, this holiday season is an exciting and magical time for children.  Arrange time with them to cook, bake, and create craft items for gifts and parties.

Some suggestions:

Bake gingerbread cookies with your children and let the kids decorate them in front of the fireplace. They can also make gingerbread ornaments for the tree.

Children are absolutely fascinated with snow globes.  Recycle jars into snow globes is a treat that the little ones won’t quickly forget.

Snow Globes

Glue gun

Tiny waterproof figurines such as Christmas trees, Christmas village, Nativity animals, etc.

Jars with lids such as baby food jars or small jam jars

Distilled water

Glycerine

Sparkly glitter

Silicone sealant

Directions

1. Use a glue gun to attach tiny figures onto the inside of the jar lid. Let dry.
2. Fill the jar with distilled water, 1 spoonful of gylcerine and 1 large spoonful of the sparkly glitter.
3. Apply silicone sealant onto the inside rim of the lid and screw tightly to jar. Let dry and then turn over and shake.

Be sure to visit Operation Letters To Santa for lots of Christmas activities, FREE Christmas desktop wallpapers, games, crafts and so much more! Santa also has an online community where you can build your personal or family page, upload photos, videos, music, post blogs, share traditions and recipes and so much more!