Some Assembly Required

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house

I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
In hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."
The children were quiet in their beds,
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
In the kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!
We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat....
Let no pieces be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
If we can't get it right, it goes down in the basement!
When what to my worrying eyes should appear,
But 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
So if there were failure, only we could be blamed.
More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
All over the floor they were scattered about.
"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, where the metal is bare!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."
And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
That all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
With "assembly required" till morning's first light.
We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
Till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night it wore thin
Before we attached the last rod and last pin.
Then laying the tools away in the chest,
We fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.
Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
And not have to run to the store for a thing!
"We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
For the perfect, most perfectest Christmas, I bet!"
Then off to dreamland, at last sweet repose
I gratefully went, although I suppose
There's something to say for those self-deluded
I'd forgotten that BATTERIES are never included!
I just got lost in thought.
It was unfamiliar territory.



-Unknown

http://opossumsally.homestead.com/index1.html

First Christmas Gift

  Well, I bought my first Christmas present yesterday. It's for my sister-in-law. Saw it on http://www.iqvc.com/. I love it and I think she will too. I can't say what it is because she may read this. I sent her an email with a Christmas background and a Christmas song. I told her ho ho ho, he he he, bought you a Christmas gift from QVC. No hints as to what it was. I don't think I've ever bought a Christmas gift this early. It could turn out to be a good idea to start early in the year instead of waiting until November.

The Magic Christmas Star

This is a Hallmark presentation. Very sweet story for children.

White Christmas Cartoon Song

I love this version of White Christmas. Hope it puts a smile on your face.

Farting Elves 12 Days of Christmas

O.K. So you need a sense of  humor for this. Leave it up to JibJab!

My favorite places to shop for Christmas gifts

  I have found out that I really like to do my Christmas shopping online. I can have my coffee, or my wine, depending on what time of day it is, or I can be in my p.j.'s in the comfort of my own home and not be standing in long lines or being in overcrowded stores, or trying to carry to many bags around while I shop. My feet won't hurt or my back. Technology, isn't it wonderful!


Before I check out, I always look for coupon codes for discounts or free shipping on the item I want to purchase. I type in coupon codes for ebags, the place I'm visiting, or coupon codes for handbags or whatever the item might be that I'm interested in purchasing. There are a lot of coupon code sources out there. Two I usually try are:http://www.couponcabin.com/, or http://www.promotionalcodes.com/?gclid=CNGzjvP4kaACFdx05QodLzqmeA. I love when I can get a deal! Now I don't think you can use coupon codes for QVC, which is one of my favorite places to shop, but the prices there are quite good and you have thirty days to return your product, no questions asked. If the product is defective you don't pay to ship it back. I also trust them with my information...they don't give it out to anyone. http://www.iqvc.com/ In July, on the 25th, they do their Christmas in July all day.

 I have ordered wreaths, garlands, 4ft. trees to put in urns outside my front door from the Bethlehem Lights people at QVC, and the quality is great. The lights are made to last a long time before needing to replace them. They also make battery operated wreaths and garlands that have a timer on them if that's the way you choose to use them. If you turn it on at 6:00 p.m., it will stay lit for six hours, shut off, and turn back on at the same time the next night. They actually last clear through the holiday season. I put mine up on Thanksgiving weekend and they stay working to the New Year. Wonderful!

Some of my other favorite places to shop are:
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=honeysuckle&origkw=honeysuckle&sr=1, I always get my two grandchildren something from here every year. They love it.

http://www.nutsonline.com/, all sorts of nuts, dried fruits, chocolates, coffee, teas, seeds, snacks, gift baskets, tins, etc. You can pick your delivery date and it gets there fast!

http://secure.ebags.com:0/handbags/department/index.cfm?sub_site_id=14, Here they have any kind of bag you can think of: handbags, wallets, luggage, laptop bags, duffel bags, backpacks, etc. They have a lot of sales and you can return your item free if you're not satisfied. Love this website.

http://www.amazon.com/, You can get a lot of free shipping items here if you spend $25.00 or more and we all know this is easy to do at Christmas.

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=HOME&cid=20205&fp=f, Shipping is always $2.95 on your entire order, but sometimes it's only a dollar and sometimes it's free. Big selection of items.

http://www.zappos.com/?gclid=CJ_hq5aDkqACFQ1N5QodyBzCfA, Shoes & Clothing with free shipping both ways.

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/index.jsp?s_kwcid=ulta|974910690, for cosmetics and fragrances, etc.

https://www.thecountryhouse.com/Default.asp, If you're into the country decorating, this is the place to shop.

So that's it. It's always a good idea to check out the return policies for any place you shop so there will be no surprises. Another good idea is if you set up an account at places you shop, to frequently change your password to keep your information safe. Each credit card company has different ways for you to keep your identity safe for shopping online, and don't forget those coupon codes.

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Amazing Grace Christmas Light Show

This is truly the best light show I have ever seen! Enjoy.

The Amazing Grace Christmas House. Designed and programmed by Richard Holdman in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

You can find out more information about this display at http://www.holdman.com/
The display has 50,000 lights and is computer controlled by 180 channels.