5 Most Popular Styles Of Christmas Ornaments

Writen by Catherine Spelling

Traditionally Christmas ornaments were bulbs of all the same color which were placed randomly throughout your Christmas tree. Over the past few decades, Christmas ornaments have developed into elaborate pieces of art which are delicately planned out and placed throughout the Christmas tree. Currently there are many types of Christmas ornaments to choose from and the creativity and uniqueness of your Christmas tree will highly depend on the types of ornaments you choose.

Below you will find the 5 most popular styles of ornaments for your Christmas tree:

1. Illuminated - Christmas ornaments which light up are becoming extremely popular. Christmas lights have been popular for a long time, so there's no reason to wonder why illuminated Christmas tree ornaments are becoming so desired. Illuminated Christmas decorations are generally quite high in price. They can range anywhere from $5 to $20 a piece.

2. Mobile - Mobile Christmas tree ornaments are unique and add a whole new element to any Christmas tree. This type of ornament adds an element of movement to your tree, something all Christmas trees lacked before now. Ornaments have the ability to move up and down, side to side and all around. Mobile Christmas tree decorations are said to bring Christmas trees to life. They are also quite expensive and are usually found in the same price range of illuminated Christmas ornaments.

3. Musical - Musical ornaments, along with illuminated and mobile ornaments, are the newest form of Christmas ornament on the market right now. Many ornaments play Christmas songs and carols for everyone to enjoy. Fortunately most also come equipped with on/off buttons which can regulate the sound when you don't want the music playing. These usually cost in the same vicinity of mobile and illuminated ornaments.

4. Homemade - Homemade Christmas tree ornaments are a sure way to ensure your Christmas tree is one of a kind. This form of ornament is personal, thoughtful and an ornament which is likely to be cherished forever. Homemade ornaments are often made by children for their moms and dads, but there are also a number of moms and dads who make ornaments at home and sell them for low prices. Regardless, homemade Christmas ornaments are one-of-a-kind are cost considerably lower than the other types.

5. Bulbs - Christmas tree bulbs will forever remain in style because they give your tree the traditional look which all trees should have. Christmas bulbs usually come in packs of about 10 and the bulbs tend to be the same colors and shapes. They are distributed as evenly as possible throughout your tree. These ornaments cost slightly higher than homemade ornaments, however they cost considerably less than any other form of Christmas tree ornament. Plus, you can always decorate them yourself.

There is an unlimited selection of Christmas tree ornaments available on the market and the choices you make will highly affect the overall appearance of your Christmas tree. Each individual family will have their own preference and no two Christmas trees will ever look the same. That's a good thing because, like people, if they all looked the same they would not be as fascinating to look at.

Catherine Spelling is a retired interior designer who now uses her decorating talents to make holidays an eye catching event. She is a freelance writer for http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com - a site that offers tips for Christmas decorations, picking out Christmas trees, tips for choosing Christmas tree toppers, and more.

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Holidays Modeling Gratitude For Your Children

Writen by Jeff Herring

Q. With the holiday season upon us, I've got some worries about my kids. Each year, they seem to be less and less grateful for what they receive, and want more and more stuff. I'm afraid of what this will lead to, and wonder what you would suggest for how to teach our kids to be grateful.

A. I am asked this question often at this time of year.

Part of the problem is that we live in a culture that not only doesn't support the concept of gratitude, it teaches the exact opposite.

In order to teach gratitude and appreciation, here are three suggestions:

Model gratitude in your own life

Do you complain a lot? Your kids are listening and will copy you.

Make things last. Don't just throw something out if it can be fixed.

Talk with your kids about' what you are grateful for in life. Tell your kids, often, what you appreciate about them.

Go slow on the big things

When we rent Chuck E. Cheese for a 3-year-old's birthday party, send kids to middle school dances in limos, and buy 16-year-olds brand-new cars, just what are we teaching them? What are they going to expect, (demand) next year?

We forget to ask the same question the scientists in the movie "Jurassic Park" forgot to ask: Just because we can do something, does it necessarily mean we should?

Have regular "gratitude times in your family

Make it a regular part of your dinner conversation to share what your are grateful for that day.

Make it a part of the bedtime ritual to share what you are grateful for in your life.

Visit ParentingYourTeenager.com for tips and tools for thriving during the teen years. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 5 day e-program on The Top 5 Things to Never Say to Your Teenager, from parenting coach and expert Jeff Herring.

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Free Halloween Games For Young Spooks To Enjoy

Writen by Gail Leino

Halloween is a great time to put a new twist on favorite games that are reliably fun but affordable to. These Halloween party games can be done for minimal cost and effort, or free with things that are commonly found right in your home. For example, instead of playing musical chairs, play Black Cat Boogie. Take a tape player or CD player with some fun boogie music for the kids to walk/dance around to. Tape spots down on the floor (maybe in the shape of pumpkins, ghosts, or witches hats) and then one spot that's a black cat. There should be one less spot than there are children at the parties. Select a "leader" to start the game. The leader is responsible for playing the music and deciding when it will stop. Kids will move around the circle stepping from spot to spot during the time the music plays. When the music stops, the child standing on the cat becomes "out" and is the next leader. Continue playing until most children have a chance to be the leader.

Scavenger hunts are also a lot of fun for Halloween party ghouls - young or old, this one is called Skeletons and Pumpkins. Before the guests arrive, create 15-20 bones and 15-20 pumpkins out of construction paper (or on the computer) and hide the paper bones and pumpkins throughout the party area, Divide the guests into two teams and assign them a search target. See which team can find the most pumpkins or bones within the allotted time. That team wins. If this seems to easy for the age of your party guests, make it harder by turning out the lights and give each team one flashlight. Then, have the guests search for their items using only the light of that flashlight. Feel free to make the search items out of other materials besides paper if you have the time and budget. Clay bones, real miniature pumpkins, etc. will make it more difficult to find in a short amount of time as they become part of the party decorations.

Have fun at your Halloween Party!

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Halloween Party Games (http://halloween-party-fun.com), party planning tips, decorations, costume ideas, recipes, printable activities and free coloring pages.

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