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Most everyone I know loves Christmas. There is something about the magic and wonder of the season that is unmatched during the rest of the year. There are so many reasons that I love Christmas I can hardly know where to begin.
I guess the biggest reason I love Christmas is because for me, it has always meant the gathering of family and friends. It is only during the Christmas season that we gather from a far and enjoy days filled with laughter, good conversation, good meals and tons of games. My four siblings and I have naturally spread out into our adulthood and usually it is only at Christmas that we get to reunite with each other and with our parents. You could take everything else about Christmas away from me and I would still love it just for this reason.
With my family and close friends around me, I love the sheer celebration and party that the Christmas season is. I love going from Christmas party to Christmas party and celebrating with the people I care about most. I am quite sure that there is nothing better than enjoying a day of sledding, making snow men, drinking hot chocolate, and then coming inside to watch old movies and eat great snacks by the Christmas tree. Even the smallest parts of Christmas feel like magic. I love the way the Christmas tree glows each year with white twinkle lights on it, and I love the way the house smells after my mom finishes baking her famous Christmas cookies. I love seeing my children sleeping side by side with each of their cousins right in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
Another reason I love Christmas is because it happens near the end of the year. Many years Christmas becomes my Thanksgiving as well as I realize all of the ways that I have been blessed during the past year. I take time each Christmas to write a letter to each of my parents, siblings, my husband, children, and close friends. It takes me weeks to write them all, but I love sharing with each person in my life the ways that they have blessed my life during the past year. I never give a Christmas gift without a letter attached. I love that Christmas reminds me to be grateful and to cherish the best things and people in my life.
Take a little time and think about the reasons you love Christmas so much. I think you will find that it truly is the greatest time of the year.
About The Author: Belina Storrey has loved Christmas for as long as she can remember. She enjoys writing articles and stories that reflect upon her favorite things in life. See more at http://www.funchristmas.info
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If you're thinking about buying a comforter for your bedroom, don't shop without this information! Knowing what to look for in a quality comforter can save you money in the long run by making your purchase the best quality for the money.
By saving yourself from some of the common mistakes made by bedding buyers, you will be much happier with the selection you purchase.
When choosing comforters, it is important to understand the materials used to construct the bedding as well as the construction methods used. Let's take a look at some of the factors you need to be aware of before making your purchase.
Feathers or down are commonly used as filling material. There's a really big difference between the two, however. Down is the inner plumage of ducks or geese. It has a great many tiny, very fluffy "miniature feathers" and no long feathers or quills.
Check the product information carefully to be certain of what the contents of the bedding you are considering really is. Both feathers and down are effective insulators against the cold, but down is the more efficient of the two. Down is much softer and warmer than feathers.
However, people with allergies can have problems with either filler and may need to resort to allergy-proof bedding. Some down products are created to be hypoallergenic and may be used by any except the most severe allergy sufferers. Quality bedding will be made of down rather than feathers, but is very expensive when used as the only fill. So comforter manufacturers compromise abit by adding some feathers into the mix as well to add to your comforter's insulating ability.
Another fill that may be found in bedding is polyester fiber. This filling is not as luxurious feeling as down but can make an effective insulator nonetheless. Preferred by allergy sufferers, a very good quality selection using polyester fiber fill can make a great bedding choice.
An important factor to consider when purchasing your bed covering is fill weight. Fill weight is the amount of filling used between the top and bottom covering of your bedding.
The greater the fill weight, the more filling is contained in the bedding and therefore the more body heat will be held in through the insulating factor of the bedding.
If you live in a cold climate and reduce your home's thermostat at night, you'll want to purchase products with a high fill weight.
If you live in a more temperate climate or want bedding for summer use, you will probably want to choose a lower fill weight or remove the top bedding from the bed at night to sleep in cool comfort.
Fill power refers to the amount of space which 1 ounce of down or fill material covers. Because top quality down expands, this number is generated by taking 1 once of fill and compressing it. Once it is freed again, it will expand to cover a specific area.
The fill number 575 fill power means that 1 ounce of the filler covers 575 cubic inches of space. 650 is a very high fill power. The loft of the bedding is directly related to the fill power, as is the insulating properties.
If you live in a warm climate, you'll be happy with a much lower fill power. A fill power of 575 or below would be great for winters in the Mid-South. Lower numbers would be best for Southern California and Florida while the cold northern state will enjoy a fill power of 650.
Thread count is a factor to consider as well. Especially with down/feather bedding, low thread count fabric can result in filling materials working their way through the fabric and escaping.
Higher thread counts of 330 or more provide a more dense fabric with a close weave that will prevent filling materials from working their way out of the bedding. Higher thread count also provides a silkier, luxurious feel to the bedding. Thread count is much more important when buying bedding that contains filling than if you are buying sheets.
The actual construction method of the shell of the bedding is also very important. Inexpensive bedding that contains filling will be constructed with the "sewn-through" method.
This means that the bedding is divided into sections by sewing through the top and bottom and coming back through the fabric, much like the way a quilt is constructed.
Top quality bedding, which is more expensive but will last much longer, uses baffle box construction.
Fabric is used to create walls inside the bedding in which the fill is placed. This provides the fluffiness of true luxury bedding. The bedding fill product is allowed to expand to the maximum fluffiness and you will find no cold spots when sleeping under this type of bedding.
For the very best bedding, be sure to look for the "closed baffle box" or "true baffle box" construction. Closed box construction means the filling can not move from section to section. An open box construction or partially open box construction means the filling can move and create bunches and lumpiness.
Care of your bedding investment is important too! Even if a luxury bedding item that contains fill material says it may be machine washed, you will not want to wash it in your home laundry equipment.
When large pieces of filled bedding get wet, they are simply too heavy for the home machine. Washing and drying can cause lumping even in good quality products. Dry cleaning is the best method to preserve your quality bedding that contains fill.
For only a little more cost, you can insure that your bedding will last longer so you can enjoy it for years and years to come.
About the Author: Patricia Bowlin makes it easy to create a bedroom with flair! Find countless Free tips, ideas and information here on choosing all of your bedding by visiting now http://www.best-in-bedding.com
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Holiday Decorating Tips: Christmas Candles
By Jeanette Joy FisherHow to Light Up Your Home for Joy
Do you love the winter holiday season or does this time of year cause you stress? One way to lower your holiday stress, using fewer decorations, decreases your "just have to much to do" list.
However, you still want to display Christmas candles because these decorations bring smiles to you and your loved ones. As days grow shorter and cooler and the suns sets earlier, people naturally crave the warmth and comfort of light, especially natural sources such as a bonfire or the flame of a Christmas candle.
Christmas Candle Tips
Luminaries
Save your energy and your money. You don't need to line your entire sidewalk with luminaries. Get a similar effect with four large candles in clear glass containers near your front door. These glowing candles will welcome your guests without all the work of gathering bags, buying votive candles that just burn up fast, and shoveling all that sand.
Window Candles
Many cultural holiday traditions include placing a lighted candle in front windows to be seen from the outside. Pamper yourself. Place a candle in any dark window at night. Rather than peering into a dark void, you'll focus on the cheerful flame and feel comforted and uplifted.
Gift Yourself
Create a nightly quiet ritual for yourself in a quiet place away from distractions and the hustle of the holidays. Place candles around your bathtub and unwind, or by your favorite reading chair and instead of reading sit in the quiet and reflect upon the brightness of a single candlelight. Listen to quiet music or simply enjoy the peace and stillness. Ponder the joys in your life and express gratitude. This quiet time may be your most treasured gift to yourself.
Candlelight Carol-Sing
Recycle last year's greeting cards by cutting each into a disk or rounding the edges, punch a hole in the center, and slide a taper candle half-way through the hole. Gather your friends and family around the piano or hearth and sing familiar Christmas carols as each person holds their own candlelight. Pause to reflect upon the fact that each individual brings their own special light to the world and recognize the common spiritual light in each of us.
Candle Night-Night
When it's time to settle the children down to bed on Christmas Eve, calm them with a soothing candlelight ritual. My daughter’s children walk to bed, each carefully carrying a lighted candle through a dark hallway, singing "Silent Night."
Happy Holidays!
© Jeanette Fisher
About the Author: Free holiday decorating ideas teleclass, "Interior Design Secrets to Glorious Holiday Decorating" and more holiday decorating tips Joy Holidays Decorating http://JoyHolidays.com
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