Archive for April, 2008

Wholesale Christmas Stockings

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

We have selected some of our best selling Christmas Stockings for wholesale trade.  The minimum order is $100 for wholesale orders and wholesale Christmas stockings must be purchased in case quantities.  The following Christmas stockings are available at wholesale discount:

Classic Christmas Stockings:

16″ Red Plush Christmas Stocking with Green and Gold Border

18″ Christmas Stocking : Classic red white with gold trim

18″ Plush Blue Baby’s 1st Christmas Stocking

18: Plush Pink Baby’s First Christmas Stocking
The stockings will be available shortly : we will update the pricing, case pack and availability on this page within next few days.  If you wanted to purchase these stockings at wholesale at present time please call our customer service at 800-761-XMAS

Our wholesale Christmas stockings are available for immediate shipment, usually shipping within 1 business day from the payment receipt.

These wholesale holiday stockings are shipped blank, without any personalizing or embroidery.

If you wanted large quantities of personalized/customized Christmas stockings with embroidered names, logos we can accommodate such requirements as well.  Please call our customer service at 800-761-XMAS

Cool tools for your Christmas shopping online

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Just strolling through the web, I accidentally stumbled onto a nice site that lets you do lot of your Christmas or any sort of shopping online and gather your shopping wish lists and ’shopcast’.  On the first look it looks like a cool widget site and it is entirely enjoyable.

Burgundy Velvet Christmas stocking  with olive trim and tassel

Classic, elegant, custom embroidered with a name. Velvet materials, fully lined for that heirloom quality. The bling is added with a metallic gold rope trim and metallic gold thread embroidery stitch to personalize the stocking with a custom touch. (via Personalized Stockings)

The above is a little ’shopcast’ code from the site, the site is called ThisNext and I bet it will save you time doing all your Christmas shopping this Season.

Aside from all the widgets to make your life easier, ThisNext has Watch People Shop which kept me entertained for a while… What will be next? Can I go virtually Christmas shop with a friend of mine from across the country?

 

How to measure a Christmas Stocking

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

how to measure christmas stockingsWe often get calls from our customers asking what is the correct way to measure their Christmas stockings at home so they can buy additional ones to match.

Take a look at the picture of these Christmas stockings here.  We pictured out 16″ and out 18″ classic Christmas stocking.

The correct way to measure your Christmas stockings is from the top right hand corner where the hanger loop is atached diagonally down across the stocking to the toe of the bootie.

So a stocking described in our store as 18″ Christmas stocking measures 18″ diagonally as outlined above and in our illustration.  This will help you choose the right size of your Christmas stockings to match those you already have. 

Most popular size of Christmas Stocking:  the 19″ and the 18″ holiday stocking is our most popular size.

Christmas Stockings for Paula’s Home Cooking Show

Friday, April 18th, 2008

personalized stockings for Paula Dean Home Cooking Show

Today we are shipping set of our personalized Christmas stockings to FoodNetwork’s Paula’s Home Cooking Show. They are filming the Christmas show next week and we were so pleased they chose our burgundy velvet olive trim and tassel personalized Christmas stockings to decorate the set.  

Here is a quick picture. I hope they will like the stockings.

We need to take a look if Paula has some great recipes for for our Christmas Party Guide and Ideas page.

Update 4-30-2008 We have received feedback from Paula’s assistant. We are so excited about it we just have to share it!
“Thank you so much for the beautiful stockings!!! They looked fabulous,
and will be on the Paula’s Party show around Christmas!!!!
Thanks once again- You have the best stockings ever!!!!”

We are honored we have been chosen to provide Paula’s Home Cooking Show with our personalized Chrirmas stockings and are absolutely delighted those stockings were a success!

 

Mosaic Mailbox - a Christmas gift idea for the one who has everything!

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Christmas Holly Mosaic Mail BoxIf you are doing early Christmas shopping and need a gift for someone who already has everything, take a look at our (still in development) Custom Mosaic Mailbox.

There are usually no mosaic mailboxes available in the on the market, we searched online and offline and could not find any. However driving around our Florida Keys community I saw at least 3 mosaic mailboxes just on the 2 streets on my way home. So there must be enough home owners who love to give a special custom or personalized touch to their home curb appeal in form of mosaic mailbox. The first custom mailbox has a tropical mailbox design with and it is a first in series of several designs we are planning to introduce from the hand made product series new for 2008. Mosaic Planter Plant Box Christmas Holly and BerriesWe even have a Christmas custom mailbox design! This custom line also has other mosaic items, such as mosaic planters, mosaic bird feeders, mosaic bird houses, mosaic garden furniture and more!

Tropical Custom Mailbox - MosaicThe tropical mailbox is designed from hand selected stained glass, ceramics, sea glass collected on the beaches and other fun items.  We hope you (and the recipient of this unique gift) will love our designs.  This line of custom mailboxes cannot be found anywhere and is produced on special order basis - so order now - order early and save this special item as a gift and while you are at it, order one for yourself.

The materials used, including the grout are for outdoor purpose so this gorgeous mailbox should last for many years in the outdoor conditions.

Most of these custom mailboxes can be personalized with your street address or a street number.

Mini Christmas Stockings as Wedding Favors

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

Mini Christmas StockingsIf you have a Fall or Winter Wedding you might want to consider making or buying those miniature Christmas stockings and customize them as wedding favors for your wedding reception party.

This favor idea may be worth considering for other parties around Christmas as well. Birthday parties, company or organization Christmas parties, where you want to include something personal as a party favor for guests to take home.

You can find those mini Christmas stockings in most of the stores around in fall and winter in their Christmas or Seasonal section. We usually have some mini Christmas stockings available in our store as well.

These mini stockings can be also used as Christmas tree decoration at home.

If you prefer making your stockings from scratch, you can use just about any fabric even matching your wedding party decor or bride’s maids dresses. To create a pattern for a mini stocking favor, you can purchase one mini stocking in a store and draw the pattern from it. Then simply sew the stockings with a sewing machine from the fabric of your choice.

To customize the mini stockings for a wedding party, we suggest a custom printed ribbon with a wedding date and bride’s and groom’s names. Then just tie the ribbon to the stocking hanger loop in a nice bow and this stocking is personalized for your party.

You can also have the mini stockings embroidered with your initials and the wedding date. This would be best done by a specialty embroidery shop who has the capability to embroider on small areas such as the mini stocking.

You can them stuff the stockings with some goodies that the party guests will enjoy. Some good ideas for mini stocking stuffers are wrapped candy, candy canes, wrapped gourmet Christmas cookies, mixed nuts in shells, potpourri in a cellophane bag.

You can group the mini stockings with other party favors, such as custom Christmas Ornament for Christmas Party that can be imprinted with the date, names or any other inscriptions or pictures.

The mini Christmas stocking also doubles as a gift wrap so you do not have to spend additional funds of the favor gift wrap.

Personalize your own Christmas Stocking

Monday, April 7th, 2008

If you would like to try your hand at personalizing your own stocking, here is how to make personalized Christmas stocking:

Personalize your Christmas Stocking with glue and glitter:

Personalized Christmas Stocking

SUPPLIES

Iron-on letters can be bought around Christmas time in many craft or Christmas Stores. Some stores even carry a stocking that includes a set of iron on letters. Simply select the letters and arrange on the stocking and iron on.

Glitter and Glue Technique is the most popular way to personalize Christmas Stockings..

• There are Glitter and Glue Pens available in many Craft stores in various colors and sizes.

• We personally prefer using a separate glue bottle and sprinkling on the glitter after the name is written in the glue. This technique will give you best looking writing since the glitter shine is not dulled by the glue as the glitter is on top of the glue - not mixed with the glue. We use small Elmers paper glue bottles. Elmers paper glue is non toxic, soluble in water and dries clear. Glitter is available in most craft stores in many colors and sizes. Pick the smallest size of the glitter you can find. By size we mean the size of the glitter square. The smaller the glitter speck, the nicer the final product looks. With larger glitter specks the letter appear bulky and lack the smooth flow as well as shine.

HOW TO:

If you never personalized Christmas Stockings before, it is a good idea to :

  • Practice on other material
    • First so you may want to get the feel for the flow of the glue and right size of the lettering . The secret to a good looking inscription on your stocking or a hat is SYMMETRY. The writing looks good if it is positioned in the center of an area and written in a neat way so the letters are same size, width, direction.• Our expert writer recommends taking a paper towel or any soft kind of paper. Fold it so you would have approximately same space area as it would be on your stocking or a hat. Than take your glue bottle or glitter pen and try writing. You’ll see… first time your glue might not flow properly… so adjust your glue flow opening and pressure. By practicing on the paper, your stocking or a hat will be spared the first attempt mistakes.• You may also take a pencil and outline your letters on the paper first. Once your practice letters look good on the paper, it’s time to —
  • Try writing on the stocking.• If you write on the white part of the stocking, you may outline the name by a pencil and then just follow your outline with a glue. If your background is of dark color, use chalk (sewing shops have chalks that write on fabric). Then just follow your outline with a glue.• Some stocking fabrics are made from textured material with lot of threads on the materials’ surface. Your glue pen will drag the thread and most likely smudge the glue in other directions. To prevent this from happening Try to: Keep the glue tip Clean! If the glue tip has extra glue it catches the fabric threads and drags the threads with it. Keep your tip slightly above the fabric material… the glue will lay onto the fabric and your tip will not touch the threads. Use even pressure on the glue bottle to even out the flow of the glue.
  • There is a special way to write some letters• To write “e”, “l”, “k”, “h” or any letters having a loop if you choose to hand script your names. Here is a small illustration how to prevent smudging of your loops:

writing on Christmas Stocking

better way to personalize christmas stocking

Use the special way, if you can; not crossing the loops will prevent smudging or closing of the loop and the final effect looks the same. This technique is good for all letters with loops, such as e, l, h, k, b, f. If you used Elmer’s paper glue and messed up…. check if your stocking is washable… if yes, simply submerge the are with glue in cold water and the glue will dissolve…. be careful, do not rub the area so the material texture would not get damaged. If the writing on your stocking looks good,

The final step

• Sprinkle your written word with glitter, turn the stocking face down (use a newspaper or a pan underneath the stocking), shake off the excess glitter- and your personalized stockings are done!

• Make sure to read your glue’s directions for drying times and let the product dry for sufficient time so your masterpiece does not get smudged after all that effort went into it.

Personalize your Christmas Stockings with Alphabet Beads

Think alphabet or letter beads! Personalizing your stockings this way is easy and fun. You can buy alphabet beads online, just search Google for Letter Beads, and you will find lots of stores who sell them.

Get enough letters to cover your whole family and get some spare ones because there will be new people joining your family in the future and you want to make sure you have the opportunity to personalize stocking for them as well…. or if you want to, you can get nice mix of the letter alphabet beads so if in the future you need to personalize more Christmas stockings for the growing family, buying different name beads will fit into the intended design.

Personalize Christmas Stocking with Alphabet Beads

Google will help you find some really fancy beads alphabet beads or you can go for nice ceramic letter beads, we found a good source at CraftAmerica

Once your alphabet beards arrive,  simply string them onto a nice string: those gold or Christmas metallic red or green ropes that are used to hang Christmas ornaments or wrap Christmas presents may be perfect fit and usually available in spools in Christmas Giftwrap or Bow and Ribbon section in your store.

Finally you just attach the name on the string to your stocking (you can use tiny safety pins if you do not want to permanently attach the name string to the stocking by stitching ) and your personalized stockings are ready to hang on the fireplace.

Christmas stockings personalized in embroidery:

Embroidering your own Christmas stockings is for experts only if you do hand embroidering. If you have an embroidery machine, you can personalize most stockings that have a space for the name on the stocking cuff, providing your embroidery machine can get inside of the stocking without sewing the stocking together. You can also take your blank stockings to an embroidery store nearby and ask if they would put names on your stockings. Most embroidery shops prefer not to do embroidery on customer’s items simply because if something goes wrong while embroidering them, they have no way of replacing your stocking with another one from their stock.

If you like personalized stockings by embroidery or monogramming - you can check out our Christmas Stocking selection. We have posted just a few featured products here  but our store has a wide selection of Christmas stockings that can be personalized in embroidery script or block.
Here is a little widget to list through our Personalized Christmas Stockings

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Office Christmas Party Games

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

Based on popular demand we have compiled some of our favorite party games, suitable for Company Christmas Party…

Mind-teaser games.

They are excellent when party guests are just gathering and everyone is waiting for others to arrive.

Christmas Movie Trivia

Copy the Holiday Movie Trivia (make sure not to leave the answer in) and hand out one to every guest as they arrive. Whoever gets the most questions right wins! Another variation on this game: Divide all guests into 2 or 3 or 4 groups, each group can collaborate on answers, the group which gets most questions right, wins!
1. In the 1988 film “Scrooged,” the character played by Bill Murray is:
a) a cold-hearted banker
b) a cold-hearted TV executive
c) a cold-hearted police officer
d) a cold-hearted politician
2. What’s the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel in “It’s a Wonderful Life?”
a) Ariel
b) Henry
c) Clarence
d) Frank
3. In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey as a boy suffers an injury to:
a) his foot
b) his arm
c) his eyes
d) his ear
4. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is written by:
a) Tim Burton
b) Martin Scorsese
c) Jimmy Stewart
d) Danny DeVito
5. “White Christmas” is set in
a) Colorado
b) Montana
c) New Hampshire
d) Vermont
6. Who plays Bing Crosby’s Army buddy in “White Christmas?”
a) Jimmy Stewart
b) Dean Martin
c) Danny Kaye
d) Bob Hope
7. The little girl who’s skeptical about Santa Clause in “Miracle on 34th Street” is played by:
a) Natalie Wood
b) Audrey Hepburn
c) Anne Bancroft
d) Sharon Stone
8. Miracle on 34th Street revolves around which department store?
a) Bloomingdales
b) Macys
c) Parisian
d) Neiman Marcus
9. In “Home Alone,” a young boy is abandoned when his parents rush to a holiday vacation in:
a) Vermont
b) London
c) Paris
d) New York
10. The 1982 Barry Levinson film “Diner” is set in which city?
a) New York
b) Cleveland
c) Baltimore
d) Boston
11. Which of the following actors was NOT in “Diner?”
a) Kevin Bacon
b) Ellen Barkin
c) Matt Dillon
d) Mickey Rourke
12.What happens to the character played by Tim Allen in “The Santa Clause?”
a) he gains weight
b) grows a beard
c) he gets fired
d) all of the above

ANSWERS:

1. - Answer - (b)
2. - Answer - (c)
3. - Answer - (d)
4. - Answer - (a)
5. - Answer - (d)
6. - Answer - (c)
7. - Answer - (a)
8. - Answer - (b)
9. - Answer - (c)
10. - Answer - (c)
11. - Answer - (c)
12. - Answer - (d)

The Bacon Factor

Take a list of 10 movie stars any movie stars at all. Link that person to Kevin Bacon through movies in the least amount of steps possible.

Example:

Dustin Hoffman was in Hook with Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts was in Flat-Liners with…Kevin Bacon!!

Bacon factor is 1. Don’t count the direct connection.

You should be able to do this with just about any actor or actress from any time. The challenge is knowing all of the right movies and who was in them.


Name those Logos

Go through several magazines and cut out advertisement symbols (ie. the 7up dot, but not the word 7up). Paste each on the white side of a 3×5 card and have everyone go around the room with an answer sheet and try to identify as many of the symbols as possible.

Who am I?

Pick a category such as cartoon characters, movie stars, vegetables, etc. Pin the name of one of these items on the back of each guest as they arrive. Tell them that they need to find out who they are by asking other people for help.The rules are:
  1. ask yes or no questions only
  2. answer yes or no questions
  3. no removing your own name tag to find out. If you ask, anyone will help you find out your identity.

If you need people seated or grouped up this may be a good way to do it. Have place cards at the seat of each item. Or have a few different categories of item to guess. Then when it comes time to group up have the cartoon characters go here, vegetables there, etc.


Name that Christmas Song

Have a stereo and Christmas tapes or cd’s available. Play a few lines of a song and the person that guesses the Christmas tune first, wins a gift, or for a harder version of the game, you can make them also guess the artist that is singing the song as well. It is ideal to try and find old songs that are rarely played so that guests have to put their thinking caps on.

Association Game

Put the following on a table:
  • A calendar
  • The letter “K”
  • A match in a bottle of water
  • Jar of 16 candies
  • Toothbrush
  • Pitcher
  • Candle
  • Salt
  • Fork
  • Tacks
  • Buttercup (Reeses?)
  • the letter “N”
  • Stamp
  • 2 dice on a dish of dirt
  • An Iron

When the guests come have the previous articles on a table. As they come, give them the following list. Match the statements on the list with the items on the table.

  1. End of pork (”k”)
  2. A bunch of dates (Calendar)
  3. A swimming match (match in the bottle)
  4. Sweet sixteen (Candies)
  5. Never borrowed, never lent (toothbrush)
  6. Seen at a ball game (pitcher)
  7. Out for the night (candle)
  8. The ending of a Biblical Character (Salt)
  9. Branching of a river (Fork)
  10. On of the causes of the American Revolution (Tacks)
  11. A spring flower (buttercup)
  12. The end of ambition (”N”)
  13. Ready to be licked (Stamp)
  14. A paradise on earth (dice)
  15. Birthplace of Burns (Iron)

Party Starters

have two purposes. First, to get things officially started with a bang. Second, some divide up a large group into smaller groups. Group games go much smoother and people are more willing to participate if they are split up from people they know and put into a random group. Grouping games are perfect for this.

The Grouping Game

This is a good game to play as a mixer. It is a fun, fast moving game. It starts out as everyone collects in one big group. The leader initially calls out a number, usually a number between two and fifteen. The number shouldn’t be more than half of the number of total participants. When the number is called out everyone must try to collect in a group that contains that number of people. The group members should be latching arms or have their arms wrapped around each other so that the leader can see who is in the group. If someone cannot enter a group because the number of required members has been reached, he is out of the game. As different numbers are successively called out the number of participants gets smaller and smaller. Eventually, there are less than ten people. The last group, or winning group, should have anywhere from two to five people.

What is it Game

Fill a large bowl with oddly shaped and strange items. Cover the bowl with an old towel taped firmly to the bowl, and cut a hole in the middle of the towel that is big enough for a hand to fit through. Have each guest sit in a chair, blind folded, then have them dig into the bowl and pull out an item. They must correctly guess what the item is too win a prize. This one is a blast as you get to watch each persons’ facial expression as they are feeling strange objects.

Celebrities

Everyone writes the name of a celebrity, famous person or character on a piece of paper which they stick to the forehead of the player on their left (use tape or office Post-It notes). Make sure they don’t see the name.

Everyone else can see your forehead. The objective is to work out who you are.

Going around the table, each payer takes a turn to ask the party questions about who they are - answers can be YES or NO only. If you get a YES you may continue asking, if you get a NO play moves on to the left.

Last person to guess their name is the loser. Simple, but very absorbing.

Everyone writes the name of a celebrity, famous person or character on a piece of paper which they stick to the forehead of the player on their left (use tape or office Post-It notes). Make sure they don’t see the name.

Everyone else can see your forehead. The objective is to work out who you are.

Going around the table, each payer takes a turn to ask the party questions about who they are - answers can be YES or NO only. If you get a YES you may continue asking, if you get a NO play moves on to the left.

Last person to guess their name is the loser.

Simple, but very absorbing.



Christmas Alphabet

Give each guest a piece of paper that has the letters vertically written from A to Z. Your guests must then come up with a word for each letter that relates to Christmas. The first one that completes the list with legible words wins a gift.


Noah’s Ark

The group divides in two parallel lines facing each other across the room (perhaps boys/girls but doesn’t matter). Each person is assigned an animal whose match is across the room somewhere. After being given a moment of thought, everyone in the room acts like the assigned animal and walks (crawls, flaps, waddles, etc) across the room in search of their mate. No human language is allowed. When people think they have discovered their mate, the go to the referee. The pandemonium proceeds until everyone has been mated.

To help with the assignment of animals perhaps you could make two sets of animal cards to pass out to people. In this case, the people wouldn’t need to be in parallel lines across from each other. They could just be in a big circle or anywhere in the room.
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Pass the Orange

Arrange for teams of about 8 to stand in a line, one behind the other (arranged boy, girl, boy,…). Give each team an orange which the first person should tuck under his chin. This should be passed to the person behind. When the orange gets to the last person, they come to the front of the line and start again. The winning team is the first one which gets their starting person to the front again.
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Creepers and Slammers

Good for large groups too! Sitting at a table, having people on either side of you and across from you. Divide your group into two teams. One team at a time takes a turn passing a quarter under the table carefully so that the people across from you on the other team can’t see where the quarter is. Then at any time the other team that doesn’t have the quarter tells you to stop! They either yell “CREEPERS”, All the people on the team that has the quarter must bring both hands up on the table and slowly try to open their hands with their palms down trying not to allow the quarter to drop loudly. The opposite team tries to guess where the quarter is. If the opposite team calls “SLAMMERS” then everyone on your team brings their hands up quickly slamming them down with palms down and open. The other team tries to guess who has the quarter. Just take turns until you are tired of playing. It is a lot of fun and everyone can join in. The winner is the team with least number of guesses to find the quarter.
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Active games.

These are good to work off some of those holiday calories!
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Pass It ON

Sit close together in two lines facing the same direction. The person in the front of each line rolls a die. When one of them gets a six, both of them pass a small object (a jack, a ball, a bracelet) to the person behind them who passes it on until it reaches the end. When it gets to the last person, that person must get up and race to the front of the line with the object and sit down. The person who sits down first, gets to sit in the front of the line. The person who was second to sit down, goes back to his or her spot. Whichever line rotates from back to front first, wins.
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Dragon Tail Tag

Make small chains of about four people. Either have team members hold on to each others waists or link elbows. The end person has a flag or tail (bandana) hanging behind them or in their back pocket. Teams must stay linked to participate.

The object of the game is to steal other teams tails while avoiding other teams who are trying to steal your tail. The last team to have a tail wins.
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Musical Chairs

The old favorite. With one fewer chairs than people, a short snippet of music is played while the people move around the room. When the music stops everyone tries to sit on a vacant chair. (Only ONE person per chair) The person who doesn’t find a chair is out. One chair is taken away and the game continues until only one person (The Winner) is left.
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Balloon Stomping Game

Each participant blows up a balloon and ties it with a bit of string or wool to his/her ankle. On the given command, the guests (only using their feet) try to be the last person to have their balloon bursted ie, you stamp on your opponents. Again great fun, caution is eered on anyone getting carried away with the stamping. As survivors get fewer, reduce the playing area.
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Party On games

are good at any time… everyone or just some party participants can play these fun games
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Santa Hat Game

For festive gatherings with Santa hats. You need everyone to be wearing a hat, so either use the ever popular Santa hats, or otherwise give everyone a normal party hat.

The game is based on observation. the objective is NOT to be the last person left with a hat on.

At the start announce the simple objective, the only rule is that no one can take their hat off until you have.

Let another game or conversation take place, and as time goes by, people will take their attention off you, and even forget the game is happening. Eventually remove your hat and watch as people cotton on. Gradually the hats will come off, amidst sniggers and smirks. Some unsuspecting person (who’s probably busy boring everyone with a hopeless story)
will be last to notice, and much to every ones’ mirth, this person is the loser.

Serve up an appropriate forfeit, get the hats back on and give the loser the chance to start the next game.
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Winking Murder

All except the detective sit in a circle while the detective waits outside. One person from the circle is elected to be the murderer, and then the Detective is called back to stand in the circle. When he is ready, the Murderer winks at people in the circle. Anyone who sees that they have been winked at lets out a blood-curdling scream and dies. The Detective has three attempts to guess the murderer
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Birthday Present Game

Materials:

1 Pair of Gloves
1 Hat
1 Die (perhaps two dice if group is large)
A Prize wrapped in several layers of newspaper and boxes.
The group stands in a circle. The gloves, hat, and wrapped box are placed in the center. someone begins by rolling the dice. If they roll a 6, they hurry into the middle and put on the gloves and hat. They then start to unwrap the package. They must move fast because the next person to roll a 6 takes the hat off of the person in the center. The person in the center stops immediately and takes off the gloves, gives them to that person, and he/she goes back to the circle. The game continues like this until the package is completely unwrapped and the last person receives their prize. It’s really noisy and incredibly fun!
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I Have Never

Each person receives several counters (toothpicks, pennies, etc.)

Then take turns around the circle. Each person tells of something they have never done (example: I have never broken a bone or I have never traveled out of the country). Anyone who has done this must give the speaker one of their toothpicks or pennies. After going around the circle several times, the person with the most tokens wins.
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What’s your Name Sweetie

Materials:

About 6 different candies that have given names like M&M’s, Crunch, Wrigley’s , etc.
1 Dice (or 2 dice if the crowd is very large)
Everyone is seated on the floor in a circle. Packaged candy bars or candy are placed in the middle of the circle. Everyone starts by saying their own names. The leader then makes sure that everyone knows what candy is in the middle. someone begins by rolling the dice. If they roll a 6, they can take one of the candies in the middle. The die continues to go quickly around the circle while people keep picking up candy. When all of the candies are taken, people then can get other people’s candy.

In order to get their candy, they must state the person’s first name and the name of the candy they hold. The person who rolls a 6 and matches the name of the candy and the person takes the other’s candy. If they forget either name, they miss their turn and the dice goes to the next person and they continue to roll. (One person can get more than one candy and people can hide the candy behind their back). This is a great way of getting to know people’s name and how to get your favorite candies!
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Choose your punishment.

In all of our games, there will be winners, in some there will be loosers. Here are some suggestions for looser’s forfeits:
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SCULPT ME

Stand on a chair and take the pose of any creature or object the group chooses.

WALK THE PLANK

Walk a straight line while looking the wrong way through a pair of binoculars.

I’M BORED

By acting tired yourself, make at least one member of the group yawn.

THAT’S NOT FUNNY

Make one member of the group laugh or smile.

WHO AM I?

Wearing a blindfold, identify the members of the group by touching their faces.

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Ultimately here are the Top Ten Signs You’re at a Bad Office Christmas Party according to CBS - Late Show with David Letterman

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10. Eggnog smells suspiciously like Liquid Paper.
9. Anyone caught under mistletoe gets choked by Latrell Sprewell.
8. Because of “corporate downsizing,” Santa is only 120 pounds.
7. Only food available is something called “reindeer kebabs.”
6. Last time you saw this much sucking up was on the Tommy Lee-Pamela Anderson videotape.
5. Christmas tree is just a fat intern in a green sweater.
4. For the 16th year in a row, the Canadian band leader has passed out in the eggnog.
3. Thanks to the alcohol-free punch, not a single butt gets photocopied.
2. Boss offers to give you a raise, and he’s not talking about money.
1. It’s held every year on July 23rd.

Additonal Resources:

  • Custom Imprinted Logo Christmas Ornaments will be a sure hit with your employees or customers!
  • Photo Ornaments a website where you can find unique Christmas Glass Ball Ornaments that can becustomized and personalized with photos, logos, text and more.
  • Corporate Christmas Party Planning A polular guide to a creative Corporate Christmas party.
  • Safe Holiday Party Guide just a few tips to make your holiday party safe and enjoyable for everyone.
  • Personalized Santa Hats - bring some life to your holiday party !
  • Personalized Stockings make a very popular Christmas Party favor or decoration.
  • If you have a cool Party Game you want to share - please post it in the comments here!

    Christmas Party Planning and Ideas

    Friday, April 4th, 2008

    Creativity is a key

    to make your Company Christmas Party

    a memorable experience…

    Every year we get lots of requests to help out with hints and tips on how to plan a Company Christmas Party. So we have gathered our resources to provide you with lots of ideas to make this year’s holiday party safe, fun and memorable experience for you and your co-workers. These ideas are designed for both large companies with great budgets as well as small businesses with minimum resources.

    Don’ts

    Do not focus your energy solely on the buffet, thinking food is what draws workers to the Christmas parties, the attendance will drop off because those parties are predictable.

    The most deadly type of holiday party is a sit-down dinner at the boss’s house, which often has a pressure-filled conservative atmosphere. Try having a different entertainment each year. Holiday party hosts can play a major role in keeping their friends and families safe by looking at alternatives to alcoholic beverages. There are a few common sense rules that should be followed when hosting a holiday party. If alcohol is going to be served at a party, this Safe Holiday Party Guide will give you a few pointers when planning an event.

    Organize & Prepare

    You can start by sending out the invitations with a note included that there will be a prize for the person that decks out in the most Christmas gear. This can include anything from a Christmas costume to guests wearing garments that display cheerful holiday clothing, jewelry, hats, or anything that their imagination can dream up. The person that shows up to your party that is voted by all as wearing the “best dressed” Christmas outfit wins a wrapped gift of their choice from the gift table.

    You can have a designated receptionist announce the names of each new arrival, crown them with a Santa hat with their name, while reading something humorous about them. This works great especially at large Corporate parties when customers or large number of employees participate and not everyone knows each other. First names on Santa Hats work much better than name badges and the hats then double as party favors everyone gladly takes home.

    But the energy of the party starts with the invitations…. or Christmas Greeting cards… one of our customers had a great idea to take a picture of all employees in Santa hats, personalized with employees names and use the postcard as a corporate Christmas card as well as Christmas party invitation for their customers. The Hats were then saved for the holiday party gala.

    Entertainment:

    Make sure you have some fun program with games and activities for your Holiday Party. Our holiday party activity guide has many Christmas party games to spruce up the event. Also make sure you have some great Christmas Party music. Most Christmas CD’s on the market are geared towards slow tunes, not much of a Party time material, so we have compiled some really original Christmas party tunes that will make you a star Christmas party DJ! If you head over to our MySpace page, we have some really cool Christmas music there. You need to click on the MENU button to move around the playlist: lots of fun Christmas mixes and remixes to choose from!

    If you like this Christmas party music mix - You can play it at your Christmas Party! Just head over to our MySpace where you can find info on our blog how to save these songs on your computer and use your laptop to DJ your Christmas Party. …. and don’t forget to say high there!

    Party Favors

    Custom Christmas Ornament

    Also, don’t forget to wrap the party up with a take-home gift party favor, such as a personalized stocking or a custom logo Christmas stocking with a gift certificate, a turkey or even an ornament with the company logo.

    Those custom imprint Christmas Stockings with your company logo are perfect decorations in the Christmas partry room and then when it’s time to leave you can give the stockings with Christmas bonus checks or Gift Certificates to your employees and some fun goodies like Company Logo ornaments for your customers and guests.

     

    We have a fun area where you can upload your logo and design your logo ornament online. These make an awesome favor for all the guests at your Christmas Party. Click here to design your logo ornament online
    Company logo Christmas Ornament custom Christmas ornament

    Resources:

    Finally, gather as many pictures from the party as possible, post them on the company bulletin board or a corporate website so the employees can share the experience with their families, customers or anyone who missed the party.

    We’d love to hear from you, you can post your comments and ideas here :-)

     

     

     

    Wedding Party Favors

    Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

    Christmas wedding ornamentWe are filling orders for wedding favor christmas ornaments this early in the year.  Lots of our Brides are early shoppers so they can plan their Christmas wedding without stress and rush.  The ornament pictured here is one of the most popular we have for weddings.  It is a 2-5/8″ glass ball ornament in dark red color with gold ink imprint.  But there are over 40 different colors in our ornament stock section so if your wedding color scheme differs, no worries, we probably have ornament color that will match. 

    One of the brides who placed her order today is getting married in May of this year.  We can make and ship the glass ornaments quickly to meet most deadlines.  Christmas ornaments are such unique wedding favors for Spring and Summer wedding receptions  You are not limited just to Fall and Winter weddings to give your guests a favor that will stand out from the rest.  It’ll be so much fun when your guests decorate their Christmas tree 10 years from now, and as they take out this wedding favor ornament and put it on the tree, they can remember your special day and you. 

    We have extensive design gallery of wedding design borders and you can even design your ornament online with our ornament designer.  Take a look - click on our wedding favor Christmas ornament  page link here.  If you have any questions feel free to give us a call on our toll free number 800-761-XMAS.  We can also send out a free sample with someone else’s imprint from previous production runs so you can make sure that the ornament style and color you chose fits your needs. 

    These ornaments can actually be custom printed with any design, so they are suitable for any party : we have customized ornaments for corporate Christmas Parties with company logos, club parties with club insignia, military parties and family celebrations like Sweet Sixteen, Christening etc…