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Santa Closets

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Around christmas time everyone seems to transform into the kids they are at heart. Suddenly no hiding place is safe since they have all become expert detectives. They always seem to find where you hid the presents.

If you are looking for a way to help keep things a surprise, try what Nashville is doing. They have Santa Closets.

No, the closets do not contain the big guy in the red suit. A Santa Closet is the term used for the self storage units that have become a favorite hiding place for many adults. Some people rent Santa Closets to store items like a new TV, iPod, recliner or boat that you hope they won’t see til Christmas day. The gifts can be any size. The important thing is that they are away from the curious fingers of the christmas detective squad.

With Santa Closets, the stash will be safe ’til you decide to put them under the tree. Just make sure to keep its location secret.

Christmas Displays

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Little Hill

Every christmas time, many places come to life with lights. There are however a few that really stand out with their christmas display, doing more than just brighten up trees. These homeowners and shopkeepers turn their christmas displays into works of art that attracts visitors from far and wide to marvel anew at the christmas stories.

Maybe the best known display is that of the family of Dan Brown in Greenville, Texas. This year’s display is made with over 500,000 lights and has expanded since his son moved into the house across the street. They don’t charge anything for people to enjoy the display, people can simply drive down the street and marvel at the beauty of this display of snowmen, trains, a giant carousel and more. They do welcome donations that people give. Any amounts they receive are used on the electricity bill. Any excess amount is used to improve and add on to the display for next year.

Of course there are lots of other families who have also become landmarks for their own areas during the holiday season. The Little family in Morgan County, Utah have put up a beautiful christmas light display since 1956. They began with carving out Mary and Joseph. Over the years they added the sheep, shepherds, the wise men, the city of Bethlehem, reindeers, candy canes and more. The Little Hill as it is called is a crowd drawer every year.

Laughter Is Contagious

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Ever noticed that if you see someone laughing, even if you can’t hear what they are saying, you will often find yourself smiling, in some cases laughing as well. If you’ve been wondering if it was just you, relax. It is something that affects everybody. Besides laughter is the best medicine – as the saying goes.

The Journal of Neuroscience published the study last December 12. Among the findings is that people respond more quickly to positive sounds than negative ones. Scientists have discovered that a portion of our brain called the premotor corticol region, which controls the facial muscles, responds to sounds.

We have always known that we tend to automatically mimic the facial expressions of people we talk with. Apparently our brain does the same with laughter. The result: “laugh and the whole world laughs with you” exactly as another old saying goes.

Dressing Up For The Holidays

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howtolose-yellow.jpgIf you are like most people, you probably have a wardrobe full of the little black dress. It’s perfect for all occasions; except this one. Get ready to kick your heels up and add some color to your closet. It is Christmas time after all.

Take a page from the December issue of O Magazine and brighten up your days. You’ll feel the immediate lighteinging of your spirit as you go about in your vibrantly coloured frocks. No crows hanging around this holiday season.

Instead of going for your usual somber shades, go for some reds, yellows, blues and greens. Choosing a material like satin brings an added texture. Think of it as your gift wrapping. You take the time to wrap your presents in beautiful gilt paper. Your colorful dresses go around your best gift – yourself. Isn’t that a great reason to leave the little black dress in the closet this month?

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