Yes, my dear friends, it is that time of year again. Currently, there are approximately 45 days left until that jolly old elf makes an appearance in homes around the world in the blink of an eye!

I’ve previously shared my love for this organization, and that support has not changed. SantaLetters.org is there to help parents and grandparents alike make Christmas dreams come true for the littles in your home.

Christmas Memories

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year for as long as I could remember. It wasn’t so much the items under the tree on Christmas morning, but the traditions that surrounded the holiday and Christmas Day. The entire month of December, it seemed as though my mom and my nana were baking or decorating or painting even more holiday ceramics to show off in our home. They would make these huge batches of cookies at the beginning of the month and those cookies would last us all the way into the New Year.

My brother and I would pour over the Sears Wish Book every year and make our lists for Santa as to what we wanted. We would go to see Santa at the mall and tell him everything on our lists, assure him we’d been total angels all year long (cough cough), and then walk around the mall looking at all the decorations and finding a million more things we wanted to add to our list.

Christmas morning we would be up with the sun; however, we were NOT allowed downstairs where the tree and the fireplace were until my grandparents arrived from the farm next door where they lived. Nana and Granddad would arrive (usually still in their pajamas) and Mom would make coffee for everyone and get them comfortably settled in our rec room before we were allowed to tear down the steps and dang near break our necks trying to get to the tree. Mom was the one who handed out the gifts one at a time until everyone had their own little pile of gifts and then Dad would give us the go-ahead to tear into them to see what Santa brought us.

We were not wealthy by any means, and while I did not realize it then, my parents and grandparents saved all year long to be able to afford all the gifts under our tree each year. I remember so many times looking up from tearing open a gift and seeing my dad’s eyes light up and twinkle and my mom grinning from ear to ear … I think they enjoyed us ripping the gifts open as much as we did!

When all the gifts were opened, and Dad had disposed of the wrapping paper in the fireplace, we would take down our stockings and see what goodies Santa had left for us in them. There was always a box of LifeSaver candies, small items like lip gloss, jewelry, perfume, and always a letter from Santa thanking us for the cookies and milk and telling us that Rudolph ate one or two of the cookies. These are the memories I hold dear to my heart and want to continue for my grandchildren.

The Letters

Every envelope that your child’s letter from Santa arrives in will be postmarked from the official North Pole address!
580 South Santa Claus Lane
North Pole, AK 99705

There are a variety of different letter styles you can choose from. The first is my favorite. The second is a new one that has been added this year.

One of our favorite family traditions with my own children was to watch on the official NORAD Santa Tracker every Christmas Eve to see where Santa was at the moment and just how long the kids would be able to stretch out their bedtime. I love that they have included this letter this year.

Additional Packages Available

The following packages are available as add-ons once you’ve made your letter selection to enhance the joy and wonder of the holiday season for your littles!

Santa’s Gold Christmas Package contains the following:

• Official North Pole Snow
• Official Reindeer Food
• Door Hanger
• Santa Stop Here Window Sticker
• Nice List Certificate Fridge Magnet
• Free Shipping with FedEx 2-Day Available

Santa’s Christmas Eve Package contains the following:

• Official Christmas Ornament
• Official Santa Christmas Eve Milk Mug
• Official Santa Christmas Eve Cookie Plate
• Free Shipping with FedEx 2-Day Available

One of the main reasons that I support SantaLetters.org is for their donations to the Toys For Tots drive. Over 96% of the money that is donated to Toys For Tots goes to providing toys, books, and other gifts to less fortunate children. The 4% spent on support principally covers fundraising expenses — not one donated dollar goes to salaries or any other manpower costs.

Toys for Tots, a 72-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness and hope to disadvantaged children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books, and other gifts collected and distributed by the Marines offer these children recognition, confidence, and a positive memory for a lifetime. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community.

Last year the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947 over 258 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.

From Our House to Yours – Merry Christmas!

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