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Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas, is a very special time of year. Every year, around the world, children are “wide-eyed” in anticipation of all the gifts they will receive tomorrow morning. Did you know that Christmas Eve traditions differ in various countries around the world? Well they do. In this article we will be exploring the traditions of Christmas Eve in various countries around the world.

Santa and his elves have been working all year for this big night. Spanning the globe via sleigh and reindeer can have you working up quite an appetite. Children to the rescue. In both Canada and the United States, children leave some milk and cookies to feed Santa’s ferocious appetite. In Australia and Britain they prefer to leave mince pies and sherry. The children of Sweden want to satisfy Santa’s love of chocolate, so they leave brownies.

Sure, Santa needs refreshment, but what about his reindeer? Children love animals, and they are not about to forget Santa’s little helpers on the big night. Kids from Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States leave a carrot to give those reindeer an extra “boost of energy”. The children who follow the Dutch custom of sinterklass go a bit further…they also leave some hay with a carrot. Placed in a shoe before going to bed, it is replaced by a gift.  Read more...

What does the “heart shape” conjure up in your mind? For many of us, we think of love and romance. This shape has effectively worked it’s way into St. Valentine’s day, our greeting cards and presents, and into the design of our jewelry items as well. Jewelry is often made from gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, etc., but by adding the “heart shape” into the mix we add the concepts of love, romance, caring and belonging as well. In this article we will explore the world of heart jewelry, the “heart shape” as a symbol, and take a peak at the world’s most famous heart-shaped diamond.

The “heart symbol” has been around for years, used to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and intellectual core of humans. It’s often depicted as “red” as this symbolizes blood (as it is the heart that pumps blood through the body) and strong emotions…and what emotion can possibly be stronger than that of true love?  Read more...

Christmas time is here! It’s time to figure out the best toys to get for that special girl or boy on your Christmas list. What is one to do? With all the choices via the television, or the radio, or the newspaper, or the web, or the “you fill in the blank”, it leaves one in a state of confusion. No worries, we are here to help you navigate the cloudy waters of Christmas gift giving, and help you find those finest Christmas toys. Here are our top three picks:

Have you ever heard of “Guitar Hero”? If you have not, please let me know which corner of the planet you are living on. It seems to be “everywhere” these days. Kids play along with their favorite songs via an electronic device…and they love it. But what if the kids happen to be out and about and away from an electrical outlet? Help!!! “Miniature Guitar Hero” to the rescue. This fantastically portable electronic device operates on batteries, and is only 6″ long. It has a fold-down neck for easy transport, 5 wav tone buttons, and a “whammy bar” to sustain those long notes. It comes packed with hit songs (taken from both Guitar I or Guitar II)…songs like: “Smoke on the Water”, “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”, “Killer Queen”, and “Surrender”. It will accommodate the level of any player, from the mere beginner to the incredibly advanced (there are 5 levels of play in all). Check this little gem out…  Read more...