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By Byron Jonas, January 19, 2010 7:07 pm

Summer is the perfect time of year to get the backyard BBQ season started. Many people wait all year long just for the chance to grill their favorite foods over an open flame and gather family and friends together to enjoy great food and the wonderful, sunny weather. With just a few helpful tips, you can turn your next backyard BBQ into the event of the year.

On the more practical side of things, one thing that must be considered is pest control. Nothing can make an outdoor event more miserable than invasion of ants, mosquitoes or any other unwelcome creatures. Use plastic containers with lids or some form of covering to keep ants away. A good defense against moquitoes is to light a few citronella candles or torches and place them strategically throughout the backyard; this really will help keep them away and prevent your guests from unpleasant bites.

In terms of menu planning, consider first which beverage options you will be offering to your guests. Although the grill might be getting all the attention during the BBQ, having a nice assortment of beverages available will keep your guests happy, especially on those really hot summer days.

If you are expecting wine drinkers, Pinot Grigio and Merlot are two good choices that will likely please most palates. In addition, you may want to offer a few beer selections and maybe even a mixed drink such as margaritas or daiquiris. Using seasonal summer fruits in a drink recipe is always a crowd-pleaser and will make your event that much more festive. Don’t forget to have plenty of non-alcoholic options such as soda or iced tea, and be sure to have diet or sugar-free options on hand as well.

In terms of the main course, keep the grilling items simple; hamburgers, hot dogs and marinated chicken are always a hit. For a more upscale menu, you can add steak or even salmon fillets. Another popular grilling choice is kabobs, which you can make with a variety of ingredients including beef, chicken, lamb, shrimp and a wide variety of vegetables.

As your guests begin to arrive and settle in, make sure to have plenty of snacks available for munching and accompanying that first round of drinks. These in no way need to be anything fancy, in fact a few bowls of chips or pretzels and maybe even a fresh vegetable tray with dip will do the trick. Another BBQ favorite that you might want to consider adding to the spread is sliced watermelon. There is nothing that says summer more than a big juicy bite of perfectly ripe watermelon.

Nothing accompanies a BBQ better than all the delicious traditional side dishes such as coleslaw, potato and macaroni salad and baked beans. Whether you decide to buy them pre-made or make them from scratch, these dishes are a must-have for any successful backyard BBQ.

With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can be sure that your backyard BBQ will be the event of the season. Make the most out of the summer and get started planning your own gathering today.

Byron Jonas invariably uses shade canopies for his backyard barbecues. There is nothing like instant marquees to remove the heat out of the Australian sun.

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By Les Scammell, November 6, 2009 5:02 am

This holiday season it may be tricky to know what to get your kids. First there is the fact that there are so many toys to choose from and who is to say that if you get one item your children wanted they might have really wanted to get something else even more? There is also the fact that you may not have the same funds that you had in previous Christmases. As a parent you don’t want to disappoint your child so how do you deal with both concerns? Here are some great tips to help you navigate shopping for Christmas presents. These suggestions will give you some options that help you not feel so limited this Christmas.

Ask your kids what are the items they want for Christmas. Have them show you online or in store publication exactly what they are looking for. The more information you have on the item the better prepared you will be and be able to make the decision about whether it is worth it to buy it. For younger children this is great because using pictures will allow younger children who can’t describe what they want very well to show you what they want you to get. Knowing what your kids want will be sure to help make your holiday shopping that much easier.

Look for sales at major retailers both at store and online. The great thing about this holiday is that it will be a buyer’s market. You will find that prices and sales will be much more generous than normal because stores will want to clear inventory and use the holiday season to restore sales for the entire year. If you know where to look, this means you will be blessed with great opportunities to find great toys and gifts at prices that are quite affordable. This will definitely be a boon for your pocketbook.

Make sure you have different payment options under your belt to give you better purchasing power. The biggest mistake a parent and shopper can make during the holiday season is to rely too much on credit. Look to programs like layaway and online shopping to help give you the advantage you need to purchase needed presents and gifts. You will find yourself much happier after Christmas ends.

Shop early and often. Shopping early allows you to take advantage of special sales especially like the ones that happen right after Thanksgiving. You can also take the time you need to look at stores if the item you are looking for is out of stock or not on sale. This is great because if you actually need to do the last minute shopping you will have more chances to take advantage of reduced prices and other discounts with a lot less stress. It is better to be doing that for one or two items rather than your entire holiday shopping list.

Another thing you can do is to add a little magic to Christmas for your kids. A great way to do this is with a letter from Santa. The best part is that you can order one online and have it sent by mail to your house. The process normally allows you to personalize your children’s letters with their accomplishments and some of the things that they wanted for Christmas from Santa. This is great because the letter will seem like a reply to the letters they sent to Santa Claus. You will not be suspected of being Santa and you will have some touching mementos to hold on to when they grow older.

Create magic in your child’s eyes with our Santa letters & Santa calls. EZSantaLetters.com offers fully personalized Santa letters and 15 pre-written Santa letters. All letters are postmarked from the North Pole and will definitely put a smile on your child’s face.

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By Les Scammell, November 2, 2009 5:49 am

This Holiday shopping season is interesting because it is happening after the economy has experienced a serious recession. This means that there are many opportunities and challenges for families. Many will have experienced a reduction in their pay or experience one spouse or another losing a job. However, many companies will be desperate for customers so they will slash prices to make their merchandise more affordable. For toys in particular there are some interesting trends reflecting this. Here are some of the affordable toy trends to look for.

This holiday season look for some old toys to make a huge comeback. The reason why some toys are classics is that they have a proven track record in good times and bad. A great example is popular board games like Monopoly and Clue. There are also toys brands such as Barbie that continue to sell. Also look for hot toys from previous holidays such as Bop It or Nerf Guns. Also be warned, Elmo like other Christmases will still be popular so try to order it in advance or online to avoid crowds.

Look for toys from popular movies to still be a big trend. With the release of a popular Wolverine Movie, GI Joe and Transformers, look for toy lines associated with these movies to be still in demand this Christmas. These are sure to be high on your child’s wish list especially if they are younger and have some of the toys for these franchises already.

Learning toys are also going to be big. It is natural as a parent that you want to know that you are making an investment in what you are buying for your kids. There are plenty of learning toys and software that will be high on shopping list from brands such as Leap Frog, Fisher Price and Vtech. The toys that work as video game console will be really popular since they will allow children to play and learn different concepts such as counting and reading.

Look for video games and consoles to be within the reach of more families this year especially if they budgeted for it. In order to keep demand up Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have reduced the prices on their game consoles. Also look for games to be at more affordable prices as well. This is great because if you already have a game console at home then you can save money by just buying accessories or games.

Toys that encourage personal creativity will also be in high demand. There are toys that allow your children to make their own snack such as easy bake or even make their own music such as the Radica Ucreate Music Mixer. The appeal of these toys is that their amusement factor relies largely on your children’s imaginations so you can be sure of long term use.

Something you can do to make the holidays more special for your children is to give them something that will help them believe in the magic of Christmas. You can give them a personalized letter from Santa. Each of these letters will mention your children’s good deeds and wishes for Christmas. They can be made even more authentic with a post mark from the North Pole and Santa’s Signature. This will be something that can become a family memento for years to come.

Create magic in your child’s eyes with our Santa letters & Santa phone calls. EZSantaLetters.com offers fully personalized Santa letters and 15 pre-written Santa letters. All letters are postmarked from the North Pole and will definitely put a smile on your child’s face.

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By Les Scammell, November 1, 2009 4:02 am

This Christmas many parents will be looking for great gifts for their kids. However there are some major changes that have occurred over the past couple of years in toys and games for children. A great example is to look at what your daughter(s) will be asking Santa for this Christmas. While the traditional doll and stuffed animal will still be on the list, this new generation of girls is interested in a wider range of toys. Here are some great suggestions of what you should look for this Christmas.

The big trend has been with Disney products. For the past decade or so the Disney Company has expanded its offering to its younger demographic beyond movies and Saturday morning cartoons. Now there is an entire kids channel with big starts like Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas brothers. Each now have huge followings and sell millions in clothes, toys, and other branded merchandise. For your daughter this year if they want a fashion doll it will likely be Hannah Montana. If she wants a CD it will definitely be the Jonas Brothers. So look to see some of these items on the top of your daughter’s Christmas list.

Another interesting trend is that girls are now becoming as interested in video games as boys. For a while, video games were a male dominated industry with a most customers being guys from elementary school age to early twenties. However, in the past couple of years, many companies started to market games for girls. Popular girl toy brands like Barbie and Hannah Montana branched out with girl specific games. There is also the fact that many popular game titles like Mario Brothers became popular with both boys and girls. So don’t just assume that you will only have to buy a game console and video game for your son this Christmas.

Fashion is becoming a big trend with toys and games that are based on it. Shows like America’s Next Top Model have shown the growing interest in fashion. Now there are many toys that allow girls to experiment with makeup, make jewelry, and even decorate their clothes. These toys are become increasingly popular and parents should look out for them to become hot items.

Something that won’t change is movie toys. Like boys who buy Transformers after seeing the movie or buying Hulk punching gloves there are movies that girls like that will influence their choices in movies. One to look out for this fall is a new Disney princess movie, The Princess and the Frog. This is one of the first traditionally animated movies the company has made in quite a while and more importantly will introduce a brand new Disney Princess, Tiana. Look for toys derived from this movie to become very popular as the movie come to theaters later this year.

If you want to do something special for your little girl this Christmas one great idea is to help them believe in Santa. There is a wide variety of items online that you can purchase for this purpose. For example, if you live in an apartment and don’t have a fireplace, your daughter might doubt that Santa can come to your home. A great idea is to give her a Magic Key and tell her it allows Santa to enter the house. Another great idea is to have her receive a personalized letter from Santa. You can have it customized with info that will have her believe that Santa is real and knows all about her. This will definitely make the holidays magical for her.

Create magic in your child’s eyes with our letters from Santa & Santa phone calls. EZSantaLetters.com offers fully personalized Santa letters and 15 pre-written Santa letters. All letters are postmarked from the North Pole and will definitely put a smile on your child’s face.

categories: santa letters,greeting letters,santa claus,christmas gifts,christmas,personalized gifts,gifts and occasions,holidays,gifts,shopping,parenting,family,kids and teens,home and family

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By Les Scammell, October 16, 2009 6:04 am

This Christmas there are many things that you can do to make the holiday special and magical for your kids. The great thing is that you don?t necessarily have to spend a lot to do so. Just make sure to use your imagination and invest some time and resources. If you are a young parent this may be the first time around for you and you may not have many of ideas of how to get started here are some great tips and suggestions to help you do so make this Christmas something wondrous and unforgettable.

First, if you have family that lives nearby get them to help you set up. As the adage goes, “many hands make light work.” if you have relatives that live nearby try getting together for a big family Christmas. This does several things. You can pool resources to produce a better holiday celebration than would be possible for you to have individually. There is also the added warmth of having more of your loved one to share this special time with you and your kids. Many of the memories your children will have of Christmas will more have to do with people than what Santa left them under the Christmas tree.

Another great idea is to decorate your home in full out Holiday Cheer. Understandably it would be a great idea to set aside money now for this endeavor and the rest of your basic purchases for the holidays. It will reduce stress and help things go smoother. Try to go for perennial favorites and traditional decorations to give your home a look of warmth. The surroundings will add to the special feelings and atmosphere on Christmas Eve and Christmas day for your kids. Try to get the kids involved in doing things like decorating the tree or making their stockings for stocking stuffers.

Make sure to plan activities to do with your kids such as games, to stories, or simply having hot cocoa and treats. Anything you do to spend time with your kids will help make precious memories that will last all their lives. Use this time to do things like sing Christmas carols as well. Then make a point of it to turn some of the activities into traditional pastimes that your family takes part in as your children grow up. This will help make the holiday even more rewarding for your family.

For a first Christmas try to give your kids a special item along with your normal presents. This will become a souvenir and memento that they can pass onto their own kids in time. An interesting item that has come up is Santa?s magic key. This is for households that don?t have a chimney. You can tell your kids this is a special way to allow Santa to come in.

Make it special with a magical visit from Santa Claus. Add some mystery and magic to the holiday with either a personal visit or evidence that Santa came by. There is the standard disappearing milk and cookies and more interesting items like a letter left from Santa or a call from him. There are some great online services that specialize in doing these services for a very reasonable price. This way the wonder of Christmas can be fully realized by children this year.