The Santa Blog

 

Archive for December, 2009

Happy Holidays to all!

December 26th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

Santa and everyone here at Arthur and Associates hopes you had the merriest Christmas ever!

Need more copies of your Santa photos?  Just call or email us at 206.783.5227 or operations@arthurandassociates.com and we’ll be glad to help!

Until next year!  Ho ho ho!!!

What's for dinner?

December 24th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

Christmas Dinner in America often consists of these popular holiday foods:

  • Baked ham
  • Turkey and stuffing
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Green bean casserole
  • Winter squash soup
  • Waldorf salad
  • Cranberry salad
  • Parker house rolls
  • Divinity
  • Red velvet cake
  • Pumpkin pie

What will YOU be serving?? 🙂

Jingle Bell Rock!

December 22nd, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

Who has recorded “Everybody’s Doing the Jingle Bell Rock?”

Released in 1957, “Jingle Bell Rock” has been a favorite of recording artists for nearly 50 years. Who has recorded this tune?

  • 1957 Bobby Helms
  • 1961 Chet Atkins
  • 1961 Eddy Arnold
  • 1961 Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker
  • 1962 Bobby Vee
  • 1963 The Platters
  • 1964 Brenda Lee
  • 1968 Herb Alpert
  • 1969 Johnny Mathis
  • 1970 Bobby Sherman
  • 1971 Lynn Anderson
  • 1984 Elmo & Patsy
  • 1990 Wild Rose
  • 1992 Neil Diamond
  • 1992 Glen Campbell
  • 1993 Vince Gill
  • 1994 John Anderson
  • 1995 Dion
  • 1996 Flash Cadillac
  • 1999 George Strait
  • 1999 Amy Grant
  • 2000 Billy Gilman
  • 2000 Ricky Van Shelton
  • 2003 Hilary Duff

What's the point? (poinsettia, that is)

December 21st, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

How do you care for Holiday Botanicals?

So much of Christmas decorating involves natural greenery and holiday flowers. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, it is easy to incorporate these elements into your decor. All it takes to keep live and cut botanicals fresh during the holidays is tender, loving care.It is a myth that poinsettias are poisonous, but they do have a bitter taste.

To care for poinsettias, keep the soil moist, not wet. After the holidays, transfer the plant into a larger pot, trim the branches back once the bracts or leaves fade, and feed it every three weeks with fertilizer. As the weather warms to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, place the plant outdoors and continue trimming its branches. In October, expose the plant to 14 hours of darkness daily to force the leaves to color.

Holiday greenery such as holly, ivy, and evergreen branches will remain beautiful longer by adding a commercial floral preservative to the water. Spritz arrangements with water daily and monitor their temperature. The cooler the room, the longer the greenery stays fresh. Leaves dipped in household floor wax can last up to six weeks. This also works for decorative fruit such as grapes and pears. It gives them a shine and can keep them from spoiling for at least three weeks.

Christmas trees need water daily. Adding a commercial preservative to the water will extend the life of the tree. For a live tree, place the burlap-wrapped root-ball in a tub, and water it daily. After Christmas, dig a hole twice as large as the root-ball, carefully remove the burlap, then place the tree into the hole.

Ranging in color from red to yellow, kalanchoes and other succulent plants are excellent holiday bloomers. Though the plants can withstand relatively dry conditions, keep the soil moist. After the holidays, treat kalanchoes like poinsettias, trimming the branches and feeding regularly. In the fall, allow the plant to dry out between waterings and expose it to at least 12 hours of darkness to encourage flowering.

To force bulbs like paperwhites, narcissus, amaryllis, and irises, plant them in October with the pointed end up in a shallow container on a layer of pebbles. Fill with sandy potting soil or with more pebbles. Water at planting time and regularly when growth begins. Place the bulbs in warm sunlight, and fertilize just before and during blooming. When flowers begin to die, reduce watering until the leaves have withered. Plant the bulbs, or place them in a cool, dark, dry place until next year.

Enjoy!!!

Santa letter of the day!

December 21st, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

From a three-year-old.  Transcribed by mom.

Dear Santa,

My name is Natalie and it starts with an ‘N’.

Reindeers run.  Thank you.

That’s it.

Please bring Tinkerbell lip stuff and a Hello Kitty music box.

love, Natalie

A Santa by any other name….

December 20th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

What are Santa’s Aliases?

Christmas gifts are bestowed by different gift givers in various countries. These include Père Noël in France, St. Nicholas or Sinter Klaas in Holland, Father Christmas in England, the Three Kings in parts of Latin America and Spain, and Santa Claus in the United States. In Germany, children are visited by Christkind.

Babouschka, a grandmotherly figure, brings presents in Russia, while in Sweden, Jultomten, a gnome who rides a sleigh, does the honors. Syrian children receive gifts from a camel of one of the Three Wise Men, reportedly the smallest one in the caravan. And in Italy, a kindly old witch named La Befana leaves gifts for children.

Santa's favorite books

December 19th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

What are Santa’s Favorite Reads?

  • Olive, the Other Reindeer, J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss
  • Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey, Robert Byrd
  • The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg
  • Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters, Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack
  • “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry
  • The Snowman, Raymond Briggs
  • The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Jan Brett

Reindeer trivia!

December 18th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

Can you Name any Reindeer Facts?

  • Reindeer are one of several subspecies of caribou found around the world.
  • Reindeer are herbivores, which means they eat vegetation. In the summer, they eat leaves and herbs. In the winter, they eat lichen and moss.
  • Reindeer generally don’t run very fast. In fact, a white-tailed deer could outrun a reindeer.
  • Reindeer use their antlers like a shovel to break through the crust of snow to reach the vegetation underneath.
Reindeer are healthy herbivores. They feast only on leaves, herbs,
lichen, and moss.

  • Reindeer are various colors, including white, dark gray, and brown. Males can have light-colored manes, necks, and shoulders.
  • The only female deer to grow antlers are reindeer. Each summer, both males and females grow their wonderful racks, but males usually shed theirs in late November to mid-December. Females keep their antlers until spring. Because all of Santa’s reindeer are depicted with antlers, one might conclude that every one of them, including Rudolph, is female.Rein

Top Christmas songs! See how many your co-workers can name!

December 17th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

What are the Top 20 Christmas Songs?

According to ASCAP, these are the most-performed holiday songs from 2000 to 2005:

  1. “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells)
  2. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie)
  3. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin)
  4. “Winter Wonderland” (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)
  5. “White Christmas” (Irving Berlin)
  6. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
  7. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (Johnny Marks)
  8. “Jingle Bell Rock” (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe)
  9. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram)
  10. “Little Drummer Boy” (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone)
  11. “Sleigh Ride” (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish)
  12. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (Edward Pola, George Wyle)
  13. “Silver Bells” (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans)
  14. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Johnny Marks)
  15. “Feliz Navidad” (José Feliciano)
  16. “Blue Christmas” (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson)
  17. “Frosty the Snowman” (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins)
  18. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (Johnny Marks)
  19. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (Tommie Connor)
  20. “Here Comes Santa Claus” (Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman)

Can you name Five Classic Holiday Toys

December 17th, 2009 | Filed under: news | Posted by Elf Matt

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Can’t decide what to get the little tyke? Check out this list of America’s favorite toys over the years, compiled by the Toy Industry Association.

The Rubik’s Cube® is considered a classic holiday toy.
  • Parcheesi® game 1867
  • Lionel® train 1900
  • Crayola® crayons 1900
  • Teddy bear 1903
  • Rook® game 1906
  • Tinkertoys® 1914
  • Lincoln Logs® 1916
  • Radio Flyer® wagon 1917
  • LEGO® building set 1930
  • View-Master® 3D viewer 1938
  • Candy Land® 1949
  • Silly Putty® 1950
  • Mr. Potato Head® 1952
  • Play-Doh® 1955
  • Barbie® doll 1959
  • Etch-A-Sketch® 1960
  • G.I. Joe® 1963
  • Easy Bake Oven® 1963
  • Twister® 1966
  • Spirograph® 1966
  • Hot Wheels® racecar set 1968
  • Rubik’s Cube® 1979
  • Cabbage Patch Kids® 1983
  • Trivial Pursuit® 1983
  • Magna Doodle® 1986
  • Pictionary® 1987
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ 1988