Since 1954, kids’ letters to Santa addressed to the North Pole were sent to the small town of North Pole, Alaska to be answered by Santa and his elves. Of course, the responses always had the “North Pole” postmark, but that tradition may be interrupted for some this year.

The program isn’t being stopped because of budgets, but because a postal worker realized that one Operation Santa volunteer there was a registered sex offender! Not all programs will be affected, but generic letters addressed to Santa in the North Pole may not be answered this year. Read the full story at msnbc.com: “No more letters from North Pole? Ho ho oh no!”

Drop-Dead Shipping Dates

Online shopping is becoming more popular each year, but you have to make sure you get those orders placed in time to receive your gifts for the holidays. Coupon Sherpa has published and is still updating a comprehensive list of drop-dead holiday shipping deadlines for delivery in time for Christmas. For the complete list, visit Coupon Sherpa’s Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Christmas 2009. Dates are included for standard, express and fastest shipping options for many retailers like Apple Store, Best Buy, Fossil, Gaiam, Lego Store, Macy’s and more.

Free Shipping Day

You may also want to mark December 17 on your calendar as Free Shipping Day! Free Shipping Day is a one-day only online shopping event. On December 17, participating merchants will give the gift of free shipping to their customers with guaranteed delivery by Christmas. Just a few of the merchants involved with Free Shipping Day include Toys R Us, Nike, Sears, Eddie Bauer, PacSun, PetSmart and Adidas. More than 500 merchants are expected to participate. Visit FreeShippingDay.com for all the details.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Holiday News- Santa Letters, Shipping Dates

I don’t know about you, but my heart ached for this single dad, stuck up in Alaska with four small children.  Perhaps I missed the part where they mentioned mom, but as far as I could see, mom wasn’t around.  One wouldn’t have to wonder long as to where some of the issues were stemming from?

What Supernanny did for Brian McAfee in this episode was much more then to help find ways of handling the family situations – Jo Frost introduced him to neighbors and friends he might never have met on his own.

The poor guy seemed so painfully shy – I don’t think you’d have caught him talking to the cashier at the grocery store – much less making an effort to meet new friends on his own.

Perhaps this show will help build his self esteem and confidence to a level that will spill over into his life with his children.

At this point right now, given what I’ve seen on this episode, I’m going to say that if mom abandoned those kids and left her ex to deal with them entirely on his own, she doesn’t deserve an ounce of respect and I hope she doesn’t go off someplace else to create a whole new family with someone else – leaving this one behind.

If I’m wrong and the truth reveals itself, I’d be happy to admit my error.  However, as a mother myself, I can’t imagine not being in my children’s lives and have very little, if any, respect for any mother that could.

Post from: Blisstree

SuperNanny – Meet the McAfee Family

Post from: Blisstree

Supernanny Casting in Alaska