Lurking in the Aisles of the Toy Shop

From past experience, I imagine that the infamous Furby will, once again, be a well-stocked item at every toy shop this shopping season. Why would I assume that the Furby phenomenon will continue to

reign this year? Well, past history is a great indicator of future performance, and the Furby manufacturer is adept at redesigning the Furby to meet new desires.

These days, you can find the newest version of the Furby for about $55 here.

Long-time Favorite For Many Years
Launched in 1998, tens of millions of the original Furbies were sold. Parents of today remember having the early designs of these furry creatures and will, most likely, search every toy shop available to find a new Furby for their child. Fond memories of the past are great selling tools for manufacturers.

Appeal of the Furby
Where else can you find such a popular toy that appeals to girls AND boys of many age groups? The cute factor also plays a large role in the sales of this furry creature. What can be more satisfying than a lovable toy that sings happily and talks to you, all in one?

The Interactive Bonus
Every toy shop owner knows that a toy that interacts with the kids is a big seller. The cuddly Furby does just that. Stand two Furbies facing each other and there will be a lot of chatting, singing and dancing going on. Tickle this furry creature and there's laughter, if he hears music he will sing, and these little guys also have the capability to learn some English!

He is a Christmas list priority item
Furby has moved from the arena of popular toy to the "I must have this for Christmas or I will cry" toy. Kids know that if everyone else has one, they must have one. No child endures well the stigma of not having the favorite item of the season.

Few parents have the capacity to deny their child their most desired object. Especially when said object is fair priced and absolutely adorable. Actually, I think many parents love this toy as much as their children do. Search every toy shop until you find one.

Educational toy or hype
We could argue the educational value of this furry little toy, but why argue during the holidays? Coincidentally, arguing in the wrong tone will cause your Furby to become a bit evil. Speaking kindly to this little guy results in kindness in return, getting a little rough results in less of a sweet personality with him. Possibly this sort of interaction with Furby IS educational in a cause and effect sort of way.

The Christmas toy of every parent's nightmares
Parental opinion of this toy comes from a different perspective than the child's opinion. Your child awakening in the night because of a chatty Furby is not conducive to a good night's sleep. Did the manufacturer fail to include an "off" button for a reason? Strong-willed parents sneak the fluffy guy out of the bedrooms late at night to ensure the kid's have a full night of sleep.

Finding the perfect Furby this season is as simple as getting in touch with one of your favorite toy shops. Waiting too long to find this coveted gift could result in a very sad little face on Christmas morning and we certainly don't want that to happen!

Popular Christmas Decorating Ideas

Victorian and Country are two of the most popular decorating themes when it comes to Christmas tree decorating. Decorating with the Country theme is the least expensive of the two. This is because the Country decor is created mostly with fabrics, while the Victorian tree is decorated more elegantly. The Victorian decor look best of a tall, slim tree or one that is placed in a corner.

The style that is used on the country tree is 19th century American. This type of tree will be much fuller and more round than a tree of Victorian style. This allows it to look like a real pine. However, in the United States, any type of fir tree is acceptable for use as a Christmas tree.

One of the main problems with choosing a chubby country Christmas tree is that many people do not have the space for its girth. Using an artificial pine tree that sits in the corner will help alleviate this problem. If you are looking for a rustic tree that looks authentic, you should consider buying a live tree. There are real trees available for delivery to your home at http://www.hammacher.com.

When looking for Christmas tree decorations, you should consider using the classic Christmas colors of red and green. If you are wanting to create a totally authentic country look, stay away from lights made of roping, fiber optics or those that twinkle. The lights to choose are the ones that are yellow and egg shaped. If you can not find this color, then choosing red and green lights is the way to go.

Just think old fashioned when choosing ornaments. Wooden sleighs, carved figurines, and shiny apples all say Country Christmas. When you are choosing your glass ornaments, you should be careful to stick with shiny green and red Christmas balls in order to pull off the look of country.

Many old-fashioned Christmas trees has tinsel icicles on them. The use of tinsel garland in red or green wrapped around your tree and topped off with clumps of icicles can help pull your look together.

Another great idea is to add homemade gingerbread cookies to the tree. Homemade popcorn strands are also a classic addition. A basic star, even one that is handmade from cardboard, is what traditionally tops a country Christmas tree.

On the other hand, if you like the Victorian style, then you must find the tallest tree available for your space. A tall, slim tree helps to pull off this look.

This tree's decorations will generally consist of birds, angels, musical instruments and animals. They will mainly be made of tin or glass. This type of tree can pull off a lot of items, almost to the point of being cluttered. The color theme will be gold, silver, blue, pink and lavender.

The lights that would adorn this style of tree will usually look like little candles and not like traditional tree lights. It is also not unusual for the trees to be frosted in order for it to look like it is covered with snow.

For more professional Christmas tree decorating tips, check out this post at LifeHacker.

Have Fun Family Time with Your Christmas Tree Decorations

Every family wants to celebrate Christmas around an old-fashioned tree displaying lovely Christmas tree decorations. A Christmas tree offers the home a delightful addition to the atmosphere while creating a main focus point for family gatherings during the holiday season. Every person in a family needs to get involved in decorating the tree.

Prior to the fun that occurs when everyone gets involved in decorating, a family first needs to find an acceptable tree. A live tree bursting with vivid green color and vitality is the ideal type of tree; make sure the chosen tree will fit through the front door and not take up too much room in the living room.

When the tree is cut down, put the stump in an ample amount of water to keep it fresh. Water helps the tree live longer while reducing the amount of dry needles from dropping on the living room floor. Check the water level for the first few days, and add more water as needed. An older child or teenager can have the responsibility of checking the water supply and adding more water; this responsibility helps the child have a sense of belonging to the family during the holiday season.

After setting up the Christmas tree and making sure it receives plenty of water, start decorating the tree! First, add a few lights. Buy light bulbs in strands, or buy lights that blink on and off. Prices for different types of lights are similar, and lights with various settings add more variety to the tree's decorations.

Check all light bulbs prior to stringing them on the tree to make sure they all work. Next, begin on the outer part of the branches, and wind the lights toward the inner part of the tree. After winding the light bulbs, space them out evenly all around the tree to create a more festive appearance.

Involve children with decorating the tree. Even if the tree does not look perfect, kids will not notice the difference, and they will feel proud they participated in the joyous event. Several pairs of children's hands can help a tree look extremely attractive!

Design the living room with decorations that fit in with the rest of the decor. Use traditional colors of gold, red and green for decorations. Silver, blue and purple are also good colors. Try combining silver  with another bright hue.

Do not make decorating a complicated event. Using too many colors detracts from the simple beauty of the tree. Use garlands, traditional and contemporary ornaments and an angel or star for the tree's topper. Wrap a strand of colorful ribbon around the stump.

After adding lights, add garlands. Add garlands in visible areas rather than in the parts of the tree people

do not see.

The kids will love this candy garland which you can purchase here.

Place ornaments high enough to prevent younger children and pets from knocking them out of the tree. Spread ornaments at equal distances to achieve a more beautiful effect.

Use antique ornaments, and place delicate ornaments near the upper portion of the Christmas tree. The last step is to place an angel or star at the top of the tree.

Cultural Evolution of Christmas Tree Decorations

The history of Christmas trees is littered with tales of the first pines which stood in the houses of everyone from dignitaries and professors to a simple tailor in Ohio who may possibly be the first person to have decorated a tree. Whether these initial trees were used as political statements or amusement for children, they were the pioneers in displaying various Christmas tree decorations.

Just as vehicles, clothing and even technology has changed over the years, decorations have evolved as well. The first tree ornaments were normally handmade, either designs made of paper or even baked goods. Various nuts, sugar cookies and garlands made of popcorn were common adornments for early Christmas trees. Items found in nature could be used as ornaments too. Dried berries, pine cones, twigs and winter blossoms added special touches to pioneer pine branches.

As years passed, ornaments became representative of the times. In the 1940's, people would bring home a real tree and decorate it with a flashy topper, large, brightly colored bulbs and "Angel Hair". This decorative addition was actually spun from fiber glass. While it was a nice detail, it could be a bit painful if touched incorrectly! The trees of the 1950's were commonly decorated with shiny bright glass balls. But this is also when dainty, sparkly silver icicles became popular. With a flick of the wrist, these strings could add shimmer to any tree and a huge mess to clean up after the holidays.

Decorations really took on a new life in the 1960's when most homes finally stopped searching for a real tree and purchased the aluminum Christmas tree. The main decoration for these trees was the color wheel that was used to illuminate the branches in four varying colors. As the wheel turned, the tree would change it's colorful display. The wheel also took the place of traditional lights as those became a fire hazard when placed on the aluminum.

You can still find a safe aluminum Christmas tree here.

Christmas tree decorations not only includes the  ornaments but tree toppers and tree skirts as well. Tree toppers have changed from foil angels and plastic Santa faces to stars, bows and ribbons. Until recently, lighted toppers were among the most popular. However, people are now leaning towards toppers that fit their overall tree theme or even room decor.

Tree skirts began as functional pieces, not decorative items. They were normally plain mats that would protect the floor from wax or sap drippings. Over time, skirts became another way to display holiday cheer. Choices now include homemade pieces and commercial skirts manufactured in every color, fabric and theme imaginable.

It has been recorded that last year alone, Americans purchased upwards of 40 million trees for the holiday. This does not include those who put up a tree they previously purchased. This is one Christmas tradition that has withstood the test of time. Christmas tree decorations continue to evolve and change with the culture, but the basic joy of putting up a tree is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the season.

Holiday Decorating in Victorian and Country Styles

Victorian and Country are well known traditional Christmas tree decorating styles. Victorian is normally a higher priced way to go as opposed to country styles, using less expensive materials. Victorian is an old style and is quite suitable for holiday trees.

When looking for Christmas tree decorating ideas, country is an all-American one that began in the 19th century. Trees are usually fuller and more round than a Victorian decorated tree.

If large round trees do not suit your home but you like country styles, try an artificial tree set in a corner. For a truly authentic country decorated tree there is nothing like the real thing and they can now be delivered to your home through  httр://www.hаmmасhеr.соm.

Remember traditional green and red decorations when considering a country tree. True country trees would not have modern electric tree lighting but could include the large vintage blue, yellow, and especially red and green lights of the old days.

Trees are a rustic country look. Natural wood, velvet, fabric, glass and tinsel are just a few ideas to choose from to attain this rustic feel during the holidays.

Using miniature wooden sleighs, Santas and his elves make great decor. Shiny wooden apples painted red are a fine idea also. Remember to use lots of shiny red and green glass balls in place of frosted metal ornaments.

Tinsel icicles and garlands are traditional county styles for Christmas trees. Wrap white, green and red garlands around the holiday tree in a circular fashion. Hang silver tinsel from the ends of the branches.

The use of velvet ribbons tied to branches create a truly country appeal. Use small stuffed animals and santas which can all be found online.  Homemade decorated cookies and strung popcorn are very complimentary items for the tree and country fun.

Christmas stars are often used as a topper. In days gone by, people made their own by cutting a star from cardboard and covering it with aluminum foil. Many versions of the star topper included ones with lights, feathers and more. These items can also be found online.

Victorian tree decorations work well on very tall, slim trees. This is a tradition that come from Queen Victoria during the early 1900's.

Balsam fir and spruce with tightly closed branches and a blue tint are examples of this shaped tree. Remember this advice when shopping for your home decorations.

The Victorian tree is also decorated in great detail. Use small framed photos, musical instruments,

animals, angels and birds to gain this effect. Conical, round and globular tin or glass ornaments, hung in a large quantity is essential in creating the Victorian look. Red and green and even lavender, blue and pink can be used, but an abundance of silver and gold decorations ought to be the dominating color scheme for a Victorian Christmas.

Chandelier crystal teardrops are another authentic decor item for the Victorian tree. Plastic versions can be used with wired gold ribbons.

This style of tree should also be covered in an abundance of bows and tinsel than those of the country version. Silver, lavender, pink and gold ribbons distinguish the tree as English rather than American.

The use of lighting for the Victorian style ought to be in the shape of candles. Otherwise keep the lights small to imitate candle lighting.

Lastly, the use of flocking or fake snow transforms a Christmas tree to feels like it was just snowed upon will make your holidays very happy.

For more Christmas tree decorating ideas, click here.