SANTA’S PHONE NUMBER: KIDS CAN GIVE SANTA A CALL!

Hey kids!  Did you know that Santa has his very own phone number?  You can give him a call at the North Pole and he’ll wish you a Merry Christmas and ask you to leave your wish list in a message.

How to get a Letter From Santa Postmaked From the North Pole (FREE)

Nothing  gets kids in spirit of Christmas than a letter from the big guy himself postmarked  all the way from the North Pole.  Whether you have an Elf  who has been reporting back to Santa or your kids are awaiting a reply to their letter to Santa, you can have a letter sent to your Christmas angels postmarked North Pole via the United States Post Office.

Because the post office believes in Santa (haven’t you ever seen Miracle on 34th Street?) it offers this service for free (well, you do have to pay postage…)

1. Here’s how “Letters From Santa” works:
   1. Write a letter to your child from Santa Claus and sign it “From Santa.”
   2. Insert the letter into an envelope addressed to your child with the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE.
   3. Ensure a First-Class Mail stamp is affixed to the envelope.
   4. Place the envelope into a larger envelope, with appropriate postage, and address the larger envelope to:                                                     NORTH POLE POSTMARK
                                       POSTMASTER
                                       4141 POSTMARK DR
                                       ANCHORAGE, AK 99530-9998
   5. Your letter “From Santa” will be mailed back to your child, postmarked from the North Pole.

Letters from Santa must be received by the nchorage, AK, Postmaster no later than Dec. 15, 2015. Santa’s helpers in Anchorage, AK, will take care of the rest!

Be sure to share the experience on social media using #LettersFromSanta. 
Please Share your letters with us!! 
Merry Christmas !!

Tips:

• To save paper, write on the back of your child’s letter. If you keep them together, your child will also be able to recall what he or she wrote.
• When responding as Santa, make the response as personal as possible by highlighting your child’s accomplishments over the past year. For example, helping around the house, receiving good grades in a particular subject at school or participating in community service activities.
• This is a great activity for Thanksgiving that the whole family can enjoy, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other caregivers.

How To Thaw A Frozen Turkey Safely 

To thaw a frozen turkey in a safe way, takes time. So you need to plan ahead and not find yourself behind schedule serving that important turkey dinner 

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us and the traditional turkey dinner will be served across much of the U.S.; so for the sake of modern survival during the turkey dinner, here is how-to safely thaw a frozen turkey using either of the following two methods:(Re-posted for this ar’s Thanksgiving…)

 

Refrigerator-Fridge Thawing

Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. It’s the easiest method for defrosting a turkey. However it also takes a fairly long time, so you will need to plan ahead.

Keep the frozen turkey in its original, unopened wrapper. Place it breast side up in a container or tray that will prevent the turkey juices from dripping on other foods in the refrigerator.

Be sure that your refrigerator temperature dial is set to 40°F or below. Use a fridge thermometer to check this.

Allow about 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds of frozen turkey you plan to thaw in the fridge.

Turkey thaw time in the fridge

To thaw a whole frozen turkey,

10 pounds — 2 ½ days
15 pounds — 3 ½ days
20 pounds — 5 days
25 pounds — 6 days

Do you have to cook the frozen turkey as soon as it’s thawed?

No, you don’t have to cook it right away. Turkey that has been thawed in the refrigerator can be kept for an additional 1 to 2 days in the fridge before cooking.

 Cold Water Thawing

You can thaw a frozen turkey faster in cold water than in the fridge. However, the thawing process will require a lot more attention on your behalf.

Make sure the frozen turkey is in a leak-proof package or plastic bag.

To thaw the turkey, submerge the bag in a large enough container or pot holding cold tap water. NEVER use warm or hot water, as that can cause the outer layer to warm up to a temperature where harmful bacteria begins to multiply rapidly.

Change the water often enough to ensure that it stays cold enough to thaw safely. Although the frozen turkey itself will initially keep the water quite cool, as it thaws further, this could mean every hour or thereabouts.

Using this thawing method, you should estimate about 30 minutes of defrosting time per pound of turkey.

Time to thaw a whole turkey in cold water

10 pounds — 5 hours
15 pounds — 7 hours
20 pounds — 10 hours
25 pounds — 12 hours

If you’ve used the cold water method to thaw your turkey, it is recommended that you should cook the turkey as soon as it is completely thawed.

You should not refreeze raw turkey that has been thawed in cold water. Once you’ve cooked the turkey though, you can then refreeze it if you wish.

NOTE: If the turkey was frozen in a VERY COLD deep freeze (e.g. -10 in a chest freezer), the times listed might take a little bit longer. Your results will vary, but hopefully this gives you something of an idea…

Thanksgiving Break Ideas

It's Thanksgiving break the time of year you are looking to make the most of it.  My child has the whole week off of school.  Oh my!  how will we stay busy!! We all know some of  favorite things people like to do on Thanksgiving: watch foo what ball, watch The Macy’s Day Parade, and of course taking a nap after gorging on Turkey. What about keeping the kids busy while there out of school.  

Well the purpose of this article is to inspire everyone who reads it to turn off the TV (web, video games) for part of the day and really spend some quality time with your friends and family. You’ll have have fun doing it and you’ll create fun, fond memories.

1. Take a Walk. Pick an enjoyable destination.  Like the park, a restaurant with a play area.  Mom you just need  your walking shoes,  who knows you may find some one to have nice adult conversation with.  

2. Play Touch Football. Or soccer, tag, hide-n-seek, etc. Just get outside with the gang and do something that involves running around and taking in some nice fresh air.

3. Share Thanks. At dinner have everyone share what they are thankful for before eating dinner.

4. Eat Tons of Delicious Food. Thanksgiving is about the food when you get right down to it. And, it’s everywhere if you know where to look. Eat it up! Live it up! Dig in! Sure, you might gain a pound or two, but whatever. You can always burn that off before the spring and summer anyway. Dive into the pies and hometown delicacies. Honestly, you really only do live once and Thanksgiving only comes around once a year.

5. Boardgames! Get out those games you have in the closet since last Christmas and haven’t played yet. Scrabble, Life, Yahtzee, Cranium, Trivial Pursuit, Trouble, Chutes & Ladders, whatever! Have some silly fun! Or a game of charades may be  alot of fun. 

6. Sing-a-Long. Karaoke. Get out the instruments, guitars, piano. Dust off that accordion. Bring out the tambourines, spoons, etc. Put on a holiday radio station and sing along. Make up a contest. You can really have fun with this.

7. Kids Talent Show. There’s usually one grownup at family gatherings who likes to get the kids doing activities. If you’re that person maybe you want to have the kids perform for the whole family after dinner. While everyone is watching football you could throw it together. (Of course adults can join the show too!)

8. Treasure Hunt. Create a simple treasure map and “prizes.” There can be one prize or multiple prizes, like an egg-hunt. Ideas for prizes: chocolate turkeys (is there such a thing?) or a packet of coins or a gift certificate wrapped up in a box. Share your ideas in the comments please!

9. Our Family Tree. Have everyone imprint a fingerpaint handprint on a big sheet of paper with their name underneath. You can have it framed or take a picture of it to share with everyone.

10. Start a Thanksgiving Day Banner. Starting this year create a banner that can hang in your living room that will have a picture of the whole family from each year. It can become an heirloom for future generations. You could also create a similar item electronically say with a website.

11. Three Legged Races. Link up kids/grownups. You could also try a sack race or create an obstacle course race too. Have some fun silly prizes or simple privilege prizes like the first place team doesn’t have to help with clean up or they get first dibs on the turkey.

12. Get Crafty. Get the kids together and make ornaments, chains decorations for the upcoming Christmas.  Sure the kids will have fun as well as the adults!! 

13. Write Santa!  What better way to end a festive day than writing the big man himself.  Give you plenty of time to get it in the mail and postmarked   from the North Pole!!  ( See Santa Letter Post Coming soon)  

Before you know it Thanksgiving Break is over and it’s back to school. Might as well make the best of it, right? Hey, make sure to listen to some old classical holiday music. Have a good time and live it up. 

Happy Thanksgiving all! Enjoy!

Please share your favorite Thanksgiving traditions and family fun activities in the comments! We’d love to hear your ideas!

Shopping Event

Shopping Event

Hooray it is the Weekend!!

I’m of two minds about weekends. On one hand, it’s great to have plans. On the other hand, it’s great not to have plans.

Having a plans organized  gives my husband and me something to look forward to and provides some structure to the day.  It’s great to know that we’ll be seeing friends – especially friends with kids who are harder to pin down. Theatre or opera tickets also come with the delight of anticipation which I think is half the fun.

Sometimes an empty Saturday or Sunday stretching out before us is also liberating, full of potential and surprise.  His  mom will take our son over night and we go have dinner with friends with no kids.  Or relaxing watching our shows we do not watch around  our son.    uninterrupted sleep is one my favorite things to get.  And of course, no weekend is complete without some reading (newspapers! books! magazines!) and lounging around in pajamas and slippers.

Personally, I like a bit of both — the planned and unplanned kind of weekend. Not having any plans at all sometimes makes me feel loosey-goosey, frittering away my time deciding what to do. But having too many plans can feel like, well, work, dragging out to one event after another.

Happily, this weekend we’ve got no plans on the calendar, 

Readers: How do you structure your weekends? Do you prefer to plan them out long in advance or just play events by ear?

My Top 15 Horror Picks

When you think of  horror movies do you cringe?   Or are you the individual who can’t peel your eyes off the screen? I am more of the latter group I like horror movies, I love horror movies!! I love the suspense of and the incredibly fake corn-syrup blood.  I admit sometimes there cheesy, but  a good thrill is so fun.  My husband is a fan of scary movies as well.  One of our first dates was Evil Dead the Musical, he got us the splatter section seats (no wimps here).  Wonderful show blast blood splatter was awesome!! 
 My son  is following in the footsteps  he is all in to Goosebumps these days.  He has been in to zombies for years!!  So me and my son have been getting into the Halloween spirit with some of our most favorite classic horror films. 
So I have compiled a list  of my favorite horror films.  What are some of yours?  We love to hear from you all and tell us  your favorites.  

What Your Favorite Candy Reveals about You

Do you remember the houses in our neighborhood that gave out the good Halloween candy, and the ones that stiffed us with a toothbrush or a handful of change. Now, the kids in your neighborhood are sizing you up based on the goodies you give out every October 31st. See what the Halloween candy you give out says about you. Beware, you might find these descriptions to be eerily true...

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Workin' It Wednesday

It's time readers! Our very first linky party co-hosted by myself.  A linky party where we share just WHAT is workin in our business. And now you can join in too! Share something that is working in your business. It can be something you have done year after year or something new you have tried this year that is working. The purpose of this is to hopefully help others. I don't know about you but I have read things that make me say "DUH Melissa..why didn't you think of that?!" And then I try it and BAM it works. Every blogger and enterprenues I know loves to store ideas away for their bag of tricks. You just never know WHEN you are going to need to pull something new out. So what do you say? Share something that is working for you and link up!

What is working for me is a consistency!! I consistently post, like other pages and share content to help others.   Another thing that is helping tremendously is the scheduling post!!  It frees up a few hours of my day to work on other aspects of 
my business and page.. It allows me to work  graphics, and products!! 

Please we ask you to share your ideas with us and what is working in your business!! 

What are you doing for Halloween!!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!!!   Halloween, like all holidays, brings a host of different traditions to the table when it comes to who celebrates and how. 

When I was younger, my cousins and I would trick-or-treat in our neighborhood. That  was some 30 years ago, things have definitely changes as far as safety.   I remember dressing up for school parties and events to hang out with friends.   We even had a town parade that we would all participate in, my brother even  won 1st place he was hunchback.  

Now I have a 6 year old,  and  we like going to a local event in town called Safe Treat which he loves get lots of candy.  Then we normally just stay home for Halloween.  This year our weekend is very full, my  sons school is doing a movie night with costume parade.  Then we will be doing safe treat  and  on Halloween  we decided to  stay  home and give out candy.  We may or may walk are little one around the neighbor hood!!  Which ever we choose will be fun. 

Maybe your town has a parade that you like to watch or participate in. Maybe you and your family watch fun Halloween-centric movies together and carve pumpkins. Or maybe you’re just not into it and don’t do anything at all. Whatever it is that you’re doing to celebrate Monday 31st, we can’t wait to hear about your plans!  Share them with us  below!! 

Tuesday Marketing Tips

We know  that social media is important for business. That one is a given. But knowing how to use social media effectively can be a bit tricky. How do I know what type of content to post? How can I increase engagement? What days get the most interaction? Unfortunately, the answers are not that simple. The reality is answers vary from business to business, social media channel to social media channel.

We are starting a new series here on the blog called  Tip Tuesday to help answer some of those questions and any other  related topics for business. If you have a question you’d like to see answered, Facebook us  and we’ll cover it here on the blog!

Today we’re talking about determining the best times to post on Facebook for the most engagement. It only makes sense to post when the most people are interacting with Facebook. Facebook comes with its own analytics that are very helpful in identifying trends in your posts.You can find these under insights at the top of your Facebook page. Look at posts with the highest reach, likes, and comments. What day did they occur? What time? Identifying when your particular audience engages is key in increasing your effectiveness. For us, we see the most engagement on Tuesdays and Fridays.

You can schedule your post on Facebook to post more during the day.  We recommend  4-5 post a day.  

When have you noticed the most engagement on your Facebook page? Do you use any helpful apps?

Get More Likes on Facebook with Like Ladders

  

What Is a Like Ladder?

A Like Ladder is a simple concept. A Facebook page will post an invitation for users to paste the links to their own Facebook pages in the comments.

When you include the link to your Facebook page in a comment, such as https://www.facebook.com/MomsCoffeeShopNetworking it will show a preview of your page in the published comment:(hint, if you tag your page with the @, instead of pasting the URL, you will get more likes!) 

The idea is to post  your own fan page link to your fan page(using your personal account) , and then like the other pages in the comments.

There are numerous variations of Like Ladders, some may as you to: 

• like or share the original Ladder post,
• like a series of featured or paid pages included in the Ladder post,
• like the Facebook page that published the Ladder post, or
• post the link to your page from your personal Facebook account rather than your page

No matter what conditions are placed on the Like Ladder, two things are certainly true:

1. Some people cheat and do not follow the rules.
2. Like Ladders can be a fast method to generate a ton of likes for your page.The idea here is that you like as many pages as possible that appear in the comments, and others will in turn like your page, as well.
3. Most users who add  their Facebook page to a Like Ladder represent a real business of some sort. Those users are looking to network with others who may take notice of what their pages are promoting. 
4. Additionally, those users are also looking for good, related content to share on their own pages. It stands to reason that these users will engage with your page in some capacity.

Where Can I Find a Like Ladder?

Getting more likes on Facebook with Like Ladders is fairly simple, so long as you know where to find one. For starters, Like Ladders take on several names, including:

• Fan Friday
• Fan Page Friday
• Fan Page Party
• Fan Page Networking

To find a Like Ladder, try searching for any number of popular and related hashtags. Here is a bit of a cheat sheet to get you started:

• #‎FacebookFanFriday‬
• #‎FacebookFriday‬
• #‎FanPageFriday‬
• #‎FacebookFanPage
• #‎FanPageParty‬
• #‎FacebookFanPageFriday‬
• #‎FanFriday‬
• #‎FanPageNetworking
• #‎Ladder‬
• #OpenWall
• ‪#SocialMediaNetworking‬
• #‎GetMoreFans‬
• ‪#Networking

Certainly there are others, but this list should populate quite a number of results for you.

When you search for one of these hashtags on Facebook, a number of related posts will show up . Make a point to like the pages that commonly host Like Ladders. That way, you may see them appear in your timeline as they happen.

And despite what the hashtags may suggest, Like Ladders do not just happen on Friday. They happen every day of the week. In fact, many pages run a number of them each day. Here are a few pages that run daily Like Ladders:

☕ Mom's Coffee Shop Advertising & Social Media Marketing
☕ Ladders to Network
☕ Heard it Through the Grapevine 
☕ Lemondrop Likes, Ladders & Networking, too.
☕ Pink Pineapple Advertising 
☕ The Bloggerama Mamas
☕ The Marketing Momma
☕ In Your Face Marketing

How Do I Participate?

Participating in a Like Ladder is simple. Just,

• like the post itself,
• like the page hosting the Like Ladder if you haven’t already,
• follow any instructions in the post with respect to featured pages by interacting from your personal account,
• paste the link to your Facebook page in the comments with a short  message about what you do, and
• like as many pages in the comments section as possible, if not all of them.

When you like a page in the comments, be sure to notify the page owner. Here is an example where I have done so:

1. Like the page.
2. Like the post containing the page.
3. Reply to the page owner including a link to your own page.
4. Tag the page or its owner in your comment if you wish. (optional)

You can easily tag the user by typing @ and then the first few letters of his or her name or Facebook page.

A few things to consider:

• Facebook limits the number of pages you can like each day. To avoid having your account temporarily frozen, like only 10-20 pages at a time. Pause in between for a few minutes.
• If you post the same comment repetitively, such as ‘I liked your page’, Facebook may also think you are spamming and freeze your account. Make sure each time you reply to a page owner on a Like Ladder that your comment is at least somewhat unique.

If you can make a conscious point to participate in two or three Like Ladders each day, you will start exponentially getting more likes on Facebook. Just remember to play by the rules!

Pumpkin Patch Time Tips!!

It is the second weekend in October here the weather is cooling off. It is a great time to get out and visit a local Pumpkin Patch! If you have never been to a Pumpkin patch or corn maze I complied a a list of Tips. If your thinking of going, and you'd like a better idea of what it's like before you go!  

General Tips!

• Phone ahead for patch and maze conditions and prices. Some attractions may  not be operating due on certain days or weather. You don't want to go on a day when your favorite activity is not available.
• Clothing: This being an outdoor event and the weather affects everything! Dress appropriately for the day's weather. Wear proper head (sun protection) and foot gear.  You may want to wear old athletic shoes in case you encounter any muddy areas!
• Allergies: Corn and honey bees may pose a problem for some folks. Possible animals, and other fruits and vegetables as well.  
• Nighttime Activities: Bring a flashlight with fresh batteries for the nighttime mazes. Some mazes rent flashlights or the kids can buy glow-sticks. Bring some warm clothes in case it's cold.
• Strollers: Some mazes and pumpkin patches are stroller and wheelchair friendly (under ideal conditions), but many are not, so check the weather and call ahead. Remember the maze can go for miles, too far for little legs. It may be a good idea to bring a toddler backpack or wagon for the little ones.
• Claustrophobic?: Corn maze paths are generally 5 to 15 feet wide and there are usually "flaggers" looking for waving flags at all times. A cell phone or walkie talkie is handy if you lose your friend.
• Other tips
• *Bring a water container with you.
  *Take lots of pictures.
  *A poncho or a small umbrella could be a real lifesaver if it starts to rain
  *Have a race with prizes. Mazes and pumpkin carving make great team building exercises

Motivation Monday!!

8 REASONS TO BE PROUD

So here are a few reasons to be proud of yourself right now.  Remember these things the next time you’re feeling down, or simply want to inspire yourself!

1. You’ve learned a lot in your lifetime, and you’ve gotten better and better at a lot of things.
2. You  help other people.
3. You make people smile.
4. You inspire other people (whether you realize it or not!)
5. Life has thrown you curve balls  and you have  tackled them head on.  
6. You have accomplished  many things in life and have a bright future ahead of you. 
7. You’ have never stopped  reaching for your dreams.  
8. You are grateful for  what   you have been given. 

ready for company in 20 minutes or less

Laughs

We have company over every Friday it seems – so  it forces me to clean my house. But lately, even the promise of company coming hasn't done much to motivate me in the cleaning department.

Luckily, I have a strategy that gets my house and me ready for company in 20 minutes or less!

20 min: Get dressed. Don’t worry about stains – we’ll cover that later.

17 min: Close every single door in your house that you can. This will keep your company out of your bedrooms and hopefully your den or office – and your basement.

15 min: Spray Air freshener or light a scented candle.

14 min: Give your kid a trash bag, and send them on a scavenger for trash and diapers.

13 min: Next, tidy up the bathroom that guests will use. Wipe it up quickly, light a candle and make it look nice. Remember: That's a room where guests will have a good amount of time to sit privately, unobserved and look around.

10 min: Take  an empty laundry basket, and put all of your dirty dishes and  clutter in it. Put the laundry basket in your minivan.

7 min:  Toss a few toys into it, and leave it in the middle of your toy room (aka your family room). Tell your company  the kids are donating to the needy.  

4 min: Plug in your vacuum, and leave it sitting out near the front door.

2 min: Use baby wipes to wash your armpits and your face (not in that order).

30 seconds: Get yourself a cup of coffee or dark soda. Don’t drink it.

THEY ARRIVE

Opening the Door: As you’re opening the door, “spill” the cup of coffee all over your shirt. That solves any potential stain problems you might have going on. Make a big deal of spilling coffee all over your “clean” shirt. Welcome your guests into your home by saying the following:

Come on in! Welcome!