**The Ultimate Family Christmas Gift: A Website That Celebrates Your Legacy**
Tired of the same old Christmas gift ideas? Socks? Nope. A scented candle? Again? This year, why not think outside the gift-wrapped box and create something meaningful, lasting, and fun—a family website!
Whether your family spans generations, continents, or just a few city blocks, a family website is the ultimate way to bring everyone together. Let’s unwrap why this gift is a game-changer and how it can preserve your family’s legacy for years to come.
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### **1. A Place for Stories That Last Forever**
Every family has that *one* story. You know the one—about Grandma’s daring escape from a pie-eating contest or Uncle Joe’s accidental debut in local theater. Why let those golden tales get lost in the shuffle of time?
With a family website, you can create a digital treasure chest for everyone to contribute their memories. Add written stories, voice recordings, or even video interviews with your family storytellers. One click, and future generations can relive the laughter and love.
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### **2. Photos Worth a Thousand Smiles**
Gone are the days of passing around grainy photo albums. Your family website can be a sleek, digital scrapbook where every snapshot—from the great-grandparents’ black-and-white wedding photo to last summer’s chaotic beach day—has its moment to shine.
Imagine scrolling through decades of family moments, neatly organized and accessible to all. Bonus: You don’t have to fight over who gets to keep the family album anymore!
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### **3. A Connection for All Generations**
Got tech-savvy teens and tech-terrified elders? A family website bridges the gap! Set up a simple, user-friendly platform where everyone—from your Insta-obsessed cousin to Grandpa who’s just mastered email—can participate.
Pro tip: Include fun features like a birthday calendar or a virtual guestbook where family members can leave quick messages.
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### **4. A Legacy That Grows With Time**
Think of your family website as the gift that keeps on giving. Over the years, it will evolve into a living history, capturing the big moments (weddings, graduations, new babies) and the small joys (that amazing casserole recipe everyone loves).
This Christmas, you’re not just giving a gift—you’re creating a legacy.
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5. How to Get Started with Family Crossings
Setting up a family website might sound complicated, but with Family Crossings, it’s as easy as pie (and we all know Grandma’s pie is very easy to love).
Family Crossings is designed with families in mind—no tech degree required! You’ll get a beautifully organized space to upload photos, share stories, and keep everyone connected. Plus, our simple pricing means no surprises under the tree:
Affordable Plans: Pay just a small monthly fee to unlock all the tools your family needs.
No Hidden Costs: Everything you need to create and maintain your family website is included.
Peace of Mind: Your memories are securely stored, and everyone can access them whenever they want.
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### **A Gift That Feels Like Home**
This Christmas, skip the shopping mall chaos and give your family the ultimate gift: a place to celebrate your shared journey. A family website isn’t just a present—it’s a present wrapped in love, history, and connection.
Ready to get started? Go on, be the family hero. And don’t forget to save us a slice of pie—we’ve earned it for this brilliant idea.
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These little chick cupcakes are almost too adorable to eat – but they’re also delicious so eat away! You just make regular cupcakes and then dip in yellow sanding sugar. Then add chocolate chips for eyes and pipe on the rest of the face and wings. They’re really easy and will instantly become a family favorite. They’re also great for Easter parties at school. Source/Tutorial: birdonacake
Confetti eggs are fun for the entire family. You use real eggs, which you empty – and this is a delicate but really easy step. Then dye your eggs and fill them with confetti. Finally, you cover the whole with a piece of tissue paper and let it dry. Only you will know that these aren’t really hard boiled and decorated Easter eggs and it will be so much fun watching people crack and open them with the confetti falling out. Source/Tutorial: apumpkinandaprincess
Little ones are going to be so excited to plant their magical jelly beans and see what grows. This is a wonderful tradition for families and all you have to do is “plant” jelly beans in your garden or yard. Come back a while later to see which ones have bloomed – in the meantime, you’re going to stick a treat in the ground and let the kids know that these grew from their magical jelly beans. Source/Tutorial: myfrugaladventures
You can buy Easter trees and decorations at the Dollar Store for just a few dollars, or make one yourself. Just find a branch, paint it white – or pink if you prefer – and then add decorations. You can even DIY your decorations, and kids are going to love helping to decorate the tree. Source/Tutorial: rhythmsofplay
This is a really fun Easter game that kids of all ages are sure to love playing. Print off the game board and then use jelly beans or robin eggs to play. It’s so much fun and a wonderful way for little ones to wear themselves out the night before Easter so they’ll go to bed early. Source/Tutorial: crazylittleprojects
Protecting Your Dog’s Immune System (Family Features) – Allie stopped eating when she was 16. Her owner, Dr. Elizabette Cohen says she went crazy trying to find a healthy diet for her beloved pet. “Her problem is that she has a very sensitive digestive system and would suffer from upsets pretty often,” said Cohen, a New York veterinarian and popular radio show host. With a majority of a dog’s immune system residing in the gut, it was critical to address Allie’s digestive health. Understanding Bacteria Like humans, dogs and cats have short digestive tracts and a complex gastrointestinal (GI) ecosystem. Bacterial cells in their digestive tracts outnumber animal cells. In fact, they account for approximately 95 percent of the cells in the GI tract. As many as 500 different species of bacterial cells may be represented. Some of these bacteria are beneficial, and some have the potential to be pathogenic. It’s the balance between the two types of bacteria that determines whether the digestive system is healthy and functioning optimally. When the bacterial balance is disrupted, the result is often digestive upsets and loose stools. (Family Features) Halloween isn’t just for kids. Pets are joining the festivities too by dressing up in fabulous costumes. But in addition to picking out a costume, pet parents should keep their pet’s safety in mind as well. Here are some safety tips and costume ideas to help ensure you and your pet have a safe and fun holiday. Keep them happy. “Before having pets join in the Halloween fun, it’s important to assess whether your pet will be comfortable participating, or if the festivities will cause undue stress,” says Dr. Simon Starkey, Pet Care Expert at PetSmart. “If you have a young or senior pet, or one that is shy around others, it’s better to give them a quiet space away from all the activity where they’ll feel more comfortable.” Make sure treats are pet friendly. With so many Halloween treats about the home, you want to make sure your dog doesn’t accidentally consume something that could be harmful. Chocolate is particularly tempting for pets, but it can also make them seriously ill. Instead, choose a pet friendly treat to celebrate, such as GREENIES Dental Chews, which also keep pets’ teeth clean and their breath scare-free. Keep them safe. If you plan to take your dog around the neighborhood in the evening, make sure they’re properly outfitted. Reflective leashes, collars and ID tags with flashing lights are essential accessories for any pet Halloween costume. Halloween Pet Fun Make your pet a star. If you fancy your pet a rock star, consider dressing them for the part. Check out the Bret Michaels Pets Rock wig. With blonde tresses and a bandana to top it off, your pet will be ready to rock and roll. Classic costumes are spooktacular. For a fantastic costume that also offers safety features, check out the glow-in-the-dark Martha Stewart Pets Black Halloween Skeleton costume. Or, if you love retro, outfit your pet in the Top Paw Plush Sock Monkey costume, which is sure to evoke some “oohs” and “aahs” from witches, goblins, zombies and monsters of all ages. Halloween Pets Shine For more tips on pet safety as well as Halloween costumes and events, visit your local PetSmart or www.PetSmart.com. Ingredients
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Serves (Family Features) – Handmade holiday items bring a unique and personal touch to the season, making the giver and receiver feel special. This year, millions of families will be spending more time together creating low or no-cost crafts such as gifts, cards and decorations. In fact, the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) estimates that in almost 43 million U.S. households will create handcrafted holiday gifts and decorations this year. “Crafting provides an opportunity to spend time with friends and family while creating unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that don’t need to cost a lot of money,” said CHA President and CEO Steve Berger. To inspire you, here’s an idea to get you crafting this holiday season. Swirl Place SettingCourtesy of www.ilovetocreate.comMaterials: Placemats
Napkin Rings
For votive and place card instructions, visit www.ilovetocreate.com. Family Holiday WreathCourtesy of www.terriocraftprojects.comMaterials: Wreath
Winter weather poses unique challenges for drivers. Before heading out onto snowy or icy streets, take a few minutes to refresh your memory on how to drive safely in wintery conditions. Before Leaving
On the Road
For more safe winter driving tips, visit consumerreports.org, aaa.exchange.com or the Federal Citizen Information Center at pueblo.gsa.gov. OK, we realize you’re going to want to take a vacation for more than 15 minutes (even with that pesky recession on!). But making the decision to take the family on a trip that involves helping others or respecting the environment instead of lounging at the beach can be made relatively quickly. There are a number of Eco tours and activist travel or work exchange programs that might even cost you less than that trip to Disneyworld and leave you or your family feeling more fulfilled upon your return home. ResponsibleTravel.com – Listing thousands of options for a more sustainable vacation respecting the environments and local inhabitants, Responsible Travel is searchable by budget level, region, country, and even type of holiday and activities you’d like to do. Travelers are encouraged to review the tours they take, so you can also see others’ feedback on the trips you might be interested in. Ecotour Directory – This site currently lists 95 different eco holiday and responsible travel options, searchable by continent. TrekAmerica – TrekAmerica hosts tour programs focusing on appreciating and respecting the natural environment throughout North America. You get the opportunity to experience some unique environments while simultaneously having a positive impact on the land. Volunteer Vacations – Instead of taking ad nauseum “I was here” photos in front of tourist traps on your next vacation, you could use your next trip to volunteer abroad. This site offers a number of 1-4 week vacation options from helping at children’s clinics to preserving wilderness trails to teaching math to kids in developing countries. Global Volunteers – A clearinghouse of volunteer international service programs, Global Volunteers typically requires you front your own travel costs. They do however offer assistance qualifying for discounts or fundraising the cost of your service program fee. Do you have other great world-changing ideas that don’t necessarily require an enormous time commitment? Let us know in the comments! According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), exercise and physical activity are some of the best things older adults can do to stay healthy. Even moderate exercise can improve the health of those who are frail or who have age-related diseases. Some seniors are concerned that physical activity or exercise may be too strenuous or may do them more harm than good. In fact, it’s an inactive lifestyle that proves to do more harm than exercise does. Without physical activity, older people tend to grow weaker in four areas important for staying healthy and independent: strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. The NIH maintains that:
Exercising regularly can also have a positive impact on the immune system, blood pressure, cardiovascular system and it can decrease the risk of heart disease and help with depression or anxiety. The American Senior Fitness Association has some recommendations for those wanting to start a fitness program.
Stop exercise and consult your physician immediately if you experience any of the following:
For a good, overall exercise program, consider tai chi. Tai chi is a self-paced system of gentle physical exercise. It involves standing and performing a series of movements in a slow, graceful way. Each movement smoothly flows into the next. Studies suggest that tai chi may improve balance and knee joint stability, both of which help balance. Staying active does the body and the mind a world of good. Find exercise and activities that you enjoy and you’ll be able to stick with it and improve your quality of life. B-O-O Brownie Pops (Family Features) – The bewitching season is here! Gather the goblins, conjure up some creative costumes and prepare scary, scrumptious sweets for a great ghostly gathering. Making these frighteningly fabulous party treats together is a perfect way for mom and the kids to share some spooktacular fun.
Add favorite beverages and let the spookalicious party begin! For additional information about Goldfish Grahams, recipes and nutrition information, visit www.pepperidgefarm.com. Find more ways to bake, decorate and celebrate, or order the Halloween Cookie House Kit at www.wilton.com. B-O-O Brownie PopsIngredients
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Serves Notes, Tips & Suggestions Note: If desired, bake brownies completely without inserting stick. After brownies have cooled, dip lollipop sticks into melted candy and insert into either end of brownie. Let set before decorating. Halloween Goldfish MunchIngredients
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