Nov
25
2010
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Fun Office Christmas Activities

Just because you’re stuck in an office all day doesn’t mean Christmas fun can’t extend to your workplace. Depending on the environment at your work, it’s definitely possible to mix holiday fun with work.

One obvious choice for some fun at the office during the holidays is to have a party. You could have several, in fact. How about a cookie exchange party? Plan to do this at lunchtime one day, and during that block of time, everyone brings several dozen cookies they have made. You have to set a particular number of cookies everyone brings. Because once everyone has an empty plate, they go around the table picking up cookies that look good to them and place them on their empty paper plate. If everyone brought 3 dozen cookies, say, then everyone gets to take home 3 dozen cookies. This is not a particularly unique idea, but one that brings a bit of fun into the workplace.

Keeping in mind whether or not the public visits your workplace, you might choose to decorate. Why not have a Christmas tree decorating event? Everyone brings 6 ornaments and as a group activity, everyone decorates the tree. This is a good way to build team spirit and decorate your workplace at the same time.

Don’t forget to institute a “secret Santa” event at work, where you secretly buy gifts for someone and have some type of gift exchange. But what about a “Santa’s helper” activity? Someone in the group has to begin this on the sly. Essentially, this first person (the only one in the know about how the whole thing began) puts together a little gift. Ideally, it’s a basket with a few gift items in it. They might be decorative items, or baked goods or even bath items. Attach a card saying that “Santa’s helper” dropped by and brought these items. Now the person who received the “helper’s” gift must put together a little something for someone else and - again on the sly - deliver it to the next person. It continues until everyone has received a visit from “Santa’s helper”.

Nothing brings people together like a group activity designed to help others. What if your officemates came up with an activity designed to help people less fortunate at the holidays? You might adopt a local family and everyone in the office purchases items for that family. You might choose to purchase Christmas trees for needy families. If the public visits your office often, you might even begin a “sharing” tree and people can bring items to put under the tree for needy families or children. As a group activity, the office workers can then deliver these items to the needy.

The particularly festive office might want to have someone come in and do a cooking demonstration. If there are enough people interested, you can hire a cook or baker to come into your office on your lunch hour and do a demonstration or class. Say you want to bake but don’t know what to bake this year. A baker can come in and demonstrate cookies or other goodies you might not have thought to make. Or someone can come in with ideas and samples for the perfect Christmas meal. These ideas are perfect for the environment where people work many hours and are quite busy but still want to do their regular cooking and baking each year.

About the author:

Alice Lestari is a free writer for Christmas and office activities. For more information about family and office Christmas activities, please visit here http://gadgetandgame.blogspot.com

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Written by admin in: Articles, Christmas |
Nov
25
2010
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Fun Items For Your Dog Christmas Basket

Everyone knows someone with a dog that is part of their family. This holiday season, why not give a Christmas Dog Basket? It is perfect for the dog and the owner will certainly appreciate that you remembered their little one during the special time of year. So often, during the holidays everyone rushes out to buy everyone gifts, but sometimes we fail to truly take the time to buy something that is meaningful for the receiver. By including the dog with a gift, you are making a huge impression on the owner. Of course, the dog will also be impressed with the abundance or treats and chews that await him or her inside the basket.

Many dog owners also buy their own pooch a Christmas Dog Basket because they know what their dogs love and opening the basket, and then showing the dog what’s inside is thrilling for any canine. Of course, you can add anything you want to the basket and then give it to your pooch on Christmas, and yummy treats are always a hit with dogs as is pure meat items such as freeze-dried treats. Dogs will go wild over their baskets and next year for Christmas, they may even begin expecting their present each year!

You have a long list of people to buy presents for, but don’t forget about your little four-legged friend, he or she will appreciate receiving a Christmas Gift Basket. Moreover, you can get the gift baskets in many sizes, designs, colors, and with anything you want it them. Many clever dogs baskets rather than having the stuffing that typically comes in many human gift baskets, will have a dog bowl as the bottom part of the basket. You can be as creative as you want, and many companies together produce very stunning gift baskets for dogs. Of course, you do not just have to give your dogs treats in his or her basket, you can fill it with toys, new clothes, and even a new collar and leash.

One of the greatest aspects to the Christmas Dog Basket, is it allows you to be as creative as you wish. This is why gift baskets in general are one of the hottest selling items around the holidays. It allows the gift-giver to add as many items as they wish and the price among dog baskets vary as greatly as they do for people baskets. Obviously, the bigger the basket and the more expensive items you have in the basket, the more it will cost.

Finally, dog owners all over are discovering that dog Christmas baskets are not only popular but they are a way for owners to give their pooch something special for the holiday, and of course, the gratitude you get for the basket it is all the thanks you need.

Article by Nancy Cope a proud owner of 4 rescue dogs and owner of Pampered Dog Gifts an online dog boutique that specializes in special gifts for pampered pooches. Please visit Pampered-Dog-Gifts.com to shop for Christmas Dog Baskets, gourmet treats, apparel, toys and more for your spoiled pooch.

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Written by admin in: Articles, Christmas |
Nov
25
2010
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Fun Ideas for Christmas Decorating

It is the time of year for holiday decorating, but are you ready? Do you hate the idea of the hassle, the mess, and the expense? Enjoy the holidays again with these fun ideas for Christmas decorating.

Christmas Trees: Are you tired of those boring glass balls? For a new look, consider decorating with candy canes and matching ribbon only. In place of a star, why not use a cluster of candy canes at the top. If you are really creative, use sheer wrapping paper to cover Styrofoam balls so that they resemble candy pieces and create a garland of goodies.

Fireplaces: Often a centerpiece of holiday scenes, decorating the fireplace can seem overwhelming. Keep it simple by hanging stockings on the mantel. Even if you never place anything inside of them, just by hanging there they will add a sense of holiday festivity. This is easily one of the most traditional ideas for Christmas decorating, but still just as effective as it was in years past.

Dining Room: To add some sparkle to your dining room table, fill a simple glass bowl with colorful glass ornaments. (If you followed the tips above, you should have plenty left over!) This adds a decorative Christmas touch without the predictable poinsettias. If you prefer not to use glass balls, why not use tinsel and candy canes?

Windows: Give a festive look to your windows by making large bows from holiday themed ribbon and attaching them as tie backs to your window treatments. This unexpected splash of Christmas color adds a new twist to decorating for the season.

Now that you have a few ideas for Christmas decorating, why not get started and actually try enjoying it this year?

Want to get more ideas for Christmas decorating? Check out Dana Burnett’s site NanasAtticStore.com for more great decorating tips, useful articles, and great prices on Christmas decor. Look for her new home decorating book Home Decorating for the Real World to be released for the 2010 holiday season.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dana_Burnett

Written by admin in: Articles, Christmas |
Nov
15
2010
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What Makes A Memorable Company Christmas Party?

What Makes A Memorable Company Christmas Party?
By Robert Berry-Smith

The work’s do is often the highlight of the festive season, especially if you end up at the right venue. Here are some things that make for a memorable party.

1. If one of your colleagues reveals themselves to be a dancing machine when the music starts playing and pretends not to remember anything about it the next day.

2. If someone uses the office photocopier for some far from corporate images and distributes them to the team.

3. If the bar tab runs out in record time, but the company decide to extend it.

4. If a good number of colleagues are convinced to miss their last train home and stay out until the bitter end and get a taxi home.

5. If a colleague or two turns up exceptionally late the following day or even two days later.

6. Better still… if the boss decides to give everyone the following day off or tells everyone to come in late.

7. If someone has a hissy-fit because they think they’ve lost their coat, only for it to be found under somebody else’s jacket.

8. If there’s a core of you still out in the wee small hours, despite everyone else having gone home.

9. If Slade’s immortal Christmas classic, ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ blasts out of the speakers while you’re all on the dancefloor.

10. If the person who is usually the quietest person in the office suddenly emerges as the most outgoing character when they leave the workplace.

If you’ve been handed the responsibility of organising this year’s corporate Christmas party and want to make it a night to remember, you’ll need to find suitable party venues that can accommodate your team, provides a great festive menu and is conveniently located for the office and getting home.

You might want to try Revolution-Bars.co.uk, which has bars in Liverpool, Leeds, London, Manchester and many other locations around the country. They can help provide Christmas party ideas and tips, so your corporate party goes exactly to plan and everyone has a great time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Berry-Smith

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Written by admin in: Articles |
Nov
15
2010
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The Complete Guide To Christmas Corporate Gifts

The Complete Guide To Christmas Corporate Gifts
By Alan J Grainger

In the world of corporate gifts there is never a bad time to award a gift. Whether it’s to enforce your brand or improve your reputation, corporate gifts play an important role in sending out the right message and are an important marketing tool.

This is especially true at Christmas. Christmas is of course the main gift giving occasion of the year and in the corporate world that means gifts for staff and customers, but where do you start when it comes to choosing the right Christmas corporate gifts? Should they be used as a marketing tool or simply as a reward? And who should receive a Christmas corporate gift?

This guide will aim to answer all of your questions.

Who To Buy Gifts For?

One of the biggest questions faced by companies every Christmas is who to buy gifts for, and the first in line for Christmas corporate gifts should be regular customers and staff.

Giving Christmas corporate gifts to regular customers is a vital way of showing your gratitude for their business and is an essential way of building and maintaining a strong working relationship. It is an important way of showing a client that their business is valued and can encourage them to stay with a particular company rather than take their business elsewhere.

It is also important from a marketing perspective. Branded corporate gifts can provide you with a chance of getting your logo seen by your customer on a regular basis, providing a strong reminder of your presence. Desk items and calendars are particularly effective at this as it provides your brand with greater visibility, being placed in a prominent position and providing a permanent reminder of your brand.

It isn’t just existing customers who should be receiving these types of gifts. Occasional customers and strong prospects should also be targeted in this way as Christmas gifts provide a strong opportunity to get your brand seen in a unique way. The positive feeling of receiving a gift is the same whether you are at work or at home, so it provides a very effective way of starting a business relationship.

Things are slightly different when shopping for staff as the motives for buying gifts change. Rather than having marketing and promotional motives, Christmas gifts for staff should be to thank and reward them for their efforts during the year. How you go about this is entirely up to you. Christmas corporate gifts could be distributed on an incentive basis so that they are given more as awards to the highest achievers across the departments. They can also be given to people attached to various projects to reward the success of a particular team. And of course they can be given to all employees to celebrate the festive season.

The approach you take will depend on your budget and the size of the company, but there is no doubting the positive effect on morale and motivation that rewarding staff can have. Rewarded staff will always be more motivated to succeed for the company, so efforts should be taken to include the majority of staff in any Christmas corporate gifts. This way it will avoid any potential ill feeling towards people who have been given gifts.

What Christmas Corporate Gifts To Buy?

Again there is a difference between Christmas corporate gifts for staff and Christmas corporate gifts for customers. When there is a marketing and promotional angle to your gifts, practicality is the key. A practical branded gift that will be widely used will provide you with more opportunities for your brand to be seen and noticed. Anything that will sit on a desk or be used frequently at work will fulfil this purpose and when it is displaying your brand it will improve your visibility to the people that matter. Desk items such as calendars, pens and desk toys are all effective in this role.

When shopping for employees there is much more freedom with regards to what is suitable. It can be something that is relevant to the company or to the recipient and as there is no promotional motive there is no necessity for it to be something practical. A gift with a high perceived value that is well presented will make an effective gift to enhance morale and motivation, and by using corporate gifts over a bottle of wine or vouchers will show that thought has gone into the gift. As with all gifts, it is the thought that counts.

When To Start Shopping?

Every year Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier, so when is a good time to start your corporate Christmas shopping? If you are the type of person who leaves their Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve then it might be worth improving your forward planning! There is much more pressure to get it right when buying corporate Christmas gifts so an early start is advisable. Corporate Gifts Companies will start their Christmas season from October so there will be plenty of options open for the early bird. There will also be plenty of offers out there to entice the early shoppers so you might well save money by planning ahead. The busiest time for Christmas corporate gifts is in November so if you know what you want then it makes sense to buy early to make sure stock doesn’t run out. If you leave it until December it will certainly be a test of nerve, but short lead times are available for those who leave it to the last minute.

Despite the economy recovering slowly, times are still hard for many businesses. So can you justify shopping for Christmas corporate gifts this year? With the potential benefits to your working relationship with customers and the improvements to staff morale that can arise as a result of using Christmas corporate gifts, the benefits will certainly justify the expense.

Alan writes articles on issues surrounding the Christmas corporate gifts industry for Christmas Corporate Gifts Co.

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