I'm a huge believer in magic!  I truly believe in fairies, angels, and most importantly Santa Claus.  Yes, I know, I know.  I'm an adult and I need to accept the fact that reality and fantasy are two separate things.  But honestly folks, who hasn't seen the look of wonder in a child's face and felt that warm glow that causes your heart to expand 4 times over (ahem, I'm talking to you, Mr. Grinch - sitting in the corner shaking your head at me)?

 

I remember when the Sears Christmas catalog would show up every winter.  It was the height of childhood dreams!  I would sit for hours scanning all the toys in the special Christmas section.  I would fold down corners of pages, make lists, steal my dad's art markers and circle special items. It was an intense adventure into consumerism for sure.  But what it really did was spark my imagination.  I would create fantasies in my head about Christmas Eve, putting out cookies and milk, and waking the next morning to a snowy wonderland with a home filled with presents, delicious smells, and laughter.   One year my Aunt Joey decided to surprise me and sent me a letter from Santa.  To say I was over the moon doesn't take it far enough.  I walked around for literally a week with that note in my bookbag and would show it to anyone who said they didn't believe in Santa.  For me, Santa was an important part of childhood.

 

In today's overly informative environment I sometimes worry about our children.  Are we robbing them of the magic of Christmas by exposing them to the realities of Black Friday and Cyber Monday?  Maybe that's why I feel a letter from Santa is more important than ever.

  

If you feel as strongly as I do, then I encourage you to take a peek at santaletters.org.  The site itself is magical, sporting realistic cyber snow and adorable cartoon elves that will certainly bring a smile to your face!  What's so special about this site you might ask?  Well, I would say it's the quality of what you get for your child.  Not only do you get a personalized letter from Santa, but in the standard package you receive a map showing the route to your home, your child's (and a friend or sibling's) name highlighted on the "nice" list, and an envelope postmarked from the North Pole.

 

If you, like me, have a tendency to go over the top, then you might want to check out their Gold and Christmas Eve packages - each comes with special additions that range from a door hanger and window sticker to a collectible plate and mug!

Annnnnd....here's my favorite thing about the site...they donate 10% of their profits to "Toys for Tots", an extraordinary organization dedicated to ensuring every child gets to experience the joy of Christmas.  

 

You just have to check out the site!  It will put you in the Holiday spirit faster than you can say "Cindy Lou Who".