Last year we were at Lake Louise Ski Area for a few days for a skiing trip with friends from Japan – we had bought some north face backpacks  for hiking at the Banff National park but didn’t make it there for we got too busy doing stuff at the Ski resort.  So this year – we’ve decided to go again – because the entire family enjoyed the trip so much.

The place was very nice – the gondola prices were reasonable and it wasn’t as crowded as in the other resorts.  The snow condition was excellent – and it’s very refreshing to be there and the Lake Louise trail was a lot easier on the younger kids. I love the trail going back down because after a day or two of skiing we all were becoming expert – by the time we went home – we long to go back – and I had promise the kids that we will.  So this trip next year – we are definitely heading to the National park with our picnic all packed in our backpacks.

I don’t know about other people but the spouse and I try to buy the right gifts for the right people and not just because we have to buy stuff for people during Christmas. Many people buy just any gifts just because but the spouse is very specific on what I can get her – and that is morgan silver dollars for her investment and collections. She doesn’t believe in buying just anything – and told me many years ago – that if I wanted to get her something – it had to be gold or silver dollars – she is just not interested in games, computers or anything even jewelries. So I do the same for the kid as well – we asked her to list what she wants – and she tells us the stuff and we buy just a few for her for Christmas. If we can’t find a Christmas gift for my mom or dad – we buy them a silver dollar – for investment – to keep towards their retirement fund – I think it is more meaningful – especially for someone who has everything and don’t need anything. So this Christmas – if you can’t find the right gift for your loved ones – you may want to think about getting them something they can make use of in the future.

Ohhhh, it’s the first Friday after Thanksgiving (in the US) which signals the start of the Christmas season. So it’s not that I’ve been under a rock, it’s just that I’m not a stinky American =)

The first response was from Ann of the Homeschool Zoo blog. She suggested that we make donations to a charity in IZEAs name and everyone agreed that this was a great idea. During an impromptu online meeting between the founder of IZEA, Ted Murphy, and several of his posties, Mama Bok brought up the charity idea and asked him to pick one for us to donate to. His choice is Habitat for Humanity. If you feel so inclined, you can donate from that secure link. There’s a check box to indicate that you are donating on behalf of a company.

Of course, if you have no idea who IZEA is, you can donate anyway and fill in whatever name you’d like. If you have someone on your list that already has everything they need and want, perhaps a donation in their name would be a nice gesture, and it’s all for a good cause.

The Gallery Collection, a proud supporter of the Soldier’s Angels program, has a wide variety of styles to choose from which can be further customized to meet your needs. Through Soldier’s Angels they have donated cards to the US soldiers  and their families to wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Place an order before December 5th and save 20%!