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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How to Trim a Video in PowerPoint 2010

We have previously discussed a feature in PowerPoint 2010 by which you can add a video from online site. Another cool feature added to PowerPoint 2010 is the ability to trim any video added to PowerPoint. You can only trim video added to PowerPoint from the local PC folder. With the trim option, you can either specify the start time and end time or use the slider to select the time. To trim the video, select the video in PowerPoint and right click on the video. You will be able to see an option “Trim Video”.

Trim Video

Another way to select trim is to use the ribbon. Selecting the video in PowerPoint will highlight the video tool tab in the ribbon. Inside the edit tab, you can see the option Trim Video.

Trim Video in PPt

When you select this option, it opens a new window from trimming video. Here you can either specify the start time or end time or use the slider to select the time.

Trim video ppt options

This is very useful feature added to PowerPoint 2010 by which you can do some basic editing on your videos.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Christmas Gifts for Moms

Christmas is coming soon,are you still looking for some great Christmas gift ideas for Moms? Here are some present suggestions that Mothers will love.

Moms work hard all year taking care of their families. What better time than Christmas to show a Mother how much she is appreciated. The following are some fun, cool Christmas gift ideas.

Gift Baskets for Moms

A fun gift for a Mother would be some kind of a gift basket. There are many kinds available such as candy and cookie baskets, coffee gift baskets, and cheese baskets. There are also spa baskets and candle baskets which would make a Mother feel nice and relaxed when she has some quiet time.

Spa Gift Certificate

Moms often don't get much of a chance to relax. Consider giving a gift certificate to a spa. This will enable the Mom to take a little time to relax and feel pampered. With a gift certificate she could get a facial, enjoy a soothing massage, or pick up some of her favorite spa accessories.

Hobby Gift

If the Mom being shopped for has some kind of a favorite hobby, she probably would really enjoy something related to that hobby. For example, if she likes scrapbooking, get her some scrapbooking accessories. If she loves to cook, how about getting her a new cookbook? Does she collect anything? If so, think about getting her something to add to her collection.

Restaurant Gift Card

A wonderful way to let a Mom enjoy herself is with a gift card to her favorite restaurant. This gives her a chance to get out of the house, while enjoying a delicious meal. Whether she goes with friends or goes alone and quietly reads a book, a restaurant gift card will give her a chance for a break.

Picture Tee Shirt

Mothers love to show off their kids. What better way to do so than with a picture tee shirt. This way she can proudly wear a comfortable tee shirt with a photo of her kids on it.

Home Decor Gift

If the Mother is into home decor, one can get her a personal gift for the home. If not sure of the Mother's taste, a gift card to a store like Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel would allow the Mom to pick out exactly what she wants.

Music Gift Ideas for Moms

Often times Moms spend their time listening to music their kids enjoy. A gift consideration is a CD of one of the Mother's favorite groups or artists. This way, when the kids aren't around, she can listen to the kind of music she really likes.

DVD Photo Album for Moms

Moms will treasure up the photos taken in the past days since every photo records a good memory.Actullay,making a photo album for Moms is not so difficult.Only a computer with PowerPoint installed and some slideshow-making skills are needed.First,collect all the photos of mother and family,then make a slideshow with PowerPoint.In addtion to photos ,some warm music, family videos or the voice recorded to appriciate mother's care and devotion can also be added.At last,burn the photo album onto DVD with Moyea PowerPoint to DVD Burner and present the DVD disc to Mom ,she will be deeply moved.Maybe she will show off this DVD on TV to her colleagues and friends or send the DVD photo album copies to others.What's more,the slideshow can be converted to video with Leawo PowerPoint to Video to share on Youtube,Metacafe,Facebook,Myspace,blogs even mobile devices(like iPhone,iPod,Blackberry etc.),which will make mother really proud.

Gift Cards for Moms

Moms will generally appreciate any gift they are given. However, if really stuck on what to buy for a Mom, most Mothers would welcome a gift card or gift certificate to any one of many great places. The Mom could then take her time to pick out the perfect gift. Even better, if it's hard for her to get out of the house much, she could always shop online.

When shopping for a gift for a Mom, the most important thing is to let her know the love behind the gift. Remember, too, gifts don't have to be purchased. There are some great homemade gifts that Moms would love, also.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Dads

Christmas comes nearer and nearer,are you still hesitating about what gift is proper for your father? Here's a look at some great present ideas for fathers that are fun, practical, or that offer relaxation. Hope these may help.

Most dads work hard year round earning money to support their families. Christmas is a great time to thank Dad for all of his work with a cool holiday present. Here are some ideas for good gifts for Fathers.

Cool Sports Gifts for Dad

A lot of dads are into some kind of sports whether it be as a spectator or player. If the dad enjoys watching sports, consider tickets to an upcoming game he was hoping to see. If he enjoys participating in some kind of sport, he would probably love some kind of sports accessory. If unsure of what he needs, a gift certificate to a sporting goods store would make him happy.

Tools for Dad

If the Dad is handy around the house, he might enjoy some new tools. This can be as simple as a new hammer or as elaborate as a new tool cart. When thinking about tools, remember not to just think of tools for the home, but tools for the car as well.

Robes for Men

One thing dads don't think about too often is the condition of their robes. A gift suggestion is a nice, new velour robe. Not only would it keep Dad warm, it would be very soft and comfortable to wear. For an added touch, have it monogrammed.

Beer Baskets and Home Brew Kits

Does the intended dad enjoy beer? How about a beer gift basket? There are baskets available with just beer or ones that incorporate food, as well. For a unique beer present, give him his own home brew kit which will allow him to make his own beer. Beergifts.com has a few different kits to choose from.

Spas for Men

Women aren't the only ones who like to feel pampered from time to time. A growing amount of spas are specializing in spa treatments for men. Corporate dads could benefit from a nice manicure and just about any dad would enjoy a nice, soothing massage.

Automotive Gifts

For dads who love their cars, an automotive gift would be a terrific gift. Inexpensive gifts could be a license plate holder that has some kind of special meaning to the dad or a nice steering wheel cover. A more elaborate gift to think about is some new hub caps or a car navigation system.

Movie Rental Gift

Watching a movie is a great way for a dad to be able to kick back. Treat a dad to a Sunday afternoon of movies with a gift card to a movie rental business such as Blockbuster. Be sure to include some munchies with the gift card such as a package of popcorn, a box of hot chocolate, or his favorite candy bar.

Reading Gifts

Some dads love to read. Is there a new book he's been talking about, but, hasn't yet purchased? That would make for a great gift. Also consider the idea of a subscription to a magazine that he enjoys reading. A gift card to his favorite book store is also a nice present.

DVD Photo Slideshow for Dad

Everybody especially Dad cherishes his happy memories with his family,so a DVD photo slideshow should be one of the best gifts for Dad.A Photo Slideshow is easy to make with PowerPoint and a DVD photo slideshow can be easily created by burning the PPT file onto DVD with Leawo PowerPoint to DVD.Then,father can enjoy the pleasant moments with TV when he is on a business trip far away from home.

Giving a Christmas gift to a dad that has meaning behind it can really make a dad feel special. If finances aren't there to do much shopping, one can always make a gift for a father. The most important thing is that the gift comes from the heart and makes the dad feel special on Christmas day.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Fun Ideas for Christmas Party

Christmas comes nearer and nearer,are you hosting the family get together this Christmas or perhaps you are just having friends around? Are you worried that everyone will just sit around and it will be a really boring event? Well why not brighten it up with some Christmas party games. There are a whole host of options whether you are trying to entertain adults or children. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Christmas Charades: For a twist on a favorite Christmas party game, use familiar Christmas events as the charade. Use events such as stuffing the turkey, decorating the tree, wrapping gifts etc. If you're going to have a party for children and need games suited to their age level, choose from among these fun games:

Mystery Stocking: Take a large stocking and put several Christmas related items suitable for a child inside. Make sure the top of the stocking is fastened securely. Pass the stocking around and let each child have a few minutes to feel it. Then have them write down what they think is inside (or tell you if they're too young). The child with the closest guess wins the stocking.

Word Formation: Have sheets of paper for each child. At the top of the paper, write the words 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holidays.' The object is to write as many words as possible using only the letters at the top of the page. Give a five minute time limit.

Pin the Toys in the Sleigh: Tape a sleigh to the wall. Give each child a paper 'present'-something you might find in Santa's sleigh. Blindfold each participant on his or her turn and have them try and pin the present inside the sleigh. Closest one wins.

These are just a few examples so put on your thinking cap and see what else you can come up with and make sure that your Christmas party is not a dull affair, have fun!


Don't forget to take photos for this memorable and insteresting party, and then you can make a slidshow with these photos to share with others on Youtube,Metacafe,Myspace,Facebook or your blogs with the help of Leawo PowerPoint to Video.Also you can burn the funny Christmas party slideshow onto DVD using Moyea PPT to DVD Burner,and then send the copies to your family and friends who knows nothing about computer so that they can enjoy your happies by a TV set.


Now,begin to prepare for your Christmas party,you will surely have a specail and unique Christmas party this year!

Top 10 Christmas Movies in the Eyes of My Family

Because of bad weather and the time to stay indoors,my family loves to watch movies, and the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is prime Christmas movie time.

In no particular order, here are my family’s favorite movies of the season. If I found a TV listing, I listed the day and channel, in case you’d like to watch. I didn’t list times, because I had a hard time finding which time zone the listings were for. Check your local listings for times.

My Family’s Favorite Christmas Movies

1. The Polar Express. Possibly my son’s favorite movie of all times. Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express recounts the adventure of a boy who travels to the North Pole on Christmas Eve by train. We own this one and watch it several times every year. Watch on ABC Family on December 23.

2. Elf. If The Polar Express is my son’s favorite holiday movie, Elf is my daughter’s. Will Ferrell plays a man, who was adopted by elves as a baby. Now grown up, he returns to the U.S. to find his father. We’re not Will Ferrell fans, most of the time, but he’s pretty good in this movie. Watch December 18 on USA.

3. The Nativity Story. The kids and I actually watched this one for the first time yesterday. It’s not a lighthearted movie, by any means, and there are some scenes that aren’t suitable for young children. It really makes you reflect on what Mary and Joseph must have gone through in the time leading up to Christ’s birth, though. It’s not completely Biblically accurate, but the relationship between Mary and Joseph is worth watching.

4. The Christmas Shoes. This one is for the sappy movie lovers out there. I cry every time I watch it. Based on a country music song, The Christmas Shoes tells the story of two families. Workaholic Robert Layton works so much, he misses out on his wonderful family. Meanwhile, in another family, mother Maggie Andrews is dying, and her son just wants to buy her a pair of red dancing shoes for Christmas, before she dies. The lives of the two families cross, and you are left with a real tear-jerker. Watch December 24 on Lifetime Movie Network.

5. Miracle on 34th Street. I love the remade version of the classic movie. Mara Wilson is perfect as the little girl, who doesn’t believe in Santa, and Elizabeth Perkins is great as her all-too-practical mother. On ABC Family December 23.

6. It’s a Wonderful Life. Is there anyone who hasn’t seen this classic? It’s the story of George Bailey, who has so many problems, he wants to end his life at Christmas time. An angel comes to earth to show him what life would have been like, had he never been born. You will most certainly find this one on network TV as Christmas approaches. On NBC December 24 at 8:00 p.m..

7. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. What’s not to like about the Griswolds? OK, there’s a lot not to like, but they sure are funny! Watching a disaster-prone dad trying to put the perfect Christmas celebration together makes the little things that go wrong in my Christmas season look pretty minor. This movie is a great diversion.

8. The Santa Clause. Tim Allen plays a workaholic, who accidentally agrees to take over as Santa Claus. As he grows (in more ways than one) into his new role, his relationship with his son improves. But his ex-wife and her new husband have their concerns about Allen’s new role in life, and seek to protect son, Charlie, from dad’s influence.

9. Home Alone. I first saw this movie in the theater as a college student, and it’s been on my holiday favorite list ever since. Home Alone is the tale of 8 year old Kevin, who is accidentally left at home by his parents, when they travel to France for Christmas. While waiting for his parents to come home, Kevin must defend his home from would-be burglars. Macaulay Culkin is perfect in the role of Kevin.

10. A Christmas Story. Possibly my husband’s favorite flick. It’s the story of Ralphie, a boy who is on a mission to convince his parents to get him the perfect Christmas present: a Red Ryder BB gun. I had actually never watched this movie until a few years ago. You have to be in a silly mood to “get” this movie, but if you’re in the right mood, it’s hysterical! Our family jokes about portions of this movie all year long. 24 hour marathon begins on Christmas Eve on TBS.


Do you like this movies? Why not make a Christmas movie yourself? Seem crazy? Actually,if your computer has a PowerPoint installed,it is a piece of cake.

First,make a wonderful slideshow with your PowerPoint: You can add whatever you want to the slideshow: your blessing on your family and friends,the photos of your family in the past year,the joyous Christmas music you like and the video clips of friends,all are OK.Then,convert the slideshow to movie with Moyea PPT to Video Converter,so your Christmas movie comes easily!You can share this movie with others by Youtube,Metacafe,Myspace,Facebook or on your blogs,you can also copy it to your iPhone,iPod,Blackberry,Nokia to share it.If your old grandma or grandfa doesn't know how to use a computer,send them the DVD copies of your movie with the help of Leawo PowerPoint to DVD to make it playable on TV.Enjoy your Christmas movie and have a happy Christmas!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Make These by Yourself This Christms!

Christmas comes nearer and nearer,do you want to have a different or relatively special Christmas this year?Why not make some ornament or gifts by your hand? The following guides may give your some good ideas:

Christmas Tree Ornament

Spruce up your tree with a homemade Christmas ornament!

Christmas Tree Ornament

What you need:

  • - 3 Popsicle sticks

  • - Green glitter

  • - Glue

  • - Green thread

  • - Scissors

Steps:

    1. Assemble your popsicle sticks in the shape of a triangle.

    2. Glue the triangle together.

    3. Sprinkle some green glitter with your fingers overtop of the triangle so it looks like a tree.

    4. Cut 20 cm of green thread. Loop the thread around your triangle and tie a knot with both ends of the thread. Hang the finished product on your Christmas tree.

Tips:

To add more color to your Christmas tree ornament, paint the popsicle sticks green or color them with a green marker. Make sure the sticks are dry before you glue them together. You can also add stickers and different colors of glitter to make your ornament sparkle!

Christmas Picture Frame

Give a friend a homemade frame for the holidays!

Christmas Picture Frame

What you need:

  • - 4 Popsicle sticks

  • - Photo

  • - Glue

  • - Stickers

  • - Scissors

  • - Glitter

Steps:

    1. Assemble your popsicle sticks in the shape of a square.

    2. Glue the square together.

    3. Decorate the square frame with stickers or glitter.

    4. Turn the decorated side over and glue your photo to the back of the frame. Cut out any parts of the picture sticking out.

    5. Hang it up on the wall with a thumb tack or nail.

Tips:

If you don't have a photo to insert in your frame, draw a sketch or picture to glue onto the frame.

Christmas Jewelry Box

Store your things in this one-of-a-kind jewelry box!

Christmas Jewelry Box

What you need:

  • - 50-60 Popsicle sticks

  • - Glue

  • - Stickers

  • - Glitter

Steps:

    1. For the body of the jewelry box, glue together four popsicle sticks to form a square. Repeat this step five times.

    2. Glue each square on top of the other to create a hollow shell. This will be the body of the box.

    3. For the base of the jewelry box, line up 10 popsicle sticks vertically.

    4. Glue one horizontal stick across the top and one across the bottom to hold the vertical sticks together.

    5. Line up the body of the jewelry box to the base and glue them together.

    6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make a cover for the jewelry box. When you'e all done, add stickers and glitter to personalize the box!

Making these home-made things can be very interesting and pleasant, some memorable scenes may be captured by your family.To share this happy moments with your friends and your family,you may want to make a slideshow,and share this slideshow on Youtube,Metacafe,Facebook,Myspace and or your blogs with the help of Leawo PowerPoint to Video or burn the slideshow onto DVD with Moyea PPT to DVD Burner to send the DVD copies to others for their watching on TV or treasuring up.

May you have a wonderful Christmas!

How to Make Nice Christmas Cupcakes?

Chirstmas is coming soon,have you ever prepared your Christmas cupcakes well?Why not charm everyone with these pretty little cupcakes with little Christmas trees sitting atop them? You will be surprised at how easy it is to make them and how fast you can whip up batches to feed a crowd! Whipped cream and one single icing tip is all you need to make these.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes - Christmas Cupcake Decorating IdeasWhat You Will Need:

• Cupcakes, any flavor

• Sweetened Whipped Cream

• Green Food Coloring

• Chopped candied fruit, red

Equipment Need:

• Icing Bag

• Open Star Icing Tip

How To:

1. Whip whipping cream till stiff peaks form.

2. Reserve some plain white icing for the floret border and add a tiny drop of green food color to the rest.

3. Mix the color into the cream very lightly to get a marbled effect.

4. Spread this icing on each cupcake with an icing knife or spatula.

Making the Trees

1. Mix in green food coloring to the remaining icing to make the trees.
2. Fit an icing bag with an open star tip (No. 17 or 18) and fill the bag with the green whipped cream.
3. To start making the trees, pipe out cream in center of the cupcake and bring outwards. For the first few lines, bulge out the icing in the center and then bring out. This will give the base of the tree some height for the other ‘branches’ to stand.

Floret Border:

With the same icing tip and plain white whipping cream, make little florets all around the edge of the cupcake.

Pipe out cream and press slightly on the same place to form a little floret. Make florets close to each other all around the rim.

Decorations:

1. Sort out red colored candied fruit from a mixed pack or use dried red berries.

2. Chop them up and puck into the trees to make tree decorations.

Tips:

Whether preparing for your family or for a party, assembly line is the best way to get these done quick and well. Spread cream icing on all cupcakes first and then make trees on all of them.

Try making the trees and florets on a plate first. Once you get the hang of it, start making them on the cupcakes.

Making such a delicate and yummy cupcake is really a enjoyment,all the happy secnces will be preseved by your camera.You may also want to make a PowerPoint slideshow with such photos, and share it with others.But it's somestimes a little difficult to share the slideshow online unless you convert it to video with Moyea PPT to Video converter,then you can easily share it on video sites(like Youtube,Metacafe etc.),SNS(e.g. Facebook,Myspace etc.) or blogs,even mobile devices (like iPod,iPhone,Nokia,Blackberry etc.).If you want to treasure up the good memories for a long time,you can also convert the slideshow on to DVD with Leawo PowerPoint to DVD,you can also send DVD copies to your friends or family by mail so that they can play it on a DVD-player TV.

May you have a happy Christmas!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Tips on How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Well

Maybe you've chosen your perfect Christmas tree, but now what?

The following tips will give you ideas for setting up your tree, lighting it, keeping it fresh, and decorating it to be beautiful.

  • Keep Your Tree Fresh and Green
    Cut the stump of the tree with a fresh cut and set it in water immediately. A fresh-cut tree will absorb several quarts of water right from the start. So it's important to check and refill the water level several times a day for the first week. You can cut down on frequency later. Be sure to place you Christmas tree in a stand that has a large water reservoir and keep it filled.
  • Christmas Tree Preservative
    You can prolong the life of your Christmas tree by mixing up a concoction of 1 quart water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon liquid bleach. You can also read information on caring for Christmas trees.
  • Putting Lights and Decorations on the Tree
    When decorating your Christmas tree, put lights on first, then garlands, then the ornaments.
  • Work From the Inside Out
    Start arranging Christmas tree lights on the branches near the base of the tree. Weave strings of lights along the branches "inside," then move to the outer edges of the branches.
  • Placement of Ornaments
    Don't hang all your ornament on the tips of the branches. Place ornaments and other decorations 'inside' your tree to add depth and interest.
  • Basic Ornaments for Fill
    Start by arranging the "filler ornaments" evenly spaced around the tree. This would include basic solid color balls that are easily found at discount stores in a wide range of colors to coordinate and enhance your decorating scheme. You'll need about 20 "filler ornaments" for every 2 feet of Christmas tree.
  • Special Themed, Collectible Ornaments
    Mix one-of-a-kind special ornaments between the basic ornaments. Plan to use at least 10 special themed ornaments for every 2 feet of tree. As your collection grows, put the special ornaments closer together.
  • Record the Whole Happy Progress with DVD Slideshow
  • Don't forget to take photos while interesting things happens in the progress of decorating your Christmas tree to preserve your good memories. What's more, you can make a slideshow with these photos and add some happy Christmas songs in it. Then, you can easily burn the slideshow to DVD with Leawo PowerPoint to DVD so that you can share the happy memories with your family and friends on big screen DVD-player TV or by sending DVD copies.Seems cool,isn't it? So,why not start your wonderful experience now!

Monday, December 14, 2009

How to Make Christmas Stockings?

Christmas is coming soon. The Christmas season is a great time for the family to gather together and create some wonderful craft items. Christmas crafts are among the most special and memorable, and those lovely crafts can be used again and again, each year as Christmas rolls around again.

One of the best and most useful Christmas crafts for the family to make are homemade Christmas stockings. These wonderful items of course have a long and fascinating history, and that history is kept alive each year as millions of children around the world wake up to stocking full of candies, toys and other treats. Using homemade Christmas stockings adds an extra sparkle to this old tradition, and gives Santa an insight into the creativity of the stocking designer.

Christmas Stocking
Christmas stockings are an easy craft to make, making this a great craft for all but the youngest children. To make this great craft, you will need:

  • Colorful pieces of felt

  • Colorful thread

  • Ribbons

  • Glue

  • A simple stocking pattern
To begin, simply place the stocking pattern on a piece of colored felt. The pattern can be created by simply tracing a store bought stocking, or by using one of the many patterns available on the internet and at local craft stores. The pattern should be placed near the edge of the piece of felt. You will need two parts for each stocking, and depending on your tastes the pieces can be the same color or different colors.

The two cut out pieces can then be carefully pinned together, and the parent can carefully do a blanket stitch around the edge, sewing the two pieces of the stocking together. After the two pieces have been sewn together, a loop of ribbon should be placed inside the top of the stocking. This loop will be used to hang the stocking proudly on the mantle.

After the stocking has been created, the front can be decorated with a variety of items, from pieces of felt to sequins. Natural items, such as holly leaves, small pine cones and berries, can be used as well. You may even want to personalize each stocking by having the child write his or her name using a glitter pen or craft paint. These great new creations can be hung on the mantle, where they will patiently wait for the arrival of Santa Claus on the special night.

Actually,you can make a slideshow about your happy experience of making Christmas stockings,and upload the Slideshow to Youtube to share with your family and friends or burn the slideshow onto DVD to treasure up the pleasant memory.

Christmas Decoration Ideas

All excited to indulge yourself in the festive spirit of Christmas? 25th December Рthe day marked as Christmas all over the globe, is a day of utmost fun and frolic, strengthening the bondage with closed ones, exchanging gifts and decorating the house with the varied Christmas d̩cor items. One can really get creative with Christmas decorations, following the age-old tradition as well. Everybody wants to feel the warmth of the celebration and the indulgence reaches its peak a week before the actual celebration starts. It gives you immense pleasure when you involve all your near and dear ones in the process of decorating the house during Christmas.

To get the best result out of Christmas decorations, try to remain simple in whatever you choose as Christmas décor items. Simple homemade Christmas decorations are still considered to be the best of the lot. A personalized touch can always be given to the decorating items that are brought from the market. Put in your best efforts and it shall surely be appreciated and pleasing to everyone’s eyes. As previously stated, try to remain soft and subtle with the colors and elements that are used for the decoration of Christmas. The basic aim for this celebration around this time of the year are joy and prosperity. Thus, conveying the same feeling to the near and dear ones and also to the guests is absolutely important. Make sure that Christmas celebrations do turn out to be the best this year by following the few useful Christmas decoration tips. Remember to stick to original Christmas decoration ideas and not imitate others.

Christmas Home Decorations

The traditional Christmas decorations colors are red and green. But it doesn’t imply that you have to stick on to these two colors. Christmas is the brightest time of the year so you can use all the bright colors from the color palette. Be creative enough to make bows from ribbons of various bright colors and place them all across the walls, staircase and windows. Put in a special festive feeling in every corner of the house. Make sure that every corner of the house is painted with Christmas Colors.

Other ways to decorate the house is to make Christmas motifs from cardboards, cloth and papers. Make patterns like Santa, Star or stockings and place them all over the house. You can also place all of these decoration items on the tables and the curtains. It is recommended to use tablecloths, colored in green and red or something that has Christmas motifs in them. Outdoor Christmas decorations should also be paid heed to. A motif of a Santa or a Star can be made out from a cardboard and hanged on the wall outside the house. This decorative idea might be a bit different from the other decorations. Christmas decoration without a Christmas tree is incomplete. But then how to decorate the Christmas tree?

Christmas Tree Decoration

The most important of all Christmas d̩cor items is the Christmas tree. They find the primary place in Christmas celebrations. The size of the Christmas tree can be big or small Рdepending on the size of the room. It, however, should not block any view and rather catch the attention of all the guests. You should make it as bright as possible using elements that are bought from the market and also made at home. Use your creativity and imagination to bring that extra beauty in your Christmas tree. The d̩cor pieces for the Christmas tree could be rings, bells and candies, being wrapped in colored wrappers. One can also use battery operated lights for decorating Christmas trees. Christmas wreaths are another option of decorating the staircase and the walls. Festivity at its best РChristmas trees usually play the vital role in decoration during Christmas. There could be other plants placed in different parts of the house, being lighted up with varied decorative elements. This, in all, will create a unique ambience in the house and make the festive mood more vibrant.

Christmas Lighting Tips

Christmas lighting has the pivotal role in setting the right Christmas mood. After all, you have to make the festive atmosphere carry all that element of vibrancy. Do not use electric lights and for that matter you could also employ your creativity in decorating the fireplace in your house. Use the right colors of light for decoration purpose. The usual colors that are used for Christmas are red, green. You could also experiment with blue, mauve and copper lights.

Christmas is a celebration of prosperity.

Candies

Candies are an important element of Christmas celebration. Use them in style to get the best effect out of it. You could pair up colored candles along with plain candles and that surely gives a bright effect.

But we can never forget that Christmas celebration centers around prosperity – thus candies, chocolates, nuts and other food items should find a prominent place in the decoration process. No doubt that people love to bake cookies for Christmas, you could hang them with the help of strings and place it on the Christmas tree.

Gifts

Lastly, one can never forget gifts that are exchanged during Christmas. Santa, the good old angel of joy who brings all those lovely Christmas gifts can never stay out of Christmas decorations. The prominent place should be given to him. There is also a probability to hang Santa motifs on any part of the house to get a feel of the festivity. Try keeping stockings stuffed with gifts with Santa.

Get involved in the ultimate celebration this year and make this Christmas a one to cherish lifelong. Include everything that is possible to light up the occasion in full vigor and such that it brings real joy, peace and happiness amongst all. Decorations shouldn’t get a fall back due to your busy schedule. Plan well in advance and work up accordingly. Wishing you a Merry Christmas in advance!

List of Top 10 Christmas Decoration Retailers

Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year is round the corner, you will find all the markets flooded with Christmas Decoration Items. There are umpteen number of Online Christmas Decoration Retailers, following is the list of top 10 Online Christmas Decoration retailers.
  • EverythingChristmas.com
  • Save-on-Crafts.com
  • AllthingsChristmas.com
  • WorldofChristmas.net
  • Bronners.com
  • Christmasdecor.net
  • Christmas-decorations-gifts-store.com
  • Christmastimeuk.com
  • Marthastewart.com
  • Interiordec.about.com

To be honest,decoration for Christmas is a tough but happy job, all your work deserves.In the whole process,all your family gather together and cooperate with each other to make this festival much happier, some warm moment and some instersting scence may be captured by some of your family with digital camera,so why not make a slideshow with these photos? In a slideshow,you can add some cool transitions and animations,also some christmas songs and videos.Of course,you can further convert the slideshow to video to share on video-sharing sites(Youtube,Metacafe etc.),SNS,blogs or with mobile devices( like iPhone,iPod,Blackberry etc.),also you can burn the slideshow onto DVD to play on TV or send copies to your family and friends.All these happy moments can bring also happiesness to others and it is absolutely a good Christmas gift to give and a good memory to treasure up!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for a Hail Mary and you’ve got some spare time, you could try one of these DIY gift ideas. People are usually so impressed that you spent some time on them that they won’t care that you deliberately spent next to nothing on them. WARNING: These projects might require A WHOLE HOUR to complete. For me, if I have to choose between making gifts for family and watching TV, I generally elect to do both. In which case, I generally injure myself and fail to complete the project. In which case, I go further into credit card debt buying a last minute CD Rack. Anyways, here are 4 DIY gift ideas that anyone can do:

  1. The Photo Collage. Buy a piece of poster board , print out a bunch of photos (at school or the office or your best friend’s house), cut them up and assemble them on the board. Most people, particularly family members, will be touched by such a thoughtful gift. Also, they’ll be so starstruck by pictures of themselves from 5 years ago (“I used to have hair! Do you see this? Look at this!”, they’ll think it’s the best, most unique gift they’ve ever received.

  2. Bead Necklace or Bead Eyeglass Holders. Roll over to your local hippie bead store (you’ve smelled that place before, admit it) and pick up an assortment of beads and a string. Slide them on the string and tie the ends. Whallah! Original gift. CAUTION: It’s a little tedious.

  3. The Dreamcatcher. It’s a piece of wood with some feathers hanging off of it. Come on. Provided you’re not trying to watch TV at the same time you’re gluing it together, you probably won’t glue your fingers together. By the way, does anybody know how to unglue your hands?

  4. The Family Video. If you can dig up your old family videos and put them together onto a DVD, it makes an amazing family gift. If you don’t have any old family videos, but you do have a video camera, you could start taping your family members at Thanksgiving and editing footage together during your spare time. If you don't even have a video camera, just pick up some daily photos from your phone,your computer or the Internet(I mean SNS,Flicr,blogs etc.).Then you can make a Slideshow with such warm and fragrant moments and burn the Slideshow onto DVD so that it can be played on a DVD-play TV.As far as Christmas gifts go, this one is very time consuming, but ultimately more rewarding than almost any other gift you could give.
    Priceless.

The Top 20 Christmas Cookies

Baking cookies at Christmas is a tradition for many people. It brings families and friends together with the warm goodness of cookies fresh from the oven. As you bake this holiday season, take a minute to learn the origins of some of the foods we enjoy each Christmas. According to the research of Food Timeline, Christmas cookies as we know them today were created from Medieval European recipes. Dutch and German settlers brought cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday decorations to America.

German lebkuchen (gingerbread) was probably the first cake/cookie traditionally to be used as a Christmas food. Sugar cookie type recipes have roots in English traditions. Animal crackers have their humble beginning as edible ornaments, and are now a favorite of kids everywhere, all year long. Christmas cookie recipes produce more than just a tasty sweet; they are a baking tradition steeped in history.

Begin or continue your cookie baking traditions with the top 20 Christmas cookies below. From basics like drop cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and the all-time favorite sugar cookie to fancy designed, decorated and spiced Christmas cookies offered, you'll want to bake your own Christmas cookies right now and give them to your family and friends.What's more, you can also make a slideshow on how to make delicious Chistmas cookies or about the funny things happened when you are baking Chistmas cookies and then converter the slideshow to video to share it on video-sharing sites(e.g.Youtube,Metacafe etc.) or with mobile devices(e.g. iPhone,iPod,Blackberry etc.) with your family and friends.Besides,you can also burn the slideshow onto DVD to preseve your such good momories for a long time or just send DVD copies to others as a Christmas gift.

The Top 20 Christmas Cookies

Magic Seven Layer Bars

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Peanut Butter Cookies

Scotch Shortbread

Sugar Cookies

Gingerbread Men

Chocolate Fudge

Springerele

Chocolate Chip Cookies Molasses Sugar Cookies

Scotcharoos

Peanut Butter Chocolate Kisses

Spritz Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies

Snowball Cookies

Chocolate Toffee Bars

Kolachky

Pecan Sandies

Chocolate Pinwheels

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Create a Christmas Greeting Card by Yourself

How to Create a Christmas Multimedia Greeting Cards with PowerPoint ?

Chistmas is coming soon, but are you tired of sending Christmas cards in any old ordinary way? So,this year you would like to send a special Christmas greeting card—something a little different—maybe for a special person in your heart. If you have a personal computer with Microsoft Office software, the creative Christmas cards comes: why not create a Christmas multimedia greeting card with PowerPoint? It would not be that hard to create such a greeting, and while you could use simple clip art, you could instead add videos, a movie, even sound.

One advantage of creating a Chritsmas multimedia greeting card is that you can save your card as a template. After saving your creation as a template, you can reuse the card many times. You can create many cards based on the original.

Step 1:Create a New Slideshow

Open PowerPoint, from the File menu, click new. You will then be given the chance to use an existing template, a blank presentation, or to use the AutoContent Wizard. For our purposes, click blank presentation.

Step 2: Adjust the page size to whatever you desire.

Click page setup on the File menu. You can adjust the size to anything you want, but for our purposes, change the width to 7.5 inches, the same as the height.

Step 3:Set up the layout for the slide show.

On the Format menu, click slide layout. You have a variety of templates to choose from, but for our purposes, choose the blank one.

Step 4:Set up the slide show and the speed at which the slides will move from one to the other.

Click slide show, then slide transition. In the advance slide section, click automatically after box. Change the delay time to 00:03, and close the slide transition pane.

Step 5:What this step is would depend on whether or not you want to create your card from clip art, to add a movie, or a picture you already have.

Add a picture to your Christmas multimedia greeting card:

Let us say you want to create a card from clip art. Click picture on the Insert menu, then clip art. Do a search for the type of picture you want
to add. Double click on the image you want to add. It will be added to the slide, unless you get a message that says you have to use a CD that came with your computer to use the image, in which case you will have to use the CD. You also can add download clip art to your computer from the Internet—sometimes for free—after doing a search for clip art. You will also find a link to a clip organizer, if there are any clips there on your computer and a link to clips online.


You can also format the picture, including the size of the picture in your multimedia greeting card created with PowerPoint. Click picture from the Format menu. Click size and then you can make the size of the picture however many inches in height or width that you want—at least if it will fit in your browser. Drag the image of the picture you inserted to the center of the screen.

Add a new slide to your Christmas multimedia greeting card:
If you want to insert a new slide, click new slide on the Insert menu. You can then follow the same procedures for formatting and adding clip art.

Add a movie to your Christmas multimedia greeting card:
You can add a movie to your multimedia greeting card which you make with PowerPoint, instead of clip art. Point to movies and sounds on the Insert menu and click movie from clip organizer. Click the desired movie—that is if your computer hard drive came with any movies to add, or if you have downloaded any off the Internet. You can format the movie the same way you would a picture.

Add sound to your Christmas multimedia greeting card:

You can add sound to your greeting card. Click movies and sounds on the Insert menu and then pick the sound you want to add from the Clip Organizer. You will also be given the choice to add sound from a file or any CD tracks you have saved to your computer. You may have sound elsewhere on your computer, but you should find sound files by clicking your C drive, then Windows, then Media. You should have a wide selection of sounds to add to your card.

Add text to your Christmas multimedia greeting card:
It is simple to add text to your multimedia greeting card made with PowerPoint. On the Insert Menu, click text box. Click and drag the text box below the picture, movie, or clip art you added. Drag the text box by the resize handles to whatever size you want. In the text box type your desired greeting, such as, "Merry Christmas." You can create a second text box below the first to add your name or the name of the recipient. You can size or format the text and the font color in whatever way you would like. Click on Format and then font. Choose your options.

Step 6:save your Christmas greeting card as a template.

Click new on the File menu, and then save as. In the save as dialogue box, choose new template. Name your template.

If you think it is too troublesome to make a powerpoint all form the beginning, you can also use some free Christmas PowerPoint Templates instead.
Many items such as photos, movies, sounds, background images, and border images are on the Microsoft Clip Art and Media Web Site and can be added to your multimedia card created in PowerPoint.

Step 7:Deliver your Christmas greeting cards.

Of course,you can send your elaborate Christmas greeting cards through e-mail as an attachment,but sometimes it is troublesome to send a Powerpoint file with sounds and movies.If you don't deal with the sounds and movies well, they will not play in the recipient's PowerPoint.Or the recipient has a different OS or he/she has not installed a PowerPoint app. in her/his computer,what will you do? Don't worry, here are the solutions:Convert the Christmas greeting cards to video.So you can easily send it with an e-mail,and make it playable on a different OS or even without PowerPoint installing computer.But if the recipient has no computer or he/she knows nothing about computer, I'm afraid that you have to convert the Christmas greeting cards to DVD,and send the DVD copy to he/she so that he/she will receive your warm Christmas greeting by watching TV. Really remarkable,isn't it? Why not start your own now?




Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Christmas Songs for Chruch PowerPoint

Now that the Advent season is here, Christian churches will see an increase in attendance -- for at least a few weeks, anyway! And many churches will use PowerPoint to present their audience with sing-along song lyrics, particularly Christmas carols.

Some churches use PowerPoint to guide their congregations in songs that promote peace, love, hope, joy, and harmony. The best 3 PowerPoint practices for presenting Christmas carol song lyrics in church include:

1. Easy to read. Make sure that the font type is large enough to read from the back of the room. Use font colors that contrast well with the color of the background slide. Avoid complicated background images that take the focus off the lyrics. Play PowerPoint on a big screen TV or with an overhead project.

2. Simple graphics. In the secular world, Christmas can be a time of rampant visual excess. Churches should provide a respite from holiday hype by offering their patrons more contemplative and thoughtful imagery than the average TV commercial. A single graphic per song provides meditative focus as well as visual clarity.

3. No bouncing balls. Slick animations and automated timings may not match the tempo of a live choir. Make it personal: manually present each slide's lyrics to ensure that the slide timing is spot-on with the singers.

Remember, a church is not a Karaoke bar. A place of worship can be a haven from December's commercial madness and wild excess. Hopefully, a house of worship distinguishes itself from a shopping mall, Karaoke bar, or reality TV show!

PowerPoint in Church. A church provides a place for quiet contemplation and a focus on community and spirituality. Churches that use songs, colors, and images that reflect the simple beauty of the Advent message are ultimately more successful than churches that do little to distinguish themselves from the hustle and bustle of a secular world!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Free Christmas PowerPoint Backgrounds Download

Here are some Christmas PowerPoint Backgrounds collected from the Web for your free download,enjoy them!

Free Christmas PowerPoint Background 1

Free Christmas PowerPoint Background 1

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Free Christmas PowerPoint Background 25

Free Christmas PowerPoint Background 25

SEE also:

Free Christmas PowerPoint Templates from Moyea

Free Christmas PowerPoint Templates from Leawo

You may also be interseted in:

1.Convert & Burn Christmas Slideshow to DVD, view Christmas Slideshow on DVD-player TV

2.Convert Christmas Slideshow to Video, play Christmas Slideshow on mobile devices

3.Convert Christmas Slideshow to Flash video, share Christmas Slideshow on video sites, SNS, blogs

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Free PowerPoint Templates:Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The date of commemoration is not known to be Jesus‘ actual birthday, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either a historical Roman festival or the winter solstice. Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.

Although traditionally a Christian holiday, Christmas is widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and some of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, Christmas carols, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, and garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in North America, Australia and Ireland) is a popular mythological figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children.

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Here are some Christmas PowerPoint Templates for your free download,enjoy!