I like the ornament idea too. But will try to come up with a few more that might help for future years. How about a "message in a bottle", just save up bottles all year for it and use stickers to decorate outside of bottle. Or save up the wet wipe plastic containers and put pretty labels on them, then write the invitation on something that could be pulled out of the container in one continuous strip. If tops are not Christmas colors, just spray paint with the new spray paint for plastic. Get small boxes with lids and decorate the outside in Christmas theme then have invitation accordian folded inside. You could even cut the paper in shapes like snowmen, ornaments, mittens etc. Just be sure to not cut them apart so they can be folded as one continuous piece. Use empty clear CD cases and decorate one side with decoration and have invitation either inside or on the other side. Bud vases are plentiful and cheap at TS, just put in a silk poinsettia and then hole punch the invitation and tie it on with a pretty ribbon. Small christmas tree decorated with craft paper ornaments with party info written on. Use the clear water slip decal paper and print out party info on computer (Be sure to spray a sealer on top and let dry), then adhere it to candles, ceramic tiles, etc. Find mittens on a string and stuff invitation inside. (Not sure of cost on this one--maybe check places like Oriental Trading.) Get decorated gift bags at dollar stores and put invitation inside. Add some colorful curly ribbons. Or a cheaper way would be to use white lunch bags (they have those now in addition to the brown ones--about 20 or so in a package.) Then you could stencil or stamp or use stickers to decorate them. That's all I can come up with for now. I'll keep thinking. Luvs

Last yr. I made my g'kids calendars with pics of them & our activities tog from the year...but instead of just doing a pic, I printed off "coloring sheets" ... you can do this in some software programs ...and then I took it to a copyshop where I had the plastic circular spinal binding put on...think it was like $3 each or something like that. Anyway, the "coloring-book pics" are kind of funny cause they turn cartoonish...& the kids enjoyed looking at them...as well as the adults. Just an idea...you have a good one, too...altho I don't know if the 4 yr or 7 yr can appreciate how good your idea is! Time flies for us it seems but 2-l/2 wks. until Christmas is an ungodly amt. of time for my 9 yr. old GS! Of if my 12 yr old GD had a $25 shopping spree coming in May, I don't think she could stand the wait! Good luck with your project! Jeanne S. (if you do Photoshop, you can get an idea of what your pic would look like color book like). Jeanne S.

I'd like to suggest taking a picture of the entire family instead of just your daughter for the Christmas cards. It'll mean a whole lot more in the years to come. I was looking through the photo album that my in-laws kept for their kids this weekend. FIL took pictures of the 3 kids and put them in the album every year, but there are no family pictures. It just seems like the missing years without everyone in there. In some cases, those are the only pictures of the family during those years that the relatives and other close friends have. You can still do a really cute picture with the whole family. Last year was our son's 1st Christmas. We did the basic pose standing in front of the tree. My husband and I wore Santa hats. My son wore reindeer antlers. The picture that we ultimately used for the Christmas cards is priceless. We got lots of compliments on that picture. This year, we're going to pose in front of either the state capitol or one of the downtown Christmas light displays. If ds cooperates, we are all wearing Santa hats. A suggested cute pose for daughter only is Baby New Year. Last year we posed ds up in front of the tv while we were watching the ball drop. Ds was nude, but the picture would have looked cute with him in a diaper. We used a beer bottle as a prop, but if you have the fancy bottle of grape juice or something else nonalcoholic, that would look cute also. We emailed the picture out to close family and friends as a New Year Greeting. We put a picture in ds's baby book for posterity.

She is being inspirational Snidely. There are people with her disease and many others who need to know they are not alone and that life is worth living while you're on this earth. She will be presenting in the South Coast Plaza general area in October and is currently getting the word out. Orange Coast Magazine just contacted her yesterday for an interview. I just came here for suggestions on fundraising that isn't mainstream. Stuff that is not typical or generally thought of immediately when trying to raise funds for a cause. She has already done that approach. Just looking for other ideas. This kind of stuff has always been in her blood. She was accepted into the space program many years ago but met the love of her life, fell in love and got married. At the time, that disqualified you for that program.