#MERRY CHRISTMAS MEM!!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nageltrailerrepair · 4 months

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On the Road to Merry: Tips for a Memorable RV Christmas Trip

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than embarking on a festive adventure in your RV? Traveling during Christmas in your recreational vehicle offers a unique opportunity to create lasting memories while exploring new destinations. To ensure your RV Christmas trip is filled with joy and merriment, here are some valuable tips to make it unforgettable.

1. Plan Ahead for Festive Destinations

Research and plan your route to include destinations known for their Christmas charm. Many towns and cities host special holiday events, markets, and light displays. Seek out places that embrace the spirit of the season, such as towns with beautifully decorated streets or campgrounds hosting holiday-themed activities. Plan your stops in advance to make the most of these delightful experiences.

2. Decorate Your RV

Transform your RV into a rolling winter wonderland by decorating it with festive lights, ornaments, and other holiday décor. Adorn the exterior with twinkling lights and hang a wreath on the door to spread cheer to fellow travelers. Inside, embellish your living space with garlands, stockings, and a Christmas tree (even if it's a tabletop version) to infuse the space with holiday magic.

3. Pack Festive Attire and Supplies

Bring along Santa hats, ugly Christmas sweaters, or other festive attire to get into the holiday spirit. Additionally, pack essentials for celebrating on the road, such as hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and seasonal snacks. Don't forget to stock up on wrapping paper, ribbons, and small gifts if you plan to exchange presents during your trip.

4. Embrace Tradition with Holiday Activities

Engage in classic holiday activities to create cherished memories. Gather around a campfire to sing carols, roast marshmallows, and share stories. Host a cookie decorating party inside your cozy RV or organize a Secret Santa gift exchange among your travel companions. Create new traditions that resonate with the unique RV lifestyle.

5. Stay Flexible and Embrace Spontaneity

While planning is essential, leave room for spontaneity. Embrace unexpected opportunities that may arise during your journey. Perhaps you'll discover a hidden gem of a town hosting a spectacular Christmas parade or stumble upon a picturesque spot perfect for a holiday photoshoot. Flexibility can lead to some of the most memorable moments.

6. Spread Holiday Cheer and Kindness

The holidays are a time for giving, so spread joy wherever you go. Consider sharing homemade treats with fellow travelers or participating in charitable initiatives within the communities you visit. Small acts of kindness can have a significant impact and embody the true spirit of the season.

7. Prepare for Weather and Road Conditions

Check weather forecasts and road conditions along your route before setting out. Winter weather can be unpredictable, so ensure your RV is equipped for colder temperatures. Pack appropriate clothing, blankets, and emergency supplies in case of unexpected snow or icy conditions.

8. Capture the Moments

Document your RV Christmas journey through photos, videos, or a travel journal. These mementos will serve as a treasure trove of memories, allowing you to relive the joyous moments long after the trip concludes. Share your experiences with friends and family through social media or create a scrapbook as a keepsake.

9. Reflect and Appreciate the Experience

Take moments to pause, reflect, and appreciate the unique experience of celebrating Christmas on the road. Whether it's watching a breathtaking sunset in a new location or sharing laughter with newfound friends, savor each moment and be grateful for the opportunity to create lasting holiday memories.

Conclusion

An RV Christmas trip is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season while exploring new places and traditions. By planning ahead, embracing the festive spirit, staying flexible, and spreading kindness, you can create a memorable and heartwarming journey. Let this adventure be a reminder of the joy of togetherness, the spirit of giving, and the beauty of exploring the world during this magical time of year.

Safe travels and a Merry Christmas on the road!

#rvrepair #camperrepair #rvrenovation #rv #rvlife #rving #motorhomelife #christmas #travel trailer #traveling #travel #travel photography #travel blog #vacation #tourist #road trip

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bericas · 2 years

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now what?

for @momentofmemory.

#usermem #twedit #sceoedit #sceo #scott x theo #MERRY CHRISTMAS MEM!!!!#now you might be asking. what is the significance of scott being in bnw in the first one #and there simply is none #it just was too ugly to color but it fit with the color scheme so it's fine #but ANYWAY more IMPORTANTLY here she is!! scotts d word ft stiles and theo!!#i actually agonized over a sceo set that fit the angst with a happy ending vibe but it ended up being #theo centric #so we went back to the drawing board and now we have this!! i think its fun #they make me crazy actually like scott really just. wanted a place big enough for grief #he wanted someone to look at him and see that he needed help and reach out a hand to him #which is why the last gif is #all hands!!!#tenderness is stored in the hands baby #not this time though

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lactosefreevanillayoghurt · 3 years

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HELLO TODAY IS LITERALLY NEARLY OVER BUT FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS - HAVE A GOOD DAY <3

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T - HAVE A GOOD DAY <3

MEM CHRIM Y'ALL LOTS OF LOVE

#sometimes she yell #caps tw #christmas #mem chrim #honestly every year i find a way of ruining the phrase merry Christmas #last year it was merry chrimstack #this year ive gone all the way with mem chrim #im so so tired #god #i love you i hope you're okay xxx

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seokmingming · 4 years

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Ho-ho-hello! This is your final ask before the reveal! My last question for you: what are your favourite X1 accounts on tumblr? Give me some recommendations so I can follow them too 😉 ~ Secret Santa Anon 💌 (for the last time!!)

I don't think I follow that many oneits, I mainly just follow all the popular blogs I think. But I'll name the ones that I remember I like seeing on my dash off the top of my head

@yohanx @suengwoo @x1produce @sondongpyos @hardseungwoo and leaving the best for last, my new friend @moreincorrectx1 😉

#oneit ssa #mems #i know i don't have to tag it like this since i just tagged you in the answer but for old times sake #also merry christmas #to everyone

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kodzukyan · 2 years

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11:59 (let’s start the new year right)

notes: merry (belated) christmas, and happy new year, miss yeon! thank you for being such a joy and sharing many smiles and mems with me this past year, and i hope we’ll be able to share more laughter in the upcoming year! @tunamiya

wc: 961

summary: sakusa’s never the one for romantic gestures, but his love is loud all the same.

Sakusa Kiyoomi is a private person, but for someone who is so reserved, you think he makes many exceptions for you. He’s never the one for cliches or romantic gestures, but his love is quite loud.

His love is in the way he indulges you by taking you for an evening walk to see Christmas lights, despite his hesitance for the crowd.

(Since it’s Christmas, he nods, because he usually says no, and you can respect that. But he thinks you outshine all the lights when you excitedly tug on his hand and point out your favorites.)

His love is in the way he’s memorized your favorite coffee order and how you like tuna spread on your toasts.

(You just order the same things despite perusing the menu every time, he bluntly teases you, but you make out the fond smile under his mask.)

His love is in the way that he always crinkles his nose when you mischievously place your freezing hands on his face, but he always ends up interlacing your fingers together and warming your smaller hand in his afterward.

You hum as you hold your coffee in one hand and his heart in the other as you walk home from the coffee shop. You think you can take on the world just a little more with him by your side.

You stop in your tracks as something cold touches your nose. Glancing up, you find the skies filled with millions of snowdrops, and you stare in awe as the first snow of the season gently and slowly blankets the town.

Sakusa stops when he observes your stop from his peripheral vision, and he tilts his head in confusion. He silently tugs your hand, and it pulls you out of your trance.

The snowfall is light, and though it has merely been minutes at most, it contrasts vividly against Sakusa’s black curls.

“Do you believe in the first snow saying?” you giggle as you dust off the accumulating snow in his hair.

Sakusa knows he's a peculiar person, and he knows he can be trying to love. He’s a realist, he claims, and he likes knowing the answer to every question before he dives right in. Love, though, is something he doesn’t anticipate he can ever fathom. You are a puzzle he doesn’t ever think he can answer every question to; he doesn’t ever think he wants to stop discovering and reliving the enigma that is you.

But when he looks at you as you focus on his hair, he thinks maybe love undoubtedly is this. Love is the sun in your eyes against navy blue skies, shining brighter than the sparkling snow. Love is a quiet, rainy city and a home full of books, plants, and sets of two picked out together.

“No,” he conclusively answers when you nod in approval of your handiwork with a gentle smile on your face. He knows he tends to overthink things, but you are the one thing he never thinks twice about, never hesitates about.

He cracks a smile when he sees a small pout forming on your face. He cradles your hands in his gloved ones. Theoretically, he’s the one warming you up, but your warmth radiates all the way to his heart. He squeezes your hand three times in succession to declare the three words he saves only for you.

“But I believe in us.”

He watches as you blink once, twice, before a smile breaks onto your face. As you squeeze his hand three times in succession to reciprocate his affections, he thinks love definitely is just this.

After his quick shower from your walk home, he sees you already curled up in his hoodie over your pajamas. As you sip on some hot cocoa, he recognizes the steaming cup of hot cocoa in his favorite mug, and he smiles.

“I made you some hot cocoa,” you mention as you tear your eyes from the new year program on TV that always airs before the countdown begins.

“Thank you, love.” He places a tender kiss on your temple before he takes a seat next to you. He used to be hesitant to call you as such, but he decides love is suiting because you are love as he knows it.

As if it’s the most natural thing in the world, you lean in and rest your head on his shoulders and his hands find a home in yours. He never watches the show before you because he considers it too loud and pointless, but he watches it now because he likes seeing the light in your eyes and the corners of your lips upturn in soft smiles. He likes hearing you laugh at their antics.

This, he realizes, as the two of you sit in comfortable silence with only the TV playing in the background, as your matching phone cases — his, plain black and yours, clear with the polaroid with the two of you in it — lay on the coffee table in front, as the world around drowns out when the new year countdown begins on TV, is the kind of love he constantly hears about in songs. In love songs that you like, love songs that inevitably end up in his playlists somehow because it reminds him of you.

This, he realizes, is something he always wants to cherish - you, here, with him, sharing this space called home and this time called love.

The red velvet box he bought the other day sits heavy inside his pocket as the thought of you continues to reverberate in his mind.

He wonders if it will be overmuch if he drops down on his knee with the box open as the ball drops and rings in the new year.

#sakusa x reader #sakusa kiyoomi x reader #haikyuu x reader #sakusa x you #sakusa kiyoomi x you #haikyuu x you #haikyuu fluff #sakusa fluff #haikyuu imagines #haha hello i'm not dead!!!#happy holidays to my baobei yeon!!#i have never written sakusa before so i'm v sorry i was struggling LMAO #(thank you alyssa and niko for validating me T_T)#i hope this year has been kind to you and the upcoming year will be even better #pls know you always have my heart ily mwah #sometimes i write things #i wanted to make this funny but alas im not funny </3 #im sorry yeon

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sentientpaperbag · 3 years

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Real short Christmas ficlet

Christmas was here, and Membrane hoped that the gift he made for Cal made her happy. It had taken him a while to figure out what to do, but he understood how badly she wanted to appear human, so the cloaking device he invented was best suited for her.

His next idea was to figure out how to get that backpack looking device off her for longer than ten minutes.

“Merry Christmas Cal,” Mem handed her the small gift.

“Merry.. Chriss Mass, to you too,” Cal replied, opening the small box.

Inside was what appeared to be a bracelet, but Cal could see it was some kind of technology.

“May I?” Mem asked, holding his hand out. She handed it to him and he placed it around her wrist, then he clicked a button.

A screen appeared, showing Cal different customization options she could choose for a disguise. Her eyes widened.

“You made me a disguise?”

Membrane nodded, pleased with her reaction.

She filtered the options before settling on a look she liked. Clicking the okay button, she shut her eyes and waited.

Cal’s appearance shifted before Mem, her skin going from green to a normal human skin tone. Purple hair appeared around her head, and when she opened her eyes, she had normal human eyes.

Grabbing her hand gently, he guided her to a mirror. She took in her new appearance.

Cal gasped in surprise. She turned to Membrane quickly, her purple eyes wide with wonder.

She looked human!

“I... thank you, Membrane...,” Cal suddenly felt odd. Her face was warm as she looked up at the taller man.

He patted her shoulder, “I’m glad you like it, Cal.”

“I... I couldn’t figure out what to get you for a gift.”

“I don’t need one. Your reaction was the best thing I could have asked for. It’s the first Christmas in a while that I’ve gotten to be around someone.”

Cal nodded, before inhaling sharply, pulling Membrane in for a hug.

Surprised, Membrane hovered his hands over her back, unsure of if he should reciprocate. Hesitantly, he placed his hands down, returning the hug.

His heart was pounding. He hoped Cal couldn’t hear it.

#ship: hidden feelings #professor membrane x oc #invader zim oc #ficlet

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pitviperofdoom · 4 years

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I participated in @redwall-secret-santa. This one’s for @readwall-abbey. Merry Christmas!

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The sun shone high above the beach as Mem Divinia paused at the highest point of a dune, planting her paws firmly in the shifting sand. She breathed deeply, shoulders rising and falling as she settled her pulse.

Just a few seasons ago, running a distance like that would have left her staggering and gasping for breath, heart pounding wildly and painfully in her chest, in no fit state to see her paw in front of her face, much less any signs of marauders. Sand was difficult terrain to march on, much less run long distances, with the way her paws sank with each step. But Mem was no novice Runner. It had been a while since Sarge sent her out on short little scouting trips to train her eyes and stamina. By now she was miles from Salamandastron, with more to run before she would have to turn back.

With her breath back, she sipped from her canteen and inspected her meager supplies. She was hardly hungry yet but popped a chestnut into her mouth anyway, if only to lessen her load by a little. Long Patrol Runners packed lightly in both food and supplies, but running long enough could make even the lightest pouch feel like carrying another creature.

Her sharp eyes scanned the horizon on all sides, the sea on one and the rolling dunes on the other. The dunes were empty and still, broken only by the occasional cloud of sand, probably kicked up by some lizard or crab. As for the sea…

There was only one point of interest on the sea. Far in the distance, just barely closer than it had been the last time Mem checked, was a single ship.

She squinted at it, scowling in the glare of the sun. It was difficult to judge the threat, if indeed it was one. There were no distinguishing flags or features that she could see; the sails were simple undyed canvas, and if the ship had a figurehead, it was too far away for her to make out. In all likelihood it was a mere traveling ship. Woodland sailors, or sea otters perhaps. One unidentified ship didn’t have to mean pirates.

But, seeing as Salamandastron and the Long Patrol were Mossflower’s first line of defense against dangers from the sea, it was up to them to make sure.

She checked her weapons again: a sling, a pouch of stones, and her trusty dirk. Hopefully that would be enough, should trouble arise. Without another moment of hesitation, Mem took off again across the sands.

She stopped several more times to check the ship’s progress. On the fourth or fifth stop, the ship stopped moving closer. There were no colors flying, no notable marks; it was simply a plain, unmarked ship, too far off for her to see the nature of the beasts sailing it.

On the sixth, she was sure that she could see a longboat approaching the shore.

Mem slowed her pace and continued on with care. She stopped cresting the dunes for a better view, and instead kept down between them so that nobeast would see her approach.

Gradually, the longboat made its way closer and closer to shore. Mem was no longer running, but creeping low on all fours as she made her way toward the point where the boat would most likely land.

She finally risked climbing a low dune, at the very edge of where the sand smoothed out from the crashing waves, when the longboat made landfall on the beach. Mem dug herself down into the sand to stay as hidden as possible. She was close now, just barely within shouting distance, when she saw the first creature leap out onto the sand.

Tall, long-bodied with brown fur. Too slender and willowy to be an otter. It was a stoat or a weasel, decked out in corsair gear. Behind them was the unmistakable figure of a searat.

Mem watched them for a while, not daring to creep any closer and press her luck. Eight vermin in total disembarked, far too many for her to challenge by herself. That was all right, though; she was meant to be a scout, not a defender just yet. At this point, she had plenty to report back to the mountain. The ship was indeed loaded with corsairs, and they had already sent out a small landing party, most likely to scout out the beach. There was no more that she could do here.

Besides, night was falling, and the vermin were moving inland into the dunes themselves. They would most likely make camp here, and the darkness would cover her retreat.

Mem was beginning to back away when the sounds of a shouting reached her ears.

She risked poking her head back up over the dune, but the growing darkness made it difficult to make anything out. There was shouting, cursing, and a great deal of sand kicked up. Were the vermin squabbling amongst themselves?

Or, Mem thought with a jolt, had they found a traveler to attack already?

Sarge would probably give her a knock between the ears for taking the risk, but once that thought was in her head, she could hardly ignore it. Keeping to whatever cover the dunes provided, Mem crept toward the scuffle.

She was almost too cautious, in the end; by the time she was close enough to see what was happening, much less do anything about it, the fight was over. Her heart sank; was their victim already dead?

Muffled, high-pitched cursing proved otherwise, followed by the vermin’s jeers. They had captured somebeast.

Mem took a deep breath and let it out again, before settling down into the sand. If she left now and reported this, nobeast would fault her for keeping safe. There was one of her, and eight vermin. Very poor odds indeed.

She settled in to wait.

***

Night had fully fallen. At this rate, Mem would be hours late making it back to the mountain. At last, she approached the corsairs’ camp.

The fire was still burning, just bright enough for her to make out seven sleeping figures, one sat up keeping watch, and a ninth, much smaller, sitting trussed up at the edge. Silently, she made her way around.

The rat on sentry duty was nodding. She had waited for third watch before approaching; it was better to risk sneaking past a creature that had just woken up and desperately wanted to go back to sleep. The rat took no notice of her as she skirted the camp on all fours and crept over the prisoner.

Firelight glinted off a pair of open eyes, and Mem froze when she realized that the bound squirrelmaid was looking right at her. Mem put a paw to her lips, only to realize belatedly that the squirrel was muzzled.

Mem shot a glance at the searat, just in time to see his head bob down and up again as he fought to stay awake. She looked to the squirrelmaid, who followed her gaze, then inched carefully over the sand toward where Mem lay hidden. The sand scraped beneath her, and both of them froze.

Silence followed, broken only by the crackle of fire and the vermin’s snores.

The squirrelmaid stretched out, as if seeking a comfortable position to lie down. Her bound footpaws lay within a stone’s throw of Meme’s position.

Her heart was beating in her ears, so loudly that she half-believed the vermin might hear it. This was easily the most foolish thing she had done, and Sarge was going to shout herself hoarse over this when she got back.

But there was a woodlander in danger before her, and she had come too far to turn back and abandon her now.

Mem had never drawn her dirk as slowly as she did then. Bit by bit, so slowly that the steel did not even rasp against the inside of the sheath, she slid her blade free. Then, with one more glance at the sleepy sentry, she crept over the sand until she could push it within reach of the squirrel.

The squirrel grasped it between her footpaws, then curled up so that she could reach her bound paws with the blade.

Mem kept the blade keen enough to cut a strand of fur lengthwise. It took two slices to free the squirrel’s paws, leaving her free to hold the dirk properly and make short work of the cords binding her footpaws. Without wasting a moment more, she got all four paws underneath her and began to creep toward Mem.

Next to her, a sleeping weasel stirred and murmured, with the telltale sounds of a beast about to awaken.

The squirrel struck like an adder. One paw went over the vermin’s mouth, and the other drew the dirk across the weasel’s mouth. It was over just as quickly as it had begun, and the weasel died without a sound.

Mem looked to the rat. He hadn’t even turned his head. Maybe he was already asleep.

The squirrelmaid left the weasel where he lay, blood soaking into the sand beneath him. She joined Mem without a word, and together they stole off into the dunes. They took the long way around, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the camp. The squirrelmaid’s bushy tail swept behind them like a broom, wiping away their tracks.

Only when they were well away, the campfire a distant orange glow, did the squirrel cut the muzzle from her head and throw it viciously to the ground, before kicking it away with a quiet snarl. The dirk was thrust hilt-first into Mem’s paws. She took it with a nod of thanks, wiped the blade, and sheathed it again.

“Th’nks,” the squirrelmaid grumbled. “Could’ve handled it, but thanks.”

For the first time, Mem took a proper look at the creature she had rescued. She was small and young-looking, probably even younger than Mem by a pawful of seasons, but she had the rough, raw look of a creature used to hard living. And now that stealth was no longer the priority, Mem could see the way she put all her weight on one footpaw, as if favoring the other.

“Think nothing of it,” Mem said, smiling a bit shakily. “Good show with that weasel. Quickest paw-work I’ve seen outside of the jolly old training room back at the mountain.”

The squirrelmaid grinned, showing sharp white teeth in the dark. “Yore one of them fancy mountain rabbits, ain’t yer,” she said.

“Hares, but close enough,” Mem replied. “Is your footpaw all right?”

The squirrelmaid grimaced. “I’ve had worse,” she said, though she made no attempt to put any more weight on it. “Don’t worry yore pretty little ears over it, fancy rabbit.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when a shout rose from the vermin camp. Both of them whipped around to stare, wide-eyed, as the pirates they had left behind came awake.

“On my back,” Mem gritted out. “Quickly now, no time to for belly-aching.”

Grumbling, the squirrelmaid obliged. She was every bit as lightweight as she looked. “By the fur and fang,” Mem muttered. “You could do with a jolly good tuck-in, sooner rather than later. Hold on tight, now!”

She took off with the squirrelmaid clinging to her back, claws digging into her shoulders.

Even with the extra weight, she left the vermin camp in her dust. With the wind off the sea blowing across the sand, her tracks would be wiped away by morning. Still, it was only when the vermin’s fire was so far behind them that she could no longer see it, that Mem felt save enough to slow to a trot rather than a flat-out run. The squirrelmaid still clung to her, laughing breathlessly.

“Hellsteeth, that’s what’s I call a gallop!” the squirrel cackled near her ear. “Wot’s yer name, fancy rabbit?”

“Lance Corporal Mem Divinia of the Long Patrol, at your service,” Mem replied, breathing steadily. “What may I call you, my good maid?”

“Name’s Russa,” the squirrel replied. “Got any food on yer?”

“A pawful of nuts and a bit of water,” Mem replied, passing up her food pouch. “Here, try to leave some for me. I’ve got to get back to the bally mountain by dawn, or Sarge’ll send out a search party, and they’ll be right miffed at me for causing a spot of bother.” She paused. “Er, d’you happen to have a family who might be looking for you?”

“If’n I do, they ain’t lookin’ hard enough,” Russa replied airily. “Been on my own, long as I can remember.”

“Righto. Would you like to visit Salamandastron, then?” Mem asked. “Get your footpaw looked at, have a proper scoff in the mess hall?”

“If scoff means food in Fancy Rabbit, then lead the way,” Russa laughed again.

“Jolly good.” Mem took off again, at a steady lope that would get her home in good time. “Tell you what, Russa my gel, after I make my report and have a quick kip in my bunk, I’ll stop by the kitchens and make you some pancakes.”

The squirrelmaid was quiet for a moment. “Wot’s pancakes?” she asked.

“Can’t wait to show you, m’dear!”

The moon rose high over the seashore and the rolling sand dunes. Mem was going to be late. But, the way she saw it, one little dressing-down from Sarge was a fair trade for saving a life, and making a new friend along the way.

#redwall #redwall secret santa 2019 #tales from the pit

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happynewyearmemz-blog · 6 years

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Typography Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Ceramic Ornament – quote pun mem… Typography Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Ceramic Ornament - quote pun meme quotes diy custom Source by carmelablack0035

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leucus-blog1 · 6 years

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talkingbirds · 6 years

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Merry Christmas from Portugal 🎄🇵🇹 #christmas2017 #christmaseve #happy #family #mummy #cousin #yorkshireterrier #portugal (at Mem Martins, Lisboa, Portugal)

#portugal #family #cousin #yorkshireterrier #happy #christmas2017 #mummy #christmaseve

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barboachofficial-blog · 6 years

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seokmingming · 4 years

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This is Mems! I just realised I forgot to tell you that I wouldn’t be active for today (I didn’t forget to send you an ask, I promise!) because it’s already Christmas Day in Australia and I’m spending it with my family. I will be back with your Christmas Eve ask AND the big reveal at the end of the night 💜

Don't worry, I understand! Merry Christmas love!!

#oneit ssa #mems

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whatifjackhadablog-blog · 7 years

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Skirting around Christmas, 2008 (abridged)

**for this #TBT we walked into the MEM vault and dusted off this seasonal feature about Holiday Gifting; A timely commentary as we again approach Thanksgiving and the December holidays. Is it still applicable today? Discuss.**

Marketingedge Magazine - November 2008 - by Michelle Morra

As year-end approaches, you’re gearing up for that “most wonderful time of the year.” You want to observe this tradition, without being too traditional. Jingle those bells, but not too much. There’s a well-known Christian holiday that overtakes the office, and while not everyone keeps the Christian in Christmas, those people still want to celebrate the season. Your job is to make everybody happy.

When you’re in holiday-giving mode, so is the rest of the country. How do you ensure your carefully-conceived gift will stand out in the pile?

“I hate to say you have to add value,” says Jackie Kubica, cringing at the overused phrase, “but you have to.” The owner of Muldoon Marketing in Richmond Hill says her company has an in-house graphic designer who makes sure the packaging and presentation of a gift speaks as fervently as the gift itself.

“We’ll wrap it, theme it around your Christmas party, with tags and fun cards and ribbon.” Green and red ribbon? No. “We’ll use ribbons that use your company logo colours,” she says. “You want the theme of a festive season, but not with ribbon that has Christmas trees all over it.”

Suppliers and distributors of promotional products can help find the right gift. What you place in an employee’s hands or send to your client will have them thinking fondly of your company during their time off. Or not. What if you choose the wrong gift?

“They’ll talk behind your back,” says Peter Doyle, president of Dynamic Promotional Marketing Specialists in Markham, of clients and staff who don’t think your gift was a very good idea. That’s why it helps to decide why you’re giving corporate gifts in the first place, and whether you hope to gain anything in return.

Unlike the golf season of giving, where a company can more safely broadcast its corporate message on clients’ mouse pads and shirtsleeves, the holidays are more about personal gifts people can take home and share with their family. “The logo may be more subtle, but it’s there,” he says. “It may be a tone-on-tone of some kind, etched onto glass, but always visible.”

Perhaps that’s one reason why the holidays are now taking a close second to spring and summer giving. “Christmas used to be the biggest giveaway season,” says Jeff Lieberman, president of Winnipeg’s The Great Promotional Products Company. “But to be honest, golf is now almost bigger.”

Holiday gifts are more about the recipient than the company’s brand.

Festive items such as food never go out of style, such as chocolates or cookies in an attractive, branded box. The food doesn’t last, but the container, logo and feelings of fondness have an eternal shelf life. Travel items such as a small carry-on bag, laptop case or travel wallet are another good idea.

In terms of newer trends, Doyle sees businesses slowly buying into the environmental cause. “Corporations take two to three years to catch up to a movement and wait to see that a trend catches on.”

“I think environmentally-friendly products will be very popular this fall,” says Lieberman. “Recycled clothing, lots of products made of soybean and other materials, recycled notebooks, non-woven tote bags, that’s what they’re asking for.”

What’s not such a good idea?

Doyle says that alcohol, cigarettes, and even knives (since 9/11) are generally taboo.

Some of his clients also stay away from a branded product, “because if the brand goes down, you go with them.” How much companies spend on gifts and a party, says Doyle, sometimes depends on the year-end budget, and whether or not there’s a surplus. At one end of the spectrum he sees people asking customers for free products to hand out at the prize table, and at the other end, buying lavish gifts.

“The rule of thumb is, the less expensive the item, the least effective,” says Doyle. “You’ve got to put in at least $25 to get noticed. If you want someone to use your pen to write, give them a good pen so they’ll get rid of the other pens and use yours instead. Also, be tasteful.”

Cheri Chase of DyeNasty Apparel says her clients tend to be quite generous at Christmas time. And she says people generally spend more on their staff, nowadays,than on their customers.

“We’re living in an age where staff is really hard to keep,” she says. “Especially here in Alberta, it’s not fun. Staff come and go.”

The challenge each year is to come up with something special, unique, different while still pleasing the same audience.

Doyle describes one exclusive project for a client who wanted to recognize its truck drivers. He commissioned an old-fashioned, Rockwell-style painting of a vintage delivery truck parked on a picturesque, small-town street. During a brainstorming session, Doyle recommended an added feature. He would ask the artist to personalize each painting by writing the driver’s name on the door of the truck in the painting.

“At first they thought I was just trying to up the cost,” he says. “But that added a special touch. Apparently one driver who received it broke into tears.”

Everyone loves a gesture of genuine good will. So Merry Giving and Goodness Bless Us, Everyone.

#holiday gifting #B2B Gifts #recognition #tbt #marketingedge

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