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THE MAGICAL ELVES -- PIXIE AND DIXIE

2008-12-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is the story of Pixie and Dixie, two magical little Christmas elves. No one really knows much about Pixie and Dixie, except that Pixie wears a red and white candy cane striped elf outfit and Dixie’s is green.

Santa came across them one day watching and listening to children and Santa told them that he would love for them to work for him. You see, with so many children in the world, Santa was having a hard time keeping track of all the naughty and nice children and he needed help.

So Santa asked Pixie and Dixie to join his team of “watchers”. This special team of elves watches over the household of the family that they are assigned to and report to Santa each and every night.

Pixie and Dixie are very special elves. They are very still and quiet during the day, and they only come alive at night. During the daytime Pixie and Dixie, watch and listen but they don’t move. At nighttime, after all the children have gone to sleep, Pixie and Dixie come alive and they run all over the house. After all, it’s really hard to stay still for so long! Sometime during the night, (no one really knows for sure!) they return to the North Pole for their meeting with Santa. There they tell him everything that the children in the household are up to and whether they have been naughty or nice. Each morning after they return from the North Pole the children find them in a new spot. Sneak elves!

Pixie and Dixie show up at the children's house on December 1st each year with a special letter from Santa telling the children to be good hosts to his special watchers. On Christmas Eve they disappear again, assumingly back to the North Pole. They don’t say goodbye to the children, but the children know they will be back again next year.

Do you have a watcher? You never really know if you do or not! Pixie and Dixie are visible, but you can't touch them! If you touch them, they will lose their magic and Santa will never know the good things the children have done. But it is important to remember that some of the elves are invisible; so you better be good and you better watch out!

Do you want a special letter from Santa for your child? Click here!

Five Christmas Traditions Explained

2008-12-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

There are a number of traditions that millions of people take part in each year. Here are a few in no particular order.

1.Christmas trees! Each year millions of family erect and decorate a Christmas tree. The origins of this tradition come from the ancient Pagan world. Ancient people believed that the Christmas tree was sacred because it remained green, even in winter, and the tradition of decorating the tree is said to have originated with protestant reformer Martin Luther, who decorated the tree to replicate the few of the stars through the trees in the forest.

2.Hanging stockings! The tradition of hanging stocks was born of necessity. This was the only way to dry them after they became wet from the snow. It is said that the tradition of leaving gifts in the stockings came from the real St. Nicolas, from the 4th century leaving gold coins for the poor in there stockings at night while they were sleeping.

3.Giving Gifts! Now some people may not care why as long as they get them, but the tradition of giving gifts also came from the ancient pagans. They would exchange gifts at the winter solstice to as a symbol of fertility of the land. It was believed that the winter solstice marked the end of an illness for the earth and that the earth would get better as spring came.

4.Poinsettia Flowers! Poinsettia Flowers became a symbol of Christmas in the late 1800’s. The US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett, returned from a trip to Mexico with a festively colored red and green flower. This winter blooming flower was named after the ambassador and seemed perfect for Christmas. They were a standard by 1900 and the tradition continues today.

5.Eggnog! Eggnog gets its name from the word grog, which was what seamen used to call any drink made with Rum. Eggnog is actually older than the tradition of Christmas and dates back to the 17th Century in Europe. It is similar to another drink called Wassail, but the base of eggnog is always eggs, and with wassail it was some kind of fruit. George Washington was famous for making eggnog that would challenge the most capable drinker.

Now that you know some of the most common traditions of Christmas, go celebrate with your loved ones.

Merry Christmas from ProWriters4You!!

Three Things to Look for in a Quality Freelance Writer

2008-11-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

The saying “caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)” is never more important to heed than when purchasing freelance writing. Anyone can claim they are capable to write content for you, but it can be very difficult to assess how effectively they will be able to accomplish the task.

Following are three things to look for when choosing a freelance writer to ensure you will get what you pay for.

Spelling and Grammar

Make sure that all writing samples and portfolio items are near perfect when it comes to the writer’s command of the English language. Even the best writer’s will make errors from time to time, but if they intend to supply you with writing that is grammatically correct and exhibits proper spelling, they should be advertising the “best of the best” examples of their work. If you find glaring errors in the content they are using as an example to sell their services, chances are the work produced for you would be even worse. A professional writer knows that they should put the writing they are most proud of as their samples for prospective clients, so if it isn’t stellar when it comes to grammar, spelling, and punctuation, then they probably don’t even realize they have made mistakes. This means they don’t have the adequate knowledge and skills necessary to make the writing they might do for you top notch.

Content Flow

When you read the freelance writers example work, think about how well the words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs flow. If you find yourself stumbling over a section, chances are that others will too. The last thing you want is for your audience to not even finish reading the content because they get frustrated trying to read and re-read the ideas presented. Successful writing means that the reader will stick with it from beginning to end effortlessly. Try actually reading the sample writing aloud. This will better show you what your readers will hear inside their own head if you choose to use that particular writing professional.

Creativity

Pay particular attention to how creative the writer is in approaching a particular topic. Just because the topic they are writing about is dry does not meaning the writing itself has to be dull. The best freelance writers can take the most boring topic and still make the information they portray attractive. Your readers will be much more likely to respond positively to your content if they are actually interested in the way the topic is presented. By keeping a readers attention, you ensure that they will continue reading and therefore actually accept the message you wish to portray. Communication through writing is only effective if it is actually received by the audience! Creativity is also an important trait in the best professional writers because it means they will quickly be able to take any topic you throw at them and convert it into unique and enticing work that is sure to achieve the desired effect.

JUST FOR THE HEALTH OF IT

2008-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

How does Bin Laden ensure safe sex? He knows which camels kick and stays away from those ones.

Ok, that was a dumb joke, but the point is, you chuckled; or at the very least you smiled. Your blood pressure probably dropped a few points, your stress level went down just a little on the radar and your body just had a relaxing moment in an otherwise drudgery day.

We have all heard the old saying: “laughter is the best medicine” and experts in the medical field know that this is true. Laughter is contagious but it’s not an illness that you’ll want a vaccine or treatment for. In fact, you’ll want to laugh hard and laugh often.

A good belly jiggling laugh can have many health benefits. We all want to stay healthy and happy. Laughing can reduce the stress of every day living, lower your blood pressure; elevate your mood and those around you, and laughter can increase your brain function, making it easier to get through tough times. Humor binds us together. It creates a sense of togetherness and laughing together causes a bond between two people instantly.

Humor and laughter is an emotional medicine that can instantly turn your mood from depressed or angry, to light and care free. Laughing at ones self or ones life can bring new perspective to a situation and possibly make it not seem as problematic as once thought.

Here are some additional things we can do to improve our mood, enjoyment of life and mental health.

• Attempt to laugh at situations rather than moan and groan them – this helps improve our mood and the mood of those around us.
• Use laughter to release pent-up feelings of anger and frustration in socially acceptable ways.
• Laugh as a means of reducing tension because laughter is often followed by a state of relaxation.
• Lower anxiety by visualizing a humorous situation to replace the view of an anxiety-producing situation.
Some situations aren’t made for a laugh, but they don’t need to be overwhelming either. There is a grey area in life where you make the choice of acceptable or not, but always remember that anything can be lightened up with a smile.

There are tons of ways that you can lighten up a situation. One of my daily “laugh” tricks is to place a bouncing ball in the cup holder of my car. As I am driving down the road I watch it bounce and twist and turn around in the cup holder. The goal is to bounce it out without touching it. That may sound really dumb, but go try it! I guarantee that you’ll laugh at yourself for doing something so kiddy, and that’s the point!

Some other fun ways to bring laughter into your life is watching a comedy show, spending less time with overly serious people, seek out funny people and ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?” You’ll be surprised what some of the answers are and you just might find yourself having the hardest laugh of your life.

Laughter truly is the best medicine. Laugh just for the health of it today.

Freelance Writing

2008-11-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

With people being laid off from work due to cutbacks and restructuring, one has the opportunity of applying your knowledge and skills within the field of article writing for internet marketing purposes.

The business world has realized that due to the ever-increasing amount of information required by the numerous users if the internet, has created a forum for an almost free marketing platform. Article submission via directories can be utilised as a cost effective marketing tool to generate website traffic and potential sales and income.

A few issues around article marketing need to be understood prior to attempting to engage in this freelance activity. Should one successfully secure a freelancing position for articles and related internet writing, it is best to acquaint yourself with the rules that certain article directories enforce, this is to ensure that your or your clients articles are in fact published and not unnecessarily declined or deferred.

One of the most important issues is that your articles are not a sales brochure or a blatant spam like product. The editors of these article directories will pick this up immediately and decline your article.

The key to article writing as a freelancer is to ensure that you are providing valuable and useful information to all the readers of that specific article directory. The point is that you want to generate enough interest to encourage a click through to the company’s website, which is where the selling can be done. You, as the article writer, need to create an amount of credibility and professionalism on behalf of the company that you are writing for.

Article writing as a freelancer can be profitable and rewarding from a financial and self development aspect, as one will learn how many differing facets there are to various businesses and marketing subjects. Bear in mind that in writing articles on a freelance basis, these articles become the property of the company you are writing for.