No blog lately because 1) I’m a mom; and 2) It’s December. While those two things preclude me being on time for anything, they also make me really excited about stuff like this: The Portable North Pole — Santa letters for the 21st century.
Go to www.portablenorthpole.com and personalize a video message from Santa, to be emailed to your child. Santa will insert your child’s name and other characteristics into his monolog while taking the viewer on a tour of his toy factory. His big, white beard covers his lips so the dubbed-in voice seems believable. There is even an option for placing photos of your child in Santa’s book, which shows events from the past year and determines if your little one is on the nice or naughty side.
The basic message is free. You can pay a fee for a more elaborate package, but I don’t see the need for that. The effect of the freebie is amazing enough.
I personalized messages for my two girls and my niece, ages 5 through 7. My daughters talked to the screen, yelling, “Hi, Santa!” and waving. Munchkin #2 was wriggling with happiness at confirmation of being on the “nice” list. (Munchkin #1 expected nothing less. Ahem.) My niece, who is *almost* to the age where Santa Claus is in question, showed big eyes, a bigger smile, and a hushed whisper: “I didn’t know Santa Claus had a cell phone!”
Christmas joy, all wrapped up — for me, too.
