Monday, October 27, 2014

Is There An Elf On Your Shelf?

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Santa Claus sat in his workshop at the North Pole, thinking. He knew he needed to get presents to all the good little boys and girls across the world, but how would he know who had been good that year? One day, he had a wonderful idea. He gathered his elves around him and delivered an important message. He was going to send each of them to a home with young children, where they would live from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. Each night, the elves were to travel back to the North Pole and tell Santa everything the children had done that day and if they had been good. Each morning, the elves would arrive back at the house before the children awoke so they could hide in a different place. The children would excitedly seek them out once they awoke, so they could whisper their Christmas wishes to the elves.
So goes the story of a delightful children's book, written by a woman named Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell. Since its publication in 2005, The Elf on the Shelf has won multiple awards and inspired many families around the world to begin their own Elf on the Shelf Christmas traditions.

The Elf on the Shelf has become a wonderful source of inspiration for all of us at Ornaments for Keeps. We fell in love with the story the first time we heard it, and we have loved getting to participate in this adorable family tradition through the creation of our personalized elf ornaments


This year, we invite you and your family to join in the fun! Our customized elf Christmas ornaments make the perfect elves for your children to search the house for every morning. Though we live in an increasingly digital world, we don't want the next generation to grow up without the same sense of imagination and wonder that filled our hearts when we were young. It's through fanciful traditions like these that we help keep our children's imaginations alive.

We hope you'll start a new family tradition this year by inviting the elves into your home, and we would be honored to get to be a part of it. If you're looking for some more creative ideas, check out our Elf on a Shelf Pinterest board!


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Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

The search for the perfect Christmas gifts - no one is exempt from this ever-present holiday task! Christmas gifts come in two forms: the ones that are wrapped and placed beneath the tree and the ones that are tucked securely into Christmas stockings. Some people think these so-called "stocking stuffers" are the hardest gifts to find, so the team at Ornaments for Keeps put their heads together to help you come up with some easy, affordable stocking stuffers that your whole family is sure to love!

Portable Mini-Speakers
In today's increasingly digital world, most people bring their music with them wherever they go. Portable speakers that can tuck into a glove box or purse can be a great way gift for the music lovers in your family!

Texting Gloves
Along the same note, texting gloves are a great gift to get for the avid texters and device afficionados in your family - especially people who have to spend lots of time outside for work or school.

Goofy Band-Aids
For the kid in all of us, you can't go wrong with silly Band-Aids! Unfortunately, scrapes and scratches are an everyday part of life, but you can help lighten the mood with a fun Band-Aid.

Tea Infusers
These days, you can find tea infusers in the shape of just about anything! Help the tea-lovers in your family gear up for the cold months ahead with a tea infuser that perfectly matches their unique lives and personalities.

Chocolate
No further explanation is needed, because - let's be honest - you can never go wrong with chocolate.

Season Passes
Give the gift that keeps on giving! If you live near a water or amusement park, season passes can be a great way to thrill your family and friends all year long.

Personalized Playing Cards
Playing cards are always great gifts... but personalized playing cards are even better! Cards with names, pictures, or special quotes on the back can be more than just game fodder; they can become treasured family keepsakes. 


Customized Christmas Ornaments
Each of the times we've listed so far will make great stocking stuffers, but we're (obviously) a little biased towards this last category! Personalized Christmas ornaments serve as wonderful gifts because they celebrate the season in a way that is truly unique. Whether you're looking for an ornament to commemorate a specific event or to celebrate the whole family, we promise to make you the best Christmas ornaments in the country!


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Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Ornaments for Every Occasion!

Your life is a beautiful story. The twists and turns, the trials and triumphs, the smiles and the tears... They all work together to weave a story of your life. The older we get, the more we recognize the beauty and the power of our stories, and the more we cherish the things that remind of us specific moments in our lives. 

Those of us at Ornaments for Keeps have dedicated our careers to developing personalized Christmas ornaments because we recognize the uniquely wonderful way that certain objects help to tell our story. Through our custom Christmas ornaments, our customers can see their unique stories displayed on their Christmas trees every holiday season.

Peoples' lives can follow many different paths and interests, so we have developed a wide range of different ornament themes and styles. You can find the full category list at the Ornaments for Keeps website, but here's a quick overview of some of our most popular themes.

Personalized Family Ornaments
Most of us value family above all else - especially during the holiday season! Our personalized family ornaments are our best-selling ornaments. We offer more than twenty-four different styles, so our customers can choose the style that best fits their family's personality. Don't forget that you can add a pet dish to most ornaments so your family's four-legged members can be represented as well!


Personalized Baby Ornaments
Just as weddings and anniversaries are major milestones along the path of life, having a baby is a special event that will change your life in more ways than you can possibly imagine. We offer eleven different ornament styles to choose from in pinks, reds, blues, and some greens. These precious ornaments are a wonderful way to commemorate baby's first Christmas.

Personalized Wedding/Anniversary Ornaments
Do you hear wedding bells ringing? Weddings and anniversaries are huge milestones in anyone's life; your life story will not be complete without representing those special days! We offer a wide variety of wedding, anniversary, and even engagement ornaments. These ornaments will serve as an adorable symbol of love and happiness hanging from your tree.



Ornaments For Everything In Between
Ornaments for Keeps offers customized Christmas ornaments to celebrate these major milestones, but we also offer ornaments that will commemorate everything in between. Are you a sports fanatic? A college graduate? An animal lover? A traveler? A swimmer? No matter what your fancies are, we have personalized Christmas ornaments that fit your lifestyle.

We would be honored to help you tell your story. Check out our website to get started today!


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Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Christmas Card Traditions

Christmas cards have become a wonderful tradition in many families across the United States. These annual cards are a great way to reach out to distant family and friends over the holiday season. Many people like to add a personal touch to their annual greeting cards by including pictures of their immediate family, so distant friends and relatives can see how everyone has grown and changed over the last year - and the Ornaments for Keeps family is no exception!

Linda Henderson, the driving force behind our custom Christmas ornaments business, began designing yearly Christmas cards in 1980 after her first daughter was born in 1979 (on Christmas Day, no less!). She has kept copies of her Christmas cards every year, and looking back on them always brings a smile to everyone's faces. 

Some of Linda's favorite Christmas cards from past years!

The Christmas card tradition began decades and decades ago. Linda's mom actually sent her very first Christmas card in 1954! It's amazing to see how the cards have grown and evolved since then. 



It's definitely not too soon to start planning your 2014 Christmas cards; choosing the perfect photograph(s) to include in the greeting can take more time than you might think! What are are you planning on doing for your 2014 Christmas cards? Send us your pictures... We'd love to see what you have in mind!


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Phone: (573) 893-3272
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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Meet "Mompreneur" Linda Henderson!

Behind every successful business is a dreamer, someone who goes above and beyond to help the business succeed. Someone who, regardless of the twists and turns they're faced with, continuously breathes life into their business. For Ornaments for Keeps, that person is the one and only Linda Henderson! Linda is the true embodiment of Christmas spirit, and we're lucky to have her as the driving force behind Ornaments for Keeps! We hope you'll enjoy this opportunity to get to know her as much as she enjoys designing customized Christmas ornaments for you.

What was your inspiration behind Ornaments for Keeps?
Ornaments for Keeps was started as a "mompreneur" business so I could be a stay-at-home mom with my kids and also be creative. I have always had a love for personalized Christmas ornaments of my own, so this was a perfect fit! I enjoy helping my customers create wonderful memories and traditions with my ornaments.


How long have you lived in Jefferson City, Missouri?
In 1981, we moved to Jefferson City to follow my husband's job. We were only supposed to be here for a couple of years, but we loved the beautiful, scenic Capitol City and the smaller town feel. We decided it would be a great place to raise a family. 

Where did you go to school? 
I was born and raised in Troy, Missouri. After high school, I attended Hannibal LaGrange College and received my Associate of Arts degree in Business. I continued my education at Columbia College, where I studied business with an emphasis in accounting. After my children were in school, I worked for Missouri Department of Transportation and continued to run Ornaments for Keeps. In 2010, I retired from MoDot and was able to devote all of my time to my business again. I enjoy getting up every day and doing what I LOVE!

Who is your family? Do you have any pets?
I would like to introduce you to my husband, Keith. In 2004, he retired from the Army after 26 years in the service. He is a great supporter of my business! He wears many hats - cookie cutter maker, head of sales, head of shipping, and -sometimes - even assistant ornament painter! Our daughter Kim joined the business in 2011 and has also been a wonderful addition. She helps create the ornaments, works with our social media, and handles the website. Fun fact: Kim was born on Christmas Day; how funny is it that she now works in a Christmas business? Our other daughter, Kayla, has four children who keep her very busy, but we hope she will join the business soon. The four grandchildren are the light of our lives. We love spending time with them and attending all of their sporting events. We also have two granddogs that we love to watch!

What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I have many favorite traditions. Making homemade caramels, making and decorating sugar cookies, setting up the toy train around the Christmas tree with my grandchildren, going to church on Christmas Eve, having Christmas dinner with my family... I could go on and on!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love spending time at our small lake home. Being on the water is so peaceful and relaxing. I also love spending time with my children and grandchildren, and I love reading a good book. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to feel the pages of a good book going through my fingers!

What is your dream vacation destination?
I love to travel and explore new places. After the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we cross one place off of our bucket list. My list is long - and normally involves a beautiful beach!

What is your favorite part about your job?
I love the actual process of creating an ornament - feeling of the bread dough in my hands, letting my mind and hands go, and seeing what forms. I also love going to a show and hearing people's reactions to my work. It's very satisfying!

What is the number one item on your Christmas list this year?
At my age, I have all the things I need. I just pray for health and happiness for my family!


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Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com