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A free printable Christmas carol quiz!

December 22 By American Greetings

Merry Christmas to all!

Looking for a great way to spread some holiday cheer? We thought we’d put your song knowledge to the test with this fun, free printable Christmas carol quiz! Pass a set around the Christmas table this year and see who comes out king or queen of the candy canes!

Xmas Carol Quiz

Ready to rock around the Christmas tree? Check out our top 10 list of the greatest classic Christmas songs of all time!

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Filed Under: Christmas, Export Tagged With: Free printable Christmas carol quiz

Ideas for Expressing Gratitude this Thanksgiving

November 24 By American Greetings

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This week, we are just bursting with gratitude for all of the blessings we’ve received throughout the year and excited to get to spend the holiday weekend in the company of family and friends. In honor of Thanksgiving, we pulled together some amazing, crafty (but simple!) ways to express your gratitude this year.

1. Free Thanksgiving printable place setting cards

Free Thanksgiving printable from BlueMountain.com

This beautiful set of place setting cards from our sister site, BlueMountain.com, offers 4 different designs to choose from to customize to your Thanksgiving tablescape design. Visit their blog to view and print their free “I am Thankful For…” printables.

2. The thankful tree

Thankful Tree from Simply Vintagegirl

We loved this idea from Simply Vintagegirl to cut out various patterns of scrapbook paper into small circular designs and use a hole-punch to create the hanging hook. Gather some branches from the yard and have your guests write what they’re thankful for this year and place their happy sentiment on the tree.

3. (More!) Free Thanksgiving printables

Free Thanksgiving Printables from Cardstore.com

With these free Thanksgiving printables from another one of our sister sites, Cardstore.com, you can customize and print your entire Thanksgiving menu, as well as a place card and thankful card. They’ve also included a napkin ring and feather detail that you can print!

4. Thumbprint thankful tree

Thankful Thumbprint Tree from Little Page Turners

We loved reading about this twist on the wedding thumbprint trend. While doing leaf prints with her kids, Little Page Turners decided to make a thumbprint thankful tree with her kids. Have your guests add their thumbprints upon their arrival for Thanksgiving dinner and you’ll have an amazing keepsake to remind you of the happy holiday you spent together!

5. “I am thankful for…” pumpkin craft

Thankful Pumpkin by The Moffatt Girls

This simple construction paper craft from The Moffatt Girls doesn’t take a lot of time, but the results is an adorable 3-D design that can also double as a dinner placecard!

6. Thankful jar with metallic rocks

Thankful Jar with Metallic Rocks from One She Two She

This thankful jar from Anne at One She Two She is a simple way to collect what everyone is grateful this year and display it throughout the year. We loved not only the design on the jar, but how pretty the metallic river rocks looked inside of it!

Do you have a creative way that you’ll be expressing your gratitude this Thanksgiving? We’d love to hear your ideas!

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Filed Under: Export, Thanksgiving Tagged With: Thanksgiving crafts, Thanksgiving printables

Christmas Countdown Calendar Ideas

November 12 By American Greetings

7 Wonderful Ways to Countdown to Christmas

The countdown to Christmas is ON! We are eyeballs-deep into Pinterest, looking at all of the creative ways our fans and followers are counting down to Christmas in their homes. In the spirit of the season of sharing, we wanted to share some of our favorite Christmas countdown calendar ideas!

1. Picture frame advent calendar:

Handmade Advent Calendar made using a picture frame.

The beautiful French blog, Kesi’Art, created a flip advent calendar using colorful papers, wood cut-outs, and other fabulous embellishments–all hung on a binder ring! You can snag a TOLSBY frame by Ikea for only 99 cents and even reuse favorite Christmas cards to recreate this handmade calendar. Using Christmas cards you’ve received over the years can bring you additional joy as you revisit each warm message from friends and family!

2. Chalkboard charger plate:

Chalkboard charger plate This Christmas Countdown charger plate is a fast and easy way to dress up an inexpensive platter for the holidays. Using paint pens and chalkboard paint, you can creatively decorate a simple charger plate and then place it into a plate display frame.

3. Book advent countdown to Christmas:

bookadvent

Do you have kids or grandkids? If so, you’re going to love this Book Advent Countdown to Christmas from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails. The simple act of unwrapping a book not only adds to the excitement of the holiday season, but it can help instill the love of reading into children’s hearts. Pour a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and read to each other!

4. Countdown To Christmas pallet sign and card display:

Days-Till-Christmas-Pallet-Sign-from-Too-Much-Time-On-My-Hands

This handmade Countdown to Christmas pallet from Too Much Time on My Hands brings together everything we love–chalkboard paint, wood pallets, and a warm, handmade touch! It’s big enough to make a great statement on a mantel or to provide a focal point if you don’t have a fireplace to adorn. The old springs used in the corner provides the perfect place to proudly display this year’s Christmas cards–or favorite ones from years gone by!

5. 25 Days of service:

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What better way to give back this season than to involve the whole family in 25 days of service? We loved this idea from I Heart Nap Time, where rather than receiving a gift each day leading up to Christmas, you are committed to doing an act of service each day. Another fun twist could be to use last year’s Christmas cards as the artwork for your daily tags and identify 25 friends and family members who you’d like to call or do something nice for each day!

6. Countdown to Christmas chalkboard:

christmas chalkboard

We loved Abi’s admission of not having chalkboard-perfect handwriting, so she pulled this awesome wall hanging together from tracing chalkboard fonts she found online and other fun chalkboard-inspired touches. She’s used this same wall hanging for other holidays, so be sure to check out her archives, too. Our personal favorite is her Countdown to Christmas Chalkboard, though!

What are some of the fun and creative Christmas countdowns you’ve seen lately?

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Filed Under: Christmas, Export Tagged With: Christmas Countdown, christmas countdown calendar ideas, Countdown to Christmas, countdown to christmas ideas

The Best Halloween Movies for Any Age

October 31 By American Greetings

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Looking to curl up at home tonight with the best Halloween movies for any age to get your entire family in the “spirit”? This season is full of ghost-tingling fun for all ages ranging from the friendliest ghost tales to full-on horror thrillers.

Taking into account the level of bravery of those wishing to join you on the couch, here are some hauntingly perfect Halloween titles to check out—including some old favorites that you may have forgotten about!

For the Chicken Littles:

There are a ton of fun, non-frightening, PG-rated monster movies like “Monster House,” “Monsters, Inc.” and the “Halloweentown” series. However, digging back a little further into the movie catalogue reveals some classic fun for the whole family, including “E.T.,” “Casper,” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and the beloved “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

A little braver:

If you’re craving a little more adventure, but not a lot of gore, checking out family-friendly titles like “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Addams Family,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Beetlejuice,” ”Labyrinth,” “Practical Magic” and “Young Frankenstein” to deliver a lot of laughs (without having to cover your eyes for the scary parts!)

Scream-fest:

If you want to host your own horror movie marathon, look into a classic movie series like “Halloween,” “Scream,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” ‘Friday the 13th,” “Final Destination,” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Or for a little scary movie satire, check out the “Scary Movie” series.

Truly terrifying:

Looking for a spine-tingler that will leave you breathless? The true bravehearts may want to take a gander at some of the top-rated horror flicks of all time, including “Saw,” “The Ring,” “The Exorcist,” “Children of the Corn,” “Carrie,” “Hellraiser,” “The Shining,” “Psycho,” and “The Omen.”

No matter what your final film selection is, don’t forget to pair it with an appropriate seasonal snack—roasted pumpkin seeds, caramel popcorn balls, candied apples, and gummy snacks in scary shapes are always good places to start.

Happy Halloween!

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Filed Under: Export, Halloween Tagged With: best halloween movies

Black and White Halloween Decorations

October 23 By American Greetings

Black and White Halloween Decorations That Are Positively Diabolical!

Looking for a fun way to spice up your Halloween decor? While perusing some of our favorite Pinterest boards and blogs, we couldn’t help but pause to enjoy this understated, elegant trend towards black and white Halloween decorations. It’s a bold, simple look that anyone can pull off with just a few simple touches.

We pulled together some of our favorite black and white Halloween decorations, pumpkins and sweet treats to share with you.

1. DIY Halloween Front Door Mummy by Honey and Fitz

2. Spider Web Halloween Cupcakes by Pizzazzerie

3. Halloween Pumpkin Centerpiece by Busy Mommy

4. Fun Halloween Pumpkins by FLT on DIY Network

5. DIY Marshmallow Cobweb Cake by The Cake Blog

6. Bats Flying Across a Pumpkin by It All Stated with Paint

7. DIY Halloween Wreath by Blooming Homestead

8.“Poison” Toffee Apples for Halloween by Simply Delicious by Alida Ryder

We hope this inspires you to create a try a trendy Halloween look that’s positively diabolical!

For more awesome Halloween ideas and inspirations, check out our Halloween Pinterest Board!

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Filed Under: Export, Halloween Tagged With: Black and White Halloween Decorations, Halloween, Halloween cakes, Halloween Decorations, Pumpkin decorating

The Beauty of Summer…

September 12 By American Greetings

Are you enjoying these last, beautiful days of summer? We certainly are! As flowers continue to bloom and sunlight begins to get more and more golden each evening, we have become positively romanced by the warmth emanating from the sky.

To bring this feeling to your social networks, we’ve created this Facebook cover photo to capture the warmth of the setting summer sun so that you can jazz up your profile with the beauty of the season… Enjoy!

Summer Sunset Facebook Cover Photo

To save this image and upload it as your new Facebook Cover Photo:

1. Click the the cover photo.
2. Right click (ctrl + click on a Mac) on the image to save it to your computer.
3. Go to your Facebook profile and upload the image to your profile.
4. Select “make cover photo” from your image options
4. Enjoy your new Facebook cover photo!

Do you love to change your profile picture with new, beautiful images? Tell us about it in the comments and we’ll make more for the upcoming season!

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Filed Under: Downloadables, Export

Top 10 Family Reunion Ideas

July 10 By American Greetings

Relationships are the fabric of our lives. They are the fibers that weave all things together - Eden Frost quote | American Greetings Blog

There’s something about summer that inspires us to connect with family to celebrate the unique bond that unites us. The joy of sharing not only a cultural heritage, but a family history makes these multi-generational gatherings a time-honored tradition.

Whether it’s an elaborate gathering of the entire network of extended relatives or just your immediate family, here are some great ideas for get-togethers that will have everyone enjoying the day together and creating some special memories.

  1. Check out the zoo (and we don’t mean your zany cousins): A visit to your local zoo will bring out the kid in everyone as they explore different exhibits and learn about exotic creatures. Interactive places like this also inspire conversation and mingling throughout the group, which is the main goal of any family reunion.
  2. Croquet in the park: This centuries-old lawn game is making a comeback in a big way—and it also allows all ages and skill levels to partake in the fun. Pack a picnic, bring out the wickets and hoops, and enjoy a relaxing (and minimally competitive) sport.
  3. Celebrate your heritage: Choosing a memorable date from your family’s country of origin is a good way to help everyone remember when you’ll get together each year. Make your party a celebration of your roots by utilizing traditional colors, foods, activities, and even a little history lesson for the younger generation.
  4. Of grapes and grain: If you’re looking for a way for just the adults to enjoy some time together, visiting a local winery can be a fun way to get outside and enjoy a few spirits in good company. Check with the winery beforehand to see if reservations are necessary and if you’re permitted to bring your own snacks. If so, assign a few people to breads and fruits and ask everyone else to bring a new type of cheese to share.
  5. Take me out to the ball game: Few things say summer like a baseball game—but even if you don’t have a major league budget, minor league and local high school games can still prove to be fun for the whole family.
  6. Scrounging for clues: For another type of interactive activity, consider hosting a scavenger hunt. There are many resources on the Internet to make planning a snap. Consider assigning teams of non-immediate family members to get everyone involved and working together.
  7. Summer camp, family style: Camping doesn’t just have to be just for the experienced outdoorsmen—there are many state parks and recreation areas that offer lovely accommodations for pitching a tent or parking a recreational vehicle for a weekend of turning off the electronic devices and enjoying the great outdoors. What better way to connect than over a campfire and a few good ghost stories?
  8. Cook-off: Is your family known for their barbeque or another summer treat? Host a cook-off where the family chefs present their best recipes (and bring copies to share!) A fun set of cooking utensils makes an appropriate, yet inexpensive grand prize.
  9. Walk for a cause: Start off a traditional picnic with a purpose by signing up the family to participate in a fundraising walk. Selecting a cause that’s near and dear to your family will ensure that everyone feels connected to the event. Host a potluck picnic afterwards to keep the good times going—and pat yourselves on the back for the good deed you’ve done!
  10. Make your family tree: A great activity during any family reunion is to piece together your family tree and history. Take photos of all family members who attend and ask them to provide photos of family members who could not attend or are deceased. Consider putting this family history together in a format that everyone can order a copy of like a custom photo book.


What special things does your family do in order to stay in touch? We’d love to hear in the comments!

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Filed Under: Export, Family, Party ideas, Summer

A Simple Way to Jazz Up Your Holiday Decor

December 12 By American Greetings

It should come as no surprise that holidays are a big deal at a greeting card company. From individual associates decorating their cubes to entire departments turning on holiday tunes and decking the halls together, Christmas and the holiday season in general is a festive affair at American Greetings.

One of the most lovely centerpieces to the season is the official holiday trees throughout the building. However, this year something caught our eyes on the largest tree in our Town Square area that we wanted to share with you.

Love the tree design! The scrolls of wrapping paper really give it a festive feel!

See those scrolls throughout the tree? They’re simple scrolls of wrapping paper! We thought they gave a festive, on-trend dash of style to the tree. It’s a look you can certainly recreate at home, even if you’re not super crafty. Here’s a close-up:

Make your tree pop by tying short scrolls of wrapping paper with bows and attaching them to your tree--an inexpensive way to make a big splash!

They also carried this look over to the wreaths on the doors of our store…

Love this wreath design and the scroll of wrapping paper as an accent!

What do you think? Is this something that might work on your tree? Share with us your favorite holiday decor ideas!

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Filed Under: Christmas, Crafting, Export, Holidays, How-to Tagged With: Christmas craft, Christmas decorations, Christmas tree decorating

Candy Corn —Friend or Foe?

October 30 By American Greetings

Happy National Candy Corn Day!

Happy National Candy Corn Day!

Whether you find it terrifyingly gross or totally tasty, candy corn season is upon us and there’s quite the heated debate over this little triangled gob of goo. There seems to be no middle ground here—candy corn is either loved or loathed, but no matter what corner of this sugared kernel you stand in, there’s one truth that stays constant year after year—we wouldn’t have Halloween without it.

This unassuming tri-colored tidbit has been voted the Most Traditional Candy of Halloween Least Loved by Consumers. However, the National Confectioners Association reports that 35 million pounds are produced annually. That’s 9 billion pieces. So…someone’s got to be eating it, right?

Made primarily from sugar, corn syrup, wax, artificial coloring and binders, you either savor this happy-colored, sugary corn confection, or pass it by on your way to the Reese’s.

So, which side of the debate do you stand on? Do you happily graze on these sugary kernels, savoring the quintessential taste of all things fall, or do you equate it more with drinking a bottle of Karo syrup and eating a candle, exclaiming, “Fall doesn’t want to taste like that!”

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Filed Under: Export, Fun Facts, Holidays Tagged With: candy corn, candy corn facts, Candy Corn fun facts, National Candy Corn Day

Happy Cranky Coworkers Day!

October 27 By American Greetings

Happy Cranky Coworkers Day! We can’t take credit for this one, folks! This annual holiday was created by Ruth and Thomas Roy of Wellcat Hollidays in Lebanon, PA in honor of all the complaining and just plain cranky coworkers you have to endure all year–this is the day to let them go with it and enjoy their miseries.So, if the lady next to you is always cursing up a storm or the guy in cubicle B is always banging his head on the keyboard, here’s your chance to let loose and get in the action and stir up some crankiness of your own:

  • Turn that smile upside-down and sign all your emails with an unhappy face.
  • Turn your phone volume up all the way; when you get a call, let it ring ‘til it goes to voicemail.
  • Don’t clean out the microwave after you use it; better yet—burn some popcorn.
  • Affix a Post-It on stray items reading, “This is in the way,” or place cleaning products on a communal lunch table with the tag, “Someone…Please clean up this messy lunch table!”
  • Play Bobby McFerrin’s hit song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” over and over and over again!

All kidding aside, our vote is to always kill ‘em with kindness—if you’re up to it, try some reverse psychology and do something nice. Buy some coffee or chocolate and give them to your curmudgeonly coworker. It’s sure to put a smile on their face—even if just for a day.

Good luck out there!

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Filed Under: Export, Holidays, Other Tagged With: Cranky Coworkers Day

Top 13 Tips for Surviving Friday the 13th

September 13 By American Greetings

Top 13 Tips for Surviving Friday the 13th

If the very thought of Friday the 13th sends chills up your spine, you may have paraskevidekatriaphobics  (say that 3 times fast!)  An irrational fear of Friday the 13th influences millions of people in the U.S., causing U.S companies to lose an estimated $800 to $900 million in business due to workers who refuse to travel or go to work on Friday the13th!

Whether you’ve bravely hauled yourself to work or are huddled under the covers watching Dr. Phil today, we thought we’d help calm your nerves and offer you 13 tips on how to make it to Saturday…

  • Get out of bed on the right side (that is, not the left side). This side is guaranteed to make your day luckier according to some superstitions.
  • Wear red underpants!  Apparently this color will bring you more luck than other colors!
  • If you come upon a ladder, it’s probably best not to walk under it. (Let’s not push the luck-giving capabilities of our red underpants.)
  • It’s not a great day for exploring woods, caves, or cemeteries. We know the sudden urge to go spelunking can be strong, but try to resist for a day, okay?
  • Drop the mop!  Friday the 13th is a great excuse to not clean because apparently handling a broom is unlucky on this day.  So is changing the sheets, flipping the mattress, or doing the laundry. (Woohoo! You don’t need to tell us twice!)
  • Do not start a new job or business today, as it will be followed by collapse or bankruptcy.
  • If traveling today (though you really shouldn’t) stay away from the 13th floor, which will be easy because many large hotels don’t have a 13th floor—they skip right over it to 14!
  • Furthermore, if you MUST stop for gas in a creepy station full of creepy people, just turn around and go home–your trip is over.  If you hear a banjo, put the pedal to the metal and floor it!
  • Throw salt over your left shoulder (to blind the devil!). This is usually reserved to counteract the bad luck of spilling salt, but we’re thinking that we might do it throughout the day as a sort of insurance policy.
  • Black cat? Give it a pat! In some cultures, black cats are actually bringers of good luck and one crossing your path is a good omen.  So, don’t be afraid to cuddle Jinxy today.
  • Do NOT go digging around for your old OUIJA board and NEVER read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke—it can only lead to further problems.
  • Try to focus on good thoughts and good outcomes. Research has actually shown that people who believe in bad luck tend to bring it on! (we’re still not cleaning, though. Or changing out of our red underpants.)
  • No rabbit’s foot? Grab an acorn! In Norse folklore, both the acorn and its bearer, the oak tree, bring good fortune. No harm in keeping one in your pocket all day.

Good luck out there, friends!

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Filed Under: Export, Halloween, Holidays, How-to, Other, Tips Tagged With: Freaky Friday, Friday the 13th, Friday the thirteenth

Top 5 Irish Sayings

March 11 By American Greetings

Top o’ the mornin’ to you! It’s almost St. Paddy’s Day—a time when everybody’s Irish! The Emerald Isle is filled with wisdom, and the blessings and sayings reflect a country that is warm and welcoming. Even though there have been many times in Ireland’s history when there were no rainbows in sight, the people stayed practical, positive and faithful, and their words reflect that. In fact, there’s a wee bit o’ wisdom for everything—it really is an Irish tradition! Aye, it’s hard to pick just five, but a little Leprechaun told us these are his favorite Irish sayings!

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These wise words have been handed down through history, and of course were meant to be shared. But why not spread some old-fashioned Irish cheer the modern way and post your favorite blessings and sayings on Facebook or Pinterest. And for some added blarney, why not send this Toadally Irish Talking Card and let the adorable toad say it for you–it’ll make your friends crack up or should we say, croak up!

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Filed Under: Export, Holidays, Quotes, St. Patrick's Day Tagged With: American Greetings, Favorite Irish Sayings, Irish Blessings, Popular Irish Sayings, St. Patrick's Day ecards, St. Patrick's Day Sayings, St. Patrick's Day Talking Card, Top Irish Sayings

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