Summarize the following:
While many families may already have an annual tradition, make sure to send your invites early if this is the first year organizing a family Christmas. When creating your invite list, make sure that you are aware of any conflicts between family members or extended family to avoid any awkwardness. Depending on how many people you invite, be sure to create a menu for enough people and with plenty of recipes you can cook ahead of time.  If you're inviting a large number of people, save yourself time and energy by asking for contributions to the meal. Make sure to keep an organized list to get enough variety for everyone and that anyone cooking is comfortable making their assigned dish. Organize games and activities if there are a lot of children in your family. Young children may get easily restless in anticipation of opening their presents. Whether traveling on your own or with others, Christmas is one of the busiest times of year to travel so book your holiday in advance. Many people choose to escape the cold weather and look to vacation in warmer climates. Create a budget and look for all-inclusive packages to help save money.  Ensure that you are able to take the time off of work before planning any vacation. Other coworkers may have already booked the time off. Read reviews or consult a travel agent if you do not know where you would like to take your vacation. Do not book your travel itinerary without researching the pros and cons of your destination. Vacationing should be an escape from any stress so put in the work beforehand to ensure a fun filled getaway. Add some Christmas cheer to your office by organizing a gift exchange or Secret Santa. Simply place everyone's name in a hat or organize a system in which each co-worker is anonymously assigned a fellow co-worker to buy a gift for. Make sure that there is a price limit and to stress that gifts should be appropriate for your work environment. For a more random exchange, create a cakewalk in which everyone buys a gift. Set a price limit so that no one goes overboard. Line up all the gifts and assign each with a different number. Follow the rules of musical chairs and play a song as everyone walks around the gifts. When the music stops, each person gets the gift closest to them. Depending on your faith, Christmas may be a time to express your faith. Many Christian churches will post their schedules for the holidays. Find your local place of worship and be sure to come early as some places of worship may be filled beyond capacity.

summary: Organize a family party. Get away for the holidays. Plan a gift exchange with co-workers. Find a place to worship (optional).


Summarize the following:
Look for simple spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. It can help to have someone else proofread the letter too. Fix any mistakes from proofreading and then proofread again. You may catch something else as you read it another time. To make your letter look as professional as possible, only use black ink and print in a legible font and size, such as Times New Roman 12 point. Stick the stamp on the top right corner of the envelope. Be sure to use enough postage, or your letter will be returned to you. After mailing your letter, you should receive some response from the mayor or their office. If you don't hear anything back after a few weeks of mailing the letter, call the office to make sure it was received.

summary: Proofread your letter. Make any proofreading corrections. Print your letter. Get or buy a stamp. Mail your letter.


Summarize the following:
Buy things you know your boyfriend needs, appreciates, and will use first. You could ask him about products he uses frequently, or items he needs replacing, in order to get ideas about what you’d like to include in his care package.  You might want to find out about his preferred brands of toiletries or needed clothing items. To save on shipping, you may want to consider buying travel size bottles of toiletries like shampoo, lotion, or shaving cream. You may want to add some lightweight treats he loves in your care package. Consider including his favorite snacks, candy or gum, a paperback book, or magazines.  You could ask your boyfriend if there are any treats he is craving from home that he can’t get where he is located. Purchase them and include them in your package. You could include some of your favorite treats in the package, too, to make him think of you. Maybe he always teases you about how much you like strawberry gum, for example. You could include a package of it with a funny little note about it. Include a picture of you (or the both of you), a postcard from your hometown, a comic that reminds you of him, or even construction paper hearts with “I love you” written on them. These items can be as personal and unique as your relationship!  If he has any children, younger cousins, or nieces and nephews, he may appreciate receiving some drawings, letters, or pictures of them. If he has a pet still at home, you could include a picture of his favorite dog or cat. If you are sending a package for a holiday, you could include some holiday decorations. For example, if you are sending a Christmas care package, you could include a homemade ornament. If you want to maximize your budget, put your creative skills to good use to make your boyfriend something special. You could make him something useful or something sentimental. It can be as simple or as complicated as you wish, depending on your skill level and available time.  If you are handy with fabric, you could make your boyfriend a blanket. A fleece tie blanket doesn’t even require a sewing machine. Create a scrapbook signed by all of his friends who miss him while he is away. Have his friends include small mementos, like ticket stubs or photos, in the scrapbook. You could make him a CD of his favorite music. Bake something. Bake a batch of your boyfriend’s favorite cookies, or another treat that will hold up in shipping. Make sure the food item you’re sending adheres to any rules at his residence. (For example, food with nuts might be prohibited at school.) Make sure you include a letter that expresses your feelings about him and lets him know how much he is in your thoughts. He will appreciate knowing how much he means to you.  Your letter could include your feelings as well as day-to-day events in your life. You could even include letters from other friends and family in your package, particularly if he is not able to receive mail frequently.
summary: Buy necessities. Include some treats. Add some items of sentimental value. Make something. Include a letter.