Merry Greetings!

It just doesn't seem possible that we're shopping for school clothes and thinking of the festivities of fall. Before you know it the season will be upon us! So what do we have planned?

In this issue:
-- Annual Christmas Card Exchange
-- Popular Christmas Videos
-- Tips for Organizing Christmas
-- Christmas Games: Introducing Elf HQ
-- Christmas in the News
-- Christmas Dollars and Sense
-- Crazy for Christmas Comics
-- Christmas Online 2008
-- Hot Topics on the Merry Forums
-- New on Merry Christmas Radio
-- Merry Marketplace: Help for Halloween
-- Annual Ornament Exchange

The Merry News is brought to you by:

Annual Christmas Card Exchange

Christmas 2008 marks the third year running of our annual Christmas card exchange. Last year we had nearly 100 names submitted to the list with cards coming from all over the world.

It works simply: just sign up, make or purchase your cards and then lick the stamps. Then sit back and watch weeks worth of festive cards show up in your mailbox.

We will be taking names and addresses through the middle of October. Right around Halloween you will be notified where to get the list so that you can send out your cards any time you'd like after November 1st.

Popular Christmas Videos

Since introducing videos to the site more than a month ago users have submitted hundreds of clips from all over the web -- and every one of them is Christmas related. From old commercials to scenes from favorite holiday movies, nothing seems to put you in the mood faster for Christmas than a quick video clip.

Here are some of the more popular videos getting viewed on MMC this month:
I'd like to Buy the World a Coke Commercial 1984
It's a Wonderful Life Trailer
Happy Elf Movie Review by our own Dvdguy and MrsH

Tips for Organizing Christmas

It is hard to think of Christmas when the sun is still blazing high in the skies of summer. Or is it? Are you the type who plans for Christmas months in advance only to see your best laid plans fall apart at the end? You will want to read up on organizing Christmas by clicking the title above. Also, consider joining the folks in chat (put together by our friend Gingerbug and Magical Holiday Home.com):

Seasonal Chat for Fall Crafts -- August 10th
Memory Keepers -- August 21st
Organizing Chat: Holiday Cleaning and Prep -- August 31st

(Pssst: watch the boards for notice on the chat for 8/31/08 -- rumor has it that Gingerbug has an EXTRA SPECIAL GUEST EXPERT lined up for this event)

Elf HQ -- Your Stop for Christmas Games

Jinglebelle has had a busy summer. Not only has she given Jinglebell Junction a lot more features and a snappy new look but she has also given us all a diversionary break from all that we do with the creation of Elf HQ, the premiere place for Christmas games online. All the games are free and there are games of all skill levels available made to be sure folks of every ability have fun.

Christmas in the News

What kind of Christmas will we have in 2008? Stop by the newly remodeled Christmas Newswire and see this year's headlines. For example, did you know...

Faith Hill's New Christmas CD will be previewed on CELL PHONES
Doris Day Television Specials Due Out on DVD Soon
Gary Oldman to Play Three Parts in New Christmas Carol Movie
'White Christmas' Hits Broadway in 2008

Christmas never fails to make headlines. From the battles in the war on Christmas to the latest releases from dead artists (we're not kidding, Elvis has a NEW album of Christmas duets coming out this year!), Christmas Newswire is the number one source online for breaking holiday news.

Christmas Dollars and Sense

With soaring gas prices (which means big heating bills come the season) and a faltering economy during this election year some are looking forward with less than positive thoughts about the holiday season.

Our bloggers at have a bead on what's going on -- from the fact that Turkey and Tinsel are going up in price to the fact that if you want a Wii for Christmas, you'd better get it now.

The great things about blogs is that they are real world. Last Christmas the folks at Real Christmas gave us giggles, tears and hard news. Be sure to check it out. Or, better yet -- become a blogger yourself and tell us about your Christmas story in real time!

Christmas Comics

Last month we introduced the wonderful creations of George Broderick, Jr -- the life force behind the completely unique Cool Yule Comics.

You're going to want to bookmark the above page. We're soon to announce DAILY comic features on My Merry Christmas for the 2008 season. I've tested the creative works that George provides personally. I have seven kids ranging from age 6 to age 22.

We fight over the Christmas comics constantly. (And usually I win, but only because I'm the biggest). You won't want to miss these new comics online -- and you will want to order a few copies for early stocking stuffers before the season sets in!

Christmas Online 2008

The folks at Christmas Finest have been working hard scouring the Internet for more Christmas online. And guess what? There's tons to introduce you to!

Technically, Christmas Finest is a blog. But its sole purpose is to find Christmas online and to blog about it. We have been successful in highlighting several new sites as "Site of the Week" -- without duplicating any of last year's entries.

Stop by and see if your site was recognized...or stop by to find a new online place for Christmas.

Hot Topics on the Merry Forums

Even though we have had lots of new folks sign up and lots of our regulars out on summer travels, there has been plenty of things to talk about on the forums:

What is your LEAST favorite holiday?
Do you make Christmas gifts?
Christmas on TV This Week
Member Movie Review: Deck the Halls
An iPod for a 6 year old?
The Best Things About Fall

New on Merry Christmas Radio

It has been a joyous summer at MCR. Jay has been able to tap in to lots of professional radio talent, including those of Kevin Dunn, the Demented Elf, and, of course, our own Radio JonD.

These good men, under Jay's inspired leadership, have helped elevate the professionalism and the personal touch found only on MCR.

Like all the great things about MMC the radio station is a pure labor of love. We spend a lot of money on it and, like men who play with toy trains on Christmas morning, we're having a blast making it our own.

Be sure to stop by the forum area dedicated to Merry Christmas Radio and put a shout out to someone in a future show. Jay and the guys will take your stories and your personal contacts and put them on the air with your seasonal favorites. In fact, we're working up all kinds of new programming based upon listener feedback given to us through the forums. It is fun and it's free -- give us a listen!

Help for Halloween

New in the Merry Marketplace at MMC is a call for help for our new Halloween site. We're looking to officially launch the site in September but we're in need of bloggers, writers and spooky experts to help us put it together. Check it out!

Annual Ornament Exchange

The annual ornament exchange is off to a fast start. Lots have signed up already and there's still time! Imagine this: as the cool days of autumn give way to the colder days of winter your festive Christmas season kicks off with a surprise package in the mail around the middle of November: a Christmas ornament exchanged with another member of My Merry Christmas!

It's simple: you ship off an ornament to someone and they ship one to you! Talk about it on the Merry Forums, personalize it as a Christmas greeting from your family and share what is sent to you with all who enter your home this holiday season. It's fun!

Better late than never...

...at least that is what I have been telling myself in trying to get this edition of the newsletter out. To confess all, this is actually June's newsletter...and we're into August now! Where is the summer going?

For me, I'll tell you where. First of all, we're working hard on our 2008 seasonal offering. But, as you all know, this job of the Merry Network is merely what I want to do for a living...it's not what I do do for a living. In early June I was given a completely new job responsibility in the real world and it has turned everything upside down for me -- especially Christmas.

But we're adjusting and I hope you can adjust with me. Later this month I get to take my wife -- and my laptop -- with me on a cruise to Canada and New England. Although I'll be "working" on our Christmas websites that really isn't work -- it's fun. I enjoy it more than I can tell you. I hope you plan to be around this fall and for this holiday season. I know because of the changes in my life I will actually have MORE time for Christmas at Christmas this year. And I think that will make it a special season for those of us celebrating the season online.

-- All the best,
Jeff