Living! (On the Cheap)--Portable North Pole

          Hey ya! This very special Living! (On the Cheap) segment is dedicated to a very special Momma--Andy hon, you have to get a Facebook page if you want to find all of the cool stuff. Just joking sweetie! But really, you gotta get a Facebook. Really.

         Anywho, another really great Mommy (Thanks, Christy!) I know put this little gem out on Facebook and I thought, "I really need to share this with my followers". For anyone who has a child, of the "believing" age this website is for you.
        On http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/ you can create a video message from Santa Claus for you child. Now this is much better than the phone calls from Santa I used to get as a kid that had a mechanical recording of your name inserted periodically. This video has pictures of your child (that you upload), details about your child like age, eye and hair color (that you fill in) and a picture of the gift your child has his/her heart set on (make sure you find a pic online, save it to your pictures so it's ready to insert when you get to that part)! The video is then emailed to your child. This is a very professional production with a realistic Santa (fake beard but still good), great sets and props, a wonderful cast of extras, including elves and reindeer, and a way above par production team! And did I mention that this is FREE???

Disclaimer: If you want to save the video, for future generations it will cost you a very affordable $4, but the email is version is free. And frankly, you're gonna want to keep it.

**Things to know....

1. Have your ducks in a row to make the process faster. You need a pic of your kiddo, 2 pix of him/her during the year (b-day, vaca, special day, etc.) and a pic of THE GIFT (you know the one). It still only take a few minutes to complete.
2. The videos can be made for different age groups ie, toddlers, school age and even adults (I made one for my hubby and emailed it to him. He cried. But in a very manly way!)
3. This would be great for Grandparents, or far flung family to make for those special kids in their lives.
4. There is a "naughty list" feature if your kid's behavior needs a little tweaking.
5. Not all names go through to the voice part. For example in Porter's message Santa never spoke Porter's name but he said Logan's several times and unexpectedly they got Myriam's name correct! I don't know why Porter's name was an issue. Thankfully he's three so he didn't notice and it was written in Santa's book.
6. Join the website. If you do they produce a FAQ film, called "From the Village" every week that answers all those pesky questions you--I mean your kids have. For example I learned how reindeer fly and that only a small percentage of elves live at the North Pole.

All right, here it is! Check out the message Santa sent Logan.
http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/gSnbER7ChechVFQ6ET3Y1mg

I tested this link and it worked for me. If for any reason it doesn't work just copy and paste it. And remember although I always attempt to ensure that the information I report is current and correct I always recommend that you follow up for yourself. For more information please check them out on the web at http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/. Happy Holidays!

**I was in no way compensated for this review this is just a tip I like to pass on to my readers and friends.

Check out my other Living! (On the Cheap) segments here!
Dagg Park                                                              
Powell Gardens
The Kansas City Northern Railroad
Geocaching
Fort Scott, Kansas
Two Websites Every Parent Should Know About
Emporia Kansas Zoo
Powell Pumpkin Patch
Portable North Pole
Deanna Rose Farmstead