Preserving the Christmas Magic {Giveaway}

Growing up, Christmas was pure magic. We’d spend Christmas Eve with my giant Italian family, opening gifts from my Great Aunt & Grandma, laughing as my dad opened the gift-wrapped box of socks that had become tradition. My cousin and I would wander the house singing Christmas Carols & hoping someone would listen. We’d watch the Santa Tracker on the news and as the hours crept by & we remained at their house, I worried that Santa would skip me over since I wasn’t in bed, and I’d ask my parents every five minutes if it was time to go home yet.

Then all night, I’d toss & turn, waiting for the magical moment when I awoke & the clock said 7:00, when I was allowed to get up. I’d spring from my bed, wake my brother, who usually had a sleepover in my room on Christmas Eve, and head to the living room, where there’d be an explosion of wrapped gifts under the tree that we’d decorated together weeks before. Our dad was always awake before us, since he was used to waking up at 2AM for his night shift job, and he’d record our reactions as we tore through our Christmas stockings, gobbling up all of the candy inside & unwrapping tiny gifts. When my mom woke up {and had her coffee}, then it was time for presents. I loved each & every present, but it didn’t matter what I received. I just loved the magic- not just of Santa Claus, but of the time spent with my family.

As the years went on, things changed. My parents divorced, so we started having to call my dad to come over {he lived in the apartment building next door} when we were awake. My Grandma passed away, and we stopped going to the house she shared with my Great Aunt on Christmas Eve. And I now have my own family, complete with my soon-to-be husband & our son; as well as my fiancée’s entire family, who has accepted me as one of their own for years. But no matter what has changed, I still cherish every memory I’ve made on Christmas Eve & Christmas.

Our first Christmas tree together {in the guest room of his parent’s house}.

As time goes on, the memories start to fade from my mind as they are replaced by new ones I create with my own family. I will never completely forget them, but they are getting fuzzier & more distant. That’s why I’m so grateful that my parents used their giant video recorder to tape all of the moments that I never want to forget. &That’s why I’m so grateful for YesVideo.

Shane’s first Christmas

YesVideo is a service that takes your videotapes & transfers them to DVDs, so that you can still watch them for years to come. Video tapes have a shelf life, which is typically only about 25 years. In order to preserve your memories & make sure they’re around forever, it’s a wise investment to have them transferred to DVD while they’re still in good condition. {Plus, I don’t know about you but my video tapes don’t actually do me any good since I don’t even have a VCR.}

Buy It: You can order an EasyShip Kit from YesVideo’s website so that you can ship your memories right from your home to their processing center, or you can drop your memories off at CVS, Walmart, Costco, RiteAid & more.

Win It: One lucky reader will win a $65 credit for YesVideo! {To be used for online orders.} This makes a great holiday gift, too! Just enter using the simple form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This post is part of a paid ambassadorship with YesVideo. All experiences are authentic & all opinions are my own.