SANTASHIDEOUT.COM: MOM’S SECRET WEAPON THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

I have some very EXCITING news! I was invited to try a NEW site called Santa’s Hideout. A parent controlled, safe, online environment where you get to be “Santa” and see first hand what your children want for Christmas. The countdown to the BIG DAY is nearly less than 30 days…and you will definitely want to be prepared!!!

About Santa’s Hideout

Calling all Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Godparents! Never hear “Santa knows what I want!” again. Introducing Santa’s Hideout! This innovative website takes the guesswork out of holiday shopping by creating a SAFE, ONE-STOP, PARENT CONTROLLED, MAGICAL environment.

How does Santa’s Hideout work?
A parent (let’s face it, probably Mom) creates an account for as many children he/she wants. They control the access, can set limits on a budget and can decide what item can/can’t be shown.

Parents can then send messages as “Santa Claus”. They can be anything from asking them to set up a registry to reminding them to take out the trash, to telling them if they do well on that spelling test they can add another item to their List

In the end, the Parent is the decision maker on all items children add, so you can share registry items that exceed “Santa’s” budget, but also delete items that seem excessive or inappropriate. Parents can also set up group lists for gifts that are shared across multiple children; like that Xbox 360 grandma is buying for the entire family.

How do you sign up?
Simply visit their website and set up a FREE (password protected) account!

Once you create your account (which only takes a couple minutes), you will then be asked to provide some information about yourself (your birth date –  in order to maintain a safe environment and for security purposes) AND then your children’s information. After you have done this, then you can create your lists and give Santa some ground rules. You can help Santa’s recipient add items to their List and once there are items added you’re good to go!

Once your list is created…

• Your child can add items (with a drag/drop search engine) of what they want for Christmas. The only thing your child will see (is what is pictured below): a search engine, and pictures of what they want/added to their list. Everything else is behind-the-scene stuff for Santa (a.k.a. YOU).

• You can share individual items or an entire List with family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Tumblr.
• An email will alert you when there are updates made to a List by a recipient or a friend or relative (For example, if something is purchased from the List, and they forget to mark it on the site).
• Make purchases easily online (w/Amazon) or track your gifting through your account:
  Relatives or friends can reserve or purchase items directly through the site (it uses Amazon’s marketplace, but if you or a relative purchase the item elsewhere, just simply hop back in and mark the item as “purchased,” and it’s all recorded) and each time someone does so, you’re notified and your view of the list is updated. And, don’t worry, for the forgetful family members who may leave an item on the reserve list for too long without purchasing, a gentle reminder email from “Santa” is sent.
• On the go? No problem! Santa’s Hideout Lists are optimized for mobile, so take it to the store.

And the best part…Mom is in control! You can make changes to Lists, add or delete items and avoid duplicates.

If you think this site sounds pretty COOL, then be sure to check out these tips:

• Make sure you set up lists for ALL your little ones (I did for both my girls, ages 2.5 and 1 year old), and you can set parameters such as price, number of items, their gender and more. It will help Santa’s Hideout show them only the types of items you want them to see.
• Send them an email from Santa (to your inbox, or if they have their own, that’s great too) asking them to create their list. Santa’s Hideout doesn’t store any of that information for future use. EVER. It’s just to deliver this important Santa message. And what’s nice about sending them an email, is that there are already messages created – so simply fill in the blanks and they are ready to go!
  
• Come back and visit Santa’s Desk. There you’ll find ideas for messages of encouragement for your child from Santa…everything from being a good sharer to helping around the house and more. Everyone needs a little bit of a boost every now and then 😀
• Use the “Group List” for big ticket items Grandma or Auntie will buy across multiple kids (think a game console or TV for the family). You can even ADD a list for your spouse, or an older child (who may a little old to believe in Santa).

I will definitely be sharing this FUN and innovative site with all of my friends and family this upcoming holiday season. I love that you can share your “lists” with as many people as you want, and YOU (and your relatives) will know exactly what your child wants for Christmas. Be sure to create your FREE account at Santashideout.com, and try to find some time to relax this holiday season!

To learn more about Santa’s Hideout, you can sign up for a FREE account on their website, like them on Facebook,  follow on Twitter , on Tumblr and/or add them to your Google + .

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