North Pole Press Newsletter
September 2023 Newsletter
Good God, are we really past Labor Day already? It seems like the blink of an eye that we were just welcoming spring. And in spite of all the excessively hot weather around the world, I am already seeing Christmas Trees, lights, gift wrap, etc. for the upcoming season in several stores.
Very soon it will be pumpkins and pumpkin spice everything! I am already looking at my Halloween decorations and scratching my beard. Although, I must admit the cooler days cannot come soon enough for Mary and me.
Today we are working on our 9th podcast for “Behind the Scenes with Santa and Mrs. Claus”. Eight! Already! And Tom Christie and I are well into our second year with the “Traditionally Speaking” podcast, which continues to grow monthly. I am very proud of both these podcasts and invite you to give a listen, because we really are having as much fun as it sounds. We’d love to bring a smile to your face today.
And our stores! Good heavens, I am up to 145 items and growing on Santa’s Magic Chest! And Treasures by Mrs. Claus has been gaining more customers, and she will be adding many more items for Christmas soon. (She has been working on new designs and products of my store, sorry you antique lovers. Trust me, she has tons more items coming.) Both stores have links at this website for your convenience.
Concerning the stores, Mary has a brand new camera with all the bells and whistles, and is crazy busy retaking and updating all the pictures to much sharper and better photos. Already, they are more representative of our products. I continue to tweak the descriptions and could spend half the day talking about the extremely high-quality of our wares. I can never get over how beautiful the clothing is and I know Mary’s new photos will far better represent this.
We also have new artwork for Blitzen (our Hyundai Elantra) and hope you will stop and say hello if you see us streaking around town. Well, it is time to go look at mums for our fall decorations.
September, good God.
August 2023 Newsletter
I know, this month’s installment is a bit late. But can you really blame us? With two international podcasts, two very different Etsy stores, a YouTube channel, a side hustle to boot, and dare I say it? Yes, we have even started making Christmas reservations (don’t blame us, you guys are the ones asking in August)!
And speaking of our Etsy store, Santa’s Magic Chest is already to break the 200 item mark (we just launched the store at the very end of July). Mary is working feverishly to blow that number through the roof. She is currently designing custom (and one-of-a-kind) adult clothing, blankets, pajama/nightwear, ornaments, and even a set of special artwork for our car! Pretty soon you will be able to spot us cruising around with me on AND in the car, ho, ho, HO! Mary is excited seeing how many views we currently are getting on our store, and she is out to offer you an entire world of new products, all related and exclusive to The North Pole Press (and nowhere else)!
So please don’t think you’ve seen everything we have to offer. I highly recommend you check back often to see what new and fun things we have come up to make everyday like Christmas for you.
About our podcast, “Behind the Scenes with Santa and Mrs. Claus”, it is growing rapidly, and we would like to thank all of you for its hundreds (and soon, thousands) of views and numerous likes. It is very gratifying to share all the exceptional things we have been so blessed to partake and be a part of during our years as Santa and Mrs. Claus. When we began this journey, we were amazed at the flood of memories that poured forth. I can tell you we will have many, many, many more stories and experiences to share with you, so please keep visiting our podcast/vlog.
Likewise, my dear friend, Dr. Tom Christie and I are reaching larger audiences in numerous countries every month with our podcast, “Traditionally Speaking,” and like “Behind the Scenes,” we are finding more and more wonderful and interesting traditions to discuss and will be at this a good long while, as well. We are enjoying learning just how differently we celebrate Christmas and the times leading to and away from it. Tom also just released a new book with Murray Cook, the renowned archaeologist, entitled “Scotland’s Christmas” that goes much, much deeper into the celebrations, traditions, and customs much further back than the birth of Christ. It is a fascinating and enjoyable read. Tom’s book can be found on the Extremis Publishing website.
Well, I better push off. Mary wants me to look at some of her new designs. She is anxious (like, I’m not…) to get these into the store, quickly. Besides, there is only 128 days remaining until Christmas! (I know you really, deep-down inside wanted to know this.)
July Newletter – Santa Says “Do Something Unique and Special for Loved Ones This Year.”
Like it or not, Christmas will be here before you know it. Now is the time to begin ordering those one-of-a-kind items.
There are now fewer days to this coming Christmas than to last Christmas. While you may have not thought about what special gift you want to give for this December, time is already marching against you to find those incredibly unique, custom, and special gifts that cannot be duplicated. The kind of gift that will ensure they think of you every time they look at it.
And while we’re at it, why not save money on those desirable gifts while they are on sale?
For instance, children and grand-kids love reading a book they enjoy. The North Pole Press offers wonderfully illustrated and rhyming books about Santa’s elves and how they all work together, brilliantly, to make every child smile at Christmas. And these books are available from great merchants such as Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and even Waterstones in London to name several.
But why not make the book(s) truly one-of-a-kind? How? Order it from Etsy at Santa’s Magic Chest where it will not only be autographed by both the author and illustrator, but it will be dedicated to your child or family by none other than Santa and Mrs. Claus, themselves! Now THAT is truly special and makes the book an instant heirloom.
You can even order custom-made clothing designed by Mrs. Claus that accompanies the various children’s stories. Each piece is individually made to your child’s size. Because of this, these unique articles take a couple weeks to be made and then shipped. See how the time is moving forward already?
And children are not the only ones that can receive exclusive presents from Santa’s Magic Chest. There are novels for all ages in fantasy and suspense/thriller genres, clothes for adults, special family Christmas books, and even a coin to help your kids behave year-round. And Santa is always adding more things to his chest to make it even more exclusive.
Visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/SantasMagicChest to see all the wonderfully rare and different gift ideas. And during Santa’s Christmas in July event almost 80% of Santa’s Magic Chest is on sale. But hurry, like melting snow, this sale will disappear soon.
Summer is Coming Fast!
June at last! Everyone is planning their vacations (if they haven’t begun them already). Kids are already tasking their folks into keeping them busy and occupied without losing all their precious time for work and errands.
The days are getting longer (as are bedtimes). The weather is getting warmer. And the days seem a little brighter. It’s time to pick up a new book, whether adult or child. Summer reading programs are in full swing and mom or dad have been wanting to start a new read for a while, themselves.
Let us help you! Did you know that we have a variety of genres and subjects available? From children’s picture books, to fantasy novels dealing with time travel, past history, and magical places, to suspense thrillers that you can’t put down. Let us help make your time together truly special with an autographed and dedicated book to you or your child.
We even have dishwasher/microwave safe mugs so you can enjoy your coffee, tea, or favorite beverage while you read. We also have tote bags that are perfect for the beach or outings to the park. And something that no parent should be without – Santa’s Magic Coin, to help keep your kids in check and staying on Santa’s Nice list.
Remember, we are all about fun, families and smiles, all through the year. Let us help make this summer truly special for you and your family. Visit Santa’s new Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SantasMagicChest where we are adding new products almost daily!
Welcome to our May Newsletter!
And finally, a podcast and vlog more than twenty years in the making!
That is what is being released on May 10th. Joe and Mary begin with an introduction of what the podcast “Behind the Scenes with Santa and Mrs. Claus” is all about. Then on May 24th we follow up with our first ‘official’ episode of how the whole journey began.
No matter if you are considering a career as a Santa or Mrs. Claus, wondering what it is like to portray the infamous couple, or you just can’t get enough of Santa in your life, we know you are going to laugh, ponder, and even cry at many of our events and travels throughout this country.
We have been truly blessed in our roles. What is also fun is when we compare our involvements with those of other Santas and Mrs. Clauses. It is difficult to encompass the multitude of all the ways and places Santa makes an appearance. For instance, Joe has personally been on a wild ride in a Zorb in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with none other than Elvis Presley (YouTube link: https://youtu.be/tTz3Dg6Cvzc). He and Mary also did a commercial for a waterpark in Sevierville, TN and went on their various rides and attractions for it. (What is with this Santa and water?)
We are also good friends with the Santa from the Hollywood parade who has been the main attraction in this event for many years, as well as a Santa who had the ultimate mall experience with Mall of America, almost as long as we have portrayed Santa and Mrs. Claus. Then there is the Polar Express trains, the North Pole Experience in Arizona, the Santa themed parks, and, well…you get the idea.
So Santa Joe and Mary Claus invite you to tune in and hear some of our amazing stories on “Behind the Scenes with Santa and Mrs. Claus” starting this month with a new episode every couple weeks (after all we have over 20 years to cover). So please tune in to our new podcast and let us show you the many adventures and crazy times of portraying Santa and Mrs. Claus.
March, 2023 Newsletter
You better grab a rein and hold on tight, because this sleigh is going to fly like it has never flown before!
If this is your first visit to our web pages, than Mrs. Claus and I offer you a hearty and joyful “Ho, Ho, Ho, and Welcome!
If you are one of our many, many return visitors, all we can say is you are in for some new surprises to our completely revised and enhanced website. We strongly urge you to take a good look around, as we have changed and added several more pages and attached a new store to the website. It is much easier to navigate and see the myriad of products and events taking place around here.
One of the things we want you to consider is to drop us an email and let us know how you like the new format. Also if you give us your email, we will add you to our brand new podcast coming soon and the accompanying vlog that will be appear under our YouTube channel, “A Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus”.
What new podcast you may ask? Well, let us tell you! Mrs. Claus (Mary) and I (Joe) have performed as the Claus’ for over 20 years! We have done this in multiple states and in nearly every imaginable way that Santa Claus can make an appearance in public (and privately). From television appearances and shows to parades, mall-type visits, riding fire trucks, visiting reindeer, and photo shoots at the Western White House in San Clemente, and so much more.
So many people have asked what it is like to portray this world-renowned gift giver and what have we enjoyed most, or what was our funniest experience(s)? So we have decided the best thing would be to do a podcast and place our many experiences, anecdotes, stories, and advice for all those who would like to pick up Santa and Mrs. Claus’ mantle going forward. So many wonderful memories and experiences are just begging to be shared with all of you that we just can’t wait. We will start with the first three podcasts soon, and if you give us your email, you will be notified the day they are broadcast!
Speaking of podcasts, have you tuned into Joe’s podcast with his dear friend, Tom Christie from Stirling, Scotland called Traditionally Speaking? We have just finished an entire year of episodes and have listeners in a dozen countries! In this podcast, Tom and Joe discuss Christmas traditions and their origins in Scotland, The United States, and other countries and how these traditions differ in each. Everything from Christmas Trees to Ecclefechan tarts and more are talked about. What is an Ecclefechan tart? Go to the Traditionally-Speaking.com website (linked above) or your favorite podcast provider to learn more.
In future newsletters, we will keep you apprised of new podcasts, YouTube videos, appearances, book signings, and so on. With God’s grace we will be at this many more years. And we promise continuous new and awesome stories guaranteed to make you laugh, bring a tear, or just shake your head in wonder. Grab a rein and hold on.