My local grocery store swept away the Halloween paraphernalia in the “seasonal” aisle on November 1 and replaced it with Christmas wrapping paper, tree ornaments and holiday stemware. Last night while watching TV, I saw my first Christmas-themed commercial (for JC Penney, perhaps — trying to block it out). I went to a friend’s neighborhood last night, and the next-door house is decorated in full holiday regalia — from red and white twinkling lights on the roof (and around windows, down the exterior walls and on bushes) to a gargantuan wreath on the front door.
Whatever happened to waiting to celebrate the Christmas holiday season until the day after Thanksgiving?!
However, instead of being all “bah, humbug” about it, we figured here we’d celebrate the giving season early — just like the rest of the world seems to be doing.
To thank our readers for being so supportive of us since launching The Vacation Gals two months ago, we’re giving away a Flip MinoHD Camcorder that records up to 60 minutes of video. All the Gals own a Flip and use them regularly when we travel to record vacation memories and share fun destinations with our readers.
To win, simply leave a comment below detailing whether or not you’d keep the video camera for yourself or if you’d give it as a gift. If you’re keeping it, tell us where and when you’d first use your Flip MinoHD — during what sort of family vacation, weekend getaway or holiday celebration.
We’ll take entries until Tuesday, December 1, at 11:59 p.m. (MST), pull a name randomly (as determined my random-number generator random.org) and announce the winner Wednesday, December 2. One entry per person; U.S. mailing addresses only.
We’ll be sure to get your video camera to you in plenty of time to give it as a present to that special person on your Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa gift-giving list!
Holiday image by Marius Muresan on sxc.hu.
I’d give this as a gift to my teenage daughter. She’s loves taking videos with her digital camera, and I think she’d be very grateful to have a better video camera.
This would actually be for my 8 year old son who keeps borrowing my digital camera to make movies.
this time of the year i would have to decide to gift it, the more you give the more you’ll receive!
I’d keep it for myself, and use it at Christmas time, if I got it before then.
I’d give the camera to my daughter who really wants one!
I think I would keep it to record the big ice fishing trips this Winter, but I would let my nephew use it
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
I would use for myself and take video of my nephew who is always bouncing around. would also take with me on my trips all over Belize when i go shoot, to build a stock of video
I would give this to my mother-in-law. We are going on a trip to Ireland this holiday and it will be her first international trip, so we are very very excited.
Hopefully the weather will clear up a bit so we can actually go!
I would keep this for myself, film the kids this Christmas and send video out to all of the grandparents
This would likely be a gift for me! I’m taking my girlfriend home for Christmas to meet my parents for the first time, so it’s definitely an occasion worthy of capturing on digital film!
I’d give the flip to my wife (a photographer) who wants one to record her visits with her family.
I’d give it as a gift to my brother so he could take videos of my family that live across the country.
I would keep it for myself. If I wait for my husband to agree to buy one, we’ll both be long dead and buried! I’m still using the clunker we bought in 1990 when my son was born! The case for it is bigger than most of our suitcases!
Oops – I’m sorry – I didn’t read the whole thing. Can you merge this comment with my previous one? I would LOVE to have one of these so I can record my kids’ recitals and email them to the grandparents who are getting too old to drive this far to come and see them.
I would give this flip to my sister. She needs one and I know she will love it.
I would use it myself on a family trip
planned after the holidays
I would use this for myself, and I would use it for when I visit my family, out of state. I see them maybe once a year and to capture visits with them would be wonderful! I would also use it to capture our road trip to new york next year! fun fun!
I would use it myself to see how much I would really use it. I know I’d love to try it but not sure how much use it would get in reality
I would use it for myself to document my life. I would love to use it during the christmas holiday when I go to Disney World with my family
I would give this to my son. He would have a great time with it.
I would use it to film my kids at Christmas
I would keep it for myself! I have a trip to Nicaragua planned next month with four of my best girlfriends from college. It’s probably the last trip we’ll be able to take before we have husbands, kids, important jobs, etc. We’re going to visit “the missing link,” our other best friend who has been down there working for the Peace Corps. We’re bringing gifts and basic supplies (toilet paper, Band aids, Kleenec, etc) for the people in the village where she’s living, and giving makeovers to the pregnant women who don’t always feel pretty.I would love to record it all and let the kids play around and get their perspective.
We’d let our guests take it with them on day trips to make films of their Chedabucto Bay adventures.
This year I would use it to make a thank you video for the gift! Then I’d use it to video tape all my family events over the Holidays.
Cool! I’d keep that and use it on all the camping trips we have planned for this coming year.
I would love to give the cameera to Adam as a gift since he started college this year. It would be great for him to be able to have a visual record of this special time in his life.
I would give it to my father. He loves gadgets and it would be a nice way to thank him for all of the hard work and running around he’s been doing to help me out in the past few months.
I’d give it to my sister so she can record my niece and nephew’s sports games, I live far away and I’d love to see them!
Considering this is on my Christmas list right now, I’d totally keep it for myself. And I’d start right away recording everyday stuff – that’s what fascinates me when watching old videos. I think the normal day to day things are the best!
I’ve been pondering buying one of these for my own travels – I would keep the flip and use it in February when I head out to backpack through South and Central America!
I’d keep it to record my travels. Going to see several friends play holiday music at a very informal club where cameras are no problem, would take it there first to break it in recording music in the spirit of the season. thanks for the chance to comment.
I’d give it as a gift to my daughter.
I would keep it for myself and tape my family at Christmas.
smchester at gmail dot com
I would keep it for myself to record channuka candle lighting with my kids
I would keep it record an upcoming trip with my sons and my parents.
As much as I’d like to gift this to someone, I really need it to record our family memories. Happy Holidays to all.
I’d gift it to a friend
I would keep it for myself. If I got it in time I would use it for Christmas.
I would keep it for myself! Camcorders were so expensive when my kids were little so I would want to videotape my teens now!
My girl friend would love this
I’d keep it to use during our family vacation to Florida next May!
I would keep it for myself I dont have one.
I would love one of theses
My best friend is getting married in Jamaica next June…I would love to take it with us to Jamaica, record the wedding along with other fun details of the trip, and then give the flip to the happy couple as part of their wedding gift…SO fun!!
trip to Vegas coming up…love to shoot the Bellagio fountains!
I would certainly use it to film the crazy antics of my baby ferrets, Chrissy and Janet.
I would love to have this handy video recorder
Not only would I plan on using it when we travel, but I alos would love to use it for recording different events for us on my soon to be blog
I rubber stamp and love to travel so what a great little gagdet to have. I hope I win
thanks!
Lillian
It would be a keeper.
I could use this my old camcorder bit the dust.
I’d keep it for myself and use it when the family opens Christmas presents.
This would go to my Mom’s.
I would give this to my son for Christmas. He would be thrilled. It does beat socks & boxers:)
I’d definitely give this to my daughter. She is much better at working these gadgets and uploading photos and video to the web. She’d absolutely love this and I can imagine she’d take the Flip with her everywhere.
This would be a gift for my sister, to capture those Christmas memories and the never-ending antics of her two little boys. Thank you for the chance to win.
i’d keep this and use it at my family christmas party!
I would definitely give this as a gift to my sister! She is expecting her first child in March, so she will have plenty to record!
I’d use this prize myself to cam the kids in their downhill winter sledding. Please accept my entry. Thank you.
I would keep it for myself and use it to record all the great moments with my friends and family and share them with everyone!
Hello, The Facation Gals bloggers.
I’d keep the flip mino for myself. My birthday is coming up in 2 1/2 weeks and there’s Christmas also to film.
I have heard so much about this little video that I think I will have to keep it to try it out and see what the fuzz is all about.
I would give it to my sister if I won because she has been wanting a new video camera!
Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!
Janna Johnson
janna@FeedYourPigBlog.com
jannajanna@hotmail.com
http://www.FeedYourPigBlog.com
I would keep it because I want to record my baby nephews every smile.
This would be a gift for my son. He uses my camera to record himself singing.
I would keep it, I am starting college soon and I would use it to make videos for my mom back home. I’m sure she would feel a lot better that way.
I would give it to my girlfriend for a Christmas gift. And we could use it for our road trip next summer.
I’m the photographer of the family, so I’d keep it to record our holiday adventures! Thanks!
I’d give this to my sister
I would give it to my daughter who just had a baby girl
I would use it as a teaching tool for my elementary kids.
I’d love to keep this. Hopefully I’d get just in time for Christmas and New Years celebration videos. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would give it to my newly married daughter so that she can keep us informed and up to date!
I’d keep the sucker first for a family trip to Utah over New Years. Then a trip abroad in February with my daughter to Africa, followed by a climb of Kyajo Ri in Nepal in May, topped by a roadtrip to TBEX ’10 where I’d hand it off to a lucky person. Or maybe back to you.
This would be an awesome gift for the whole family
I’d keep it ; ) We have, as you’ll see if you follow my link, 1000′s of still image memories of our daughter’s first couple years. I’ve purposely avoided video to keep up on the photos but now that she’s 3, every photo is a blur and it’s time to switch to video ; )
I have wanted a Flip for almost two years now. However, I haven’t been able to justify spending the extra money that I should be saving — poor college student here. So I would definitely keep it for myself. As a journalism major, I can think of numerous ways I would love to use the Flip in my daily work. As a travel enthusiast I can think of even more ways that this camera would come in handy. But I would be most excited to use it at the SXSW Interactive conference that I am currently saving up to attend.
Keep up the great work with the blog!
I would give this as a gift to my daughter to capture memories with her family on a Christmas trip to Virginia.
Iv’e been watching these cameras for awhile now. I will give it to my husband for christmas to do You Tube music videos.
Thank You, Jane
I would give the camera to my son as a gift.
it would be a gift for my niece thanks
I will keep it! I use will use it! I neeeeed it! The first time I will use it is to shoot video on Maui (where locals eat) and post it on You Tube and unto my blog. Please … I hope I win!
Aloha,
Liza
Just in case you want to know, I found out about this via your tweet
I’m with you! The whole Christmas “cheer” showing up for the party THREE months early inspired my first ever V-log, done without the benefit of a flip cam BTW. (http://chickennuggetsofwisdom.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-stalking-my-first-vlog.html)
I’d keep the camera for myself.. MINE MINE all MINE (insert evil cackle here).. oops I got a bit Grinchy there didn’t I? SORRY
The first thing I’d do with this puppy is take it to Brooklyn with me and do an expose on a Sicilian Family Christmas. Sure there is LOTS of amazing food.. but what about the CRAZY?? I’d stuff the camera in the 2 sizes TOO BIG light-up snowman shirt my mother-in-law buys me EVERY year, leaving enough room for the lens to capture the ensuing hilarity unencumbered by the “happy” face everyone puts on for the camera. “Whadda YOU lookin’ at?”. I’d use it to craft a mock-u-mentary of the holidays. I smell and Oscar nomination! With the cash windfall that little gold dude will bring me I’ll take a REAL (meaning kid free) vacation and bring along my entourage and my Vacation Gals Flip Cam… FYI I’m now accepting applications for said entourage, you interested?
I would give this to my niece who keeps dropping the hint that she wants one! Thanks
I would keep it for myself. I am supposed to take a trip this winter and would love to record it!
I’d keep it for my greedy self lol and would use it for the first time at Christmas to record all my grandchildren opening presents
I would keep this for myself…and the first time I would use it would be for christmas! I love seeing my kids when they first come out and see all their toys! It would be great to be able to see that look all year long!
We’ll give this to our middle son so he has no excuse for not keeping us updated with pics of the new grandbaby.
I’d totally keep it for myself! I use one at work and am madly in love with how easy they are to use and publish and I’d use it for keeping my family up to date on ours. None of us live in the same state, so photos and facebook have kept us close. And video would be the icing on the cake for sharing life together.
I’d give it to my mother in law, who loves to record everything!
I would keep it for myself. I need something to keep up with all the funny things my daughter does.
I think I would keep the video camera for myself. Of course the first time I would use it would be Christmas morning to catch the excietment of the kids.
I would keep this for myself and use it on our beach vacation in May
I would give the camera to my Girlfriend as a Xmas gift.
Great gift to yourself — or to give to someone else!
Id give it to my husband
If I win I would love to give this away. We all know the more you give the more you get!
I would give it to my hubby, he could easily record our trip to Washington DC this spring.
I would keep the camera for myself and would first use it to capture my family’s trip to Seattle this Christmas.
I woul love the camera for me, and I would be abble to capture all these precious moments, I love to take pictures
Genevieve
I’d give it to my sister as a gift
i’d give it to my sis who’s out of the country for a while so she could send vid messages to my parents