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10 of the best Christmas commercials of all time
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Christmas-themed commercials are one of the earliest indications that the holiday season has arrived, so we've rounded up the best of the best. From the classics to ones you may have missed, here are our favorite Christmas commercials. - photo by Mary Dalrymple
SNOWGLOBE CITY Each year, the rush of Christmas-themed commercials is one of the earliest indications that the holiday season has arrived.

Everyone from ad agencies to department stores and toy companies uses the months at the end of the year to put out their best work with the goal of helping us feel a little holiday spirit, (and, of course, convincing us to buy their products.) The result is that you probably have at least one or two fond memories of the commercials from Christmases past.

Weve rounded up our favorite Christmas commercials the ones that have stuck with us through the years, and despite being only a few minutes long, immediately fill our hearts with Christmas joy to help you get in the holiday mood. Whether silly and fun, or heartwarming and serious, here are some of the best holiday commercials of all time.

Hersheys "Holiday Bells"

A classic if there ever was one, youve probably seen this delightful treat at least 100 times. This commercial, with the red and green Hersheys kisses bouncing to the tune of Jingle Bells, has aired for decades since its original debut in 1989. Its simple, memorable and timeless.

Apple Frankies Holiday

This ad is just a year old, but its already one of the more memorable Apple commercials. In a scene that will tug extra hard at your heartstrings, a Christmas-loving Frankenstein prepares a song on his iPhone 7 to perform for the local villagers. The ad, with the theme Open your heart to everyone, is beautifully shot and could unite iPhone and Android users everywhere with its message of acceptance.

Folgers Peter Comes Home

Another classic you may remember from years long gone, Folgers Peter Comes Home ad first aired in 1986. Peter gets home, drops the presents off under the tree and proceeds to make a pot of fresh Folgers coffee to wake up the rest of the family. Though the quality of any version youll find online is predictably grainy, this commercial will still help you feel just as excited to wake up on Christmas morning as it did the first time you saw it.

M&Ms Meeting Santa

Everyones favorite M&Ms meet Santa for the first time in this commercial you might remember from the '90s. But unlike many commercials where the stars meet Santa, this one comes with a surprising and fun twist: Santa is just as surprised to see the M&Ms as they are to see him.

John Lewis Man on the Moon

The marketing people over at John Lewis, a department store in the United Kingdom, have mastered the art of the Christmas commercial. Their ads are some of the most watched Christmas commercials on YouTube, and the day each one is released could be considered a holiday all on its own for Christmas lovers. Though the emotional and tear-jerking Man on the Moon ad from 2015 may be considered their most successful and well-loved, YouTube is full of John Lewis Christmas ads if youre looking for more beautiful stories to watch after this.

Sainsburys 1914

Another one coming out of the British Isles, supermarket chain Sainsburys 1914 commercial depicts the events of Christmas Eve during World War I. As British and German soldiers fought on either side of the trenches, the sounds of Silent Night started rising through the air and the two armies met for a brief Christmas celebration. Its a remarkably well-done ad that manages to teach us a little about history and inspire us to think more about sharing while also being an advertisement for chocolate bars. If youd like to hear more about the events behind the true story, Sainsburys also released a short video.

Coca-Cola Catch

Coke commercials and Christmas go hand-in-hand, and among their most-loved ads are the ones featuring polar bears. For decades, the polar bears have been enjoying wintry scenes with a cold bottle of Coca-Cola and getting us in the mood for Christmas at the same time.

Campbells Soup Snowman

Before we had the summer-loving Olaf from Disneys Frozen," we had the Campbells Soup snowman who just wanted something warm to enjoy during the holidays. The poor snowman melts away, but that Campbells sure is M'm! M'm! Good!

Edeka Homecoming

This German commercial for supermarket Edeka is also just a year old but is already the most-watched Christmas commercial we could find on YouTube. The ad, called Homecoming," tells a sad story with a happy ending and went viral after being released in 2016. If you missed it last year, grab a tissue or two before you watch this tear-jerker.

Hallmark Toms coming for Christmas

With a message all about family togetherness during the holidays, this Hallmark commercial is another one that seems sad until the surprise ending. Everything about this commercial, from the house and clothes, to the voiceover and music will take you right back to your favorite Christmas memories.

Which commercials did we leave off our list? Let us know your favorites in the comments below.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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