Waiting in line at the mall to see a creepy Santa with his beard half hanging off and garlic breath and then paying $15 for a crappy picture of my kid with him isn’t my idea of a great Christmas memory.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Santa. I love the idea of Santa and the spirit of kindness and giving that surrounds it. I just don’t love the mall in December. If you’re in the same spot, you may never need to go there again. To see Santa, anyway ~ the shopping’s totally your call. We’ve found an awesome new website that gives your children the kind of wonderful personal Santa experience you want for them without any of the hassle…

When we were given the opportunity to review Santa Speaking for The Opinionated Parent, I was happy to do so.

SantaSpeaking.com was founded by Anne Gaskell (aka Elf Annie), a mother with three little ones under 7 who has experienced the scary mall Santa enough times to get inspired to create an alternative. And what a great alternative it is!

Little did I know how much joy one call could bring!

We just completed an international move and my three year old has had to be a very good little girl.

When we saw Santa Claus at the mall, she was at a loss for words and missed her chance to tell Santa what she truly wanted for Christmas.

My daughter was so overwhelmed with joy to receive a call from Santa. It took her a few minutes to warm up (so I was thankful we had the extended call), but once she was used to talking to him she opened up and shared with Santa what she wanted for Christmas! It was truly an amazing experience watching her trying to express herself to him. Talking to Santa was like talking to a celebrity for her.

After listening to the MP3 that SantaSpeaking.com sent us I had tears in my eyes hearing her talk with him so nervously. It was so endearing.

During all of the chaos in our lives, this was a moment to remember for all of us. It really helped us start off the season right and put my daughter’s mind at ease that Santa knew she had moved and knew what she hoped to receive.

The call from SantaSpeaking.com was so simple to set up. They have thought of all the little details and make the calls personal and very true.

There are a lot of features on their site to check out as well. They are tracking Santa’s progress Christmas Eve, as well as hosting Santa’s blog! You can read the latest issue of the North Pole Gossiper, groove to some cool Santa tunes and much more.

I want to thank Santa Speaking, and The Opinionated Parent for this wonderful experience.

When you’re out there looking for last minute gifts, stop and consider this amazing experience for the little ones in your lives.

Share the magic with your own little people!
Use the code OPPARENT for 10% off a $30 minimum purchase.

We’ve got a $58 SantaSpeaking.com gift code for one lucky T.O.P. reader! We’re on a deadline for this one, obviously, so get your entries in quickly! Email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com by 5 pm MST on 12/19/07 with Santa Speaking in the subject line and tell us the minimum price of a live call from Santa. (More than worth every penny in our opinion!)

Barring excruciating labour pains or hospitalization, a winner will be emailed Wednesday evening to give you time to schedule your call before Christmas so check your inbox! Congratulations Cassandara, and enjoy!